Going mobile

Today’s pocket-size devices fuse style with substance, power and panache

Has it been a while since you’ve updated your mobile phone? You’ll be blown away by how much they’ve evolved over the past couple of years. Blazing fast wireless speeds (hello, smooth video calls), more powerful processors (capable of console-like video games), gorgeous screens and even advanced cameras are the new normal in today’s smartphones. If it’s time for an upgrade, here’s a small sampling of what you can expect from many of today’s models.

Exceptional cameras

Wait until you see the image quality produced by the cameras of many of today’s mobile phones. Due to bigger sensors, increased megapixels and smarter software, the latest phones produce stunning photos, with stylized effects, and are capable of shooting smooth 8K video. Built-in tools let you edit like a pro.

Innovative designs

Though increasingly thin, most smartphones still look similar. But some manufacturers are tweaking design and function. Samsung, for example, has introduced a few foldable options right out of science fiction.

Powered by the Android operating system, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G folds up like an old-school flip phone to tuck into jeans or clutch purses, but it’s one sheet of bendable glass. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G smartphone opens like a book to become a 7.6-inch touch-screen tablet.

Longer battery life

What’s the point of all this cool tech if you have to plug your phone in by lunchtime? Thankfully, battery life has been greatly improved across the board. On the high end, expect up to 95 hours of music playback or up to 28 hours of video playback on an iPhone 13 Pro Max. Generally speaking, expect a day or two of use between charges.

Clever assistants

Today’s devices have more intelligent personal helpers built in, allowing you to ask questions to hear a human-like reply, accurately transcribe your voice into text and even predict your actions and offer contextually relevant info. For example, Google might suggest leaving for work 10 minutes earlier because of traffic problems on your route. Smart!

Today’s smartphones are digital wonders, and yes, they can still make calls, too.

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