Bertel King

As someone who loves tech and is considering getting a new phone, you know all about reading spec sheets. You check for a faster processor, more RAM, larger storage, and a higher screen resolution. But while these things matter, other smartphone specs can really make a phone go from one you like using to one you truly love.

You can run most apps just fine, with very little lag, on a five-year-old phone. It's when someone sends you a photo taken on a newer model that you start to notice how old yours has gotten. Smartphone cameras have become remarkably good and are one of the most standout reasons to get a new phone.

A Samsung phone comes with two apps that can send text messages: Samsung Messages and Google Messages. It's strange to see two very similarly named apps that do essentially the same thing. Does it matter which one you use? Here's what you need to know to make the decision for yourself.

Open the Play Store and you will most likely see an offer for something called "Google Play Pass." This is a subscription plan from Google that provides access to thousands of apps and games. Play Pass has quietly been around for a few years, but is it worth your time?

For a long time, Samsung did not pay as much attention to detail as Apple, had less of an ecosystem, and had fewer well-rounded devices. But all of this has changed. Skeptical? Here are areas where Samsung has managed to catch up and some where the company has pulled far ahead.

If you're like me, you may have avoided Samsung devices in the past because of the amount of bloat they added to Android. Well, the story has changed—Samsung One UI is now remarkably attractive, and Samsung apps are actually worth using. I would choose many of them over Google's own apps.

Phones today don't seem to hold a charge much longer than old ones. Phones have gotten much better in many other ways, so what gives?

The best writing tool is the one you have on you. For me, that's my smartphone, but it's no good without the right app. After searching high and low, I finally found an app that just about does it all. If you haven't yet heard of Obsidian, it may be the best note taking app for you, too.

You may have seen the stories or even noticed for yourself—small phones are dead. Standard phones are much bigger than they were ten years ago, and you're more likely to see new larger "pro" variants than tiny ones.

Cloud storage makes backing up data from a phone a seamless experience for most people. However, from privacy concerns to internet speed requirements, there are reasons to prefer a local backup. The cool thing is you don't even need to connect to a PC to do it—just use a hard drive.

For two of my last three phones, I've gone out of my way to select one that comes with a stylus. The same is true of my last two tablets. Like gaming with a wireless gamepad, there are certain tasks that are just more pleasant with the right kit.

It's exciting when a new phone feels completely different from what came before. Thing is, that's not what most people actually want. When a smartphone design is good, we want it to stay good, and frankly, most modern phones are good. That phones largely look the same year after year is actually a blessing, not a curse.

These days, smartphones can do it all. Unfortunately, they can also track it all. Smartphones have become a data mining gold mine, but you're not powerless—there are things you can do to make yours less accessible and valuable to those who seek profit from your activity.

Samsung DeX is a desktop interface found on many Samsung phones and tablets. Since its debut on the Galaxy S8, DeX has matured into a viable PC replacement. I've already replaced my desktop PC with DeX, and I'm here to tell you why it's good enough to replace yours. Here's a taste of what it can do.

I've spent most of my career working remotely from a laptop. Now, I do my work from a foldable Android phone, and it’s become difficult even to consider switching to any other platform. Only Android offers a convergent device that can match this level of convenience.

Mobile phones grow more powerful every year. A premium phone is far more powerful than a midrange PC and even has stronger graphics processing than an ultrabook with Intel-integrated graphics. Yet despite all that power, have you ever noticed how your phone lacks a fan? Why is that?

My first Android Wear smartwatch was the Moto 360. My second was the Google Pixel Watch. Smartwatches have gotten a lot better in that time, but I still didn’t keep one on my wrist for more than a few months. Why?

Mobile gaming is booming, and there are thousands of great games looking to tempt you away from your console or PC. Unfortunately, app stores do a poor job of helping you find them. That’s where TapTap comes in.

Early Android phones came with keyboards that were remarkable for how much worse they were than third-party options. These days, that isn’t the case. You probably haven’t given much thought to the keyboard that pops up whenever you try to type on your phone. Do you gain anything by seeking out an alternative?

Wireless charging is pretty straightforward—it's charging without a wire. But reverse wireless charging, what's that?