Abox 4 Android TV 4K Streaming Box review

These days, many people are looking to find alternatives to cable services and cable boxes. This is primarily so because of the continuously rising costs of cable TV and the way their “packages” provide less versatility. In response to the cable companies, numerous devices have “popped up” on the market and they claim to provide alternative options at a lower cost. Let’s take a look at one:

What is it?

The Abox 4 Android TV box is an Android OS based streaming device that provides a way to stream TV programming via various services, as well as the ability to stream from other sources on the same network.

What’s in the box


1 x Abox 4 Android TV Box
1 x AC Adapter
1 x HDMI Cable
1 x Remote Control
1 x Instruction Booklet
1 x Micro Fiber Cleaning Cloth

Design and features

Specifications

Operating system: Android 7.1.2
CPU: Quad Core Cortex A53 2.0GHz 64bit
GPU: Penta-Core Mali-450MP GPU at 750 MHz
ROM: 2 GB DDR3
RAM: 16GB EMMC FLASH
Bluetooth: V4.0
3D: Hardware 3D graphics acceleration
HDD file system FAT16 / FAT32 / NTFS
Supported subtitles: SRT / SMI / SUB / SSA / IDX + USB
High-definition video output: 4k * 2k
LAN: Ethernet: 10 / 100M, standard RJ-45
Wireless: Supports 802.11 a / b / g / n at 2.4 GHz
Supported Airplay / DLNA / Miracast & H.265
Supported decoder format: HDMPEG1 / 2/4, H.265,4K-HD, HD AVC / VC-1, RM / RMVB, XVID / DIVX3 / 4/5/6, REALVIDEO8 / 9/10
Supported media format: AVI / RM / RMVB / TS / VOB / MKV / MOV / ISO / WMV / ASF / FLV / DAT / MPG / MPEG
Supported music format: MP3 / WMA / AAC / WAV / OGG / AC3 / DDP / TrueHD / HD / FLAC / APE
Supported Photo Format: HD JPEG / BMP / GIF / PNG / TIFF
Supported subtitles: SRT / SMI / SUB / SSA / IDX + USB
Supported language: English / French / German / Spanish / Italian and more
Power supply: DC 5V 2A

The Abox 4 Android TV 4K Streaming Box is a streaming box that provides access to numerous streaming app including, Netflix, Hulu, Crackle, Amazon, and all apps in the Google Play Store. It also allows you to add almost any Android app via the standard .apk file. (Some Android apps added via their .apk files may not provide 100% compatibility). Once connected to your network, this device also acts as a single point of streaming for all of your shared media on your network including, pictures, movies, music, etc. The Abox is small and compact and has ports on 2 sides, a display on a 3rd side, and the brand name on top. On one side there are the following ports from left to right:
Audio out
Ethernet
AV port
HDMI
Audio out

On the 2nd side, there are 2 USB ports and one micro SD card port to add external storage devices

The remote control provides the standard functions of a media remote control, along with a microphone button that allows you speak commands, like “find the latest action movies” or just action movies”, or something more specific. There is also a button that toggles a “mouse” option on and off. With the mouse “on”, you can use the circular control to move the mouse. Other functions include volume, page up/down, power on/off, home, mute, return, etc.

On the front of the Abox, there is an LCD with a time display and the power on indicator along with the WiFi status symbol. On the top of the Abox is the brand name that lights up blue. The picture on the bottom right below shows the HDMI and power cables connected.




Operation

Once the Abox is plugged in, and the basic initial setup of language, time and network access are completed, the main screen is launched. On the main screen there is a preview of Google Play movies selection, a couple of rows showing some of the most/recently used apps, and the icons for the “settings” screen, the “Network setup” screen and the “app drawer”. The “settings” screen provides access to all settings as seen below. The “network” screen provides access to all of the network access related settings, and the “app drawer” screen shows all of the apps that you have downloaded and installed.
I have also included the screens that show the “on Demand” movie/series option, the File Explorer screen that allows you to access all of your shared network drives, and a screen that shows the tv guide from my cable TV app. Unfortunately, I could not get the remote to properly navigate the tv guide to make that app usable. While I think that I was doing everything correctly, I am not ruling out “lack of knowledge by user” 🙂
There is also a screen showing access to Spotify to listen to online streaming music.












