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Author: The Editor

  • Sony Xperia XA1 Review
    Welcome to the 2017 Sony Xperia XA1 review. Low to mid range smartphones don't get much popular coverage because there's usually nothing special about them and there's little publicity due as they don't represent the aspirations of the company. They also make a higher profit margin due to lower end technology that they made with.  However make no mistake, the mid-range class for 2017 represent great value in terms of function for your money. They do everything higher end phones do albeit at a second or two slower. The Sony Xperia XA1 is priced under $400 but loser to $350 AUD at the time of this post. In terms of construction and design the Sony XA1 features a mix of metal and plastic. It's box like design is timeless and well put together with no visible flaws. The fact the Sony have stuck with the same design philosophy is brave yet admirable as it is clearly one of the best looking mid-range phones on sale in 2017. It also gets bonus points for not looking like an iPhone. The XA1 looks and feels better than our current favorite mid-ranger the Motorola G5 Plus which is like a tank in comparison. In terms of hardware the Sony Xperia XA1 has a number of features that make it standout in the mid range class. It has a great camera specs with 23MP on the rear and 8Mp on the front and the quality of the pictures are better than any we've seen in the mid range class. A separate camera button is a great feature to take advantage of the very good camera. The Sony also packs a very good set of audio controls including equalization and DAC effects. It nice to see that Sony has kept true to it's former music history. The XA1 CPU is the latest Mediatek Octa-core CPU with a fast x4 2.3GHZ and x4 1.6 Ghz and comes with 3GB RAM, up to 32Gig and decent separate graphics GPU, so it's fast and furious for a mid-range. It also comes with quick charging which is rare in the price range. The only feature missing is a fingerprint reader. The screen resolution is 720P which is virtually the same as the iPhone and on the XA1 it does look good and comes with adjustable RGB if you really want to adjust it. We find reviewers on smart phones saying screen is bad because the compare to RGB chart and saying a phone is bad because of it - which we think it is a little stupid. Our eyes are not RGB compliant people and you really need to judge how a screen looks based  your eyes not some chart. Many also complain that the XA1 only has a 720P screen yet the same don't complain that the iPhone 6 in particular is not even 720P! In terms of use the Sony Xperia XA1 is very good. The interface is smooth and fully functional with a number of Sony developed apps for the camera and Playstation. Apps open quickly and also operate smoothly. We have no complaints in regards to how fast to works considering it's price tag. There is just usual Android OS issue with 'complexity' due to the number of customization options if you don't care about that sort of thing and ignore it. Many people buy the mid range handsets but few bother to write about them because they are in the shadow of the top range counterparts. We liked the Sony Xperia XA1 it looks good in the hand and works well. If you can't afford to buy or don't want the latest top range smartphone the XA1 is a great choice as it will do everything that you want. Those into Instagram and Snapchat will love the quality camera for the price. Note that unlike other reviews we don't compare everything to the top range phones especially when it comes to camera quality and features as they are priced at less than half the price of top range phone you should expect less! As mid-range phone the Xperia XA1 is one of the best mid range phones you can buy at the moment. Yes it is better than the Motorola G5 Plus because it looks better and works just as well. Although the XA1 is priced under $400 we feel the $350 price tag would make these phone had to pass up. Specifications
    • Sony Xperia XA1
    • Network Quad-band GSM - All Tri-band 3G - All Tri-band 4G - All
    • Design Touch screen
    • L145 x W667 x D8 mm
    • Weight 143 grams
    • Display (XA) 5 inch 1280 x 720 IPS
    • Camera 23MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 8MP
    • Video Camera 1080P HD 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth V4
    • CPU Octa-core 2.3 GHz Mediatek Dual Core Mali GPU
    • Memory 3 Gig RAM Up to 32 Gig for user Up to 256 Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, Compass, Accelerometer,Proximity, Ambient Light Sony Clear Audio system FM Radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 2300 mAh battery Up to 22 Days Standby Up to 17 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Sony Xperia XA1 priced under $400 AUD September 2017 Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra prices under $500 September 2017

