Ogabassey blog

Author: Bolakale

  • THE SMART TV ULTIMATE BUYING GUIDE

    Smart TVs are one of the most popular home electronics right now! How do you want to optimally Netflix and Chill without a Smart TV, bruv? Do tell! A smart TV will elevate your space, design-wise at least; it is also a functional piece of tech. In a multiverse of Smarts, where smartphones, smartwatches, smart bracelets, smart bulbs, smart doorbells, smart speakers, and smartdil*do* are a thing, a smart tv should be a staple in your house.

     They often come with some of your favourite apps preinstalled. Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube, and Apple TV, are factory-installed, especially on the recent models. You can invite the love of your life over while your favourite Spotify playlists play on your TV without the need to fiddle with your phone (Bruno Mars sang “Leave the Door Open” for these moments).

    ****Clears throat**** To paraphrase George Orwell in Animal Farm, “all smart TVs are smart, but some are smarter than the others”. Because a tv is “smart” does not mean it will be a smart fit for you. So, don’t get swallowed by the big whale called FOMO; pay attention to these details before you make your next purchase:

    Size

     Like all good things in life, smart TVs come in different shapes and sizes. Generally, the sizes range from 32 inches to 85 inches and beyond. For a balanced Feng Shui, your TV screen should be proportionate with the rest of your room. A large screen TV will look disproportionate in a small space. The size also determines the resolution. No manufacturer is putting a 4K screen on a 32 inches TV. Similarly, if yours is a large family, you might want to consider a bigger screen.

    Pro Tip: 43 inches and 55 inches are the sweetest spots for the average living room.

    Resolution

     Any Smart TV that comes in HD deserves to be binned! The three commonest resolutions are full HD (1080p), 4k, and 8K. The bigger the screen size, the higher you would want your resolution, a 50 inches smart TV with a 1080p will look like one of those 6 inches Tecno phones with HD resolution badly pixelated, and your viewing experience will suffer for it. 4K remains the most popular resolution in the world. While the internet situation in Nigeria is not exactly 4K friendly, you will still get crisp pictures with popping colours on a 4K TV. In our humble opinion and that of many industry leaders, 8K is overkill; there isn’t enough content for 8k now. There are other resolution-related technologies that you want to pay attention to, OLED, P-OLED, MicroLED (for 1% of the 1%)

    Pro-tip: Make sure the TV supports HDR. HDR takes your viewing experience to stratospheric levels; the dark becomes darker, and the light becomes lighter.

    Brand and OS

    We have decided to combine these two for obvious reasons. In the world of smart TVs, brands and OS are Siamese twins. The most popular smart TV brands in Naija include Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense, aka low-budget LG, Panasonic, etc. Most TVs run on Android TVOS (including Sony, TCL ,and a host of others). However, major OEMs like Samsung (Tizen), LG (WebOS), and Hisense (Vida) have their custom OS. In our tests, we discovered that popular apps like Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and Prime Video are available on most, if not all, of the popular brands. So, you have nothing to fear. Things can become a bit complicated if you want to use region-dependent apps like DSTV. Once again, if you have a recent (more on that later) model from any major manufacturer, you will be fine.

    Pro-tip: Samsung and LG are easy to recommend because their repairs are easy, and the resale value of both brands is high.

    Year of Production

    Every year, OEMs introduce new technologies. The more recent your TV is the better your experience. Older smart TVs risk losing support for major apps or not getting support for newer apps. More significantly, some apps stop supporting older TVs after some time. In addition, the older your TV, the less likely you will receive a firmware update. In October, DSTV announced that their apps would no longer be available for Samsung Smart TVs and Hisense TVs made in 2016 or earlier.

    Ports and I/O

     In most cases, your smart TV will come with at least three HDMI ports (console, decoder and PC), 2 USB ports, AV ports etc. Some manufacturers also put optical ports (for High Definition audio) for sound bars. Get a Smart TV with all the ports you need for a modern multimedia experience (Optical cables work better with sound bars).

