Category Archives: Tech News

Tidal Music Streaming Service just integrated MQA into its service – High Quality Streaming Becomes a Reality – Full Details & Explanation

Tech News, ,

TIDAL_2

TIDAL have just integrated MQA into it’s service.

I’m not sure how much you all know about MQA but in a nutshell, it’s a new audio format that plays back in extreme high res, 24bit, as opposed to 16bit. It’s designed to play back in studio-like quality and just as the artist intended. So far, the entire Warner Music catalogue has been integrated, so that’s thousands of songs. Apart from the enhanced quality, MQA uses a lot less data to stream as the audio file sizes are smaller than traditional FLAC audio files. In laymans terms, the MQA audio files are zipped in to a smaller file, streamed over the air, and then unzipped at the other end. Neat.

What is TIDAL Masters?

TIDAL has partnered with MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) to deliver guaranteed master-quality recordings directly from the master source – an audio experience that the artist intended.

What is the difference between HiFi quality and Master quality?

HiFi audio is a superior sound, but is still limited in its resolution—44.1 kHz /16 bit. Yet TIDAL has partnered with MQA to deliver something infinitely better: an authenticated and unbroken version (typically 96 kHz / 24 bit) with the highest-possible resolution—as flawless as it sounded in the mastering suite. And exactly as the artist intended it to sound.

I’m already a TIDAL user, what do I do?

Premium Members: As a Premium member, you will need to upgrade to a TIDAL HiFi Member and use the
desktop application in order to enjoy TIDAL Masters audio feature. HiFi Members: All you need is your TIDAL HiFi membership to access thousands of master-quality albums only through the TIDAL desktop application. When you are in TIDAL desktop application, go to “What’s New” and select “Masters” in the Albums section. If you don’t have the TIDAL desktop application, you can find it here: http://tidal.com/us/download .

How can I listen to TIDAL Masters (master-quality recordings)?

All you need is a TIDAL HiFi membership to access thousands of master-quality albums only through the TIDAL desktop application. When you are in TIDAL desktop application, go to “What’s New” and select “Masters” in the Albums section. To get the best quality, make sure to select “HiFi/Master” quality in “Settings” and then select “Streaming”. If you don’t have the TIDAL desktop application, you can find it here: http://tidal.com/us/download .

Where do I find a list of available master-quality albums and tracks?

TIDAL HiFi members can access our growing catalog of master-quality albums and tracks only through the TIDAL desktop application. Go to “What’s New” and select “Masters” in the Albums section.
Master-quality albums and tracks will be available on mobile and web application at a later date.

What will it cost?

We are introducing this to all TIDAL HiFi members at no additional charge.
How much music is available in Master quality?

We have music over 30,000 tracks from Warner Music Group, our TIDAL artist owners and key independent labels. We will continue to add more master-quality content over time.

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

Android, Tech News, ,

Honor 6X - Grey (4)

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.

Honor 6X - Grey (2)

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

Flying and buying a drone – stuff retailers don’t tell you and should!

Photography, Tech News, ,

I recently attended a drone session and was left gobsmacked by what I learnt. Despite witnessing what a £4,500 DJI drone can do, which is flipping amazing, I came away from the event completely certain that I would NOT be buying a drone.

Why?

For starters, you need to be aware of the Drone Code. If you haven’t seen this then have a look here – http://dronesafe.uk/drone-code/ .

I then discovered you need the landowners permission to fly a drone. I wanted to capture some drone photography of Dartmoor National Park. However, the DNPA do not grant permission. Maybe a farmer that owned some land might grant me permission but there is no guarantee.

I can fly a drone in my back garden though. But unless you own acres of land, I cannot see the point of flying a drone in your back garden, other than to fly it into a tree.

If you do own a drone, another other aspect is accidents that can occur if a drone hit a person or property. The propellers on the drone can slice skin fairly easily too.

Now I know a lot of people still fly the drones without the correct permissions. I just don’t see the point of spending a lot of money on an item that is quickly being clamped down by codes and ultimately to come will be legislation.

The Drone Code currently states –

1 – Keep the drone in sight at all times
2 – Stay below 400ft
3 – Every time you fly the drone must follow the manufacturers guidelines
4 – Keep the right distance from people and property – 150ft away from people and houses, 500ft away from build up areas and crowds
5 – You are responsible for each flight. Legal liability and responsibility lies with you. Failure to fly responsibly could end up in a criminal prosecution.

If you decide to buy a drone, just make sure you are aware of the facts.

Useful Links

More information on the different types of drones – Click HERE.

