Samsung's annual unpacked event has just wrapped... and here are your new Galaxy S devices:

Galaxy S23

6.1 inch FHD+ AMOLED display @ 48-120 Hz
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor
128 or 256 GB storage / 8 GB RAM
50 MP main + 12 MP wide + 10 MP 3x telephoto rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam
3,900 mAh battery
Phantom Black, Cream, Green & Lavender colourways
Sky Blue, Graphite, Lime & Red colourways (exclusive to Samsung.com)
From $800 USD / $1,100 CAD

Galaxy S23+

6.6 inch FHD+ AMOLED display @ 48-120 Hz
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor
256 or 512 GB storage / 8 GB RAM
50 MP main + 12 MP wide + 10 MP 3x telephoto rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam
4,700 mAh battery
Phantom Black, Cream, Green & Lavender colourways
Sky Blue, Graphite, Lime & Red colourways (exclusive to Samsung.com)
From $1,000 USD / $1,400 CAD

Galaxy S23 Ultra

6.8 inch curved QHD+ AMOLED display @ 1-120 Hz
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor
256 or 512 GB or 1 TB storage / 8 or 12 GB RAM
200 MP main + 12 MP wide + 10 MP 10x zoom + 10 MP 3x zoom rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam
5,000 mAh battery
S Pen
Phantom Black, Cream, Green & Lavender colourways
Sky Blue, Graphite, Lime & Red colourways (exclusive to Samsung.com)
From $1,200 USD / $1,650 CAD

You can pre-order any of the above now or wait for their wide release on Friday, February 17th

Sources: Android Police, Mobile Syrup (1) (2)

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Pixel 7
6.3 inch OLED display, 1080 x 2400 pixels @ 416 ppi
Google Tensor G2 processor
50 MP wide & 12 MP ultrawide rear cameras
10.8 MP selfie cam with face unlock
8 GB RAM / 128 or 256 GB storage
4,355 mAh battery
Colours: Obsidian, Snow & Lemongrass
Price: from $599 USD / $799 CAD



Pixel 7 Pro
6.7 inch 120 Hz LTPO OLED display, 1440 x 3120 pixels @ 512 ppi
Google Tensor G2 processor
50 MP wide, 48 MP telephoto & 12 MP ultrawide rear cameras
10.8 MP selfie cam with face unlock
12 GB RAM / 128, 256 or 512 GB storage
5,000 mAh battery
Colours: Obsidian, Snow & Hazel
Price: from $899 USD / $1,179 CAD

You can preorder either today for delivery next week...

Source: Google Store (1) (2)

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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iPhone 14 & Plus
6.1 or 6.7 inch Super Retina XDR display with notch
A15 Bionic chip
12 MP main & ultrawide rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam
128 / 256 / 512 GB storage
iOS 16
Colours: Midnight, Purple, Starlight, (PRODUCT)RED, Blue
iPhone 14 available from 09-16, starts at $799 USD / $1,099 CAD
iPhone 14 Plus available from 10-07, starts at $899 USD / $1,249 CAD
Pre-order from 09-09 @ 08:00 Eastern



iPhone 14 Pro & Pro Max
6.1 or 6.7 inch Super Retina XDR display with dynamic island (??)
A16 Bionic chip
48 MP main, 12 MP ultrawide & telephoto rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam
128 / 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB storage
iOS 16
Colours: Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple
Starts at $999 or $1,099 USD / $1,399 or $1,549 CAD
Available from 09-16 / pre-order from 09-09 @ 08:00 Eastern

Sources: Apple USA (1) (2) / Apple Canada (1) (2)

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Hot off the presses, here are Samsung's foldable phones for 2022:



Z Fold 4
7.6" 1276 x 1812 pixel OLED internal display @ 120Hz
6.2" 2316 x 904 pixel OLED external display @ 120Hz
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor
12 GB RAM / 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage
50 MP wide, 12 MP ultrawide & 10 MP telephoto cameras
10 MP hole-punch & 4 MP under-display selfie cams
4,400mAh battery
Side-mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor
Colours: Beige, Burgundy, Graygreen & Phantom Black colourways
Price: from $1,799 USD / $2,269 CA



Z Flip 4
6.7" 2640 x 1080 pixel OLED internal display @ 120Hz
1.9" 260 x 512 pixel OLED external display
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor
8 GB RAM / 128, 256, or 512 GB storage
12 MP wide & 12 MP ultrawide cameras
10 MP hole-punch selfie cam
3,700mAh battery
Side-mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor
Colours: Blue, Bora Purple, Graphite & Pink Gold,
Price: from $999 USD / $1,259 CAD

Both devices can be preordered today for fulfillment on Friday, August 26th.

