Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ First Impressions

August 16, 2019Android, Tech NewsSamsung Galaxy Note 10+ First ImpressionGavin Fabiani-Laymond

My full review on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ will come in the upcoming weeks with my usual YouTube videos and posts here.

For the first time, the Samsung Galaxy Note series comes in 3 options this year. The smaller standard Note 10 and the larger Note 10+, which also has an additional version that has a 5G modem.

I got hands on with the larger Note 10+ in aura glow. Aura glow is really a mirror like back, silver colour perhaps, but when lights, or sunlight hit the back, you see bright red, orange and green strips. It really is an eye catcher. Personally, my choice is the aura black as this won’t interfere with my photography.

Picking up the Note 10+ felt like I was holding a flipping huge phone due to its squared design and the phone being all bezel apart from the centre hole for the front selfie camera. But despite that it felt like a wow moment. Samsung is known for having the best screens, and the Note 10+ just looks stunning. The reality is, the phone looks bigger than it actually is. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a big phone.

So with such an impressive screen, every action I did on the phone just felt incredibly immersive. It hard to be certain, but the speed of the phone felt fluid and fast, and significantly more fluid than my iPhone X that I compared it to. I also compared it to an iPhone XS Max. The XS Max looks so ancient next to the Note 10+, and I’m not anti iPhone. It seems that the new exynos processor and 12gb of ram, plus software optimisations have really added to the performance.

Talking of software, from my brief test of the camera, it seems Samsung has undertaken even more tweaks. I tried as many modes as possible including the front selfie camera which took some great photos of me. Obviously, I need a lot more time with the camera, but it does seem to show some slight improvement over my S10+.

Of course, we also have the S Pen with all its added benefits. That’s for my future videos and posts.

In fact, there’s so much to talk about I could end up creating the first phone movie review!

Stay tuned for me and if you have any questions please let me know.

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Huawei Announces H1 2019 Revenue: 23.2% YoY Growth

July 30, 2019Tech NewsHuawei Financial Results H1Gavin Fabiani-Laymond

Huawei Announces H1 2019 Revenue: 23.2% YoY Growth.

Shenzhen, China, July 30, 2019 – Huawei announced its business results for the first half of 2019: CNY401.3 billion (£47.95 billion) in revenue, a 23.2% increase over the same period last year. The company’s net profit margin for H1 2019 was 8.7%.

According to Huawei’s Chairman, Liang Hua, operations are smooth, and the organization is as sound as ever. With effective management and an excellent performance across all financial indicators, Huawei’s business has remained robust in the first half of 2019.

So despite all the challenges this is a good result.

Honor 20 Pro – Full Details of the Camera and Where to Buy

July 30, 2019Tech NewsHonor 20 Pro where to buyGavin Fabiani-Laymond

The HONOR 20 PRO is now on sale in the UK for £549.99 on available at Amazon UK, at Carphone Warehouse, Argos, MPD, Very and A1 Comms.

· HONOR 20 PRO combines a 48MP AI Quad Camera with a powerful Kirin 980 chipset and GPU Turbo 3.0.

· All customers who buy between 1 August and 18 August will receive a free HONOR Watch Magic, normally £179.99. This is redeemed on the Honor Redemption website.

A pro-grade camera experience with the second highest DxOMark score.

Featuring HONOR’s first ever AI Quad Camera, Dual OIS and industry-largest f/1.4 wide aperture, HONOR 20 PRO also comes with Ultra-High ISO Sensitivity, which provides a better low-light photography experience.

Armed with best-in-class software and hardware, HONOR 20 PRO is an enabler of a truly intelligent experience for its users, driven by the 7nm Kirin 980 AI chipset and industry-leading GPU Turbo 3.0, a feature that enhances the device’s gaming capabilities even further. HONOR 20 PRO also features a 4,000 mAh battery that can support a full-day uninterrupted use and 256GB storage, providing the headroom for extreme demands. To complete the entire experience, it comes with a Virtual 9.1 Surround Sound system, allowing for a more conducive audio environment.

Summarising the key specs –

– 48MP AI Quad Camera with Dual Optical Image Stabilization
– 16mp Ultra wide angle rear lens
– 8mp Telephoto lens
– 2mp Macro lens
– 6.26 inch full view display with 32MP under-screen selfie camera
– 8gb ram with 256gb storage
– 7nm Kirin 980 AI chipset with Dual-NPU and GPU Turbo 3.0
– 4,000 mAh large battery with 22.5W HONOR SuperCharge
– Side fingerprint to fast unlock
– AI Dual Frequency GPS offers great accuracy
– Enjoy the optimal audio experience with Virtual 9.1 Surround Sound technology

Latest offer on Amazon UK

Pixel 4 Front Radar System Revealed plus more juicy details

July 29, 2019Tech NewsGavin Fabiani-Laymond

Google has just released official information on the upcoming Pixel 4 smartphone.

For the past five years, our Advanced Technology and Projects team (ATAP) has been working on Soli, a motion-sensing radar.

