Modern smartphones – the office in your pocket

Industry 4.0: To ensure that mobile work doesn't become a test of patience for tradespeople, performance and speed are paramount when they're on the go. But what can current top-of-the-line devices like the Samsung Galaxy S20 or iPhone 11 actually do? And are there any alternatives?

This article is part of the special topic Digital Crafts

New Smartphone generations are becoming increasingly powerful and now have almost as much power as small notebooks. But they can do much more: Current top devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, have multiple cameras with up to 108 megapixel resolution, can record videos in 8K resolution and support the next-generation 5G mobile network. But how useful is this in everyday working life?

No question: The latest devices from manufacturers such as Samsung or Apple offer high-end technology, but with recommended retail prices of €800 to €1.600, they also leave large holes in your budget. Especially the latest Samsung Galaxy With its three variants S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra, it has already stirred up interest before the official sales launch high expectations: Giant displays with up to 17,5 cm diagonal, 108 megapixel cameras with 100x zoom – and some models even support the latest mobile communications standard "5G" for fastest mobile data transfers.

Saving tip: Previous models

For craftsmen However, the current high-flyers in terms of technology offer only limited use: The fantastically high camera resolutions are only worthwhile if photos are printed at poster or billboard size. For the 100x zoom, the smartphone simply enlarges the pixels – at the expense of quality. 5G network will certainly enable fast data transfers in the future, but currently only available in very few citiesAnd videos in the promised 8K resolution can be a maximum of five minutes long on all S20 models for technical reasons. At the same time, there are currently very few monitors and TVs that support 8K resolution. So what remains of use in the everyday life of a craftsman?

Above all, a very powerful smartphone hardware, the A fast work However, in daily use the increase in power is hardly noticeable, so that the previous model Galaxy S10+ in many cases as an alternative with a significantly better price-performance ratio positioned.

Apple: Improvements in detail

The situation is similar with the current Apple models: The iPhone 11 series offers a truly excellent equipment and working speedBut the differences between the iPhone 11 Pro Max and the iPhone XS Max, introduced in late 2018, are more in the details. These include a slightly better camera, slightly longer battery life, and up to 20 percent faster performance. If you don't care about that, you can save a few hundred euros with the previous generation.

Cheap Chinese smartphones

Companies need to plan even less budget if they rely on powerful smartphones from Chinese manufacturers: Xiaomi, OnePlus or Huawei often offer with their devices Top technology at significantly lower prices than Samsung or Apple. Currently, new models from the company Huawei However, please note that due to a boycott by the USA, these are delivered with the Android operating system, but without “Google Mobile Services” (including Play Store, YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps). Although subsequent installation is possible, Vulnerabilities Therefore, new Huawei models are currently only recommended for companies that want top-of-the-line technology at affordable prices but have no interest in Google apps and services.

Protection against dust and water

Current smartphones at a glance! Photo: © Thomas BuschPractical for craftsmen: Many smartphone models now offer  upper price ranges already protection against dust and water as standard. If you work in harsh environments, you should definitely pay attention to the relevant certifications. If the smartphone is also protected against should be protected from falls, scratches or large temperature fluctuations, we recommend devices tested according to the military standard "MIL-STD 810G." Unfortunately, these smartphones often offer significantly weaker hardware than current top-of-the-line devices without all-round protection.

Important technical terms The Fifth-generation mobile technology The network is expected to deliver transmission rates of up to 10 gigabits per second in the future. Currently, however, only 2 Gbps or less is realistic. By 2025, Germany's main traffic routes and 20 major cities are to be covered with 5G technology.

Random Access Memory (RAM)
RAM (Random Access Memory) is used to temporarily store data that is currently being worked on. The more RAM available, the faster the system. The size is measured in gigabytes (GB).

Resolution
The maximum number of horizontal and vertical pixels that can be displayed defines the resolution of a display. Full HD has a resolution of 1.920 x 1.080 pixels.

screen size
The screen size is measured in inches. Gigabyte (GB) Storage space is measured in gigabytes. One GB is 1.024 megabytes, or approximately one billion bytes.

Processor
The heart of a smartphone, tablet, or PC. Its speed is measured in gigahertz (GHz). Multi-core processors contain several fully functional processor cores in a single package and are more powerful than processors with only one core.

RAM
Abbreviation for "Random Access Memory." RAM refers to the main memory or working memory of a system that a processor can access directly.

tariff
The screen diagonal of a monitor or notebook is measured in inches. One inch is equivalent to 2,54 cm.