Author: Ed

  • The state of the smartphone market after the Samsung Galaxy Fold

    2019 is the start of a innovative year for Android OS but more of the same with iOS or the Apple iPhone. Yes it’s still Apple Vs the rest of the world. When will another alternative OS reveals it’s self?

    Android OS is at an amazing state. There are so many models and brands available you could spend months just researching before deciding on a new phone. The operating system is efficient, being able to run with minimal hardware specs. Benchmarks don’t reveal everything about performance so any review relying on them is pointless especially comparing it to the other dominant OS from Apple. The Android One initiative means that you get consistent OS updates regardless of brand.

    On the other hand Apple iOS and the iPhone have truly stagnated in design and features. Mind you they have caught up with a lower grade OLED screen and it’s pricing is not aspirational, more a rip off. Very few people could see the point of replacing their current phones with the latest models unless they had to.

    There is very few changes to the iPhones basics with the most talked about and heavily promoted of ‘dark mode’ a simple software screen mode available on Android OS for at least 8 years due to Android OS phone able to install themes and launchers. It’s laughable how the most popular tech bloggers love this feature and regard it as new.

    The notch is a polarising ‘feature’ as it’s been available on the Essential phone first and copied by Apple then Samsung, Oppo and Huawei released their own versions. Unfortunately it is more annoying than useful and it is not a elegant design. It is clear that  Apple copied the idea but it is clearly where the other manufacturers were heading based on the speed of the model release.

    2019 also sees the earnest efforts by Apple to maintain margins and promote the iPhone as a luxury item. Rose gold is pink no matter how to look at it and it’s a metaphor for it’s users who are biased rather than pragmatic to the whole iPhone vs Android the rest debate. Phones are not luxury items, the iPhone sells in the millions and none of its materials out of the ordinal or luxurious to look at rather the iPhone is looking a little cheap compared to the latest Samsung’s for example.

    The most popular tech bloggers and tech reviewers are so Apple centric it’s so easy to pick their bias and lack of awareness of features on Android phones. Like the whole screen colour settings which Samsung in particular had for the last 9 years that they didn’t even know about. The Apple watch is not an attractive ‘watch’ and certainly not a luxury item no matter what band that have. A Rolex even a ‘cheap’ one has more street cred than $1000 Apple watch. Big watches are a fashion statement and highly popular as when we see a review completing about how big smartwatches are we stop reading or viewing. They seem to be so Apple centric and concerned about preserving their status as the voice of the consumer but really there are quite limited or rather closed minded. They are also repeaters of press releases not generators of new ideas or fashion leaders that’s for sure. After all their clothes are promotional T-shirts given out buy the various brands!

    The voice of the people is where they put their money and they want OLED screens and big ones! The original Galaxy Note was mostly laughed at by these people, like when Bill Gates the founder of Microsoft said there would only be the need for less than the dozen computers in the world! Yet people bought them in high numbers because that’s what they wanted. Tech blogger and you tubers simply report and amplify their limited experience not what the market wants.

    OMG the heavy promotion of iMessage like it’s the only and best messenger on the planet is laughable. Whatsapp is what most of the world uses for their messaging. It’s platform or OS neutral and some governments even acknowledge it as a genuine form of identification. That said bring on a new competitor please.

    The other feature Apple is at least focusing on is their payment system. Using the system is of course dependent on you having an iPhone and to be honest we wouldn’t recommend it. We don’t want Apple knowing what we are buying and paying for using their systems. Their support when something goes wrong is not just replacing the phone when it breaks. This applies to any payment system like Google pay or Samsung pay options that are platform or OS specifications. (Don’t get us started on what Google knows about us!) I also don’t want to subscribe to their clearly bias news option devoid of critical Apple news. It’s like censorship and not pro-consumer holding innovation back.

    This brings us to the 2019 trend of folding phones. The Galaxy Fold is not the first folding phone but the most complete package with everything you could want for it’s high but justified price tag. The specs are amazing 64-bit multi-cores 12 GIG RAM and 512 Gig storage out of the box is literally PC specifications. It also looks and works amazing and will be regarded highly. We think it will be popular as more people replace their dual device tablet and phone setup for an all in one. It’s funny that at the release the Fold’s release tech reviewers and tech blogger can only complain at how big or expensive it will be which reveal their small mindedness. You see you are paying $1500 for the iPhone with limited memory and a 1st generation OLED screen, facts that are conveniently forgotten.