Performance

I was able to watch movies from my USB drives and across my network via WiFi and wired ethernet with no issues, and they played flawlessly and in full HD. Installing apps from the Google Play store is very easy, and all of the apps that I tested worked well. The cable TV app that I referred to was one that I installed via an external website, and not from the Google Play Store apps offered from within the box. Once the Abox is on your network, you have the option of adding Android apps using a computer on the same network. It is important to note that I installed the cable tv app via a networked computer since it was not showing as an available app when I searched the Play Store from the Abox. This is likely why it is not fully compatible and functional.

I am not a gamer, so I cannot provide too much information on those types of apps. However, based on the overall performance of the Abox, I would suspect that they will work flawlessly as well. The Abox also offers the ability to connect a keyboard and mouse via Bluetooth, and they sell a combination keyboard via the Abox-tech website for $34.88.

What I like

I really like that the Abox provides access to all of my shared media on my home network and that even via WiFi it maintains a strong connection. I also like that I can add drives directly to it vis the built-i USB ports and that is with the apps from the Google Play Store, I can play all of my various types of files with ease.

What can be improved

My biggest issue with the Abox is the inability to navigate certain apps properly when using the remote. For example, I am used to watching my Cable TV programming using my Roku Streaming Box and the cable TV app. With the Roku remote, I can use the up/down functions of the remote to scroll through the TV guide. This function does not work with the Abox remote, and for me, that is a big deal.

Final thoughts

The Abox 4 Android TV 4K Streaming Box offers a lot of options and convenience for the price. The 2 USB jacks along with the card slot and network capabilities make it easy to integrate it into your network of devices. While I do find the Android OS and the remote response somewhat sluggish when compared to my IOS devices, I do enjoy using the Abox and for now, it has a permanent place among my media equipment.

Price: $79.99
Where to buy: Abox-tech website and Amazon.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Abox.

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Abox 4 Android TV 4K Streaming Box review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 25, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Huawei P20 smartphone review

I enjoyed using the Huawei Mate 10 Pro when I reviewed it a few months ago and now I’ve had the chance to use the newer and smaller Huawei P20 for a few weeks. Do I love it? Like it? Or is it just meh? Let’s find out.

What is it?

The Huawei P20 is one of Huawei’s latest Android smartphones that runs the most current version of Oreo (Android version 8.1). The P20 is a smaller and lower cost version of the P20 Pro which also from Huawei. Both phones feature a thin bezel display with an iconic notch at the top and both phones feature Leica lenses. The P2o Pro sports 3 lenses on the back while the P20 only has 2 lenses. The P20 also has a smaller 5.8-inch display while the P20 Pro’s display is 6.1 inches. The P20 only has 4GB of RAM while the P20 Pro has 6GB and of course, the P20 Pro has a larger battery. But enough comparison, let’s focus on the P20.

Hardware specs

Processor: HUAWEI Kirin 970 CPU, octa-core, 4 x Cortex A73 2.36 GHz + 4 x Cortex A53 1.8 GHz
Operating System: Android 8.1
Memory: 4 GB RAM+128 GB ROM
Display: 5.8in FHD 1080 x 2244, 428 PPI IPS Display
Network: LTE TDD / LTE FDD / WCDMA / EDGE / GPRS
Camera (rear): Dual-lens camera: 12 MP (RGB, f/1.8 aperture) + 20 MP (Monochrome, f/1.6 aperture), supports autofocus (laser focus, deep focus, phase focus, contrast focus)
Camera (front): 24 MP, f/2.0 aperture, supports fixed focal length
Connectivity:
Bluetooth: BT4.2, support BLE
WiFi: Wi-Fi 2.4 G/5 G, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac with Wi-Fi Direct support
NFC: yes
Positioning: GPS / AGPS / Glonass / BeiDou Navigation Satellite System
Battery: 3400 mAh
Dimensions: 149mm X 70.8mm X 7.65mm
Weight: 165 grams

Whats in the box?

  • Huawei P20
  • USB-C Earphones
  • Charger
  • USB-C Cable
  • USB-C to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter
  • Flexible Clear Case
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Eject tool
  • Warranty card

Design and features

The P20 is available in 5 colors that include Black, Pink Gold, Champagne Gold, Midnight Blue, and Twilight. As you can probably guess, I was sent the Black version of the phone. The phone has a smoothly rounded metal frame with rounded corners. The face of the P20 is all screen except for a smallish notch at the top where the front camera lens, speaker, and status LED are located. At the bottom is a medium sized chin where the combination home and fingerprint scanner capacitive button is located.

