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The Nokia 1 offers you something a bit different. An affordable phone which is responsive yet has a premium feel and fun design. With Android Oreo (Go Edition), so you can easily maximise the storage, data usage and performance of your phone. Xpress-on covers are back, giving you the ability once again change the look of your phone depending on your mood. Want to know before you buy? Below you can find the digital version of the Nokia 1 user manual –  click the PDF icon to download it, or access it here. If you would like a printed version, please click here. Nokia 1 User Guide Hopefully the user manual will answer any of the outstanding questions that you have about the device. If you still have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments or to contact our sales team. Clove Technology. We Print User Manuals.

Android One brings a Google-designed software experience to the new Nokia 6 (2018). Get everything you want and nothing you don’t with a streamlined, easy to use interface and a curated set of pre-installed apps, and free, unlimited high-quality photos storage with Google Photos. Regular security updates and two years of OS upgrades means the new Nokia 6 with Android One stays secure and features the latest Google innovations like being optimized for the Google Assistant. Want to know before you buy? Below you can find the digital version of the Nokia 6 (2018) user manual –  click the PDF icon to download it, or access it here. If you would like a printed version, please click here. Nokia 6.1 (2018) User Guide Hopefully the user manual will answer any of the outstanding questions that you have about the device. If you still have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments or to contact our sales team. Clove Technology. We Print User Manuals.

Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen) User Guide Below you can find the digital version of the Moto E 4G user manual. If you would like a printed version, please click here. The second generation of the Moto E, the newest version comes with 4G included and interchangeable bands that allow you to personalise the phone. Hopefully the user manual will answer any of the outstanding questions that you have about the device, but if there is anything that isn’t covered or if you have any questions prior to purchasing, please feel free to ask in the comments or to contact our sales team.

There are a wide range of official Samsung cases available for the Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge. The standard S6 has more case options than the S6 Edge, but what are the differences between them all?  In this post I hope to explain. So first, lets start with a list of what cases are available for each device.  These are the official Samsung cases only. Samsung Galaxy S6 Clear View Cover Clear Cover S-View Cover in Fabric S-View Cover in  PU Leather Protective Cover Flip Wallet Cover in Fabric Flip Wallet Cover in PU Leather Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Clear View Cover Clear Cover Protective Cover Flip Wallet Cover in Fabric Flip Wallet Cover in PU Leather You will be able to see that the S6 Edge does not have the offer of an S-View cover, which is interesting given the popularity of this case on other Samsung Galaxy devices. However this is likely due to the notifications that are visible on the edge display, almost making the S-View element redundant. The differences between the cases for the S6 and S6 Edge are that the edge cases do have a slight curvature to the face of the case to accommodate the edge display.  There are also slight tweaks in those cases that do not have front cover, such as the Protective Cover as the contours to the device are slightly different. What this means is that you can not use an S6 case with an S6 Edge or vise versa. Now to the differences between each case. To make this as clear as possible I have put a bullet point list for what each case offers along with images of each case.   Clear View Cover Available in Black, Gold, Silver and Blue for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Black, Gold, Silver and Green for the S6 Edge. Protects the front and back of the device. Has a book style opening to the case A semi-opaque mirror finish that offers your reflection when the screen is off (like a mirror). The phone screen can be viewed and used through the case to answer calls and more. Rigid ABS plastic frame clips to and hold phone in place. An automatic on and off function for the screen as the case is opened and closed. Cut-out for the camera with in the case access to ports and controls.  