LONG GONE ARE THE DAYS
WHEN YOU COULD SWAP YOUR PHONE’S BATTERY OUT FOR A SPARE. WHILE BATTERY CAPACITIES ARE EXPANDING EVERY YEAR, SO TOO ARE THE SCREEN SIZES, PROCESSORS, AND OTHER BATTERY-CHUGGING FUNCTIONS.
but it’s hobbled by a maximum 128GB of storage and pared back performance. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is an absolute powerhouse, and the stylus input is a great addition if you use it, but it’s let down by shorter battery life and no fast charging option. Which leaves the Huawei Mate 20 Pro – a device with nearly perfect hardware that’s compromised with a less-than-stellar software experience.
Our dream device would have the build quality and design of the iPhone XS Max, screen and storage of the Galaxy Note 9, performance and battery life of the Mate 20 Pro and camera and stock Android OS of the Pixel 3 XL. Failing that, our money’s on the Huawei.
ANDROID VS IOS
Traditionally, Android has always been the more capable option, and power users in particular have preferred the flexibility and raw power that the Linux-based operating system offered.
Over the years, however, iOS has evolved from being the simplified ‘everyman’ platform to one that could do almost everything Android could. This included things like an app store, pop-up notifications, proper multi-tasking, the ability to install third party web browsers and software keyboards, and even the ability to ‘share’ content with other apps.
But there are still plenty of reasons why you’d chose one over the other.
If you’ve mainly stuck with the one platform, then that’s as good a reason as any to keep using it. Not only are you familiar with how it works, but you’ll have built-up a lot of history in terms of the personal information you’ve accumulated (contacts, text messages, calendar entries, notes, browser history, saved passwords), photos and videos you’ve taken (which are likely backed up to either iCloud or Google Drive), content purchased (Google Play content is transferable to iOS, iTunes content can’t be played on Android devices), and apps (which may or may not have equivalent versions in the rival operating system).
There are also things specific to each platform that may keep you on the hook. On the iOS side, you’ve got FaceTime, iMessage, iMusic, iTunes, and the Apple Watch – each of which are quite compelling reasons to stick with Apple. For Android, users still get a lot more freedom and flexibility, such as being able to completely skin the user interface to their liking, replace default apps like the browser, SMS client, software keyboard and homescreen launcher, and the ability to download files directly and connect external drives.
BATTERY LIFE
Long gone are the days when you could swap your phone’s battery out for a spare. While battery capacities are expanding every year, so too are the screen sizes, processors, and other battery-chugging functions. These days, having your phone last a full workday is considered an achievement.
But smartphone vendors have now gotten smarter with how they manage battery life on the latest devices, and things like low power modes and flagging power-hungry apps have enabled users to extend smartphone run-time considerably. In addition, most vendors offer ‘fast charging’ options using the supplied charger (or in the case of Apple, a charger you pay extra for), which can quickly top up most of your battery in 30 minutes or less.
The battery results held a few surprises. Huawei Mate 20 Pro taking the crown was expected, given it has the largest 4,200mAh battery, but the other results left us a little nonplussed. The iPhone XS Max reportedly has a 3,174mAh battery, which is the smallest of the lot, and yet it wasn’t far behind the Mate 20 Pro. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9, which has a good-sized 4,000mAh battery, had the shortest battery life of the four handsets, missing the 24-hour mark.
With medium usage (3-4 hours of screen-on time), not employing any power management features, we were able to achieve the following run-times: 33 hours, 38 minutes 31 hours, 23 minutes 25 hours, 50 minutes 21 hours, 58 minutes