NextUp: VPNs, ethical smartphones and filter 2.0

This is far more than just a preview of what our editorial schedule looks like. In fact, I want to present the three most exciting topics in just a few words!

Fairphone vs. Fastphone

This week I am personally responsible for the smartphone reviews! The two devices reviewed could hardly be any more different. Funnily enough, there is already a hands-on for both smartphones on NextPit:

• Fairphone 4 hands-on
• Xiaomi 11T Pro hands-on

The Xiaomi 11T Pro can confidently be dubbed a so-called "fastphone". A handset whose lifespan should not exceed two years, despite the manufacturer's extended update policy. This is ensured by a smartphone SoC that brings the hardware close to overheating under a full load and quick-charging at an insane 120 watts! However, I still had fun with the phone during the review.

In stark contrast to this is the Fairphone 4, which was introduced just last week by the Danish social business Fairphone. With an RRP of €579, this costs almost as much as the Xiaomi 11T Pro, but offers far tamer specs. The focus is on sustainability, fair working conditions, and easy reparability thanks to its modular form factor. I'm still currently using the Fairphone 4, and I'm already pretty excited about it. Want to ask me a question about the Fairphone 4? Go ahead!

When will it be published?

Topic	Author	Publishing date
Fairphone 4 review	Benjamin Lucks	Saturday, October 9
Xiaomi 11T Pro review	Benjamin Lucks	Tuesday, October 5
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Do leave them in the comments section!

What VPN and what is it anyway?

After I have reviewed Ivacy VPN for you, here is our list of the best VPNs available in the market. In preparation for this, do be prepared in advance that this article will not be chock-full of technical data, but Rubens Eishima will approach it from a different angle. 

Yes, the focus of this article will be you, the user! Which VPN allows me to stream Netflix from my home country and where are the speeds that are actually decent enough to do so based on the available servers? This will include privacy issues like no-log policies and more! I am definitely looking forward to it and I bet Eishima is interested in your questions here too!

When will it be published?

Topic	Author	Publishing date
The best VPN providers in comparison	Rubens Eishima	Wednesday, October 6
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Do leave them in the comments section!

Did Apple invent filters?

Last but not least, Wednesday would once again revolve around a topic that has been with us every day for the past few weeks: the iPhone 13! Apple has implemented the so-called "Photographic Styles", which made me smile a lot. Because they offer you the possibility to apply "styles" to pictures while taking them. I was firmly convinced that Apple had actually invented the photo filter in 2021!

Photo filters in camera apps are basically digital replicas of analog filters that were screwed on in front of camera lenses, for example. Back then, image styles were achieved through optical changes and applied evenly to the image. And that's exactly what's different with Apple! What exactly will Apple do differently, I won't reveal it yet, of course! But feel free to ask in the comments already!

When will it be published?

Topic	Author	Publishing date
Apple's photography styles - what is it anyway?	Rubens Eishima	Wednesday, October 6th
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Do leave them in the comments section!

And with that, I conclude the first edition of "NextUp", a preview of what's arriving on NextPit this week! If you want to know unearth more details about the following week, take a closer look at the following picture!