Tag Archives: First Impressions

The new Apple TV – First Impressions plus Reviews of Apple TV Games

Apple, Reviews, Tech News, , , , ,

The new Apple TV arrived today and was ready waiting for when I got home from work. The new Apple TV replaces my 2nd generation Apple TV.

Setting up was a breeze. It asked if I wanted to use my iPhone to set up and copied the settings across. However, I decided to start again and proceed with a manual set up as I have both a UK iTunes account and a US iTunes account. The US iTunes account enables me to watch US TV shows and films normally well ahead of the UK releases and also provides a wider selection of media.

This is where the 4th generation Apple TV scores highly in my book. It allows you to log in to iCloud, Game Center with whichever account you want, and then with the iTunes/App Store account you can add more than one account which is what I have done. So I have my UK and US accounts added and can switch on the fly by going into the settings, accounts and select whichever option I require.

For the initial installation, I used my UK iTunes account as I have all my apps associated with this account. It showed 30 apps/games already available for Apple TV. I have decided install the following games – Crossy Road, Oceanhorn, Canabalt, Badlands, Asphalt 8, Jetpack Joyride, Edge Extended and 10 Pin Shuffle Pro Bowling. Apps I have added are YouTube, Flickr, Sky News, Netflix and YouTube. BBC iPlayer is not available yet but the BBC have stated a dedicated app is coming.

I have to say the set up process is a breeze and the layout is great. What is not so great is app discovery and there is no categories. Under app purchases, categories do exist, so I imagine it won’t be difficult for Apple to tweak the app discovery to include categories.

The new remote control is excellent. I would suggest not rushing to buy a MFI Game Controller until you have tried the new remote. Siri on the Apple TV is a bit hit or miss. I asked for the film “The Martians” and it kept coming up with “The Motions”. I then told Siri “You are dumb”. Siri replied “I tried my best”. I laughed out loud! But when it works it really works well but does need some improvement.

Within the settings app, there are loads of other settings which have loads of options for the quality of the audio and video. Neat.

Storage. Now you can buy the Apple TV with 32gb or 64gb storage capacities. To give you some idea of the space taken up by the games, Oceanhorn is top at 185mb, Asphalt 8 is 95mb, so based on that I cannot see the need for 64gb at all. Of course, the extra storage might be used to store films and TV shows which could burn up the space quickly, but seriously 32gb should be fine.

Wallpapers. The aerial wallpapers are beautiful and if opted to use, will need a download of 600mb per month. You can select how often to download these too.

So what are the games like to play?

Oceanhorn – on start up needed to download the game chapter. This took 2 mins. After that the remote was used and worked brilliantly.

Asphalt 8 – took 10 mins to download first part of game which clearly got deleted after playing. You turn the remote horizontal and go off racing. I thought the odd frame got missed, but seriously it was great fun to play. Each level took just over a minute to download.

Games – I have played quickly all the games installed and they all work really well. Canabalt was better on the big screen than my iPhone. Edge Extended applied itself superbly to the Apple TV. Crossy Road is just a ball of fun. Badlands is a good game and adapts nicely to the Apple TV.

So how does this compare to the Amazon Fire TV? Well voice control on the Amazon Fire TV is better and more accurate. Amazon Prime becomes a bonus with the Fire TV along with the content available, but when it comes to apps or more importantly games, I really believe Apple already has the edge and its only just launched.

My final thought. This is a brand new Apple TV which is all about the apps. Based on my initial experiences I do believe Apple has already got the edge on the gaming front, and the potential/future looks even more promising. If you have any other Apple devices, this new box is recommended.

Update – I have been playing Oceanhorn for a while now and this game does work well. In terms of other non gaming apps, there is a shortage versus other systems but I hope this gap is bridged as developers release new apps. If you already have an Apple TV, I don’t see the need to rush out and get one of these unless you like the idea of a new Apple TV and the ability to play games from your TV.

Sony Xperia Z5 Compact – First lmpressions + Low Light Shots

Android, Tech News, ,

  

I couldn’t resist getting the new Sony Xperia Z5 Compact, as I had spent an hour or so with the Z5 Compact at IFA and was left somewhat impressed. Clove Technology currently have the Z5 Compact on offer with a free pair of Sony headphones so it was a win win situation.
  