The back of the phone is made of glass with the dual Leica lens camera in the top left corner with the 20MP monochrome camera on top and the 12MP RGB lens below it. There’s also an LED flash below the lenses.

The dual lenses are covered in glass and protrude from the back of the phone so you might want to keep the phone in a case that will help protect the lenses from dirt and finger smudges. This is definitely something you should consider because the P20 doubles as a great camera so you will want to keep your images clear and sharp by keeping the lenses clean.

The rest of the phone’s back is blank except for the Huawei brand in the bottom left corner. As I mentioned, the back of the phone is made of glass which has perfectly smooth curved edges that make the phone feel very comfortable in hand. However, even though the back of the phone is made of glass, the P20 surprisingly and unfortunately does not have wireless charging.

Like the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, the P20 comes with a glass screen protector already installed over the display. The phone also ships with a clear case although my review unit didn’t have the case in the box. I think Huawei is the only phone manufacturer that I’ve seen that includes a preinstalled screen protector and a basic case. I like that!

The bottom edge of the P20 has a downward firing speaker and a USB-C port for charging and connection to an HDMI, VGA, or DVI adapter or dock for connection to a monitor or projector. More about that feature later.

On the top edge of the phone is a microphone.

On the right side of the P20, you’ll find the up and down one-piece volume button with the power button below it. The power button has a red stripe inside it which I suppose is just for decoration. Both buttons stick out from the side so that they are easy to find with your fingers and they have excellent tactile feedback.

The left side of the phone has a dual SIM card tray and the phone has software that will allow you to easily switch between SIMs. I only had one active SIM, so I didn’t test the dual SIM capability of the phone.

IP53 dust and water resistance, which means the phone is protected from dust and a light spray of water but is not submersion in water.

In hand, the Huawei P20 feels great. It’s small and solid. The rounded sides make it comfy to hold with no sharp edges when you grip it. Speaking of gripping the phone, I’m happy to report that the P20 passed my 20 years and counting Gadgeteer squeeze test without flexing or creaking.

Display

Love it or hate it, the notch is here to stay. At least that’s what we’re seeing with the current generation of smartphones as it seems to be the latest fad. I personally don’t have any strong feelings one way or another about it, but I know some people who absolutely hate them.

If you’re a notch hater, you can use a software setting to turn off the notch. I will say that with the notch hidden, it’s much easier to see the notification icons. They kind of blend in with the screen’s wallpaper when the notch is present. That said, the Huawei P20 has one of the smallest notches to date. It doesn’t come close to being as small as the one on the Essential Phone, but it’s only about twice as wide as that one. Inside the notch is the front facing 24MP camera, a tiny status LED, a speaker, and an ambient light sensor.

The Huawei P20 has an IPS LCD display instead of an OLED display like its big brother the P20 Pro. Is that a big deal? I don’t think so. The P20’s screen is vibrant, crisp, and clear but to my eyes, the P20’s display is not quite as bright or as easy to read as my Pixel 2 XL when both are set to max brightness, but my Pixel’s display is larger which makes a big difference – at least for my eyes. I’m not complaining about the P20’s display though and find it to be perfectly fine and enjoyable to view.

If you dive into the display settings, you’ll find options to turn on a blue light filter, manual adjustments for the color mode (vivid or normal) and color temperature, or automatic color temperature adjustments based on the ambient light. You can also manually choose between the screen resolution of HD+ which is 1496 x 720 or FHD+ which is 2244 x 1080. Or you can toggle Smart resolution which will automatically lower the resolution to save power.

Fingerprint reader

After using the Huawei Mate 10 Pro’s fingerprint reader, I expected to be equally impressed with the P20’s reader. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. First of all, I’m so spoiled by having a reader on the back of my phone that I can’t stand having one below the screen on the front. Even after getting used to the location, I still find that the P20’s reader doesn’t work for me 100% of the time and I’ve had to reprogram my prints at least 2 times in the last few weeks. If you’ve been reading my smartphone reviews for any length of time, you’ll already know that I have a less than stellar history with fingerprint readers… at least until I started using a Pixel 2 XL which has the best fingerprint reader in the galaxy (at least for me).