The Drone Code Website – Click HERE

Converting all my house lights to a wireless setup using Philips Hue & Apple HomeKit – the highs and lows

Apple, Internet of Things, Reviews, Tech News,

For nearly 2 years my living room lights were all controlled via an app. These were the Belkin WeMo Smart Lights. These were on an Amazon Black Friday deal in December 2014. 
At the time, the Philips Hue lights were also discounted but they were nearly three times the price, so economics became the deciding factor. Belkin did promise to update the system to provide HomeKit but 2 years down the line they have renegaded on that promise or are asleep at the wheel!

So I decided to bit the bullet a few weeks ago, sell my Belkin WeMo Smart Light system, and acquire a few pieces from the Philips Hue system that work with Apple’s HomeKit and nearly all other systems on the market, including Amazon Echo and Samsung Smart Things. 

It is quite handy buying the lights around Christmas time, as often there are some decent deals available. If you are buying into the Philips Hue system make sure you buy the Philips Hue Hub v2 and upwards as this is when HomeKit support was added. If you have the original Hub, you can just go out and buy the newer version hubs. The same goes for the Hue lights. There are now 3 versions. Version 1 are the white bulbs that don’t change colours, version 2 added rgb colours and the brand new ones , version 3 go slightly brighter and have richer blues and greens. However, there is nothing wrong with version 2 or 1 bulbs as these work just fine. Also the extra brightness obtainable in version 3 bulbs is only possible with certain white hues. So buy the older versions and save some money. That is what I did. I decided I would not need every room to have colour changing bulbs.

So the first change I did was to place the Philips Hue version 2 bulbs into my living room. To use with Apple HomeKit is a simple setup. You will need two factor authentication on your iCloud account and for remote access either an iPad left in your home or an Apple TV 4th edition. Fortunately , I have two factor authentication already setup and the latest Apple TV. 

To start using Apple HomeKit, you simply open the Home app on your iPhone, search  for the bulbs, then scan the HomeKit code on the Philips Hue box or Hub sticker. You can add the bulbs first using the Philips Hue app, which I would recommend doing, as the app will update the firmware. So with HomeKit enabled, activating the lights using Siri is now live. So using Siri  via my Apple Watch or iPhone, I have full control of the lights, turning them on or off, setting a scene, adjusting the brightness or changing the colours. Now the real test became with my wife. Could she get used to using Siri to operate the lights or would she get totally p*ssed off with the technology. 

Once I had set up HomeKit on my iPhone, added some scenes and a few other settings, from the home app, I invited my wife into the HomeKit setup. She accepted on her iPhone 6S. So when she came into the room, I told her to ask Siri to turn on the lights using her Apple Watch. I then asked my wife to ask Siri to change the colour of the lights to a colour of her choice. She did this and was genuinely suprised at how cool and easy it was to operate the lights. This then gave me the go ahead to start changing more and more of the bulbs around the home, and include a few motion sensors and add some automation to the setup. 

Now in case you’re wondering, you don’t need Siri to operate the lights.  Flicking up on the iPhone to bring up the control centre, scroll left twice and your in the home scenes and accessories tab. Here you can turn the lights on or off, adjust the brightness or colours. 3D Touch is used on the icons. I will embed a video to show this and a load more options. You really should watch this video to see how Apple have produced such a great home application. 

So after nearly a month, I have automated the lights in the upstairs hall landing, master bedroom, living room, kitchen and dining room. If I leave the house or return home, certain sequences of lights turn on or off, at particular levels of brightness and colours. If I move around the house and trigger one of the motion sensors, certain lights are turned on or off.  The automated procedures are smart enough also to know that the lights only need come on after sunset as well (if you select this to occur). All this slick functionality is a joy to experience as a tech geek. Also being able to control the lights from the Apple Watch is cool. You don’t even need to use Siri on the Watch, as the home app with dock enables you to control the lights as needed. In the kitchen I added some Philips Hue light strips. These provide superb mood lighting. Green is the favourite colour with these. The light strips are hidden too. They have 3M sticky tape on the strip to secure them properly. If you buy version 1 light strips, these are not extendable. Version 2 can be extended. Version 1 strips do have changing colours though. I have used version 1 strips as they were long enough for my needs and saved money too.