The buttons on the left side of the device can be pressed through the case. It has a tendency to attract fingerprints. S6 Clear View Cover S6 Edge Clear View Cover Clear Cover Available in Gold, Silver & Black for the S6 as well as Green for the S6 Edge. It protects the sides and back of the Galaxy S6. Added protection and bulk in the corners where the device is most vulnerable. The colour runs around the side of the case. The back panel to the case is clear so that the colour of the phone shows through. Cut-out for the camera with in the case access to ports and controls. S6 Clear Cover S6 Edge Clear Cover S-View Cover in Fabric Available only for the S6 and not the S6 Edge. Available in Black, Gold, SIlver, Yellow, Orange and Blue. Protects the front and back of the phone. Opens like a book with the front cover able to fold back behind the phone. A clear window on the front allows quick interaction with the phone screen without opening the case. Handle calls, notifications, alarms, music and more through the window. An automatic on and off function for the screen as the case is opened and closed. Cut-out for the camera with in the case access to ports and controls.  The case must be opened to access buttons on the left side of the device. Rigid ABS plastic frame clips to and hold phone in place. Soft touch inner lining. Finished in a soft touch fabric. S6 S-View Cover in Fabric S-View Cover in  PU Leather Available only for the S6 and not the S6 Edge. Available in Black, Gold, SIlver, Yellow, Orange and Blue. Protects the front and back of the phone. Opens like a book with the front cover able to fold back behind the phone. A clear window on the front allows quick interaction with the phone screen without opening the case. Handle calls, notifications, alarms, music and more through the window. An automatic on and off function for the screen as the case is opened and closed. Cut-out for the camera with in the case access to ports and controls.  The case must be opened to access buttons on the left side of the device. Rigid ABS plastic frame clips to and hold phone in place. Soft touch inner lining. Finished in a smooth, wipe clean PU leather. S6 S-View Cover in PU Leather Protective Cover Available in Black, Gold, Mint, Coral and Blue for the S6 with Black, Gold, Mint, Coral and Green available for the S6 Edge. It protects the sides and back of the Galaxy S6. Added protection and bulk in the corners where the device is most vulnerable. The back panel to the case and the sides is the chosen case colour. Cut-out for the camera with in the case access to ports and controls. S6 Protective Cover S6 Edge Protective Cover Flip Wallet Cover in Fabric Available in Black, Gold, Silver, Yellow, Orange and Blue for the S6 and Black, Gold, Silver, Yellow, Orange and Green for the S6 Edge. Protects the front and back of the phone. Opens like a book with the front cover able to fold back behind the phone. An automatic on and off function for the screen as the case is opened and closed. Cut-out for the camera with in the case access to ports and controls.  The case must be opened to access buttons on the left side of the device. Rigid ABS plastic frame clips to and hold phone in place. Soft touch inner lining. Card slot inside front cover for the storage of cards. Finished in a soft touch fabric. S6 Flip Wallet in Fabric S6 Edge Wallet in Fabric Flip Wallet Cover in PU Leather Available in Black, Gold, Silver, Yellow, Orange and Blue for the S6 and Black, Gold, Silver, Yellow, Orange and Green for the S6 Edge. Protects the front and back of the phone. Opens like a book with the front cover able to fold back behind the phone. An automatic on and off function for the screen as the case is opened and closed. Cut-out for the camera with in the case access to ports and controls.  The case must be opened to access buttons on the left side of the device. Rigid ABS plastic frame clips to and hold phone in place. Soft touch inner lining. Card slot inside front cover for the storage of cards. Finished in a smooth, wipe clean PU leather. S6 Wallet in PU Leather S6 Edge Wallet in PU Leather I hope you find this useful in helping decide what case is most suitable for your device. If you need further assistance or have any comments, do let us know.

