The Best Smartphones of 2021, So Far

Below is a synopsis of some of the best smartphones released up until August 2021. As usual what really makes the big difference is the camera on the phone. Hence why the photography often emphasize the number of cameras on the phone.

1. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: The Galaxy S21 Ultra boasts a massive 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It features Samsung's Exynos 2100 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, up to 108MP quad-camera setup, S Pen support, and 5G capability. The price starts at approximately $1,499 CAD.

2. iPhone 12 Pro Max: Apple's flagship device, the iPhone 12 Pro Max, offers a large 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display, a powerful A14 Bionic chip, and a triple-camera system with improved low-light performance. It supports 5G connectivity and starts at around $1,549 CAD.

3. Google Pixel 5: The Pixel 5 offers a compact 6-inch OLED display, a Snapdragon 765G processor, and a dual-camera system with impressive computational photography capabilities. It has a clean Android experience and features 5G connectivity. The price is around $799 CAD.

4. OnePlus 9 Pro: The OnePlus 9 Pro features a 6.7-inch Fluid AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is powered by the Snapdragon 888 processor and offers a versatile quad-camera setup developed in collaboration with Hasselblad. The OnePlus 9 Pro starts at approximately $1,169 CAD.

5. Xiaomi Mi 11: The Mi 11 boasts a 6.81-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is equipped with a Snapdragon 888 processor, up to 108MP triple-camera system, and supports 5G connectivity. The Mi 11 has a starting price of around $899 CAD.

Please note that smartphone prices can vary based on storage capacity, color options, and availability. It's always recommended to check with local retailers or online sources for the most accurate and up-to-date pricing information before making a purchase.

What are the best high end cellphones of 2020?

If you really want the best of the best, they're not necessarily going to be the phones that are advertised in the commercials you usually see. What you need to be looking for is the higher end models that they're not telling you about in the ads. After all, how often do you see a Bugatti car commercial?

The top of the list for 2020 is the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, which as the name implies is better and more expensive than the regular S20.

Note also, much of what you are buying when you buy a high end phone is the fancier camera and the larger hard drive. Hence why the Google Pixel 5 makes this list, because it has a fancy camera that can do Astro-Photography and other fancy stuff.

1. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (Starting at $1,499 CAD): The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra impressed with its massive 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED display and a powerful Exynos 990 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor (depending on the region). It featured a quad-camera setup with a 108 MP primary sensor, along with ultra-wide, telephoto, and depth vision lenses. The device supported 5G connectivity and had a large 5,000mAh battery.

2. iPhone 12 Pro Max (Starting at $1,549 CAD): The iPhone 12 Pro Max offered a stunning 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display and was powered by Apple's A14 Bionic chip. It boasted a triple-camera system with 12 MP sensors, including an ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto lens. Other notable features included Dolby Vision HDR video recording, 5G capability, and a LiDAR scanner for enhanced AR experiences.

3. Google Pixel 5 (Starting at $799 CAD): The Google Pixel 5 offered a compact 6-inch OLED display and ran on the Snapdragon 765G chipset. It stood out with its exceptional camera performance, featuring a 12.2 MP dual-pixel sensor and a 16 MP ultra-wide lens. The device boasted impressive software enhancements, including Night Sight, Astrophotography mode, and excellent computational photography capabilities.

4. OnePlus 8 Pro (Starting at $1,199 CAD): The OnePlus 8 Pro showcased a 6.78-inch Fluid AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and was powered by the Snapdragon 865 chipset. It featured a versatile quad-camera setup with a 48 MP primary sensor, ultra-wide, telephoto, and color filter lenses. With its fast charging capability and 4,510mAh battery, the device offered a smooth user experience.

5. iPhone SE  (Starting at $599 CAD): The iPhone SE combined affordability with powerful performance. It featured a 4.7-inch Retina HD display and ran on the A13 Bionic chip, the same as the iPhone 11 series. Despite its compact size, it offered a single 12 MP camera with advanced computational photography capabilities. The device retained the beloved Touch ID fingerprint sensor and was available in multiple storage capacities.

6. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra (Starting at $1,819 CAD): The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra boasted a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It was equipped with the Exynos 990 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ chipset, depending on the region. The S Pen stylus offered improved latency, making it ideal for note-taking and creative tasks. The device featured a triple-camera system with a 108 MP primary sensor and offered 5G connectivity.

Best Smartphones of 2019

Want a really good smartphone? Why not get the best of the best, a phone with all the most sought after features. Which mostly means a really expensive camera...

1. Samsung Galaxy S10+ (Starting at $1,259 CAD): The Samsung Galaxy S10+ showcased a 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with minimal bezels and an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. It ran on the Exynos 9820 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor (region-dependent). The device offered a triple-camera setup with wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lenses and included features like Wireless PowerShare and an impressive display.

2. iPhone 11 Pro (Starting at $1,379 CAD): The iPhone 11 Pro featured a 5.8-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display and ran on Apple's A13 Bionic chip. It offered a triple-camera system with 12 MP sensors, including ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto lenses. The device supported Face ID, had an improved battery life, and introduced Night Mode for impressive low-light photography.

