Smartphones are getting better and better, something you can easily see when looking at the new
generation of smartphones by companies like Lenovo, Samsung, and Nokia. These phones combine
greater efficiency with enhanced aesthetics for a personalised computer experience that is designed
to challenge the functionality of laptops and tablets. These new devices boast ‘super’ versions of
all the current specifications: super visuals, super connectivity, super efficiency, and, of course, the
latest, fanciest software. According to recent reports, international graphics card designer Nvidia
claims that smartphones will soon be so advanced that they will outperform game consoles like the
Xbox 360 and the PS3 – impressive claims! Here are two of the trends that are making smartphones
so super.
Long term evolution
Despite being an advanced piece of technology, even the best smartphone can become useless
thanks to a slow or non-existent internet connection, something that is commonly the result of
geographical location. New smartphones aim to tackle this occasional weakness with the use of
advanced wireless broadband technology – Long Term Evolution (LTE) or ‘Super 3G’, which, as
the name suggests, aims to provide an unparalleled and long lasting connectivity even in the most
difficult of places. Smartphone users with LTE will be able to download material faster, browse more
comfortably, and get quicker access to video streams than ever before. One of the most defining
features of the super phone, LTE is an enhancement, not replacement, to the current 3G system. It is
currently limited to countries that have the sufficient infrastructure to run it, but marketing firm ABI
Research claims that there will be a doubling of Super 3G users throughout the globe by the end of
2013.
Enhanced visuals
For a truly super experience, a user must be blown away by what he or she sees. The current
market does offer some models that give us a glimpse into the future of mobile phone design. The
Samsung Galaxy 4S, due out this month, is a prime example of a super smartphone. It has multi-
core processors, an HD screen, and mega-pixel camera lenses for exceptional resolution. Preinstalled
with LTE and state-of-the-art software, the newest mobile device from this Korean tech giant is less
phone and more laptop, at least in terms of capability. Other models out now that push the limits of
portable computing are the Nokia Lumia 920 and the Lenovo K860, the latter of which is equipped
with a 5-inch IPS display and 8-mpg panoramic view camera. These phones are now the supermodels
of the smartphone world, blurring distinctions between PCs and phones to such an extent that they
may well, one day, become one and the same.