Attributes of a modern smartphone

Most of the "chips" included in the review have already been successfully used in the design of modern smartphones. Well, some only go out to the masses, which does not diminish their importance at all.

1) Fingerprint scanner

A smartphone with a fingerprint scanner is obviously a winning solution. The pattern on each person's finger is unique and does not change during life, so the fingerprint sensor is great for identifying the user. In addition, in comparison with an alphanumeric password, which can be trite to forget, authorization by fingerprint is much more reliable and convenient.

There are several basic positions for a fingerprint scanner. For example, in Xiaomi smartphones it is usually located on the back of the case just below the camera module. In Meizu phones, it is customary to embed a fingerprint sensor in the multifunctional "Home" key, a similar path is followed in Apple and Samsung. Finally, the least common place for a scanner is the side face, which is found in Sony smartphones.

The functionality of the sensor is not limited to unlocking the mobile phone. It comes to the aid of users in online banking (to authorize payments or confirm transactions), and in other related applications it can perform a number of other functions.

2) Good camera

The latest trend in smartphone construction at the beginning of 2017 is the dual module of the main camera. Unified standards for what the "second eye" of a mobile phone should be have not yet been adopted, therefore, manufacturers are probing the ground in this direction and are actively experimenting.

As a result, the most diverse variations of the dual photomodule are presented on the market: with the second wide-angle (LG G6 32 GB / Dual ), portrait (Apple iPhone 7 Plus 32 GB ), monochrome camera (Huawei P10 Plus 64 GB / 4 GB ) and more exotic models that make it possible to post—focus images — changing the sharpness zone on the finished frame (Huawei GR5 2017 32 GB / 3 GB ).

Despite the latest fashion trends, the laurels of the best camera on the market are given to a single "eye" Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 32 GB . The smartphone got to the top of the pedestal thanks to high results in professional tests (for example, according to the authoritative resource DxOMark) and reviews from real users of the model. Almost the same high-speed photomodule (f/1.7) is installed on board Motorola Moto G5 Plus 32 GB , which you can save a lot on purchasing.

A key characteristic of a modern camera should be an abundance of manual settings that allow you to fine-tune the shooting parameters to the current conditions. The second important attribute in the arsenal of the photomodule is the optical aperture, the value of which directly affects the quality of images in low light. Optical image stabilization will help to avoid smudging in the photo or a shaking effect when shooting video. And you can always bring the result to mind in a mobile photo editor, since their number in the Google Play Market and App Store is growing day by day.

3) Support fast charging technology

At a time when the battery charge in a mobile phone was enough for a week of battery life, the issue of quickly replenishing the battery's energy reserves was not put on the agenda. It has become relevant with the growth of the diagonal and resolution of smartphone screens, as well as their capabilities, since with active gaming or using all functions (for example, GPS navigation), the battery charge is not always enough for a full day. This is where the support of fast charging technology helps out — a few minutes at the outlet is enough for several hours of subsequent operation of the mobile gadget.

Bright examples of smartphones on board which the fast charging technology has found application are last year's flagship HTC 10 32 GB / 4 GB (its 3000 mAh battery is fully charged in 60-70 min.) or a camera phone Huawei P10 Plus 64 GB / 4 GB (it will take only half an hour to replenish its battery capacity of 3750 mAh by half). In the fourth generation of Qualcomm Quick Charge technology, 50 % of the charge is promised in a record 15 minutes. Such a fast process of replenishing energy reserves has already been implemented on the basis of the top Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip.

With the spread of the wireless way of charging smartphones, things are different — it simply did not find much support from manufacturers due to lower efficiency. However, most flagship models still support wireless charging. These include the superpopular Samsung Galaxy S7 32 GB , and the top solution of a competing brand — LG G6 32 GB / Dual .

The following link provides the material "A brief educational programme on fast and wireless charging technologies", in which it is described in more detail about modern ways to replenish the energy reserves of batteries of mobile gadgets.

4) Razem USB Type-C

The usual microUSB slot, which is found in the design of the vast majority of smartphones, is unattractive due to its asymmetry. After a successful "run-in" of the USB Type-C port on the flagships (Huawei P9 32 GB / 3 GB , Google Pixel 32 GB , etc.) he began to appear more and more often in the phones of the middle segment and even in some state employees.

The advantages of the USB Type-C connector are visible to the naked eye. Firstly, it provides a cable connection to the mobile gadget by any side. Secondly, the port provides the possibility of simultaneous charging (up to 100 watts) and the exchange of large amounts of data. And thirdly, devices with a symmetrical connector can support the USB 3.1 standard with a data transfer rate of up to 10 GB/s. They can, but not all correspond to it — support for the latest USB specification is indicated in the technical specifications of a particular model.

The abrupt transition of manufacturers to the equipment of their products with a symmetrical opening is hindered by the underdevelopment of the accessory park. But taking into account the fact that USB Type-C has a much more developed potential, there is certainly a future behind it.

5) NFC chip

NFC (Near Field Communication) wireless communication technology was born in order to make the process of exchanging information between paired devices easier and more comfortable. The principle of its operation is based on radio frequency identification. Simply put, data is read and recorded at a distance of up to 10 cm using radio signals of a certain frequency (13.56 MHz). The maximum file exchange speed does not exceed 400 kBit/s, so NFC technology is less suitable for fast transmission of large volumes of data.

The impetus for the introduction of the NFC chip in most modern smartphones was the rapid development of mobile payment systems: Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay and others. By linking your bank card data to your mobile phone, you can enjoy all the delights of wireless subway fare, shopping at the supermarket or gatherings in a cafe.

It is enough just to attach the smartphone to the terminal. One of the main advantages of this payment method is the complete confidentiality of data exchange.

A slightly less popular way to use the technology is to create passive NFC tags. They are small stickers with a receiving antenna and a chip for recording data. For example, a small sticker on the router with password information will allow you to do without manually entering a lot of characters for guest access to the Internet. And on an NFC sticker near the workplace, you can set a command to switch the smartphone to silent mode. It is allowed to store any specified actions in the tag memory, and there are a number of specialized applications for managing them (Trigger, NFC TagWriter, etc.).

6) Dust and water protection of the housing

According to statistics, one in five people dropped their phone into the toilet. And when it comes to other ways of sinking a smartphone, the number of such people is inexorably growing. The savior of a smartphone in such a situation can be the dust and water protection of the case. Protection according to the IP68 standard is considered the most effective — complete protection from dust penetration and the possibility of submerging the device under water to a depth of about 1 m for half an hour.

The maximum degree of protection against dust and water is implemented in flagship smartphones Samsung Galaxy S7 32 GB , Apple iPhone 7 32 GB , the Samsung Galaxy A 2017 line and a variety of shockproof models.

But many people do not need such a level of protection — not everyone will use the phone in extreme conditions, and such a high degree of security affects the cost of the device. More necessary is the basic splash protection, which allows you to use the phone, for example, in the rain.

Stay in touch!