3. Google Pixel 4 XL (Starting at $1,129 CAD): The Google Pixel 4 XL featured a 6.3-inch OLED display and ran on the Snapdragon 855 chipset. It stood out with its exceptional camera performance, offering a 12.2 MP dual-pixel sensor and a 16 MP telephoto lens. The device introduced Motion Sense technology for gesture-based control and featured Face Unlock and a smooth, stock Android experience.

4. OnePlus 7 Pro (Starting at $899 CAD): The OnePlus 7 Pro showcased a stunning 6.67-inch Fluid AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and no notch. It was powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset and offered up to 12 GB of RAM. The device featured a triple-camera setup with a 48 MP primary sensor, ultra-wide, and telephoto lenses. It provided a near-stock Android experience with OxygenOS and fast charging capabilities.

5. Huawei P30 Pro (Starting at $1,099 CAD): The Huawei P30 Pro impressed with its 6.47-inch OLED display and ran on the Kirin 980 chipset. It featured a quad-camera system co-engineered with Leica, including a 40 MP primary sensor, ultra-wide, telephoto, and time-of-flight lenses. The device offered exceptional zoom capabilities, excellent low-light performance, and a large battery capacity.

6. Samsung Galaxy Note10+ (Starting at $1,419 CAD): The Samsung Galaxy Note10+ offered a large 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with an S Pen stylus. It ran on the Exynos 9825 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor (region-dependent). The device featured a quad-camera setup with wide, ultra-wide, telephoto, and depth vision lenses. It included features like the ability to convert handwritten notes into digital text and offered a powerful multimedia experience.

Best Smartphones of 2017

So... what is the best of the best? Is it the phone with the biggest camera? The phone with the most space? The phone with the longest lasting battery? Or is it the most expensive?

Every company comes out with their highest end model each year in an effort to snag your hard earned dollars. The best of the best offer a blend of the most sought after features that their customers value, even if it isn't necessarily what the customers know they want. Often this comes down to the camera, in my opinion, because that is the first thing I am looking for.

1. Samsung Galaxy S8 (Starting at $1,035 CAD): The Samsung Galaxy S8 impressed with its stunning 5.8-inch Infinity Display, which curved around the edges. It boasted a powerful Exynos 8895 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, depending on the region. The device featured a 12 MP rear camera with optical image stabilization and an 8 MP front camera. Its iris scanner and fingerprint sensor offered enhanced security features. (Note that the S8+ is arguably slightly better because it is slightly bigger.)
   

2. iPhone X (Starting at $1,319 CAD): The iPhone X introduced a significant redesign with its edge-to-edge 5.8-inch Super Retina OLED display. It featured Apple's A11 Bionic chip for enhanced performance and Face ID facial recognition technology. The dual-camera system with 12 MP sensors provided optical zoom and portrait mode capabilities. The iPhone X set a new standard for flagship smartphones in 2017.

3. Google Pixel 2 XL (Starting at $1,099 CAD): The Google Pixel 2 XL showcased a 6-inch P-OLED display and ran on the Snapdragon 835 chipset. It stood out with its exceptional camera performance, featuring a 12.2 MP sensor with advanced computational photography capabilities. The device offered unlimited Google Photos storage, exclusive Google software features, and quick software updates.

4. LG G6 (Starting at $699 CAD): The LG G6 featured a 5.7-inch QHD+ FullVision display with minimal bezels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. It was powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. The device had a dual-camera setup with two 13 MP sensors, one offering a wide-angle lens. The G6 was water and dust resistant, and its unique aspect ratio provided a more immersive multimedia experience.

5. OnePlus 5T (Starting at $659 CAD): The OnePlus 5T offered a 6.01-inch Optic AMOLED display with minimal bezels and a 2:1 aspect ratio. It ran on the Snapdragon 835 chipset and featured a dual-camera system with 16 MP and 20 MP sensors. The device provided a near-stock Android experience with OxygenOS and boasted impressive performance and fast charging capabilities.

6. Huawei Mate 10 Pro (Starting at $1,099 CAD): The Huawei Mate 10 Pro featured a 6-inch FullView OLED display and ran on the Kirin 970 chipset. It offered a dual-camera setup co-engineered with Leica, with 12 MP and 20 MP sensors. The device provided advanced AI capabilities, a large battery capacity, and a sleek design with water and dust resistance.

The iPhone 7 - A Review of Useless Techno Gadgetry

The new Apple iPhone 7 is out... on September 16th in Canada.

And really the question you should be asking is "Why would I even want this?"

Let me elaborate.

#1. The Idiotic Audio Jack

The new Apple iPhone 7 is ditching the normal (standard, universal) audio jack in favour of its own Apple audio jack. This doesn't offer any improvement in sound quality, it is really just an excuse to sell you more Apple products for a lot more money than they are actually worth.

They are also including an adapter (shown below), so that people with old audio jacks can still use normal headphones. Basically you either have to use the Apple headphones (which will be expensive) or you have to remember to carry around the idiotic adapter all the time, and if you lose it and need to replace it, it will also be expensive.

From this point onwards the charging port will double as the audiojack, and users will be encouraged to also use wireless headphones instead (which require separate batteries, huzzah).

