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Category: Smartphone Reviews

  • Samsung J7 Duo Review
    Welcome to the review on the Samsung J7 Duo version review. We bought the J7 Duo as we needed a new dual SIM smartphone at a reasonable price and with decent performance and hardware specifications. The Samsung J7 Duo is a European and Asian/Indian marketed phone where many need multiple SIMs for travelling in different countries and for many who use it as a personal and work phone. In terms of construction the J7 Duo is a slim phone made of plastic. The back comes off so you can insert the SIM card and the memory card. The rear cover is highly integrated so you wouldn't notice it, hence it is a good design. The rear cover is typical Samsung fashion is slim and tight in the same vein as the benchmark Note but not as premium in feel. The screen is a glass one that makes the J7 Duo feel better than it should. Overall is very good for the price. In terms of hardware the J7 Duo is packed with the latest tech again beyond the price tag. That includes a Super AMOLED screen, an Octa-core 2.2 Mhz CPU, 32 GIG memory, 4G or LTE, finger print reader and an FM radio amongst it's hardware features. Note that specification often say its has 4Gig Ram but our version only had 3 Gigs which didn't seem to effect performance. For a brand like Samsung to have this sort of specifications is impressive. In terms of use the J7 Duo is impressive. It's fast and smooth despite some additional Samsung and Google apps installed as standard. Loading apps is fast and equal to any iPhone up to the 8. The finger reader is the fastest we've used is worth noting. The camera takes good pictures likewise video so we have no complaints. We like that you can place a widget on the home screen that allows you optimise the performance of the phone which it's competitors especially the iPhone really needs as the lasses iOS really lags in this area now. Yes the comparable iPhone 6S slows down notably more so that the J7 Duo! In conclusion the Samsung J7 Duo is definitely one of the best dual SIM Android OS smart phones you can buy in 2018 and 2019. (Hence we bought one) The J7 Duo sells for under 200 Euro and estimated mid $300 AUD there's little competition even from the Chinese brands. Note that getting a J7 Duo is difficult in many countries so if you happen to be Singapore, Malaysia or India see if you pick one up! Specifications Samsung J7 Duo
    • Network Quad-band GSM, 3G 4G LTE Dual SIM
    • Design Touch screen
    • L153.5 x W77.2 x D8.2 mm
    • Weight 174 grams
    • Display 5.5 inch 1,280 x 720 Super AMOLED
    • Camera 13 MP auto-focus LED Flash
    • Video Camera 1080 HD 30FPS main video camera 5Mp front camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4.2
    • CPU Octa-core 1.6 Ghz (Exynos 7885) Separate Mali-G71 GPU
    • Memory 3 or 4Gig RAM Up to 32 Gig for user Up to 256Gig microSD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, GLANOSS, BDS Finger printer sensor 3000 mAh battery Up to 7 days standby single SIM
    • Price (RRP) history Approx: under 200 EURO August 2018 (Outright)

  • Telstra Signature 2 Review

     
    Welcome to the 2018 Telstra Signature 2 smartphone review. The Signature 2 was release in late 2017 and we didn't get around to writing this up till now due the literally massive number of new smartphones and regular phones to be released in 2018. We usually review the worst, niche, best value phones and the Signature 2 definitely fits into this broad category. The Telstra Signature 2 is a Android OS based phone and priced around the $400 AUD price range as an outright purchase. In terms of construction the Telstra Signature 2 is a well built. It's relatively light and solid. However the plastic back feels a little cheap in the hand but at least the glass screen lifts the quality feel. It's may be ironic that it is branded as a 'Signature' which indicates that is what the company aspires to, if you get the meaning ... In terms of hardware the Telstra Signature 2 has a good set specifications. In fact it's the same set as the LG K10 - Android OS based phone. There are a few interesting features not normally found in the price range like the large battery, fingerprint scanner. The screen looks nice and the buttons feel good to use. The Fingerprint scanner on the back frees up smartphone for a larger screen. All the basics are there but it is not a powerful phone, arguably close to entry level. In terms of use the The Telstra Signature 2 is OK. No lag with the navigation, Apps worked pretty fast, response times feeling good. Since it is an Android phone there are so many more ways to customise and use your phone than you can think off. It plays any video, image or music file format you want, it's fully integrated with the Gmail ecosystem and most of all you can manage your files on your phone not needing to temporary download from the 'cloud'. It's nothing fancy that just get the job done. To sum up, the Telstra Signature Premium 2 works really well. Like the original model there are no real problems in the Signature 2. Bear in mind that the specs are good for an entry level phone but the price is not. Specifications
    • Telstra Signature 2
    • Network 2G/3G/4G LTE
    • Design Touch screen L146 W74.8 x D8 mm Weight 142 grams
    • Display 5.3 inch 1280 x 720 IPS
    • Camera 13MP auto-focus LED Flash 5MP 2nd forward facing video call camera 1080P Video Camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth V4, MicroUSB
    • CPU 1.5 Ghz Mediatek Octa-core Memory 2Gig RAM Up to 16 Gig for user MicroSD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, Compass, Gorilla Glass, Fingerprint, FM Radio with RDS
    • Battery Li-Po 2800 mAh battery Up to 12 Days Standby Up to 7 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $432 AUD (outright early 2018) or Phone plan