Sources: Android Police, Mobile Syrup (1) (2), Samsung Canada

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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The Google I/O keynote just wrapped up with the expected announcement of a new a-series phone. But unlike the 5a, this new model will be available in many more markets — Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan and the UK, as well as the United States. Notable specs are as follows:

6.1 inch OLED display, 1080 x 2400 pixels @ 429 ppi
Google Tensor processor / Titan M2 security co-processor
6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
12.2 MP wide & 12 MP ultrawide rear cameras
8 MP selfie cam
4,410 mAh battery with fast charge
Stereo speakers
Chalk, Charcoal & Sage colourways
$449 USD / $599 CAD
Available online July 21st and in stores July 28th

Source: Google Store

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Pixel 6
6.4 inch flat FHD+ OLED display @ 90 Hz max
Google Tensor processor
8 GB RAM / 128 or 256 GB storage
50 MP primary and 12 MP ultrawide rear cameras
8 MP selfie cam
4,614 mAh battery w/ 30 W wired charging and up to 21 W wireless charging
Kinda Coral, Sorta Seafoam and Stormy Black colourways
Starts at $600 USD / $799 CAD



Pixel 6 Pro
6.7 inch curved QHD+ OLED display @ 120 Hz max
Google Tensor processor
12 GB RAM / 128, 256 or 512 GB storage
50 MP primary, 12 MP ultrawide and 48 MP telephoto rear cameras
11.1 MP selfie cam
5,003 mAh battery w/ 30 W wired charging and up to 23 W wireless charging
Cloudy White, Sorta Sunny and Stormy Black colourways
Starts at $899 USD / $1,179 CAD

Both devices can be preordered today and officially go on sale October 28th.

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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iPhone 13
6.1 inch OLED display, 2532 x1170 pixels @ 460 ppi
A15 Bionic processor
12 MP wide & ultra-wide cameras
12 MP selfie cam with Face ID
64 / 128 / 256 GB storage
(undisclosed battery size)
Available in Blue, Midnight, Pink, (PRODUCT)RED & Starlight
Starting at $799 USD / $1,049 CAD

iPhone 13 mini
5.4 inch OLED display, 2340 x 1080 pixels @ 476 ppi
A15 Bionic processor
12 MP wide & ultra-wide cameras
12 MP selfie cam with Face ID
64 / 128 / 256 GB storage
(undisclosed battery size)
Available in Blue, Midnight, Pink, (PRODUCT)RED & Starlight
Starting at $699 USD / $949 CAD



iPhone 13 Pro
6.1 inch 120 Hz OLED display, 2532 x 1170 pixels @ 460 ppi
A15 Bionic processor
12 MP telephoto, wide & ultra-wide rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam with Face ID
128 / 256 / 512 GB or 1TB storage
(undisclosed battery size)
Available in Gold, Graphite, Sierra Blue & Silver
Starting at $999 USD / $1,399 CAD

iPhone 13 Pro Max
6.7 inch 120 Hz OLED display, 2778 x 1284 pixels @ 458 ppi
A15 Bionic processor
12 MP telephoto, wide & ultra-wide rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam with Face ID
128 / 256 / 512 GB or 1TB storage
(undisclosed battery size)
Available in Gold, Graphite, Sierra Blue & Silver
Starting at $1,099 USD / $1,549 CAD

All models are available to pre-order from 05:00 Pacific Time on Friday, September 17th, and to purchase from Friday, September 24th.

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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... with 5G, obviously.

Major specs are as follows:

6.34 inch OLED display, 2400 x 1080 pixels @ 413 ppi
12.2 MP + 16 MP ultrawide rear cameras
8 MP selfie cam
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor / Sub-6 5G
6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
4620 mAh battery
Colour: "Mostly Black"
Price: $449 USD

Pre-order now for delivery on August 26th from the Google Store or Google Fi. Sadly, no availability for Canada (yet).