Oh and one more thing!

Using the charging port as the audio jack also comes with another problem. You cannot charge your phone while listening to the headphones at the same time (unless you have the AidPods mentioned further below).

Anyone who likes charging their phone while they are driving in the car often wants to be able to listen to music too. The audio jack/charging port takes away a lot of that convenience that people are used to.

Instead you have to buy an extra $40 USD adapter (shown right) just so you can listen on your headphones while charging your phone.

Which is a fancy way for Apple to fleece you one more time for an extra $40.

Oh and the adapter only supports 48 kHz / 24-bit audio output, so that you basically have no choice but to use Apple headphones. Which implies that if you like attaching your iPhone to your car stereo so you can use the cars speakers you might run into some compatibility problems. (Next thing you know Apple will come out with the Apple iCar Stereo, which is only compatible with other Apple products. It could happen...)

The adapter is also one more thing for you to lose or break or for the cat to chew on.

#2. The Usual Incremental Improvements

As is the norm whenever a company comes out with a new phone, they offer some small incremental improvements compared to the old phone, things like

• faster processor
• better battery life
• more storage
• nicer camera
• slightly more water resistant
• slightly more dustproof
• yada yada

All such changes are basically the norm and is all part of the one-up-man-ship rivalry between various manufacturers. However if you already have an amazing phone in your pocket, the tiny incremental changes will seem pretty minor.

#3. More Zoom for your Camera

To elaborate on one of the incremental improvements mentioned above, lets look at the cameras for the iPhone 7 Plus. The back of the 7 Plus now has the regular wide-angle camera, and a second zoom optical camera just for zooming in more, up to 10 times. Having two cameras on the back also technically makes it possible for a person to make 3D videos, but only of objects that are very close to you / tiny - using it for anything else will give you an headache because the distance between the two camera lenses is too small.

Note that the regular Iphone 7 doesn't get the two cameras on the back. Only the 7 Plus gets that.

#4. Hints of 3D / Virtual Reality

Apple keeps hinting that they want to make their phones to become more like virtual reality headsets (selling you more gadgets), and it is basically implied that they are trying to get closer to making it a reality...

But the problem is the technology just isn't there yet, and neither is the demand.

The goal essentially is for people to be able to communicate (and play virtual reality games) with other people who are really far away, using one person's camera as interface to send the other person images of what they are seeing. Essentially a livestream 3D image of a real reality, transferred via the internet to another person who can then see it as a virtual reality.

However there is several problems...

A. Bandwidth speed is too slow to do what Apple wants it to do. The video ends up being really choppy, horrible, and sloooooow.

B. You look like a complete dork with an Apple iPhone strapped to your head. I don't care how much you manscape that beard, you still look like a dork.

Apple Virtual Reality Dork

Thus buying an iPhone 7 for its failed attempts at a level of technology that just isn't ready yet - and frankly will never be helpful to the dorks who cannot find a girlfriend.

Maybe that is really what Apple needs to invent. The "iGirlfriend", for dorks who cannot meet real women. She could be a virtual reality version of Siri.

This past Wednesday Apple held a press event in San Francisco and there is a complete lack of 3D / Virtual Reality demos during the event, perhaps suggesting that Apple knows they are not ready to be plunging into the dorky-ness foray of VR... At least not publicly.

#5. Be prepared to charge your Wireless Headphones Batteries

As mentioned further above, the Apple iPhone 7 is also pushing wireless headphones. Which means the headphones need their own batteries and have to be recharged regularly. If you ever feel we are actually going BACKWARDS with user-friendliness / ease of use, now is one of those moments.

The iPhone 7s come with charging port connectable wired earbuds, but Apple will also be selling wireless "AirPods" at a price of $219 in Canada. Yep, you heard correctly. $219 CDN for a pair of headphones you will quickly lose/break and it will cost you another $219 to replace them.

The AirPods have a very tiny battery life, 5 hours, and can only be recharged about 200 times before their battery life will be significantly decreased. So expect to have to buy a new set every 7 months or so as the batteries start dying all the time.

The Airpods also look pretty silly - like tiny miniature hair dryers. The "handle of the hair dryer" is to accomodate the battery, because apparently anything smaller would have such a short battery life span that it would make them useless and super annoying. So instead you get an unfashionable gadget that costs you $219 CDN... which you will frankly eventually want to lose on purpose just so you can stop wearing the damn things and use something more convenient.

We are not the only ones saying they look silly and are impractical either.

"Say what you will about focus groups, but the earbuds Apple introduced would have been laughed off and shortcomings identified in [five minutes]," says Kaan Yigit, president of Toronto-based analysis firm Solutions Research Group, on Twitter.

Apple executives meanwhile claim that what they are doing takes "courage" to ignore what people want. Their goal apparently is to instead charge the sheep more money while the shepherds continue to fleece them for every cent.

Some people like to claim headphones and many devices are now trending towards wirelessness, but they seem to forgetting a key component of the idea of "wireless + convenient". If it isn't more convenient to go wireless, then why bother going wireless? The market trends usually head towards whatever is the most CONVENIENT, regardless of what new tech ideas people come up with.

