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10 year Challenge for Phones

#10YearChallenge – Smartphone Edition

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The #10YearChallenge has only just finished sweeping the world. However, what would the #10YearChallenge look like if our smartphones undertook this challenge instead? CompareMyMobile have undertook a really cool study on how the smartphone world looked 10years ago. It’s very suprising to be fair! We’ve come a very long way!

For example 10 years ago only 17% of adults had a smartphone, compared to a whopping 78% of adults currently. Which as a result we are more addicted to our smartphones than we ever were. They’ve also changed in a number of other ways

  • Costs – the mobile phones of today are in some cases 7 times more expensive than they were in 2009
  • Memory capacity – it has increased 16 times in some cases
  • Display is twice as big (or more!) compared to mobile phones in 2009
  • Camera – smartphone cameras today have at least 3 times (or more pixels) than in 2009

CompareMyMobile.com has compiled a list of the most talked about phones in 2009 and compared them to their 2019 rivals from the same manufacturer. They also took a look at what contracts were on offer to punters in 2009 too!

Contracts

They discovered that in 2009, upfront costs for phones and monthly payments were a lot cheaper (unsurprisingly) however, what is shocking is that some of the 2019 prices compared to their 2009 equivalent have TRIPLED! Whereas mobile devices were affordable in 2009 when looking at upfront costs. While in some cases monthly payments are fairly similar. The one thing that is surprising. If you look at all of the contracts today for smartphones. It’s normal to expect Gigs of data. It’s crazy to think now, but in 2009, some networks were charging  £5 per megabyte for internet usage!!

In 2009 500 texts per month, which was deemed as quite good. Minutes were 100-900minutes. Fast forward to 2019 and both those are often listed as unlimited. (Who calls these days anyway?)

(CompareMyMobile)

Please see two examples below!

For a much more detailed look at the #10YearChallenge Smartphone edition please click here! There’s a look at past popular smartphones developers such as Blackberry’s (remember BBM!?) and the ever favourite Nokia.

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Mobile World Congress

Episode 269 Best of Mobile World Congress

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Mobile World Congress

Mobile World Congress Day 1

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Marcus recently went along to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and saw lots of stuff during day 1, check out a vlog of his time there below:

Mobile World Congress: Samsung S9

The latest update in the hugely successful Samsung S series has been released! The Samsung S9 is this years answer to last years S8. While it doesn’t look all that much different design wise. There’s a lot more going on under the hood of the device that makes it worthwhile. Especially if you like cameras.

To read more please click here!

Mobile World Congress: Nokia 8110

Nokia are playing on our nostalgia once again with the success of the 3310, HMD Global are re-releasing the Nokia 8110. This time with a whole new modern and upgraded set of insides. In 1996 the original ‘banana phone’ was made famous by Keanu Reeves in ‘The Matrix’

To read more please click here!

Mobile World Congress: HTC Vive Pro

Virtual Reality has been steadily growing over the past year and we have tried a lot of them here at How To Kill An Hour. We liked HTC’s Vive, we thought it was very impressive. But now HTC have upgraded and put rockets on the HTC Vive. Introducing the HTC Vive Pro!! It’s designed to meet the most hardcore of users and gamers in the Virtual Reality world and it is impressive! HTC are calling it the most immersive virtual reality to date.

To read more please click here!

Mobile World Congress: Huawei Mate

The Huawei MediaPad 5 is a 8.4″ tablet device with a TON of features that make it stand out from the crowd. For example it has an incredible sound system built in, that uses it’s Histen audio technology. The Histen audio tech creates a perfect soundscape that gives 3D sound that is richer, boldered, layered and much more powerful than anything before.

The Matebook X Pro is the follow up to Huawei’s Matebook which was released in 2017, it has a aluminum body and is thin and light, giving it a very modern look. It comes complete with a 13in 3K LTPS screen. Which Huawei are stating, allows the bigger screen to fit inside a 12″ laptop shell. Thus bringing form factor down.