  • 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 5 Review
    Welcome to the 2017 Nokia 5 specifications and review.  We've already reviewed the Nokia 3 and found out that it was a little disappointing. We can't really understand why they released the Nokia 3 at all, maybe for those who really want a Nokia branded phone? So when we tested the Nokia 5 we had no expectations it setting any sort of performance benchmark. The Nokia 5 sells at a retail price of around $330 AUD outright/unlocked at the time of release which is reasonable for the quality of materials. In terms of construction the Nokia 5 is excellent for the price. Sure it resembles the latest generation iPhone 7 but the Nokia 5 has a better design as it hides the phone antennas. The recessed finger print scanner even feels better than the iPhone. Compared to it's competitors it's a stand out looking and feeling very upmarket. Put it simply, if your needs are basic once you hold this in your hand you will buy it above it's competitors. In terms of hardware specifications the Nokia 5 packs a screen image quality equal to the iPhone of any model. The all the physical buttons feel good and the fingerprint scanner feels better to touch than the very cheap feeling buzz on the iPhone 7. Unfortunately the price means that there are shortfalls in the specification list and that includes the base model CPU, graphics and standard RAM and storage memory. The FM radio is bonus in the streaming world. Nothing to write home about in this area. In terms of use the Nokia 5 is acceptable. The Nokia 5's interface was smooth enough thanks to the faster CPU and more memory than the cheaper 3. It will withstand more graphic and memory intensive apps like mass txt messages. It's certainly not perfect as we noticed some sluggishness with a few apps running in the background at as to top rangers 3 or 4 years old smartphones. The small RAM means that there are lots of refreshes when using the browser though. For social media, picture apps, and simple games like Clash of Clans will work great. That said it runs the latest version of Android OS and with no modifications we could easily see. The conclusion is that the Nokia 5 is a decent entry level smartphone the runs Android OS. The Nokia 5 is arguably the best entry level smartphone you can buy in mid 2017 purely due to it's screen and build quality. There is literally no other phone in the price category that can match it on the outside. However the Nokia 5's  hardware specs are on the low side even when judged based on price it is only adequate in terms of performance.
    • Nokia 5
    • Network GSM, 3G, 4G, LTE
    • Design Touch screen L149.7 x W72.5 x D8 mm Weight 160 grams
    • Display 5.2 inch LCD 720 x 1280 IPS LCD
    • Camera 13 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
    • CPU Octa-core 1.4 Ghz Andreno 505 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 2 Gig RAM Up to Approx 16 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 $330 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)

  • HTC One X10 review
    Welcome to the HTC One X10 review. This model is not to be confused with the regular range topping HTC 10! The HTC One X10 is a mid-range phone and has finally got our attention, the reasons www didn't bother doing a review is that we where confused at the deceptive model name which implied it was a top end model, in really it is a mid ranger. In terms of construction the HTC One X10 is excellent. Thanks to it's build quality, being metal and glass it does look like a more expensive HTC phone. As result it is put together as well as any other phone especially the iPhone 7 but no where near the standard set by the Galaxy S8! That said HTC have made the One X10 different from the other brands and mid range phones thanks to the rear end decoration and curved. Overall it looks good and high end especially from it's lesser known competitors. In terms of hardware the HTC One X10 packs a 4000mAh battery which by 2017 mobile phone standards is huge! The camera promises lots of features and quality but just class average. Apart form that it is interesting to note the Mediatek CPU rather the the usual Qualcomm which only means it's a cheaper CPU rather than slower performance. Overall there is nothing to really point out about the One X10 in terms of specifications. In terms of use the the HTC One X10 is really good. The interface is smooth there aren't too many time consuming transitions minimal amount of HTC Apps. Speaking of Apps the samples like the 3D car games install worked great, not really speedy when loading but once running works great. It is a typical mid range phone that seems to work as a more expensive one. It would be a great phone if all your into is messaging and social networking. The conclusion is simple, the HTC One X10 is a really good mid-range mobile phone. That fact that we couldn't really fault it in the first 5 minutes is a really test. What would you by an HTC One X10 before any other phone? It looks more premium and QHD Screen. Since their other less known brands have increased their prices and they don't certainly don't look or feel as good. We could even consider buying one if we had't already bought the Motorola G5 Plus. Specifications
    • HTC One X10
    • Network Quad-band GSM Tri-band 3G Tri-band 4G
    • Design Touch screen
    • L153 x W75.6 x D8.2 mm Weight 175 grams
    • Display 5.5 inch LCD 1080 x 1920 QHD 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 Octa Core 1.8 Mediatek MT6795 Helio P10 Mali-T860MP2 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 3 Gig RAM Up to Approx 32 Gig for user MicroSD expansion
    • Features Active noise cancellation Up to 370 hours Standby Up to 17 hours Talk Time
    • Power 4000 Li-Po mAh battery Up to 31 Days Standby Up to 24 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $550 AUD June 2017 (Outright)

