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Tag: android

  • Google Nexus 5X review

    nexus_5x
    Welcome to the Nexus 5X review. It's becoming more common that the top range phone from the last year or two or even three become the mid range models purely due to age but not so the 5X. Made by LG the 5X is the smaller version of the Nexus 6P but updated from the Nexus 5 so its interesting... We're putting this review up now because it has finally become even more interesting due to the price drop, yes the Nexus now has a general retail price under $400AUD from a number of retailers. In terms of construction the Nexus 5X is very good. It has a glass screen and a plastic back and it feels as good as any other 2 piece smart phone. Plastic has the stigma of being cheap but the quality of this one is pretty good. There aren't any panel you can open so it is a solid phone in the hand and very anonymous to look at, unless you have a fancy case of course. In terms of hardware the Nexus 5X has the all the feature of a mid range phone and more including a Hexa-core CPU which we think is pointless as no apps can use it to it's full potential and means that standard Apps like face book are no different in performance to any other phone higher of lower end. However for the price you get a good camera, with laser auto focus and 4K resolution but no expandable memory so 16G of 32G means that you can't actually use it. We have no idea or can justify purchasing a phone with 4K without expandable memory let alone in 2016! In terms of use the the Nexus 5X is pure Android so it is very basic to start with but you can easily customise it with additional interface mods of function beyond that of the iPhone for example, However it is hampered by the lack of standard memory. They say use the cloud! we say who wants to upload and download everything all time especially if you are traveling? Roaming charges will send you broke quickly. The interface is smooth and lag free so no complaints but that requirement to have internet data for everything slows the interface on occasion. The conclusion is once again simple. The Nexus 5X is a great phone with the critical flaw of not having enough memory for the basics of pictures,music and games.  There are a number of better phones selling for the same price from LG and Samsung just to name a few brands, just see the prior reviews. Specifications
    • Google Nexus 5X
    • Network Quad-band GSM Tri-band 3G Tri-band 4G
    • Design Touch screen
    • L147 x W72.6 x D7.9 mm Weight 136 grams
    • Display 5.2 inch 1080 x 1920 QHD IPS
    • Camera 12MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 5MP
    • Video Camera 4K 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4 USB C
    • CPU Hexa core - 1.4Ghz and 1.8 Ghz Separate Andreno 418 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 2 Gig RAM Up to Approx 32 Gig for user
    • Features A-GPS, GLONASS BEIDO, Compass, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Ambient Light Up to 370 hours Standby Up to 17 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $400 AUD September 2016 (Outright)

  • Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review

    2014_note4
    Welcome to the 2015 Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review. Finally we managed to post our review on the Galaxy Note 4 because we thought we'd already done one!  After a very long tenure with the Sony Xperia Z1 Ultra it was clear to us that a phone with a large screen is the way of future. Maybe not as big as the on on the Z Ultra but more the screen size on the Galaxy Note 4 and that is exactly we bought one. The Galaxy Note 4 is not a cheap phone with a RRP price of around $900. However with the high price also means it has top specification - and indeed it has arguably the best specification of any mobile phone on the planet - at the time of this post. In terms of construction the Galaxy Note 4 is very well made. The chiseled metal surround and glossy screen make you want to touch it. The rear is a rubberised plastic finish which happens to removable and is the point of the Note 4. The real panel fits perfectly although uses a material unlike any we've collectively touch before which is a first. Overall the conservative design looks good and feels very good thanks to the extra weight and worthy of the prices tag. The design is business class rather than pop candy as per the iphone6 Plus for example. In terms of hardware the Galaxy Note 4 is equipped with all the latest tech hardware you can possibly dream of in 2015. Very few so called reputable websites point out this simple fact. It is the most advanced mobile phone on the planet - even next to the new Samsung Galaxy S6! We can't say much more. So if your shopping based on specifications alone then you do not need to read any more reviews because the Galaxy Note 4 has everything and yes it is future proofed for the next 2 years... For example the QHD screen has more pixels than your regular LCD computer and the first 4K video camera resolution can't be fully appreciated on 99% of displays on sale to date. Other features which literally hammer the tech advantage over the other phones is the inclusion of the Heart rate, UV, oxygen etc sensors and the multi-purpose infrared remote control. The Note 4 is in a specification class on its own for the moment. In terms of use the Galaxy Note can be really easy or really complex. Apart from being fast left in default setup the Note 4 works as good as any other phone, if you haven't setup a new phone in awhile then it is just as easy as a Windows phone or iPhone. However you can really customise your experience on the Note 4 to any level you want to which makes this a key selling point. Lots of standard Apps on the phone including our favourite infrared remote control program now called Smart Remote that makes it the easiest universal remote control we've ever used. No need for weird bluetooth settings or wi-fi etc.. to get your phone to control things through the proven method infrared. The ability to add a microSD card is fantastic. The live widgets which are the key feature of any Android based phone works well on the large screen. Note that despite the larger screen the text has not been proportionally reduced like on the Sony Ultra Z hence everything is nice and readable.  The S pen feature is a great idea for workers, it is faster than any keypad even with swipe activated. The heart rate monitor, UV oxygen sensor on the back of the Note 4 for health trackers are great additions including the strangely hyped non-activty reminders. No other large screen mobile phone has the lot like the Note 4. To conclude, if you want a mobile phone or smart phone with the lot in a still easy to handle size, the ultimate burger so to speak of mobile phones - the Galaxy Note 4 for the time being is THE model to get. It can do everything you could possibly want in a mobile phone in 2015. There is literally nothing else in the class to compare it against. Specifications
    • Samsung Galaxy Note 4
    • Network Quad-band GSM - All Tri-band 3G - All Tri-band 4G - All
    • Design Touch screen
    • L153.6 x W78.6 x D8.5 mm
    • Weight 176 grams
    • Display 5.7 inch 2560 x 1440 QHD AMOLED
    • Camera 16MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 3.7MP
    • Video Camera 4K UHD 30FPS main video camera 3.7
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4
    • CPU Quad core 2.7 Ghz Separate Andreno 330 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 3Gig RAM Up to 32 Gig for user Up to 128 Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, Compass, Accelerometer, Gyroscope Proximity, Ambient Light, Humidity, Temperature UV, Heart rate, Barometer, RGB, NFC, Fingerprint Ring tones: MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others Google Play store Free Google Navigator (requires data plan) MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible Organiser/Calendar SMS, MMS, IM, Email Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 3220 mAh battery Up to 370 hours Standby Up to 17 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $980 AUD April 2015 (Outright)

  • Samsung S5 Active review

    lgvssony
    Welcome to the 2014 Samsung Galaxy S5 Active quick review. Our recent trip to Japan saw us trying out the latest ruggedised phone from Samsung, begin the S5 Active. Now we did much thinking and realised that all the current crop of 'ruggedised' phones should really be how regular phones are designed. That is phones that can be used in doors and outdoors without worrying about a few drops of water or dust and indeed accidentally.  That said the S5 Active is not indestructible but made with real more hard wearing materials than the regular Galaxy S5 and easily better than the iPhone 6 that has the potential to die when you leave your air conditioned car or plane to a humid environment - for instance. In terms of construction the S5 Active looks and feels very good but we feel designed to be held by guy we think its just the colour scheme of the phone we tested which was the  military style camouflage scheme. In a regular grey it stands out as being more like a prop from a sci-fi movie. The S5 Active feels solid yet light enough considering the extra bumper protection system. We're not sure how much actual metal there is on the phone but to be honest it didn't matter. We have no complaints about anything and neither will you and we regard it as one of best made and impressive looking phones available in 2014. In terms of hardware features the S5 Active has everything you could possibly want in 2014. It has things like infra-red blaster perfect of universal remote control, heart rate monitor, replaceable battery and even a micro SD slot. It is superior than the previous Galaxy S4 Active which was short changed on specs compare to the regular S4 of the same time. When compared to the regular Galaxy S5 we think the Active is the better looking phone. Since both have the same top end features In terms of use the Galaxy S5 Active is very good. We didn't find the interface daunting apart from the various update and status notifications seemingly more numerous than other operating systems. In fact the settings screen was more accurately described than on the iPhone OS for instance but Windows Phone 8 OS settings is better than either. Samsung's Andriod OS appeals to those who want flexibility, customisation options and ability to do things that you can only dream of on an iPhone! However it has also become clear that if you want simplicity go for any Windows Phone 8.1 which easily beats the iPhone or Android. The Samsung Galaxy S5 Active is a very appealing smartphone in terms of looks and feel. It also has all the features of a top end smartphone that you can use without worrying too much about weather conditions and in this sense it is unique. All other phones have lower spec hardware and require additional, bulky and largely unattractive cases although admittedly providing very good protection to deal the day to day use. We definitely like the the S5 Active even more because it doesn't come with any PR that goes too far. Specifications
    • Samsung Galaxy S5 Active
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 All 3G frequencies All 4G frequencies
    • Design Touch screen
    • L145.3 x W73.4 x D8.9 mm
    • Weight 170 grams
    • Display 5.1 inch 1,280 x 1080 AMOLED
    • Camera 16MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing still/video call camera 2MP
    • Video Camera 1080p high definition 30FPS main video camera 2MP Video phone camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4
    • CPU Quad core 2.5 Ghz Separate Andreno 330 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 2Gig RAM Up to 16 Gig for user Up to 128Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, GLANOSS, Compass, Accelerometer, Gyroscope Proximity, Ambient Light, Barometer, Heart rate monitor Google Play store and Samsung Store Li-Po 2800 mAh battery Up to 20 Days standby Up to 24 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $800 AUD late 2014 (Outright)

