Articles about Smartphone

Being an American is pretty great. After all, we get to live in the best country in the world. We have many freedoms that other countries do not, such as speech, press, and religion to name a few. And when it comes to tech products, we usually get access to the best. Thanks to the xenophobic Donald Trump we can't have Huawei products, but I digress.

With all of that said, China gets some amazing tech exclusives -- especially when it comes to smartphones. For instance, Xiaomi phones are quite beautiful and powerful, but rarely destined for the USA -- unless you import one. Today, that company unveils its latest Android-based flagship. Called "Mi 11," it is gorgeous with impressive specs, but it will not come to America officially.

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Google's Pixel line of smartphones provides the purest Android experience, but for whatever reason, they aren't huge sellers. For many consumers, it is Samsung or nothing, and that is totally understandable -- that company does make good phones. If you prefer regular and timely Android updates, however, you pretty much have to go with a Pixel.

We are now halfway through November, and Christmas shopping is in full swing. Many people will be buying new smartphones for loved ones -- or themselves. And if you want a Pixel, you have a very hard decision -- do you opt for the Pixel 5 or Pixel 4a 5G? Both are 5G smartphones, yes, but they are not the same.

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5G is no longer the future -- it is the present. There are plenty of phones with 5G radios (including the new iPhone 12 series), and all major cell providers offer this next generation of connectivity. The thing is, not all 5G is created equally. For instance, T-Mobile offers the best 5G coverage, while Verizon's ultra wideband is the fastest. Unfortunately, when it comes to the latter, it can be hard to find an UW tower. So while Verizon has the best speed, it can be hard to achieve it.

With all of that said, Verizon has some hardcore fans that swear by its service, and if that is you, you are probably itching to get a new 5G ultra wideband phone. Sure, you could go with an iPhone 12, but Apple's offerings are quite pricey. Thankfully, up-and-coming phone-maker TCL has a new smartphone that works with Verizon's 5G and is very affordable.

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The use of QR codes has risen during the pandemic as they offer a perfect solution to contactless interaction. But many employees are also using their mobile devices to scan QR codes for personal use, putting themselves and enterprise resources at risk.

A new study from security platform MobileIron shows that 84 percent of people have scanned a QR code before, with 32 percent having done so in the past week and 26 percent in the past month.

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POCO -- a sub-brand of Xiaomi Inc. -- is not a well-known name in the USA, but in China and other parts of the world, it is quite popular with Android enthusiasts. The young Chinese brand is synonymous with affordable smartphones that have impressive features. This is important, as it allows regular people to buy respectable Android devices without breaking the bank. Sadly, companies such as Samsung, are pricing their devices well out of reach of the common man. Quite frankly, even if you can afford it, spending more than $1,000 for a smartphone is rather foolish.

With all of that said, today, POCO unveils its latest affordable Android smartphone. Called "X3 NFC," it comes loaded with killer features such as a massive 5,160mAh battery with 33W fast charging. It is optimized for gaming with a special GPU and advanced cooling. Despite being a "mid-range" phone, it has a very impressive display with 120Hz refresh and a 240Hz touch sampling. The POCO X3 NFC even has a quad-camera array (with flash), so it should take impressive photos. And yes, it has a 3.5mm headphone port too! Sadly, all is not perfect -- it does not support 5G.

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Linux owns the smartphone market thanks to Android. While some think Apple's iOS is superior, and maybe it is, that is merely opinion. The fact is, Android has a much larger market share -- it is undeniably more popular. And yet, some Linux enthusiasts are not satisfied with that. Some of these people feel Android is not "true" Linux, but that is just stupidity. The truth is, Android uses the open source kernel, so it is Linux -- end of discussion.

But OK, if you are a Linux fan but an Android detractor, there are some other options, such as the Purism Librem 5 and Pine64 PinePhone. Speaking of the latter, that phone is offered in "Community Edition" variants, and very soon, there will be an official Manjaro version! Yes, you will be able to buy a PinePhone with Manjaro Linux pre-installed on it. There are two variants -- one has 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage for $149, and the other has 3GB memory and double the storage for only $50 more. Other specs can be found here.