  • Motorola G5 Plus Review
    Welcome to the 2017 Motorola G5 Plus review. The G5 Plus is the newest budget phone from Motorola and was released along side the G5. The G5 Plus is both different internally and has some external differences. The Motorola G5 Plus is priced at $399 outright in Australia, which is a very good starting price for spec and performance. While the regular G5 is a decent phone in it's own right the G5 Plus adds a number of features that justify the higher price tag and possibly your decision to buy. In terms of construction the Motorola G5 Plus is very good. The body has more metal than the cheaper G5 but still has the removable rear back plate although the frame is plastic. The physical measurements are the same it just feels better to hold. That said the metal is still not truly premium but it's quite good, befitting it's price tag. That sums up the G5 Plus's construction, it's very good just not top end. As a note the premium priced ZTE Axon 7 priced around  $600 or Huawei Mate 9 priced at approx $1000 do not look $300-700 more expensive or work any faster in normal use. So no complaints about the G5 Plus given it's price tag. In terms of hardware the G5 Plus has a mid-range CPU and includes, a decent IPS 1080p screen, dual SIM, finger print, fast charging, decent 2 Ghz Octa-core CPU, and separate graphics CPU, up to 4 Gig of RAM, 32 Gig or program space and microSD card expansion. Except for the omission of NFC, which I haven't seen anyone use it is very mid-range in spec without the price tag. Overall it G5 Plus is a upgrade on the regular G5 and just as good as any other phone of similar priced or higher. In terms of use the Motorola G5 Plus has a virtually stock Android interface that means it works smoothly and fast considering the hardware. There are a few interface tweaks like the multi-function fingerprint scanner for the Android buttons if that is what you prefer. No complaints with the interface and performance easily faster than the Note 4 or Sony Xperia or even iPhone 6. We guess that there is much less system processing required thanks to the streamlined OS. Once again in conclusion it is rare that we post a review of a mobile phone so early in it's release phase and that's because the Motorola G5 Plus is very impressive package. It's a phone as good as any mid-range phone costing more, better than the formerly cheaper brands from China and iPhone 6 and trumps them all with a low purchase price. The G5 Plus is arguably the best budget priced phone on the market right now from any brand. Forget the rest and give it go. Specifications
    • Motorola G5 Plus
    • Network Dual SIM Quad-band GSM All 3G frequencies(dependent on country) All 4G frequencies (dependent on country)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L150.2 x W74 x D9.7 mm
    • Weight 155 grams
    • Display 5.2 inch 1,920 x 1080 AMOLED
    • Camera 12MP 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 3 -4 Gig RAM Up to 16 or 32 Gig for user Up to 128Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, GLANOSS, Compass, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, fingerprint scanner Li-Po 3000 mAh battery Up to 24 hours at least regular average use.
    • Price history Approx $399 AUD May 2017 (Outright)

