Smartphones

Our daily drivers and what we’d rather use

Each GadgetMatch member chimes in

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While we agree that the best smartphone is the one we have in our pockets, we can’t help but want more out of our gadgets, or simply something else.

In this feature, we expose our daily drivers and which smartphones we’d rather use. Whether they be fictional or real yet unavailable, these are our true GadgetMatches.

Daily driver: Huawei Mate 20
Prefers: Xiaomi Mi MIX 3

In 2018, you can pick up any flagship and expect it to work superbly for your daily needs. So as we end the year, there’s been one phone that does exactly that but also brings an exciting extra feature: the sliding pop-up camera of the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3. I don’t take a lot of selfies so I won’t necessarily need to slide out those front facing selfie cameras for what it’s actually there for. But I’m not gonna lie, the added feature of being able to fidget with it is something that makes me super curious about wanting the phone on the daily.

Daily drivers: iPhone XS and Honor 10
Prefers: Xiaomi Mi MIX 3

While I’m completely happy with my current daily drivers, I still find myself wanting to use a phone that’s not yet widely available in the world. I was lucky enough to test the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 while I was in Beijing and boy did I want to take it home! It’s essentially a Mi MIX 2S in a sliding form-factor, and with much-improved cameras. I just wish it also came in white like its predecessor.

Daily driver: LG G7 ThinQ
Prefers: OnePlus 6T… but with an ultra wide-angle camera 😜

One of the underrated mobile phones to be released this year is the LG G7 ThinQ. Despite its mouthful name, it’s a pretty good all-around device. Aside from its fun-to-use ultra-wide-angle camera though, everything about the phone is just so-so. That’s why I’d love to go back to using a OnePlus phone, especially the latest model, the 6T. I love everything about the OnePlus 6T — its display, performance, build, and software. Wouldn’t it be nice to also equip it with a wide-angle shooter? The secondary camera of the 6T is rather redundant to the main sensor, so I’m hoping OnePlus would consider adding one soon.

Daily driver: Not Pink Pixel 3
Prefers: An actual pink Pixel 3 🤬

I can’t let go of phones from the Pixel line simply because I trust their cameras most. I don’t just want good selfies, I want an actual phone that I can take in place of cameras. That being said, it really wouldn’t have killed Google if they made an actual pink phone instead of teasing me with this half-baked maybe pink device.

Daily drivers: Galaxy Note 9 and Mate 10 Pro
Prefers: A tougher and more robust flagship smartphone

I love how smartphones today are so feature-packed that they can be used for leisure and productivity on the go. If I’m not out raiding legendaries in Pokémon Go, I’d be out shooting with a camera and my smartphone. Thing is, I’m the kind of user who doesn’t put a case on his smartphone simply because I think feeling the material and its texture are part of the phone’s experience — that plus it bulks up the phone. But today’s high-end phones scratch easily with everyday handling so having a tougher protective glass would really be a good addition. Maybe for Gorilla Glass 10?

Daily drivers: Pixel 3 and Mate 20 Pro
Prefers: Razer Phone 2

I must say, using the Pixel 3 and Mate 20 Pro together is a match made in tech heaven. I get the latest Android updates and compact dimensions of the former, as well as the versatile cameras and incredible battery life of the latter. And yet, what I really want is a smartphone that simply games. It’s been a Razer Phone 2 versus ROG Phone type of year, but my money is on Razer’s side. Sticking to the 16:9 screen ratio and front-facing speakers has become invaluable for mobile gaming, which is something I’ve gotten more into lately.

Daily drivers: Huawei P20 Pro and LG V40 ThinQ
Prefers: Huawei Mate 20 Pro

I’ve been in love with Huawei’s P series ever since they collaborated with Leica. It’s been a great travel companion that perfectly captures postcard- and instagram-worthy photos. But sometimes, I’d wish they add a wide-angle feature — something that I like from the LG V40 ThinQ. This is why I prefer the Mate 20 Pro. It’s packed with three versatile rear shooters that can handle any adventure I go on.

Daily drivers: Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro and Pocophone F1
Prefers: The Xiaomi Mi 8 with the Huawei Mate 20 Pro’s cameras

I’m generally happy with the Xiaomi Mi 8. It’s a great performer and I think it’s the absolute sweet spot for me in terms of size. While its cameras are pretty good, they just aren’t at the level of the Mate 20 Pro’s which are great under any lighting condition. Since this fantasy phone isn’t happening any time soon, I’m content with the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro. It’s a great multitasking machine plus I really enjoy MIUI!

News

Apple is reportedly considering a clamshell iPhone

They will likely wait if the first foldable will be popular.