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Android smartphones are more affordable than Apple's iPhone, right? Not always. In fact, in 2020, there has been a bit of a shift. There are Android flagships that are well over $1,000, while the very capable iPhone SE can be had for a mere $399. Of course, the top iPhone models are expensive too, but still, it isn't black and white anymore. Those looking for an affordable smartphone can now go with iOS or Android.

The problem, of course, is that affordable Android phones are often of dubious quality from no-name makers. Sure, some big-name makers, such as Samsung, also make lower-cost models, but they are usually quite neutered and lame. For whatever reason, it can be hard to find an Android phone that properly balances quality and affordability.

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Law enforcement agencies have a growing reliance on digital intelligence with some 90 percent of cases now involving some form of digital device or cloud service.

A new report from digital intelligence solutions specialist Cellebrite collected date from over 2,000 law enforcement agency personnel, in over 110 countries to compile a report benchmarking the sector's day-to-day challenges.

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Big changes are happening to mobile networks but many people remain confused or in the dark about what's going on.

A Ting Mobile survey of 1,500 customers across all US carriers finds 79 percent of people have no idea that the 3G network is being phased out across the country by 2021, nor how it will affect them.

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Are foldable smartphones the future? Maybe. With that said, they certainly are not the present. True, you can currently buy a smartphone with a flexible display from companies like Huawei, Samsung, and Motorola, but they are still very much early-adopter products. In other words, they are not only very expensive, but also, they are rather fragile and full of compromises. And so, most consumers would be wise to wait a couple years until flexible display products start to mature a bit.

Many companies are planning foldable smartphones for the future -- including Apple, I'd predict. An iPhone that unfolds into an iPad would be quite the impressive device. For now, Apple is mum on that. Today, however, one company -- TCL -- is making its plans quite apparent by unveiling two new concept phones. One is a trifold variant with two hinges, while the other is even crazier -- it is rollable! Yes, TCL has designed a phone that gets larger by utilizing a flexible display that rolls and unrolls -- it looks to be quite genius, actually.

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When looking for a new phone, it's easy to just opt for the latest Android handset or iPhone -- people like the familiarity of sticking with the brands they know. But going down this route does not necessarily mean you get the most suitable phone, and it certainly doesn't mean that you'll get the cheapest.

The newly announced DOOGEE N100 may not be a familiar name, but if you're someone who doesn't like to be tethered to a charging cable, it's a handset that has a great deal to offer you. The phone boasts a colossal 10,000 mAh battery, giving up to 100 hours of talk time and 350 hours of standby, making it ideal for travelers -- but there's much more.

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More than half (51 percent) of global consumers have been waiting for 5G networks and smartphones to become available before upgrading their devices. This stretches to more than 70 percent of people in India and the Philippines.

A survey of over 5,000 people worldwide by Blancco Technology Group finds 45 percent of US consumers have held onto their current device for longer than usual in anticipation of 5G availability, while 61 percent intend to upgrade to a 5G device with 42 percent doing so in the next three to six months.

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If you were hoping that Samsung would be taking the wraps off its Galaxy S11 today, then you’re in for a surprise as the company has gone straight to the S20.

Its new flagship smartphone is available in three versions -- the Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra -- and as you’d expect they don’t come cheap, but you do get a lot for your money. As was the case with Apple’s new iPhones announced last year, Samsung’s new devices focus on the imaging side of things with an entirely new camera system, powered by AI and with Samsung’s biggest sensor yet.

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There is a resurgence of flip phones at the moment, but rather than old-school clamshells, we're talking about devices with foldable displays. Samsung has already launched the disastrous Galaxy Fold, but at last night's Oscars there was a surprise ad for the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip.

The handset is due to be officially announced at tomorrow's Galaxy Unpacked event, but now we've been given a sneaky glimpse of what's to come. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip will compete with the likes of the  Motorola razr and Microsoft's Surface Duo.

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Google has announced that it will now be offering customer support via Twitter.

Anyone with a problem with their smartphone is invited to tweet using the hashtag #AndroidHelp, and the company will do its best to help. The official Android Twitter account will be used to respond, and the team says it will be able to help with a range of issues.

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