Let’s take a look at phones that offer new fast charging facilities In the past year, we’ve seen a lot of higher end phones advertising that they have fast-charging or turbo-charging capabilities. Some manufacturers are even selling separate chargers and accessories branded as ‘fast’ or ‘turbo’, however do you know which products they are properly compatible with? The answer lies in technology developed by the processor manufacturer Qualcomm branded as Quick Charge. This involves the phone having specific power management circuitry built in. It can then use compatible mains adaptors to receive the fast charging benefits. The current version is Quick Charge 2.0, with an updated version 3.0 announced in September, for new processors and should be in many phones throughout 2016. The technology has now actually been included in a fair amount of phones, so you might be able to use it without even knowing. You can use Qualcomm’s handy device finder to see if your Qualcomm powered phone is Quick Charge 2.0 certified. How fast does the charging happen? This depends on the phone. Theoretically all you need to do to charge faster is provide more power – at least that’s what the movies show you. In reality, the physical & chemical make-up of lithium batteries means this has to be done safely. A QC enabled phone will always try and draw as much power as it from any standard charger, up to 2 amps. Any more would not be considered safe. If you’re using a QC enabled adaptor with the phone, then you can get up to 3 amps on Quick Charge 2.0 technology. QC adaptors can also vary the voltage though – the phone and adaptor can communicate to get the best possible output for the situation at hand. For instance 5V @ 3A provides 15W of power. (P = IV for those who remember their GCSE / O-level physics). Some QC chargers can intelligently switch up the voltage however, up to as high as 12V. At this point they will turn down the current and deliver about 1.2A, making for a very similar 14.4W of power. This is almost the same power and therefore charging speed, however with a lower current there is less likely to be excess heat (and therefore wastage), alongside a lesser chance of causing battery degradation. Phones all use differently sized batteries, so take on board what the manufacturer states in the documentation – often something such as “up to 50% charge in 30 minutes”. The average speed will be slightly less, so in that example not all the way up to full in one hour, as charging happens faster on a more empty battery than a more full one (chemistry and physics again – less overall molecules to react…) Where can I get a Quick Charge certified charger? Many new QC certified phones will come with one in the box. A quick run-down of recent devices shows the Motorola Moto X Style & Force, Priv by BlackBerry, and Sony Xperia Z5 range with included fast chargers. If you want a spare then each manufacturer often sells theirs separately too. We currently have the following options: Motorola Turbo Mains Charger Motorola Turbo Car Charger Sony UCH10 Quick Charger Sony UCH20 Quick Charger Samsung Adaptive Fast Charger   Are Samsung Galaxy phones different? In a nutshell – NO – although it might be confusing at first, as they use the same technology, however it’s branded slightly differently. Samsung recently stopped using Qualcomm Snapdragon processors in many of their flagship Galaxy phones, instead favouring their own Exynos line of chips. You might then think they can’t use the Quick Charge branded technology. Instead it turns out they can, as Qualcomm are allowing OEM manufacturers to license the technology for free. All a manufacturer has to do is integrate the power circuitry into their phones and adaptors. Samsung brand their hardware with “Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging” (AFC). For all intents and purposes though, it’s Qualcomm Quick Charge, so Quick Charge branded chargers from other manufacturers will still work the same way. This is in fact the same for the ASUS Zenfone 2 which uses an Intel processor. Non Qualcomm-powered phones such as these won’t appear on the Qualcomm device finder above, however if the literature for the phone mentions anything about fast, rapid, turbo or otherwise speedy charging, then it’s almost certainly utilising the same tech. I bought a ‘fast’ charger a few years ago. Is it the same thing? Probably not. A few years back, most mobile devices only needed about 1 amp at 5 volts (5V/1A) from a mains adaptor to charge at a decent speed. This is what the majority of mains adaptors were rated at. You could safely use adaptors rated at 5V/2A and these would effectively charge phones much faster, delivering more power than adaptors rated at 1A. These were often marketed as ‘fast’ chargers back then. As mobile products became larger and more powerful, they started to need more power to be able run. Big screen phones and tablets especially needed much higher rated adaptors, otherwise they would be using more power than the adaptor was delivering! Adaptors included with flagship devices and tablets started to deliver more power and therefore selling 5V/2A chargers as ‘fast’ chargers became a bit of a misnomer and the practise stopped (although 5V/2A adaptors are still readily available). Your ‘fast’ charger from a few years ago is therefore probably just a ‘normal’ charger with a relatively high amperage rating.