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Apple’s current foldable strategy is just one guy going “wouldn’t it be nice if we had a foldable phone” and everyone else nodding along. For years, Apple has constantly teased the development of its own entry into the market but failing to produce anything other than rumors. Now, while we’re still missing the mythical foldable, the company is reportedly considering a second foldable already: a clamshell iPhone.

Currently, all the previous rumors pointed to a traditional book-style foldable phone from Apple. The forecast says that the device might finally launch this year, but they do say that every year. In the meantime, according to Bloomberg, a clamshell version is already “under consideration.”

It hardly needs reminding that “under consideration” doesn’t mean anything other than “it might happen.” In contrast, the traditional foldable is probably in a “we’re just making sure everything is perfect” phase.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is likely evaluating whether there is enough demand for the first foldable. If, as the company predicts, it takes off, the company will want to capitalize on the hype immediately.

There’s a lot of expectations riding on Apple’s mythical foldable. Sometimes, it even feels like the unreleased phone has reached a point where it can’t possibly meet everyone’s standards. But, at the very least, we hope it does launch this year.

SEE ALSO: An analyst has revealed the iPhone Fold’s price, and it’s insane

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News

Nothing will not release a Phone (4) this year

But the Phone (4a) is still scheduled.

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Nothing Phone 3

Last year, Nothing offered a worthy alternative to the usual flagship brands. Though the Phone (3) edged closer and closer to flagship-level prices, the smartphone is still a decent performer through and through. This year, however, a Phone (4) is not in the works.

Through a new YouTube video, Nothing’s Carl Pei has confirmed that the brand will not release a Phone (4) this year. The Phone (3) will still be the brand’s flagship option throughout 2026.

Pei did not reveal any explicit reason why they couldn’t make a new flagship this year. However, he does say that he wants every upgrade to be meaningful.

Despite the lack of a flagship, Nothing’s work will continue through the (a) series. The brand will release the new Phone (4a), for which Pei is promising a revolution. He says that there will be significant upgrades which will push the series closer to a flagship-like experience. It will also have new designs.

Unfortunately, the new phone might not come cheap. Along with the phone’s announcement, Pei confirmed that prices might increase this year, as a response to spiking RAM prices. It’s unclear how much it’s changing, though.

At the very least, the (a) series is usually priced competitively. However, if the increases affect the entire lineup, the flagship’s prices might go up to even more concerning levels.

SEE ALSO: Nothing will no longer lock screen ads on the Phone (3a) series

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Smartphones

MediaTek unveils Dimensity 9500s, 8500 mobile processors

For flagship, premium mobile devices

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MediaTek has officially unveiled the Dimensity 9500s and Dimensity 8500 mobile processors built for flagship and premium smartphones.

These latest platforms are meant to propel performance, gaming, and efficiency on higher-end mobile devices, while also introducing improvements in AI, imaging, wireless connectivity, and more.

Dimensity 9500s

The Dimensity 9500s adopts a flagship 3nm process and an All Big Core architecture. Its octa-core CPU utilizes one Cortex-X925 ultra core with up to 3.73GHz of clock speed, three Cortex-X4 premium cores, and four Cortex-A720 performance cores.

Together, the system empowers devices to fully unleash powerful performance while staying energy efficient.

Moreover, the Dimensity 9500s integrates the Immortalis-G925 GPU for a full-frame, immersive experience for heavy mobile games. This includes support for advanced ray tracing.

In addition, adaptive game technology 3.0 and frame technology 3.0 improve energy efficiency significantly to prolong battery life.

Meanwhile, the flagship NPU in the processor is optimized for generative reasoning and multi-modal models for a more powerful flagship edge camera and greater content generation capabilities.

The chip supports high-frequency functions like post-processing of live photos, AI photo editing, AI content summarization, and more.

Lastly, the Dimensity 9500s is equipped with an advanced MediaTek Imagiq image processor, which supports real-time 30fps motion tracking and 8K full-focus Dolby Vision HDR video recording.

Dimensity 8500

Equally energy efficient is the Dimensity 8500, which has a 4nm process and All Big Core CPU architecture.

This is composed of eight Cortex-A725 cores with a frequency up to 3.4GHz. The chip supports accurate scheduling technology and DDR5 memory with higher transmission speed so users can enjoy smooth and long battery life for daily apps and multitasking.

With an integrated Mali-G720 GPU, the Dimensity 8500’s peak performance is improved by 25% compared to the previous generation. And yet, its power consumption is reduced by 20%.

For gaming, the processor can bring players a refreshing experience with full frame stabilization, rapid loading, and high energy efficiency.

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