article About Why smartphones are stupid? - (all-vga-corner)

Why smartphones are stupid?

The Achilles' heel of smartphone

We have moved quite far since Apple introduced the first iPhone on 29 June 2007.  Our world has become different and we have access to knowledge and information faster.  We feel smarter because we have devices that support our search when we are in doubts.

Our total reliance on smartphone to remember the phone numbers, email address, taking notes, calendar schedules and information searches made our brain lazy.  When our smartphone is dead, we are also brain dead and panicked.

What happen to the battery?

Let's review the generations of iPhone.  We use a simple equation: Battery Index = Standby Time / Capacity of the battery.  The higher the index, the better is the battery as it can last longer with the same amount of capacity.

iPhone	Capacity (mAh)	Standby (hrs)	Battery Index
1G	1400	250	0.18
3G	1150	300	0.26
3GS	1219	300	0.25
4	1420	300	0.21
4S	1432	200	0.14
5	1440	225	0.16
5C	1510	250	0.17
5S	1560	250	0.16
6	1810	250	0.14
6S	1715	240	0.14
6 Plus	2915	384	0.13
6S Plus	2750	384	0.14
SE	1642	240	0.15

From the chart above, we noticed that iPhone 3G has the best efficiency among all the iPhones while iPhone 6 Plus has the worst Battery Index.

Why don't Apple make bigger battery to ensure longer standby time?  Well, newer iPhone are more power efficient with smaller CPU and better components.  Bigger battery means more weight and thicker phones which are undesirable.  To maintain its aesthetic, battery capacity is compromised to keep its weight and thickness down to its minimum.

For Android, manufacturers introduced Fast charge, Pump Express and other speed charging technology to compensate for the small battery capacity.  They assume that you always have a stable power point for charging and force you to carry a charging cable and its charger.

The hidden culprits

Applications grow at an exponential rate with many different angles.  For simple route navigation, we may install different applications and we keep all of them because each has their unique advantages.  We install more applications into smartphone and it runs more applications than yesterday.

If we chose not to install any applications, it defeats the purpose of getting a smartphone (You might as well buy a Nokia 105).  Therefore, we install applications to make us smarter and by installing more applications, we are taxing the battery and further reducing its standby time.

Power banks and chargers become our daily must have accessories and we spent more money on top of the expensive smartphone.  The vicious cycle repeats for a new iPhone with a different charging cable.  Instead of charging the smartphone, you are now forced to charge the battery banks.  We are cornered and act so foolishly with a small capacity battery.

Conclusions

Getting a small capacity smartphone is silly.  Instead of charging a smartphone, you have to charge the power bank as well.  You are forced to bring chargers, cables and power bank wherever you go.  If you fail to comply, you become stupid because the smart element (smartphone) of you is power dead.

Be wise: Get a smartphone with a BIG battery capacity.  The same applies to Android phone.

article About How smart people choose smartphone? - (all-vga-corner)

How smart people choose smartphone?

The problem you face everyday

Smartphone makes you smart because it has many apps to help in your daily life, keep you entertained and provides social networking with your family, friends, classmates and co-workers.  Amex's motto of "Never leave home without it" has found a new meaning.  It should be a smartphone company punchline because we sleep with it too.

In Singapore, you are unlikely to encounter no network data connection.  More likely, its achilles heel is the battery power.  Once your smartphone has no battery power, you become stupid.  You cannot recall the mobile number of your coworker or your friend.  You are literally cut off from this digital social world.  The world is doomed unless you bring a charger or there is a power point nearby.

Have you ever wondered why your smartphone run out of juice within a day?

History of smartphone and its battery capacity

To understand this better, we have to see the evolution of smartphone batteries.

The 3 charts tell us that, over the years, smartphone manufacturers are increasing the capacity of the battery to meet the demand of the power hungry applications.  Despite we have the most power saving processor, memory and optimised board designs, the smartphone cannot cope with the power demand because there is little breakthrough in battery capacity.

When consumers want small, light and cute design, manufacturers provide better graphics, nice curves and 2.5D to meet requests.  However, a small form factor means the smartphone can only house a small battery.  People are impulsive creatures who are tempted to buy on emotion.  They come, they saw, they buy...satisfying their short term lust.  Manufacturers believe they can pacify the consumers by providing them with quick charge or fast charge technology.  The latest Samsung S6, Xiaomi Mi 5 and iPhone 6S Plus are stellar examples of compromising battery capacity for a smaller smartphone.  Apple iOS has a more efficient power design and therefore they never bother to provide more than 3000mAh to the market.  Samsung's and Xiaomi's battery capacity are hovering between 2600mAh and 3000mAh respectively.  Why should they give you more capacity if you are buying more power banks to further boost their sales?

The current culture

A dead smartphone is a dumb smartphone.  If you are so much into design, features and beauty of the smartphones, be wise to choose a smartphone with enough juices to last you for a day, no matter whether you are switching on GPS, bluetooth, mobile data, NFC or Wifi.  These top manufacturers are unlikely to give you more because customers are supposed to suck it up and live by their rules with no questions ask.

