It’s our favorite time of the month — time to celebrate our August 2023 Snapdragon Insider of the Month. Bringing the heat this month is Dan Rice (@GroundedTech on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram) from the United Kingdom.
Dan is passionate about devices with Snapdragon® technology and loves reviewing new devices on his YouTube channel. Let’s see what he has to say about being part of the Snapdragon Insiders community.
What sparked your interest in technology?
It was probably video games — at least initially. I got the Sega Mega Drive (also known as the Sega Genesis) when I was around 5 years old and that’s when my love of technology and gaming started. As I got older, I became interested in the tech being used inside gaming consoles. That led me beyond gaming to computers, which I got interested in when I was about 10.
What’s your go-to device with a Snapdragon mobile platform?
Right now, I’m using the Sony Xperia 1 V with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform.
Why are you a fan of Snapdragon technology?
Once I got into phones, I realized pretty quickly that every single phone I’ve ever loved has been powered by a Snapdragon mobile platform. From there, I became interested in how the tech worked and how it affected the performance of the phone itself. It was a very organic process for me to become a fan of Snapdragon technology.
How did you get involved with the Snapdragon Insiders community?
This was also organic. I tend to tweet quite a lot, and I tweet pictures from my phone, so I started using the hashtag #ShotOnSnapdragon. I saw other people using it and I thought I should get involved. Eventually, that led me to being a part of the Snapdragon Insiders community. I’ve been properly involved since a little before the Nothing Phone (1) launch last year, which I went to with Snapdragon. Once they opened up a Discord, it was easier for a lot more people to get involved in the community, which is really good to see.
Who is your favorite Snapdragon Insider to follow?
That’s a tough question — there’s so many. I’d go with Chad (@chadptorres on Twitter), Ryan (@spintheweedawg on Twitter), Jeffrey (@jeffrey_jpeg on Twitter), and José Luis Asensio Fierro (@yo_mismo1 on Twitter). They’re good people. I met Ryan in person at the Nothing Phone (1) launch last year and we had a really good time.
What do you like most about being a Snapdragon Insider?
It’s definitely the people. Everybody seems to bring something different to the table in this community. There’s a lot of people into photography, videography, YouTube channels, you name it. Especially if you’re into content creation like me, there’s all sorts of people to talk to. It helps to have those people around to bounce ideas off and talk about the devices we use.
What’s the best photo you’ve ever taken with a smartphone camera with Snapdragon technology?
I wouldn’t say I’m a great photographer — I’m very casual with it, but I enjoy doing it. I do some photography for my YouTube channel for the tech I’m reviewing, but mainly I take too many pictures of dogs.
I don’t know what my “best” photo would be, but one of my favorites is one I took of a landscape of a field with some trees in the background. The sun is hitting the trees just right, and there is an interesting cloud just above the trees. I think it’s a nice photo.
If budget wasn’t an issue, what's your ideal photo shoot location?
I’d very much like to go to Tokyo. I’ve never been to Japan, but I’ve always been very interested in things made in Japan. I have a Japanese phone and I’ve always been into Japanese games. The whole culture just seems interesting in Tokyo. It has a certain vibe and atmosphere that would make for great photography and a great experience.
We know you love your Sony Xperia 1 V, but are you interested in trying more devices with Snapdragon technology?
I have a Chromebook with a Snapdragon processor, but I’m really interested in trying the Windows laptops with Snapdragon processors. I’m especially keen to try those now that I’m writing tech articles at Windows Central. Plus, I think that they’ll be really good for my workflow. I’m looking forward to seeing how Windows develops on that platform.
What device with Snapdragon do you want to try? Head over to Discord to let us know.
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