Category Archives: Android

LG V30+ First Impressions – 128gb storage & Headphone Jack with Quad DAC & Wireless Charging

Android, Reviews, Tech News

Welcome to my first impressions of the LG V30+. The V30+ is exactly the same as the V30 except it has double the storage at 128gb instead of 64gb.

Notable features include (and I suggest you read these as they are impressive)

– Hybrid Sim – either dual sim or single sim plus micro SD card (some markets just single sim plus micro SD card)
– IP68 dust and water PLUS MIL-STD-810G compliant
– Wireless Charging
– 3.5mm headphone jack with a QUAD DAC 32-bit/192kHz audio, B&O Play certified,24-bit/48kHz audio recording, Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
– 6 inch P-OLED QHD screen 18:9 aspect ratio
– Gorilla Glass 5
– Dolby Vision/HDR10 compliant
– Always-on display
– Snapdragon 835, Adreno 540
– Android 7.1.2 – Oreo rolling out now
– 64gb or 128gb storage, 4gb ram
– Rear cameras – Dual: 16 MP (f/1.6, 1 µm, 3-axis OIS, PDAF) + 13 MP (f/1.9, no AF), phase detection & laser autofocus, LED flash, 24-bit/192kHz stereo sound rec
– Front camera 5 MP (f/2.2, 1/5″, 1.12 µm)
– Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD (with Oreo update, Sony’s LDAC codec is added)
– Stereo FM radio with RDS
– USB C Connector
– Sensors – Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, colour spectrum
– Non-removable Li-Po 3300 mAh battery
– 151.7 x 75.4 x 7.3 mm Small size
– Weight 158g Quite light

Before I get to the video review section, I just want to emphasise the specs above again, as the LG V30+ has nearly everything you could dream in a phone. It also looks gorgeous. Below are a few first shots from the camera.

Camera Samples

The camera is a beast, so many options too. The photo that looks like it has had a filter applied was actually snapped with a filter pre applied. The camera shoots in 4:3 at max MP. All I have done is cropped afterwards to 16:9.

First Impressions plus look at the Interface and Camera

Useful Links

LG V30 latest pricing on Amazon

LG V30 cases on Amazon

Honor 7X Review – Another classic phone from Honor

Android, Reviews, Tech News
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Welcome to my review of the Honor 7X.

The Key Features

– 5.93-inch display with IPS Full HD+ resolution (2160 x 1080 pixels) with an 18:9 aspect ratio
– Kirin 659 chipset, 4gb ram, 64gb storage
– Storage expanded for an additional 256 GB with a microSD card
– Dual rear camera setup that features 16mp and 2MP sensors for depth sensing
– Front camera is a 8mp
– 3,340 mAh battery
– 156.5 x 75.3 x 7.6mm
– Weight 165g
– Android 7.1 and EMUI 5.1 – update to Oreo and EMUI 8 in New Year
– 3.5mm headphone jack
– Micro USB, no NFC

Camera Samples

In good light the Honor 7X takes good shots. Wide Aperture mode, Portrait mode are all present making the camera a good offering. In low light images are soft.

Video Review

Useful Links

Honor on Amazon UK

Honor Store UK

Honor 7X – First Impressions plus Camera

Android, Reviews, Tech News,

Yesterday, Honor launched the Honor 7X, its new budget offering with a stunning full view 18:9 display. In fact the whole phone looks lovely as you will see in the video below.

The Key Features

– 5.93-inch display with IPS Full HD+ resolution (2160 x 1080 pixels) with an 18:9 aspect ratio
– Kirin 659 chipset, 4gb ram, 64gb storage
– Storage expanded for an additional 256 GB with a microSD card
– Dual rear camera setup that features 16mp and 2MP sensors for depth sensing
– Front camera is a 8mp
– 3,340 mAh battery
– 156.5 x 75.3 x 7.6mm
– Weight 165g
– Android 7.1 and EMUI 5.1 – update to Oreo and EMUI 8 in New Year
– 3.5mm headphone jack
– Micro USB, no NFC

In my first impressions video, I take a closer look at the camera interface and photo editing app with a few samples too. I will be producing a camera showcase, so stay tuned for this over the coming weeks.

