Tag: #mobile

Tech Review – Emporia Smart 4 smartphone for seniors. #Emporia #Smart4 #RealHandsOn

Mobile phones today are a plenty from dumb phones to high end models but the majority being higher end phones they are a difficult for the seniors to use and adopt. Emporia though is a company that is changing this by offering devices that are easy to use and  now they have a smartphone with all the convoluted mess hidden underneath and makes the move from a dumphone/feature phone easy and this also allows you to go further into the submenus should you wish, with most of used stuck in lockdown now and no end in sight just yet the senior community want to learn and stay in touch with family and friends and dumbphones do not allow this to happen where the smart 4 offers it all keeping it simple for everyone and making the switch easy..

The tiled layout is nice and these can be changed you will see a complete walkthrough of the UI below in the video and what the phone can do and it is quite simple and well executed for the desired target market of this device not only that this device is affordable and makes a perfect gift in my opinion, OK it will not blow your mind with the spec sheet or camera but it does the job simple and is powerful enough to keep in touch with social media and more.

 

Chris Millington, emporia’s UK and Ireland MD comments: “This is an exciting “first” in a new generation of mobiles to join emporia’s portfolio. I’m proud to announce the S4 as our most innovative device yet to the Irish market, working exclusively with An Post Mobile. This phone really responds to some of the more recent challenges and hurdles faced by our senior citizens in everyday life and mobile communication – especially in a modern world of social distancing and contact-free living. We have worked hard to include intuitive and completely audience-relevant features like the pre-installed QR scanner, contactless payment functionality, and improved camera for new features like a magnifier for when you have left your glasses at home.”

This Google-certified smartphone runs on an Android 10 operating system, with an emporia interface that is tailored and adapted to the 66+ year old user.

The smartphone’s 5” screen is easy to read, with large fonts and app icons, and a soft touch coating makes it very easy to hold and use one-handed. Like all emporia devices it is also hearing-aid-compatible and is fitted with an emergency assistance button on the back for peace of mind for users.

The S4 comes complete with emporia’s unique comprehensive 135-page training book, allowing users to learn at their own pace and as a reference point. The concept of this training book extends much beyond instilling confidence and driving independence; it’s imperative to emporia’s customers and responds to how the human brain works and is the catalyst to changing smartphone value for this group. 

Key features of the senior S4 smartphone in a new digital world

What makes the S4 different to other smart devices in the emporia range is its following new features that bring the senior user further into the digital world, but in a simple way:

 

  • 13 megapixel main camera and 8mp selfie camera
    In a world where video calls and photo sharing are the most common form of communication, our S4 has an improved camera quality so users can be involved and connected in this way and stay in touch, even if isolated, with family and friends.

  • QR scanner
    The improved processing power on the latest S4 model sees the introduction of a QR scanner, meaning senior users are able to use the NHS track & trace / Ireland’s COVID tracker / Protect Scotland / StopCOVID NI apps, or register their check-ins, for safety and reassurance in a post-pandemic world.

  • Magnifying function
    Most of us experience presbyopia as we age, meaning we need glasses to read and struggle with close up text or smaller fonts. Whilst emporia’s devices are already tailored to help the users to use and enjoy the phone, when users are out and about, reading everyday things like restaurant menus may not be as easy, especially when we leave our glasses at home. This key app is designed to take away that frustration and act as an aid for our customers in everyday life – a reliable companion.

  • App Installer
    There are apps for everything out there, and this can be overwhelming when you need a key app like a track-and-trace, or WhatsApp to stay in touch with friends and family, need to share pictures, check the weather forecast or check the news. The App Installer on the S4 contains a list of the most useful 20 apps, making them all easier to download and locate so the older user gets the key apps straight away.

  • NFC technology
    Whilst NFC or contactless payments in credit and debit cards isn’t new, the new S4 brings NFC (near field communication) technology, or more to the point contactless payments to a new audience. When social distancing and contact-free are the norm, this function can offer a whole new shopping experience for older customers who tend to use cash. With the new 16-page guide to how to set-up Google Pay and the benefits of the security this brings, the retired audience will be equipped for the new era upon us.

