Category Archives: Android

Honor 6X – Style and a Camera Bokeh Mode & more all for £224.99 – Detailed Camera Specs & Where To Order Now

January 3, 2017Android, Tech Newsdual cameras for £250, Honor 6X, ReviewGavin Fabiani-Laymond

Honor is back with its new Honor 6X. The Honor 6X has a dual camera setup. The main sensor (a Sony IMX386 sensor), is 12 megapixels, equipped with phase autofocus and LED flash, and a secondary 2 megapixel sensor, that helps deliver pro photography: Even in low light, noise levels are kept to a minimum thanks to Deep Trench Isolation, which isolates pixels to suppress blur. The result? A sharper picture quality with better colour reproduction, and no more challenges getting subjects in focus. The 12mp sensor has a 1.25um pixel size and can lock on focus in 0.3 seconds.

The 8mp front camera has a Prism ISP for superb selfies. The 8mp front camera has a 77 degree angle, and intelligent software that is self-adaptive for skin tone and can auto touch up faces.

The lens system consists of six layers to enhance uniformity of light and reduce screen distortion significantly. To add to this, Phase Detection Autofocus Technology (PDAF) promises camera focus on a rapid 0.3 seconds, guaranteeing moments won’t be missed. Wide Aperture mode sets the user up with a host of photographic effects with the ability to adjust f/0.95 – f/16, including watermarks, whilst guaranteeing a simple-to-use editing.

The other key specs start with its gorgeous looks using 2.5D glass and a metal frosted design. It comes equipped with a Kirin 655 processor (4 cores at 2.1GHz and 4 at 1.7GHz), 3,400 mAh battery, 5.5-inch screen 1080p Full-HD resolution (403 pixels-per-inch) 450nits brightness, 32gb rom, 3gb ram, micro SD cards up to 128gb, Micro USB faster charging at 5V 2A, a finger print sensor and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Where to Buy

The Honor 6X is available from January 4th in Grey, Gold and Silver on Honor’s vMall and Amazon for an incredible price of just £224.99, and with Three at the end of January, the exclusive provider for Honor.

More information at Amazon UK – Click HERE.
Honor 8 in blue is currently on offer – Click HERE

My Top 5 Smartphones of 2016 & a message from me

December 22, 2016Amazon, Android, Apple, BlackBerry, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News, Wearablesspecial message, Top 5 Smartphones of 2016Gavin Fabiani-Laymond

Can you believe that 2016 is nearly at an end. And what a year 2016 has been. World events have been seismic and so has the technology.

So what are my top 5 phones for 2016?

5th Place – Asus Zenfone Zoom – What a phone and what a clever piece of hardware. With 3 x optical zoom, this was a fabulous phone and camera. As Apple has shown, having optical zoom is so useful.

4th Place – LG G5 – the phone that has every technical specification. Replaceable batteries, micro sd card slot, dual lens system with a super wide lens (so cool), one of the best Bluetooth music using HD APT-X and so much more. Just let down by its build quality versus its competition. If the LG V20 had been sold in the U.K., this would have replaced the G5.

3rd Place – HTC 10 – the phone that everyone forgot about, yet is the phone that has the best audio quality with a headphone jack, solid premium build and super fast. I was going to put the Google Pixel phone in 3rd, but the HTC 10 is a lot less to buy.

2nd Place – Honor 8 – with its dual lens system, infra red blaster, gorgeous hardware and £300 price point, sometimes even less, this is a killer choice and a deserved second place.

1st Place – Apple iPhone 7 Plus. Apple was helped towards this win due to Samsung suffering a PR disaster with their faulty Note 7. However, IMO there isn’t a single phone on sale at the moment that can offer everything that the iPhone 7 Plus provides. Great camera. Superb audio. iOS 10 and the Apple eco system. For me using the Apple Watch, with an iPad Air, MacBook Pro and AirPods is a dream setup. HomeKit integrates tightly and Siri for me works very well.

To catch up on my reviews on all the above phones, and all the other top phones of 2016, click here REVIEWS . Using that link, you can also get to all my Bluetooth headphone reviews and more.

Now in case anyone thinks I am an Apple fanboy or sheep, this is not the case. I just want the best of what’s available. Prior to the iPhone I was using Samsung S7 as my main phone with every Samsung accessory possible. However, after going through a horrific Samsung customer service experience with my Note 7, I have vowed never to use anything with a Samsung logo on it. Following my Note 7 saga I also sold every Samsung piece of hardware I owned.

