Eight best phones with IR port and remote control (2015). What is an infrared port in a smartphone and why is it needed?

In one of the articles we looked at the question of how to unlock an Android phone if you forgot your graphic password.

The possibilities of a modern smartphone are limitless. Almost any technical problem, whether we are doing complex computational work, or simply want to “teach” a gadget new capabilities, can be solved with a few taps on the screen. Let's talk about how you can control your TV using an Android mobile gadget. This may be necessary if the original remote control has failed and there is no way to quickly replace it.

Not so long ago, in order to turn on the TV from a smartphone, you had to have special technical knowledge, but now it is enough to install a special Android application. The TV must have certain functions that can be used to establish a connection between the TV and the smartphone:

• Smart TV. Allows you to connect to your TV via Wi-Fi
• IR port
• Bluetooth module

The corresponding modules must be installed in the phone.

Large manufacturers such as LG, Panasonic or Samsung develop applications specifically for their models. We will look at universal programs for Android that turn a smartphone into a remote control for various TV models.

TV Remote Control

OS version: Android 2.2 or later
Download
Cost: Free

A universal application that allows you to control your TV from your phone. The program does not support the Russian language, but even a novice user can understand the simple menu. All you need to do is set the connection mode (IR or Wi-Fi), enter the IP address of the TV and install the desired model.

The application supports a huge number of TV models, including:

• Samsung
• Panasonic
• Vizio
• Sharp
• Funai
• JVC and many others

The application has a basic set of commands for a TV: a power button, a numeric keypad, buttons for switching channels and sound settings. The application does not have a paid advanced version, so advertisements will appear on the control panel from time to time.

Remote control

OS version: Android 4.0.3 or later
Download
Cost: Free

A convenient application that turns your smartphone into a TV remote control. In the settings, just select the connection mode: via infrared or Wi-Fi. In the second case, the program itself can determine the IP address of the TV and connect to it. The phone program allows you to manage models from seven manufacturers:

• Samsung
• Toshiba
• Panasonic
• Phillips
• Sharp

The application developers claim that new TV models are added with each update.

The TV is controlled from a smartphone through a simple menu in which you can select the signal source (TV or AV), enter the TV menu, switch channels using the numeric keypad or individual soft buttons, and adjust the sound.

The application does not have a paid version, so you cannot disable pop-up ads.

Other Fly smartphones
On our website you can find a catalog with other Fly smartphones on Android.

Easy Universal TV Remote

OS version: Android 2.3 or later
Download
Cost: Free

A smartphone application that turns your Android device into a TV remote control. It differs from previous programs only in its interface: with its help you can control the sound, change channels and turn off the TV.

To get started, you need to select one of three connection modes and your TV model.

Most free applications have one main drawback - they cannot disable advertising. You can get rid of annoying banners and significantly expand the functionality of your smartphone as a TV remote control by installing paid applications.

Galaxy universal remote control

Download
Cost: 219 rubles

A universal application for a smartphone that allows you to turn your gadget into a remote control not only for your TV, but also for any household appliance with a built-in IR port.

If there are several TVs in the house, the application user can make bookmarks for each model for quick access at any time. If you have additional devices connected to your TV, such as amplifiers or game consoles, you can set the universal remote to each device from one menu.

The application has extensive functionality:

• Unique control panel. The user can add his own command buttons, set their shape, size and color, and set his own icon on each button.
• Creating macros. Ability to customize a list of actions for one click. This could be turning on the TV, switching to a certain channel, increasing the volume.
• Create and save custom IR command codes
• Scanning device models to configure phone alignment
• Backup. All settings and commands can be transferred to another phone.
• Widget for the home screen of an Android smartphone. You can control the TV without even going into the application.

If the application turns out to be incompatible with a specific TV model, the developers have provided a system for returning the money paid for the program.

OneZap Remote

OS version: Android 4.0 or later
Download
Cost: 172 rubles

A convenient and inexpensive application that allows you to turn your smartphone into a TV remote control. The program database contains 250 integrated devices:

• Samsung
• Denon
• Pioneer
• Onkyo and so on

The application user can use either a preset menu or create his own by choosing the color scheme of the interface, the size and shape of the buttons. If you have a DVD player connected to your TV, you can create a separate button or set of buttons to control both devices.

