58 DECEMBER 2019|COMPUTER SHOPPER|ISSUE 382
SMARTPHONES
MOTOROLA MotoG7Power
★★★★★
£160 SIM-free; £14-per-month contract•
http://www.carphonewarehouse.com
There’s no shortageof MotoG7v ariants
to choose from, but the MotoG7P ower
is easily the bestvalue.Itf ocuses on
battery lifeand is thus oneof the longest-lasting
smartphonesever -and its performance,displayand rear
camera are all rather goodforthe price,too.
PROCESSOROcta -core1.8GHzQualcommSnapdragon632•SCREENSIZE6.2in•SCREEN
RESOLUTION1,520x720•REARCAMERA12megapixels•STORAGE32GB•WIRELESSDATA4G•NFC
No•DIMENSI ONS159x76x9.3mm•WEIGHT193g•OPER ATINGSYSTEMAndroi d9.0•WARRANTY
OneyearRTB•DETAILSwww.motorola .co.uk•PARTCO DEPAE90019GB•FULLREVIEWJun2019
SAMSUNGGalaxyS10+
★★★★★
£694 SIM-free; £30 up front plus £45-per-month
contract•www.amzn.to/2E8ImVE (SIM-free);
http://www.carphonewarehouse.com (contract)
The dazzling 3K displaydominates a
sleek, luxurious-feeling design, while the
Exynos 9820 processor delivers someof
the fastest raw performance on any Android handset,ever.
PROCESSOROcta -core2.7GHzSamsungExynos9820•SCREENSIZE6.4in•SCREEN
RESOLUTION3,040x1,440•REARCAMERAS12mgeapixels,12m egapixels,16megapixels•
STORAGE128GB•WIRELESSDATA4G•NFCYes•DIMENSI ONS158x74x7.8mm•WEIGHT175g•
OPER ATINGSYSTEMAndroi d9.0•WARRANTYOneyearRTB•DETAILSwwww.samsung.com•
PARTCO DESM-G975FZKDBTU•FULLREVIEWJul2019
APPLEiPhoneXR
★★★★★
£619 SIM-free; £33-per-month contract•
http://www.debenhamsplus.com (SIM-free);
http://www.virginmedia.com (contract)
It’s still expensive,but the XR matches
the performanceof the iPhone XS and
XS Max, despitecosting hundredsof
pounds less, and it hasafantastic camera and display.
PROCESSORHexa-coreAppleA12Bionic•SCREENSIZE6.1in•SCREENRESOLUTION1,792x828
- REARCAMERA12megapixels•STORAGE64GB•WIRELESSDATA4G•NFCYes•
DIMENSI ONS151x76x8.3mm•WEIGHT194g•OPER ATINGSYSTEMiOS12•WARRANTYOne
yearRTB•DETAILSwww.apple.com•PARTCO DEiPhoneXR•FULLREVIEWMar2019
GOOGLEPixel3a
★★★★★
£399 SIM-free; £23-per-month contract•
http://www.carphonewarehouse.com
The Pixel 3a isawelcome returnto
mid-range smartphones on Google’s
part. It’s essentiallyacheaper versionof
the flagship Pixel 3, which meansabit less horsepower
but the same clean, stock Android and superb camera.
PROCESSORQuad-core2.8GHzQualcommSnapdragon845•SCREENSIZE5.5in•
SCREENRESOLUTION2,160x1,080•REARCAMERA12.2megapixels•STORAGE64GB•
WIRELESSDATA4G•NFCYes•DIMENSI ONS146x68x7.9mm•WEIGHT148g•OPER ATING
SYSTEMAndroi d9.0•WARRANTYOneyearRTB•DETAILSstore.google.com•PARTCO DE
Pixel3•FULLREVIEWAug2019
VODAFONESmartV10
★★★★★
£105 SIM-free; £20-per-month contract•
http://www.vodafone.co. uk
Vodafone’s budget handset will surprise
you: forsomething that barely costs more
than £100to buy outright, it’s rather
speedy and hasamain camera than can competewith
mid-rangers. The slim-bezel look is very welcome,too.
PROCESSORQuad-core2GHzQualcommSnapdragon429•SCREENSIZE5.9in•SCREEN
RESOLUTION1,560 x720•REARCAMERAS13megapixel s,5megapixels•STORAGE32GB•
WIRELESSDATA4G•NFCNo•DIMENSI ONS151x70x8.2mm•WEIGHT145g•OPER ATING
SYSTEMAndroi d9.0•WARRANTYTwoyearsRTB•DETAILSwww.www.vodafone.co.uk•
PARTCO DESmartV10•FULLREVIEWOct2019
01
Asmartphone’s operating system
(OS) dictates its basicfeatures and
which third-party software you can install.
There are three main contenders: Apple’s
iOS, which isfound on the iPhone,Google’s
Android, which is usedby va rious handset
manufacturers, and Windows Phone,which
has fewoptions, especially since Microsoft
has discontinued supportforits OS.
Apple iOS and Google Android both have
thousandsof apps available.
02
All smartphones have colour screens,
buttheirresolutionsvary.Basicmodels
have 1,280x720 pixels, buttext can be
indistinct.Look foradisplaythat has at least
1,920x1,080 pixels so it’s easierto read text
Choosinga... Smartphone
and watchFull HD videos. Don’t worrytoo
much about built-in media players or Office
documenteditors;youcanalwaysinstallapps
to replace these with better versions later.
The image qualityof smartphone
cameras has improved tremendously in
recent years, and resolutions have
increasedto as high as 20 megapixels.
03
Very fewmodern smartphones have
aphysical keyboardforenteringtext;
theyalmost exclusively usetouchscreens
now.Physical keyboards can aid heavy
emailing, buttoday’s touchscreen
keyboards work just as well.
Android smartphones and iPhones
running iOS9ora bove allow youto install
avariety of custom onscreen keyboards so
you can find one that suits you.
04
Be careful when choosingacontract.
Look forone that includesalarge data
allowance if you wantto use the internet
regularly or you’ve set your phoneto
synchronise your contacts, calendar and
email through online services.
Built-in Wi-Fi can help youavoid high data
chargesby connectingto the internet
through wireless hotspots when you’re out,
or your router when you’re at home.Android
and iPhone handsets can operateasw ireless
hotspots, letting you connect your laptopto
the webover your mobile data connection.
There maybeanextra chargeforthis.
XIAOMIPocophoneF1
★★★★★
£288 SIM-free•www.ebuyer.com
PROCESSOROcta -core2.GHzQualcommSnapdragon845•SCREENSIZE6.2in•SCREEN
RESOLUTION2,246x1,080•REARCAMERAS12megapixel s,5megapixels•STORAGE64GB•
WIRELESSDATA4G•NFCNo•DIMENSI ONS156x75 x9mm•WEIGHT180g•OPER ATINGSYSTEM
Androi d8.1•DETAILSwww.mi.com/uk•PARTCO DEMZB6715EN•FULLREVIEWMar2019
The Pocophone F1 isaphenomenal
bargain: it has the same Snapdragon
845 chip asalot of premium
handsets, plus dual rear cameras, 64GBof storage
and a6.2in screen, allforamid-range price.