Even though the fingerprint reader on the P20 doesn’t work that well for me, that’s ok because the P20 can use face recognition too and that does work well for me. Between the two unlock methods, I’ve had few instances where I’ve had to use a pattern swipe to unlock the phone.

Camera

I was very impressed with the Mate 10 Pro’s camera, so I was expecting the same performance from the P20. Although I was really looking forward to checking out the P20 Pro’s 3 cameras, the P20’s 2 cameras didn’t disappoint me. Like the Mate 10 Pro, the P20’s lenses are LEICA lenses and like the Mate 10 Pro, I’ve been impressed with the images I’ve been able to capture with the P20.

I usually don’t have very exciting images to show as samples in my reviews, but as luck would have it, I received the P20 as I was preparing for a vacation to California to the Carmel and Monterey area. Check out some of my sample shots which are straight out of the camera with no edits. Click to see the full-sized image.








The cool thing about the P20’s stock camera app is that it will detect what you’re shooting and adjust the image to make it look as good as possible. When I was shooting beach scenes it would show BEACH at the bottom of the screen and it would also sometimes put a level on the screen so that I could easily see if I had the horizon straight. I will admit that the water in some of those images was not quite as dazzling blue as it looked in real life, but I just love how the images turned out. If you hate the hyped colors, you can turn off the P20’s AI in the camera settings. As for me, I think the images look like they came out of a magazine if I do say so myself. Well, all of them except for the selfie… 😉

Just to compare, here are two of the same shots taken with the P20 and my Pixel 2 XL within seconds of each other so you can compare.


Which one do you like best? The picture taken with the P20 is on the left and the picture from the Pixel 2 XL is on the right. I’m going with the one on the left.


The P20 also surprised me when I began taking a picture of a sign. The stock camera app recognized it as a document and scanned it to fill the image and made it perfectly square.

Also, like the Mate 10 Pro, a double-tap of the volume-down key will take a snapshot in as little as 0.3 seconds from standby mode (locked with the screen off).

The camera is my favorite feature of the Huawei P20. It inspires me to want to travel more just so I can capture some more insanely great pics.

Oh, and it does a good job with video too… Check out this huawei-p20-47. It’s a 54MB video.

The P20 earned top marks on DxOMark the trusted industry standard for independent image quality measurements and ratings of digital cameras, lens, and smartphones. Test results are available on www.dxomark.com.

Audio quality

Although the P20 has what looks like two downward firing speakers on the bottom edge of the phone, there’s really only one speaker on the right. If you can get past the fact that it has a mono speaker, the P20’s speaker is clear and sounds decent and at full volume, it’s loud.

I rarely listen to music through a phone’s speaker, so using the included USB-C to 3.5mm adapter with earbuds, I found the P20’s audio to sound very good while listening to music through Google Play and Spotify.

According to the Huawei website the HUAWEI P20 incorporates a Dolby Atmos® sound system that breaks new ground for smartphone audio. Premier 990 Kbps HWA* supports Hi-res audio files so you can enjoy true Hi-Fi audio quality wirelessly via Bluetooth audio devices that support HWA. The open HWA ecosystem invites industry advancement in smartphone audio, keeping your audio experience best-in-class.

Using the Huawei P20 for phone calls

During my 3 weeks using the Huawei P20, I’ve had no issues making and receiving calls with this phone on the T-mobile network and have felt that the volume level on both sides of the conversation has been just fine.

Software and user interface

Like the Mate 10 Pro that I reviewed, the P20 ships with Huawei’s own skin over stock Android that’s called EMUI. EMUI doesn’t make Android look that much different from stock, but it does include Huawei’s versions of the stock apps like the calendar, clock, calculator, etc. and it adds extra features like the ability to take screenshots by knocking twice on the screen with your knuckle. You can also knock once and then draw an S to take a scrolling screenshot for really long pages. There’s even a built-in tool to record a screencast.



Other EMUI gestures include HiTouch where you put two fingers on the screen when you’re viewing a product image and it is supposed to pull up product info on Amazon. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it came up with completely weird results.

You can also show two apps in a split-screen view and you can launch apps by drawing a letter with your knuckle.

The P20 even has its own very basic built-in assistant called Emy that you can use to make and answer calls using your voice.