Each of us has household appliances at home that are controlled remotely, which is very convenient, but as luck would have it, the remote control always gets lost somewhere. A familiar situation isn't it?

On average, each family has 3-4 remote controls, for example for a TV, tuner, air conditioner, player or stereo system. Even such a small number creates confusion, and it becomes more difficult to determine which one is for what. And how often have you had to spend a lot of time searching for the right remote control, and must have had to deal with its failure, because of which the use of the equipment ceases to be possible or is very limited.

To make your life much easier in such a situation, you should get a smartphone or tablet with a built-in infrared port, which will become a universal tool for controlling various household appliances. There are not so many devices supporting this technology yet, but even this is enough to choose a suitable device from different price categories.

With IR, you can easily take control of all your home electronics. You no longer have to look for a remote control for your TV or air conditioner; all of them can be easily replaced by your smartphone. This applies to electrical appliances of friends and acquaintances, the discreet control of which can make you laugh a lot. However, true pleasure awaits you in cafes or bars, where you no longer need to ask several times to turn down the volume of the music player or change the TV channel, because you can do all this yourself.

To start using it, you don’t need to activate anything in the settings first; you just need to launch the application through which all operations will be carried out. In it, among the proposed options, you will need to select the type of electrical appliance, make and model. This is necessary so that the control is correct, and the process itself is performed once for each device and does not take much time. As for the program, in some smartphones and tablets, the manufacturer installs it in advance, but if it suddenly turns out that it is not there or you don’t like the functionality, you can always find another one on Google Play.

Today, the application store contains many types of software, such as Universal Remote TV, Remote Control Pro, Smartphone Remote Control, etc., thanks to which you can remotely control various household appliances. Each of them has both advantages and disadvantages, mainly in the form of advertising display.

To summarize, I would like to note that the IR port itself does not require regular power consumption, and its presence does not oblige you to use it. If you purchased a gadget in which it is built-in, but for some reason you don’t want to use it, or don’t know where to use it, then it won’t be any worse and perhaps it will definitely come in handy in the future.

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Recently, it is no secret to anyone that the modern equipment manufacturer Xiaomi constantly surprises its consumers with unusual functions and capabilities of its device, which greatly simplify life and any household activities. One such feature is an infrared port or infrared port(IR port) – function of controlling equipment from the phone. That is, to switch channels, turn it louder/quieter, you don’t need to look for the remote control or get up from the couch. Because you can do everything from your gadget.

It would seem that such an option is most likely located only on the latest models and is not available on every phone. However, no. Now infrared radiation is present, if not in all, then in many Xiaomi phones.

Xiaomi smartphones with IR port:

• Xiaomi Redmi 5
• Xiaomi Redmi 4
• Xiaomi Redmi 4x
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 5
• Xiaomi Mi 5
• Xiaomi Mi 8, etc.

But, unfortunately, they decided not to put an IR port on the new flagship.

Actually, it is not necessary to talk about which smartphones have this feature, you can check it yourself - look at the top edge of the phone, there is a black dot of the IR port.

Another way to check the presence of an IR port in advance is to visit the website “5nch.com/database/”, filter smartphones “Only with IrDA", select the device brand (Xiaomi) and start the search.

Benefits of infrared

As already noted, the IR port is a very useful option, with which you can control almost all household appliances, which is perhaps the main advantage.

IrDA Xiaomi also has the following advantages:

1. To control the equipment, no wires, special batteries, recharging, connections, etc. are needed;
2. You can exercise full control of the TV: turn on/off, scroll through channels, adjust the volume and several more functions;
3. You can control the air conditioner;
4. You can control kitchen appliances;
5. It is also possible to control players, speakers, set-top boxes, cameras, including action cameras, if such a company is supported by the program, as well as other types of equipment.

Mi Remote program: how to use and configure the IR port

Since it is impossible to activate the IR port through the “Settings” of the phone, there is a special program for this - Mi Remote (Mi Remote). As a rule, this application is installed on the phone along with the firmware and does not require separate downloading, but if you suddenly do not find it on your gadget, install the program through the Play Market.

Mi Remote has a Chinese name in the Play Market, but most likely the utility you need will be located in the first place, and also look for the developer name “Xiaomi.Inc”. Despite this, during operation itself it is possible to configure the Russian language.