T o buy S4 smartphone, please visit: www.anpost.com/mobile or emporiatelecom.ie/products/overview/emporiasmart4

 

Tech Review – Oppo Find X3 Neo. #OppoFindX3Series

The smartphone market is saturated to say the least but there is much to consider here when it comes to buying a smartphone these days and people are now more tech savvy too and will not be fooled by great marketing and tend to look at real life usage reviews of smartphones over clever advertising and Oppo is one brand that can deliver with both after using some of their smartphones over the last year and these devices offer good value for money even at the lower end and mid tier section.

Testament to that is now how Oppo is placed in the market being 4th in the world as a smartphone vendor and this is something to write home about considering the market out there today and their phones do stand out and grab your attention even to walk by a shop or see it on a display in the shop window and they coalesce well. From their design and looks they do move away from the current trend of gigantic camera humps with more slender looking ones and not in your face I find them much more elegant looking devices and in comparison to some recently launched devices the humps on the rear have become too much and in your face making a statement Oppo does this more elegant and can still make a statement.

I have gone through pretty much all the features in the first look experience below so you can have a look here and see what you can expect  when you hand over your money for this phone and yes for those who want to know how good the camera is it is excellent and there is more samples further down here to look at.

 

On the looks department the phone looks really nice and in fact it is one of those devices you would rather carry with no case on board due to its sleek finish and soft corners, the design of this device is simple great but I think the more expensive option the pro version might just beat it.

The display is one to behold though with a 6.55-inch FHD+ (1440 x 1080 resolution) AMOLED making content rich on a bigger canvas with really great speakers too that are loud, in fact I have had people tell me to turn them down in some cases even showing them the content on the device, like for me it is if i have a great display why not enhance that with the sound and that you can do here with this device capping out at 1100 nits with two refresh rates on offer being 90Hz refresh rate and a 120Hz touch sampling rate..

Oppo Find X3 Neo
Oppo Find X3 Neo

You can customise this device to your liking with many features on offer here giving you more control over your device unlike my iPhone 12 which is being heading toward my storage box more and more of late and along with ColorOS 11 which keeps improving over time you will be pleased at what can be done here especially the cool lighting effects on the sides of the device for notifications, this is similar to that on the TCL 10 pro which is really nice and should be on all phones. The home screen is also another area with an always on display that can highlight your needs too and the options to customise and control how this works it cuts down alot if you have a busy phone like I would. Themes and wallpaers too are nice, the animations on offer for fingerprint and charging and not forgetting again the edge lighting.

Multitasking on this phone for me has been one of the best so far this year, again I am considered a poweruser and a phone that can multitask fast is what I need and this is simply great, from the moment i pick it up the speed of the bio metrics have the device ready to go before I get ready to make some moves and get work done quickly and promptly with no interruption or lag anywhere and for me this makes it great for a workload on mobile.

The Camera department here is good overall with many options to play with, it does not have the microscopic lens which I will try out on the pro and looks really cool the macro does a good job, again a more elegant hump on the rear with Quad rear cameras with a 50-megapixel, f/1.8 aperture, optical image stabilisation (OIS) 2x optical zoom: 13MP, f/2.4 Wide-angle: 16MP, f/2.2 Macro: 2MP32MP front-facing selfie camera and Video: 4K up to 60fps which is really impressive stuff for those who are into vlogs etc. Check the samples below for more and decide for yourself. I am not a photography specialist never claimed to be one but for me it delivers.

 

The Find X3 Neo also features 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 – one of the fastest charging technologies commercially available on the market. This means it can charge up to 100% in as little as 35 minutes. This is game changing for those with battery anxiety or those who forgot to charge their device overnight and you can simply pop it on charge whilst you get ready for work and so on.  One annoying thing for me though is there is NO wireless charging but with the above you can forgive it I am one of those who has adopted wireless charging with wireless charging docks around the house and at this price you would expect this included but hey its fine look at the speed you can charge your device up to 100% at.