Another cool feature allows the P20 to easily connect to a monitor or projector if you have a USB-C HDMI, VGA, or DVI dock or adapter. Just plug it in and it will display a full-screen user interface on the larger screen. It’s like the Samsung DEX Station without paying for the extra hardware. It worked great with my BenQ PD2710QC DesignView 27-inch Designer Monitor.

The interface is simple and easy to use and makes me know that the day is coming soon where my phone will be able to function as my one and only computer.

As an added feature, when the P20 is connected to a monitor or projector, the phone’s screen will turn into a touchpad that you can use to move the cursor around on the screen.

Overall performance and battery life using the Huawei P20 for day to day tasks

The P20 performs well and I haven’t noticed any problems launching multiple apps and switching between them. It also scrolls smoothly when viewing long web pages. The phone has a 3400mAh battery that kept it running for a full day of medium usage, with some juice to spare. I never saw a low battery warning while reviewing the phone and when I did recharge, it was topped off very quickly due to Huawei’s SuperCharge technology which gives you almost a full day of power with a quick 20-30-minute charge.

What I like

  • The camera shoots great pics
  • Comfortable in hand and pocket
  • Can connect the phone to a larger monitor or projector
  • Fast charging

What needs to be improved

  • The fingerprint reader is underwhelming
  • No wireless charging
  • No micro SD card slot
  • Mono speaker

Final thoughts

I had originally wanted to review the Huawei P20 Pro because after all, it’s the top of the line pro version… but I was sent the P20 and I’m happy to say that I haven’t been disappointed in the least. Except for a couple missing features like wireless charging and a micro SD card slot, the Huawei P20 is a pint-sized powerhouse with a great camera that I love. I think this phone is a viable alternative to other flagship phones and has a better price.

Price: $567.00
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Huawei.

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Huawei P20 smartphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 13, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Pixel 2 XL review

I’ve been using a Pixel 2 XL Android smartphone for the past 5 months and have yet to write a review about it even though it has swiftly become one of my all-time favorite Android phones. Does that mean it’s the perfect Android smartphone? Nope, not even close. But right now it’s perfect for me and that’s what counts. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

The Pixel 2 XL is Google’s flagship Android smartphone which is powered by a stock version of Android version 8 otherwise known as Oreo.

Hardware specifications

Processor: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835
Operating System: Android 8.0.0 (Oreo)
Memory: 4GB RAM, Storage 64GB or 128GB
Display: 6in 2880 x 1440 pixels, 538ppi pOLED Display, 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Network: Carrier unlocked
4G LTE FDD: B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B13/B17/B20/B25/B26/B28/B29/B30/B32/B66
TD-LTE Bands: 38/40/41
GSM/EDGE: Quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
UMTS/HSPA+/HSDPA: Bands 1/2/4/5/8
CDMA EVDO Rev A: BC0/BC1/BC10
Supports up to CAT 15 (800Mbps DL / 75Mbps UL), 3x DL CA, 4×4 MIMO, 256-QAM DL and 64-QAM UL depending on carrier support
Camera (rear): 12.2MP, f/1.8
Camera (front): 8MP
Connectivity: Bluetooth: BT5.0+LE
WiFi: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz
NFC: yes
Positioning: GPS/Glonass
Battery: 3520 mAh
Dimensions: 6.2 x 3.0 x 0.3 in (157.9 X 76.4 X 7.9 mm)
Weight: 6.2 oz (175 grams)
Water and Dust Resistant IP67 under IEC standard 60529

What’s in the box

Pixel 2 XL
USB-C 18W charging plug
USB-C to USB-C cable
USB-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter
Quick start guide
Quick switch adapter

Design and features

Google sells 2 sizes of the Pixel 2. I decided to buy the Pixel 2 XL because I was moving on from a Nexus 6p so I was already used to carrying a phablet-sized phone.

As far as first impressions go, the Pixel 2 XL looks like most other larger phones. It’s rectangular with rounded corners, has no buttons on the front, and has slim bezels on the edges. The Pixel 2 XL doesn’t have a bezel-less display like the iPhone X or the Essential Phone. But it’s close enough for me.

Other than the display, the only other things on the front of the Pixel 2 XL are the front firing speakers.

When you flip the Pixel over, you’ll find a glass section at the top where the camera and LED flash are located. Below that is the fingerprint scanner which is surrounded by a smooth matte finish and a Google G logo at the bottom. I like the matte finish on the back of the Pixel because it adds some grip and it hides fingerprints and smudges.

