Twas the week before Christmas and all through WhistleOut, not a cursor was stirring, no neither a mouse. The stories are put in the CMS with care, in hope that some time off would soon be here.
The writers ideas nestled snuggly in their heads, versions of stories to come for the next year ahead. But while we plot and plan next year's content to queue, let's look back on our favourite stories from 2022.
Apple Watch Cycle Tracking: I peed on a stick for this
By: Anula Wiwatowska
The TLDR: Apple's Cycle Tracking is new and it shows.
A note from the author:
Many people with uteruses were struck by the overturning of Roe vs. Wade in the states this year. Suddenly many of us were forced to consider a reality where our period tracking apps were no longer secure, or could be used against us.
"For Apple, 2022 has been a big year of new ideas that haven’t quite fulfilled their potential just yet."
To see Apple - an organisation known for its dedication to privacy - roll out a new feature that combats just this fear was more than refreshing, it was a relief. In this piece, I put the latest Cycle Tracking and Wrist Temperature features through rigorous testing to see how it performed, but it still has a way to go.
Qualcomm wants mobile cameras to match professional cameras within five years
By: Alex Choros
The TLDR: Read the headline again
A note from the author:
I was fortunate enough to attend this year's Snapdragon Summit, and while there, I had the chance to chat to Qualcomm's VP of Product Management for Camera, Judd Heape.
Heape was fascinating to chat to, and he had some really ambitious ideas about the future of mobile photography, as well as the technical steps needed to get there.
Abolishing SIM cards could save thousands of tonnes of CO2 emissions per year
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By: Anula Wiwatowska
The TLDR: eSIM would be better for the consumer and for the environment
A note from the author:
This article took a lot of math. I don't like math. I don't do math. I do words.
"We can conservatively estimate that new SIM cards from the Australian telco market emitted around 3,668 tonnes of CO2 in 2021"
Even so, the dreaded math uncovered an even more dreadful number of CO2 the telco market emits purely from SIM cards. When every telco's sustainability policy focuses on cutting back paper and plastic use in their SIM card packaging, then the problem seems pretty obvious.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 Review: When Software Catches Up
By: Alex Choros
The TLDR: Turns out better software makes for better foldables.
A note from the author:
I've been writing about foldables for almost five years now, and in the Z Fold's fourth iteration, we're finally starting to see its true potential. While refined, more durable hardware helps, this generation proves the software experience is equally important.
iPhone after a life of Android: Sipping the Kool Aid
By: Anula Wiwatowska
The TLDR: Apple is one seductive cult.
A note from the author:
I'm annoyed by how refreshing the Apple Kool Aid was. Slurp, slurp.
The Galaxy Note is dead because every phone is a Galaxy Note now
By: Alex Choros
The TLDR: Samsung may have killed off the Note, but the Note lives on
A note from the author:
The legacy of the Samsung Galaxy Note is about so much more than a stylus. Despite being mocked for its "large" size when it first launched, the Note reshaped the smartphone landscape.
Brands have overlooked the link between eating disorders and smartwatches
By: Anula Wiwatowska
The TLDR: Smartwatch manufacturers work with a lot of health professionals, but apparently not anyone in the eating disorders space.
A note from the author:
This was a deeply personal piece that looked at my own struggles with eating disorders, and how smart watches have played a role in them. I'm not the only person to struggle with unrealistic expectations from wearables, I know a certain editor who desperately needs Apple to come out with rest days.
"Having a reminder on their hand to walk more and burn more calories, fuels that part of them that is problematic and potentially life threatening."
After speaking with eating disorder expert Vicki Boler, I found out that I'm not alone, and speaking with smartwatch manufacturers I found out we're kind of still on our own.
The brilliance of Apple's "bad" design
By: Alex Choros
The TLDR: I was right, kinda.
A note from the author:
While Apple did kill the notch on the iPhone 14 Pro family, the Dynamic Island is nonetheless instantly recognisable and fits with the design philosophy I explored in this piece.
Suunto 9 Peak Review: A balanced approach to fitness tracking
By: Anula Wiwatowska
The TLDR: The antithesis to the usual smartwatch
A note from the author:
Flowing on from the unbalanced nature of smartwatch tracking, the Suunto 9 Peak brought to light the healthiest fitness tracking I've encountered in a wearable.
" It’s like playing The Sims on PS4 - it works but it would almost be better if it didn’t."
Designed for athletes, Suunto's tracking focuses on rest and recovery over a daily penance. I loved it, but just wish the screen was nicer.
iPhone 14 Pro & iPhone 14 Pro Max Review: Always On
By: Alex Choros
The TLDR: In which I argue the iPhone is now a big Apple Watch.
A note from the author:
The iPhone 14 Pro family are a soft reset of Apple's handset thanks to their big new ideas. What's especially interesting, however, is that most of them can be traced back to the Apple Watch. Time is a flat circle.
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