The Holidays

As we are approaching the holiday period, news and reviews will be slower. This will allow me to look at the website design and try and improve it in a few places. I will also spend more time with family and friends. So whatever you are doing at this time of year, enjoy the next few days if you can and I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!

In the meantime, if you are buying anything on Amazon UK, using my affiliate link helps me towards the increasing running costs of the website. The good news shopping via my link costs you nothing extra.
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If you wish to make a one off dontation (thanks to everyone who has so far) please do so using my PayPal account.

https://www.paypal.me/gavinsgadgets

BlackBerry DTEK60 – Review – A True Powerhouse of a Phone from BlackBerry

December 21, 2016Android, BlackBerry, Reviews, Tech NewsBlackBerry DTEK60, ReviewGavin Fabiani-Laymond

Welcome to my review of the BlackBerry DTEK60. This is BlackBerry’s new flagship phone with killer specs, audio, security and camera. My thanks to Clove Technology for delivering the phone swiftly.

So does the DTEK60 from BlackBerry cut the mustard? Well, lets take a look at the key specifications and features.

Key Specifications/Features

– Android 6.0 Marshmallow – Full Google services and access to over 1 million applications
– BlackBerry DTEK security – Security that protects the private details of your life from being hacked
– Fingerprint sensor – Physical protection against unwanted access to the phone
– Regular security updates – BlackBerry have committed to delivering Google’s monthly security patches and OS enhancements
– BlackBerry Intelligent Keyboard – Learns and provides word suggestions for up to 3 languages of your choice
– Customisable BlackBerry Convenience Key – Provides quick access to your most used applications and more
– 5.5″ QHD 534 ppi amoled screen – scratch resistant glass and nano coating to avoid fingerprint smudges
– 21 megapixel main camera -f/2.0 6 element lens, 4K Video 30fps
– 8 megapixel front camera – Capture great selfies even in low light with a front facing flash
– Snapdragon 820
– 32GB internal storage – 4gb ram
– MicroSD card slot – up to 2TB
– it has a headphone jack
– 4G LTE –
– 3,000 may battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge
– USB Type C
– Stereo loudspeakers

The Basics

The BlackBerry DTEK60 is probably the phone all BlackBerry users have dreamed of with a powerhouse of top end specs, decent stereo speakers, a superb QHD 534ppi amoled screen, a headphone jack, excellent headphone audio and bluetooth stereo.

The 3,000 mAh battery reached on average 4.5 hours screen on time. Some days, this was less, sometimes a little bit more than 4.5 hours. Standby time was ok. It did seem to lose more than other phones I have tested whilst in standby mode. Call quality was good.

The viewing angles of the screen were good too along with sunlight visibility. The screen adjusts the contrast and brightness making photo taking a breeze.

It also features BlackBerry’s DTEK security suite, keyboard, launcher and productivity apps including the BlackBerry Hub. There is a lot of nice useful bits of software from BlackBerry.

The BlackBerry launcher is fantastic too. It allows custom icon packs which 100s available on the Google Play Store. On the home screen, swiping up on an app opens up the app widget. The launcher also allows for a wide selection of shortcuts. More details on the video review.

Camera and Audio

The DTEK50 has stereo speakers that sound superb and go loud. Lovely clarity and good volume. Brilliant for podcasts, gaming, watching YouTube videos and more. Headphone audio via the 3.5mm headphone jack was better than normal. Bluetooth audio was excellent. The phone has MAXX audio which adds to the whole enjoyment and quality. See video for more details.

The camera app is superb to use. I personally really like the camera app. The video below goes through all the options so do check that out. The photo quality is good too. The 21mp rear camera and 8mp front camera take lovely photos.

A lovely macro shot.

With poor light and fog. The above photo was superb.

Video Review

Below is the video section. The video helps compliment the written part to provide more detail around the phone construction, camera app, Blackberry apps and sound quality.

Conclusion

The BlackBerry DTEK60 is an excellent phone. It excels in all areas and in today’s cyber crime environment, has BlackBerry’s commitment to providing fast and regular security updates. Recommended.

Useful Links

Available from Clove Technology
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Wileyfox Swift 2+ – The new budget flagship from Wileyfox – Does it cut the mustard? My review with bonus video

December 19, 2016Android, Tech NewsReview, Wileyfox Swift 2+Gavin Fabiani-Laymond

Welcome to my review of the Wileyfox Swift 2+. This is the new budget flagship phone from Wileyfox. My thanks to Clove Technology for a swift delivery of the phone.