    Pro tip: Get a Smart TV with HDMI 2.1 for a seamless HD data transmission

    Ecosystem Compatibility

    Is it really smart if your TV cannot interact with other smart devices? Screen mirroring, Bluetooth support, virtual assistant, and mouse support are the barest minimum for smart TVs in 2022. If you have a Samsung Smartphone, the smart choice will be to get a Samsung Smart TV (you will enjoy things like Samsung Dex, SmartThings and more). If you have an iPhone, it is important to ensure that your TV supports Airplay. Similarly, if your phone brand manufactures Smart TVs, you will have a great experience if you keep it in the family.

    For affordable Smart TVs that fulfil all criteria, click here.

  • BEFORE BLACK FRIDAY TURNS DARK; 4 THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN BUYING YOUR NEW PHONE

    ***Clears throat**** it is that time of the month again when you get to buy many devices at a fraction of what they cost; Ladies and gentlemen, it’s November, and Black Friday is upon us! But before you get your crisp notes out of your wallet, pay attention lest we refer you to Proverb 21:20. Let’s start with the basics. Mobile phones are divided into three major categories: flagship, mid-range, and entry-level. Flagships are the biggest and greatest from the manufacturer, the Samsung S22 Ultras of this world, iPhone 14 Pro Max, and Xiaomi 12s Pro, among others. The mid-range, like the name suggests, sits in the middle; it has the premium features that are found in flagship devices but will also skimp on some features, the upper echelon of the Samsung A-series are the kings here (the A7x, A5X), the Redmi Note series are equally well-represented here, etc. The entry-level phone, as the name sound, is at the base of the smartphone pyramid. They are only optimal at calling, sending texts, and for light multimedia use. This distinction should not be taken as rigid. Some phones defy this logic, and the iPhone 14 is probably the best example. How can a 600k+ phone not be a flagship? Ha! The kneeling down of a mother! But the base iPhone 14 lacks the oomph, bells, and whistles of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max or even Samsung 22 Ultra. The Black Friday fever will be at its fervent point in the coming days. Before you checkout, pay attention to the following points:

    • Futureproof

    This is probably one of the few areas that you hardly pay attention to, and to be honest, as phone prices continue to get higher than Snoop Dogg on blunt, spending your money prudently is very important. Come closer and let us give you the deets; Black Friday is one of the few opportunities that some vendors have to sell phones that have been in their warehouse since the noughties! Don’t buy a phone that will become obsolete after a few months. Shine your eye!

    • AFTER-SALES SUPPORT

    Available statistics suggest that Nigerians purchase used phones more than they purchase used devices. Money no too dey like that! The Severe Absence of Purchasing Ability, SAPA is not enough reason to be left in the lurch because you bought a used phone. Whether it is a brand-new phone or a premium used device, Oga Bassey has never disappointed when it comes to unrivalled after-sales services. Our insurance policy also means that… wait for it… we cover screen damages free of charge for duly insured phones… Samsung users, you have nothing to fear again- flaunt your Galaxies!

    • Vendor Credibility

    The conditions in Panti and Kirikiri are not for the faint-hearted; if you aren’t aware, the Nigerian Police is not your friend. To avoid police wahala, please buy from only credible vendors. Many vendors will rise in November, riding on the crest of Black Friday, verily verily we said unto you, shine your eyes o! Don’t buy your device from shady vendors. If you want to take good advantage of the Black Friday promo from Oga Bassey, click here.

    • THE CLONE WARS

    See ehn, nothing is as heart-breaking as buying an iPhone running Android (Ha! The kneeling down of a mother). There is a plethora of “Dubai-made” Airpods in the market. Shine your eyes lest you fall victim.

    Get mouth-watering discounts and price slashes on your favourite gadgets and still pay for them in instalments on the 25th of November during Oga Bassey Black Friday Promo… Now is the time to cop that iPhone, Samsung, and MacBook you have been eyeing as Santa is about to arrive earlier than usual, don’t sleep on this.

