Smartphone Product Reviews And News
Smartphones are like miniature super computers in your pocket these days, with the ability to get serious productivity work done or kick back with some media consumption and gaming on the go. Smartphones are also more and more serving as life moment-capturing devices with fantastic digital still image shooting and video recording capabilities. Want to know what's the best hardware or latest news for Android or iOS? Tune in here...
Samsung Unpacked 2019 is here and the company has just unveiled the Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy Note 10+ and Galaxy Note 10+ 5G. The devices are intended to aid productivity, inspire creativity, and deliver on performance. All three devices were created in conjunction with both everyday consumers and those who use their devices on the job. All three devices will incorporate the popular Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor in the United States, shooting down rumors that we had heard to the contrary. Devices available for sale outside of the United States will feature Samsung's new 7nm Exynos 9825 SoC. The Galaxy Note 10 will include 8GB RAM with 256GB internal storage. The Galaxy Note 10+ and Note 10+...
Read more...
Generally speaking, pricing on flagship smartphones has continued to climb, because all of those fancy bells and whistles found on the top-end models do not come cheap. Not everyone has or is willing to spend a grand or more on a top-shelf handset, though, and some of the cheaper alternatives make too many sacrifices to hit a lower price point. That is not the case with Samsung's Galaxy S10e. The Samsung Galaxy S10e is the least expensive model in the Galaxy S10 family, the others consisting of the regular Galaxy S10, the larger Galaxy S10+, and the decked out Galaxy S10 5G. Make no mistake, however, even though the Galaxy S10e is positioned at the rear of the pack, it is not a budget or entry-level...
Read more...
The OnePlus 7 Pro is one of the most highly anticipated Android phones to hit the market this year for a number of reasons. At first blush, it was about a few stand-out specs. The phone's 6.7-inch display supports a speedy 90Hz refresh rate and a super-tight 3120x1440 QHD+ resolution in punchy, HDR10+ certified OLED technology. The new OnePlus phone is also powered by the fastest Qualcomm chip on the market currently, the Snapdragon 855, but it's also backed up but up to 12GB of RAM as well as up to 256GB of snappy new UFS 3.0 based Flash storage. Oh, and the aforementioned display is not marred by either a notch, nor a bullet-hole punch-out for its front facing camera -- nothing, nada, just...
Read more...
When's the last time you saw a full-featured smartphone launch for well under $500? There have been a few to hit the market in this price range recently, usually with significant caveats, but in general the trend is towards more expensive flagship devices that are commanding upwards of $1000 quite often. Google's new Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, however, buck this trend with HD OLED displays, big batteries, and the same great camera configuration that made Google's higher-end Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL the Android phones to beat, when it comes to smartphone photography. The new Pixel 3a is a 5.6-inch device, for folks who prefer their phone be a bit more pocketable, but the Pixel 3a XL sports a 6-inch...
Read more...
OnePlus today officially revealed its latest flagship smartphone, which is powered by the hottest mobile SoC on the planet right now: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855. The OnePlus 7 Pro is a powerhouse flagship that has enough muscle and features to take on the best that its Android competitors have to offer, while offering a price that is hard to beat. This beast of a smartphone pairs the Snapdragon 855 with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of ultra-fast UFS 3.0 internal storage. Up front, you have a nearly bezel-free display design thanks to the fact that the OnePlus 7 Pro uses a motorized pop-up 16MP selfie camera that hides away when not in use. The pop-up mechanism presents in 0.53 seconds and is...
Read more...
If you are looking for a bit more intelligence in your "smart" phone, the LG G8 ThinQ may have a few additional tricks up its sleeve. LG is aiming to create a more intuitive and automated experience by embracing artificial intelligence processing care of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 SoC and their own in-house algorithms. The LG G8 ThinQ is more than just clever silicon and software, of course, and it boasts a premium build quality and expanded camera features to match. Beyond its Snapdragon 855 mobile platform, the G8 ThinQ runs with 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.1 flash storage. If you record a ton of video or have other significant storage needs, you can also slot in a card like the...
Read more...
Samsung leads the pack in global smartphone market share, with over 21 percent command, versus second place Apple that sits at a little over 15 percent, and Huawei at about 14.8. Samsung and Apple both lost ground to Huawei last year, but if early indications for the first quarter of 2019 are on point, Samsung could come roaring back, due in part to the positive reception of the company's 10th generation Galaxy S series device, the Galaxy S10. Samsung's Galaxy S10 family is currently a trio of Android handsets, soon to expand to a quartet, with the introduction of a 5G-targeted variant sometime next month. To say the buzz around Samsung's launch has been deafening would be an understatement....
