KPH tech blog

Another topic of interest, not directly associated with a phone’s internal specifications of hardware, are accessories. This includes chargers and adapters, as well as any peripherals that can be used with the device.

It’s the extra cost that you’re often forced to spend when manufacturers miss something out of the product box, like a fast-charger or extra battery. Or it’s the cost of an essential, like a protective case, which I personally think they should include seeing as you’re paying £400+ for some of these devices.

USB On-The-Go (OTG)

With my HTC Desire Eye, I am currently able to make use of USB On-The-Go technology, so that I can backup any photos or other media, which especially useful when filming interviews or vlogs. I actually have a 64GB USB Pen Drive that has two connectors, switchable by way of a switch on its side – a USB-A connector (just like any other USB Drive) and a micro USB connector, the latter of which allows me to plug it into my phone.

I’ve noticed, however, that USB OTG doesn’t work on my Samsung Tab, and that a separate adapter would therefore be needed. This is slightly disappointing, as surely the whole point of an On-The-Go USB Drive is that it can be plugged into a phone or tablet. After spotting an adapter that was made by Trust for Samsung tablets, and the Galaxy S7 even comes with its own special adapter.

As I will be needing the functionality of USB OTG for my job as a journalist and blogger, I am therefore quite hesitant about my next phone being a Samsung device if USB On-The-Go compatibility is going to be an issue.

Charging and Connectivity: USB? Lightning?

Something I also need to look at is what sort of connectivity the device I’m getting will have – micro-A, USB-C, or Lightning? I’ve noticed that a lot of phones released this year (2016) have shifted to USB-C ports for charging, and as I have a lot of devices that use Micro-A to USB-A cables and power adapters, a device that uses USB-C will mean I have to invest in more cables and adapters. While I’m okay with doing this, as a lot of devices will soon be using the new USB-C standard, in the short term it may mean more investment and hassle for the sake of it.

This will also be an issue if I get an iPhone, as all the Lightning peripherals are in my opinion overpriced (£19.99 for a 30-pin to Lightning adapter, which I shall need to purchase to continue using the iPod-dock on my DAB radio/alarm clock), and I’ve heard a lot of bad stories about cheaper third-party copies.

External Peripherals

The ability to plug-in other peripherals to my phone would be an advantage, such as an external microphone for interviews. Until now, I haven’t needed an external microphone as I’ve mostly filmed indoors, where the built-in microphone is sufficient. But if I wanted to record an interview outside on a windy day, it would be handy if I could make use of the phone’s video recording quality with a plug-in external mic, rather than carrying around a bulky and expensive camera/boom-mic setup.

External Lenses, Moto Mods, and LG Friends

For mainstream phones like the S7 and iPhone, there is the option to extend the capabilities of your smartphone camera with an attachable wide-angle lens, such as the ExoLens. There are also phones that are built with external peripherals in mind, such as Lenovo’s Motorola devices that can make use of ‘Moto Mods’ such as the bulky but powerful stereo speaker mod, a projector, and a battery expansion. The only downside to these Moto Mods is that they’re expensive, and cost just as much as the phone.

LG’s G5 has a removable bottom portion which allows you to replace the battery with a spare, or attach one of the LG Friends – current examples include a Bang & Olufsen audio DAC and speaker and the LG Cam Plus, which adds a manual zoom dial, a dedicated shutter button and a camera on/off button. Again, these ‘Friends’ are expensive and aren’t necessarily needed.

Samsung also provide many accessories for their phones, such as the Qi wireless charging pad and an external keyboard for those coming from Blackberry devices.

Initial costs aside, I can see the usefulness of external peripherals, in extending the capabilities of the device. But if I was getting a phone like the S7, which is brilliant in its own right, would I really need an attachable external lens?

Cases

While I will be looking at the build quality, and I do yearn for that ‘premium’ feel to a device, I also acknowledge that not many devices are built with protection in mind. It’s for this reason that there are so many businesses that exist solely to offer screen repair services for owners of iPhones, for example.

Although phones do exist with ruggedness in mind, like the Samsung Galaxy S7 Active, these are in the minority. As such, I will be investing in a case for my next phone, whether or not one is required, to avoid costly damage to a phone that wouldn’t be as easy to get repaired.

Therefore, I’d rather have a popular device than an obscure one. Obvious examples of an obscure device and a popular device would be my Desire Eye, and the iPhone SE – the latter of which benefits from being the same shape and size as the iPhone 5 and 5S, and which can fit into the cases which people have already bought for these earlier devices.

Whatever device I end up with, the extra costs of accessories will be a huge consideration, as I’d rather not spend too much over the initial purchasing cost.