  • 4 REASONS TO BUY THE ESIM IPHONES. NO. 3 WILL SAVE YOU 100K

    No OEM has disrupted the industry as much as Apple in the phone manufacturing world. With the launch of the original iPhone in 2007, Apple changed how the world sees a smartphone; they upped the ante and changed the landscape of the smartphone industry forever. Steve Jobs and his team applied pressure, and the rest of the industry sat up and got serious. After popularising the removal of the 3.5m jack, the notch and the dynamic island, the next feature on the list is the iPhone running as an Esim exclusive mobile brand.  

    Since the iPhone XR and XS series, Apple devices have supported the Esim alongside a regular sim card. But with the release of the iPhone 14 series, Apple released a version that uses the Esim exclusively in the US. Knowing Apple, it is only a matter of time before the iPhone becomes esim only in most places in the world. So, what is an Esim? Esim means embedded sim (no Sodiki, it’s not electronic sim). It is a technology that involves your mobile carrier (MTN, Airtel, Vodafone, Celtel, abbl) embedding a profile on the esim chip on your phone; meaning you will be able to put a sim on your phone by just scanning a barcode, sounds sweet right? Here is a bonus point, if you have an iPhone, anyone from the XR up to the 13 Pro Max, or an S20 or a newer Samsung phone, you can use an Esim; technically, your phone is a dual sim phone even if it’s not a DUOS. I know you are asking, “if my phone supports two sim cards already, can I still use an Esim”? Yes and No. Yes, you can have up to 5 Esims embedded in your phone, but no, only two sim cards can work on your phone at any point in time (It’s a smartphone, not one of those Chinese phones from that year). So, why should you go for the Esim-only iPhone 14:

    • YOU CAN SWITCH NETWORKS EASILY

    Make we burst your head. You can have 5 networks on one esim module in… yes, that’s right. You can have all the major networks on Naija on your phone. But you can’t use all 5 simultaneously; however, you can switch network providers at will. For example, if GLO dey misbehave, you can easily switch to a different network without the hassle of removing one physical sim for another. Bye-Bye sim ejector tool.

    • YOU DON’T HAVE TO ROAM WHEN YOU TRAVEL TO THE ABROAD

    With the Esim-only version of the iPhone 14, you don’t have to pay exorbitant roaming fees to your network provider when you visit other countries. Once you land in your new city, get your iPhone on your preferred network in the city. Once you are back home, disable the foreign network and hop back on your home network,

    • IT’S CHEAPER

    Errrm… Na expo o, but the Esim-only iPhone is cheaper than the regular iPhone. You are getting the same phone with the same features for significantly less. And the best part is that you can even get it cheaper here.

    • IT IS MORE SECURE

    With a physical sim, your banked accounts linked to the sim are not safe. Your sim card can be removed and inserted into another phone while your account is wiped clean. But with the Esim-only iPhone, you provide an extra layer of protection for your money.

    Does the Esim-Only iPhone appeal to you? Do you have further questions, please, tell us in the comment section.

    For all the best deals on your iPhones, Samsung phones, Samsung Smart TVs, earbuds, iPads and other tablets, click here

  • The Apple Watch: Overpriced or Functional Piece  

    Since its launch in 2015, no Apple product has divided opinions as much as the Apple Watch. With the Apple Watch, there is hardly a middle ground; you either love the Watch or despise them. Some people consider them a waste of money and needless, while others consider them a necessity, especially for fitness enthusiasts. Make we no lie sha, dem cost small o but that’s where Oga Bassey comes in. HERE ARE THE TOP 5 REASONS YOU NEED AN APPLE MATCH:

    You have an iPhone

    See, ehn, it’s a no-brainer; if you have an iPhone and you are in the market for a smartwatch that allows you to get the best out of your smartphone while also offering seamless integration, there is only one option- ONE option, the Apple Watch. From making and receiving calls directly from your Watch, Siri on the go, checking notifications from your phone and other cool tricks, the Apple Watch can be the Robin to your iPhone’s Batman. The possibilities are endless. Abeg, please, don’t buy those cheap imitations (fake, copy, replicas or whatever the sellers call them); you will lose out on the seamless integration between your phone and even your MacBook. To save yourself from that, visit here to get a genuine and affordable Apple Watch and join the 1% too.