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Thanks to Michael Fisher's video review (available in this morning's news briefing) it looks like I won't be getting a G-Shock smartwatch after all. And honestly, that's fine, because I've already moved on... to a Mi Band 6.

If you're in the market for a cheap but capable fitness tracker or wrist-based notifications to manage your smartphone addiction, an unassuming Mi Band is an excellent choice for two big reasons: comfort and price.

Comfort

A reviewer somewhere was having trouble weighing the latest Mi Band because it wasn't registering on his scale, and I believe it. The band is so impossibly light that you quickly forget you're even wearing it. Also, it's pill shape won't impede any bending of the wrist that's wearing it, and if you don't like the included strap you can find replacements online for about a buck each.

Price

On the subject of money I bought my Mi Band 6 from this AliExpress seller for $60 CAD, or $50 USD. For a fitness band that lasts more than a week and reliably delivers notifications to your wrist (sorry, Fitbit) that's a pretty incredible deal, and goes a long way to forgive its few but notable shortcomings, like a dim screen and lack of app support. But you still get robust fitness tracking, music controls and a high-res AMOLED screen. Some further details:

Fitness Tracking

Version 6 of the Mi Band is definitely an improvement over version 4, as it adds two of my favourite tracking features from the Amazfit Bip: (1) a vibration alert after every kilometer I've walked, and (2) auto-pause for the inevitable traffic light that makes me wait.

Unfortunately there's no direct support for exporting your workouts but the Mi Fit app for Android can at least sync with Google Fit and then export from there. If, for some reason, you're worried about sending your health stats to China the last time I checked Mi Fit synced with a server in Singapore.

Given how Google already knows about me why not share the wealth a little bit?

Notifications

What's especially great about notifications is the granular support—Mi Fit lets you choose which apps can or can't alert your wrist. This 6th iteration has only limited emoji support and unless you have the Chinese-market version you can't reply from the band. For me, that's a "nice to have" feature that I rarely, if ever, use on other smartwatches.

I'm happy to answer any specific questions about the Mi Band or Mi Fit. If you're interested and can stand to wait a few weeks for delivery I'd say go ahead and get your order in now!

Links: Mi Band 6 Product Page, Mi Band 6 on AliExpress

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Nokia is bringing the 2720 V Flip to the US via Verizon. The "smart feature phone" running KaiOS comes with 4G and Google Assistant and will be available on May 20th for $79.99.



Info and full specs at Nokia

Via: Nokiamob.net

Well, that only took five years... As soon as I received my custom-made Nixon Mission back in 2016 two realizations immediately came to mind:

1. I have a thing for ruggedized watches;
2. What I really wanted was a G-Shock running Wear OS.

Fast-forward to this morning when yours truly spots this beast on G-Central—it's apparently the GSW-H1000, and not an April Fool's joke. They grabbed the image from Casio's German G-Shock portal but I can't seem to find it; there's also evidence of a prototype in a post from last December. Here's what we know about specs:

It's expected to retail for $699 USD when made official in May or June of this year. That's quite a bit more than than $199 CAD I paid for my current Garmin Instinct (on sale), but I wouldn't hesitate for a second to add this to my collection of Pro-Trek smartwatches. And yes, I have all of them!

Sources: G-Central (1) (2)

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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In addition to an India-only budget phone and a smartwatch, OnePlus today announced their newest hero phones. Because of their carrier deal with T-Mobile the company is pushing especially hard on the "5G" branding in the US, but 5G should work in Canada as well. Details are as follows:



OnePlus 9 Pro (5G)

6.7 inch curved AMOLED display, 1440 x 3216 pixels @ 120 Hz
Snapdragon 888 processor
8 or 12 GB RAM / 128 or 256 GB storage
50 + 48 + 8 + 2 MP rear cameras
16 MP selfie cam
4500 mAh battery, 65 W fast charging, 50 W wireless charging
Morning mist, pine green colourways
From $1069 USD / $1499 CAD



OnePlus 9 (5G)

6.55 inch flat AMOLED display, 1080 x 2400 pixels @ 120 Hz
Snapdragon 888 processor
8 or 12 GB RAM / 128 or 256 GB storage
50 + 48 + 2 MP rear cameras
16 MP selfie cam
4500 mAh battery, 65 W fast charging, 15 W wireless charging
Astral black, winter mist colourways
From $729 USD / $999 CAD