  • 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)

  • Nokia 3.1 Review

    Welcome to the 2018 Nokia 3.1 smartphone review. In one with the 5.1 the entry level 3.1 is another 'cheap' Android OS phone you can buy. Being one of the entry level phones for Nokia it's the top of the range entry level phone. So is the Nokia3.1 worth buying? In terms of construction the Nokia 3.1 is very good. It is just like the rest of the Nokia range mean it feels light but solid with metal and glass faced screen. There are only 3 buttons on the side, a headphone jack and SIM + memory card slot. Overall it's just another well made entry level phone. In terms of hardware the Nokia 3.1 is specifications there's a 1.5 Ghz Mediatek CPU and 2Gigs of RAM and 16Gigs of memory with a decent 5.2 inch screen and 13 MP camera and 8 MP selfie camera. In the end the specifications are not particularly impressive for the price. In the end of 2018 a we edit this review you really need more than this even in an entry level phone. In terms of use the Nokia 3.1 is good. It can run basic apps without any issues but there seems to be a bit laggy with multiple apps running. Being 99% pure Android OS this is surprising. The key feature of the Nokia 3.1 is that it is part of the Android One category of phones which means it uses unmodified version of Android OS and set standard for specifications supported by Google and the insurance of OS updates for 2 years. In conclusion the Nokia 3.1 is a decent phone for the price but there are others you can consider around the same price point. The key selling feature is the guaranteed Android OS system updates for a few years which 99% of its competitors don't even bother with. So at around $250 is a decent phone but we think that if the price dropped to $200 AUD would be definite must buy if your needs are basic. Specifications
    • Nokia 3.1
    • Network Quad-band GSM All 3G frequencies(dependent on country) All 4G frequencies (dependent on country) Dual SIM available
    • Design Touch screen
    • L146.3 x W69 x D8.7 mm
    • Weight 138 grams
    • Display 5.2 inch 1440 x 720 AMOLED
    • Camera 13MP auto-focus LED Flash 8MP 2nd forward facing still/video call camera
    • Video Camera 1080 HD 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4.2
    • CPU Octa-core 1.5 Ghz (Mediatek MT6750N)
    • Memory 2 Gig RAM Up to 16 Gig for user Up to 128 Gig microSD expansion
    • Features Android ONE Li-Po 2990 mAh battery Up to 14 Days standby for average use.
    • Price history Approx $250 AUD October 2018 (Outright)

  • Nokia 5.1 Review

    Welcome to the 2018 Nokia 5.1 smartphone review. We are after a new dual-SIM phone and the latest updated to the Nokia 5 model caught our attention. We liked the original Nokia 5 but at release the price was uncompetitive and not a particularly fast phone to use, great for basic stuff but not for running multiple apps at the same time or switching between them. The new Nokia 5.1 attempted to fix that problem some to have worked. The mid year 2018 Nokia 5.1 is priced around the 200 Euros as a dual SIM version and currently not available worldwide and estimated $400 is Australia if it gets released. In other parts of the world only the single SIM version will be available. In terms of construction the Nokia 5.1 is very good. That is expected since it does has a metal back and high end looking front screen. While the materials are top end the design it's self is not. The design is looking a little old in comparison to the latest smartphones, yet in terms of it's low to mid range class it's competitive. In terms of hardware the Nokia 5.1 is specifications there's a 2.0Ghz Mediatek CPU and 2Gigs of RAM and 16Gigs of memory with a decent 5.5 inch screen and 16 MP camera and wide 9 MP selfie camera. In the end the speciations are not particularly impressive of competitive with other phones int he same price range. The microSD memory card slot is critical if you buy a Nokia 5.1 as is only has tiny 16Gig storage and less than half of is is usable. In terms of use the Nokia 5.1 is not bad considering the hardware specifications. However it's not particularly smooth or fast. However it will run everything except for demanding games. The Nokia 5.1 uses Android One which means that it is comparable with the Pixel phones in functionality and does not have any additional bloatware which means it's running as efficiently as possible to the way Android was supposed to run. It's not bad but the occasional sluggish it's probably due to it's low memory at a mere 16G and much less usable - even Apple doesn't do this any more and Nokia needs to follow suite to be remotely competitive. Sure it's expandable memory is nice but based on our experience 2Gig RAM and 16Gig storage is certainly not enough. Basic Android OS needs around 1 Gig or RAM and up to 8 Gig of storage space is used the system means not much space for anything extra. In conclusion the Nokia 5.1 is a decent phone and will work well for those in need of basic communication like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Gmail, videos and other messengers. The expandable memory card will help with the storage. However that is all that it will be able to impressively. The faster CPU simply isn't enough to compensate for the low memory specs. For the price there are a few notable options like the Sony Xperia, Samsung Galaxy and other Chinese brands. Note that we didn't include Motorola phones as since we discovered that they no longer offer Android software updates requiring you to buy a new phone if you want the latest Android OS. Specifications
    • Nokia 5.1
    • Network Quad-band GSM All 3G frequencies(dependent on country) All 4G frequencies (dependent on country) Dual SIM available
    • Design Touch screen
    • L151.1 x W70.7 x D8.3 mm
    • Weight 165 grams
    • Display 5.5 inch 1,920 x 1080 AMOLED
    • Camera 16MP auto-focus LED Flash 8MP 2nd forward facing still/video call camera
    • Video Camera 1080 HD 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4.2
    • CPU Octa-core 2.0 Ghz (Mediatek MT67555)
    • Memory 2Gig RAM Up to 16 Gig for user Up to 128Gig microSD expansion
    • Features Fast charging capable A-GPS, GLANOSS, Ambient light, Accelerometer, G sensor, Gyroscope, fingerprint scanner Li-Po 2970 mAh battery Up to 24 Days standby for average use.
    • Price history Approx 200E uros August 2018 but Approx $400 AUD (Outright)

