The HTC One M8's screen comes in at 5 inches. Courtesy HTC
The HTC One M8's screen comes in at 5 inches. Courtesy HTC
The HTC One M8's screen comes in at 5 inches. Courtesy HTC
The HTC One M8's screen comes in at 5 inches. Courtesy HTC

Big-screen smartphones are big deal, but then there is iPhone


Mustafa Alrawi
  • English
  • Arabic

Ignorance is bliss I've always thought. Nothing proved this more than when I recently tried out a smartphone with a big screen.
I have used an iPhone since early 2010. First the iPhone 4 and now the iPhone 5s, which is longer and slimmer than its predecessor. I was happily enjoying the innovation.
Then the nice people at HTC not only flew me to Turin to watch a big football match but also insisted I try out their new HTC One M8.
It is around 20mm longer and 12mm wider than the iPhone, giving it a larger screen presence which at first glance did not seem to be a big deal. But after using the HTC for a couple of weeks there was a light bulb moment - what I really, really want in life is a phone with a massive screen.
It is just better, simply. However, you can't always have what you want because realities kick in.
The HTC is a very good phone at the point of use, maybe a bit better than the iPhone overall and miles better if you factor in the screen size. Yet the HTC is literally a conundrum on the back end.
I couldn't even begin to work out how to transfer pictures or other media to my backup drive. Using the software reminded me of how I was all fingers and thumbs with computers in the early 1990s.
I don't like to feel stupid even if I like being ignorant of many things.
In contrast iTunes is intuitively easy. I am a genius thanks to Apple and they let me remain a delightful ignoramus.
But I have spoiled that now.
I know about the wonder of a big screen but I'm trapped in my gilded cage. The solution is to settle in for the long haul and wait for Apple to catch on.
malrawi@thenational.ae

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

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United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

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South Korea

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Your rights as an employee

The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.

The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.

If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.

Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.

The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.

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Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices

Batti Gul Meter Chalu

Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5