You’ll find the SIM card slot on the left side of the phone and on the right side you’ll find the power button and one-piece volume button. On the top edge of the phone is a microphone and the USB-C charging port is on the bottom edge.

In hand, the Pixel 2 XL feels solid. It’s neither lightweight or heavy. I think it’s just right. A quick squeeze and a shake reveal no flexing or rattles. But, squeezing the sides towards the bottom of the phone triggers the Google Assistant to do your bidding. More on that later.

Display

Soon after the Pixel 2 phones were available, people began reporting about problems with the displays having a blueish tint when not viewed straight on. Other complaints about the display included problems with the touch screen being insensitive on the edges, muted colors, and burn in issues.

When I read about these supposed defects, I obviously became concerned that I had purchased a dud phone. But I’d already been using my Pixel 2 XL for a few days before reading about these problems which I had not noticed on my own unit. Once I read about the blue tint issue, I checked my phone and I definitely saw what they were talking about. Did it make me mad or consider returning my phone since I was still within the return window? No, it didn’t. I had not noticed the problem until it was pointed out to me and even after I saw the issue with my own eyes, I didn’t really care because I don’t use my phone with the screen tilted away from me. I look at it straight on and in that orientation, the screen looks fine to me.

As for the issues with the touchscreen not registering taps on the edges, muted colors, and burn in, I haven’t noticed the touch screen sensitivity issue or burn in issue with my phone so I can’t comment on them. But if I’d had these problems it would have really annoyed me and I would have returned the phone immediately.

I didn’t really notice the muted color issue until it was pointed out. But Google released a fix for that so it’s a non-issue now.

However, there is one issue with the Pixel 2 XL display that I’ve noticed but haven’t read much about… My Pixel 2 XL screen has picked up a LOT of fine scratches in the last couple of months. It seemed like the scratches magically appeared several months after I got the phone. I should mention that I do not use screen protectors on my phone because I don’t like the feel of the edge of the glass protectors on a curved screen like the Pixel 2’s screen.

The scratches on my screen aren’t immediately noticeable. Y0u have to tilt the phone to see them in certain lighting conditions. Seeing them made my stomach drop but I shrugged it off figuring that the phone is a tool and “stuff” happens to tools. As long as the camera lens doesn’t suffer the same fate (and it’s fine so far), I can deal with it.

Fingerprint reader

If you’ve read my phone reviews, you may remember that I like to gripe about how much trouble I have with fingerprint sensors. They just don’t work for me for longer than a day or two. I’d resigned myself to live with this tragic issue until the Pixel 2 XL came into my life. I half-heartedly set up the fingerprint reader with the index fingers of both hands and figured it would stop working soon thereafter. I was wrong. I’ve not had to reprogram my prints yet. The sensor on the Pixel 2 XL works every single time and it works fast. To say that it makes me happy that I can unlock my phone by touching the sensor on the back is an understatement. I feel like I’ve finally been let into a club for the cool kids now 🙂

In all seriousness, being able to easily unlock my phone without drawing a pattern or tapping a 4-digit pin number is wonderful. I thought the Pixel 2 XL was the only phone in the world with a fingerprint sensor that would work with my alien prints, but when I recently had the opportunity to review the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, it also worked great. But then I reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S9 and I was back to same old problems.

Camera

The Pixel 2 XL’s camera is excellent. It’s so good that I ended up selling my Canon 70D DSLR and have been using my Pixel 2 XL as my primary and only camera. I use it for day to day snaps and for all my product photography for my reviews.

Here are some sample images that have not been edited in any way.















I’m very happy with the Pixel 2 XL’s camera and the only way it could be better would be an ultra-fast snap option likeHuaweiauwei Mate 10 Pro.

Audio quality

The Pixel’s front firing speakers sound good when listening to music or watching videos without using headphones. Even at full volume, audio sounds clear and crisp. I do wish the bass was a bit stronger, but I rarely if ever listen to music or watch videos listening to the sound through the built-in speakers so I don’t find this a big deal.

Using the Pixel 2 XL for phone calls

So far I’ve had no issues making and receiving calls on the T-mobile network with this phone. The volume level and clarity on both sides of conversations have been just fine.

Software and user interface

Google’s Pixel phones have stock Android, so you don’t have to waste space with a bunch of apps that the carriers load that you will never use or special skins that you may or may not like that enhance the user interface.

