Since mobile phones are pretty expensive we don’t shop for them every day. And since the mobile world moves so fast the chances are that if you’re shopping for a mobile today specs and features are looking a little different than they did the last time you went mobile shopping. So today we’re talking about new features on mobile phones, what they mean, and whether they’re worth investing in. From 4G to dual SIM phones, here’s all you need to know about new mobile features…
What 4G Can Do…
4G is the newest form of mobile internet connectivity. You get far faster mobile data speeds with 4G than you do with older 3G technology. That means smoother video streaming, quicker downloading and faster opening of web pages. In fact, with true 4G speeds you should be approaching the kind of internet speeds that you see from your home broadband connection. A 4G capable phone is a pretty nice device for mobile internet addicts. However, you do have to be careful that you can access a 4G network. Many operators don’t have 4G services yet, and even those that do don’t get coverage in all locations. 4G might be great, but make sure you get access before investing in it.
Super Screen Sizes…
It used to be that we were looking for the smallest, lightest and most portable mobiles that we could get our hands on. But then smart phones came along. A smart phone needs to be big because it needs a big screen. This big screen means that you don’t need to scroll around so much when you’re trying to read a web page, and that the on screen keyboard is big enough for comfortable and easy typing. Top of the range mobiles right now are getting at least a five inch screen, and even middle budget devices are coming with 4.5 inches. Good screen size is a definite must have, and well worth paying for.
Dual SIM Phones…
Dual SIM phones have been around for a while, but until pretty recently they were expensive and lacking in features. However, newer model dual SIM phones both look and act like regular smart phones. The advantage of going dual SIM is that you can run two SIM cards, and therefore two different phone numbers, at the same time without having to carry two phones around with you. People with business and personal numbers, or even frequent travellers who have SIM cards from two different countries, can all benefit from a dual SIM device. Not a must have phone, but a definite boon for those who need it.
Smart Screens…
Smart screens are probably the newest big development in mobile phone technology. The basic smart screen simply uses the phone’s front facing camera (the one that’s used for video calling) to detect when your eyes are looking at the screen. This stops the phone going into sleep mode and switching the screen off while you’re looking at it, even though the phone receives no input. Smarter smart screens use the same technology but track the movement of your eyes with the camera. They use this information to automatically scroll pages up and down as you’re reading. Smart screens can be a convenient thing to have, though they’re not really a must have feature, but look for them to become standard within the next couple of years.
Big Memory…
Phone memory just seems to be getting bigger and bigger. The standard internal memory on a mid-range mobile now is around 16 GB. Top end devices have a minimum of 32 GB, with some models getting 64 GB. The amount of memory you have determines the amount of music, photos, games and data you can store on your phone. It does add to the price though. And with so many people turning to cloud storage, with apps like Drop Box letting you store everything on the cloud and then just accessing what you need over your phone’s internet connection, big memory really isn’t that much of a necessity any more.
And Bigger Processors…
We’re also seeing a lot of processing power going on, and this really isn’t always that necessary. A fast processor is important to keep your phone responsive to input, so you don’t get any frustrating lag, or freezing and crashing. However, after a certain point average users just aren’t going to notice any difference in speed. You’ll need around a 1.5 GHz processor to take advantage of most new software and to get a satisfying experience, but more than that really isn’t going to make much of an impact on your life.
Voice Recognition…
Voice recognition software has been around for years, but it wasn’t until Apple’s Siri came on to the market that it was really developed, and improved, for mobile phone use. Voice recognition is now pretty standard on top end phones, and is actually pretty good. Given the number of people that use their mobiles whilst driving, voice recognition is a good way to avoid an accident. There are still issues with accented English, particularly with non-native speakers. But in general, voice recognition is a feature to look out for.
Screen Materials…
Given that the display on a touch screen smart phone is so important, it’s not really surprising that manufacturers are constantly advertising their new screen material tech. Traditionally smart phone screens were LCD, but we’ve now got the option of TFT LCD, AMOLED, all the way up to top end retina and Super AMOLED Plus screens. A feature worth paying for? Well, that depends. In general, screen resolution and PPI (pixels per inch) are so high these days that it can be tough to see any difference between most of these screen materials. If you watch a lot of HD video, or are a serious phone photographer, then you might want to go retina or Super AMOLED Plus. But for the rest of us, LCD or TFT LCD are going to be fine.
Sam Jones wanted the best value dual sim phones offers so he could find something that would fit into her budget. Sam logged on to uSwitch and several other price comparison sites and found her a really good deal
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