KPH tech blog

As I mentioned at the tail end of my last blog, it’s unfortunate that my next phone might not be a Samsung Galaxy device, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

While I do like their phones, and the One UI skin, other OEM’s appear to have stepped up their game, and are now not only directly competing with Samsung, but, in some areas, outright beating them as well.

Normally, I would not even consider a Pixel phone. Way back when the stock Android phones were branded as Nexus phones, they were too expensive for me even then.

The Pixel, Pixel 2, Pixel 3 and even the Pixel 4 have all just been out of reach for me and my wallet, and considering that they only offer the stock Android experience, I’ve often found much better, much more feature-rich devices for cheaper prices. That’s originally how I landed on the Galaxy S7, and later the Galaxy S9 Plus.

That said, I was impressed with the Pixel 3a, and hoped its follow-up (should there be one) would be even more impressive.

And, man oh man, was it… the Pixel 4a, £349, with only a single rear camera but backed by the best computational photography in smartphones, as you’d expect from a Pixel.

Then there’s the OnePlus Nord. Again, another cheap device, but with the specs you’d expect for a “flagship killer.”

Then, there comes Sony, with its 21:9 screens and great Xperia experience.

I realise that, because my budget is now lower than before, I may have to make a compromise. But I don’t want my next phone to be too much of a downgrade from my Galaxy S9 Plus, and for me, a bigger screen doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better screen.

I’m okay with the drop to a 1080p screen. While screen resolution is not something I want to downgrade, as I’ve heard most tech reviewers say, you don’t really need 1440p or even 4K on a small screen, much less that you’ll notice the difference on an OLED screen between Quad HD or Full HD (1080p).

That is, unless you’re pixel peeping!

I think I’m going to wrap up this blog here, as my next topic is a bit more in-depth, and which I think deserves its own post. See you after the break!

– Chris JK