What is Dual SIM and is it for me? The answer to this question is surprisingly more complex than you might initially think. For many in the UK Dual SIM may be a term you’re not familiar with. This is because in the UK most phones sold in mainstream stores only have a single SIM slot. If however you’re one of our Asian customers, you’ll probably be wondering how someone could survive with only one SIM card! Reasons for having Dual SIM Having a second phone number might seem like a reason in and of itself. But why might you want a second number? Isn’t one enough? There are a number of practical uses for a second phone number so let’s take a look. Dual SIM Smartphones | Clove Technology Difficulty moving between providers As you would expect there are different requirements around the world in regards to network compatibility. This is often why dual SIM slot phones appear in some countries more than others. In some countries in the past it has been difficult to reliably change between providers. One solution to this was to sign an agreement with a new provider and use the 2nd slot! In the UK we have for a long time enjoyed the ability to freely move between mobile operators. We can also easily take our current number with us.  This has been part of UK law since 2003, and has meant that it has been fairly easy to move between mobile providers. This type of legislation has only recently been introduced in some countries, or in some cases not at all. So when customers in these areas have moved to a new network provider, they have to get a new card and contract. To make sure people can still contact them using their old number, they need to keep their existing SIM card running. Issues with coverage Another problem and reason for needing Dual SIM are issues of coverage. Due to the size of some countries there is no one mobile network which has complete coverage. Even in heavily covered countries such as the UK this is still an issue in rural areas! Having two SIM cards allows you take advantage of two network providers that may be available in different parts of the country. Although only larger countries in theory have this problem, I imagine many of our readers will no doubt comment that mobile coverage is not perfect in the UK. Keeping work and home separate Another reason for Dual SIM is wanting to keep your home life and work separate. This is particularly important for anyone who runs a business from one phone. Having two SIM cards lets you keep calls and messages for two numbers separate. So you can give out your numbers to the appropriate people. Depending on the phone you can set it to prompt which number to call out on every time, or have defaults. For instance all outgoing calls on SIM 1 and all text messages on SIM 2.   There are of course other reasons for needing dual SIM card slots, these are just some examples. Dual SIM phones are a great way to make sure you are constantly available and easy to contact. Dual SIM Smartphones | Clove Technology So are all Dual SIM phones the same? There are in fact two main versions of Dual SIM phones ‘Passive’ and ‘Active’. Passive Dual SIM The Moto G4 is an affordable Dual SIM Standby phone available in the UK for just £160 ‘Passive’ (standby) is when a phone has a single, shared antenna for both SIM cards. As the name suggests both SIM cards spend most of their time being in a passive standby mode, waiting to be used. When you start using one of the SIM cards for either voice or data, the other automatically becomes inactive. Only when you have finished using the first SIM card can you start using the second. This means you are not able to simultaneously download data using one SIM card while making phone calls with the other. At first this does seems limiting, but in practice is unlikely to cause too many issues. Particularly as if a line isn’t available to accept a phone call, it is usually diverted to voicemail automatically by the network provider. This is the more cost-effective solution for consumer Dual SIM smartphones, so by far the more common version you will see available. We can now offer this type of Dual SIM phone from a variety of manufacturers including Motorola, Huawei, CAT, WileyFox, RugGear and Microsoft to name a few. Some of the top Dual SIM standby devices at Clove include the Moto G4, Cat S40, Honor 7 & Honor 5X, Wileyfox Swift and Microsoft Lumia 650. Active Dual SIM ‘Active’ refers to phones which benefit from having two antennae, one for each SIM slot. This means you can simultaneously use the two SIMs. For instance downloading content on SIM1, and making a phone call on SIM 2. You can even have two conversations, switching the calls and putting one on hold. There are some disadvantages with this type of Dual SIM phone, the most obvious being cost. There is an extra cost in having two antennae built in to the phone. You also have increased battery consumption, as the power draw for cellular connections is effectively doubled. Finally there is the problem of availability. In countries like the UK they are almost impossible to source. For instance HTC released a Desire 600 with Dual Active SIM card slots, but this was never available in the UK. Generally if you specifically need an active Dual SIM phone you might sacrifice high end specifications, or buy from a brand you are not