It's that time again: Smartphone upgrade!

Discussion in 'Science and Technology' started by RAMA, Aug 22, 2013.

  1. Timby

    Timby o yea just like that Administrator

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    This is untrue.
     
  2. Metryq

    Metryq Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    The 64-bit processor could have multiple DSP (digital signal processor) benefits for a phone camera. Imagine a mobile device with the Lytro camera installed—infinite depth of field which can be processed in post the way RAW images are manipulated.
     
  3. Kemaiku

    Kemaiku Admiral Admiral

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    Minor refinements, I know. It's still largely the same 8MP iSight sensor. The 5 has a pretty bad reputation for that sapphire lens causing a bad blue/purple tinge to images.

    The S5 Mini could be bringing out a 13MP sensor with the processing power and OS to use it fully, something the 5S could already be doing.
     
  4. Venardhi

    Venardhi Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Stop thinking that megapixels define a camera. The iPhone sensor gets (arguably) better results out of an 8Mp sensor than most anything else on a phone due to how well the light information is decoded on the software side. The Nokia 1020, Galaxy Note, and the other handful of top-end phones with good sensors are all let down in some way in comparison. I'm not saying the iPhone is the best camera phone out there, but if not it is damn close. I'd love to see what they can do with a 16 megapixel sensor and that same software prowess, but that is overkill for 90% of users and would mean shaving their margins down even more than the last few models already have.
     
  5. Timby

    Timby o yea just like that Administrator

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    Right -- megapixels are the digital camera equivalent of a dick-measuring contest. What matters are two factors: The quality of the lens (where Apple is stomping the competition) and the quality of the image processor (which was decent with the iPhone 4 and has seen great strides over the last few iPhone iterations -- here's an excellent comparison between models).
     
  6. Saturn0660

    Saturn0660 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I say piss on a case and just learn to be careful. I've never had a case on my 5 or on the Droid Bionic I used to have, or the one before that, etc, etc. Just be careful and don't drop it.
     
  7. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    ^ I don't agree. You should never have a smartphone with no case. You never know when you might drop it, even with your best efforts not to. And besides, when the phone's in a case, it's easier to clean - you don't get your glommy fingerprints all over it.
     
  8. Tora Ziyal

    Tora Ziyal Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I'm careful with my possessions, and I've never felt the need for a case before, either for my (cheap) phones or for my iPad. However, someone in my house is convinced that phones are cat toys, and, despite my best efforts not to put them down where they'll be noticed, they occasionally get swatted off the edge of tables. I am not going to risk my nice new iPhone 5s :adore: landing on the floor unprotected. It's happily ensconced in a gray and white Otterbox.
     
  9. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    A 5s *and* an Otterbox case? TZ for the win! :techman: :adore:
     
  10. Tora Ziyal

    Tora Ziyal Vice Admiral Admiral

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    The only thing I don't like about the Otterbox case is the screen protector. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it totally bubble-free. :( Well, that and the fact that the phone doesn't look as gorgeous and sleek as it really is.
     
  11. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    ^ You must have got the Commuter case. The Defender one has the screen protector built in, and so you don't have to deal with 'bubbles'.
     
  12. Tora Ziyal

    Tora Ziyal Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Yes, I got the Commuter. Less expensive, less bulky.

    ETA: :scream: Oh, no, there's a cat hair under the screen protector! :lol:
     
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2013
  13. Kemaiku

    Kemaiku Admiral Admiral

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    My iPhone and iPod both have a slim case or bumper when around the house, and either a pouch or case when travelling.

    I only just got my iPad but since it's not really leaving the house, I just tend to keep it in the box it came in, convenient enough.
     
  14. RAMA

    RAMA Admiral Admiral

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    [​IMG]
     
  15. Tiberius

    Tiberius Commodore Commodore

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    That looks too cluttered for me! How much of that is just the wallpaper? Can you show an image with a plain wallpaper for comparison?
     
  16. RAMA

    RAMA Admiral Admiral

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    Its a 3D view of the desktop screens available. The home desktop screen (the one in the center) is not cluttered.
     
  17. Tiberius

    Tiberius Commodore Commodore

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    I didn't mean cluttered with many icons. I meant cluttered in that there's a lot of visual information which is distracting (for me at least) from the icons and the visual information you need.
     
  18. Tora Ziyal

    Tora Ziyal Vice Admiral Admiral

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    ^ Wow. That would be way too visually cluttered for me, too.

    I set up mine today. It's really cool!
     
  19. astarguy

    astarguy Ensign Red Shirt

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    thanks for everyone posting i am going to upgrade my smart phone soon so i read all the posts with great interest. but to comment on the case or not case issue- it is a no brainer for me i have destroyed 4 Samsung stratosphere's in 12 months be cause the do not make otterbox's for them. 2 died on expanded metal platforms 1 from a arff canon and the last from good old concrete. yea!!!!!!
     
  20. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    ^ Sorry to hear about your phones, but I applaud the day when the word 'Otterbox' is itself used as a noun. :techman: :)