Main advantages of Mi Remote:

• Multi-language support;
• If you do not find the application on your phone, you can download it;
• User-friendly interface and simple design;
• Easy to use;
• Doesn't take up much space on the phone;
• Usually already installed on the Xiaomi device.

So, after downloading or discovering the program, you can begin to activate and configure it.

You will need an Internet connection, but only at the stage of connecting the IR port to the model.

Instructions:

• Open the “Mi Remote” application, you will see a blank screen and a button at the bottom prompting you to “Add a remote control”, in other words, select the device you want to control - click;

• Next, select the type of equipment you need;

IR port xiaomi. Selection of technology.

• Then indicate the manufacturer of the device you have chosen, for example, a TV from Samsung, a set-top box from Xiaomi, and more. The list contains all models of companies available for management - from the most popular and new to less relevant and possibly outdated.

This is where you find out whether your technique can be controlled. This may not happen if the device is too old.

• The program will offer you the found device and ask you to tell whether it is on or off (for those who have not translated the application into Russian: the right button is off, the left button is on);

IR port xiaomi. Connecting to a TV

• Next, you can enter additional data and create a shortcut for your desktop;
• Having identified your device, Mi Remote will ask you to test all the buttons: on, off, volume, switches, etc., which you will need to do by directing IrDA to the device. Don't worry if the work is slow - the connection is just being established, so you will need to wait a little.

• If you did everything correctly, the procedure will be successful and the remote control will be ready for use;
• Ready! The configured remote looks like this:

If you are unable to recognize the device, try entering additional information in the special tab.

IR port xiaomi device recognition in case of error.

What else you need to know about Mi Remote:

• If this application is installed on your phone, but when you turn it on it gives an error, try deleting it and downloading it again from the Play Market;
• If the program crashes and stops working, contact service centers if you are not one hundred percent sure that you can resume work yourself;
• If after downloading the application you cannot install the Russian language, check the name of the developer, it should be like this: “Xiaomi.Inc”;
• It is possible to control several devices at once via Mi Remote. To do this, you will just need to switch between devices.

Alternative applications

In addition to Mi Remote, there are other programs that allow you to control the infrared port.

To find something third-party, go to the Play Market and enter the phrase " remote control».

What applications can be used to remotely control equipment:

• “ZaZa Remote” is a fairly popular program that supports about 8,000 brands and 300,000 different models. The software is free, and the setup and operation are the same as with Mi Remote.
• “Peel Smart Remote” is a program that allows you to control TVs. Helps you find interesting shows/programs and even schedules them for you.
• “SURE Universal Remote” – control of digital and household appliances. Connection via Wi-Fi or infrared. The ability to display photo and video files from your phone to the TV screen.

You can find more detailed lists of remote control applications on special sites, for example, on w3bsit3-dns.com.

We are used to discussing the flagships of A-brands, comparing the best representatives of the Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, HTC One, LG G, Sony Xperia series. We are very familiar with the top solutions of many Chinese companies - Lenovo, Xiaomi, Meizu, OPPO, OnePlus, BBK Vivo... But today I will talk about ten cool smartphones that most have (almost) forgotten or never even knew about. Go!

Lumigon T2 HD is a Danish smartphone with premium claims. So strong that Lumigon even released a version of the smartphone in 24-karat gold and sells it for $1,225. The regular version, made of stainless steel, is priced at $578. The characteristics of the T2 HD are not amazing (Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 4.3" HD screen, 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, 13-megapixel and 2.4-megapixel cameras with flashes, Android 4.4.2 KitKat). However, the main strength of the Lumigon T2 HD is in its software and hardware features: the docking station can turn on different operating modes of the smartphone at different times in different places, the LED above the screen tells about notifications, the screen supports touches with gloves, the ActionKey button located above the screen gives access to the desired (pre-configured) function in one click, QuickTouch allows you to display five selected icons at any time with a click below the screen, Sunlight mode repaints the interface in black and white for increased readability in direct sunlight, and Vault allows you to hide and password-protect applications and files Lumigon T2 HD is protected from water and dust and is equipped with an IR port for controlling equipment.