Radar, of course, is the same technology that has been used for decades to detect planes and other large objects. We’ve developed a miniature version located at the top of Pixel 4 that senses small motions around the phone, combining unique software algorithms with the advanced hardware sensor, so it can recognize gestures and detect when you’re nearby.

Pixel 4 will be the first device with Soli, powering our new Motion Sense features to allow you to skip songs, snooze alarms, and silence phone calls, just by waving your hand. These capabilities are just the start, and just as Pixels get better over time, Motion Sense will evolve as well. Motion Sense will be available in select Pixel countries. This restriction will be a privacy issue.

Also new is face unlock, apparently even better than that on the latest iPhones and just as secure.

Unlocking your phone should be easy, fast, and secure. Your device should be able to recognize you—and only you—without any fuss. Face unlock may be a familiar feature for smartphones, but we’re engineering it differently.

Other phones require you to lift the device all the way up, pose in a certain way, wait for it to unlock, and then swipe to get to the homescreen. Pixel 4 does all of that in a much more streamlined way. As you reach for Pixel 4, Soli proactively turns on the face unlock sensors, recognizing that you may want to unlock your phone. If the face unlock sensors and algorithms recognize you, the phone will open as you pick it up, all in one motion. Better yet, face unlock works in almost any orientation—even if you’re holding it upside down—and you can use it for secure payments and app authentication too.

Keeping your data safe with Pixel 4.

Security and privacy are core principles for Pixel. Face unlock uses facial recognition technology that is processed on your device, so that image data never leaves your phone. The images used for face unlock are never saved or shared with other Google services. To protect your privacy and security, your face data is securely stored in Pixel’s Titan M security chip. Similarly, Soli sensor data is also processed on your phone, and it’s never saved or shared with other Google services.

Look internet, no hands. #Pixel4 Learn more https://t.co/PYY0AFcnyI pic.twitter.com/f9v51VbXWd

— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) July 29, 2019

Google Blog

Oppo demonstrates its new borderless smartphone screen tech

July 29, 2019Tech NewsOppo borderless smartphone screen techGavin Fabiani-Laymond

Oppo has taken the wraps off its new borderless screen tech which wraps right around the sides.

Until I have tested this new technology I will reserve judgement as to whether this will hinder or aide usability.

Using this type of tech could do away for the need of hardware buttons.

But what do you think?

Taking borderless smartphone innovation to new heights, we're thrilled to give you a first look at 'Waterfall Screen' technology. 🤯

What do you think the screen-to-body ratio is on this prototype? 😏 pic.twitter.com/99AQKh9ZgH

— OPPO (@oppo) July 29, 2019

Here comes the Nokia 9.1 Pureview – Full Details

July 29, 2019Tech NewsNokia 9.1 Pureview Full DetailsGavin Fabiani-Laymond

Several months go I reviewed the Nokia 9 Pureview.

The Nokia 9 Pureview promised spectacular results, but in reality delivered a sub par phone experience. The fingerprint sensor totally sucked for starters and future updates made hardly any difference.

Next the post processing time was huge, opening Google Photos revealed white squares which took time to show your actual photos.

Well some good news, Nokia is going to release an update to this phone, called, the Nokia 9.1 Pureview. This will come in the last quarter of this year, more likely the end of the year due to some unresolved issues with the camera.

The Nokia Pureview 9.1 will continues HMD Global’s partnership with Light. The camera is expected to get a significant improvement especially in low light and video recording. It will also be faster due to the snapdragon 855 processor and better software algorithms.

The screen will move to a punch hole design, run Android Q and include 5G.

I will be curious to see how good this update actually is in real life and whether it can match some of the new computational cameras coming out in the second half of the year.

UPDATED AGAIN – Amazon Prime Day Tuesday 16th July 2019 – The Best Deals Highlighted

July 16, 2019Amazon, Tech NewsAmazon Prime Day Sale Tuesday16th July 2019Gavin Fabiani-Laymond

Today is Amazon Prime Day. It’s the second day of the 48 hour sale by Amazon. Below are all the best deals across a multitude of departments. The deals will be updated during the day so do check back for all the latest offerings. This years seems like a huge bonanza of deals!

If you just want to browse all the deals, click https://amzn.to/2lbBm3T

Updated once again with the following deals –

SHO Bottle – Ultimate Insulated, Double Walled Stainless Steel Vacuum Flask & Water Bottle – 12 Hours Hot & 24 Hours Cold – 260ml, 350ml, 500ml, 750ml & 1000ml – BPA Free – Lifetime Guarantee https://amzn.to/2leXxpU

27% off Nest Smart Thermostat (Works with Alexa) https://amzn.to/2lHjYnN

46% off Hive Thermostats https://amzn.to/2ltRvl8

30% off Power Banks, Chargers and Cables from RAV Power, Poweradd and more https://amzn.to/2k0nDg7

30% off Smart Scales, Blood Pressure Monitors and Thermometres from Omron, Withings and Braun https://amzn.to/2lDpEPH