Sources: OnePlus Canada / USA

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G:



6.8 inch curved AMOLED display, 3200 x 1400 pixels @ 120 Hz
Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888 processor
12 or 16 GB RAM / 128, 256 or 512 GB storage
108 MP + 12 MP ultra-wide + 10 MP 3x + 10 MP 10x rear cameras
40 MP selfie cam
5,000 mAh battery
Android 11 with Samsung One UI 3.1
Starts at $1,200 USD / $1,650 CAD

Galaxy S21+ 5G:



6.7 inch flat AMOLED display, 2400 x 1080 pixels @ 120 Hz
Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888 processor
8 GB RAM / 128 or 256 GB storage
12 MP + 12 MP ultra-wide + 64 MP 3x rear cameras
10 MP selfie cam
5,000 mAh battery
Android 11 with Samsung One UI 3.1
Starts at $1,000 USD / $1,400 CAD

Galaxy S21 5G:



6.2 inch flat AMOLED display, 2400 x 1080 pixels @ 120 Hz
Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888 processor
8 GB RAM / 128 or 256 GB storage
12 MP + 12 MP ultra-wide + 64 MP 3x rear cameras
10 MP selfie cam
5,000 mAh battery
Android 11 with Samsung One UI 3.1
Starts at $800 USD / $1,130 CAD

Sources: Liliputing, Mobile Syrup

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Moto One 5G Ace
6.7 inch LCD display @ 2400 x 1080 pixels
Snapdragon 750G Processor
4 or 6 GB RAM / 64 or 128 GB storage
48 MP rear camera with 8 MP ultra-wide, 2 MP macro
5,000 mAh battery
Headphone jack / USB-C
Android 10
$399 USD



Moto G Play 2021
6.5 inch LCD display @ 1600 x 720 pixels
Snapdragon 460 Processor
3 GB RAM / 32 GB storage
13 MP rear camera with 2 MP depth sensor
5 MP selfie cam
5,000 mAh battery
Headphone jack / USB-C
Android 10
$169 USD



Moto G Power 2021
6.6 inch LCD display @ 1600 x 720 pixels
Snapdragon 662 Processor
3 or 4 GB RAM / 32 or 64 GB storage
48 MP rear camera with 2 MP macro, 2 MP depth sensor
8 MP selfie cam
5,000 mAh battery
Headphone jack / USB-C
Android 10
$199 USD



Moto G Stylus 2021
6.8 inch LCD display @ 2400 x 1080 pixels
Snapdragon 678 Processor
4 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
48 MP rear camera with 8 MP ultra-wide, 2 MP macro/depth
16 MP selfie cam
4,000 mAh battery
Headphone jack / USB-C
Android 10
$299 USD

Sources: The Verge (specs), Liliputing (images)

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Specs (from a previous post), pricing and availability are as follows:

Nord N10 5G:
6.49 inch FHD+ IPS LCD display @ 90 Hz
Snapdragon 690 processor
64 MP wide + ultrawide + macro + monochrome rear cameras
6 GB RAM / 128 GB or 512 GB storage
4,300 mAh battery, 30 W fast-charging
Stereo speakers + 3.5 mm headphone jack
Android 10 powered by OxygenOS
Midnight ice colourway
Price: $300 USD or $12.50/month with $0 down
Availability: from January 15th

Nord N100 LTE:
6.52 inch IPS LCD display, 720 x 1600 pixels
Snapdragon 460 processor
13 MP wide + macro + bokeh rear cameras
4 GB RAM / 64 GB storage + microSD
5,000 mAh battery, 18 W fast-charging
Stereo speakers + 3.5 mm headphone jack
Android 10 powered by OxygenOS
Midnight frost colourway
Price: $180 USD or $7.50/month with $0 down
Availability: from January 15th

Source: T-Mobile Newsroom via Liliputing

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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The perfect smartwatch for Android may still not exist, but today's review subject is at least a few steps closer. The Venu Sq joins the round Venu (also released in Q3 of this year) on the entry-level rung of Garmin smartwatch ladder.

