I don’t normally use video for my reviews but a while ago I did mention I would give it a go.
So my first proper attempt with an unboxing video of the Huawei G8.
The Huawei G8 has a decent spec too. To recap on the specs and first thoughts , see my earlier article – Huawei G8 Specs and First Impressions
In the meantime I hope you like my video.
Welcome to my review of the August EP636 Bluetooth headphones.
The Specification
– Bluetooth v 4.0 + NFC
– Operating Range: Up to 10m
– Frequency Response: 80Hz – 20KHz
– DSP: CVC6.0 Noise and Echo reduction
– Speaker Output: 20mW
– SNR: ≥90dB
– Distortion: ≤1.0%
– Battery: 195 mAh Built-in Li-ion Battery
– Working Time: 14 hours
– Charging Time: 2.5 hours
– Standby Time: 480 hours
– Charge port: Micro USB
– Weight: 126g
– Dimensions: 165.7 x 161.5 x 50mm
Over the course of this week I will be reviewing 2 other bluetooth headphones from August International, the EP50 and in ear EP610. I will also be reviewing their Portable Radio with Bluetooth Speaker SE20.
As some of you will know, I love headphones and have owned and reviewed many pairs. To catch up on any previous reviews click here – https://gavinsgadgets.com/review-links/headphoneampsdac-reviews/ .
The August EP636 Bluetooth headphones are one of the new releases from the company. In the box you get the headphones and micro usb lead. Pairing the headphones is easy. You can either pair in the usual manner of use the inbuilt NFC. Once connect you can use the controls on the headphones to take calls, control your track list and volume. I have the black version, but they are available in 3 other colours. The headphones retail at £34.95 although at the moment there is a special price on Amazon UK, making these a real bargain.
The Sound Quality
Before I cover the music quality, I tested these for call quality. The calls were clear and the caller at the other end had no issue hearing my voice. It is really handy having all the necessary controls on the headphones as per my photos.
For the music test, I listened to several different genres over hours and hours. In fact, I am listening to the headphones as I type this review. Below are my findings from a selection of 5 tracks.
“The Sound of Yo-Yo-Ma, The Score – Oh My Love, Ellie Goulding – On My Mind, The Martian – Movie – Emergency Land, Cassandra Wilson – Come On in my Kitchen”
The August EP636 have a distinct musical quality. Firm bass, clearish vocals and mids. Actually, considering their price, I was somewhat surprised at how good they sounded for £34.95 and how much bass they could produce given their physical size. The sound stage is not very wide, slightly closed in to be honest. In terms of comfort, these fitted well and were not heavy. In fact, I used them for a run with my dogs and they stayed on my head no problem whatsoever.
Conclusion
I really like these headphones. Good sound quality and bass and superb value for money. There is also a choice of colours too.
August EP636 Bluetooth Wireless Stereo NFC Headphones with Microphone deal at Amazon UK
Today I will be looking at some photography options with the iPhone 6S Plus that I have achieved so far. I will also list the apps I use as well. Many of these apps are available on android too. All the photos shown are available to view full size if you click on the photo. Where possible, when I have mentioned any accessories I have made them active links to Amazon.
First up is the problem you get when shooting buildings and the walls aren’t straight. Now the best solution for this is something like Adobe Lightroom 6. See how the walls of the church are slightly warped.
Now using an app called SKRWT, you can fix this and make it look a lot better.
Now what about shooting in RAW format. The default camera app on the iPhone does not permit this. But I use Camera+ which has so many features both from shooting to editing, it really is a great app. It also has 3D Touch enabled. So below is a macro shot in RAW. Note the file size is up to 7 x larger than normal shots. If you view the full size version of the berries the amount of detail is huge.
Again using Camera+ macro mode you can get really close up. So the flower shot first, then the macro.
What about using something like an Olloclip lens attachment for macro. This is what you get. Notice the bokek.
The Olloclip 4 in 1 does wide, fisheye and 2 levels of macro. I also have the Olloclip Macro Pro kit. Whilst these lenses are fun, the quality is poor. They are best used for macro if anything at all. First you can’t use a case or screen protector, and the photos goes soft on the edges. But they are great fun. Below was a photo taken in fisheye mode and then straightened using SKRWT. More info , click here Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens
The Olloclip softens the photos too much in wide mode on the edges. FYI the version for the iPhone 6/6 Plus according to Olloclip works with the new 6S and 6S Plus. Details on Amazon Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens
My recommendation is to use Camera+ for macros with a small tripod. For wide shots use the standard pano mode. You can get photos like this. For this shot below I only took half a panorama as it was not necessary to move across the whole screen. Sometimes 3 or 4 frames are just enough.
