What’s the best smartphone on the market?

The new HTC 4G is, for now at least, restricted from showing us its true potential since, as Australia’s first 4G phone, it is ahead of its time and must wait for the 4G infrastructure to be put in place before it can really be appreciated. As things stand, and limited to use as a 3G handset, the HTC stacks up well against its competitors though. There is a very generous screen size of 4.3 inches, and the graphics and screen resolution are very sharp. This is perhaps both the phone’s greatest strength and its greatest weakness because, for all the good of having a large, sharp screen image, this comes at a cost, that being that the HTC is a bulkier, weightier model than most of its peers. Size issues aside however, you cannot help but admire the sheer range of features on this handset. An 8-megapixel camera, and a front-side 1.2 megapixel for voice calls, and high-definition image quality should you switch to recording mode make the need to carry any casual photographic or recording equipment around with you almost redundant Perhaps no more than a blip, as company engineers and programmers assure us a fix will be issued shortly, but it must be said that the battery life is slightly disappointing; a regular daily charge is simply a necessity as any longer would leave you, well, flat!

The Nexus employs energy-efficient screen technology, making it an instant hit for the many who have been thus far frustrated by the lack of battery longevity smartphones have offered up. Design isn’t compromised either and this handset is light and compact (the practicalities are covered then) not to mention sleek and funky. The 5-megapixel rear-facing camera is handy to have in an emergency, but can hardly be relied upon to produce the sort of imagery we have come to expect from such products. Autofocus and an inbuilt flash do help to enhance image quality, but this device falls just a few too many pixels short and so trails behind its rivals in the multimedia department, and not by a neck, but several lengths at least.

The iPhone series have been market leading devices ever since Apple entered the smartphone sector, and seldom is there more excitement in techie circles than when a new iPhone model is released. Cue fierce applause and much gasping then, for Apple’s latest offering is now on sale in a store near you! The new iPhone has the sharpest and clearest display of any smartphone on the market, and, quite simply, in almost every aspect of design, it is king. In fact, the quality of kit gone into this phone almost beggars belief and gives the handset the feel of being indestructible, which, given the quality of manufacture, is not too far wide off the mark.

There are, of course, the trademark front-and rear-display cameras on the new iPhone, and, though at 8 megapixels the main camera is, well, hardly earth-shatteringly impressive, don’t be too quick to write off the iPhone’s multimedia credentials. Remember to start with that the screen and recording devices operate in High Definition, and let’s not overlook the vast number of complementary media apps – Apple is in a league of its own in the apps market, and this is perhaps one of the main reasons it has so many diehard fans. Another factor which is crucial to this device’s popularity is the fact that you can leave home confident there will be no need to beg for a charger from someone in the office halfway through the day. Battery life on this handset is not market-leading, but the iPhone certainly outperforms its nearest rivals in that department. A genuine contender for best buy.

The new Motorola should not be thought of so much as a smartphone; as a mini- computer, such is the manner in which this device performs. With massive processing and memory capabilities, Motorola users can download video, image and music files without giving a second thought to whether or not there is enough unused space, and, with 16GB internal memory and scope to add on another 32GB via an external memory card, why would you? The main camera though, given how high-spec everything else about this device seems to be, is somewhat of a disappointment. At only 5 megapixels, you do wonder what the designers were thinking; after all, had they even matched their rivals at HTC in this area, the Motorola would have been a standout handset that left its competitors trailing in its wake. As things stand, the Motorola is a definite player and will appeal to those for whom the smartphone is primarily a work-related device, as its unrivailed processing capability and compatibility with most office software make it the perfect travel companion for every busy businessman and businesswoman out there. However,

Motorola have missed a trick or two in failing to target the many smartphone buyers more interested in entertainment features like high-megapixel cameras. Had they combined their download power with a better ‘picture snapper’, they could have cornered the entire market; this is an opportunity lost, you feel.

SECTION 2: QUESTIONS 14-26

Questions 14-20

Look at the following statements, 14-20, and decide which smartphone model,?A-D, the statements relate to.

AHTC 4GBNexusCiPhoneDMotorola

Write the correct letter,?A-D.

14?___________?This phone will not be able to showcase all of its strengths until the country’s communication system has been upgraded.

15?___________?This phone is a very practical device that can process information quickly and has very high storage capacity.

16?___________?This phone’s greatest asset is also a liability which makes it more burdensome to carry around.

17?___________?This phone would stand up to a lot of abuse; such is the quality of manufacture gone into it.

18?___________?This phone could have threatened to dominate the smartphone market had it not overlooked an important entertainment feature.

19?___________?This phone provides access to a lot more of something than any of the rival phone models can.

20?___________?This phone employs special technology designed to conserve energy and enhance battery life.

Questions 21-23

Complete each sentence with the correct ending,?A-E, below. Write the correct letter,?A-E.

Athat of a small computer, except in the memory and processing stakes where it comes up short.Bthat the excellent flash and focus functions are still not enough to compensate.Cthat of devices specifically designed to execute far more complex tasks than a phone is supposed to.Dthat it is no longer necessary to carry extra camera and recording equipment unless you are looking for professional results.Ethat professional and amateur photographers alike will find that it satisfies all their needs.

21?___________?The HTC 4G has such a high-quality camera

22?___________?The failings of the Nexus camera are such

23?___________?The functionality of the Motorola can be likened to

Questions 24-26

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 2?

Write:

YESif the statement agrees with the views of the writerNOif the statement contradicts the views of the writerNOT GIVENif it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

24?________________?In order to produce an energy-efficient phone, the Nexus manufacturers have compromised on certain design features.

25?________________?The iPhone is superior to its rivals in many design aspects.

26?________________?The Motorola Atrix is unlikely to be a huge success since there are more smartphone users who use their phones for entertainment than for work purposes.

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