I have the Sony Z5 Compact in black and it looks and feels gorgeous. I already have published a post covering the Sony Z5 Camera with some sample shots – click here . This was with the help from reader Whitehartmart.

  
And back on the 3rd September I took some shots with the Z5, details here.

  

The Sony Z5 Compact improves upon previous versions with an upgraded camera sensor to 23mp. This currently holds the top spot by DxOmark over all smartphones. The power button has a fingerprint sensor too. The other key specs are –

– Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop) OS
– All new 23 MP Sony camera sensor
– Lossless 5x Clear Zoom and <0.1 second autofocus
– 4.6” HD resolution IPS LCD Screen
– 64 bit octa-core processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 & 2GB RAM
– 32 GB storage & micro SD support up to 200 GB

The key aspect is its size versus top end specs. This really is a proper one handed use phone and I intend to check out its performance, camera, audio and other aspects and give you some honest feedback.

My thanks again to Clove Technology for sending the phone. It was here in a flash, such good service!

Update – As the rain had stopped, I went out last night and pushed the Z5 Compact camera to the max in some very low light conditions. What I found was in extreme low light the ISO was so high, the shots became too noisy to zoom in on but were okay to view on the screen and web.

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The above shot is in superior auto mode at 8mp. ISO is this shot was really low at ISO 80 and with a 1/2 second shutter speed. Not a bad shot really. The last shot was taken slightly later, and now it was really dark.

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In this shot the ISO is 800 with a 1/16 shutter speed. Again superior auto. Manual mode was worse in low light conditions as was increasing the camera to picture size to the full 23mp.

I will cover off more on the camera in my full review. Any questions, please ask.

The Chord Mojo – The Game Changer has Arrived – First Impressions

Audio, Reviews, Tech News, ,

  

Chord Electronics is a UK audio company based in Kent. Chord has been making high end quality audio products for many years. Last week they announced their new Chord Mojo, their most affordable product to date and likely to be one of their most successful products. So what is the Chord Mojo? Chord Electronics state –

“Chord Electronics is proud to introduce Mojo, the ultimate DAC/Headphone Amplifier for your smartphone. Simply connect Mojo to your iPhone, Android phone, PC, or Mac, plug in your headphones and you can experience crystal clear audio the way you would hear it in the recording studio.”

  

  


Key Features

-Mojo was designed for the music loving Smartphone owner.
-It is powerful, but small and comfortable to carry.
-It works with your iPhone, Android or Windows phone… Also DAPs.
-Mojo is also compatible with your Mac, PC, or Linux computer.
-Mojo has three digital inputs – USB, Coaxial, and Optical.
-Mojo charges in just 4 hours to provide up to 10 hours use.
-You can use any pair of headphones with Mojo, from 4Ω to 800Ω.
-With two 3.5mm analogue outputs you and a friend can listen too!
-Mojo plays all files from 32kHz to 768kHz and even DSD 512.
-Mojo is fully automatic and remembers its last used settings.
-Its case is precision machined from a single solid block of aluminium.
-Mojo is entirely designed and manufactured in Great Britain.
-Output Power @ 1kHz
-600 ohms 35mW
-8 ohms 720mW
-Output Impedance: 0.075 ohms
-Dynamic Range: 125dB
-THD @ 3v – 0.00017%

So we can all read the specs and features and so on, BUT the key point is how does the Chord Mojo perform and does it sound any good! Answer it is a magical, breathtaking product that blows the competition away when it comes to musicality, sound quality and tonal reproduction. At its price point of £399, there is nothing anywhere near this and likely up to and slightly over £1,500 that competes. Chord sell the Hugo, a bigger version of the Mojo for £1,400, and yet the Mojo according to those that are lucky enough to own both reproduces 97% of what the Hugo achieves. Some say its better.

  
I have been listening to the Mojo with Sony MDR-1RNC, AKG K702 and ATH-M50x headphones and I have never heard my headphones sound so good. Period! The Mojo is funky with its coloured balls that change colours yet its built like a rock. A stunning piece of engineering. I am not listening to high end FLAC or DSD tracks just normal MP3 encoded music to achieve this wonderful sound. For the record, the Mojo is not a review unit/loan. I consider the Mojo the single best electronic purchase I have ever made. That list includes phones, cameras, tablets, audio equipment, gadgets and more.

My recommendation would be to stop buying the next best smartphone, and start enjoying your music collection all over again!