CONCLUSIONS

So...

The new Audiojack is idiotic, annoying and overpriced.
The AirPods are overpriced, annoying and will be useless after approx. 200 charges. Plus dorky.
The camera and other hardware has been incrementally improved. Nothing new there.
Apple is trying to go towards more 3D and VR tech, but can't get it to work properly yet. And even if they do someday, you look like a dork.

And the company is blatantly trying to rip people off. Remember that moron who jacked up the prices of an HIV drug by over 5000%, and those other morons who did the same thing for EpiPens and other medications? Well, Apple is basically doing the same thing, but at least your life doesn't depend on owning a phone that is more known for being a fashion accessory for idiots.

Idiotic, Annoying, Overpriced, Technology Not Ready Yet.

Shopping for a New Cell Phone

So I recently (yesterday) decided to start browsing for a new cell phone. Partly because my old phone is getting pretty old, and I have to wonder if I can get something better - possibly even something that can do slow motion video, which is something I crave for making videos.

However as I begin browsing cell phones I also start looking at the specs and the reviews of various phones that are available.

For my purposes I am currently looking at Samsung phones, since my old phone is a Samsung and it has worked quite well for me during the past 3.75 years.

Purchased circa August 2012, the phone in question is a Samsung S II i9100 which comes with the following:

4.3 inch screen (480x800 pixels)
8 MP camera with 1080p at 30 fps
16 GB storage
1 GB RAM
1650 mAH battery life

Originally released in April 2011, it was an older model at the time I got it.

Now compare that to the Samsung Galaxy J1, which came out in January 2015.

4.3 inch screen (480x800 pixels)
5 MP camera with 720p at 30 fps
4 GB storage
512 MB RAM
1650 mAH battery life

Same screen size, a smaller camera, only one quarter of the storage space, half the ram, and the same batter life. It is actually a DOWNGRADE from my old phone. It is also slightly thicker and heavier.

So obviously that phone is clearly a dud. Also the reviews on the website I checked were dismal. It is the kind of phone you clearly don't want to buy.

Okay, fine.

Lets see what else Samsung has to offer.

Note - I won't be listing all the phones Samsung currently is offering, because some of them are remarkably similar to my old phone, or remarkably similar to the J1 above - which makes me wonder if we have reached the limits of how much technology we can pack into into a phone.

The Samsung S5 Neo

Released in August 2015
5.1 inch screen (1080x1920 pixels)
16 MP camera with 1080p at 30 fps
2 GB RAM
2800 mAH battery life

Now we're talking!!! Bigger screen, bigger camera, double the RAM of my old phone - and extra 1150 mAH worth of battery life over my old phone. This sounds like a dramatic improvement. Also as a bonus it is water resistant, which is something ALL phones should be.

The Samsung Galaxy S6

Released in April 2015
5.1 inch screen (1440x2560 pixels)
16 MP camera with 2160p@30fps, or 1080p@60fps, or 720p@120fps
3 GB RAM
2550 mAH battery life

Okay, so similar to the S5 Neo, but with a camera with a range of video options that makes me drool, lots of RAM, a slightly smaller batter than the S5 Neo, but still more battery power than my old phone. Definitely on the short list of possibilities. Thinner than my old phone, slightly heavier (likely due to the extra battery power).

The Samsung Galaxy S7

Released in March 2016
5.1 inch screen (1440x2560 pixels)
12 MP camera with 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@240fps
4 GB RAM
3000 mAH battery life

I was wrong. They have found a way to fit more technology into a phone. With a slightly smaller camera - due to the fact they wanted to make the camera jut out less they decided to make it smaller, but still with the robust range of video options I crave, and a waaaaay bigger battery, and more RAM.

But there is some cost differences.

The S7 is $899 CDN at Virgin Mobile (my carrier of choice).
The S6 is $729 CDN.
The S5 Neo is $549 CDN.
And in case you are wondering the J1 is $129 - for a phone so bad, my old SII is actually better than it.

At present I am leaning towards the S6, mostly because its camera is slightly better than the S7, and because it is slightly cheaper. With a 2 year plan from Virgin I can also get it currently for a mere $149 CDN, which makes it much more reasonable.

Now you might wonder, wait, why aren't I even considering BlackBerry or Apple products.

Several reasons. Yes, BlackBerry is made in Canada, and I love it when products are made in Canada, but I have never liked the BlackBerry designs. They simply don't appeal to me.

As for Apple, Apple products break all the time. They are fragile. Count the number of times you've seen someone using an Apple iPhone with a broken screen because they are stuck in a contract and don't have a choice but to keep using their crappy broken iPhone.

Also I should note that with the exception of the screen and the case, the inner bits of iPhones are actually made by Samsung. Samsung makes all the electronic bits for iPhone, all Apple does is take the technology and repackage it inside a shiny case design and use their own software and their own batteries (see note further below). Thus why would I buy an Apple phone when it is really made by Samsung???