  • Huawei Y530 Review

    BLANK
    Welcome to the 2014 Huawei Y530 review.  You may not (still) be familiar with this manufacturer but the company is well known amongst the industry but yet to make an impression in the consumer and government catalog due to corporate intrigue aka secret back doors and other security concerns etc. It's all fascinating stuff but we'll leave it to the 'experts' to sort out what it real and what isn't. All we care about is whether this is a good phone or not! The Huawei Y530 is one of the highest spec entry level Android smart phone you can buy for a bargain at $128 outright as we write this. In terms of construction the Huawei Y530 can described as very good for the price. The model we tested didn't look premium and doesn't have that the finishing touches say the LG L70 has. That said it feels OK in the hand and OK to look at. A decent case would do wonders. In terms of hardware the Y530 packs quite many more features than phones in this price range - including Telstra graded ZTE phones do have. For the price very good indeed. Of course in the past we've tested the cheaper entry phones and been only impressed with the price and nothing else... However for once we've found a phone that actually works much better than we anticipated intact on par with more expensive phones in the $200 - $300 price bracket. In terms of use the Y530 is actually very good - for the price. It works smoothly and runs Apps with minimal delay. Of course it is no where near the speed of a quad-core CPU equipped phone but for an entry level model we have no complaints. There aren't any real differences except for icons and various standard apps that we could see. Like most Android based phones in 2014 we can't really say much about the Y530 except that it is a great little smartphone. Android OS and hardware has come along way in a few years. Overall we liked the Y530 due to the price for feature list. Only branding and medium term reliability are issues against this model, for the moment. There are very few smartphones yet alone traditional mobile phones have this level of specification and capability for the price. Highly recommended model you should take a closer look if shopping in this price range. Specifications
    • Huawei Y530
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Dual-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 (depend on country)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L132.5 x W67 x D9.3 mm
    • Weight 145 grams
    • Display/s 4.5 inch 480 X 854 pixels
    • Camera 5MP LED Flash
    • Video Camera 480p high definition 30FPS main video camera VGA video phone
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V3
    • CPU 1.2 Ghz Dual core Separate Graphic CPU
    • Memory 512MB RAM Up to 3Gig for user Up to 32Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, Proximeter, Accelerometer FM Radio Ring tones: MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others Google Play store Dolby Digital Music and Media player MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible Organiser/Calendar SMS, MMS, IM, Email Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 1750 mAh battery Up to 320 hours Standby Up to 10 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under $128 AUD August 2014 (Outright)