Read more...
Huawei released its Mate 20 series of smartphones late last year, consisting of the Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20, and Mate 20 Lite. The Lite and Pro versions are the base and flagship models, respectively, while the Mate 20 we're looking at here today is the middle child. When comparing the Mate 20 to the Mate 20 Pro you can see Huawei has omitted some of the high-end features, such as an in-screen finger print reader and OLED display. However, you still get a large 6.53" IPS display with a 88% screen to bezel ratio (thanks to its small teardrop top notch) a large 4000mAH battery, and a camera that's nearly as good as the one in the Mate 20 Pro. So, if you can live without all the bells-and-whistles,...
Read more...
Do you even game on your phone, bro? Sorry, we'll slap ourselves silly for the obnoxious comment, but it's actually a valid question. Some people primarily use their phone to snap pictures for posting on Facebook and Instagram, while others go old school and -- gasp -- make actual phone calls with their handset. The ASUS ROG Phone does both of those things with aplomb, but it was really built for playing games first and foremost. Purpose-built gaming phones are a relatively new thing, at least to the extent that they are starting to become popular. There have been attempts to capitalize on this concept before, like when Nokia tried (and failed) to grab the attention of gamers with its N-Gage...
Read more...
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit is currently underway in Maui, Hawaii, and we are lucky enough to be in attendance. During this yesterday’s opening keynote address, Qualcomm officially announced its upcoming Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform and today the company provided much more technical detail on the platform. In addition to showcasing its own technologies, however, Qualcomm also brought out an array of partners to talk about the impending 5G wireless roll-out. Over the last couple of days, representatives from AT&T, Verizon, BT Group, One Plus, and Samsung all took to the stage and discussed their future devices and the complexity of the upcoming 5G ecosystems, covering everything...
Read more...
Earlier this year we took a detailed look at the OnePlus 6 and determined it was one of the best values in Android flagship smartphones on the market. The OP6 has a beautiful, large display, a clean near-stock Android setup and great performance with 6GB or 8GB RAM standard at price points of $529 and $579 respectively. When rumors of the OnePlus 6T hit, we wondered if OnePlus could really improve on an already great design and offer even more of a good thing. As is the case with virtually any high tech device, trade-offs are a constant in the overall design equation. Then again, with its mantra of "Never Settle" seemingly driving the company's design choices, the question remained,...
Read more...
Google unveiled an array of new hardware at a posh event in New York City last week, including the Pixel Slate, the Google Home Hub, and the products we’ll be showing you here, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. The Pixel Slate is an Intel-powered convertible tablet running Chrome OS, the Home Hub is a touch-screen equipped Google Home device, and the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL likely need no introduction – they are Google’s latest flagship smartphones running the recently released Android Pie. You can get a glimpse and some additional information on Google’s newest devices right here in our coverage of the original announcement, but we’ve had a few days to poke and prod...
Read more...
LG is at the ready again with its latest V-series smartphone, the V40 ThinQ. Like its predecessors, the LG V40 ThinQ is a large-screen device that’s outfitted with some high-end internal hardware and an array of innovative features meant to distinguish it from the competition. In the case of the LG V40 ThinQ, in addition to its beautiful 6.4” OLED display and svelte exterior, the phone is equipped with a total of five cameras – two in front, and three in back – and the ability to do some interesting and useful things with those cameras, including creating cinemagraphs and multi-shot GIF animations. Before we drop in for our detailed evaluation, we have a quick video tour...
Read more...
Motorola is currently on its third-generation of Moto Z smartphones and the 2018 flagship is the new Moto Z3. The Moto Z3 still supports the growing family of Moto Mod accessories, and early next year it will be available with the 5G Moto Mod, making it one of the first smartphones on the market with 5G capabilities. Whereas Motorola's previous generation Moto Z2 Force was priced at $720 unlocked, direct from Motorola when it launched last year, the Moto Z3 debuts at a much more palatable $480 as a Verizon Wireless exclusive. You can also pay for the device using a Verizon installment plan for $20/month for 24 months. In addition, if you're a new customer switching...
Read more...