Can I recommend this phone ? Well certainly yes I can it might be a hard sell though depending what you want in a phone but with the overall package here and how it is executed I would lean more so to this phone than other offerings particularity ones available outside Ireland that some folk sing and dance about but lets see what happens those when you run into problems and getting those addressed.

emporia Ireland launches ‘talking’ mobile phone for blind and partially sighted older people @NCBI_sightloss #emporiaTALKactive

emporia, which has been making phones for retirees for 30 years, has launched its first mobile specifically adapted for visually impaired seniors. It will be sold in Ireland exclusively by the charity NCBI.

The TALKactive phone is an adaptation of emporia’s ACTIVEglam phone, which launched in the UK and Ireland last year, with additional spoken menus, buttons and SMS text to assist users with sight loss.

A voice assist function reads text messages aloud and helps the user to respond by speaking the letter keys and providing the option to read back the typed message before sending. When receiving calls, voice assist will read unknown numbers, or announce the name of the contact saved in the phone book.

Large illuminated buttons with a defined pressure point make typing easier, while large on-screen text aids the partially sighted. An extra strong vibrate function alerts users to incoming calls and messages.

The clamshell design offers greater control over the handset: opening and closing the phone can be set to auto answer or end a call. The volume button located on the phone’s exterior is adapted to speak the time and battery level aloud when the phone is closed.

Priced affordably at €150.00, TALKactive includes a 2MP camera. It also comes with a charging cradle so users don’t have to waste time inserting the USB-C cable into the charger port.

The TALKactive comes with a set of uncomplicated, well-written user instructions available in large print, braille or audio, produced by emporia and NCBI.

As with all emporia phones, it is compatible with hearing aids, has extra loud and clear sound, and an emergency button located on the rear of the phone for extra peace of mind. If pressed, up to five emergency numbers will receive an SMS and be dialled automatically in sequence.

Chris Millington, managing director of emporia UK & Ireland, says: “Although smartphones have accessibility functions, the majority of blind or partially sighted users are older and unaccustomed to touchscreen technology prior to losing sight. Designed with much care and consideration, and tested by older users with sight loss during the development phase, the TALKactive offers simplicity and affordability and is vastly easier to handle for a majority of retirees who haven’t grown up with mobile technology at their fingertips.”

Kyran O’Mahoney, chief technology officer at NCBI, says:“Technology is a key enabler for people with sight loss and this talking feature will be a great help to many service users. It is so important to help people stay connected. NCBI is proud to be a supplier.

Be sure to stay tuned for our full review soon..

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emporia Telecom celebrates 30 years. #emporiatelecom #emporia

The Austrian based company which launched in the UK and Ireland in 2020 is celebrating its 30th birthday.  emporia Telecom was founded by Albert Fellner on 29th April 1991 with the company located in his parents’ garage in Linz, Austria.

emporia develops, designs and manufactures easy-to-use smartphones, button cell phones and apps especially for the elderly and is successfully asserting itself as a niche player against global corporations such as Samsung and Apple. The company has sold 15 million devices across 30 countries.

Shortly after the turn of the millennium, emporia made the pioneering system change to become a developer, designer and manufacturer of mobile phones.

“Ease of use was and still is one of the outstanding features of all emporia devices”, says Eveline Pupeter, who has been the Managing Director of emporia Telecom for two decades and its sole proprietor since 2015.

“We quickly realised that commercially available cell phones were only of limited suitability for the needs of older people.  We visited retirement homes and sat down with the residents and talked to them about their requirements of cell phones for senior citizens.

“The most important parameters were and remain: simple menu navigation and usability, good legibility and finely tuned loudspeakers, large buttons (or keypads), robustness and an emergency button for just in case.

“Even today, every emporia button cell phone and smartphone is equipped with the patented emergency button, because safety is and will remain an important issue in old age.”

Eveline Pupeter

The first emporia smartphone specially developed to meet the needs of the 65+ target group was launched in 2015.

“That was a quantum leap for our research and development work,” Pupeter continues; “The close cooperation with universities and research institutions such as Cambridge, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology or the Johannes Kepler University in Linz helped us a lot.”