    You are a Fitness Enthusiast

    Apple calls it “the ultimate device for a healthy life”, and we kinda agree. The dedicated Activity App on the Apple Watch is remarkable. Among other things, The Apple Watch can help you monitor and record your workout exercises and routines. Are you a cycler? Is the treadmill your gig? Are you a runner? Whatever rocks your fitness boat, the device has got you. It also has challenges you can set up to compete with your friends. A device that is committed to keeping you fit and shielding you from the ills of a sedentary lifestyle. What is not to like, Brethren?

    You Care about Your Health

    Even if the fitness monitoring software baked into the Apple Watch is not your cup of tea (Shout Out to Team Fit Fam or is it Farm?), you care about your health. You want to know if you have cardiovascular concerns, if you have been sitting for too long, and sometimes a reminder that you need to REST can be very helpful. You can also use the Watch to check other things like your blood pressure, blood oxygen level and heartbeat rate. The Apple Watch should be your best friend. The device was designed with your health and wellness in mind.

    You are invested in the Apple Ecosystem

    Apple’s ecosystem is one of the most extensive. Apple has its fingers in the Internet of Things (IoT) pie. From the Homepod to smart switches, doorbells, and the big ones like the MacBook and the iPhones. The integration is fantastic; you can use your Apple Watch to unlock your MacBook and perform other cool tasks.

    You Are one of the Cool Kids

    The Apple Watch is a fashion statement for many people, and it’s easy to see why. The modular design (especially the straps) and the somewhat unique squarish face of the Watch make them popular among the cool kids. We have all met that person who coordinates their Apple straps with their outfit. A functional device that contributes to the drip? Yes, please!

    At Ogabassey.com, you can get your Apple Watch at affordable prices and the best part? You can even pay in instalments. Click here to learn more

  • 5 Things To Do if Your iPhone Battery Health Falls Below 85%.

    In 2018, Apple released iOS 11.3. This version of the OS introduced arguably one of the most impressive features on the iPhone, Battery Health. All rechargeable batteries are consumables; they have a limited lifespan, and sooner or later, your battery will not be able to hold a charge anymore. On the iPhone, your Battery Health is an indicator to inform you about your battery’s capacity, peak performance, and whether your battery needs to be serviced.

     Many factors contribute to a drop in battery performance and life span, you can read about them here.

    Tech-savvy iPhone users buying a used phone always look out for Battery Health (before they are forced to sope otilo). Your iPhone is at its optimal best when the Battery Health reads between 100% and 85%. If it falls below 85%, Gbese is around the corner, and you might soon experience occasional unexpected device shutdowns. You may also have bought your iPhone from a shady vendor without doing your due diligence,  you might be guilty of some of the crimes against the battery here, and your battery is now less than 85%. Well, life happens. What can you do? Well, Ogabassey dey for you:

    Enable Low Power Mode

    iPhones are incredibly powerful phones. The  Bionic Processors that power the iPhones are class leaders, and even the iPhone 8 from 2017 can still hold its own in 2022. Toggling the low power mode on your iPhone will improve your phone’s efficiency. The drop-off in performance is minimal, and most users will have a seamless experience on the iPhone even with Low Power Mode enabled.

    Enable Optimised Charging

    Lithium-ion batteries will inevitably deteriorate. How quickly that happens depends largely on your usage and, in many cases, your charging pattern. The Apple Optimised Charging feature protects your phone from overcharging and other unfriendly charging practices. To turn on the feature, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health > Optimized Battery Charging

    Turn off Bluetooth and Wifi when not in Use

    Sounds simplistic, right? Right? Right? (emphasis ours) But we both know you hardly turn off your Bluetooth after putting away your AirPods. Wifi and Bluetooth radios consume battery (maybe not as much as back in the day); they are some of the reasons your battery hardly lasts the whole day. You will help your battery by disabling your wifi and Bluetooth radios when you are not using them.

    Update your Device

    Most iPhones enjoy 5-6 years of software updates. No other phone maker comes close to Apple as far as software updates are concerned. With each update, Apple fixes bugs and niggling issues, especially those that affect efficiency (battery life), security, and performance. Updating your phone regularly can help your battery life.