For purposes of comparison here is the Apple iPhone 6s specs:

Released in September 2015
4.7 inch screen (750x1334 pixels)
12 MP camera with 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps,1080p@120fps, 720p@240fps
2 GB RAM
1650 mAH battery life

Okay, so it has a smaller screen with less pixels. Camera is similar to the S7, but a little nicer. Only half the RAM of the S7, and only about half the battery life too. In fact, the Apple phone only has the battery life of my old SII phone.

What is also fascinating is that the pixel quality is so low that it is significantly WORSE than the camera. Compare to the Galaxy S6 or S7 and you can see they are making an effort to get the pixel quality higher.

Note - Wow. Apple really needs to invest in some better battery technology if they are still using the same batteries from 2011. This is 2016 already and they apparently are being left behind in the dust by Samsung with their 3000 mAH batteries.

We do similar to be stretching the limits of how much technology we can fit inside a cell phone. It might explain why Apple recently started to make their phones bigger, realizing perhaps that we now live in a world with tablets and where people play on their phones a lot - which means they want bigger screens for a better gaming experience. Apple is still clinging to old designs like the smaller 6s, but trying to play catch up by releasing bigger phones like the Apple iPhone 6s Plus.

Released in September 2015
5.5 inch screen (1080x1920 pixels)
12 MP camera with 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@120fps, 720p@240fps
2 GB RAM
2750 mAH battery life

In the spirit of one-up-manship it has a slightly bigger screen than the Samsung Galaxy S6 or S7 - but somehow has less pixels, which means the picture quality is still lower, the same camera as the regular iPhone 6s, the same RAM as the regular iPhone 6s, and a bigger battery. So basically all they did is make it a bigger screen with a bigger battery. Everything else is the same as the 6s. And still less pixels, and less battery power than the Samsung S7.

Fragile screens, shorter battery life, and the innards of a Samsung does not encourage me to buy an Apple product. It encourages me to buy a Samsung.

After all, why buy a phony rip off like Apple when you can get the real deal from Samsung.

For me, I am going to get the Samsung Galaxy S6. All the phone I need, the camera that I want, and a good price too. In theory I could wait awhile for the price to come down, but I will likely go get it sometime in the near future.

Happy Shopping!

Sim Card Removed Error Message = Cellphone Annoyance

For the last day my cellphone has been giving me an error message that my Sim card has been removed. Without the Sim card I cannot place phone calls, send text messages or use the internet - which is really freaking annoying. (And apparently a very common problem with Sim cards.)

What is more annoying is that fact that the Sim card is still there. It has not been removed. It hasn't even been touched at all.

"SIM card removed - The mobile network will be unavailable until you restart with a valid SIM card inserted."

Note - Different cellphones use slightly different messages, but they all claim the Sim card has been removed. What would make more sense is a message that says "Your Sim card is broken. See your phone company for a replacement."

And the only way to get the phone to work properly again is to restart the phone... which appears to be a roughly 70 / 30 chance that you get the message again...

"SIM card removed - The mobile network will be unavailable until you restart with a valid SIM card inserted."

Or it works normally - for the moment. And then decides not to work later on and gives you the message again.

"SIM card removed - The mobile network will be unavailable until you restart with a valid SIM card inserted."

Thus when I woke up this morning.

"SIM card removed - The mobile network will be unavailable until you restart with a valid SIM card inserted."

So I restarted it and it worked fine. So I took a shower and then checked it again.

 "SIM card removed - The mobile network will be unavailable until you restart with a valid SIM card inserted."

Very annoying. To me it would make sense to have the option to click "Retry Sim Card" on my phone instead of having to restart it each time. Obviously it is not "trying hard enough".

I have checked various forums on the topics, people with the same problem - people who try removing the back, replacing the battery, removing/readding the Sim card, etc.

And the only conclusion that seems to be a permanent fix is to go to your phone company and replace the Sim card.

This follows the idea that the Sim card is just old and broken, and the only solution is to replace it.

My thoughts on this is that Sim cards must suck donkey balls if they break so easily for no apparent reason. Why are we using a piece of technology that breaks so easily?

iPhone 6 (and 6 Plus) Screens Breaking Too Easily

You may have heard recently in the news that the new iPhone 6 (+ 6 Plus) bends a bit over time when put in your pocket or when bowed under even small pressure... But have you also heard that this is causing the screens to break easier?

If you are familiar with iPhone screens breaking then you already know they break super easily. You drop the phone onto any hard surface (just a foot or two is enough) and the screen shatters instantly. Well now what happens is that the phone bends and the screen breaks when people try to bend it back into shape.

Design flaw?

I think not. Apple makes $100 every time a customer comes in with a broken screen ($150 for the 6 Plus).

This kind of defect would have been noticed during product testing. What Apple therefore must have done is shrugged greedily, knowing every time the screen breaks they make more money.

Defect? Pff. More like an opportunity to make waaaaaaay more money off of screens breaking.

Samsung Galaxy S 5 - contract price drop?

According to the photo I took at a booth 2 days ago (Sept 2nd) the cost of getting a Samsung Galaxy S 5 has dropped. Time for the various companies to get into a bidding war before Xmas comes.

If you want to get a better price, wait for the weeks before Xmas (Black Friday etc) or wait until the Boxing Week sales.