The Huawei Mate 10 is a smartphone that is HUGE and has a few features up it’s sleeve which separate it from the rest of the pack. Firstly, the Huawei Mate 10 has a FULL HDR display, in glorious 16:9 aspect ratio, making it perfect to watch movies on. It has an almost bezel less design, and a robust glass casing. On both the front and the back of this glorious phone! It’s Android based so all of your favourite apps are capable with it too.

To read more please click here!

 

Nokia 8110

Nokia 8110 – Banana Phone Upgraded!

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Nokia are playing on our nostalgia once again with the success of the 3310, HMD Global are re-releasing the Nokia 8110. This time with a whole new modern and upgraded set of insides. In 1996 the original ‘banana phone’ was made famous by Keanu Reeves in ‘The Matrix’

The original 8810 was groundbreaking due to the weird but useful shape, which many dubbed a ‘banana’. It may look silly but it served a very good purpose. The shape allowed the phones microphone to be placed as closely an as ergonomically to your mouth.

The upgraded 8810 runs a ‘Smart Feature OS’  which allows for 4g connectivity. Something you wouldn’t expect from such a stripped down phone. Plus would you believe it, it even has Facebook! Well eventually it will, Facebook have said that an app will be available to download at some point.

Nokia 8110 – Apps you say?

It may look small and but it is mighty. The Nokia 8110 will include stripped down versions of Google Assistant, Twitter, Maps, and search. Alongside the usual texts, email and of course the old favourite ‘Snake’.

HMD Global, Nokia’s parent company suggest that the Nokia 8110 is a phone that we should use to switch off from the always connected modern world. That the use of their phone would be perfect for the weekend to:

“switch off, have fun and relax in the knowledge that all your smartphone essentials are there when you need them”

Will the 8810 be as popular as the previous upgraded 3310? We will soon find out when it’s released in May in the UK for a total price of £69. The banana phone will be available in black or yellow.

Do you remember the Nokia 8110? What are your thoughts on the newest upgrade from Nokia? Let us know by contacting us via our socials! @howtokillanhour

To listen to our latest podcast please click here.

To see more watch our Mobile World Congress Day 1 Vlog please click here!

Nokia 3310 Born Again

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The best phone ever the Nokia 3310 is making a comeback!

Renowned phone leaker Evan “Evleaks” blass is reporting that HMD Global,  the brand new owner of the “Nokia” name is going to be releasing a handset which shares the 3310 name.

Costing £50 it will compete with a number of low-end Android smartphones and will be completely revamped.

The original which went on sale in 2000 has sold an impressive 126Million units worldwide. (which makes it the best selling phone ever!)

HMD are promise that it will be as durable as the previous version, boasts 22 hours talk time and a month of standby time, it charges via micro USB and it even has Snake!

To listen to the guys chatting about this please click here!

 

 

Crazy VR Tech!

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Credit: Nokia

Credit: Nokia

Remember Nokia, the BIG, well used to be BIG, like HUGE, mobile phone manufacturer, well they arent dead and buried yet. They are BACK in the form of VR cameras!

VR is blowing up! Nokia is happy to help you ride the new wave that is VR, with Nokia creating a VR Broadcasting option for its Ozo Camera (worth $60K) which will show 360-degree video as it happens, complete with spatial audio.

While the likes of you and I wont be able to afford to experiment with it, streaming providers and other broadcasters will be able to play soon.

With the camera reaching a handful of partners in the spring and hopefully be widely available this summer, so don’t be surprised if immersive videos are commonplace in the near future.

Nokia – You Lose!

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Credit: Hobi.com

Credit: Hobi.com

 

Everyone’s first love soon comes to an end. *Most of the time*

After Nokia (who used to be the BIGGEST DOG IN THE PARK, everyone knew what the nokia ringtone was, everyone had a Nokia, didnt matter what style it was, everyone had a Nokia) got bought out by Microsoft their CEO said this:

“we didn’t do anything wrong, but somehow, we lost”

They didnt actually do anything wrong in business but they didnt change in a very quick changing world, when they should have done, were too slow to the punch and got piped by Blackberry who then got piped Apple.  – It seems clear if you don’t change you will lose!