Chord Electronics Mojo Headphone Amplifier / DAC information and deal at Amazon UK

Nexus 5X – First Impressions

Android, Reviews, Tech News, ,

The Nexus 5X arrived yesterday, so this is simply first impressions.

In this post I am not going to cover off the official specs, just give you my first thoughts.

I have the carbon black 32gb version and its a great size. 24.89gb is available so I would completely avoid the 16gb as you could run out of storage at some point in the future.

The screen is fabulous as is the overall profile. Easy to hold and fairly comfortable. In fact, size wise it is the perfect size. The fingerprint sensor works flawlessly and fast. You can use it to turn on the phone too. No need to press the power button.

I took the camera for a quick spin and the results are good. I need more time with the camera, but it will take shots to be proud of. Whether its the best camera on the market at the moment is under review. Look back to the previous post to see camera samples.

To turn the camera on, just double press the power button. This is really fast and works a treat. The phone is really fast and fluid too with excellent viewing angles.

So far so good. Except, rant coming. I had nothing to charge it with in the car. It comes with a USB C to USB C cable and a mains adapter. Grrrr. Luckily the battery has been excellent and I have managed to survive a whole day with ease from a 80% start. In fact I only used 30% which is superb. If you buy the Nexus 6P you get an additional cable with a traditional USB end and USB C at the other.

I thought the phone didn’t have a notification LED, but it does. It is turned off by default in the settings. It is located in the bottom speaker grill and is fairly prominent.

That’s all for now.

If you have any questions, please let me know in the usual manner. If you want to see camera samples from the Nexus 5X look back one article. I also have the Nexus 6P for review too.

Huawei G8 – First Impressions of Huawei’s Mid Market Flagship

Android, Tech News, ,

  

I have received the Huawei G8 smartphone a few days ago. I will be keeping this phone for a while now to use as my android default testing device. As to why I will be keeping this, see below.

  

First up this phone’s hardware is absolutely gorgeous. Curved corners, metal unibody and a very decent specification. The key specs are –

– Operating System Android 5.1 with Emotion UI
– Processor Snapdragon 615 Processor + 3gb ram + Andreno 405 GPU
– Storage 32gb (22gb available) storage plus micro SD card support upto 64gb
– Network LTE Category 4: 50 Mbit/s (UL), 150 Mbit/s (DL),DC-HSPA+: 5.76Mbit/s (UL),42 Mbit/s (DL),WCDMA: 384 Kbit/s (UL), 384 Kbit/s (DL),EDGE Class 12: 236.8 Kbit/s (UL),236.8 Kbit/s (DL),GPRS: 40 Kbit/s (UL), 60 Kbit/s (DL) – Phone has dual antennas
– GPS/AGPS/Glonass
– Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0,Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, 2.4G, USB2.0 high speed
– Sensors – Accelerometer,Proximity sensor,Ambient light sensor,Compass
– Cameras 13mp OIS f/2.0 BSI 28mm wide angled rear with sapphire lens, 5mp front
– Battery – 3,000mAh
– NFC – Yes
– Screen – 5.5 inch 2.5D 1080p,
– Dimensions – 152 x 76.5 x 7.5 mm, 401 PPI
– Weight -167g
– Fingerprint sensor
– Dual sim setup with micro SD

As you can see, some fantastic specs in a beautiful body. Once I have had some more time with this phone I will report back accordingly.

  
In the meantime, if you have any questions, please let me know in the usual way.

Huawei G8 32GB 4G Champagne at Amazon UK – special deal

Samsung Note 5 – Dual Sim – First Impressions

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Jah is a regular reader of Gavin’s Gadgets and recently imported a dual sim Samsung Note 5. Below are Jah’s first impressions –

“Samsung Note 5 Dual SIM variety – Impressions

First of all, if you are in the UK or Europe, please do your homework before you import or buy an imported Note 5.  The one I have, the N9208, does not have Band 20 LTE which means you can’t use 4G on Three and on Vodafone the 4G is very patchy. The best option for Dual SIM for the UK is the model designated as N920CD. 