The fifth-generation smartphones are now on the market. The emporiaSMART.5 boasts a triple camera for stunning photos, a lightning-fast octa-core processor and an intelligent Smartcover. “Even if our phones are easy to use, they are still absolutely state-of-the-art from the technical point of view”, Pupeter explains.

In addition to manufacturing easy-to-use smartphones, apps and button cell phones, emporia has been developing special training formats for senior citizens and training smartphone trainers for several years. “We are the only company in the world that offers a comprehensive concept for the target group of older people with telephones suitable for senior citizens, training concepts and a comprehensive training manual,” says Pupeter.

CLCKR Partners with Richmond & Finch on Stylish Mobile Accessory Range. #CLCKR

CLCKR, the mobile phone accessory company, is proud to announce a partnership with Swedish lifestyle fashion brand, Richmond & Finch, bringing to market a range of stylish Universal stand and grips for any-sized mobile device.

Richmond & Finch’s mobile accessories are inspired by the latest fashion trends, and the collaboration includes new striking floral designs perfect for spring and summer to the CLCKR Universal stand and grip line.

CLCKR is a universal and multifunctional phone stand and grip enabling a firmer hold and multiple viewing positions. It’s easy to apply using 3M-adhesive and does not leave residue. CLCKR’s grip enables a firmer hold, safer use of your device and its ultra-strong design is compatible with most wireless chargers. There are numerous uses for CLCKR, including positioning your mobile phone in portrait, landscape or conference call mode.

●  Antimicrobial Protection kills up to 99.99% of germs

●  Wireless charging compatible

●  Easy one-hand usage for screen optimization

●  Clickable into portrait and landscape stand mode for easy viewing

●  Reusable 3m adhesive – residue-free attachment on devices

“We are very excited to partner with Richmond & Finch on this new range of CLCKR Universals,” said Phil Mulholland, Managing Director of CLCKR. “Our initial range of Universals appeal to our male audience, while this new line will surely draw the attention of female users with bright, floral designs that are sure to liven up your smart device.”

“Partnering with CLCKR offers an opportunity to blend the bold and expressive patterns Richmond & Finch is known for with the functionality of CLCKR’s Universal grip,” said Amelie Söderberg, CEO of Richmond & Finch. “This collaboration provides users with the best of both worlds, yielding a product that is sure to be just as functional as it is beautiful. We are excited to partner with CLCKR on this new line for spring.”

The new Richmond & Finch range features 6 fresh designs, including zebra print, magenta stripe and a selection of floral motifs. Available now from: https://www.clckr.com/uk/richmondfinch-collection

Virgin Mobile to remove Fair Usage Policy for Unlimited Customers for Life. #FUP #VirginMedia

Virgin Mobile understands how important it is for our customers to stay connected so, from May 19th, the 80GB Fair Usage Policy data cap will be removed for all of their Unlimited customers for life. With this announcement, all of their Unlimited customers will have access to unlimited 4G data on their plan so they never need to worry about going over their data cap again. You should note the EU Roaming Data FUP on Virgin Mobile Unlimited Plans is not impacted by this change. There has been lots of talk about FUP which is Fair Usage Policy and unlimited data but you have an FUP on your contract and but now this is gone which is a welcome move by Virgin.

Virgin Mobile has seen a significant increase in overall usage of its network due to the various lockdowns and changes to the way we work, live and play. Total domestic call minutes increased 34% in 2020 and there were over 48 million texts sent on our network in 2020 also with January being the busiest month due to the New Year’s Wishes effect.

Karen Faughnan, Head of Commercial Trading at Virgin Media said: “We’re always looking for ways to help our customers stay connected so with the removal of or 80GB Fair Usage Policy for our Virgin Mobile Unlimited customers, today’s announcement should really help those who, more than ever, have come to rely on their smartphones to work, rest and play. Now, our Unlimited customers won’t have to worry about using up all your data on video calls, streaming apps or web browsing while we all do our best to stay at home.”

