Cell Phones

Every year Google holds a conference aimed at its developer community. Every year a preview of the latest version of its Android mobile operating system is shown and sometimes there are some surprise appearances —like the public debut of Google Glass at I/O 2012. This year, a wicked fast and new-look Android was revealed (it’s “L” for now, with no sweet-themed name attached), Android Auto was announced for connected cars, Google Fit confirmed the rumours Google is interested in your health, Android Wear showed off awesome new smartwatches from LG and Samsung while Android TV is another crack at conquering your living room. Basically, the theme was Android everywhere. Here’s what you need to know from Google I/O 2014.

Avani has taken a different approach to designing smartphone cases. They’ve used premium materials and combined them with stellar workmanship and attention to details. The results are fashionable, elegant and sophisticated cases that make your Samsung Galaxy , Samsung Note and iPhone  really stand out from the crowd. Here’s a preview of these stylish cases, now available at Best Buy.

Fans of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 operating system have less choice in smartphones than their Android counterparts, so it’s always news when a new device arrives in Canada. Nokia’s Lumia line of smartphones set the standard for the Windows Phone experience and the Lumia 625 is set to raise the bar for value-priced Windows mobile devices. Improving on 2012’s Lumia 620, the 625 gains a faster Snapdragon CPU, bigger display, LTE compatibility and a leap in battery life. There are some compromises compared to the 620 (for example, NFC support has been dropped) but the Lumia 625 provides much of the experience of more expensive smartphones in a budget-friendly device. Expect to see it soon at Best Buy.  

The Edge is back, this time with a ‘Galaxy S7’ coming before it, showing that Samsung is serious about pushing the notion that an edged display carries advantages. While aesthetically pleasing, the Galaxy S6 Edge and S6 Edge+ were limited in what the edge displays could do. Too limiting, in fact, taking away any real practicality to them. The feature set has been given a boost with the Galaxy S7 Edge, along with a few other returning additions.

For the first time, Samsung has split its flagship Galaxy S line into two distinct models. There is the regular flat version following in the footsteps of its predecessors, and the Edge, which curves on both sides for unique functionality. Under the hood, there is little that sets these two apart, so your choice is going to be mostly about which look you prefer.

Samsung unveiled the latest two iterations of one of its flagships in the Galaxy Note 10, plus a new smartwatch and tablet to round out a new product suite.

Following the trend of most smartphone makers that have phones in 2 sizes, ASUS ZenFone 5Z and 5Q offers a standard sized and a larger supersized model.

Square is one of the hottest tech companies going. By providing a plug-and-play credit card reader that lets anyone accept credit cards for payment by using their smartphone or tablet, Square is bringing sophisticated payment options to the masses. Perfect for small businesses, vendors at special events and anyone whose customers want to pay using a credit card —Square lets you run your business from anywhere. Square processed over $20 billion in transactions in 2013, proving just how popular this innovative approach is. Now you can pick up a Square credit card reader or tablet stand at Best Buy, starting at under $10.  

Google confirmed what many suspected when it officially announced its latest new products, including two Pixel 4 phones, plus a new Pixelbook and Nest Mini.

Google makes a really strong case for the Pixel 4a being one of the best—and most affordable—smartphones you can find in 2020.