  • Telstra Tough Max 2 (T85) Review
    Welcome to the Telstra Tough Max 2 T85 review for 2018. The Max 2 is the replacement for the original Max model which was a decent enough phone that could handle a bit of rough by being ruggedised - but not as much as it's case suggests. The Telstra Tough Max 2 follow on from the original but now priced outright at $432. In terms of construction the Telstra Tough Max 2 is very good, bearing in mind the toy like materials the case is made from. It is a solid feeling phone in both bend-ability and in the hand feel. It doesn't look like a premium smartphone and that's what you should expect in ant sort of ruggedised phone. The blue colour is disappointing as it can blend in with its surroundings, a yellow or orange scheme would be idea. In terms of hardware specifications the Telstra Tough Max 2 is just slightly higher than an entry level smart phone for 2018. Why? the Max 2 has 3 Gig of RAM, only entry level phones have 2 these days. First thing you notice is how close the screen is to the glass it's impressive and surprising for a cheap phone. Better specs include a 16MP camera and 8Mp front camera. A fingerprint scanner on the back and a dedicated flash light button! Other features include NFC, quick charging and Wireless charging  and a good looking Gorilla glass screen. The screen resolution may only be 720 x 1280 but it does look as good. In terms of use the Telstra Tough Max 2 is Android OS based so a very good highly customizable interface and is smooth and fast. Launching apps like the browser is fast and dependent on the website can be quite speedy or slow. The feel in the hand is the expected bulky plastic ridges to prevent slipping out of the hand. It's not a premium feeling but that is expected. The interface is Android 7.1 so everything works as expected. The CPU may only be a 1.4 Ghz quad core but its quite quick when using Facebook, Instagram Whatapp and any other non-game app you can think off. The conclusion is simple, the Telstra Tough Max 2 is a notable improvement from the prior model and still made by ZTE and rebranded as Telstra. Now, we don't think the re-branding is of any good to both brands as past smartphone models in particular have been more cheap and overpriced. In addition all our ZTE/Telstra models have died just after 2 years some due to battery and others just stopped working, maybe we are just unlucky. Regardless the Tough Max 2 works well for it's specification but there are others, in particular the Motorola G5 Plus with a Otterbox case. Overall a good phone and worth a closer look. Specifications
    • Telstra Tough Max 2
    • Network 3G + 4G + LTE + VoLTE
    • Design Touch screen
    • L144 x W71.5 x D11 mm Weight 153 grams
    • Display 5 inch LCD 720 x 1280 LCD
    • Camera 16 MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 8MP
    • Video Camera 1080p 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4 USB
    • CPU Octa Core 1.4 Snapdragon 430 Qualcomm Adreno 505
    • Memory 3 Gig RAM Up to 32 Gig for user MicroSD expansion
    • Features Android OS 7.1.2 Quick charger Qi Wireless charging IP67 toughness FM Radio NFC
    • Power 3000 Li-Po mAh battery Up to xx Days Standby Up to xx hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $432 AUD January 2018 (Outright)