    Swap your Device at Ogabassey.com

    Oga Bassey dey for you; Under our trade-in service, with shikini money,  you can swap your old device for a new device from us (terms and conditions apply). Click Here to learn more.

    What’s the lowest Battery Health percentage you have ever seen on an iPhone? Tell us in the comment section.

  • New Year Resolution: 5 Bad Habits That Damage Your Phone’s Battery

    Your battery is the fuel that powers your phone; saying you have a good phone when your battery is poor is like saying you have a Bentley with an empty tank; beyond pictures for the gram, your Bentley is as useless as the ‘p’ in psychology. But the average phone user comes from the tribe of the Coconatti (where the inhabitants have coconut heads) is guilty of phone abuse. Everybody knows that allowing your phone battery to run out completely before charging it will affect your battery health in the long run. However, there are other seemingly harmless things that will kill your battery faster than you can say, mogbe! Here are some of the commonest ones:

    Placing Your Smartphone Under the Pillow

    Yeah, we get it! While charging your phone and chatting with the Love of Your Life,  you slept off, with your phone ending up under your pillow. We have been there too. When this happens, it’s not uncommon to wake up with a blazing hot phone that has lost most of its battery juice. Sister Deborah, hope sey your money long? Not only can you damage your phone patapata, but you can also end up burning the house. Your phone needs air almost as much as you do. Think Safety!

     Using Your Phone While Charging it

    Remember what we said about heat and lithium batteries? Yep! The heat generated while charging and using your phone is worse. Uncle Lanre, Scoreboard Leader, don’t play Call of Duty while charging; your battery will spoil o. intensive tasks like playing games, recording and editing a video generate significant heat. When you do any of these tasks while charging, your phone gets dangerously hot; if you continue to do that, well, it is not in our mouths that you will hear that your battery has an actual shelf life.

    Charging your Phone with your case on

    Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Your phone uses lithium batteries. Lithium batteries hate heat; nothing degrades your battery faster than heat. ***clears throat****Charging your phone generates a lot of heat (How many times have we mentioned heat?); naturally, most phones, at least the flagship, have a very good heat dissipation mechanism where the majority of the heat leaves the phone via the phone body. But Olori Pablo, leaving your Rabbit Channel custom-made case on your phone will not allow the heat to leave your phone seamlessly. Eventually, your phone will shut down after a few hours   

    Using a Cheap Charger or Plugging into an Unsupported Power Source

    It is not everywhere you see a USB source that you chook your phone. Some sources are not optimised for your phone. Similarly,  not every charger is compatible with your phone; each phone has its power requirement and charging technology, and using an incompatible or substandard charger will ruin your phone. Modern smartphone chargers have built-in chips that regulate your phone’s power supply. How can you use an itel charger to charge your Samsung Galaxy S224 Ultra? Have you no fear?   If you need a compatible charger for your phone, Oga Bassey offers standard and OEM-approved accessories at affordable prices; you can get yours here. Abeg, use only approved chargers to avoid stories that touch.

    Those Battery Apps

    iPhone users might not be able to relate, but the Google Play Store for Android phones has many apps that promise to help you improve your battery-na scam! Make I no lie give you; those apps do more harm than good. The background processes hog resources and, in turn, consume batteries.

    Which one of these crimes against the battery are you guilty of? Tell us in the comment section.

  • 5G in Nigeria: All You Need to Know and More

     ****Drum Rolls**** It’s here, it’s live… 5G has finally arrived! After months of teasing and countdown, MTN, the biggest mobile network provider in Nigeria, has finally deployed 5G! We know they are piloting the service in seven cities: Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja, Maiduguri, Kano, and Owerri. We have also been informed that the services have been deployed in 81 areas in Lagos (Ikorodu, Ikotun, Egbeda, and the rest of the trenches communities would have to wait their turn).