Sounds like a dream doesn’t it. Well, it’s not quite that. These are the lows or things to think about. Unless you live alone, then the below points are not as important or relevant. If you change all the lights or a high percentage, you may not always have your iPhone or Apple Watch on you. My wife is a good example of this. So that means you really need to think about installing the Philips Hue switches in certain rooms to be able to manually control the lights just in case you haven’t got any Apple devices nearby. I would recommend having these switches in the main living areas e.g. Living room, kitchen and main hallway. I haven’t got these installed, so am trying to see if with the aid of motion sensors and automation processes I can avoid installing these. I might not be successful here, as my wife may not enjoy the inability just to walk into the living room and press a switch to turn the lights on which is simple and less effort sometimes. It’s all a fine balance. 

Like all uses of technology it has to make life simpler and more enjoyable. I believe I have reached that balance, but if I go the next step and change every single light bulb, I will need to also invest in the Philip Hue light switches. Problem is, going to the next level is very expensive. I also am very pleased with the moderate setup which adds automation, mood lighting and a certain cool factor. 

Just some final thoughts. I wish in the UK, that the Apple HomeKit hardware was more extensive. I imagine in the coming months there will be more products coming out though. However, I am prepared to wait patiently as Apple’s HomeKit system is the most secure available. This is really important point as I can tell you I don’t fancy my home lights and other internet connected devices being hacked. 

Useful Links

More information and the latest pricing on Philips Hue range of lights, sensors and switches – Click HERE.

My Top 5 Smartphones of 2016 & a message from me 

Amazon, Android, Apple, BlackBerry, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News, Wearables,

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. 
Amazon Shopping
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

Android, BlackBerry, Reviews, Tech News,

Blackberry DTEK60 photos

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

Blackberry DTEK60

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.

Blackberry DTEK60 photos

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.

Shot on a Blackberry DTEK60 smartphone. Wonders of Dartmoor

A lovely macro shot.

Shot on a Blackberry DTEK60 smartphone. Wonders of Dartmoor

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
Help support gavinsgadgets when you shop on Amazon – Click HERE.
If you wish to make a donation to help towards the running costs – https://www.paypal.me/gavinsgadgets

Apple AirPods – My Review – The Wire Free Headphone Paradise

Apple, Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News,

AirPods

Welcome to my review of the Apple AirPods.

The AirPods are probably one of the most anticipated products from Apple since it removed the headphone jack on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Judging by the 6 week waiting time many people are buying these.

I have already experienced Apple’s new W1 chip that is found inside the AirPods with the new Beats Wireless Solo 3 headphones. The W1 chip performs miracles with the connection process, locking on to the audio and then not dropping out any audio ever along with a huge distance possible from the iPhone. So my expectations were really high with the new AirPods.

Setup Process and Configuration Options

Just open the lid of little charging case the AirPods come in, and a message will pop up on your iPhone asking to pair. Tap connect, and voila. The AirPods will get renamed with your name. If you want to give them a different name, though, you can change it at any time via the settings app.

Now the AirPods are paired to your iPhone , via iCloud, the pairing syncs across all your Apple devices. Neat.

AirPods

So now whenever you pull your AirPods out of the charging case, they instantly turn on and connect to your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad or Mac. Audio will automatically play as soon as you put them in your ears and pauses when you take them out. The controls work by using Siri. To adjust the volume, change the song, make a call or to get Siri to do anything else, just double-tap to activate to bring up Siri. You don’t need to say “Hey Siri”, just talk.

Untitled

If you head over to the settings app, tap bluetooth, then look for the Airpods in the list, and tap on the “i” you can now do the following –

– To change the AirPods name, open the settings app from your iPhone’s home screen. Tap on Bluetooth. Tap on the current name of your AirPods under My Devices. Tap on Name. Edit the name.

– By default, double tapping the AirPods activate Siri. Again in the settings you can switch between Siri, Play/Pause, or to disable double tap function. That’s all you can do at the moment in terms of the double tap functionality.

AirPods

In the settings app you can also tell the AirPods which side you would like the mic to work. Normally, both mics are on, but you can just have the left or right side if you desire. I would recommend leaving this setting alone, as the AirPods will decide where the best signal is coming from.

Do they fall out? No they don’t no matter how hard I tried. The AirPods use optical sensors and a motion accelerometer to detect when they’re in your ears and automatically routes the sound and also engages the microphone. And when you’re on a call or talking to Siri, an additional accelerometer works with beam forming microphones to filter out background noise and focus on the sound of your voice.

Battery life is 5 hours of listening time on one charge. The case is a charging case and provides up to 24 hours of charge. A 15 min charge provides 3 hours of listening time.

