There are three major elements to the smartphone experience. The hardware, the software, and the services. Software comprises the virtual; it is the operating system and the apps. Services is a bit broader, but it includes cloud connections like backup and app stores as well as the cellular connection provided by the carrier.
Hardware is a different beast. Software and services are ephemeral. You cannot pick up and hold a strong LTE signal. It’s energy, it’s bits and bytes. Hardware is the physical. It’s the device itself. It’s the case, the display, the touchscreen, the buttons, the speakers, the microphones, the radios, the processor, the memory, the storage, the sensors, the cameras, the ports, the battery, and everything else that goes into physically building the device.
Hardware is what enables the software and services. Without the hardware, the software couldn’t happen. Conversely, without the software and services, the hardware would merely be a fancy paperweight. So just how important is hardware? Do the specs matter, or is it what you can do with the specs that’s important? Should we compromise quality for price? And when is it time to put old tech out to pasture?
