knockoff nige

It's actually much more than what's on your list but the list of useful functions on a smartphone is probably a personal one.

Also, proximity unlocking is already done. I would imagine cars like the Tesla or Farady Future F91 would have similar function. What I would really like to see is Opal travel cards integrated into the smartphone. It's done with the Oyster card in London (although via a linked credit/debit card).

ozzieeagle

Ditto although my "ultimate" phone is getting a little tired now, little things like the voice assistant coming on when I'm listening to music if I sit the wrong way and cause some kind of short in the phone jack mechanism. I've switched to bluetooth headphones now and that fixed that annoyance.

BTW the Jabra Step Wireless headphones sound is almost as good at the much more expensive Yamaha EPH100's I own and I thought I would have to spend 100's replacing those... foam tips help.

So how do you replace a LG G3 which I reckon is the best phone ever built. That Sony Z Premium looks like it could do it. I do like a good camera.... Plus it'll take my 200 gb sd card. Both pre requisites in any phone that I replace the G3 with. The Samsung 7 Edge looks good as well, however it's too expensive and not that much better so bang for buck it's not worth it for me. Oh 5.5 inch minimum is the other necessity.


I looked at the Xiaomi mi max, but I'm concerned about the camera and the display resolution... The screen size is really appealing to me though at 6.4 inches. Plus with it's own version of android, i heard that some banking apps wont work on it.

Beoz

How can anything with self cracking screen issues be any good.

It looks like the Z5 is suffering the same problems as its predecessors.

Google "z5 self cracking screen"

Swerv-o

That's a pain in the arse, as the Z5 remains one of the few phones with a proper dual sim slot and an SD slot, as opposed to this hybrid slot garbage that lots of other manufacturers seem to be doing.

Ideally, I would have gone for a Zenfone 3, as I have been very impressed with the Zen 2, but the hybrid sim slot pigs ear is a deal breaker for me.


S

Beoz

You don't need an SD slot any more. We have the cloud.

If you don't like a cloud, get one of these for transferring to USB storage.



My Note 5 has dual sim.

Swerv-o

My Zen2 does as well - but the point is that the new models coming through don't - it's a hybrid sim/SD slot. And the cloud is not much use on long haul flights, and yeah, I suppose connecting to a USB drive is a partial solution, but I'm all in favour of having to carry less things with me...


S

Beoz

Ah ..... for long haul movies extra capacity?

Its a real bugger the Note 7 started exploding. Samsung brought back the SD slot for that.

Swerv-o

Movies, music, audiobooks, games etc. I have a 256 GB SD card in my Zen, and I have my entire music collection on it, plus a raft of other stuff to keep me entertained. It was a lifesaver given I just had to endure a 10hr stop over in Beijing - probably one of the world's bleakest airports. Managed to burn my way through all of Westworld.


S

Beoz

Yep. The expansion is a good asset. No good using the cloud if you aren't on wifi in a foreign country.

That little mini USB was the only way to retrieve data from a Sony when the screen self cracks because it renders the phone useless.

Not bad for plugging the backup drive in when the above situations arise too.

Amazulu

One of the most useful apps I've used is the spirit level. I've used it to get a shelf level and also when setting up the drones that I've been building

I'm sure a tape measure app is possible

Beoz

Sure. Taking multiple angles of the source and end should be possible. There's already apps that construct a 3D model of something using multple photos. Same type of algo could be used for measurements.

There's always the Project Tango measuring app.

https://get.google.com/tango/apps/

Beoz

Meanwhile over at Apple

https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-said-to-be-working-on-ar-glasses-with-carl-zeiss-augmented-reality/

Again, late to the party but can they be the first to bring AR to the everyday consumer market.

GarryP

Magic Leap are supposed to launch this year - so I doubt it.

As it stands I'd assume that Apple are trying to create something in every possible new marketspace they can. They know that the smartphone/tablet market is turning down and they have a cash pile - they need a new winner to keep the shareholders happy. Their iTV thing didn't work, they've realised they are behind the curve on the automated car, so they need a win. Expect an Echo clone by September.

Beoz

We've been waiting for that "Magic Leap" for a while. Bit like the Hololens.

The real question is who can bring the Magic Leap, the Hololens or the Apple/Carl Zeiss AR Glasses to the consumer market the quickest.

The fact that Apple can even mention AR and it hits the mainstream press whereas Magic Leap and Hololens do not is a "win".

You watch, iphone 8 will be a pile of dog shit yet it will still sell billions.

GarryP

Well that's true of everything apple does. Quality is a perturbation on the total sales - there are the fanbois who will buy any and everything.