Category: Uncategorized

  • Nokia 3310 (2017) Review

    Welcome to the Nokia 3310 (2017) review. Arguably the most anticipated and widely reported mobile phone release for 2017 is the re-imaged Nokia 3310. The version we tested was the 3G version hence 'series 2'. There are very few known brands that still make entry level mobile phones and the new brand owners have decided to remake the old 3310 essentially a retro phone. The model's release is essentially a marketing ploy by the new Nokia to relaunch the brand and it worked. Every news outlet regardless of specialty covered the release. So every country the original Nokia 3310 was sold in knows about the the new Nokia. In terms of construction the 3310 is very good  like the original. It's light and tight in the hand and completely built with a a little dash of shiny plastic or almost matt colors. For a cheap phone it is perfectly acceptable build quality. In terms of hardware it has all the basics that where state of the art 16 years ago. 2.4 inch screen, single 2 Megapixel camera. However modern inclusions include a microSD memory expansion and music player hardware. The updated version with 3G connectivity for sale in some countries or dual sim versions in others is a nice addition to the minimal spec sheet. The only thing missing is WI-Fi but with so little CPU power having that sort of data is pointless for the complex websites everyone seems to have these days. In terms of use the Nokia 3310 is very fast and responsive however any data or internet related functions it is going to be slow as it is using 3G. The physical buttons and old school keypad with predictive text are old school but work if you have patience. All the basics are there including MMS however the internet browser is basic and the low power CPU  is incapable of modern webpages. Unless  you have some numbers stored on your SIM card you will be busy typing them on the 3310. There is an App store and there are plenty of 'classic' games to choose from but they are relatively basic and don't have the essentials of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and so forth. The Nokia 3310 (2017) 3G edition is a phone for a niche set of people. Calls and TXT messages are its forte and of course the Snake game. There are a few very basic mobile phones like this still for sale in many parts of the world that don't the data network capability so this is perfect for them. In other parts or the world with high speed mobile data the 3310 is pointless. The 3310 is a retro ornament for a collector or enthusiast. It was great in the day but not in 2017. We'd like to note that the commonly promoted use for the new 3310 is at concerts, parties etc.. where you don't want to damage your main phone, however we all know that this is PR rubbish. We take our good phone to parties and concerts to get good quality selfies for Instagram, pictures of people doing stupid things, for Facebook etc... for posting in real time. Anyone saying or writing this as an excuse to purchase the 3310 is not worthy of your attention. Specifications
    • Nokia 3310 (2017)
    • Network Quad-band GSM Dual-band 3G (Dependent on country)
    • Design Candy bar
    • L109.8 x W45 x D11 mm Weight 188 grams
    • Display/s 2.4 inch  TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 2MP
    • Video Camera 640 x 480 pixel @ 15FPS
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V3
    • CPU ???Mhz
    • Memory Up to 64MB available to user 32Gig micro-SD card slot
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration
    • Features JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free USB charging LiPo 1200mAh Up to 30 days Standby Up to 22 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $80 AUD 2017 (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)

  • Samsung Galaxy Core Prime review

     2015_coreprime
    Welcome to the 2016 Samsung Core Prime mobile phone review. With the introduction of the Galaxy S7 series Samsung is refreshing the entire smartphone line up but have left the unchanged Samsung Galaxy Core Prime as one of the oldest models still available.  Yes, the J1 and the A series have been updated! So what is using the Galaxy Core Prime like? We decide to put up this review. When released the Galaxy Core Prime in late 2014 it was essentially a gap model, between the superseded Galaxy S4 and the top range Galaxy S5 model in the line up so its price was around the $390 mark in 2014 but in 2016 it has dropped to a recommend retail price of  $269. There is nothing wrong with the pricing at the time of posting this review. In terms of construction the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime is the same as the Galaxy S4 so its pretty good.  It also looks like a Galaxy S4. There is literally nothing complain about as it feels great for a relatively inexpensive phone in 2016. In terms of specifications (see below) the Galaxy Core Prime is a perfect example of the Snapdragon platform everything is there for wireless connectivity. The screen resolution is on the low side for a 2016 smartphone but average for the price, like wise the camera quality. There is nothing exceptional of the specifications bar the surprise inclusion of NFC for wireless payments and sync. Strangely the Galaxy Core Prime it is missing an FM radio.  We'd love to be about to write up more but there is anything else to point out. In terms of use the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime is surprising quick. The only lag you may experience is if you have data heavy live widgets but nothing to complain about either. The screen quality and size is more than acceptable and so is the brightness despite the relatively low resolution once again nothing to complain about. The only issue is that not every app can be transferred to the expansion SD card that said all your music and photos can be transferred. Overall the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime is a good phone for the price.  It does everything well and reasonably quick with the only problem with the Galaxy Core Prime is it's tiny standard memory, although expandable. Apart from that it is really it's competitors that make life difficult, the price being a key factor since for a mere $100 more you can get an Oppo R7s with much better specifications and currently our favourite budget smartphone in mid 2016. Specifications
    • Samsung Galaxy Core Prime
    • Network Quad-band GSM Dual-band 3G Dual Band 4G LTE
    • Design Touch screen
    • L131.3 x W68.4 x D8.8 mm Weight 130 grams
    • Display/s External 4.5 Inch TFT 480 x 800
    • Camera 5MP LED Flash Video Camera HD 720p @ 30fps 2MP front camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4
    • CPU Quad-core 1.2 Mhz with 1 Gig RAM
    • Memory Up to 8 Gig available to user MicroSD up to 64Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features NFC A-GPS Proximity, Accelerometer
    • Power 2000 Li-Po mAh battery Up to 12 Days Standby Up to 13 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under $329 AUD 2016