ASUS Republic of Gamers Announces ROG Phone 5 Series. #ASUS #ROGPhone5

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced ROG Phone 5, ROG Phone 5 Pro and ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, the latest and most powerful incarnation of the world’s most advanced gaming smartphone.

The ROG Phone 5 series is powered to win by the flagship Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 888 5G Mobile Platform featuring advanced 5G communications and premium Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite Gaming™ features. The upgraded GameCool 5 cooling system along with the all-new performance manager in Armoury Crate ensure maximum performance is available for any gaming scenario.

For ultra-smooth and ultra-responsive gaming visuals, the ROG Phone 5 series is equipped with a Samsung-built 144 Hz / 1 ms AMOLED HDR10+ certified display with an industry-leading 300 Hz touch sampling rate and ultra-low 24.3 ms touch latency.

Gamers can play longer with the ROG Phone 5 series thanks to the monster 6000 mAh battery, and the phones come with a 65-watt HyperCharge adapter that tops up the battery in the shortest possible time.

The ROG Phone 5 series continues the ROG built-for-gamers design philosophy with ROG Vision, a never-before-seen rear matrix display — available exclusively on ROG Phone 5 Pro and ROG Phone 5 Ultimate — that shows customisable animations in response to a variety of system and in-game events.

There are also massive enhancements to the pioneering and still-unrivalled AirTrigger 5 control system, and the powerful GameFX audio system has also been overhauled to deliver even more immersive sound.

Dare to win

The ROG Phone 5 series harnesses the massive power of the latest flagship Snapdragon 888, which packs industry-leading innovations in 5G, AI, gaming, and camera technologies. Snapdragon Elite Gaming allows gamers to harness the power of ultra-smooth play at the highest possible HDR quality levels, with desktop-level capabilities. It also debuts Qualcomm Game Quick Touch, so players can experience up to a 20% increase in touch responsiveness and lower latency. With up to a stunning 35% increase in GPU performance and 25% in CPU performance, even the most demanding 3D mobile games run smoothly with maxed-out settings.

To enable maximum sustained performance, the GameCool 5 cooling system in the ROG Phone 5 series now has an optimum thermal structure featuring a centred CPU with the battery split into two parts, one located on each side of the CPU. This ensures that the heat generated by the CPU is transferred to all the edges and corners of the chassis simultaneously for higher thermal efficiency. The reshaped 3D vapor chamber and extensive graphite sheets also help to spread the heat evenly across the device to reduce heat build-up in the middle.

The completely revamped AeroActive Cooler 5 now intakes and expels an incredible amount of air directly onto the centre of the phone — right where the CPU is — to deliver an amazing 10°C drop in the CPU temperature.

The all-new performance manager in Armoury Crate now includes X Mode, with multiple system profiles to give gamers even more performance settings and performance tuning tools, so they can instantly adapt the phone to the task at hand.

Additionally, ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is the world’s first smartphone to use 18 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, which dramatically increases the overall gaming performance and takes the user experience to the next level.

 

Dare to see

Cutting-edge displays have been a signature ROG Phone feature since its inception, and the ROG Phone 5 series continues this tradition. Boasting an industry-leading 300 Hz touch-sampling rate, the 144 Hz / 1 ms AMOLED display — built by Samsung — delivers a super-smooth gaming experience, with an ultra-low touch latency. Tuned in collaboration with leading visual-processing company Pixelworks®, the supreme visuals are enhanced even further with world-beating Delta-E <1 colour accuracy, the new always-on HDR technology that improves non-HDR visuals, and a screen that’s protected by the toughest ever Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus™. The ROG Phone 5 series is built to endure — and built to win.

 

Dare to play

To extend both screen-on time and the lifespan of the monster 6000 mAh battery, ROG Phone 5 series is optimised using new software optimisations and power-saving mechanisms, including a charging upper limit, steady charging, and enhanced scheduled charging. There are also passive power-saving mechanisms to limit inactive apps and deliver up to 67% more power savings. The ROG Phone 5 series always optimises itself for the best power efficiency, however it’s being used.

Rapid charging is assured by the bundled 65-watt HyperCharge adapter, which gets gamers up and running again in the fastest possible time.

