3 On Your Side: Gadget Upgrades
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Has pool time and beach sand been rough on your smartphone? Or maybe you're thinking of handing down your tablet to the kids when they start school and buying a new device for yourself. When it's time to upgrade, the number of choices and features can be overwhelming.
So 3 On Your Side consumer reporter Jim Donovan joins us with some advice before you begin shopping, whatever the reasons for considering a summer upgrade.
If you want to get out of your gadget comfort zone, consumer reports identified some gadget trends that might help. Smartphone and tablet screens are getting sharper and wider with more pixels in each display. As a result, text, images and especially video look better.
The tablet stole much of the e-reader's thunder and sales have plummeted. But back-to-campus shoppers, especially those who plan to rely on e-textbooks, may find them a better deal than a tablet.
"They're still a very compelling device, particularly for ardent book readers. They have a lot going for them. They've become very inexpensive. They're still the best screen on which to read books," said Consumer Reports editor, Paul Reynolds.
And with each new generation of smartphone and tablet from manufacturers like Apple and Samsung, Consumer Reports finds battery life getting longer.
"Even if it's a year or two since you replaced your tablet or smartphone, battery life alone, particularly on the smartphone, might be a reason to upgrade," said Reynolds.
Of course, some consumers will consider waiting until the fall to upgrade devices.
Remember the debut of the iPhone 4-s, the iPhone 5 and the iPad mini all came in the autumn months, so it tends to be Apple season.