Hello Nomad USB Chargecard and I/O Magic Battery Charger

Above - Hello Nomad USB Chargecard : Below I/O Magic Battery Pack

By Charles Moffat

I am typing this product review at the beach on my tablet while my phone is charging thanks to three things.

1. The Hello Nomad USB Chargecard - which is a credit card shaped USB cord that fits nicely in my wallet.

2. The I/O Magic battery pack - which once charged provides roughly twice the battery juice of my cellphone battery.

3. And the portable wifi hotspot from my phone, which grants my tablet internet access.

Which means I can go on a 3-day vacation and charge my phone using these two handy devices and still have plenty of juice by the time I return on the 3rd night. (I am basing this on my normal battery consumption per day, which is about 66% of a full battery per day.)

I purchased the I/O Magic battery pack months ago and have been meaning to do a review on the topic. It works, it is handy when I am going to be using my phone often on a particular day.  It does exactly what it is supposed to do and having three times the battery charge is very handy for vacations.

When I purchased it it also came with a 2nd battery charger, so if I take both batteries I can go on a 5 day vacation and really not have to worry at all about my battery power.

Hello Nomad Chargekey

The Hello Nomad USB Chargecard also came with a Chargekey, which attaches to your keychain - which I misplaced and recently found again last night. I really should stick it on a keychain so I don't lose it again. Anyway, the Hello Nomad USB Chargecard is simply a tiny USB cord in the shape of a credit card. It can be used to charge your phone or other USB device whenever plugged into any USB power source - like the battery packs mentioned above.

Together these two products make it really easy to charge my phone. The Chargecard alone is handy because then I just need to find a power source and it takes up very little space in my wallet.

But in combination, they are handy little things to have on me for vacations, work, events, etc.

Sometimes I forget to charge my phone and they end up saving a lot of time too since I can just grab the battery pack and I already know I have the Chargecard in my wallet so I don't need to go searching for a cord to take with me. Very handy.

If you are the type of person who uses their phone a lot - and it runs low regularly - then these are two devices you will find very handy. I use both devices regularly.

UPDATE, July 2015

Earlier this week the Chargecard from Nomad broke. I have been using the product for almost a year now, regularly, and keeping it in my wallet for whenever I need it. The part that broke was the plastic around the Mini USB. It just snapped unexpectedly.

I have contacted Nomad to report the defect and to see if it is possible to get a replacement. Hopefully they will be willing to snail mail me a replacement Chargecard.

Glass and Aluminum Vs Plastic SmartPhones

Have you ever seen a broken iPhone or BlackBerry smartphone? Usually it will be the glass front that is broken.

They're so breakable they can fall from a mere 2 feet and shatter easily.

And then it costs you between $60 to $120 to replace the front glass piece - a piece of glass that costs the manufacturer less than $1 to make, but they make huge profits off of selling new glass pieces to people with broken iPhones and BlackBerries.

In contrast plastic smartphones like Samsung and similar companies don't break as easily. They're more durable and don't shatter like glass does.

Plastic does scratch more easily than glass, but it doesn't shatter and break.

And it is the same deal with aluminum cases for iPhones and BlackBerries. They get dented more easily and once broken are useless. In contrast the high grade plastic used in many smartphones is more durable because it absorbs shocks more easily.

Speaking for myself I have had 5 different cellphones in the last 11 years. All of them were made of plastic, and while they did get scratches I never broke a single one of my cellphones. Never had to replace any parts. I never had any complaints about their build quality.

My first cellphone back in 2003 was a LG. It was used, but I got it in South Korea which is a country obsessed with cellphones and new tech devices. If a new device comes on to the market it is often available in South Korea any where from 6 months to a year before it is available in North America.

I was immediately addicted to my 1st cellphones ability to send text messages. Texting quickly became one of my favourite things to do on my cellphone.

My 2nd cellphone I picked up when I returned to Canada in 2004. I opted for a LG again because I liked the one I had used in Korea.

When I returned to South Korea in Summer 2005 I took out my old LG phone from my first visit there and voila, it still worked. And I was getting free phone calls off it because somebody else was now using the same signal I was - so they were paying the phone bill and I was getting free calls. Waha! (South Korea reuses the same signal codes on cellphones. I don't know how it works precisely, I just know they reuse them.)

When I came back to Canada I started using my 2nd cellphone again. Lasted me a long time. I still have it in a box somewhere. Still works technically.

My 3rd cellphone was another LG, purchased in 2006. Came with a camera and video camera, which was a nice change. Meant I could have more fun with my phone. The display was black and white, but the photos it took were still in colour.

My 4th cellphone was a Sanyo, purchased in 2008. A change for once. Used it for 4 years and was very happy with it. Like #3 it had a camera and video camera, but more importantly it has a colour display. It had many more options too, like internet and other gadgets on there (many of which I didn't even use).

My 5th cellphone (and first SmartPhone) is my current phone, which is a Samsung Galaxy SII. Been using it since 2012 and it has no dents, no scratches, I have dropped it numerous times, and I never have any hardware or software* problems with it.

* I do sometimes have software problems with 3rd party apps that I download, in which case I just delete the offending app and then it is back to normal.