So does it cut the mustard in a world of increased competition?

First lets take a look at the key specifications.

Key Specifications/Features

– Cyanogen OS 13 – added customisation options and new lockscreen Mod support
– Based on Android 6.0 with full access to Google Play store
– 5″ HD 720p Screen, 32GB storage, 3GB RAM, micro SD, 16MP rear camera, 8MP selfie camera, 2,700 mAh battery
– Swift 2+ (Plus) redesign has metallic finish, PDAF assisted camera, USB Type-C, NFC for Android Pay and a fingerprint sensor
– Simple UI customisation with the Theme chooser. Modifying application icons & boot animations!
– Improve lock screen functionality with Mods
– AudioFX delivers 24bit High Res Lossless audio with equalizer presets
– Caller ID & Truecaller Dialler identify & block spam calls
– Cyanogen email & calendar powered by Boxer for integrating multiple accounts
– Cyanogen web browser has enhanced security
– Privacy guard provides fine permission control for apps
– PIN Scramble improves lockscreen security
– Snapdragon 430, Adreno 505 GPU

The Basics

The Wileyfox Swift 2+ is a unibody design. It feels far more premium that Wilefox’s original phones. However, it loses the removable back cover and the ability to swap the battery and have 2 SIM cards and a micro SD card. Now, you are left with a hybrid sim design, meaning you have to decide whether you want the second sim for a SIM card or a micro SD card. The upside is a decent 32gb amount of storage with 3gb of ram.

The Swift 2+ uses a Snapdragon 430 with an adreno 505 GPU. In general day to day tasks, the phone is fairly fluid/fast. However, start trying to play a graphic intensive game, and frame rates drop. Standby time and battery life are good. 3.5 hours was my average for screen on time. Standby time was really really good.

The 720p screen on the 5 inch screen works fine. Viewing angles are reasonable too.

Wileyfox are using Cyanogen OS based on android 6.0 which throws in a lot of customisation and useful tweaks. In light of the news regarding Cyanogen dissolving as a company, I would be keen to see what plans Wileyfox decide to instigate. I will update this review when I get the respective detail.

I was pleased to see a fingerprint sensor on the back along with NFC. The fingerprint sensor was not the fastest in the business, but it was fairy quick. Android pay app is installed as standard.

Camera and Audio

Above is a sample shot from the camera. The Swift 2+ has a 16mp rear and 8mp front camera. These are a leap forward from its predecessor. Photos in anything but decent sunshine start to look washed out and low light was just average. In good light, photos were good. For sharing on social media, the front and back cameras are fine. To see the camera app in more detail, refer to the video below.

The phone loudspeaker goes loud to around 83db. It does sound a bit metallic. The AudioFX eq system helps improve matters but the output via the headphone jack is adequate. Mids are a bit recessed. Bluetooth audio is average. A FM Radio is also provided on the phone.

Video Review

There are many other aspects of this phone, covered off in the video section, so enjoy.

Conclusion

The Wileyfox Swift 2+ faces more competition as it is priced around the £150-190 depending on colour and if a promotion is live. At this higher price there are other options available. However, it is a competent performer with decent battery life and with the Cyanogen skin is fairly fluid in operation.

Useful Links

Available from Clove Technology
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Apple’s AirPods went on sale – Is Apple the largest headphone retailer now?

December 14, 2016Android, Tech Newsis Apple the largest headphone retailerGavin Fabiani-Laymond

Walk into any Apple Store and you will see an abundance of headphones for sale. You will also notice the huge range of dongles and adapters, making Apple potentially the largest dongle and adapter retailer in the world.

So now it’s Apple’s turn with headphones. After a considerable wait, at noon UK time yesterday, the Apple AirPods went on sale for £159. Not long after the 19th December 2016 delivery date shot up to over 4 weeks a few hours later.

With such a huge iPhone base, if 10% of iPhone users buy the AirPods, that translates into millions of headphone sales. Add to this the Beats range of headphones and other headphones sold by Apple, and suddenly it is easy to see how Apple is potentially the largest headphone retailer in the world.

Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus, BlackBerry DTEK 60 and Huawei Mate 9 – Phone Reviews

December 12, 2016Android, Reviews, Tech NewsBlackBerry DTEK 60 and Huawei Mate 9 - Phone Reviews, Wileyfox Swift 2 PlusGavin Fabiani-Laymond

Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus, BlackBerry DTEK 60 and Huawei Mate 9 are 3 phones all in for review.