There are advantages to buying a Pixel that other phones don’t have.

  1. OS updates faster than other phones
  2. Google promises security updates for at least the next 3 years
  3. Free unlimited full resolution photo storage to the Google cloud until 2020.

The Pixel 2 does have a feature that isn’t stock and that other Android phones don’t have. It’s the Active Edge feature that launches the Google Assistant when you squeeze the lower half of the phone. When I first heard about the feature, I thought it sounded silly. But I’ve actually grown to really like it once I tuned in the sensitivity level.

In addition to launching Google Assistant, the Active Edge feature can be used to silence alarms, timers, and incoming calls. I wish you could also customize it to launch the camera app and take a picture which would be a great use for it.

Overall performance and battery life using the Pixel 2 XL for day to day tasks

This phone has a 3520mAh battery that keeps it running for a full work day of normal use. It’s a shame that the Pixel 2 doesn’t have wireless charging, but battery levels are topped off pretty quickly when connected to power. I don’t have a power cable near my bed, so I don’t charge it throughout the night. I’ve yet to have it run out of power by morning, although I do charge it as soon as I get to work.

As far as performance, I think the Pixel 2 XL does very well. It might not feel quite a fast as the latest phones that I’ve reviewed, but the difference is negligible.

What I like

  • Great camera
  • Fast fingerprint sensor
  • Stock Android, no bloatware
  • 2-year warranty and 3 years of security updates

What needs to be improved

  • Screen scratches too easily
  • Price
  • Needs HDMI out from USB-C port

Final thoughts

As I already stated at the beginning of this review, the Pixel 2 XL has become one of my all-time favorite Android phones. Although it doesn’t have a micro SD card slot, Qi charging, or HDMI out, it’s yet to disappoint me with day to day performance. I’ve reviewed several phones since buying the Pixel 2 XL and I’ve yet to feel the need to replace this phone. It’s become a dependable workhorse for me and I look forward to seeing what features gen 3 brings to the Pixel later this year.

Price: $849.00 – $949.00
Where to buy: Google and Amazon
Source: The product for this review was purchased with my own funds.

The post Pixel 2 XL review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

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Pixel 2 XL review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 25, 2018 at 2:23 pm.

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Cat Phones Cat S41 rugged smartphone review

The landscape around Android handsets is a veritable cornucopia of products fighting for attention. Walk by any wireless store, kiosk, or even the electronics aisle in your Big Box store, and you’re pelted with names, numbers, sales, and BOGO offers. I was recently sent the Cat S41 smartphone with Android Nougat for review. I was going to pass, because of my poor track record with Android devices, but I read further into the web verbiage, and thought “This can’t be an actual product!” Read on to see what was so compelling.

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

OK, for my version of the perfect mobile phone, you’d need the following:

  • great screen – clear, responsive, with rich colors
  • fast response from the OS – no “press the button and wait” for anything
  • a decent camera and rear flash
  • access to the SIM slot without taking the battery out and rebooting the phone
  • Bluetooth that works with all the devices I have (speakers, trackpads, keyboards)
  • decent battery life
  • upgradable OS

The Cat Phones website lists the specs for the S41 as follows:

Battery
Non-removable Lithium Ion
Capacity 5000mAh, Pump Express 2.0
Standby Time Up to 44 days
Talk Time Up to 38 hours (3G)
Battery Share Functionality Yes

Platform/OS Google Android™ Nougat

Size/Weight
Dimensions 152 x 75 x 12.85mm
Weight 218g

Display
Super Bright 5” Display – FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS, auto switch support and wet finger/glove-on working technology
Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5

Beyond Rugged
IP Rating Beyond IP68 certified: Waterproof up to 2M for 60mins
Drop Test Up to 1.8M (6 ft) onto concrete
Operating Temperature -25°C (-13°F) to 55°C (131°F)
Other Military Standard 810G: Shock and drop proof. Salt fog, sand, dust, dirt, vibration, and pressure resistant
Category 4 Vibration

Multimedia
Audio FM Radio, Music Player
Video Recording 1080p at 30fps
Video Playback 1080p at 60fps

Camera
Main 13MP autofocus with PDAF, LED flash
Front 8MP fixed focus

So, for most of my personal punch list, this phone knocks it out of the park! I couldn’t believe that, not only is it pretty much the same weight as my iPhone 6s Plus (and also the new iPhone 8 Plus), it has battery power for days and can even share that power with another device. And an hour in the deep end of the pool with no problem? Unheard of! And don’t get me started on the headphone jack!


