Working on the OPPO Find N2 Flip launch

May 17, 2023 |

There was a time when I used to write on technology for my site and various publications. One of the early blog posts I ever did on my site when I got my domain was on Nokia's music store, a very long time ago. When I was submerged in that world, I had the opportunity to attend many a tech launch, particularly for smartphones, even getting to travel to launches and tech experiences internationally. I got to visit CES in Las Vegas, tour the Google offices in San Francisco, go dogsledding and to see the northern lights in Sweden, and attend a smartphone launch in Paris, amongst others. After a...

read more

Playing with the HiSense C30 Rock

Sep 22, 2017 |

Been meaning to post this for a minute. The smartphone market is a highly contested one, particularly within the Android segment, considering from a mobile OS perspective, the ecosystem is basically the same. We hear about the ones that make the most noise but that does not necessarily imply that they are the best ones because, let’s be honest, best is subjective. The campaigns and sponsorship are necessary to build awareness around products and brands, but when we are looking to buy a smartphone, the reality is that we look at features and functionality, we look at aesthetics and design,...

read more

Xiaomi’s Mi 5 Smartphone In Africa

Jul 19, 2016 |

The ‘affordable’ smartphone space is becoming extremely cluttered with most manufacturers looking at how to tap into the rapidly growing smartphone market, particularly in the developing world. Growing off the back of high sales in their home market, Chinese technology companies are expanding globally, in an attempt to break the dominance of manufacturers like Apple and Samsung. According to IT research and advisory company Gartner Inc, the three Chinese companies, Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi jumped into the top five, the first quarter of 2016. While Xiaomi, which was founded by entrepreneur...

read more

Playing With The Sony Xperia Z5

Feb 29, 2016 |

Have you ever thought about what truly influences your smartphone spending habits? With the exponential improvements to smartphones that have happened over the last couple of years, I was often mesmerised by the specs and features. For example, the higher the megapixels the phone’s camera had, the more excited I was, as an amateur mobile photographer. Until I saw my pictures. And then I wasn’t so excited anymore. As a side note, in a discussion about smartphone cameras, someone (can’t remember who so can’t give credit) made the comment that, as important as the camera specs is the actual...

read more

Need Extra Money?

Jan 27, 2016 | ,

The first cellphone I owned was a Nokia 2110 in 1996/97. A hand-me-down from my father, who got it while doing work at CSIR in Pretoria. Vodacom had just setup a deal to provide cellular services in Lesotho, creating Vodacom Lesotho. I was literally given a list of numbers to choose from. Since then, I have had countless phones and have written on them relatively extensively for a variety of spaces, also having the opportunity to go to launches both locally and internationally. I’m actually reviewing the Sony Xperia Z5 right now. I have also had two phone contracts for ten years which means...

read more

Huawei Launches The Mate S

Nov 19, 2015 |

Why do you choose one smartphone over the other? What influences your purchasing decision? Is it the specs? The design? As these little devices have taken over all aspects of our lives, I believe that simply specs become less important. The reality is most, if not all, smartphones do the same things, have the same apps, etc. Apple showed the world how design in the tech space drives many of our purchasing decisions because it is about how you connect with something emotionally. When you buy a pair of jeans, you may take note of the stitching but the decision to purchase is influenced more by...

read more