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TECH FEATURE

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Shopping for a smartphone can be both exciting and perplexing.You’ve decided on the model, features and functionality you want, but when digging deeper into the specifications, you’re suddenly confronted by a lot of jargon, acronyms and numbers.We’ve sorted some of the more of the common terms and crunched the numbers to help you make a more informed choice. Words Bec Summer SMARTPHONE SPECS DECIPHERED 5

CHIPS TO GO The brain of a smartphone is the SoC (System on a Chip), which combines multiple core functions into a single chipset to carry out the tasks you need your phone to perform. An SoC typically comprises a Central Processing Unit (CPU), Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) for video and games, and Image Processing Unit (IPU) that converts data from the camera sensor into a photo. Qualcomm Snapdragon is an SoC widely used in Android phones. The latest version – Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – offers improved AI, connectivity, energy efficiency, and game graphics, as well as more intelligent camera functionality. Google’s customTensor chipset has a CPU that uses machine learning for smarter camera performance, accurate speech to-text transcription, and real-time language translation. The newTensor G2 promises all of the above, as well as faster processing of night photography and an unblur feature.

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BYTHE NUMBERS

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Storage A phone’s internal memory is

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measured in gigabytes (GB). Most smartphones offer 128GB or 256GB of storage, and up to 512GB on some premium models. The size you choose depends the type and quantity of content you want to save. For example, 128GB can store approximately 900 photos, 1,000 songs, 60 minutes of 4K video, and 100+ apps/games. RAM Random Access Memory (RAM) stores recently opened apps, allowing you to swiftly access them again. The higher the RAM number, the more apps can be stored. Most phones offer 6- to 8GB RAM. Battery This is measured in milliampere hours (mAh) and the higher the number, the longer the battery life. For example, a 5,000mAh battery can deliver up to 30 hours of power with moderate use. Camera Camera resolution is measured in megapixels (MP) – one MP equals one million pixels. Generally, the higher the MP number, the sharper and more detailed photos will be. Most phones now feature multiple cameras with varying MP counts, like 50MP rear and 10MP front. An F plus a number (eg. F2.2) after the MP refers to the aperture size.

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Bluetooth What’s the difference between Bluetooth 5 and 5.03, you may well ask? Simply put, each new BT version delivers improvements in

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overall performance like connection, security, device-pairing, and energy efficiency. And all are backward compatible to support pairing of older devices with a new phone. Aspect ratio The ratio of the height and width of the display. 16:9 is the most common (like smart TVs), however some models offer taller options like 18:9 and 20:9 with more screen real estate. Resolution The number of pixels displayed onscreen is denoted by width x height – 1920 x 1080 (Full HD), 1080 x 2200, 3088 x 1440, etc. The higher the numbers, the clearer the image and text will be.

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ANATOMY OF A SMARTPHONE

Storage RAM

Screen Outer case (front) Outer case (back) Connector Speakers

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Battery Camera Ear speaker

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Sim card Antenna

44 FEBRUARY 2023

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