However, sometimes the full panoramic is ideal and this is where the iPhone works really well.
In terms of apps, I use the default Photos app. The editing is non destructive. From within the Photos app editing I can access my following apps – afterlight, adobe photoshop express, camera+ and diptic. Also in the Photos app I can import a photo into VSCO Cam or use an app called ViewExif to view the exif details. So apart from the apps mentioned I also have installed Slow Shutter, Flickr, Playmemories, Photogene, Color Splash Pro, Snapseed, Nightcap Pro, Cameratamo, Phoster, Camera360 and Waterlogue.
I do use Live Photos and really like it. Sadly at the moment, I can’t share this with any of apps or services other than within the Apple eco system. I hope this changes soon. However, I do turn it off when I know the shot will make no difference with Live Photos enabled. But it does make moving through the camera roll a bit exciting.
iMovie is used to finish off videos and add photos if needed.Talking about video the video capture is absolutely stunning. 4K, 1080p and other modes like timelapse work so well. I have created a few videos. Ignore the iMovie editing on the timelapse video at the start, that was my fault cutting a frame too agressively at the very beginning. So first up a 4K recorded clip, in 1080p and then a timelapse.
First up time lapse mode. For the 360 degree movement I use Veho VCC-360
on my tripod. My phone is attached to the Veho using a ShoulderPod S1 Grip
.
Then 4K video with a sweep at the end of the view from the summit of Staple Tor. This had no post processing in iMovie.
The best accessory I have used with all my phones is the ShoulderPod S1 Grip
Anyway that is all for Part 1. If you have any tips or apps or any accessories you like using please leave a comment.
Pebble Time Smartwatch is Pebble’s newest watch and today if you follow the link below you can get it with a saving of £40, that’s a 22% reduction.
3 colours are available, black, red and white.
– Compatible with Android and iOS
– Water resistant to 30 meters with always on, color e-paper display with LED backlight with battery life up to 7 days
– 9.5mm thin chassis with curved, ergonomic profile, Marine Grade Stainless Steel bezel with PVD coating, matte and polished finishes and Tough, 2.5D glass display
– Tactile buttons for easy, eyes-free control and vibrating motor for discreet alerts and alarms (wake yourself, not your loved ones).
– 8000+ apps on the Pebble appstore from brands like Uber, Jawbone, Misfit, and ESPN, plus thousands of independent apps, hundreds of watch faces, swappable covers from GadgetWraps, and watch bands, tailoring Pebble Time to your life and style
I have just noticed the following offer from Amazon UK. Using my special link below, if you are a student you can get a 6 month free trial of Amazon Prime. After the 6 months you get 50% off.
For full details and the link to sign up click below. If you know someone who is a student, then show them this page.
A great offer!
6 months Amazon Prime Student Offer via Gavin’s Gadgets – Click for Details
In the last 30 days I have written and published over 10 reviews. For ease I have included the reviews below along with the links.
Apple iPhone 6S Plus incl Apple Watch – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/10/07/apple-iphone-6s-plus-the-review/
Huawei G8 – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/10/06/huawei-g8-first-impressions-of-huaweis-mid-market-flagship/
Samsung Note 5 Dual Sim – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/09/22/samsung-note-5-dual-sim-first-impressions/
Honor 7 – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/10/05/honor-7-review/
Huawei Watch – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/09/21/huawei-watch-my-review/
Huawei Mate S – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/09/18/huawei-mate-s-my-review/
Acer Liquid Jade S – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/10/08/acer-liquid-jade-s-review/
Acer Iconia One 8 Tablet – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/09/28/acer-iconia-one-8-tablet-review/
Samsung S Health app (Google Play version) – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/09/23/samsung-s-health-app-works-in-all-android-devices-but-is-it-any-good/
Suaoki 40W 8A 5 Port Compact USB Charger – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/09/29/suaoki-compact-40w-8a-5-port-high-usb-charger-review/
Motorola Moto X Play – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/10/01/motorola-moto-x-play-review/
LG G4 – 4 month review – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/09/24/lg-g4-4-month-review-the-ultimate-package/
LG G4 – main review – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/06/04/lg-g4-the-review-all-26-parts/
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact – 23mp Camera Test – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/10/08/sony-xperia-z5-just-how-good-is-the-new-23mp-camera-see-for-yourself/
Welcome to my review of the Acer Liquid Jade S smartphone.