First Impressions

Google Pixel 2 XL – Camera Review & Showcase

Android, Reviews, Tech News

Welcome to my Google Pixel 2 XL Camera Review and Showcase. First let’s take a look at the key features of the Pixel 2 XL.

Key Features

– Android Orea with a minimum 3 years OS updates and security patches
– Fullscreen 6.0in display QHD+ (2880 x 1440) pOLED at 538ppi, 18:9,3D Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5, Always-on display, 100% DCI-P3 coverage, 100000:1, super contrast ratio, True black level, Full 24-bits depth or 16.77 million colours
– Rear Camera Rear Camera, 12.2MP, 1.4μm, Autofocus with laser + dual pixel phase detection, Optical + electronic image stabilization, f/1.8 aperture, Rear Camera Video 1080p @ 30fps, 60fps, 120fps, 720p @ 30fps, 60fps, 240fps,4K @ 30fps
– Front Camera Front Camera 8MP, 1.4μm, f/2.4 aperture, Fixed focus, Front Camera Video, 1080p @ 30fps, 720p @ 30fps, 480p @ 30fps
– Processor Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835,2.35Ghz + 1.9Ghz, 64Bit Octa-Core, Adreno 540, Security module
– 4gb ram, 65gb or 128gb storage
– Media & Audio – Stereo front-firing speakers, Bluetooth 5.0 + LE, Wireless HD audio with LDAC, Qualcomm® AptX™ and AptX HD™ audio codecs supported, USB-C™ port to use with your own USB-C digital headphones
– Headphone Adapter to connect a 3.5mm jack to your Pixel
– 3 mics Noise suppression
– Battery 3520 mAh battery, Up to 7 hours of go with 15 minutes of charge
– Sensors Active Edge™, Proximity / Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer / Gyrometer, Magnetometer, Pixel Imprint: Back-mounted fingerprint sensor for fast unlocking, Barometer, Hall effect sensor, Android Sensor Hub, Advanced x-axis haptics for sharper/defined response
– IP67 water and dust resistant

So the Google Pixel 2 XL features a decent specification, but just how amazing is its camera? Lets find out now.

Video Review

Conclusion

The Google Pixel 2 XL makes photography easy with some incredible post processing. Video stabilisation is one of the best too. Highly recommended.

Useful Links

Google Pixel phone & cases deals on Amazon UK

Razer Phone – First Impressions & Camera Showcase

Android, Reviews, Tech News,

Yesterday, I posted a few shots from the camera. Today, I am taking a closer look at the Razer Phone and giving you some more shots from the camera, which include some overcast conditions as well as running dogs.

Key Features

– 120 Hz UltraMotion™ screen, 5.7 inch IGZO LCD 1440 x 2560, Wide Colour Gamut
– Featuring Dolby Atmos and THX certified audio
– Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with 8GB RAM
– Rear cameras – 12MP AF f1.75 Wide, 12MP AF f2.6 Zoom, Dual PDAF, Dual tone, dual LED flash
– Front camera – 8MP FF f2.0
– Stereo Front-facing speakers with Dual Amplifiers
– Audio Adapter with THX certified DAC
– 4,000 mAh battery for all-day power with Quick Charge 4
– Storage – internal: 64GB UFS, External: microSD (class 10, 2TB max.)
– Wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2,NFC
– Bands GSM: Quad-band GSM UMTS: B1/2/3/4/5/8, LTE: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/19/20/25/26/28/29/30/66, TDD LTE: B38/39/40/41 TD-SCDMA: B34/39
– Size 158.5 x 77.7 x 8 mm
– Weight 197 g

So sit back and enjoy the first impressions and camera showcase.

Google Pixel Buds review – Google’s headphones with Google Assistant & Translate Built-in

Android, Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News,

Welcome to my review of the Google Pixel Buds. In this review, I am going to cover off how to pair, use and a number of tips and tricks as well as my verdict on the sound quality.

