STACK #208 Feb 2022

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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GET PHONE SMART

S martphones have become our constant companions, holding precious photos, videos and memories, contact numbers for work, friends and family, digital wallet, and providing instant access to the global database that is the internet. They’re powerful pocket computers and digital cameras, as well as the Swiss Army Knife of tech with useful accessories like a torch, calculator and compass. And, most importantly, they keep us constantly connected. A smartphone is, technically, your life in your pocket, therefore

choosing the right one to fit your lifestyle – and budget – is essential. Smartphones continue to get a lot smarter and the range of models available a lot wider, with the NewYear bringing new flagship phones from the top manufacturers. There’s a plethora of choice out there, and navigating the range can be a daunting prospect. So, whether you’re buying a smartphone for the very first time or upgrading to the latest model, there are a number of key factors to consider:

STORAGE Apps can consume a good portion of a phone’s internal memory, especially if you use a lot of them. Add video/photo albums and a music library and the storage will decrease even further. When deciding how much internal memory is enough, 64GB should suffice for basic use, 128GB for average use, and 256GB if you’re a prolific photographer and music lover. Many smartphones also support microSD cards for expandable memory. OPERATING SYSTEM Look for an OS that’s compatible with your other devices – if you own an iPad, Macbook, or have a library of music and movies from iTunes, choose iOS, Apple’s proprietary operating system. Google’s Android is an open system with more freedom of choice when it comes to apps, and customisation options that let you personalise your phone. SCREEN SIZE If you use your phone for web browsing or gaming rather than a tablet or laptop, and are an ardent social media user or content

WHY SO MANY CAMERAS? A camera is an invaluable feature of any smartphone, but does it really need four of them? Multiple cameras improve the functionality of the phone as a camera and allow you to be more creative when snapping away – simply put, there are different lenses for different kinds of shots.

Each camera has a varying angle of view – how much of your subject is visible through the lens – and a phone boasting dual, triple or quad cameras will generally have options for optical zoom for crystal clear close-ups, wide- and ultra-wide angle lenses to capture more of a scene, and sometimes telephoto, monochrome and macro lenses for more specialised photography. They work separately or together to maximise the best possible image quality – in the latter case, specialised image processing combines data from different cameras to deliver the highest possible resolution and depth of field.

32 FEBRUARY 2022

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