     Theoretically, 5G is around 20 times faster than 4G, but as with all things technology and beyond, theory and reality are often mutually exclusive-Life no balance! We tested MTN 5G in Unilag; the video is Here, and while the maths wasn’t mathing, we have some answers to your questions:

    Speed

    On paper, 5G is supposed to be 20 times faster than 4G (1Gbps vs. 20Gbps), but the infrastructure is where the comma dey. 5G operates via either the Mmwave or the Sub-6GHz frequencies. Sub-6GHz utilises mid and low frequencies (under 6GHz); meanwhile, mmwave uses higher frequency radio bands ranging from 24GHz to 40GHz. When you hear foreigners rave about 5G speed, they are more often than not talking about Mmwave. Deploying Mmwave is relatively more expensive, so most network providers (even in developed countries) deploy Sub-6Ghz frequencies. Per our 5G tests in UNILAG, we suspect MTN is broadcasting 5G using the Sub-6GHz.  When you get your 5G-enabled mobile phone, temper your expectations.

    TLDR? Mmwave offers better speed, but the range is limited. Sub-6Ghz offers 4G-like speed; however, the range is wider, so network providers (especially the early adopters) are more likely to deploy Sub-6Ghz to save costs.

     You will not likely be able to download 10Gb in 10 seconds any time soon. The tech will take time to mature or not

    Compatibility

    All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. Your iPhone 11 Pro Max is a great phone, but I have bad news, it doesn’t support 5G. Only iPhone 12 and newer iPhones can use 5G. Similarly,  All Samsung phones before Samsung Galaxy S10 5G are not compatible with 5G. To join the 1% of the 1%, you have to upgrade. Luckily, Ogabassey dey for you. You can get a 5G-enabled phone at an affordable price and even pay in instalments by clicking HERE.

    Availability

    MTN has deployed 5G in many areas in Lagos, but some users with 5G-enabled phones (Some iPhones and Samsung users) are not receiving 5G signals yet. If you are one of them, No too worry yourself; MTN claim they are working on it, e go soon reach you. Other network providers will jump on the 5G train in the coming months. So, e go soon soft!

    Have you started receiving MTN 5G signals on your phone? Which 5G-enabled phone would you like to get from Ogabassey? Tell us in the comment section.

  • iPhone 14: To Buy or not to Buy

    The launch of the new iPhone series stirred mixed feelings; Apple made many strange decisions. The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are exciting devices (even if their processor, the A16 bionic, offers only marginal gains over the A15 In the 13 series); the same can’t be said for their siblings. With its bigger screen, the iPhone 14 Plus (the not-so-spiritual successor for the now-defunct mini-series) might appeal to specific demography, but the iPhone 14 is a head-scratcher! It’s impossible not to see the iPhone 14 as a repackaged iPhone 13 (the dimensions are so identical the iPhone 13 case can be used with the 14)! So except if you’re coming from iPhone 12 Pro and lower, or you are about to join the Apple ecosystem for the first time, the iPhone 14 is not an upgrade, and these are why we think so:

    1. Specification:

    Make we no lie, Apple na baba, the iPhone 13 from last year remains one of the best phones on the market. The A15 bionic processor will play any game; the dual 12 megapixels camera setup is pretty decent. Similarly, its display, the Super Retina XDR OLED with HDR10, Dolby Vision, capable of 800 nits (HBM) and 1200 nits (peak), is great. And that is exactly what you are getting on the iPhone 14 series. The newer features are software-based (the Crash Detection and Satelite Support are perhaps the highlights of the iPhone 14). You will agree that for a purported generational upgrade, these are not enough reasons to swap your perfectly working iPhone 13 for a 14.

    2. Performance:

    Apple has mastered marketing, Omo! Dem sabi that thing! During the presentation, they didn’t compare the A16 with last year’s A15 processor for two reasons: Android latest processors have barely matched the performance of the A14 in the iPhone 12 series from 2020!, so Apple is far ahead of its major competitors (Can Someone play the first two lines of Buga for them in Samsung factories) Secondly, the difference between the Apple A15 in the 13 series and the A16 in the 14 Pro and 14 Pro max is marginal; less than 20% in some benchmarks. If you think that is bad, wait for it… Apple didn’t even bother to include the A16 in the iPhone 14; rather, the “new” phone has the same processor as the old iPhone 13! Chai!