familiar with. Other Things to Consider When buying a Dual SIM phone we would recommend checking if both slots can use 3G/4G connections. Not all phones have the this functionality available on the second SIM slot. Many cheaper Dual SIM phones only allow data on one SIM card and just calls/texts (2G) on the second. Also many manufacturers combine the SD card and second SIM card slot to create a hybrid slot. This is typically done to save on space, when manufacturing a smooth, slim phone. This can help improve looks, but again limits functionality, as with this setup you need to choose between a second SIM card or expanding storage with an SD card. Finally some basic setup is necessary to fully take advantage of the dual SIM capabilities. To make sure data connections and phone calls use the SIM card you prefer, you will need to manage your phone settings carefully. Conclusion There are some disadvantages with using Dual SIM, but for most people who need this type of phone the benefits are far more important. You will be able to manage your calls and get the coverage you need in areas of poor reception. An increasing number of manufacturers now offer this type of phone. Here at Clove Technology we offer a wide choice on our website. As we mostly source UK stock, some of the major brands are missing from the list, however in the future this feature will be available on more phones giving more choice to customers. Dual SIM Smartphones | Clove Technology

Doro 6030 User Guide Below you can find the digital version of the 6030 user manual. If you would like a printed version, please click here. The 6030 is an easy to use mobile phone that features a handsomely slim clamshell design that protects the keypad when not in use. Enjoy a bigger display, enhanced sound and well separated keys – all at a great price. Hopefully the user manual will answer any of the outstanding questions that you have about the device, but if there is anything that isn’t covered or if you have any questions prior to purchasing, please feel free to ask in the comments or to contact our sales team.

Whether it be work or personal, if you’re juggling multiple accounts on single user applications then there is a saviour; Huawei’s ‘App Twin’ feature. Now if you haven’t heard of App Twin before, this is a really useful tool that we use regularly. App Twin essentially allows you to clone applications such as Facebook, Messenger and Snapchat that only let you sign in using one account. This means that you can have two accounts running simultaneously without needing to constantly sign out and sign back in. Huawei P30 Pro | From £899 inc-VAT   So, first things first, make sure you’ve actually downloaded the app that you want to clone. Next, go into your device’s settings, scroll down to the apps menu and find app twin. From here, locate the application that you want to duplicate – applications such as Instagram and Twitter that natively support more than one account won’t show up – and flip the toggle next to it to On. Viola – you have two apps! Switching between these two cloned applications is a seamless transition. You’ll now see two icons for the application which can be stored next to each other just as you would with any other app. Download the single-user application that you want to clone Head to ‘Settings’ Scroll down to ‘Apps’ Click ‘App Twin’ Locate the application that you want to clone Flip the toggle next to it  Find the two apps on your home screen (the cloned application will have a ‘2’ in the bottom corner) If you have any queries then please let us know in the comments section. If there is anything else that you would like help with regarding your Huawei device, then please also let us know in the comments and we will get back to you. Huawei P30 Pro | From £899 inc-VAT

The Sony Xperia 1 is a media lovers dream; with a CinemaWide 4K HDR display and Dolby Atmos sound, watching movies is more immersive than ever before. If you’re thinking about purchasing the Sony Xperia 1, then maybe one of your key considerations is whether the device offers any kind of water resistance. The Sony Xperia 1 comes with an IP65/68 certification for water resistance. This means that it is protected from low-pressure water jet spray and from the effects of immersion in water at depths greater than 1 metre. The Sony Xperia 1 will be shipping from Clove Technology for £849 inc-VAT. Sony Xperia 1 | £849 inc-VAT   What is an IP rating and what does this mean for the Sony Xperia 1? An IP rating is an international standard used to define levels of sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures against intrusion from foreign bodies (such as dirt and dust) and moisture. These ratings are presented in the form of ‘IP’ (Ingress Protection) followed by two numbers; for example, IP65. The first of these numbers refers to protection against solids and ranges from 1 to 6, with the higher the number, the better the protection. For example, ‘1’ indicates protection against solid objects over 50mm, whilst a ‘6’ rating indicates that a device is dust tight. The second number refers to protection from liquids and ranges from 1 to 8. Again, the higher the number, the better the protection that the device is offered. 