Cell Phones

Android 6.0 Marshmallow has now been out for almost six months, and while it hasn’t come close to growing to represent the majority of smartphones and tablets running Android, it is set to roll out in greater numbers with impending updates and new devices. Google hasn’t changed too much since it first unveiled Marshmallow, but there are improvements, nonetheless.

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.

Smartphones are some of the easiest items to resell or pass down to friends or family. Even if they are no longer the latest, greatest models, they are still functional for calling, messaging and running apps. Here’s how to prepare for the turnover.

There are various signs that smartphones are becoming viable PC replacements.  Intel is now making powerful mobile processors, smartphones are starting to run desktop-level apps, and Microsoft is putting the power of desktop Windows on their smartphones.  

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.

Books, tuition fees and supplies can leave a dent in your wallet. With only a two-year contract, these budget friendly phones get an A+ for affordability. They take the sting out of not being able to afford iPhone 6.

One of the rituals of going back to school these days is choosing a new smartphone. I’m going through it myself as my daughter starts high school. Which smartphone is the best for students? The answer depends on many factors, and ultimately everyone is going to come up with a different pick depending on how much importance they put on things like price or app selection. In this post I’ll walk you through factors you should consider and offer a few contenders as the best smartphone for students.

People took more than one trillion photos in 2015 and most of them used smarpthones. Mobile devices have always offered convenience with buit in cameras, but now they have great quality including features like HDR, RAW photo shooting and even Ultra HD and 4K video shooting. The big question is what to do with all these photos and videos.