Phones 1 to 4 sometimes got scratches on them. My 5th phone is still in pristine perfect condition despite being dropped numerous times.

In contrast I have lost track the number of times I have seen people using broken screens on their iPhones or BlackBerries. Or trying to use a dented aluminum phone that can't get a proper signal any more.

Clearly, based on the evidence, plastic phones are far more durable.

And what is more in the future there are a number of companies planning to release flexible plastic phones - making them even more indestructible.

Some of the companies that are working on such flexible phones are LG and Samsung. No surprise there. They are leading the way in making phones more indestructible.

And I shake my head at any parents dumb enough to give their child or teenager a glass / aluminum phone. That thing will probably break in the first month!

I can guarantee that if someone surveyed teenagers in a highschool as to what manufacturer they got their cellphone from and whether it is broken or not, all the broken ones will have glass / aluminum cases. And the broken ones will all be iPhones (because teens don't buy BlackBerries).

Now that doesn't mean you cannot break a plastic phone. You can throw it against a wall, slam dunk it against a hard floor, run over it with your car - and absolutely, it will break. But simply dropping it during normal day to day use, no, it won't break.

You would have to be an idiot to buy a glass phone.

Plastic 1

Glass / Aluminum 0

Apple Vs Windows - The Screen of Death Statistics

If you Google various combinations of "screen of death" you get some interesting results as to which products people complain about the most when it comes to their computers / devices failing to work / load properly.

102 million for iphone blue screen of death

70.2 million for android black screen of death

58.9 million for apple white screen of death

54.7 million for windows blue screen of death

34.3 million for windows 7 blue screen of death

26 million for windows 8 blue screen of death

16.4 million for android black screen of death

6.76 million for windows me blue screen of death

5.48 million for linux screen of death

3.13 million for mac white screen of death

1.56 million for windows xp blue screen of death

546,000 for windows 3.11 blue screen of death

276,000 for windows 3.1 blue screen of death

Feel free to do your own research into this topic. Draw your own conclusions as to which operating systems are the most reliable / best for your computer / phone needs.

Please note that some products have larger market shares, and yet have less complaints about them.

CRTC Do Not Call List

I have just added my cellphone (new number) to the CRTC Do Not Call List. (To register go to https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/index-eng.)

There will be a 31 day delay before telemarketers are not allowed to call me.

Once in place however I will be blocked from telemarketer lists until August 23rd 2018. Basically it will protect me for 5 years.

Now you might ask, why did I suddenly do that today?

Well I got a call from a poor English speaking man claiming that I had filled out a ballot a year ago at a Wal-Mart, K-Mart or similar location.

Which is funny because I NEVER shop at Wal-Mart or K-Mart, and even funnier because I have only had this new phone number for a month or so, so it is impossible for me to have filled out a ballot a year ago and given them a phone number which did not even exist yet.

All of this I explained to the man who could barely speak English and whom I had to ask him repeat himself several times because I couldn't understand him.

Normally I prefer to just hang up on telemarketers - but sometimes I like to find out what they are selling first. In this case he was offering "free coupons" for the above mentioned stores. Stores I would never shop at any way.

Unfortunately this adding of my phone to the National Do Not Call List Registry will not stop all calls.

I can still be contacted by the following...

#1. Newspapers selling subscriptions.
#2. Companies I have a contract with (eg. Rogers, Virgin Mobile).
#3. Political organizations.
#4. Charities.
#5. Telemarketers operating overseas in the USA, India, etc.

However I do believe we should eventually have the option to block such calls as well. It is what I call the "friends allowed list" wherein phones would become more like Facebook accounts and only people who are listed as "friends" will be able to call you.

Companies that you have service contracts with could also call you, but if they want to keep your business they had better not make an annoying habit of it.

Thus it is numbers 1, 3, 4 and 5 that people should be able to effectively block in the future because they won't be able to call you.

I also like the alternative idea... making your phone number a 1-900 number.

By having a 1-900 number it means people are charged a premium rate whenever they call you. In other words they are PAYING EXTRA just to phone you.

You can charge anything from 50 cents per call, or you can charge so much per minute. It is typically used by phone psychics, horoscope companies, weather info, gambling tips, dating lines, voting and contests TV shows, etc.

But think about it. If you get a 1-900 number then people will have to PAY to speak to you. No more harassing calls from ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends. No more telemarketers or other annoying calls. Even your family members will call you less (added bonus if you don't like certain family members and the feeling is mutual).

However you do have to pay a fee to have a 1-900 number - but if you are besieged by telemarketers it might be totally worth it.

Virgin Mobile referrals? Waste of Time!

Virgin Mobile in Canada offers a referral program whereby if you refer friends to Virgin, you get a $25 gift card for each friend you refer.

However what they don't tell you is that the referral program is ridiculously complicated (you and your friend both have to be on Facebook, and you need to get a code off a Facebook page, which your friend gives to Virgin, your friend has to sign up for 1 specific package deal, and your friend has to pay their first bill on time to be considered a proper referral).

So to repeat that you MUST have the proper code.

You must both be on Facebook to qualify.

