I Ask You: How Should I Produce an iPhone vs LG Camera Comparison?

I NEED YOUR HELP!
I want to do a video quality showdown between the iPhone 6 and the LG G Flex 2, similar to the recent LG vs Nokia video we just published. Now, I think you should always produce the highest quality samples that a phone can shoot, but that means 1080p video on the iPhone and UHD video on the G Flex 2. I don’t want to produce four different videos to compare these two phones, so what makes the most sense for a SINGLE comparison video?

I’m taking this poll VERY seriously as whatever the general winner is here, will influence how I shoot and produce a comparison video. These videos often take me a couple DAYS to shoot and edit. Beyond just voting, comments and sharing will be GREATLY appreciated, as I want this to be as professional a comparison as I am able to create.


The Better Smartwatch Commercial? Apple or Google? FIGHT!

The “Tech as Fashion” wars are heating up. Now that Apple has finally released all their details on the Apple Watch, and started advertising it on TV, now other companies are cutting TV ads to compete. Why Google would have waited for Apple to start broadcasting ads I’ll never understand, when Android Wear had a solid head start in the market, but I digress…

Anywho, now that the two companies are duking it out on TV, who do you think has the better ad? Apple went with their classic “Simple and show some functionality” approach, while Google played into the more recent feel good slate of ads, like their Animal Friends, with some colorful dance moves. One team’s ad is all about focus, the other all about diversity.

Which company did the better job introducing the world to their smartwatch? Drop us a comment below!

Google:

Apple:


Show Name Contest! I need YOUR help naming a new segment for SomeGadgetGuy!

That’s right I need YOUR help naming a new segment here on SomeGadgetGuy! I want to do more long term usage and check in videos detailing my experiences using the gear we get to review. The problem is, I have NO idea what to call that segment! Hook up a good name, and I’ll send you a mini Kingston prize pack!

I’ll accept entries until July 13 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time, and I’ll announce a winner on Monday July 14th. This contest is open to any residents of countries which do not place egregious restrictions on shipping or contests. Winner must be a subscriber of this channel and at least 18 years of age (kids can have a parent enter on their behalf). There are no limits on number of entries or comments, but if two show names are similar, I’ll choose the person with the earlier time stamp on their comment. Good luck!

Help SomeGadgetGuy: What’s Your Favorite Cooking/Recipe App?

jalepeno pepper macro picShort and sweet folks. I love cooking. I love tech. I’m looking to combine those passions more, so:

What’s your favorite app to help you manage your kitchen activities?

Make sure you list what platform it works on too.
We’ll collect the list and write it up on Monday!

I Ask You: Does Carrier Branding On Your Phone Bother You?

htc one max evleaks carrier branded ATTQuick show of hands, who here knows what carrier their smartphone is on? Pretty much as I figured. If you’re savvy enough to use a web browser to find my site, chances are pretty good you know what carrier you send money to each month for your phone. Good.

Welp, new press images have surfaced courtesy of @EVLeaks, showing the HTC One Max not only for Verizon, but also for AT&T. It looks like there might not be CDMA exclusivity for HTC’s up coming phablet. Neat. Of course, this wouldn’t be internet news without something to complain about, and many HTC faithful checking the renders out are somewhat upset by the fact that on both the Verizon and AT&T shots, HTC’s branding between the home and back buttons has been shoved out of the way for AT&T’s globe and Verizon’s awkward off center check mark thing. I’m serious, for a mutli-billion dollar company, that logo never looks like it’s on straight, but I digress…

This got me wondering, why does this bother people? Is it aesthetics? Brand loyalty? Are you ashamed to be doing business with your carrier? I’d be curious to hear people’s thoughts on the matter. Living in an age where everything is branded, clothes, cars, technology, what is it about the carrier logo which might upset folks?

Do we need mid-range phones anymore?

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Nailing pricing in the mobile industry is a delicate and necessary balance. We accept $50 tiers separating the highest of high-end premier phones all the way down to the cheapest off contract entry level affair. Where a phone lands on that spectrum can make or break a device. Premier phones typically make sense. You put the most cutting edge gear into a slab and we expect it’ll be around $200 on a two year contract. Ditto the low end, slide in well known low power hardware and a price between $100 and $200 off contract can be compelling. The mid-range is a lot trickier. Which leads me to wonder, do we even need mid-range phones anymore?

It’s around that $100 on contract price point we start really running into issues. Purpose building a phone for that price point is becoming an increasingly dicey proposition. Manufacturers can still make a nice device at that price, usually with very few compromises, but you still need to ask your consumers to accept a “lower end” experience while paying more than the entry level kit. Often those compromises involve less storage, lower resolution screens, and reduced processing power. All those things which make using a phone nicer.

htc one mini synthetic benchmarks somegadgetguy video reviewAlso there’s a certain cachet to using a premier phone. Geek is chic. It’s fashionable, and we recognize the difference between Galaxies and iPhones like we do the difference Audi and BMW.

Outside those image concerns, we also have a timing problem. Tech devalues fast. If you need to exist at the bleeding edge, you pay a tax not unlike buying a new car. If you can wait a month or three, what was once a premier expensive handset can usually be purchased at a mid-range price. For example, at $100 on a two year contract you can get a perfectly acceptable HTC One Mini. Not a bad buy by any means. I’m really enjoying it. However, for that same $100 on contract you could also get an LG Optimus G Pro phablet. I just sat through a commercial offering a promotional deal for the Galaxy S4 for the same price too. Is the HTC One Mini as “good” as the GS4? Probably not.

We also see around a two year lifespan for phones. Apple popularized this with the iPhone. When a new iPhone is released the current iPhone drops in price. At carriers you can often find phones like the Galaxy S3 still kicking around. The GS3 still gives phones like the HTC One Mini a run for its money in terms of specs and it’ll carry more of that fashion statement. To continue a bad metaphor, people will be more impressed by last year’s Lexus than this year’s Toyota.

iPhone5c_34L_AllColors_PRINTLastly, manufacturers could save a little money by purposely pushing older premier phones into the mid-range. Releasing a phone comes with its own unique design, quality assurance, and support issues. Bug fixes, software updates, warranty issues, a company goes through that once for their top of the line gear, then they could purposely ride that investment for several years after. It would also be a boon to third party accessory manufacturers, knowing that their R&D will have a longer tail to recoup. That can only improve a company’s ecosystem when customers know they can count on accessories, replacement parts, and service for a while after they purchase, even if they purchase late.

I’m usually the first person to celebrate more choices and options, but right now we’re in an era where even successful companies are trying to manage consumer and stock holder expectations against risk. Unless I’m missing something glaring (and please point it out in a comment if I am) releasing a phone into the mid-range seems like the riskiest move a company can make…