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We take a look at three new smartphones with unique features that appeal to creators, selfie lovers and travellers.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10
Samsung’s latest phablet with a built-in stylus appeals to creators, gamers and power users alike, and for the first time will be available in two sizes – a 6.3-inch Note 10 and 6.8-inch Note 10 Plus.
Both devices have multimedia features that let you doodle on yourself before recording videos, apply bokeh effects on videos and audio zoom. They also have a full-on built-in editing suite for budding film makers.
You can now stream games from a PC to the Note 10 with PlayGalaxy Link, and Samsung’s Game Launcher will support Discord, a popular gaming chat app.
DeX, the handset’s desktop experience, now supports a window mode inside a PC or Macbook via a USB cable, which lets you control certain apps such as access to Microsoft Office or Instagram. You can also scribble notes with the stylus and convert them to Word or PDF.
Both handsets have the same triple lens setup – a 16MP ultrawide, 12MP standard and 12MP zoom lens. However, the Note 10 Plus has a fourth depth-of-field lens for portrait mode.
Interestingly, Samsung has finally removed the 3.5mm audio jack.
The Note 10 has a 3500mAh battery and the Note 10 Plus has a 4500mAh. Pricing ranges from R18 999 to R22 999.
Huawei Y9 Prime 2019
Huawei has been killing it with its mid-range devices by packing in features normally seen on premium devices at affordable price points. Its newest device has a feature that’s a first in South Africa – a pop-up front-facing camera.
The 16MP AI selfie cam automatically pops up within a second of activating and retracts when you flip back to regular mode. If you’re wondering about durability, it has been tested to work at least 100 000 times, which translates to opening it 30 times a day over nine years.
This unique feature allows for a full-view display sans notch and, along with the phone’s narrow bezels, is more suited for watching full-screen videos or playing games on the 6.59-inch display.
The rear camera is made up of a trio of lenses, 16MP+8MP+2MP, which include a wide-angle camera ideal for travel or Instagram Stories.
The Y9 Prime 2019 is powered by a Kirin 710 octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of expandable storage and a massive 4000mAh battery.
The device also brings a pop of colour, as it is available in blue, green and black. It is currently available for R5 399 and includes one free camera replacement against accidental damage, worth R799.
Crosscall Action X3
It’s not often that you get niche handsets for travellers, but Crosscall, a rugged mobile phone company recently entered the South African market with a range of handsets.
The Action X3 is ideal for adventure junkies who want to capture all their activities. It’s watertight against fresh, salt and chlorinated water, and is dust and shock resistant, so it can be dropped and knocked around without damaging its military grade standards. Anti-noise filters along with its powerful speaker offer quality sound in noisy locations.
The main camera is 12MP, with eight times digital zoom, and shoots 1080p full HD videos at 24 frames per second. Its selfie cam is 5MP.
The Action X3 comes with a neck strap and waterproof earphones to take on your adventure.
The 5-inch handset supports 4G connectivity, has 24 days standby time on its 3500mAh battery with 10 hours on GPS, and has 3GB of RAM + 32GB of memory that is expandable to 128GB.
At R8 499, the Action X3 supports a magnetic X-Link technology feature that lets you attach and transfer data instantly with an additional accessory that also recharges. The phone supports dual SIM or the option to increase storage on the second slot.