  • Nokia 6 Review

    Nokia 6
    Welcome to the 2017 Nokia 6 specifications and hands on review.  We've reviewed the Nokia 3, Nokia 5 over the last few weeks and now it is the Nokia 6. The Nokia 6 is classed as a lower mid-range smartphone due to it's pricing and specification level. The Nokia is priced at $399 AUD in Australia as an outright purchased not locked to any network. In terms of construction the Nokia 6 is excellent for the price. All the panels fit tother and there are no cheap looking parts, overall looks great. However the design is a little on the old side, like any number of other Chinese branded smart phones with it's metal but straight cut or chamfered edges. We refer to the Chinese branded phone because the Nokia 6 is built in China. The design is clearly older than the Nokia 3 and the Nokia 5 because the Nokia 6 was release in China 6 months prior. It feels good to hold and certainly worth the price. In terms of hardware specifications the Nokia 6 is pretty average for a for a sub-$400 smartphone. The standout features are the 1080P HD screen, untampered Android OS and metal body. Unexpected features at this price point is NFC for wireless payment, Dolby ATMOS for better sound quality and a fast charger system. Overall a decent upgrade on the cheaper Nokia 5, however the two phones share the same CPU! Thanks to the additional memory the Nokia 6 seems to work more smoothly although the performance is not exactly the most impressive chapter phone we've tried. In terms of use the Nokia 6 is acceptable. The performance is smooth thanks to more memory and the screen quality is impressive better than the iPhone next to it for comparison. It is surprising how the entry level CPU can perform so well. Overall it keeps its smooth interface even when running multiple apps. However it is not a fast phone but running the all the basic social media apps revel a little sluggishness. The conclusion is that the 2017 Nokia 6 is a decent entry level smartphone the runs Android OS. The Nokia 6 no where near the best smartphone in the $400 price range, that accolade goes to the the Motorola G5 Plus for overall performance. That said the key reason for choosing the Nokia 6 is that they will send you OS updates in a timely fashion and of course being a Nokia. Would we buy the Nokia 6? Nope, because there are other better smartphones for the price.
    • Nokia 6
    • Network GSM, 3G, 4G, LTE
    • Design Touch screen L154 x W75.8 x D7.85 mm Weight 160 grams
    • Display 5.5 inch LCD 1080 x 1920 IPS LCD
    • Camera 16 MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call/selfie camera 8MP
    • Video Camera 1080p 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth V4, USB, NFC, GPS, Fingerprint
    • CPU Octa-core 1.4 Ghz Snapdragon 430 Andreno 505 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 3 or 4 Gig RAM Up to Approx 32 or 64 Gig for user MicroSD expansion
    • Features Android OS 7 FM Radio with RDS
    • Power 3000 Li-Po mAh battery Up to 31 Days Standby Up to 24 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $400 AUD July 2017 (Outright)

  • Nokia 3 Review
    Welcome to the Nokia 3 review.  Nokia relaunched the 3310 in early 2017 and now the 3, 5 and 6 series Android OS based smartphones. The Nokia 3 is the entry level model and has specifications to match. However there are a few surprises which we'll explain later. The Nokia 3 has an Australian retail and outright pricing of around $250. In terms of construction the Nokia 3 is very good for the price. The Nokia 3 has a metal frame, glass screen and a plastic back but differs to other similar priced smartphone by have equal or slightly better quality feeling and looking materials. It does't look or built cheaply which is the main factor and especially in the silver and white trim - very nice. However it does not feel like a top range phone. In terms of hardware the Nokia 3 packs a screen equal in quality to more expensive phones, it's pretty good for the price. It's probably just as good as the current iPhone SE. Unfortunately there's not much more in it's specification list to boast about. The Nokia 3 is missing features we consider essential like back lighting on the navigation buttons nitrification light. We do not consider a finger print sensor an essential feature due to the lack of security in any situation bar actually losing the phone. This is a entry level smartphone after all with just 1.5 Gig RAM is barely acceptable in 2017. It is also important to note that the Nokia 3 comes with a Mediatek CPU which means it should be priced cheaper. In terms of use the Nokia 3 is also acceptable. The main feature is that it comes with Android 7 and there are very few custom Nokia changes from stock Android we could see. The interface is smooth but it won't take much to see it get a little sluggish to jerky in some instances, with basic stuff like messages and apps like email slowing down the phone. We could already tell it's performance will be disappointing when loaded with Apps. The conclusion is that the Nokia 3 is a very ordinary entry level smartphone. We could already tell that this phone will struggle with any vaguely demanding Apps, causing noticeable sluggish performance. That said used as an email and social network platform it will be a good looking but just acceptable smartphone. If only it had another unique selling point apart from looking nice. In terms of pricing the Nokia 3's launch price is around $250 AUD outright in Australia which is a little high for the spec sheet and user experience.  That said the equivalent Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) doesn't look as good but honestly appears to perform better despite even lower specifications the biggest flaw s the tiny 8 Gig memory on some models, which should be outlawed in 2017. Should you buy a Nokia 3 ahead of the competition, in particular the Galaxy J3? We don't think so as the Nokia 3 is too expensive for the performance. Specifications
    • Nokia 3
    • Network GSM Tri-band 3G Tri-band 4G
    • Design Touch screen L143.4 x W71.4 x D8.5 mm Weight 140 grams
    • Display 5 inch LCD 720 x 1080 IPS LCD
    • Camera 16 MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 5MP
    • Video Camera 1080p 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4 USB
    • CPU Quad-core 1.4 Ghz Mediatek Mali-T720MP1 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 2 Gig RAM Up to Approx 16 Gig for user MicroSD expansion
    • Features Android OS 7 FM Radio with RDS
    • Power 4000 Li-Po mAh battery Up to 31 Days Standby Up to 24 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $250 AUD June 2017 (Outright)