battery
Fitbit Charge 3 review: No need to charge this Charge a lot
Fitness trackers are still worth your time — even though smartwatches are on everyone’s wrists right now. Apple just launched the brilliant Watch 4 that has made insane progress in the wearables sector. But you know what’s still buggy about smartwatches? Battery life. This is where fitness trackers enter the space with confidence. With a smaller range of apps and functionality, they can last...[Read More]
Apple wound up replacing 11 million iPhone batteries in 2018
Apple recently announced that it was expecting revenues to take a hit, as a result of several factors. Economic slowdown and increased competition from China were blamed but another cause seems to be the company’s discounted battery replacement program. Apple may have been expecting to replace between one and two million batteries for the year but things didn’t work out that way. Accor...[Read More]
Stuff’s load shedding survival guide for 2018 – Unlimited power!
We’re not here to disappoint anyone — we know you’re all quite fidgety because you’ve been stuck watching prehistoric Netflix (a candle flickering against the wall) for the past two weeks. Maybe you haven’t had a proper warm bath for a few days, or you’ve long since blown by your take-away budget. Here’s something to brighten up your gloom slightly — Stuff’s load shedding survival guid...[Read More]
Here’s how to stop Apple from throttling your iPhone 8’s battery
Apple’s been in trouble in the past when it comes to batteries in their tech. Older model iPhones have seen their speeds and battery capacities limited by software updates since 2016, a function that Apple said was to avoid devices shutting down when they get older. But… Apple didn’t give anybody a choice concerning those updates, leading to the company having to replace batterie...[Read More]
Huawei Mate 20 Pro vs Huawei P20 Pro: The weigh-in
How can Huawei top the brilliant P20 Pro? By bringing in a new Mate, it seems. It’s too early to know for sure, but the freshly revealed Huawei Mate 20 Pro looks to be leaps and bounds better than last year’s great — but now somewhat dated-looking — Mate 10 Pro. It’s also packing a dazzling new design along with loads of top-end tech and unique features. Of course, the P20 ...[Read More]
Explainer: why lithium ion batteries could be a game changer in Africa
Renewable energy resources – such as wind, water or solar solutions – hold great promise. They could provide energy while overcoming Africa’s infrastructural challenges. But this energy would still need to be stored. Lithium ion batteries might provide a solution. The Conversation Africa asked Bernard Jan Bladergroen about the challenges and opportunities. What is a lithium ion battery and what ar...[Read More]
New materials are powering the battery revolution
There are more mobile phones in the world than there are people. Nearly all of them are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which are the single most important component enabling the portable electronics revolution of the past few decades. None of those devices would be attractive to users if they didn’t have enough power to last at least several hours, without being particularly heavy....[Read More]
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs Huawei P20 Pro: Which is best?
It’s that time of the year again, the time when we get to compare the latest flagship from the big names… before the iPhone arrives and the catch-up and leapfrog cycle starts all over again. Currently in the ring? Samsung’s jumbo Note 9 and Huawei’s triple-threat P20 Pro. Samsung’s S Pen-packing super phone features a larger screen, improved cameras, and other upgrade...[Read More]
Why does my phone battery die so fast?
Why do batteries die? And, why can they only be recharged so many times before they won’t hold a useful amount of charge? My young son asked me about that years ago when his battery-powered toy car stopped moving, wondering about what he called an “everlasting battery.” And this same question has probably crossed the mind of every cellphone user trying to send one last text before the screen blink...[Read More]
Sony Xperia Touch review: Great idea, terrible result
Bring it on Tony Stark, we’re inching closer to touchscreen surfaces, one intriguing prototype at a time. The Sony Xperia Touch is the first one to come to market in South Africa, and — more importantly — the first to arrive on our desks for testing. The Xperia Touch generated plenty of hype when it was teased a few years back, and the eventual commercial version has some nifty feature...[Read More]
CAT S41 Smartphone – For when you need extra protection
Remember the previous Cat smartphone? And we’re not talking about a phone for your feline friend. Cat, the massive construction equipment company has been making smartphones designed to endure just about anything. In our review of the S60 we found that it had a very nifty thermal camera — not the sort of thing that you encounter every day. So what does the Cat S41 Smartphone have to impress ...[Read More]
iStore announces pricing to replace old iPhone batteries
It’s no secret that iPhones lose some of their oomph after a year or two, partly due to batteries that inevitably deteriorate, partly due to software updates that place greater demands on the hardware, and partly due to deliberate moves by Apple to slow down old iPhones to prevent unexpected shutdowns. The last of these factors prompted a backlash from consumers in recent weeks, which Apple respon...[Read More]