If anyone has any questions on any of these 3 phones, please let me know and I will try and cover them off in my main review.

At the moment, I am in the testing stage for these phones.

My thanks go to Clove Technology, http://www.clove.co.uk , for the Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus and BlackBerry DTEK 60. The Huawei Mate 9 is imported from abroad.

Samsung Note 7 – Preventing the Kill Switch Update from Samsung

December 12, 2016Android, Tech Newshow to avoid, kill switch, Note 7Gavin Fabiani-Laymond

It should not come as a surprise that after Samsung issued a software update that restricted the battery to charging to 60% about a month ago, that it is now issuing the final kill switch mandatory update.

This final update will not allow the phone to charge or connect to any cellular network, wifi or use its bluetooth.

However, a brief look at XDA Developers in the Samsung Note 7 forum will reveal a percentage of idiotic users are still using their devices, and have installed software that circumvents Samsung’s mandatory software updates.

What is even more alarming is the process involved to circumvent receiving the updated firmware is a doodle to implement.

What I don’t understand is why anyone would still want to keep this phone? It is banned from all transportation, will never receive any security updates, and is dangerous to use and own. Anybody still keeping their phone is also putting other people at risk.

So if you know anyone who is still using their Note 7 or you are, please return it and switch it off ASAP.

Wide Aperture Mode on the Huawei P9 – Is it better than the iPhone 7 Plus Portrait mode?

December 7, 2016Android, AppleWide Aperture Mode on the Huawei P9 - Is it as good as the iPhone Portrait mode?Gavin Fabiani-Laymond

Just look at the bokeh on the above shot, taken with the Huawei P9 in wide aperture mode.

With wide aperture mode, you can re-adjust the F stop and also apply some fancy effects like below.

Below is another shot which keeps the church sign in focus and everything else out of focus.

The shot below is another example of the wide aperture mode.

So how does the wide aperture mode compare to the iPhone 7 Plus. Below are some portrait shots from the iPhone 7 Plus.

So the iPhone 7 Plus can takes some great looking portrait mode shots but don’t forget it tells you when you have aligned the iPhone correctly.

The Huawei P9 is far more flexible. It will also work in poorer lighting and has the ability to re-alter and save a new image from the original with a different focus point and f stop from f/0.95 to f/16 as well as add some gimmicky effects. The P9 does have more bokeh errors.

So which do you prefer? The wide aperture mode of the Huawei P9 or the Portrait mode of the iPhone 7 Plus?

Huawei P9 – Epic Photos from the Camera

December 2, 2016Android, Photography, ReviewsEpic Shots from the Camera, Huawei P9Gavin Fabiani-Laymond

The Huawei P9 comes with 2 x 12mp rear cameras. One is monochrome and the other is a colour sensor. The cameras were co-engineered with the help of Leica.

In my results below, the Huawei P9 camera delivers epic results and photos worthy of hanging on my wall.

The above shot was taken after sunset, just before night started. This is my favourite shot so far from the P9.

The above shot is of Paignton Pier, Paignton, Devon.

Using the monochrome mode on the P9 adds mood and a unique feel to photos. This is Paignton beach, complete with sea fog in the distance.

Riverside Mill, shot in using the monochrome lens again. Pretty special in monochrome.

Just trees. Just gorgeous.

No doubt as I get to use the phone’s camera more and more, I will be able to extract even more stunning photos.

Huawei P9 – Festival Blue Edition – First Impressions

November 30, 2016Android, Photography, ReviewsFestival Blue Edition, Huawei P9Gavin Fabiani-Laymond

I reviewed the Huawei P9 back in May 2016. Click HERE to read my full review.

6 months later Huawei have released the P9 Festival Edition. This is simply either a red or blue finished P9. I really liked the phone when I reviewed it 6 months ago, and now that it is available in 2 new colours, I decided to take the plunge and get the blue colour.

It is not a vivid or dark blue, more a pale grey type blue. In some lighting it does look more blue, but nonetheless its still stunning.

The first thing to re-adjust to is its cameras. It has 2 x 12mp rear cameras. One monochrome and the other is a colour sensor. The above shot was taken in its monochrome mode. The Huawei P9 also allows RAW shots in its Pro Mode so I shall be having some fun with this phone periodically. The raw image files are around 22mb per photo.

The other reason for getting the P9 is to try the nougat beta along with EMUI v5. Once I have this installed on the P9 I shall report back with my findings.

If you have any questions about the Huawei P9, please ask.

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