  • Motorola G5 Review
    Welcome to the 2017 Motorola G5 review. The G5 is the newest entry level phone form Motorola and was released along side the G5 Plus. In the past we usually combine the review for both phone bearing very similar names for the sake of easy comparison however there is a significant difference in terms of performance that there will be a separate review for the G5 Plus next week! The Motorola G5 is priced at $299 outright in Australia, which is a very good starting price for spec and performance. It is as good as or better than more expensive models from less known brands and manufacturers. Eg. Oppo and ZTE for example. In terms of construction the Motorola G5 is good. The body is mostly plastic and glass but with a metal back plate but despite having a removable back it is very well put together and you wouldn't even know. That said the plastic bits are not noticeable at all but the chrome edge indicates it is not a top range phone of 2017. Overall there isn't anything to complain about considering the price. In terms of hardware the G5 clearly has lower end parts (unlike the the G5 Plus) but it includes a multi-function fingerprint reader, a 1080P HD display that looks really good, a fast charging function, microSD memory expansion and a separate graphics CPU.  You also get a rare bonus of dual SIM capability. Sure it only has an Octa-core 1.4 GHz CPU but is doesn't really feel it until performing intensive tasks like loading complex web pages, but games seem to work quite well. Once again considering the low price this it perfectly acceptable. In terms of use the Motorola G5 has a stock Android interface that means it works smoothly and fast considering the hardware. There are a few interface tweaks like the multi-function fingerprint scanner for the Android buttons. Only intensive web browsing reveal it's average 2GB RAM as games demo'ed seem to work well. Being stock Android everything simply works and you still have the option of customising it with what ever interface apps you want. The G5 feels better and smoother than virtually all the budget and cheap Android phones we've tried to date. In conclusion it is rare that we post a review of a mobile phone so early in it's release phase and that's because Motorola G5 impressed us. It's smooth fast and looks good for an inexpensive phone. The G5 is also cheaper and better than most of the newer phone brands from China we've tried recently and that's a huge complement. The Motorola G5 is a rare phone it's relatively cheap priced at less than $299 and great specifications for the price for the Australian market. Well worth a look if you're for a budget phone. That said do check out the next review on the Motorola G5 Plus which is even better! Specifications
    • Motorola G5
    • Network Quad-band GSM All 3G frequencies(dependent on country) All 4G frequencies (dependent on country)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L144.3 x W73.4 x D9.5 mm
    • Weight 145 grams
    • Display 5 inch 1,920 x 1080 AMOLED
    • Camera 13MP 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
    • CPU Octa-core 1.4 Ghz Snap Dragon 430 Separate Andreno 505 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 2 Gig RAM Up to 16 Gig for user Up to 128Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features GPS, GLANOSS, accelerometer, ambient light, gyroscope, fingerprint scanner, proximity Li-Po 2800 mAh battery Up to 25 hours for average use.
    • Price history Approx $299 AUD May 2017 (Outright)

  • Telstra Flip 2 – Telstra T21 Review

     
    Welcome to the Telstra Flip 2 or T21 mobile phone review. This is a regular flip phone or clam shell phone running custom version of a non descript OS and hardware for Telstra. (It's made by ZTE) The Flip 2 is for those who only need or want basic essentially voice based communications or perhaps notifications. Yes, there are many people who do not want the full smartphone experience for various reasons. Recommended retail pricing of the Telstra Flip 2 - T21 is $99 but only as a pre-paid. In terms of construction the Telstra Flip 2 or T21 is like any other plastic flip phone. The quality of the plastic looks easily scratched as it is glossy plastic. The flip hinge moves smoothy and gives the impression that it will last a very long time. When closed the clam shell looks like a small make up kit although a little thick and not particularly high end. The main reason for this is that it does not have an additional screen on the cover when closed. When open the keypad actually feels good to press but no more than any other keyed phone in 2017. However overall that's really not much to describe as there it looks just like a nondescript plastic thing that feels reasonably nice to hold. In terms of hardware inside the Telstra Flip 2 is essentially a downgrade for the older Telstra T4 of the original model for the most part. The most glaring downgrade is the small screen that has a lower resolution. The screen size appears smaller too as there is a huge bezel around the screen. The best thing about the Flip 2 is that you can use it as a Wi-Fi hotspot but only if you plug it into a computer. It boasts a 1.1 Ghz CPU unfortunately it doesn't run like run see below. There is a camera included for video calls and quality seemed OK for the price aka a bit low res. In terms of use the Telstra Flip 2 is a trip back to the old days aka 10 years ago. There is not much to write about except for the decent web browser but hampered by the low specs even if it breaks the 1Ghz CPU benchmark. The menus work quickly but there are pauses when running apps. The pauses was a surprise since even an old Nokia handset didn't have them. There are also no games included in the phone. To conclude the Telstra Flip 2 is an entry level flip phone. It covers the basics like text, talk and some email through the web browser nothing more. There are much better entry level phones for the same price. Speaking of price the Flip2 sells at a $99 retail price, is too expensive for this level of functionality. Where is the new Nokia 3310? Specifications
    • Telstra Flip 2 or Telstra T21
    • Network Dual-band 3G 850/2100 Mhz Dual-band GSM 900/1800 MHz 4G - 4 common bands
    • Design Flip L105 x W52 x D18.6 mm Weight 110 grams
    • Display/s Internal TFT 240 x 320 2.4 inch screen
    • Camera Dual cameras 2MP main camera 0.2MP video call camera
    • CPU 1.1 Ghz
    • Connectivity USB Bluetooth V4.1
    • Memory 724MB internal memory
    • Ring tones MP3, MMF, MIDI, Vibration etc..
    • Features Plug for external antenna SMS, MMS, WAP, EMAIL Speaker Phone/Hands free Customizable backgrounds Web browser (Chrome) Video calling Voice memos Calendar, Calculator, Stop watch, timer 240 Hrs Standby, 11 Hours Talk Time 1000mAh Li-Ion
    • Price history 2017 Approx $99 Pre-paid