    3. Price:

    1. Officially, the new iPhone costs over 700,000 Naira for the base model-128Gb storage except on Awoof Thursdays when we cut the prices ?. The year-old iPhone 13 at 520,000 Naira for New and N470,000 for a premium used which is significantly cheaper. It’s a no-brainer! Beyond the promise of a longer software update circle (probably by a year or two), I don’t see any reason anyone should get the iPhone 14, especially if they have any of the iPhone 13 series or even the 12 Pro Max.

    The interesting features on the iPhone 14 series this year are exclusive to the Pro versions. With the new camera’s new pill-shaped notch, sorry Dynamic Island, new selfie camera with autofocus (portraits are about to get better). The 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are the better deal! And with Oga Bassey, you can get an even better deal to be a proud owner of the new iPhones, with an opportunity to spread your payment across 3-12 months with NO Collateral.

  • PERFECTIONIST OR LATE-COMER? THE APPLE QUESTION

    The biggest criticism of the iPhone is that it plays catch-up to Android phone makers when it comes to features. Until recently, you couldn’t even “natively” use a custom ringtone on your iPhone… Ringtone! Apple, Ringtone! (this was possible on a mobile phone as far back as the good old days when our eyes were on our knees and “Java” feature phones were the rave). Apple is a perennial late-comer! ***clears throat***, in their defence, when they come around to implement a feature, they do it with finesse, panache, and an outstanding optimisation level. The best example is arguably the FACE ID. As far back as 2013, the Samsung Galaxy S3 already spotted Face Unlock. Still, the implementation was mediocre and not secure (our hearts go out to all the relationships destroyed by this tech fail). With the introduction of the Face ID in 2017 following the launch of the iPhone X ( it’s pronounced iPhone 10, by the way), Apple revolutionalised “face unlock”; with a dedicated True Depth camera and Machine Learning technology that mapped faces and couldn’t be spoofed by pictures (it now works even when you have a face mask on), the competition had no answer (they still don’t).

    The iPhone 14 series were released last month; well, Apple has removed hands from anything that has to do with innovation now. I like to think of their approach as refinement as opposed to innovation… Because why does the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus feel like the 13? The iPhone will probably never fold until most of the current fold-phones producing companies fold (sighs)… While Apple wants us to live on the Dynamic Island, and to be frank, that seems relatively innovative; they came late with some other new features on the new iPhones.

    Here are the THREE major new features on the iPhone 14 series that have been on Android devices since the Medieval Age:

    ALWAYS ON DISPLAY

    Always on Display is a staple of phones with OLED screens (Xiaomi, Oppo, Huawei, and One Plus churn out phones with OLED and Always on Display every other week). Samsung has had Always On Display as far back as the Samsung S7 in (wait for it… ) 2016. Six years ago! Even more baffling is that Apple has switched to OLED technology since iPhone X but Always on Display was a pipe dream until now! Well done, Apple; better late than never! Apple’s implementation, however, is unique as the screen doesn’t have to turn off completely before the ”always on“ comes on.

    48MP CAMERA

    My first phone with a 48MP camera was the Redmi Note 8; while it could be considered class-leading for its price in 2019, iPhones that were 3-4 years older, spotting 12MP shooters, performed significantly better. iPhones have had 12MP cameras for almost a decade (Samsung fixed a 108MP camera on the S20 in 2020!) An iPhone with a large sensor offers a vista of possibilities and would be a go-to option for content creators. Just have more than N1,000,000 to purchase the 14 Pro and 14 Promax (admission to the 1% of the 1% doesn’t come cheap).

    IMPROVED STABILIZATION FOR VIDEOS

    iPhone is the class leader in videography, the Pro-motion feature introduced in the iPhone 13 Pros last year further created a distance between the iPhone and its closest rivals. Still, Samsung had a dedicated stabilization feature eons ago, meaning in extremely shaky scenarios, videos look relatively better on Samsung’s flagship phones. The iPhone’s new stabilization feature, styled Action Mode, is about to level the playing field or even create a bigger wedge… Fingers crossed!

    Multi-window? Split-screen? USB Type-C, under-display fingerprint scanner? What features do you look forward to on the next iPhone? Tell us in the comment section.