0 – no protection1 – protected against dripping water2 – protected against dripping water up to 15-degrees from the vertical3 – protected against spraying water4 – protected against splashing water5 – protected against low-pressure water jet spray for at least 3 minutes6 – protected against heavy jet spray for at least 3 minutes7 – protected against the effects of immersion in up to 1 metre of water for 30 minutes8 – protected against the effects of continued immersion in water at depths greater than 1 metre Just because a device has been certified with a level 8 rating, this doesn’t actually mean that it has passed the required tests for the levels below it. As such, when a device has an IP65/68 certification as the Sony Xperia 1 does, this means that it can withstand both a certain amount of spray as well as immersion under water. Sony clearly state on their website that ‘all ports and attached covers should be firmly closed’, however when this is the case, you can splash water on the Xperia 1 with confidence and even clean it under a tap.   Is the Sony Xperia 1 is protected in all wet situations? Despite having this IP65/68 certification, it’s important to remember that all relevant tests are performed using fresh water and as such, doesn’t consider many other common scenarios. Salt water in particular can have a very different impact on mobile phones and can often be corrosive, damaging outer seals and circuit boards inside the device. Similarly, chlorinated water in swimming pools and spilled soft drinks also contain chemical substances that have not been accounted for whilst testing. Liquid temperatures are also another factor to take into consideration, since very hot or very cold water will have a damaging effect and further. That said, Sony do claim that if your Sony device is waterproof to IPX8 standard (as the Xperia 1 is), then you can use it within a chlorinated swimming pool, ‘however, avoid keeping the device in the pool for too long and remember to rinse it off thoroughly with fresh water once you get out’.   How durable is the Sony Xperia 1? As well as coming with an IP certification to protect from water, the Sony Xperia 1 also meets MIL-STD-810G military standards. These are a series of tests that were originally designed by the US military to test their equipment in a variety of harsh conditions. To achieve this rating, devices such as the Sony Xperia 1 are tested against a number of elements, including; drop, vibration, wind and rain, sand and dust, extreme temperature, humidity and high altitude. Alongside this, the Sony Xperia 1 is also draped in Gorilla Glass 6 front and back, a chemically strengthened glass that adds an extra layer of durability. During testing, Gorilla Glass 6 survived 15 consecutive drops from 1 meter onto rough surfaces on average. As such, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about drops, knocks and scratches on your Sony Xperia 1. Is the Sony Xperia 1 worth it? As well as coming with certified water resistance, the Sony Xperia 1 has an impressive 6-inch CinemaWide 4K HDR OLED display and Dolby Atmos sound; making it the perfect device for watching movies and other media playback. Having a 21:9 CinemaWide aspect ratio means that you can view films in the way were meant to be enjoyed. The level of detail available on the worlds first 4K HDR OLED screen is astonishing, with a myriad of vibrant colours, improved contrast and clarity. Alongside this, the Sony Xperia 1 utilises a triple-lens camera system comprised of three 12MP lenses to produce professional results. The Xperia 1 can also record 4K HDR movies with exceptional dynamic range and contrast, with true to life colour, even in backlit scenes or low light. Ensuring that you can make full use of these outstanding features, the device also comes with a 3,330mAh battery, lasting you a day with ease. Plus, Smart Stamina predicts how long your power will last and adapts your energy usage to maximise your time.   Sony Xperia 1 Key Features Android 9 (Pie) 5-inch (1644 x 3840) 4K HDR OLED display Triple camera; 12MP + 12MP + 12MP 8MP front lens, f/2.0, wide-angle Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 3,330mAh battery Fast charging + Wireless Charging Gorilla Glass 6 front and back PS4 Remote Play   Sony Xperia 1 | £849 inc-VAT  

Not content to simply emulate the top brands, Honor are now in a position to start dictating new features for smartphones. With the Honor View 10, they have delivered the world’s first AI processor in a smartphone. This is made possible due to the Huawei Kirin 970 chipset. This isn’t just one of the fastest and most capable mobile platforms on the planet. It also has its own embedded NPU (neural-network processing unit). Through this, the very hardware that powers the Honor View 10 is capable of learning based on your behaviour. Intelligently tailoring your smartphone experience to your individual use. Want to know before you buy? Below you can find the digital version of the Honor View 10 user manual –  click the PDF icon to download it, or access it here. If you would like a printed version, please click here. Honor View 10 User Guide Hopefully the user manual will answer any of the outstanding questions that you have about the device. If you still have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments or to contact our sales team. Clove Technology. We Print User Manuals.