  • Game review – Dawn of Titans by NationalMotion

    Dawn of Titans
    Welcome to the game review for Dawn of Titans. It's been a few years since our game review as there are plenty of them on the internet however we noticed an increasing lack of important details and vagueness in many top ranking reviews hence this post. We felt compelled to do a Dawn of Titans review as we've been enjoying the experience for the last month and sharing is caring as they say. Dawn of Titans is still in its early development, released in about December 2016 so do not expect a 'perfected' game at the time of this review. Dawn of Titans is a RPG and MMORPG game for Android or iPhones and their associated tablets. It's a game where you play the ruler of a kingdom and your initial quest is to defeat the bad dude described as a reborn Titan called Almarand. The story line is well though out but can be confusing due to the number of different stories you can start on. The walkthrough at the start is good and does cater for to those new to RPGs but also those who are familiar with RPG that involve resource gathering and army development. In case you're wondering Titans are essential hero characters you collect of the course of the game. In terms of graphics Dawn of Titans is one of the best out there but dependent on the hardware of your phone or tablet. Of course when playing close up some of the sprites are too similar. The Titans themselves are mostly unique and detailed. It's not a space environment but land and there are currently no flying units. It's pretty smooth all round. And yes, that is my castle in the image above at the time of this review. In terms of controls Dawn of Titans does play better on a tablet as during battles a larger screen is needed for strategy especially if you don't want to be out flanked. Your army units are clearly animated so you know if you've got archers, spearmen etc... In terms of difficulty the game mechanics, Dawn of Titans has easy to use controls and responsive. The resource harvesting, unit development are a little on the slow side but that is standard for this type of game. It takes ages to harvest enough resources - every 8 hours is probably the cycle. Once your kingdom is established adventure does become faster but not by much. Special item drops are nice but the items are not that great even at higher levels. You can upgrade your Titans with special items and upgrade Titans, weapons, buildings and army units. Overall easy to understand and access the gameplay. Dawn of Titans is also a MMORPG so you will get attacked by randoms which is annoying especially if they are at a higher level. There needs to be a much greater status reduction or deterrent for the attacking party if attacking a lower level player. The major flaw is the Clan or Alliance logic. It allows randoms to join and exit alliances without penalty. As a result you have the losers who join you clan attack other players and exit. Even with it's ability to close groups it prevents genuine players from joining your group. This factor alone makes it difficult to build a decent reputation and gain players that have the same gameplay ideology. Other things that need to be improved are certain graphical elements like when your power up titans by merging them the graphics are a pretty uninteresting and the same. Furthermore all the Titans bar one Erys the archer are pretty much the same even in looks. Virtual items you can buy in Dawn of Titans is not special enough. Not asking for a total wipe out item but an item that is genuinely worth paying for would be nice.  As it is now all you can buy ultimately is a reduction in time. That said buying gems is not necessary for most of the game which is great! It reminds us of Clash of Clans or even Star Wars Commander in terms of paying for stuff. Conclusion: Dawn of Titans is good a RPG and MMORPG in 2017. It's got nice graphics but not massively different from say Clash of Clans. It's a good looking and playable game with a story and Titans! Yes Dawn of Titans is worth a download to see if you like this sort of game. Playability: 10/10 (at time of review) Longveity: 6/10 (at time of review) Does it need the Internet data to play: Yes How annoying is it without paying: Not annoying Is buy in game stuff worth it: No  (at time of review) Is it worth paying for: Not yet Better on Tablet or Phone: Tablet X-Factor: Titans Platform: Android OS and Apple iOS