 

Innovative ROG Vision

ROG Phone 5 Ultimate and ROG Phone 5 Pro let gamers make their presence known to the world with the exclusive ROG Vision, a pioneering rear matrix display that’s never been seen on any phone until now. ROG Phone 5 Pro features a colour ROG Vision display, while ROG Phone 5 Ultimate has a monochrome version.

ROG Vision can display a variety of cool animations that show whether the phone is charging, if there’s an incoming call, whether X Mode is enabled, and more. Owners can even create custom animations to make their phone even more personal.

 

Built for gamers

Total control is the name of the game for the ROG Phone 5 series, and the massively upgraded AirTrigger 5 control system now gives gamers up to four distinct ways to interact with their ROG Phone 5, delivering an unrivalled level of game control. The AeroActive Cooler 5 now also features two extra physical buttons to allow a genuine console-like gaming experience.

The ROG Phone 5 series supports an unprecedented total of 10 different motion controls, so gamers can easily pick the moves to fit their game. In a racing game, for example, they can swivel the phone to steer or pull it towards them to brake. Game control has never been so easy.

ROG Phone 5 Pro and ROG Phone 5 Ultimate additionally features innovative hidden rear touch sensors on the back cover, which provide L2/R2 trigger functions, just like a game console controller. These also work together with the ultrasonic sensors, the AeroActive Cooler 5 buttons and the motion controls to provide full control for a total gaming experience.

The GameFX audio system in the ROG Phone 5 series now incorporates symmetrical seven-magnet dual speakers for truly balanced stereo sound effects. Optimised in collaboration with audio specialist Dirac, the projected sound quality will grab the user’s aural senses and take them to a different world. There’s also a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a hi-fi-grade ESS DAC for lossless audio processing. The AudioWizard audio-tuning app has also been completely revamped to optimise sound for different audio styles, including Game, Cinema, and Music settings. GameFX audio on ROG Phone 5 series delivers the crystal-clear in-game sound effects and powerful aural soundscapes that gamers never dared to hope for in a phone.

For the ROG Phone 5 series, we’ve teamed up with some of the most popular game titles to give owners a series of different theme packs for customising their device with their favorite characters and screens. Gamers can also share, discuss, and interact via ROG Connect, an online community that’s built into the ROG Phone 5 series.

 

AVAILABILITY & PRICING

ASUS ROG Phone 5 (12GB / 256GB) will be available in the UK from the end of April 2021. MSRP: £799

ASUS ROG Phone 5 (16GB / 256GB) will be available in the UK from the end of May 2021. MSRP: £899

ASUS ROG Phone 5 Series

Processor 2.84 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 888 5G Mobile Platform with 5 nm, 64-bit Octa-Core Processor
GPU Qualcomm® Adreno™ 660
UI Android™ 11 with new ROG UI
Display 6.78″ 20.4:9 (2448 x 1080) 144 Hz / 1 ms Samsung AMOLED display

800 nits outdoor readable brightness

1,200 nits peak brightness

Delta-E < 1

111.23% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage

Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus™

Supports Always-On HDR display

HDR10 and HDR10+ certified

Capacitive touchscreen with 10-point multitouch (supports glove touch)
Dimensions 173 x 77 x 9.9 mm
Weight 239 g
Battery 6000 mAh typical capacity
Memory ROG Phone 5 Ultimate: 18 GB LPDDR5 RAM

ROG Phone 5 Pro and ROG Phone 5: Up to 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM
Storage ROG Phone 5 Ultimate and Pro: 512 GB UFS 3.1 ROM

ROG Phone 5: Up to 256 GB UFS 3.1 ROM
Sensors In-display fingerprint sensor, face recognition, accelerometer, e-compass, gyroscope, proximity sensor, ambient-light sensor, ultrasonic sensors for AirTrigger 5 and grip press
Wireless Technology Integrated WiFi 6E (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2×2 MIMO)[7]

Bluetooth® 5.2 (HFP + A2DP + AVRCP + HID + PAN + OPP), supports Qualcomm® aptX™ Adaptive

