INTHEBLACK February 2022 - Magazine - Page 71
Left: Live Text,
a new iOS 15
feature, recognises
information in your
photographs,
allowing you to use
that data in context.
Above: The Galaxy Z
Fold3’s flexible design
allows it to double as a
smartphone and a small
tablet.
Left: Google’s Pixel 6
offers security smarts
built into the processor,
along with five years of
security updates.
Right: You can avoid
distractions by using
the Galaxy Z Flip3’s
small front screen for
only important tasks.
much more compact device – and it is about
A$1000 cheaper than the Fold3.
The downside is limited battery size and,
subsequently, battery life, but that can be
extended if you spend less time glued to the
large screen – and the Flip allows you to do
just that. It has a second smaller 1.9-inch
screen on the front that you can use to view
notifications, make payments, take phone
calls and selfies, and more.
Both foldables are in their third generation.
That means the early design kinks have been
largely ironed out and they are more robust
than earlier models. For example, they both
offer IPX8 water resistance.
THE LATEST IPHONES
Apple’s iPhone 13 handsets offer incremental
upgrades from the previous models, but these
are still among the very best smartphones on
the market. The new A15 Bionic chip has upped
the ante, offering market-leading performance
and improved power efficiency. The phones
offer several other enhancements, including
improved cameras.
Apple again offers four models – the
5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini (from A$1199), the
6.1-inch iPhone 13 (from A$1349), the 6.1-inch
iPhone 13 Pro (from A$1699), and the 6.7-inch
Pro Max (from A$1849).
The Pro models’ extras include 120Hz
displays and more advanced cameras with
telephoto, wide and ultra-wide lenses. All
come with Apple’s latest mobile operating
system, iOS 15.
AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVES
If these flagship phones are too pricey for your
needs, there are plenty of other options. For
example, Apple still offers older-model
iPhones for under A$1000, while the 4.7-inch
iPhone SE is priced under A$700.
In the Android world, the likes of Nokia,
Oppo and Motorola offer some very good
value. Samsung’s Galaxy A52s 5G also offers
a nice balance of features for A$649. These
include a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display,
upper mid-range processor, quad-lens camera,
5G connectivity and IP67 water resistance.
SOFTWARE SUPPORT
When choosing your new smartphone, one
important aspect to consider is software
support. Apple has long been a leader in this
respect, providing software updates for each
of its iPhone models for five years or longer.
By comparison, until recently, three years was
the best you could expect for many Android
phones.
Samsung changed that in 2021, bumping up
software support for its latest phones to four
years. Google has just also upped the ante to
at least five years for its Pixel 6 phone. Unlike
other phone makers that customise Android,
the Pixels use the latest stock version, so you’ll
get faster updates, too.
intheblack.com February 2022 71