Metals, plastics and rounded corners The most important aspect of our technology should be how it performs when up against the tasks and challenges we encounter every day. With the power and technical quality of smartphones and other devices increasing all the time, this is becoming more and more sidelined for aesthetics. How a product looks and feels has always been of huge importance – everyone has different tastes but fashions dictate what the majority of us consider attractive and people are unconsciously drawn to that which is pleasing to their senses. Whereas the excessive styling of advanced products has usually been the province of the more expensive brands – Apple for one have long charged considerably more than the sum of their device’s parts, however they are small fry compared to the likes of Harman/Kardon or Bang & Olufsen – high quality design is beginning to become the norm in lower end devices where differentiating on specification alone is no longer as important as it once was. The word ‘premium’ is one that I believe is overused along with other similar superlatives, especially in the smartphone industry, yet it continues to evoke response if the noise made by of professional reviewers and consumers online is anything to go by. So what do we mean by the term premium? Is it something that can be tangibly reduced or is it more of a concept that we simply ‘know’ by experience and familiarity? The topic comes up regularly but was highlighted pretty recently in many reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S4. Despite the incredible technological achievements in Samsung’s most recent flagship, reviews across the board have docked points or decried Samsung’s continued of plastics for the Galaxy range where competitors have either long been using or started introducing metal alloys in manufacturing. Devices such as the Apple iPhone 5 and HTC One both make a big deal of their unibody construction and premium (there’s that word again) materials. Plastics too can be used well, Sony’s Xperia Z and SP both use different types of plastic casing yet somehow manage to come across as providing a better aesthetic than any of Samsung’s units. Perhaps it’s the type of plastic used or the finish – Samsung’s casings have been called ‘slimy’ and ‘unattractive’, whereas Sony’s are ‘grippy’ and ‘eye-catching’. As mentioned previously, ‘premium’ evokes value, a value that can’t readily be defined but definitely translates to price. If Samsung devices don’t qualify for this premium moniker, then how can they continue to price themselves above their competitors and on a par with Apple? Samsung’s marketing goes great guns to justify the price tags by promoting both the hardware and software features whilst possibly over-inflating the quality of their design despite consumer response. For the time being this is working as their devices do indeed tend to have the largest and most comprehensive feature sets yet I predict this can’t continue for too much longer; already the bloated TouchWiz is beginning to lose favour. The design language of the current Galaxy range is very clearly an iteration of last year’s devices which also came under fire (but not quite as much) when put aside the likes of the HTC One X and iPhone 4S. The thing is why should they change? The Galaxy S3 was the best selling Android smartphone of all time and may well have outsold Apple’s devices of the same generation depending on which figures you look at. It’s a strange situation where people say they want a change yet are still willing to buy. For now at least the compromise on aesthetics for pure technological prowess is worth it, but how long will this last? If other supposedly better designed devices begin to encroach on Samsung’s Android dominance will they change tack next year? Only time will tell of course. Premium then seems to hinge mostly on materials and by being different to the current norm. HTC introduced a unibody aluminum design with front mounted speakers and were lauded critically. Nokia have just redesigned the bulky poly-carbonate Lumia  920 with a slimmer and lighter aluminium alloy for the 925. Sony’s Xperia Z and Z tablet have opted for rigid square corners and a type of edgeless styling that looks different to anything else on the shelf. Even at the cheaper end of the market, Huawei’s new Ascend P6 has an interesting mix of curvature and sharp angles that help it find its own identity despite the cheaper materials. Motorola’s new direction under Google has also promised customisation and personality in the mid range game. Samsung then are left with arguably the lowest quality looking devices (understandably my own opinion…) yet a dominant market position. Is there anything that could change this and would Samsung risk it when one assumes the production line and project cycle for their next slew of devices is probably already well underway? Let us know your thoughts!