Basics
The key specifications –
– MediaTek Octa-core 1.50 GHz
– 5″ (1280 x 720) screen
– 13 Megapixel (Rear Camera) f/1.8, 5 Megapixel (Front Camera)
– 2 GB RAM, 16 GB storage (nearly 12gb available)
– 7.78mm thin
– Gorilla Glass 3
– LTE 150Mbps
– Dual sim
– Micro SD support up to 32gb
– Android 4.4.4 (software OTA arrived for lollipop 5.1 after a few days)
– Bluetooth 4.0
– NFC excluded
– 120g weight
The Acer Liquid Jade S was kindly loaned to me for this review. Removing the Acer Liquid Jade S from its box and I thought for a moment the battery needed to be fitted as it felt too light. In fact, the battery was inside the phone, it just weighs a mere 120g. It is also narrow and thin at 7.78mm and with its 720p 5 inch screen a good phone sized phone. Being so thin did have an impact on battery life, with the end result of just making it through a working day. However, the plastic back did feel a little slippery and with the power button on the top, not an easy position to keep reaching especially with the back being so slippery.
After reviewing a few Acer devices a pattern emerges with the same mix of apps added. The Liquid Jade S is no different. It includes Acer’s BYOC (bring your own cloud) suite of apps, Acer NAV (a rebadged TomTom) and a whole range of extra apps, some of which are more bloatware than anything else. It does include a FM radio, a torch light app and polaris office 5. Otherwise it is stock android, albeit android 4.4.4. NFC is not included. Now I mentioned it came with android 4.4.4 but after a few days lollipop 5.1 OTA arrived at a download size of 0.9mb. However, you need a micro SD card in the phone to download and then install it.
Other extras include DTS HD Premium sound, with further EQ adjustments. These can be used with headphones and the loudspeaker. On screen gestures exist, 4 in total eg. drawing a Z opens the music app. L unlocks. There is also an option for a scheduled power on and off.
The 720p is clear and bright with good viewing angles. Call quality was reasonable and cell signal seemed ok too.
So apart from its thinness at 7.78mm and weight at 120g and overall smallish profile, what else is special about the phone?
Camera and Audio
Now let’s talk about the camera. The rear camera is a 13mp with an impressive f/1.8. The camera app includes a whole range of shooting modes from HDR, panorama, beautification, best shot, bright magic, smile shutter, picture with sound, multi angle view, presentation, dual shot and gourmet. Then you have scenes from auto, landscape, night, portrait. You can shoot with 4 different effects – mono, sepia, negative and aqua. You can operate the camera via voice control as well. Video offers a time lapse mode too with 1, 2, 5 and 10 second intervals. Fine tuning is available for ISO, white balance, saturation, contrast, colour and exposure. If you want to be in the photo as well, a timer with 5, 10 or 15 seconds delay is available. Video electronic stabilisation is available too, with 1080p recordings. Other options are also available, however I must admit the camera app is not laid out as logically as I would have liked, nor is it quick to switch between different modes. So let’s take a look at some camera samples.
I thought some of the camera shots looked slightly over exposed, and there is soft focus on the edges of some the photos in places. Low light and macro shots were a struggle. What do you think? Tap on each photo and select full resolution.The front camera also slightly over exposed shots.
The loudspeaker is on the rear and can be easily covered by accident. It sounds tinny and is not the loudest out there. The sound via headphones was quite reasonable. USB Audio is not supported.
Conclusion
The Acer Liquid Jade S is an unusual phone and bucks the trend in many ways with its slim and light weight design. With its recommended retail price of £199, it finds itself with tough competition that offers more and often for less money too.
Sony smartphone sensors appear on all the best flagship phones from Apple and Samsung and then appear on a whole load of other phones.
With the new Sony Xperia Z5 range, Sony has used a new 23mp sensor. So just how good is the sensor? Reader “Whitehartmart” kindly sent in some sample Z5 Compact photos from his phone. So have a look at the photos below and decide for yourself. I have uploaded the full res shots in to the post. If necessary click on photo, then select full size in the options.
So what do you think of the camera samples from the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact?
Thanks again to Whitehartmart for the photos.
Yesterday Microsoft held a press event for its Windows 10 devices. Announced were the new Microsoft Band, Lumia 950, 950 XL, Surface Pro 4, Lumia 550, Surface Book and Project X-Ray and a few accessories. Take a look at the video above to see all the devices in action.