Two new China players (Oppo and Vivo) have record sales by selling attractive smartphones beating Lenovo and Huawei in mobile sales in 2015.  Together, these manufacturers are promoting a culture of carrying usb cable, chargers and power banks.  Popular tips are shared on how to save more juice by switching off apps and background widget when they are not in use.  Some even suggested you to root the phones and rid of pre-installed apps thereby voiding their warranty... another win to the manufacturers because they do not need to service their warranty.

The obvious solution

The solution lies in the 3 charts.  While waiting for the battery technology to catch up, buy a smartphone with 4000 to 10000 mAh (depending on your lifestyle) to tide over these 2 years if you are not brand conscious or dying for a new feature (such as the useless 2.5D or double touch technology).  These phones cost S$350 top (without contract) and keep you smart the whole day.  Say goodbye to the power bank and rid yourself the trouble to look for power sockets.

article About iPhone 4S Craze? - (all-vga-corner)

I have not been posted for a while due to other commitments.

The first post will be iPhone 4S. Since Steve has just passed away and he is missed by many, it will be a good time to see if Apple has products to continue his legacy.

There are minor updates to iPhone 4 but 4S has breaking sales due to the demise of Steve. What are the interesting features which many found it useful? Some of the features are:

1. Siri - a voice app that aims to be your personal secretary;
2. Speed - dual cores which nearly double the benchmark and chipset is upgraded to A5;
3. Camera - 5 element lens and 30% improved sharpness on a 8MB resolution with video stabilization; and
4. iOS5 - new OS with special mention of iCloud which promises 5G storage space in the cyberspace.

The question to ask is whether iPhone 4S breaks new ground or people just buy it for the sake of remembering Steve. Industry is disappointed it is not iPhone 5 but the sentiment defy expectation and sales better iPhone 4.

How is competition? Samsung Galaxy S2 is the closest competition with the chart HERE. A complete comparison is spelt out HERE in iTechVision. Numbers aside, the question is do you want to upgrade if you already has iPhone 4?

For those without data plan, it is a punishment to buy a iPhone 4S if you do not understand the true meanings of mobility and smartphone. Those who have already owned a iPhone 4 with a budget, it is not advisable to upgrade as the features are not fantastic. You can save for an iPhone 5. Apple is cashing in on Steve's death and maximise their profits.

If you never own a smartphone before, you may consider iPhone 4S. But before you jump into the wagon, spare a thought for other smartphone vendors like Samsung Galaxy S2 or Nokia N9. Both are cheaper than iPhone 4S and your experiences will not be dampened as long as you have a data plan (the key to your smartphone experiences).

You have lots to learn if you have your first smartphone. The key is the applications which you can install to suit your lifestyle with a data plan. In the world of social media, instant communication is the key to be hype. Getting a fad iPhone 4S with no data plan will be the biggest mistake you will make. Given limited budget, get a smartphone with data plan is better off than an expensive iPhone 4S with no data plan.

Frankly, technology gadgets are fads when the warranty is only 12 months for a 24-month standard mobile contact. The costs of the "free" phone has already been included in the monthly payment. When the warranty expires in 12 months, you are still paying for another 12 months for the discounted phone but enjoy no warranty for another 12 months. Isn't it interesting?

In Amercia, Apple's iPhones are tied up exclusively with AT&T with a cheapest US$15/month data plan for only 200MB of data. As a new customer, you are expected to pay another US$399 for a 64GB iPhone 4S. Bear in mind that the data speed is inconsistently low at a maximum of 2.5MBps at best with repeated upgrade on its networks.

In Singapore, Singtel's customers are expected to pay S$39.9/month for a 24-month plan for an upfront cost of S$798 for a 64GB iPhone. A new Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100 and Nokia N9 16GB cost S$148 and S$98 respectively. You do your maths.

For a die-hard Apple fan, you may consider the old iPhone 3 or iPhone 4 as they have depreciated to a "free" phone. The argument that Apple fans has is Apple provide long-term support for its handset while other vendors ignore their older phones when they have new models. Very true as we see iPhone 4 can be upgrade to iOS5 while many Android phones are still in Froyo 2.2 or below instead of the latest Gingerbread 2.3. In fact, non-Gingerbread phones are often sold at discount or free to consumers with a budget to clear stocks. Manufacturers offer no upgrade on its firmware and obsolete them before the 24-month mobile contract is over. It is a sad fact in the industry. Apple wins hand down in support since they have only a handful of mobile phone sets. Read more by The Understatement.

No matter what you choose, stocks for Samsung Galaxy S2 and iPhone 4S 64GB is low now. With plenty of stocks, Nokia N9 is the underdog as Meego OS may be obsoleted soon as the partnership with Microsoft thickens. The only merit of N9 is the free OVI GPS map where the download of maps is free.

Afterall, it is a Laissez-faire ecomony and the choice is yours.