What makes a phone design “desirable”?

It feels really nice in the hand. It arrives in different colors. It might be shiny or matte. It might have curved glass or beveled metal edges.

What makes a smartphone “desirable”?

I’m in the rare position of getting to play with numerous smartphones throughout the year. I don’t need to speculate on phone design, or rely on press photos. I really get to hold them in my hand and use them.

I often criticize reviews that focus too much on aesthetic conversations about a phone’s “feel”, and I still highly recommend people put a case on their phone to protect their main communication gadget.

Even for those points though, I can’t deny that I still get an emotional thrill out of handling a new phone. Continue reading “What makes a phone design “desirable”?”

Samsung DeX CAN replace a laptop, but it needs your help…

DeX rocks.

A desktop mode on a phone is a crown jewel feature. It’s a disruptive way to use a smartphone. We CAN replace the need for other computers and tablets. However, these features WON’T get better if we don’t use them.

The conversation matters, and sharing these experiences might help save someone a LOT of money they don’t need to spend.
Continue reading “Samsung DeX CAN replace a laptop, but it needs your help…”

Galaxy S22: Getting run over by the hype train…

Galaxy S22 first impressions, and a conversation about how we keep getting reviews wrong. The “entry premium” phone from Samsung is mediocre at best, and a PAIN POINT phone at worse. I believe the main reason for its existence is to move people up to spend more on an S22+.

This is gonna take a bit of explaining… Continue reading “Galaxy S22: Getting run over by the hype train…”

How Can We Save Premium Android Phones When Samsung Can’t Get It Done?

Let’s not try and pretend the “Emperor” is wearing any clothes. Samsung is not inspiring consumer to spend more on smartphones.

From the Galaxy S10 to the S21, sales of premium Galaxy phones have fallen sharply. At the same time Apple increased sales of more expensive iPhones significantly.

The Average Selling Price of a Samsung phone in 2021 was around $270. The ASP of an Apple smartphone was over $800.

A recent list of the top selling phones in 2021 listed only one Samsung device, the Galaxy A12. The A12 starts at $179.99. The top selling phone of last year was the iPhone 12, which had a starting price of $799.

For fans of expensive phones, there is no metric by which we would judge this as success. Overwhelmingly, it would seem that when consumers have the means to buy more expensive phones, they opt for an iPhone.

Samsung significantly outspends almost every other company in marketing (currently trailing Amazon and Proctor and Gamble), but that doesn’t seem to be winning the hearts and minds of consumers. Lopsided coverage of expensive Samsung products on YouTube isn’t making up the difference.

Is Premium Android doomed? Continue reading “How Can We Save Premium Android Phones When Samsung Can’t Get It Done?”

Samsung Throttles THOUSANDS of Apps on the Galaxy S22: Reacting to Reddit Hot Takes!

Samsung throttles thousands of apps on the Galaxy S22 line of phones, but does NOT throttle benchmarks!

Samsung pulled an uh-oh! Let’s talk about what this really means, and respond to some of the comments and replies flying around tech blogs and on Reddit!

@garyeonhan Tweet with more info https://twitter.com/GaryeonHan/status/1499009797035008002?s=20&t=l55-4CzZ94C285zm-et6eg

Continue reading “Samsung Throttles THOUSANDS of Apps on the Galaxy S22: Reacting to Reddit Hot Takes!”

WIll the REAL Poco M4 Pro Please Stand Up? The Cost of 5G…

Poco M4 Pro vs Poco M4 Pro 5G!

It’s time for a budget phone showdown! When we add 5G to a spec sheet, that adds quite a bit to the manufacturing costs. As more areas roll out 5G, we need to keep an eye on what that does to phone prices. Sometimes specs on paper LOOK similar, but they don’t always perform the same… Continue reading “WIll the REAL Poco M4 Pro Please Stand Up? The Cost of 5G…”

I Dumped Spotify! Why I Chose Qobuz!

Why I chose Qobuz over Spotify!

The nice thing is, we have some WONDERFUL competition in the music streaming space! There are a couple critical reasons why I chose Qobuz over the rest of the pack.

Let’s chat about getting the best bang for our listening dollar!

Headphone testing playlist on Qobuz https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/7841488

Continue reading “I Dumped Spotify! Why I Chose Qobuz!”

Surface Duo 2: Can We Fix This Camera?

The Duo is one of my favorite experiments, but we CERTAINLY have some issues with camera hardware. Using the Duo 2 for a while, here’s my suggestion for fixing the camera hardware on future foldable phones.

Duo 2 Camera Deep Dive https://www.patreon.com/posts/61137611 Continue reading “Surface Duo 2: Can We Fix This Camera?”