There are lots of ways to stay in touch with friends and family using your smartphone, but the classic phone call is still the method of choice for plenty of people. Unfortunately, call quality hasn't exactly kept up with the digital revolution, leading to muddled conversations -- sometimes even on high-end smartphones.

It's been out overseas since February, but now Aussies can finally get their hands on the Sony Xperia XA2. Here are all the details.

If you want to do anything with your smartphone beyond the basics, there's no reason not to go Android. So, as someone who has not only owned some form of hand-built computer since age 15, but worked at a PC enthusiast magazine for five years — including being editor of the darn thing — why on Earth am I using an iPhone 5s and before that, an iPhone 4? It's complicated... but also not.

For those who missed the memo, iOS 11.3 is now available for all iOS devices. Here's how to find all of its most compelling features and updates.

Every now and then, such as when you're taking a flight, you need to keep looking up the same information on your phone. If that information is static, and not especially private, you could take a screengrab and make it your lock screen. Then it's like a low-tech widget that won't change on you at an inconvenient moment.

The problem with using a picture of your significant other as your phone wallpaper is that it's awkward to ever change it away. Luckily my wife just changed her lock screen from a photo of me to a photo of a baby we like, so I'm changing mine to one of the cool maps offered by Alvar Carto.

Telstra has recorded smartphone speeds topping 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) on its network using the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. This is the first time in Australia that speeds in excess of 1Gbps had been demonstrated on a commercial network with a commercial smartphone. Here are the details!

When you're paying top dollar for a smartphone, you obviously want it to have the best camera on the market. Otherwise you might as well be buying a mid-range model.

Most flagship handsets now come with dual lenses, night-friendly sensors and advanced stabilisation software which means virtually anyone can take stunning photos and videos. But which smartphone is best? Watch these comparison videos from YouTube's technology experts and judge for yourself.

With a refined build and improved camera, the Galaxy S9 shows that Samsung is still the company to beat when it comes to flagship Android smartphones. Here are all the ways it improves on its predecessor - and pretty much every other phone on the market.

For those who missed the memo, the first developer preview of Android P is now available. If you're keen to get Google's latest operating system on your smartphone right now, here's what you need to know.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 officially goes on sale in Australia today. With a recommended retail price of $1199, it's certainly not the cheapest smartphone on the market.

Thankfully, Kogan has managed to shave off a cool $200, bringing the total to a slightly more palatable $999. Here are the details.

Technology comes and goes. If you've grown up with technology you'll know that one-time favourite devices and services can enter the world with a bang and then fade away. When I started playing with mobile devices - they were called PDAs, or personal digital assistants, back then - Psion was a big deal before Palm stepped in with their wonderfully easy-to-use devices before they were usurped by Windows CE and the Pocket PC. And now, we see the disappearance of yet another platform - the Windows Phone.

This week, IDC released its latest figures for Australian smartphone shipments. For the first time in a while, iOS is leading the mobile OS pack, with a total shipment volume of 1.75 million units in Q4 2017. Android isn't too far behind, with close to 1.4 million. So where does that leave Windows Phone?

Sadly, Microsoft-fueled handsets managed to sell just 45 units in Q4 2017. That's forty-five phones over three months, Australia wide. This works out to a market share of 0.00 per cent. Ouch.

In the mobile OS two-horse race, Android has been leading iOS for some time. But the release of the iPhone X has driven Apple to the lead according to the latest data from IDC. They say, contrary to many other reports, that the iPhone X has been driving iOS' increased market share following lower-than-expected demand for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

Samsung is touting the Galaxy S9 smartphone as a major reinvention. Mind you, it said the same thing about the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S7 before that. That's a suspicious amount of reinventing going on, major or otherwise.

So just how different is Samsung's current flagship compared to its predecessor? Is it worth the upgrade? Here are the specifications so you can judge for yourself.

Behind the glitz and glamour of Samsung's high-end smartphones lurks a whole family of "lesser" Galaxy siblings. While some deserve to be chained up in a basement like drooling Victorian invalids, others are worthy of carrying the Galaxy name.

Two of the best (non-flagship) options are the Galaxy A5 and A7. Should you buy them, or stump up the cash for one of their premium patriarchs? Let's find out.

If you don't have the need or the budget to upgrade your smartphone, then the next best thing is buying an upgrade for the phone you've already got. Cases, battery packs, and wireless charging pads are the obvious calls, but there are a ton of more exciting upgrades out there for you to spend your money on too - and these are some of our favourites types.

Fire up an iPhone X alongside a Galaxy Note 8 and you might not think there's all that much to choose between Android and iOS any more. They offer the same apps, in the same sorts of grids, with similar approaches to notifications and quick settings, and at this stage in the game you're probably happy with your choice of mobile OS and sticking with it.

Is there really any reason to switch? Well, yeah - there's still a few!

Many of us are more security savvy than ever when it comes to our phones and laptops, but there's one threat you might not be protecting against - the people inside your own home. Whether you're worried about nosey housemates, clumsy kids, or horrible siblings, these are the steps to take to make sure your stuff stays private.