Up to 50% off SlimFast, XLS Medical, USN and others https://amzn.to/2jZtmmp

Up to 30% off Smartwatches from Samsung and Huawei https://amzn.to/2lfAlYB

15% off Apple iPhone XR (64GB,128GB,256GB) https://amzn.to/2jZs3E1

24% off the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Active https://amzn.to/2lD7Y6M

Up to 35% off TicWatch Smartwatches https://amzn.to/2k8CEfB

Up to 60% off Men’s Shoes, big brands, https://amzn.to/2k8BwZp

Up to 50% off Outdoor Shoes including Salomon and Merrell https://amzn.to/2jZtXVa

Up to 32% off Garmin Wearables (massive selection) https://amzn.to/2jRoNKR

Save £10 on pet products including food & treats when you spend £35, use code PETS10 at checkout https://amzn.to/2lwKi3V

30% off Dog Products: Pedigree, Frontline, Harrington’s and more https://amzn.to/2lDp2tn

Deal of the Day. 30% off Cat Products: Felix, Gourmet, Frontline and more https://amzn.to/2k5SUxW

Up to 40% off Boardgames: Monopoly GoT, UNO, Game of Life and more https://amzn.to/2jZqLsC

Up to 30% off TV’s from Sony, LG, Phillips & more https://amzn.to/32sjnHt

43% off Andrex Supreme Quilts Toilet Tissue, 54 Rolls https://amzn.to/2jZqs0W

Up to 64% off Philips ProtectiveClean 4300 and Whitening Brush heads 4 pack https://amzn.to/2lD8npO

30% off Jabra Elite 65t True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds https://amzn.to/2jVTYoi

50% off Sennheiser HD 4.50 SE, Over Ear Wireless Headphone with Active Noise Cancellation https://amzn.to/2lxaw6q

Up to 70% off Fragrances: Calvin Klein, Ghost, Jimmy Choo and more https://amzn.to/2jVTPkM

Up to 50% off Finish, Dettol, Vanish and Persil (practical everyday products) https://amzn.to/2NYh0cb

Up to 50% off Male Grooming (Philips, Braun, ManCave etc) https://amzn.to/2jWNipZ

56% off SanDisk SDSQXAO-128G-GNCZN microSDXC UHS-I Card for Nintendo Switch, 128 GB, Nintendo Licensed Product https://amzn.to/2jTnmLX

61% off Amazon Echo Show 5 – Black + Amazon Music Unlimited (6 months FREE w/auto-renew) https://amzn.to/30uT1Tt

Up to 33% off Apple Products (iPad Mini, iPad Pro 11, iPhones, accessories) incl latest models. I have never seen so many Apple products discounted, ever!! https://amzn.to/2lpPQx6

30% off Prime Day Offer: PlayStation Plus 15 Month Membership https://amzn.to/2jSHjCz

50% off Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote https://amzn.to/2Jy7mJa

Up to 40% off Jack Daniel’s, Laphroaig and Southern Comfort Whiskies https://amzn.to/32qWyno

Up to 40% off Vacuums by Shark, Gtech, Hoover and more https://amzn.to/2jP2BRv

Extra 20% off open box Amazon Warehouse https://amzn.to/2jRrjRj

Up to 30% off LG Smart TVs (43 to 65-Inch) https://amzn.to/2jXxP8R

Up to 33% off Laptops by HP, Lenovo, Asus and more https://amzn.to/2jRSGdY

Up to 30% off AmazonBasics range covering all departments. Massive deals https://amzn.to/2jSEOAb

30% off Headphones: Beats, Bose, Sennheiser, Jabra and more https://amzn.to/2lbRiTL

Up to 35% off PC Monitors from Acer, Samsung, LG and more https://amzn.to/2jP1stb

Up to 50% off Sony and Canon Cameras https://amzn.to/2jXwAXf

Up to 50% off SanDisk Memory Products and SSD https://amzn.to/2jP1P73

Up to 50% off Philips Hue Indoor and Outdoor Lighting https://amzn.to/2lp0Gn4

Up to 45% off Smartphones: Samsung, One Plus, Huawei and more https://amzn.to/32vo9Ei

Up to 55% off trainers including Adidas, Nike and Vans https://amzn.to/2jRUlAe

Save 49% off Philips Lumea Prestige IPL Hair Removal Device for Body, Face & Precision Areas (Bikini & Underarms) https://amzn.to/2jP39H3

33% off DJI – Mavic Pro Combo Platinum (UK Version) https://amzn.to/2jVmw0U

And don’t forget to check back for all the latest updates which are being updated by a team of people.

UPDATED AGAIN – Amazon Prime Day Monday 15th July 2019 – The Best Deals Highlighted for You

July 15, 2019Amazon, Tech NewsAmazon Prime Day 15th July 2019 Best DealsGavin Fabiani-Laymond

Today is Amazon Prime Day. A 48 hour sale by Amazon. Below are all the best deals across a multitude of departments. The deals will be updated over the next 48 hours so do check back for all the latest offerings. This years seems like a huge bonanza of deals!

If you just want to browse all the deals, click https://amzn.to/2lbBm3T

Updated again with the following deals –