Key Features

– Earbuds length: 20.4 mm, Earbuds width: 20.4 mm, Earbuds height: 20.5 mm
– Charging case length: 66.2 mm, Charging case width: 65.5 mm, Charging case height: 28.6 mm
– Weight: Earbuds: 14 g, Charging case: 57g with buds, 43g without buds
– Battery: Earbuds: 120mAh, Charging Case: 620mAh
– A single charge of Google Pixel Buds gives you up to 5 hours of listening time. the case provides up to another 20 hours
– Sensors: Microphone, Accelerometer,Capacitive touchpad

So for the full rundown, now take a look at my video review.

Video Review

Conclusion

The Google Pixel Buds are a surprising package, with good audio, Google Assistant and more. Recommended.

Useful Links

Google Online Store
Amazon Tech Deals

Huawei Mate 10 Pro – Camera Review – Video & Photos – Multiple Modes – Day & Night

Android, Tech News

The Huawei Mate 10 Pro has some powerful cameras. Its rear cameras consist of of a 12mp RGB sensor with OIS and a 20mp Monochrome Sensor. The front camera is 8mp.

In additional, the Huawei Camera app is one of the most comprehensive with shooting modes for every situation. The camera also possesses AI, and can automatically identify what it is your are shooting and make fine adjustments to the camera automatically. Just check out the shots of my dogs in the video and the photo below.

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Panorama shots are excellent too. See first photo.

I am really impressed with the camera on the Huawei Mate 10 Pro.

Video Review

Useful Links

Huawei Mate 10 Pro info and latest pricing on Amazon UK

iPhone X vs Pixel 2 – Camera Comparison Part 2

Android, Apple, Reviews, Tech News

Over the weekend I published two posts. A low light camera comparisons between the iPhone X and Pixel 2, and some first shots from the iPhone X. 

Now I’m back with some more camera shots from both shots, from outdoor, indoor and some more low light shots. The differences are stark at times. All on auto. 

In all these shots it’s the iPhone X first, then the Pixel 2. So which is better in your eyes ?



So perfect sunny conditions with this shot. iPhone X is the first shot. Both look great but do you have a favourite. 



In this indoor shot the Pixel 2 on the bottom has more detail. Look at the drinks fridge bottom right. But do you agree?



Now into night shots where the differences between the phones becomes more obvious. Again Pixel 2 is the bottom shot, iPhone X on top. 



Again both phones using a different exposure with the Pixel 2 going for a higher ISO. The iPhone X used a 1/4 second shutter speed. But which is better. Pixel bottom. iPhone X on top. 

So who is your winner and why? 

Some other points to note. The Pixel 2 has Bluetooth LDAC, APT-X and APT-X audio codecs and therefore sound better with headphones. Both have stereo speakers. The iPhone X sounds better than the Pixel 2 but Pixel 2 XL sounds better than the iPhone X. Screens. Lol. iPhone X has a better screen than both Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. 

Apple iPhone X vs Google Pixel 2 – Low Light Camera Comparison

Android, Apple

Last night I was at the historic Duke of Cornwall Hotel in Plymouth. This made for a quick camera comparison in low light using the iPhone X and Google Pixel 2. All shot handheld and in auto.

Above is the shot from the iPhone X. This is uploaded at full size, as is all the other shots.

Immediately, you can see the difference above with the Google Pixel 2. So much more clarity and quality. The Pixel 2 shot shows more of the hotel windows.

Back to the iPhone X above. Not a bad looking shot.

And now above the Pixel 2 once again showing off its chops in low light.

So as you can see the end result is pretty clear that the Pixel 2 took the better shots and by quite a margin. Do you agree?

In addition, I used the Pixel 2 to snap some incredible portrait shots, which for privacy reasons I cannot share. However, the Portrait mode on the iPhone X created some fun looking black and white portraits which seemed to go down a treat.

More soon!