Instead of running down the Sq's features I'll let Garmin do that for us:



Now the thing with smartwatches is that they are fashion as well as tech and as such, their value can be somewhat subjective. What follows, then, is my attempt to quantify the merits of this particular wearable based on what I've used and reported on prior.

Like a Pebble

Before you say "looks like an Apple Watch" I'll gently remind you that the Pebble predates it by more than two years. More to the point, a square display is arguably the most practical canvas upon which to display notifications from your phone.

I also enjoy the presence of buttons to aid in navigating through the OS. While they unfortunately can't be remapped their multiple functions are intuitive enough.

Finally, at a current on-sale price of $199 USD / $250 CAD (for the non-music edition), the Venu Sq is exactly how much I'm willing to pay for a smartwatch. If memory serves, a Pebble Time cost the same back in its day.

Like Fitbit

I feel obliged to mention that as I write this the Versa 3 is also on sale for the same $250 CAD...

Anyway Garmin, like Fitbit, isn't just a product but an entire platform play. You can view your personal data on either the Connect mobile app or a companion desktop site. If you like you can connect with friends for some friendly fitness flexing; I myself am more impressed by the multiple options for data export. And a pro tip: you can install apps on your watch directly from the desktop site, no need to install the separate app store on your phone.

Notifications on the Venu Sq are handled like a Fitbit Versa. On Android (sorry iPhone users) you can choose from a list of canned responses that are editable on your phone. Unlike a Fitbit notifications come through reliably on the Garmin—though to be fair my only Fitbit experience to date was with the first-gen Versa two years ago.

Also unlike a Versa (or Sense, for that matter) there's no proprietary band B.S.; the Venu Sq is compatible with any standard 20mm strap.

Like an Amazfit Bip

With its 40 mm case size and plastic materials the Venu Sq is as light and comfortable on my wrist as the Amazfits I've been wearing on and off since 2018. For tracking workouts it has the same two killer features as the Bip: (1) it buzzes every kilometer and shows a lap time on the display, and (2) it auto-pauses when I'm stuck at the inevitable red traffic light.

Unlike the Bip the Garmin does not have a transflective display. But here's a shocker: this isn't turning out to be the deal-breaker I once thought it to be.

Like Wear OS

Transflective displays are fantastic in direct sunlight, but they also tend to be fairly low resolution. Casio and TicWatch get around this with large and blocky LCD-type fonts, but looking at a Bip or a Pebble often makes it seem like I'm wearing a toy on my wrist rather than a proper watch. With their beautiful OLED displays Wear OS devices don't suffer from this problem; The Venu Sq's display isn't OLED but is at least a proper LCD—legible enough in bright sunlight and much nicer to look at in all other conditions.

Battery life is where the Venu destroys most Wear OS watches. Garmin advertises up to six days between charges; with an hour-long workout each morning and the always-on display enabled I seem to be getting about half of that, which is fine for me. Another neat trick: this watch shuts off the display entirely when I take it off my wrist, saving battery drain overnight and preventing the eerie green glow of a heart rate monitor firing for no reason. Imagine that!

Until I can find something better the Garmin Venu Sq gets my wholehearted recommendation for its balance of comfort, features and price. If you're interested you can investigate further via one of the links below.

Links: Amazon Canada / USA, Best Buy Canada / USA, Garmin Canada / USA

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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OnePlus has just added a pair of devices to their mid-range Nord line—notable in that they're both likely coming to Canada and the US at some point.



Nord N10 5G:
6.49 inch FHD+ IPS LCD display @ 90 Hz
Snapdragon 690 processor
64 MP wide + ultrawide + macro + monochrome rear cameras
6 GB RAM / 128 GB or 512 GB storage
4,300 mAh battery, 30 W fast-charging
Stereo speakers + 3.5 mm headphone jack
Android 10 powered by OxygenOS
Midnight ice colourway
Availability (UK): November, 2020
Price: £329 GBP = $428 USD / $565 CAD



Nord N100:
6.52 inch IPS LCD display, 720 x 1600 pixels
Snapdragon 460 processor
13 MP wide + macro + bokeh rear cameras
4 GB RAM / 64 GB storage + microSD
5,000 mAh battery, 18 W fast-charging
Stereo speakers + 3.5 mm headphone jack
Android 10 powered by OxygenOS
Midnight frost colourway
Availability (UK): November 10th
Price: £179 GBP = $233 USD / $307 CAD