  • Motorola G5S Plus review

    Welcome to the 2018 Motorola G5S Plus review. After checking out the G5S we really had to compare it to the larger G5S Plus. Since both are now in run out to make way for the G6 series they now get our attention.  The G5S Plus is the bigger screened version of the regular G5S but there is more changes than. The G5S Plus is currently priced under $350 AUD which is impressive for the spec. In terms of construction the Motorola G5S Plus is just like the G5 which is very good. The styling is old fashioned but 2018 but it still looks good enough be considered mid range. Like the G5 Sthe back panel is not longer removable and as a 2 piece slab style smartphones go it is very well made and certainly no complaints for the price. In terms of hardware the G5S Plus has better specs than the G5S better CPU, bigger screen and so forth. There are no fancy edge to edge screen, or AMOLED even multi-megapixel screen just a reasonable 1080P. Once again due to it's price we have no problems with it parts mix and it is certainly better specified than the Nokia's as an example. In terms of use the Motorola G5S Plus has a stock-ish Android interface that means it works smoothly and fast considering the hardware. We had not complaints about speed or performance in general. We also think the the Snapdragon 625 CPU SOE is probably the ideal budget compromise in terms of operation in 2018. In conclusion the Motorola G5S Plus is a great phone with the spec of a phone that usually sells for $100 more eg. Nokia 7. The G5S Plus is hard to go past when priced at a very affordable $329. Although $50 more than the regular G5S the Plus version is well worth it for the faster CPU and graphics. The G5S Plus is arguably the best value Android based smartphone you can currently buy in mis-2018. However note that Motorola's new owners Lenovo no longer offer regular or if all Android software updates so you're stuck with what ever bugs came with the phone you bought. Hence they will never be recommended by us over a brand that does eg. Nokia. Specifications
    • Motorola G5S Plus
    • Network Quad-band GSM All 3G frequencies(dependent on country) All 4G frequencies (dependent on country) Dual SIM available
    • Design Touch screen
    • L153.5 x W76.2 x D8 mm
    • Weight 168 grams
    • Display 5.5 inch 1,920 x 1080 AMOLED
    • Camera 16MP auto-focus LED Flash 5MP 2nd forward facing still/video call camera
    • Video Camera 1080 HD 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4.2
    • CPU Octa-core 2.0 Ghz (Snapdragon 625) Separate Andreno 506 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 4Gig RAM Up to 64 Gig for user Up to 128Gig microSD expansion
    • Features Fast charging capable A-GPS, GLANOSS, Compass, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, fingerprint scanner Li-Po 3000 mAh battery Up to 25 hours for average use.
    • Price history Approx $329 AUD July 2018 (Outright)

