The Senate decided to renew the mobiles of the members of the chamber, and the chosen one was the iPhone 14 presented in September, the latest high-end product from Apple. The requests are very specific concerning the functionalities of the smartphones, and go in the direction of the Apple models.
However, there are also Android phones that can meet a large part of the needs at the hardware level. In EL ESPAÑOL – El Androide Libre we checked which are these in the technical specifications document published in the BOE to find out which phones could replace the iPhone 14.
In 2022, the Congress of Deputies was renewed with the purchase of 550 iPhone 13 Pro and also 275 units of the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G. A fact that attracts a lot of attention, since it is a mid-range device, unlike Apple’s.
Apple-specific requirements
Anyone who uses a cell phone for work needs it to have good performance that allows it to be a competent tool. The iPhone 14 is one. one of the best models on the market, and there is no discussion of its potency and quality. However, certain points of the technical prescription directly exclude any alternative to Android.
The Senate says their phones should have components such as an Apple A15 chip, facial recognition via FaceID and an operating system superior to iOS 16. That leaves any other smartphone out of the question other than an iPhone, as these are Apple-exclusive technologies and cannot be used by any other brand.
Most of the items on the Senate technical requirements list are practically that of the technical sheet of the iPhone 14, to a few points. One of them talks about offering a good user experience and being ergonomic. Here are the rest of the required characteristics:
- Connection to 5G/4G/LTE telephone networks via nano SIM.
- Dual SIM and eSIM
- Supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11) connectivity.
- Bluetooth 5.3.
- 6.1 inch screen.
- Internal storage of 256 GB or more.
- Weight less than 200 grams.
It is also specified that they must be able to synchronize email information from the Senate computer system, in the United States Microsoft Exchange Server 2019, in addition to being able to access the Internet with an HTML 5 browser and play videos in MP4/H.264 format. Compatibility with MDM products on the market. Something that is also possible from an Android device.
Leaving the latter aside, most the necessary specifications point directly to the iPhone 14, leaving no choice for non-Apple phones. Not because of the poor quality of these, but because exclusive technologies and applications are included as essential elements.
Another example is the system for recording private members’ initiatives and the remote voting system during Senate sittings. have been developed for iOS
Leaving aside the software used for the procedures of the chamber of representation, in terms of security, user-friendliness and ergonomics, the members of the chamber could use an Android mobile. The best proof of this is that in 2022, Congress acquired 275 units of the Samsung Galaxy A53. This is a mid-range phone that has been deemed to meet the necessary security and dimensions. Same as this one, could have been quite a few other models.
Alternatives on Android
In the absence of being able to opt for cell phones with technical features that do not belong to Apple, such as the chip or FaceID, there are Android smartphones that could meet the needs of senators. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S23 is the phone which would best meet the needs, and also the one that most resembles the iPhone 14. This is the latest high-end mobile from the Korean company presented earlier this year, although its predecessor, the Galaxy S22, also meets the necessary hardware.
On the other hand, the Sony Xperia 5 IV would position itself as another of the alternatives. This also has a contained size, a large connectivity section and a weight less than 200 grams to contribute to ergonomics of the terminal. Some requirements are decisive to ensure proper operation, such as the presence of 5G or WiFi 6 connectivity.
However, it is curious that the screen size must necessarily be 6.1 inches, as this greatly limits the range of options available, as does the weight limit of 200 grams. This is made for promote ergonomics and maneuverabilityalthough this decision can be quite subjective, since there are people who are better handled with large screens.
In case there is no height or weight requirement, There would be other models that would also fit, like the Google Pixel 7 Pro, which has a 6.7-inch panel and weighs 212 grams, it’s the fastest when it comes to software and updates. Other premium mobiles such as the OPPO Find X5 Pro, the Motorola Edge 40 Pro or the Xiaomi 13 Lite would also be possible choices. The first has a weight of 218 grams and a 6.7-inch screen, while the slab of the others measures 6.67 and 6.5 inches respectively.
The same goes for the Ultra version of the Samsung Galaxy S23, which claims to be one of the toughest and largest mobile phones with a size of 6.8 inches and a weight of 233 grams. Additionally, it includes the S-Pen, a stylus that could be a great productivity tool for members of the courts. To do that, yes, they would have to update Private Members’ Business and Voting Systems first to be available on Android.
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