WiFi Direct

NFC
GPS GNSS support GPS (L1/L5), Glonass (L1), Galileo (E1/E5a), BeiDou(B1i/B1c/B2a), QZSS (L1/L5) and NavIC (L5)
I/O Ports Side and bottom:

USB-C®
Front Camera 24 MP
Rear Camera 64 MP (Main camera Sony® IMX686) + 13 MP (125° ultrawide-angle lens) + 5 MP (Macro)
Voice Wakeup Yes
Speaker Symmetrical dual front-facing speakers powered by Dirac technologies

7-magnet stereo speaker with Cirrus Logic amplifier for louder, deeper and less distorted sound effect
NFC Supported
Color ROG Phone 5 Ultimate: Storm White

ROG Phone 5 Pro: Phantom Black

ROG Phone 5: Phantom Black and Storm White

Fairphone raises the standard for a fair circular economy with 14 materials. #Fairphone

Fairphone, the Dutch social enterprise building a market for ethical smartphones, has announced a shortlist of 14 materials that show high usage in the electronics industry and offer the greatest potential for supply chain improvement. These are aluminium, cobalt, copper, gold, indium, lithium, magnesium, nickel, plastics, rare earth, silver, tin, tungsten and zinc. Fairphone analysed over 50 materials found in smartphones, resulting in a selection that will guide its responsible sourcing efforts in the coming years. Fairphone makes the most of the materials used in its products and is moving towards a circular economy by using materials from more responsible sources, while emphasizing reuse and recycling and designing phones to last as long as possible.

The evaluation used a range of criteria including:

  • Market demand growth expected in the coming decades and availability of recycled supply
  • The share of the electronics industry in the worldwide demand for the material
  • Whether the material is critical to smartphone functionality
  • Whether it will be present in future Fairphone products and accessories
  • If there are serious social and environmental issues related to the material’s extraction or recycling

While many of the materials analyzed had serious issues to consider, these 14 materials provide Fairphone with the most potential to make a significant impact and show the most urgent need for intervention.

The global electronics industry is a fast growing sector with a complex supply chain. Minerals found in common consumer electronics, such as smartphones, are mined, traded and refined into usable material to manufacture components. Unfortunately, the working environment in the mines can be unsafe with issues of child labour, environmental degradation, and hazardous working conditions recorded. As a result, the electronics industry tends to shy away from it, placing more emphasis on recycling as the solution for the industry’s sourcing issues. Yet, millions of people around the world – particularly in developing economies – rely on the sector for their livelihoods. Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is an especially critical source of income for millions of people and as a result, Fairphone is focussing on ASM to make improvements in the sector.

Although Fairphone envisions a world that is truly circular, it’s still far away from becoming reality. Mining will remain a key supplier in the coming years, as the idea that recycling alone will be able to meet humanity’s growing demand is a fairytale. In the coming decades, the population growth and economic development around the world are expected to lead to a sharp increase in demand for metals and non-metallic minerals that are key for the green energy transition. A report by World Bank Group found that demand for some minerals will increase nearly 500% by 2050. Yet, of all electronic waste generated, only 5% of materials are estimated to be recovered for reuse.

Since mining will be a source of materials in the coming decades, the electronics industry must work to improve the mining supply chain as well as increase the recycled material supply. Fairphone’s aim is not to avoid hotspots where social and environmental challenges exist, such as conflict and high-risk areas, instead Fairphone works towards lasting improvements in those areas. It sources where the majority of electronics manufacturing and mining takes place in order to drive improvements for the sector overall. Fairphone’s mission is to set the example across its own supply chain and products, using its market demand as a catalyst for continuous improvement that creates a positive impact for people and planet, and engage with the wider consumer electronics industry to scale its impact.

Tirza Voss, Sustainable Materials & Mining Manager at Fairphone states: “At Fairphone our vision is clear: we want to foster a fair transition to a more circular economy. This is a transition in which investment is not only made in increasing the recycled supply but also to ensure that for the materials where the mining sector remains a key supplier in the coming years, the sector operates more sustainably and drives a lasting and diversified development in emerging economies. Responsible sourcing means tackling issues in the supply chain and driving opportunities for change, rather than avoiding risk. We want to inspire the rest of our industry to follow our approach to fair material sourcing.”

