STACK #183 Jan 2020

LIFE TECH FEATURE

visit stack.com.au

Savv y smartphones

There are dollars to be saved by opting for a cheaper Android phone, and you don’t have to lose a lot of the core functional smartness, either. Words Adam Colby

T here’s no need to re- mortgage the home to buy your kids the shiniest new iPhone or priciest high-end Galaxy

smartphone. The reality is a first smartphone purchase for the younglings can be a lot like their first car: a form-follows-function device that isn’t a bomb but gets the job done. There are big bucks to be saved by opting for a more affordable smartphone, where “affordable” means buying into the Android ecosystem. Just because the makes and/or models aren’t necessarily household names, doesn’t mean they don’t have the essential features that really matter.

Smart trumps phone So what exactly are essential features for a smartphone? The whole ‘smart’ bit is infinitely more important than the ‘phone’ part these days. While phone functionality is standard across all mobile phones, the smarter functions use data. Data-powered process and applications mean that messages can be sent/ received and calls can be made without even needing to connect to a mobile network. The right smarts Connectivity is of utmost importance for a smartphone. Yes, this includes a cellular network – with all of our options recommended below operating on the fit- for-smarts 4G network – but also extended connectivity staples like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS. Bluetooth is great for connecting to other gadgets like compatible headphones. Wi-Fi is a great way to manage the precious data cap of a SIM-only or prepaid mobile phone plan. GPS is super handy for tracking a lost phone or helping your kids get from A to B. You can

safely assume that all of our recommendations below include these connectivity essentials.

thanks to a variety of different names. While bigger numbers are better, expect those larger numbers to also attract a higher price tag.

Candid cameras Higher-end smartphones are sold on the merit of their cameras, but the cheaper end of town ain’t no slouch in that department, either. Front and rear-facing cameras are standard and let your kids make video calls to family or friends, or record static pics or video for a budding Instagram channel. More expensive smartphones tend to include better-quality cameras or even multiple cameras on the back for different conditions. Important innards What’s beneath the hood matters. Generally speaking, the larger the number, the better the smartphone is for it. This applies to memory (or ‘RAM’), internal storage (in gigabytes, or ‘GB’), battery capacity (measured in mAh), as well as the cameras (in megapixels, or ‘MP’). Processors (or ‘CPU’), the brain of smart gadgets, are a little more confusing

The black mirror The final essential component of a smartphone is the screen. It’s not just the size that matters here (measured diagonally in inches), but also the resolution. This is where the weasel-word acronyms fly thick and fast again. Eye off a phone with an ‘HD+’ screen, for instance, and that’s ‘high-definition plus’, which translates to a resolution of… well, it varies per phone. What’s important is the very-much-seen screen resolution follows the same logic as the unseen gadgetry guts: the bigger the number, the better the result. The higher the screen resolution, the easier it is to look at for long stretches. The larger the screen, the easier it is to watch videos on and read text – be it on a website, in messages, or on an ebook – which boosts its potential for both procrastination and productivity. Win-win!

76

JANUARY 2020

jbhifi.com.au