Infobar A03 is a product of the Japanese company iida, produced by the Japanese company Kyocera, drawn by Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa. I mentioned the designer for a reason - Infobar A03 is first and foremost a designer product. That is why under the screen there are three hardware buttons of different colors - for twelve years now three colors have been a distinctive feature of all Infobars. The iida UI shell installed on a smartphone was created by designer Yugo Nakamura and is somewhat reminiscent of Windows Phone - the same “live tiles” with useful information that need to be scrolled up and down. True, here they can also be grouped. People in the Land of the Rising Sun don’t like “shovels,” and the Japanese team made their creation very compact – 131x68x8.9 mm. Specifications of iida Infobar A03 include Android 4.4 KitKat, 2020 mAh battery, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AB chipset with a frequency of 2.3 GHz, 13-megapixel and 2-megapixel cameras, IP55/58 dust and moisture protection, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage and 4 .5" TFT screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The price of Infobar A03 is about 32.5 thousand rubles, it is locked to the operator au by KDDI and cannot be unlocked.

Tonino Lamborghini 88 Tauri is one of the few luxury smartphones with top-end technical characteristics. The leather and steel device is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor (4 cores at 2.3 GHz), 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, a microSD slot (reads cards up to 128 GB), a 5" Full HD screen, 20 MP and 8-megapixel cameras, a Wolfson amplifier and the Android 4.4.4 KitKat operating system. A pleasant surprise is the capacious 3400 mAh battery. There are only 1947 of these 88 Tauris in the world, in honor of 1947, when Antonio Lamborghini, the son of the brand’s founder, was born. Price in Depending on the modification, it varies from $6000 to $6300.

Samsung SM-W2015 is the next generation of Samsung super folding phones, sold exclusively through the China Telecom operator. It was the latter that brought the device into this article - if it had been released in other markets, it would have made a lot of noise. The smartphone looks unusual for a Korean company, but in the characteristics you can notice many nuances typical for it. So, both screens (main and external) are made using SuperAMOLED technology, and next to the camera there is a heart rate scanner. Both displays have a diagonal of 3.9" and a resolution of 1280x768 pixels (383 ppi). The smartphone is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset (4 cores at 2.5 GHz), 16 GB of memory, microSD slot, 16-megapixel and 2-megapixel cameras , two SIM trays and a 2020 mAh battery. When folded, the miracle clamshell has dimensions of 121.3x62.9x15.9 mm.

The only Chinese device here is the Manta 7X. This is a unique device without any buttons. No buttons under the screen, no volume buttons, no lock key. But with touch-sensitive ends, swiping on which you can perform various actions, including changing the volume. Having come up with a feature, the Chinese did not forget about the characteristics: inside the device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 with a frequency of 2.5 GHz, 2 GB RAM and 32 GB ROM, a 4200 mAh battery, a 5.5" Full HD screen and two completely identical 13-megapixel cameras with Sony IMX214 sensors, a viewing angle of 88 degrees and optical stabilization. Due to the impressive battery, the device is quite heavy - as much as 200 g. There is some dust and moisture protection (IP55).

The top five is opened by the Finnish corporate smartphone Aava mobile Inari 5. When I first saw its technical characteristics, I thought it was some kind of joke. So, read carefully: the device is equipped with a 4.7" HD screen, 2/4 GB of RAM, 32/64/128 GB storage, 8-megapixel and 2-megapixel cameras (for scanning QR codes and video chats, respectively, if believe Aava mobile), NFC support, optional LTE support, quad-core Intel Atom Z3745 processor and Microsoft Windows 8.1 operating system. No, I didn’t miss the word Phone - this smartphone actually has a full-fledged corporate Windows. Why? Aava mobile gives some vague explanation, they say, enterprises can use software that exists only for Windows, and it will be very convenient to be able to run it on a smartphone.The device is not afraid of falls from 1.5 meters, water and dust (IP67).

Bkav Bphone is a creation of the Vietnamese IT industry. The company Bkav Corporation, which mainly deals with antiviruses, decided to try its hand at the smartphone market, and it turned out quite well. The smartphone is equipped with a 5" Full HD Sharp screen, Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system with BOS shell, 13-megapixel and 5-megapixel cameras, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with a frequency of 2.5 GHz, 3 GB of RAM and 16/64/128 GB permanent memory. All this is enclosed in a 7.5 mm thick case, covered on both sides with Gorilla Glass 3. The smartphone was one of the first to support TransferJet technology - this is wireless communication between devices at a distance of several centimeters at a speed 427 times higher, than NFC, and 8 times higher than Bluetooth 4.0.

