- 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)
Category: Mobile Phone Reviews
Mobile Phones, Smart Phones, Cell Phones and anything like them review and comparisons.
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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)
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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)
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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)