  • LG L70 Review

    BLANK
    Welcome to the 2014 LG L70 smartphone review. It's been a little while since we've reviewed an LG phone for various reasons. Two main ones was that LG phones where simply lagging behind in the tech, price, design etc. department and their management simply where not quick or smart enough to move with the times. Their rather silly explanations about why their phones were not selling was laughable and not worth repeating. So after being lost in the smartphone wilderness over the last few years, finally we see the LG L70 as a reasonably priced at RRP $190 outright and pre-paid at a little high $180 but will come down in the next few months. We are not going into too much detail since it is another Android OS based phone. To keep this first review concise: In terms of construction and hardware features the L70 is very good for a basic smartphone. It is all plastic and feels light but sturdy enough and looks pretty good for the price. Other competitors leave out features like a camera flash or smaller RAM, smaller screen and so forth, but the LG L70 seems to have it all but admittedly at a lower spec than say the mid-range smartphones. That said it the screen resolution looks more than acceptable. It features a multi focus camera is is rare in the class and should result in decent pictures which we found where OK to look at. In terms of use, out of the box the L70's interface is already quite slick, dependent on how fast your 3G connection speeds are. You should't have any problems running the latest decent games or software on it but a scent sized memory card is essential. Recommended size? 16GB should store all you favourite tunes, pictures until it's time to replace it! Apart from that the L70 has all the benefits and issues of the Android OS. To conclude the L70 model we test, examined the specifications and handling, we think the LG L70 is a model between entry level and midrange at the time of writing this review. It's a good choice as a pre-paid or outright package although anonymous in terms of it's good looks for the price. If your shopping for just a basic mobile phone I think the stretch to the LG L70 is worth considering. Specifications
    • LG L70
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Dual-band 3G 850/900/2100 (dependent on version) Dual SIM (dependent on version)
    • Design
    • Touch screen
    • L127.2 x W66.8 x D9.55 mm
    • Weight 124 grams
    • Display 4.5 inch 400 x 800 pixels
    • Camera 5 0r 8 MP auto- multi-focus LED Flash
    • Video Camera 720p high definition 30FPS main video camera
    • VGA Video phone camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4 USB
    • CPU Dual core 1.2 Ghz Separate Andreno 302 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 1 Gig RAM Up to 1.5 Gig for user Up to 32Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, Accelerometer, Proximity Ring tones: MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others FM Radio with RDS Google Play store Free Google Navigator (requires data plan) MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible Organiser/Calendar SMS, MMS, IM, Email Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 2100 mAh battery Up to 420 hours Standby Up to 8 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $180 AUD July 2014 (Pre-paid) Approx $190 AUD July 2014 (Outright)

  • HTC One M8 review

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    Welcome to the 2014 HTC One M8 otherwise known as version two! The HTC One for 2014 has had another quality bump and this phone looks even more fantastic. The One is one of the best looking and made phones currently available. The HTC One M8 recommended retail is about $850 which makes it very competitive considering it specification but to other top end phones. The only thing that preventing it from heading to the top is mainly marketing and of course the price. Let's face it all the top end smart phones are expensive and this the HTC is no different. In terms of construction the all metal HTC One on first touch is clearly a top of the range model and surpasses the iPhone 5S and even equals our current top rating looker the Lumia Icon/930. The One is lovely to look at and to hold and if we had to fault the construction it would be directed at the brushed 'stainless steel' finish as opposed to a solid color. That said there are other colors to choose from. In terms of hardware the HTC One packs all you'd expect in a top range all metal phone and including a micro-SD card slot! The only thing we could complain about was the screen quality was not as 'wow me' as the Nokia Icon or the Samsung Galaxy S5 which is tested at the same time and easily puts all others including the iPhone 5s screen quality to what we always described as average. The One's speakers are also loud and clear as always and easily louder than any other phone out there. The novel dual camera lens is an interesting solution needs more work. That said the pictures did look OK but clearly to as good as Samsung S5 or iPhone even the old iPhone 4s. It is missing the hardware on the of the Samsung S5 eg. barometer and finger print scanner but naturally these are still nice to have rather than essential or game changing. In terms of use the HTC One works really well. The Zoe home screen is a good solution to being able to see all your social network updates on one screen. We didn't note anything that was particularly special apart from that. It is Android OS based so all the latest Apps can be found in the store.  Finally the speed and smoothness was as good as any other top end smart phone we've tested to date. To conclude our short review, since Android OS based phones are pretty similar these days: we haven't really looked at the HTC phones for a little while since they had problems that really needed to be addressed before they could be taken seriously. It's only the camera quality that is the remaining issue we have with the HTC One which does not appear to be up to the standard of it's competitors. So its definitely a great phone to consider when you're due to renew your contract, after all its a little expensive to buy outright. Specifications
    • HTC One (M8)
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Quad-band 3G 850/900/2100 Penta-band 4G 800/900/1800/2600
    • Design Touch screen
    • L146.4 x W70.6 x D9.4 mm
    • Weight 160 grams
    • Display 5 inch 1,280 x 1080
    • Camera Dual 4MP auto-focus Dual LED Flash 5MP 2nd forward facing camera
    • Video Camera 1080p high definition 60FPS main video camera 2MP Video phone camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4 NFC USB
    • CPU Quad core 2.3 Ghz Separate Andreno 330 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 2Gig RAM Up to 32 Gig for user Up to 128Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, GLONASS, Compass, Accelerometer, Gyroscope Proximity, Ambient Light, Humidity, Temperature Ring tones: MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others FM Radio with RDS Google Play store Free Google Navigator (requires data plan) MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible Organiser/Calendar SMS, MMS, IM, Email Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 2600 mAh battery Up to 496 hours Standby Up to 20 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $850 AUD late 2014 (Outright)