Audio Quality / In Use Experiences

I have now used the AirPods for 8 hours. The 5 hour battery life is correct. I got 5 hours 15 mins on my first charge. Recharging them in the case was a speedy affair and I did check that the claim of a 15 min charge provides 3 hours of music. Impressive.

The AirPods are more comfortable than the EarPods. I am not sure why, but it might be because they are marginally lighter and sit better in my ears.

The charging case is smaller than I expected, which is great as it will easily fit in any pocket.

The AirPods have a stronger, fuller bass line that the EarPods and sound good with all genres. The mid and treble are average, but certainly not dull or recessed. The soundstage is middle of the road. The AirPods do sound better than the EarPods. The maximum volume is plenty loud enough for me.

At £159, there are headphones that sound better, but there are none that offer all the connectivity, flexibility, size, style and wire free convenience. The AirPods do not drop bluetooth connection and that in itself is remarkable.

I watched a number of YouTube videos and watched a TV programme. The voices were in sync. Walking down a very busy main road, I was still able to double tab and ask Siri a question. I used Siri to raise or lower the volume, skip tracks and more. It is worth noting, Siri can only change tracks with the official music app from Apple. Using Amazon Music or a third party music player app called Neutron, Siri could not skip to the next track.

I also tried the AirPods with my MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. And as if by magic, the AirPods were showing up ready to select. Double tapping to bring up Siri to change tracks using iTunes work fine, albeit it is faster to manually press the next track on the Touch Bar. The AirPods sound superb when connected to the MacBook Pro.

When it comes to noise cancellation, the AirPods have none. You can use just one AirPod. If you take one of the AirPods out of your ears, the music stops. If you then ask Siri to play the music, it will now play through the other AirPod in mono. So if you wanted to listen to a podcast, and just use one AirPod at a time, you could manage 48 hours worth of battery life.

Overall, the entire package is beautiful to behold and a pleasure to use. The music quality is about 7.5/10.

Video Review

In the video below, I try and shake the AirPods out of my ears, unbox and reveal more about these little gems.

Conclusion

A superb product from Apple. Wire free headphones are the future. The future is now. Highly recommended.

Find my Phone – A Short Film

Tech News,

Find my Phone is a short film that follows a stolen phone’s second life by means of using spyware.

Although you’ll meet the person behind the theft up close and personal, the question remains: how well can you actually get to know someone when you base yourself on the information retrieved from their phone?

In the Netherlands, 300 police reports a week are filed for smartphone-theft. Besides losing your expensive device, a stranger has access to all of your photos, videos, e-mails, messages and contacts.

Yet, what kind of person steals a phone? And where do stolen phones eventually end up?

The short documentary ‘Find My Phone’ by Anthony van der Meer is fascinating.

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

Android, Tech News,

Wileyfox Swift 2+ Photos

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

Wileyfox Swift 2+ Photos

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

Unusual scenes on Dartmoor. Shot with a Wileyfox Swift 2+.

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.

Wileyfox Swift 2+

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
If you are buying anything from Amazon – Click HERE.
If you wish to make a donation of any size to help with the running costs – https://www.paypal.me/gavinsgadgets

Walk on Dartmoor – Shot on an iPhone 7 Plus – Edited on the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar using iMovie

Apple, Photography, Tech News, ,

I wanted to see how tight the integration would be shooting video and photos on my iPhone 7 Plus and then trying to edit it on my MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.

For starters, I got some great photos and video from the iPhone 7 Plus. Since the latest software update on the iPhone 7 Plus, the Live Photos seem to be even better quality. Below are the a few photos the walk out on Dartmoor.

Moody Face #Tiggy #Dartmoor

None of these photos have been edited in any way.

All tongue #George #Dartmoor

What a tongue!! George has a huge tongue.

Sunk in the mud - Tiggy :)

Someone has been in the mud 🙂

Fury had just bathed in mud :) #dartmoor

Because Fury is black, she disguises the fact she is lined in mud !

Ok, some firing up my MacBook Pro, and all the photos and video from my iPhone 7 Plus are already synced into the Photos app on the Mac. Open iMovie on the MacBook Pro and you can simply select the video and photos from the photos app and import them into iMovie. Next select create a movie, tweak the order of the clips, adjusts and colour corrections on the media if required, add a theme, choose from a vast selection of music and audio clips, or add your own, add a few titles and export. iMovie is relatively intuitive to use. Next save to iMovie Theater and now it appears on my iPhone 7 Plus in the iMovie app too.

The last stage is uploading to YouTube via iMovie. And below is the result. The power of the post processing speed of the MacBook Pro is stunning BTW.