Now for impressions:

–         –  the music playback over headphones is mind blowing, when playing high definition music (24 bit / 96 khz).  I used my Sony MDR R1BT in both wired and Bluetooth (with APT-X) mode.  The head amp on the Note 5 is better than the Snapdragon Note 4 and Exynos Note Edge.  Over BT, the sound reproduction is the best I have heard from any smartphone (compared to HTC M9 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge as recent examples).  Therefore, it is a shame Samsung don’t have a 128GB version as you’ll fill-up the typically free 50GB (of the 64GB model once you’ve loaded your apps) very quickly with High Def music.

–         – the build quality of the Note 5 is top dollar.  You really need to spend time with it to appreciate the accuracy of build and beauty of the metal and glass body.  Even the SIM tray is beautifully constructed.  Again shame no tray for a micro SD card!

–        –  I was surprised that even though the screen resolution of the Note 5 and Note 4 are the same, the screen of the Note 5 is better (whiter whites and sharper text).  The screen on the Note 5 is a joy to use.

–        –  it is quick, appreciably quicker than the Galaxy S6 Edge even though it shares similar (but not the same) internals.

–         – the Note 5 has the slimmer, slicker and frankly much more user friendly Touchwiz interface than the Note 4.  Lots of nice touches make it a joy to use especially for business and productivity.  Also note that the S Pen accuracy and fluidity has also improved.  But I am not sure about the long term viability of the mechanical clicking mechanism on the top of the S Pen as the means to pop it out of the silo.   

–         – I use a Vodafone and EE SIMs and as the Vodafone LTE reception is patchy, I think my N9208 model was struggling with using Vodafone.  When I set my EE SIM to be the SIM to use for data, the battery life improved.  I can just about get through a day with a full charge but when there are signal issues (e.g. varying cell towers and signal types when travelling on a train) the battery takes a real battering. But when you have a good signal, the battery life is great (battery dropped 3-4% during a 1.5hr telephone call, which I think is good).  My typical daily use is two email accounts on 15 minute sync, 40 minutes of music over BT, about an 1 hour of general web use, 10-20 minutes of calls and 30 to 40 minutes of using the Note 5 as a hot spot (over an elapsed period of 13 hours). Please note, that unlike the OnePlus Two and other devices, the Note 5 cannot operate both SIMs on LTE; one SIM runs over 2G (GPRS and Edge) while the other (which you specify in settings) runs on LTE.

Overall, the Note 5 really is a very refined business and productivity tool.  Samsung should bring this to the UK (and Europe).  If are interested in the Note 5, really seek out the 64gb version.”

Many thanks to Jah for his contribution. If you would like to contribute a piece do get in touch.

Note – Photos from IFA 2015

Apple iPod Touch (2015) – First Impressions

Apple, Tech News,

I got to spend a small amount of time with Apple’s new iPod. It’s cute, light, thin and in a few new colours. Personally I thought blue and black were the best colours.

The camera is decent enough, the screen feels small but it still remains the cheapest option to join the Apple eco system. The operating system takes up approximately 5gb of memory, so 16gb leaves 11gb free. I would say that is cutting it fine so would recommend the 32gb iPod, costing £199.

So what would you use the iPod for? Gaming, music, video, taking photos, facetime, imessage and more. Is it worth it? Probably. Did I like it? Yes I did and would consider it so that I can play some of my owned iOS games. I would also use it for FaceTime. Apart from that, there is not much to dislike and plenty to like.

Is it worth £159 for the 16gb? Still not sure on that one.

Xiaomi Mi Note Pro – First Impressions and Photos – The Flagship from Xiaomi

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The Xiaomi Mi Note Pro has only just arrived.

This phone is carved like a precious stone and looks stunning. The photos just don’t portray its class and looks fully

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Google services are all installed. The loudspeaker is loud and clear. Headphone audio is excellent really excellent.

I have a lot to plough through along with a few other phones.

So if you have any questions please let me know.

Xiaomi Mi 4i – First Impressions / Benchmark / Camera Shot

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Apart from the Huawei P8, I also have a Xiaomi Mi 4i. Above and below are my current home screens.

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I haven’t spent time theming or changing the wallpaper yet, as I just wanted to install my apps.

What do you notice? Google apps and services are already installed. I even got an over the air update. In fact I’m typing this on the Mi 4i as I also listen to Pocketcasts.

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My full review will follow in a few weeks but initial observations are positive. Very good camera and headphone audio.

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Below is a photo I took with the Mi 4i.

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If you have any questions, please let me know so I can add them in my review.