Firstly the event was a master class in how to present and create a buzz. If you watched the event you would have been left drooling for everything announced. However, as good as it appeared the level of detail was absent at times too. For example, Microsoft kept telling us how good everything was but didn’t always show how. The Surface Book was touted as twice as fast as the MacBook Pro, so they showed a video of game play running on the Surface Book instead of actually playing the game. The new Lumia 950’s, no actual camera samples, just that the cameras were great.
If you breakdown the event what Microsoft actually did was create and demonstrate that they are still extremely relevant and have some of the best hardware and software too. In fact just like Apple , Microsoft now own their Eco system from a hardware and software point of view and consequently announced powerful and dominating products.
Project X-Ray demo was freaking awesome. Virtual reality and holo lens combined. This was shown at the start of the live event to leave people wowed. The Surface Book’s claim as the most powerful laptop ever and twice as powerful as the MacBook Pro is a strong claim. And then the display separates from the keyboard to become a tablet. Of course what Microsoft didn’t tell you was the price for this top end configuration of their Surface Book. I will, it’s very expensive with configuration options totally $2,700. Well for that money it had better be bloody amazing.
The new phone lineup with the Lumia 550, 950 and 950 XL was all about the flagships and not much about the 550. The new 950’s are fitted with top end specs but again the key standout feature was using the phone connected to a keyboard and display and the Window 10 apps automatically scaling up to be full size. So your phone can be your home computer. Very neat. The flagship phones should cost around £450 and £550 respectively.
Microsoft also announced their new Microsoft Band. Curved and with more specs and features than the competition. More sensors than their competitors. They also demonstrated just how feature rich Microsoft Health has become and how it now integrates with many third party software services and apps.
So now you can ditch your Google and Apple devices, and buy the latest phones, health band and laptop from Microsoft and have super top notch hardware.
One missing point though. What about the apps? We all know the Microsoft store is way behind android and Google but maybe after impressing with its hardware third party developers will rush on board and develop apps that work on any Windows 10 device regardless as to whether it’s a phone, tablet or something else running Windows 10.
It seems Microsoft has regrouped and come back looking to regain lost ground. Will it? Only time will answer that question.
I have written many posts covering my views on the new iPhone 6S Plus and Apple Watch, so for ease I have created this post whereby all further sections will now appear as well.
Panoramic Shot from the iPhone 6S Plus
Part 1 – Day 1 Experience plus Rose Gold plus Apple Watch – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/09/26/the-apple-iphone-6s-plus-day-1-experience-photos-and-views-on-rose-gold-and-apple-watch/
Part 2 – Camera First Looks – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/09/27/just-how-good-is-the-camera-on-the-apple-iphone-6s-plus-my-results/
Part 3 – Apple iPhone 6S Camera vs S6 and LG G4 – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/09/28/photos-from-the-iphone-6s-plus-more-opinions-on-the-camera-quality/
Part 4 – More photos with the iPhone 6S Plus and my views – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/10/01/more-photos-from-the-apple-iphone-6s-plus-and-views/
Part 5 – iTunes Match and iCloud Warnings – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/07/02/warning-icloud-music-library-and-apple-music-details-to-be-aware-of/
Part 6 – Apple iPhone 6S Plus – Time Lapse test – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/10/02/apple-iphone-6s-plus-my-time-lapse-test/
Part 7 – iCloud – it really doesnt work – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/10/02/apple-icloud-surely-it-just-works-editorial/
Part 8 – iOS 9 and iPhone Data Usage warning plus fix – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/10/03/warning-check-your-iphone-running-ios-9-for-data-usage-details-and-fix/
Part 9 – Shooting with Sun Glare on the iPhone 6S Plus – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/10/04/apple-iphone-6s-plus-shooting-with-sun-glare-tips/
Part 10 – 2 week review of the iPhone 6S and Apple Watch – https://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/10/06/apple-iphone-6s-plus-icloud-apple-watch-part-3-the-lows-highs-and-findings/
Part 11 – iPhone 6S Plus Photography special with details on apps
Apple iPhone 6S Plus – Photography Special – Video and Photos – Part 1
Part 12 – Apple iPhone 6S Plus and Apple Watch update
Part 13 – Camera Shootout – iPhone 6S Plus vs Moto X Play vs Huawei G8
Camera Shootout – Apple iPhone 6S Plus vs Huawei G8 vs Motorola Moto X Style
Part 14 – Syncing and Notifications – solved
That “Syncing” Feeling – Notifications between the iPhone and Apple Watch – SOLVED
Part 15 – Extreme Low Light – Photography Special Part 2
Apple iPhone 6S Plus – Extreme Low Light – Photography Special Part 2
Gavin's Gadgets & Photography 