 Boukje Theeuwes, Head of Policy Influencing at Solidaridad Europe responds: “With 44 million small-scale miners supplying numerous industries with essential raw materials, the idea of a sudden and complete shift to recycled materials is a fairytale. Today, two thirds of all gold supplied is newly mined. We fully support the move towards circularity in supply chains, but in the long interim period that remains, it is crucial that we invest in the development of responsible ASM mining practices. The recycled material of tomorrow is being mined today. We need a dual approach that encourages recycling while ensuring, through investment and engagement, that the materials being mined right now are extracted responsibly. This means that when we achieve a truly circular supply, it won’t have come at the cost of miners, their communities and the environment.”

Tech Review – OPPO Reno4 Z review. #OPPO #Reno4Z #Tech

I have been using the OPPO Reno 4 Z now for some weeks and it is a really compelling device for the money and one to consider, the cost to performance ratio has been a win for the consumer now with mobiles phones over 1000 euros are a thing of the past and more a status symbol these days as they where years ago when we paid silly money for phones, One stand out time for me was spending 800 lids on a Nokia 800 which had a dreadful battery life.

Of course 5G is the trend most are starting to jump on and I have a 5G sim and the service is mediocre and I shall not name the company I am with but for now I would not bother with 5G just yet as it is a poor service right now but later on we will come back to that when it is up and fully running. This device though has future proofed itself having 5G on board so for those who want to adopt 5G and get a cheap phone that packs it all the Reno4 Z is one to consider easily. One might argue there is several Chinese brands that have better specs for less well that is fine and valid until something goes wrong with it and no base here in Ireland to help you out with the logistics of returning such devices.

We wont bore you too much with specs but I have gone through the device with the unboxing experience below and a walkthrough of the features and then later on some videos and images from the device, overall it is a solid performer on both camera and video and you will be impressed and it makes for a great point and shoot camera with most shots turning out rather well and then you can yourself play with the settings to get the shots you want but it delivers well both day and night and for me it was a nice result.

The first thing you will note on this device is how light it is and this can be a good thing or bad thing it depends, I have multiple devices here and some rather heavy and some like this  which is light, I like to know my phone is in my pocket and with this you would forget it is there after a while but seeing both sides of the story here I do not mind you can argue too who wants a heavy device weighing your pockets down so either for me is fine it is down to personal choice really. OK it is not an aluminium framed phone but it does look good with the new term “glastic” back giving it a bit more of a premium look.

The second thing you will notice is the phones display at 6.57 inch with 120Hz it is crisp and clean offering great media consumption and also scrolling is a breeze with no lag, you will note it is not a metal build but it does not look cheap by any means at all nor does it feel cheap in comparison to others, there is the pill type dual camera on the screen which might not be for everyone same as the hole punch but this is subjective and fine with me as I have so many phones it does not bother me at all to be honest.

You get 8GB RAM and 128GB storage so there is plenty of room here for 4K lovers as it will eat up your memory quick and at this price point it is a good spec on the storage offering. Shooting video in 4K will be what you want to use to get the most out of the device and for all the camera settings to the max to get the best results.

Battery life is quite good I am a power user and crucify phone batteries and this one is good, if you are the average joe you will get two days but a power user will certainly not and once you start watching hours of Netflix and You Tube you will notice a quick decrease in battery life but you can top up on the go with a powerbank etc

Could a power user use it as a daily driver? Well I could and still do and it does all the tasks I typically do on a day to day basic with no hiccups at all and that is no mean feat considering the other devices I use this is a good valued smartphone that has 5G as a USP but it offers much more all round. For multitasking on a daily basis using the web, social media even gaming this device has served me well and when compared to more expensive devices it is just as good coming in much cheaper with 5G on board with a great screen which is an IPS LCD and better than others I have used. In short you cant go wrong really.. You can pick this device online or via three and eir for just €289.99