  • Motorola G5S Review

    Welcome to the 2018 Motorola G5 review. The G5S is the newest entry level phone form Motorola. In 2018 there is so much more competition from less known brands and that make it hard to standout be be considered for purchase. Price, specification then branding are the keys to this market and the Motorola G5S is arguably one of the most known. We like the G5 series as we actually bought one and it still works well. With the release of the G5S it's logical successor of the G5 we decided to have a closer look. The Motorola G5S is priced at $279 AUD which makes it appealing and competitive. In terms of construction the Motorola G5S is just like the G5 which is very good, certainly better than the asking price suggests. However it is unfortunate that it looks like the older model. Overall there isn't anything to complain about considering the price. Of note that aluminium body is a nice touch at such a low price. In terms of hardware the G5S clearly has lower end parts but the upgrade for RAM to 3 Gigs means that its enough to handle multiple apps easily and helps the now Snapdragon CPU equipped some headroom. It has all the usual Android spec of microSD expansion, fingerprints and 1080p HD screen and surprisingly fast charging. Apart from that there is really no other standout features which is fair enough given the price and allows of the higher end G5S Plus some spec updates. In terms of use the Motorola G5S has virtually a stock Android interface that means it works smoothly and fast considering the hardware. Android is fully functional put of the box here days and there is little complain about in terms o fuse. It really reminders us of a PC that doesn't run windows. All the popular Apps will work well despite the low CPU except for graphic intensive games. In conclusion the Motorola G5S is a great little phone with the spec of a phone that usually sells for $50-100 more eg. Nokia 6 and that's why it will be a phone we will always recommend above the lessor or better promoted brands. It's a phone that works well as long as you don't run heavy duty games like Fortnite. If you want a bigger screen and better specs there is always the G5S Plus. Nonetheless as a phone for basics of Whatsapp, Facebook, instgram, banking, web browsing, videos and music it is hard to go past the Motorola G5S for the price of under $300 at the moment but you need to consider the G5S Plus...However note that Motorola's new owners Lenovo no longer offer regular or if all Android software updates so you're stuck with what ever bugs came with the phone you bought. Hence they will never be recommended by us over a brand that does eg. Nokia. Specifications
    • Motorola G5S
    • Network Quad-band GSM All 3G frequencies(dependent on country) All 4G frequencies (dependent on country) Dual SIM version available
    • Design Touch screen
    • L150 x W73.5 x D8.2 mm
    • Weight 157 grams
    • Display 5.2 inch 1,920 x 1080
    • Camera 16MP auto-focus LED Flash 5MP 2nd forward facing still/video call camera
    • Video Camera 1080 HD 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4.2
    • CPU Octa-core 1.4 Ghz (Snapdragon 430) Separate Andreno 505 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 4Gig RAM Up to 32 Gig for user Up to 128Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features Fast Charging capable A-GPS, GLANOSS, Compass, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, fingerprint scanner Li-Po 3000 mAh battery Up to 25 hours for average use.
    • Price history Approx $279 AUD July 2018 (Outright)

  • iPhone 6S Review

    Welcome to the Apple iPhone 6S review for 2018. The iPhone 6S has been around since late 2015 so it's a pretty old phone but is it with buying in 2018. It is still for sale on the official Apple website and priced relatively cheaper than the iPhone  7 and 8 not to mention the iPhone X. The iPhone 6S is officially priced at $649 in base trim or from $849 for the larger screen 6S Plus as an outright purchase. Don't even think about the regular iPhone 6 unless you have basic requirements or not into modern games. Is the iPhone 6S a budget mobile phone is it worth it? In terms of construction the iPhone 6s is very good. It has a weight to it that feels premium and on the screen side looks great. Unfortunately the rear side of the 6S is looking a little cheap due to the obvious antenna lines. Not many will see it's rear anyway as there will be some sort of case to prevent damage when it is inevitably dropped. Very good overall and definitely a benchmark despite the unsightly lines - surely Steve Jobs would object! It is a bit of a brick in 2018 and it looks exactly like the older iPhone6. In terms of hardware specifications the iPhone 6s can be judged by its technical specifications and the most annoying and obvious part is the screen resolution and display technology. The screen images is dull and the graphics appear faded, only those with rose coloured glasses on, like  iPhone fans cannot see it for how school it looks. Although the resolution is not even HD the high density of pixels make the graphics look better than it's resolution suggests. The speaker is a standout that actually sounds great for a tiny one and the real home button is nice to press and the fingerprint scanner works very fast! The low memory capacity is as always disappointing as the entry level 32Gigs is barely usable in 2018. In terms of use the iPhone 6s is still pretty good. After all the operating system and the hardware are designed as a pair. In the past simplicity has been a key factor in it's popularity however there is now 10 times the difficulty. Mind you it still lack the flexibility and functionality of an Android OS based phone. Nonetheless it works really well and mostly smooth until an App requires just a tiny bit extra power. We also noticed that when the iPhone's battery level gets under 30% there is a noticeable drop in stability and performance. Overall a good iPhone that the can most things only limited it's tiny memory. The conclusion is simple, the iPhone 6s is a very good phone and worth buying in 2018 if you're an iPhone convert but for anyone else it is expensive. It's not as slick as the latest iPhones which indicates that the operating system is getting bloated. Efficient systems like the late Windows Phone was amazing and could run on low powered CPUs easily and just a smooth. If you want an iPhone then the 6S is the cheaper alternative but support for it will disappear in the next 12 months so our recommendation to to get there expensive iPhone 8 or 7 if you can still find one. Alternatively the 5SE is worth a look and cheaper. Specifications
    • Apple iPhone 6s
    • Network All
    • Design Touch screen L138.3 x W67.1 x 7.1 mm Weight 143 grams
    • Display 4.7 inch LCD 750 x 1334 LCD
    • Camera 12 MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 8MP
    • Video Camera 4K 30FPS main video camera 5MP front camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4 USB
    • CPU A9 1.8 Ghz CPU
    • Memory 1 Gig RAM Up to 32 or 128 Gig for user
    • Features NFC
    • Power 1715 Li-Po mAh battery Up to 10 Days Standby Up to 14 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx FROM $649 AUD May (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