Migrate your contacts, conversations, media and other content to your new Xperia One of the most frustrating parts about getting a new phone used to be the conversion process. Getting all of your contact’s numbers & details, as well messages & other media such as music files onto a new handset can be quite the undertaking and daunting to many. For Android users, the blow has been softened somewhat in the last few years if you regularly back up with Google. Just signing into your account on a new device gives you the option to download any compatible apps you have installed in the past and also ensures your contacts are up to date. Google doesn’t do everything you might want for you though, plus if you’re making the switch from iPhone to a new Sony Xperia then you could be forgiven for thinking you need to start from scratch. Xperia Transfer Mobile Sony have recently made the new Xperia Transfer Mobile app available on Google Play. This is designed to allow certain devices to connect to a new Xperia and sent across close to everything you could ever want, including SMS messages, full contact cards, ringtones, video & audio files and even browser bookmarks where compatible. The full list of everything that can be transferred depends on the exact device you are sending from, and the apps you have used on your device (for instance bookmarks from a different browser on your old device won’t transfer into Chrome on your new Xperia). Supported data includes: Contacts, Calendar, SMS, MMS, Bookmarks, Notes, Photos, Music, Videos and Apps (iPhone only). When using Xperia Transfer Mobile, the receiving device must be a Sony Xperia handset running Android 4.3+. The sending device must be either an Android device running 4.0+ (tested with Sony, Samsung, HTC, LG, Huawei, ZTE and Motorola handsets), or an iPhone with iOS 4.0+. For older Android devices and BlackBerry handsets then you will need to use the existing desktop software suite explained at the end of the article. Pairing the the devices depends on whether you are sending from an iPhone or an Android. With an iPhone you will need to use a USB host cable; one is included with the new Xperia Z1 Compact and Z2, you can purchase one from Clove at the previous link should you need one. If you wish to transfer and cannot obtain the cable, then use the desktop software suite explained at the end of the article. Transfer from iPhone Once paired, you can remove the USB host cable and transfer over a common network via WiFi, although this will be slower (approx. 5.8 Mbit/s compared to 19 Mbit/s). Open the Xperia Mobile Transfer app on your new Xperia Select Next, followed by iPhone When prompted, connect your iPhone to the new Xperia with the USB host cable A pop-up to “Trust This Computer?” should appear on the iPhone screen. Select Trust Following the pairing confirmation, select the content you want to transfer from the list and press Transfer Press Accept on the privacy notice Wait for the transfer screen to finish* (Optional) If you asked for apps / games to transfer, you will now be able to choose from Android equivalents** Press Finish *The transfer will pause if your iPhone is not connected to power and the screen goes dark. Wake the screen or connect to power to continue transferring **Many apps from iTunes have a free equivalent in Google Play. Xperia Transfer Mobile will only suggest free Android apps that match your iTunes apps Transfer from Android Transferring with Android devices is done using Wi-Fi Direct so can be completed without a common network. Pairing can be done either via NFC or by PIN code generated by the Xperia Transfer Mobile app. Open the Xperia Mobile Transfer app on both your new Xperia and the old device Select Next, followed by Android phone on both handsets Ensure the new Xperia is set to Receiver and the old device to Sender*  On both devices, select the same pairing option (PIN / NFC) Type the PIN generated PIN code on the old device or tap the NFC tags together Press Accept on the “Invitation to connect” pop up Select the content you want to transfer from the list and press Transfer Wait for the transfer screens to finish Press Finish on both devices *The option for sender/receiver will not be available on non-Sony devices Xperia Transfer via PC Sony have also long provided the Xperia Transfer tool through their PC Companion (PC) and Sony Bridge (Mac) software suites. Using the Xperia Transfer tool in these suites is comprehensive and will allow you to migrate much of what you could ever need from an old Android, iPhone or BlackBerry. Xperia Transfer on a PC is more comprehensive and caters for the following OS versions: Android version 2.1 and later iOS version 4.x and later Blackberry OS 4.x – 7.x (BlackBerry 10.x and later not supported) Transferring via PC will hand over the same content, however you will need to keep both your new and old devices connected to the PC for the duration of the process.