Sources: Android Police, GSM Arena, OnePlus

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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iPhone 12 Pro Max
6.7 inch OLED display, 2778 x 1284 pixels @ 458 ppi
A14 Bionic chip with 5G support
128 / 256 / 512 GB storage
12 MP ultra wide, wide and telephoto rear cameras
MagSafe wireless charging @ 15W / Qi @ 7W
iOS 14
Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue colourways
Starts at $1099 USD / $1549 CAD
Preorder 11-06 / Available 11-13

iPhone 12 Pro
6.1 inch OLED display, 2532 x 1170 pixels @ 460 ppi
A14 Bionic chip with 5G support
128 / 256 / 512 GB storage
12 MP ultra wide, wide and telephoto rear cameras
MagSafe wireless charging @ 15W / Qi @ 7W
iOS 14
Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue colourways
Starts at $999 USD / $1399 CAD
Preorder 10-06 / Available 10-23



iPhone 12
6.1 inch OLED display, 2532 x 1170 pixels @ 460 ppi
A14 Bionic chip with 5G support
64 / 128 / 256 GB storage
12 MP ultra wide and wide rear cameras
MagSafe wireless charging @ 15W / Qi @ 7W
iOS 14
Black, White, Product Red, Green, Blue colourways
Starts at $799 USD / $1129 CAD
Preorder 10-06 / Available 10-23

iPhone 12 mini
5.4 inch OLED display, 2340 x 1080 pixels @ 476 ppi
A14 Bionic chip with 5G support
64 / 128 / 256 GB storage
12 MP ultra wide and wide rear cameras
MagSafe wireless charging @ 15W / Qi @ 7W
iOS 14
Black, White, Product Red, Green, Blue colourways
Starts at $699 USD / $979 CAD
Preorder 11-06 / Available 11-13

Sources: Apple, Apple Canada

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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About 10 years ago something weird happened with me and computers: I suddenly found myself much less interested in specs and far more interested in value. Instead of stretching my budget to get the latest model with the fastest processor, most RAM and biggest available hard drive I instead found myself content with a computer that was "good enough" for my predetermined price point.

In other words computers had become commodity items, to be purchased primarily on the basis of price rather than unique features. Cut to 2020 and it seems that with the Pixel 4a I finally have my first commodity smartphone—offering "good enough" features for a great price.



That price, $479 here in Canada, flips my usual checklist for smartphone expectations on its head; instead of being mildly annoyed at the things it can't do I find myself surprised and delighted by the things it can.

Here's a quick rundown of the "good enough" Pixel 4a:

Processor

The Snapdragon 730G powers the likes of the Moto G9 and Samsung Galaxy M51. Though the 'G' apparently stands for gaming, the only real issues I've had on my 4a are one or two games that refuse to launch. But the vast majority of software titles run great.

Camera

Coming from years of OnePlus phones, where the accurate capture of an image is a crapshoot about as often as not, what impressed me most about the 4a's single camera (and Google's computational image processing) is how reliable the results have been. Video capture seems fine too, though I personally shoot way more photos than video.



Google's camera app is very intuitive, and this level that appears when needed is much appreciated.

Software

My Pixel got a day one upgrade to Android 11, which has been smooth and responsive for me so far.



I'm personally not a fan of Google's algorithmic newsfeed—plus, app drawers are so 2010—so I'm currently using the more modern Niagara Launcher.

As for Pixel-specific features, I've only used it once but call screening is already my new best friend.

Battery



My first week or so with the 4a was admittedly filled with battery anxiety. At one point it seemed like I was going to have to do without a hallmark Pixel feature, the always-on display. But then, as if by magic, the battery suddenly "got me" and is now giving me a reliable 26 to 28 hours between charges.

I suspect that once I start travelling again I'll have to pack a portable charger for all the navigating and picture-taking that I usually do on holiday. For a phone this cheap I'm entirely okay with that.

To be clear, the Pixel 4a might not be for everyone, and I certainly wouldn't try to steer any Android user away from an expensive Samsung—or even the more expensive Pixels with 5G. I'm just here to let any interested parties know that, in my experience so far, the 4a is definitely good enough for daily use.

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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