Pantech Vega Secret Note 2, unfortunately, will never be released. Pantech, having completed the development of the flagship back in August, did not find the funds to start mass production. If the situation had been different, Koreans would have been able to purchase a phablet with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor (4 cores at 2.5 GHz), 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, a 6" Quad HD screen, 1 W external speakers, a battery 3400 mAh, fast charging, fingerprint scanner, stylus with magnetic socket and improved Secret Plus data protection software.

This device, on the contrary, should not have gone on general sale, but is available for order to everyone. Here is the Qualcomm MDP 810 Smartphone - a device for developers that shows all the capabilities of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset. It has a 6.17" screen with a resolution of 2560x1600 pixels, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, 13-megapixel and 4-megapixel cameras, 8 microphones, a fingerprint scanner, a battery with a capacity of 3020 mAh. For the title of flagship, this smartphone lacks only a few functions - for some reason it cannot make calls and access the Internet via a cellular network. You can buy the device for $ 799.

Fujitsu is experiencing financial difficulties, which the company decided to solve in the same way as Samsung - by releasing a luxurious flagship. For the Japanese company, the Arrows NX F-04G for the NTT DoCoMo operator became such a “savior smartphone”. The main feature of the new product is the Iris Passport, an infrared iris scanner that provides identification of the owner in any lighting. The device also received support for TransferJet technology, which I wrote about above when talking about Bkav Bphone. The F-04G also has such a forgotten thing as an FM transmitter, which allows you to “distribute” music via FM radio to any receiver. Not the best option for speakerphone, but you can listen to songs stored on your phone from the car radio. The device is almost entirely plastic (only the strip on top is made of aluminum), but the lid is difficult to scratch due to the thinnest diamond coating, called the “hard hyperdiamond coat.” Inside the Fujitsu Arrows NX there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, Android 5.0, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, a 3120 mAh battery, a 5.2" Quad HD screen without an air gap, a 21.5 MP CMOS camera with sensor Sony and Xevic photo processor and 2.4-megapixel front camera.

The concept of an infrared port first practically disappeared from the mobile world, but now it has reappeared.

Many have been familiar with the infrared port for a long time and consider it a passed stage of technical progress. However, even such a simple device has found application today.

Why does a smartphone need an infrared port?

Now the infrared port (IrDA: Infrared Data Association) is not used for transmitting information, because it has been replaced by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. A new purpose is remote control of all kinds of consumer electronics.

With the purchase of a smartphone equipped with an infrared port, the user gets a universal remote control. With its help, you can switch the TV channel, adjust the temperature of the air conditioner, start the coffee maker, and so on, with a couple of touches on the display. This feature will allow you to throw out a bunch of bulky remote controls and forget about constantly buying batteries.

Smartphone infrared apps

Buying a gadget equipped with an infrared port is only half the battle. Next, you need to install one of the special applications, of which there are plenty on Google Play. We will look at the most convenient of them.

Control it is not one universal remote control, but a whole set. You download the required remote controls from the database and use them alternately. The data warehouse is constantly updated and supplemented with new remote control units.

There are both paid and free versions of the application. However, you can only use 3 remotes at a time for free while viewing the ubiquitous advertisements.

Galaxy Universal Remote is a paid app that is well worth the price. It will allow you to control a variety of devices: from a regular TV to a robotic vacuum cleaner. All saved settings can be displayed as a widget on the desktop of your smartphone, which significantly saves your time. Nice design and no intrusive advertising.

The list is completed by the ZaZaRemote application, which is very difficult to compete with. ZaZaRemote supports more than 6 thousand devices and has 250 thousand remote controls in its database for every taste. The application offers a minimalistic design and the function of grouping equipment by room.

Alternative

If you want to test this technology, but don’t want to purchase a smartphone with an infrared port, there is an alternative. Just buy an infrared transmitter (TV dongle) for the desired device. There are many of these devices, the cost varies between 200-500 rubles.

An infrared port (IrDA) on a smartphone can greatly simplify your life - use it to control household appliances, TVs and other home devices.