It only counts if your friend signs up for Virgin Mobile SuperTab™ or 3 year agreement.

And the first bill must be paid on time.

Or else you get nothing.

Lastly, the prize?

Its just a gift card. Possibly even has an expiry date. A mere $25. If you spend 3 hours talking to your friend, getting the proper code, going with them to the store to browse phones, make sure they pay their first bill on time... well then its not even minimum wage.

A better solution would be a decent number (say $40 to $50 per referral), ignore the Facebook requirement, ignore the "on time" requirement and make it "as soon as they pay their first bill"...

And don't make it a lousy gift card. Make it $40 or $50 cashback. Virgin Mobile Canada can certainly afford it, they're owned by BCE which reported $5 billion in profits in 2010.

Now you might think, hey, if you refer lots of friends each month then you could basically get free service on your phone... but there is a limitation in the fine print.

You can only refer up to 5 friends maximum. After that you get nothing.

Basically Virgin is looking for FREE social marketing from people promoting their products - social marketing they don't really have to pay for, because the gift cards are being supplied for free from advertising partnerships.

But I don't recommend people actually bother referring friends. Waste of your time. You would be better off getting a part time job, starting a profitable hobby, or even starting your own business.

Bell Mobility overcharges you, only refunds 3 months

I came across the following info mentioning in a newspaper article complaining about companies overcharging people to their credit card:

"Dhun Noria, for example, disconnected his Bell cellphone in 2006 and didn’t know he was billed for it until 2012, when he’d paid more than $3,000 in erroneous charges."

But when he complained he only got reimbursed for three months’ service ($160).

Same thing happened to me over a year ago. Bell Mobility overcharged me for 9 months. So I left Bell and switched to a different company.

And Bell Mobility is not alone. Many other companies do this. Rogers, AT&T, Fido, Telus... all the big companies. If you sign up for automatic billing with your credit car that is basically like waving a white flag and surrendering your credit card to whatever fraudulent methods that they can get away with.

And because they will only refund mistakes within the last 90 days most people don't even notice they're being defrauded until months and months later.

HOT TIP: Don't agree to auto-billing on your credit card. ALWAYS, ALWAYS pay via online banking instead when you FEEL it. It forces you to look at your bills. When you notice a bill that is unusual then you can investigate and complain.

Referenced article:
http://www.moneyville.ca/article/1162193--billing-mistake-horror-stories-readers-offer-advice

Virgin Mobile overcharging me for text messaging

As I sit here typing this I am on hold while a Virgin Mobile customer service rep sends in a report to the billing department, stating that Virgin Mobile has been overcharging me for text messaging because of an error that was made by Virgin Mobile staff.

You see when I got my new cellphone back in January 2011 I signed up for the following:

$35 bundle.
$10 call display / voicemail.
$10 unlimited text messaging.

But apparently someone working at a computer never signed me up for unlimited text messaging (and I text message A LOT!!!)... so when I looked at my July bill I noticed I was being charged an extra $55.80 for text messaging.

So I phoned and complained, and found out that all the way back to when I first got my phone they've been overcharging me for text messaging because apparently some idiot on a computer didn't check all the boxes they were supposed to.

So I am not insisting that they retroactively go back and give me credit for the amount which they were overcharging me. The billing department is supposed to call me back sometime between Monday and Wednesday. (If I don't hear back from them I will call them on Thursday to complain.)

Apple doesn't make the iPhone

Contrary to popular belief, Apple doesn't actually make the iPhone. The iPhone is actually mostly manufactured by Samsung.

Apple neither manufactures the components nor assembles them into a finished product. The components come from a variety of suppliers and the assembly is done by Foxconn, a Taiwanese firm, at its plant in China.

The “teardown” part of this graphic shows who makes what inside the iPhone, and how much the various bits cost.

Samsung turns out to be the most important supplier of parts. Samsungs builds all of the phone’s most important components: the flash memory that holds the phone’s apps, music and operating software; the working memory, or DRAM; and the applications processor that makes the whole thing work.

These account for 26% of the component cost of an iPhone.

Note: Most iPhone accessories aren't made by Apple either. Accessories are typically made by independent companies with little or no affiliation with Apple.

This puts Samsung in the unusual position of supplying a significant proportion of one of its main rival’s products, since Samsung also makes smartphones and tablet computers. This is actually part of Samsung’s business model: acting as a supplier of components for others gives it the scale to produce its own products more cheaply. For its part, Apple lets other firms handle component production and assembly, which leaves it free to concentrate on heavy advertising.

Stranger still, Apple sued Samsung in April over the design of its Galaxy S smartphone and its Galaxy Tab tablet computer, claiming that they copied hardware and design features from Apple. Samsung counter-sued. But the two firms’ mutually beneficial trading relationship continues. Seems fishy, doesn't it?

I'd say Samsung has Apple by the balls.

What it makes you realize is that as the “total cost” part of the graphic shows that, beyond manufacturing and component charges, the lion’s share of the iPhone’s $560 price tag goes to Apple, and most of that is just product markup.

So Apple does not actually make the iPhone, but Apple does make a lot of money from selling what is essentially a Samsung product.

The Apple iPhone: Samsung Inside.