  • Samsung Galaxy S4 Review

    galaxys4_1
    Welcome to the 2014 Samsung Galaxy S4 review. We know our quick review is a bit late but since the new S5 is due to be released and that our latest benchmark phone is a Z Ultra we decided to do this write up. Furthermore we know that the S4 will be around as a 'budget' model for at least another year or two! So if you've being holding off here's our review on one of the best mobile phones for sale a the moment. In terms of construction the S4 looks cheap than its competitors for its price tag BUT it is a solid phone. It is the glossy back and seemingly slim frame that disappoints. That said the vast majority of phone users including iPhone almost always purchase cheap looking and generally tacky protectors. So in the end overall good but not fitting of a top end phone we expect. Of course thanks to the design its signal reception is notably better than metal/alloy phones. Only Nokia seems to be able to construct plastic phones are are both sleek aka expensive and hard wearing. In terms of hardware the Galaxy S4 has everything you could possibly want in 2014. Of note is the ever useful IR Blaster or infrared for controlling TV, the highly sensitive 5 inch touch screen and very good image and colour reproduction. There are many standard Apps that utilise its hardware features that it is quite daunting to start off with. The sound quality is also pretty good on both ends of the line. There is not much to complain about or that it is deficient in any way . The camera is one of the best out there too according to more reputable publications that said the images we took and examined are just as good as any other bar the Nokia 1020. The expandable memory so means you can store and view what ever content you want! In terms of use the Galaxy S4 is good and bad. Good and bad because what makes it good can be bad - in that it is easy enough to use but there are so many standard features that novice Andriod OS users will be over whelmed. The Galaxy S4 does require a short introduction before leaving the store especially if you've never had a smartphone before. For novice users we simply say to buy a Windows phone instead  which are much easier to use than the iPhone or Android. Nonethless the S4 is slick and fast and really shows those upgrading in particular, how quickly Android has matured. If you are youthful in mind and want a phone you can customise and can do everything you could possibly want than this is really all you need. Samsung Galaxy S4 Vs Sony Z Ultra: Ignoring size for obvious reasons the S4 has more hardware features than the Z Ultra. The Galaxy S4 screen is also brighter which help readability in sun light. The S4's camera is also very good! However where the Sony wins is in terms of speed - the Z Ultra is a noticeably fast phone. The lack of standard bloatware on the Z Ultra helps present a very convincing demonstration of the Android OS. If you want a mobile phone or smart phone with the lot in a easy to handle size, the Big Mac so to speak of mobile phones - the Galaxy 4S for the time being is THE model to get. It can do everything you could possibly want in a mobile phone in 2014. When it does become the 'budget model' there is no reason why its shouldn't very well indeed - if it's priced right! Specifications
    • Samsung Galaxy S4
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Tri-band 3G 850/900/2100 Tri-band 4G 899/1800/2600
    • Design Touch screen
    • L136.6 x W69.8 x D7.9 mm
    • Weight 131 grams
    • Display 5 inch 1,280 x 1080 AMOLED
    • Camera 8MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 2MP
    • Video Camera 1080p high definition 30FPS main video camera 2MP Video phone camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4
    • CPU Quad core 2.3 Ghz Separate Andreno 330 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 2Gig RAM Up to 32 Gig for user Up to 64Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, Compass, Accelerometer, Gyroscope Proximity, Ambient Light, Humidity, Temperature Ring tones: MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others Google Play store Free Google Navigator (requires data plan) MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible Organiser/Calendar SMS, MMS, IM, Email Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 2600 mAh battery Up to 370 hours Standby Up to 17 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $650 AUD late 2013-2014 (Outright) Approx $750 AUD late 2012 (Outright)