It’s a Tech Thing: The latest in Smart Phone technology

Admit it, you love the smell of a new digital gadget. May it be the newest cell phone or watch, technology is kind of your thing. With so much to choose from, due to the push for companies to make “the next big thing,” technology can be pretty hypnotizing. Here is a list of what to look forward to in the world of smartphones.

Smart Phones:

In a world of iPhones and Galaxy Notes, just to name a few, what more can be added to a smartphone? Sure, each phone comes with its perks, but what do you think will be the next advancement?

• iPhone: A very popular smartphone that is somewhat in a league of its own. As the end of August is approaching, fans of Apple products know what may be coming next—A new iPhone. As the rumors continue to circulate, the release date for the next iPhone is speculated to be sometime in September. It is also rumored that Apple will release iPhones at a cheaper price. The cheaper priced iPhones are relatively similar to the basic iPhone we all know and love, they just lack a few things. These phones are single SIM, do not include Face ID, OLED Display, 3D Touch, a second rear camera, and is 6.1 inches. This cheaper iPhone is believed to cost $550 to $650.
  • As Apple rumors continue to buzz around in the media world, many have speculated and discussed that Apple may soon release 3 new iPhone models. The latest iPhones are predicted to have larger screens, cost less, and have a three-rear camera.
  • According to an article on cnet.com, it is stated that “Apple is expected to release a larger version of the iPhone X — the iPhone X Plus, perhaps — as well as a significantly less expensive version. It’s worth noting that price hasn’t been a major obstacle for the premium flagship so far. Though it’s the priciest iPhone ever at $999, the iPhone X was the best-selling phone for the first three months of 2018, followed by the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. Of course, a less-expensive version would almost certainly broaden its addressable market. Many months after the iPhone X’s release, however, the phone has lost some of its initial sheen.” (Holland).
  • What’s in a name? As with previous iPhones, there is often a numerical association to the name (ex: iPhone 5, iPhone 6, etc.) but with the newest iPhone, what will Apple call it? Some analysts have stated that Apple may switch to the “S” series of naming phones. This raises a good question for the future of iPhones. Now that they are out of the 1-10 series of phones, will there be an iPhone 11, iPhone 12, etc.?
  • Spec Rumors: As with anything that has a much-anticipated release, fans of the product will create a dream or fantasy of what they would like to see in a product. In the case of the newest iPhone, there has been much discussion that the latest smartphone from Apple will include: three-rear cameras, face iD going horizontal, iPhone now supporting the Apple Pencil/iPen, and a virtual fingerprint scanner. We as the consuming public will just have to wait to see if these rumors are true in the coming weeks.

• Samsung Galaxy: The “Galaxy” is yet another popular smartphone, brought to us by Samsung. Like its competitor, the iPhone, the Galaxy comes in many versions, with just as many release dates as the iPhone. The latest in the Galaxy “empire” is the much-anticipated Galaxy S10.
  • The Perks: The Galaxy S10 is expected to offer a newer design. Unlike the S9, the S10 will offer a design that is an advancement in Samsung’s Infinity display. There will also be smaller bezels above and below the screen. The newer Galaxy is also expected to be much thinner than previous models.
  • Fingerprints, Please: The newest Samsung smartphone (Galaxy S10) is expected to have an updated and improved fingerprint censor. It will now feature a ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. These sensors will be embedded in its display. This will allow for users to unlock their phone by just touching their finger on specific areas on the screen.
  • Say Cheese: Samsung has often been praised by many, for having excellent quality when it comes to using its camera for taking pictures. The S10 will now feature a triple-cam setup on the back. “There is reportedly a new 12-megapixel wide-angle sensor and a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor for optical zoom and Portrait Mode photos, plus a third 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor to capture even more data.” (Epstein/Yanachkovr).

• Google Pixel: Not so fast, iPhone & Samsung fans, Google is also in the ranks when it concerns smartphones. When many people hear Google, they may think of the search engine, but they also have hopped into the arena of smartphones. Google is expected to launch its Pixel 3 and 3 XL on October 9th.
  • The Pixel 3 and 3 XL is expected to serve as the “perfect” smartphone for Android fans. As the specs about this phone have been leaking for months now, the newest Pixel’s design will offer a single-lens rear camera, as well as a dual-lens front-facing camera. As stated in an article provided by TechRadar.com, “The cameras are perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Pixel 3 and we now know more about them, as sources claim that the dual-lens front-facing camera will be capable of better bokeh effects/portrait mode, and that one of its lenses will be wide-angle.” (Rogerson & Swider)
  • Specs: As with any new electronic device, consumers are often curious about the specs. The Pixel 3 will try to live up to its hype. It will perform faster than previous models. Both newer versions of the Pixel (Pixel 3 & Pixel XL 3) will reportedly use an “octa-core Qualcomm chipset (almost certainly the Snapdragon 845), an Ardreno 630 GPU, and use 4GB of memory, according to the unconfirmed benchmark leaks.” (Rogerson & Swider)

Article submitted by Sade Bolling.