  • Game Review – RPG – Eternium Vs KingsRoad

    Welcome to the the battle of the Role Playing Game review and comparison. In one corner we have Eternium (formerly called Mage and Minions) vs KingsRoad. Both are free/freemium to play RPGs that are based on the benchmark Diablo series of games and can be played on Android OS and Apple iPhones and tablets.

    Eternium is an RPG by Game Primer and MF Making Fun.
    Eternium is quick to load and runs well, it also works without connecting the internet and good to look at. There are 3 character classes the Mage, Bounty Hunter and Warrior.  The animations and graphics are pretty good and have gotten better over the years. However there are some problems, the 3rd person camera angle occasional block the view with the environment, while the graphics are very detailed it just doesn’t look natural enough. The controls are point and move and responsive, the game progression is clear and suitably progression of hardness. The story is quite basic with the levels described as ‘find the boss and kill it’. Lots of item drops and you can get in game helper characters that mercifully can get pretty powerful. It is definitely not a Diablo I, II or III in many ways.

    Name: Eternium (Mage and Minions)
    One of the oldest 3rd person RPGs available for phones and tablets.
    Playability: 9/10 (at time of review)
    Longveity: 7/10 (at time of review)
    Does it need the Internet data to play: No but required for saves and new items.
    How annoying is it without paying: Not annoying just grinding.
    Is buy in game stuff worth it: Yes but only for those who are impatient. There’s lots of grinding but lots of loot drops.
    Is it worth paying for: Only for certain in game items.
    Better on Tablet or Phone: Tablet or large screen phone.
    X-Factor: Ability craft and improve virtually any item and the ability to play without an internet connection.
    Platform: Android OS and Apple iOS

    KingsRoad is a RPG by RUMBLE.
    The first thing you notice about KingsRoad is that it is a slow loading game and it requires internet data to play and also a stable data transfer rate.These are the most annoying things of the game. In fact the first time I ran it almost gave up! Once up and running things get better. The are lots of things you can do to improve your character, however forging, fusing and evolving items, dragon companions in the game and it does get confusing.  Persevere and it’s a complex game. MMORPG element is pretty good dependent on who your companions are. The story is simplistic but better than Eternium but not by much. The associated NPCs are just like the ones in Diablo I,II and III likewise the character graphics and environment. It’s arguably the closest to being a Diablo clone and that’s a good thing. The biggest problem with KingsRoad and play-ability is the limited storage. You need storage to enhance your character and you need to pay for it and for us that’s a deal breaker. Gives us some special items that are worth paying for.  This is a pity because apart from that it is really good looking and playing RPG for you tablet or phone.

    Name: KingsRoad
    One of the oldest 3rd person RPGs available for phones and tablets.
    Playability: 7/10 (at time of review)
    Longveity: 8/10 (at time of review)
    Does it need the Internet data to play: No but required for saves and new items.
    How annoying is it without paying:  Quite annoying as you have so little storage to carry items.
    Is buy in game stuff worth it: Yes but only for those who are impatient and you need buy storage.
    Is it worth paying for: Only for certain in game items like storage.
    Better on Tablet or Phone: Tablet
    X-Factor: Confusing enhancement logic.
    Platform: Android OS and Apple iOS