Smartphones & Accessories

Fans of Microsoft’s Windows Phone mobile platform can be forgiven for feeling left out with the glut of new smartphone releases every fall. New iPhones, BlackBerries and Android phones are commonplace, but Windows? A little tougher to come by. However, Microsoft announced a new “affordable flagship” Lumia smartphone at IFA 2014 in September and the Nokia Lumia 830 is now finding its way into Canada. It sports the familiar colourful polycarbonate shell and a big 5-inch display at an affordable price point.

I knew it was time to buy my mom a cell phone when I couldn’t get a hold of her when I had a question and needed advice. To buy the perfect phone for her, I had to figure out exactly what she would like and dislike in a phone, and as I discovered, it was completely different from what I liked.  

2014 was an exciting year for smartphones. Among other things, it was the year of the phablet, with even long-time big screen holdout Apple getting into the game with the new iPhone 6 Plus. I’ve had the opportunity to use the big iPhone (I opted for the more modestly sized iPhone 6 myself), but what I want to talk about today is the latest version of the smartphone that started the whole phablet thing: the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. The newest Galaxy Note was a late arrival, hitting Canadian shelves at the end of October, but after spending a few weeks with the device early this year I can definitively say two things: worth the wait and still the phablet to beat in 2015.