The battery share was of special interest to me, and the “gotcha” that drew me into wanting to do this review. They accomplish this by having a simple microUSB to USB-A female cord that you place in the same port that charges the phone, and an app that reverses the power to flow out of that port. I can’t wait to test this out for realsies on our next trip. Managing power on multi-day trips with limited access to outlets (cars, trains, planes, AirB&Bs and coffee shops) means you’re always having to top off a portable battery pack, and plug in your phone. Also, since you are depending on your phone for driving directions, photos, travel info, and all the other minutiae of travel/vacation life, the battery goes pretty quickly. We have burned through several full battery packs on some days, most likely due to being in remote places where the phones are always struggling to find anything that may resemble a decent signal. With this unit, I was able to top up my iPhone 6s Plus from 58% to 90% in about 45 minutes. And that only cost me 20% of the phone’s battery.

So, the day after it arrived, I paired it with an old (first gen) Apple Wireless Keyboard and a Magic Trackpad. It works perfectly! I love the way the cursor just shows up when you move the trackpad and gets out of the way immediately when you’re not moving it. Makes selecting text while editing so simple! (I would love this on the iPad Pro I’m using to write this article!)

The phone is similar in size to the iPhone 6/6s/7/8, but thicker, so that it looks like a 4/4s with no other comparison. The thickness comes, obviously, from the expanded battery and the integrated weatherproof and shock resistant case. All the ports have covers, and the phone reminds you to close the cover when you unplug a wire from them. The SIM card is fitted into a tray that pops out from the top-left side, behind the same door the TFT card uses. This tray is not the standard push-in-the-hole-and-it-pops-out type of tray. After fighting with it several times, using tweezers and accidentally resetting the phone twice, I finally figured it out: the SIM tray is upside down. Place the phone face down, put your fingernail into the part of the tray that sticks out, and gently pull. Simple.

Another interesting feature is the programmable button. There is a yellow button (black and yellow being the Caterpillar brand colors and all!) on the left side of the device that can be programmed with two different functions. A press and a double press will each trigger an app, dial a number, or whatever. I use the short press to trigger voice command, and the long press to toggle the flashlight.

The display has adaptive brightness, as well as being able to respond to wet or gloved fingers, according to the manufacturer. My mileage varied a bit with the damp fingers, but all my gloves are now smart-screen-friendly.

I have played around with 4-5 Android tablets and phones here on Gadgeteer for several years. I keep trying to see what it is that is “good enough” about this platform *vis a vis* iOS to make anyone stay or return. This is the first phone I’ve used that could actually be a contender for the slot in my pocket. If I did not have an inherent mistrust of Google and a huge amount of Apple lock-in (pairing with Apple Watch is huge), I’d probably take this around most days, especially if I thought it was going to rain while I was out, or if I was riding my bike in to work or something. Most days, I don’t need anything this rugged, or with this much battery life, though. If your mileage varies, I recommend it! At £399 ($522 at the time of this writing), it’s not a bad value.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Cat Phones. Please visit their site for more info.

 

Product Information

Price: €399 ($473.89 as I write this)
Manufacturer: Caterpillar Inc.
Requirements:
  • none
Pros:
  • Super-tough case integrated into phone itself
  • Bright, clear, high-resolution screen
  • Battery sharing
  • Battery for days
Cons:
  • none discovered

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Cat Phones Cat S41 rugged smartphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 7, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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Jelly Pro super mini 4G smartphone review

While most new smartphones make it a point to feature larger displays with each new generation of phone, the designers at Unihertz decided to go the opposite direction when they created the Jelly Pro smartphone. This doll-sized Android smartphone might fool you into thinking that it’s a toy. Let me tell you, it’s not. Grab your magnifying glass and let’s take a closer look.

What is it?

Jelly is a tiny Android smartphone that’s pocket and budget-friendly and can support 2 SIM cards and a micro SD card for memory expansion.

What’s in the box?

Jelly Pro
micro USB cable
User manual

Hardware specs

Processor: Quad Core 1.1Ghz
Display: 2.45 inch 240×230 pixel touchscreen
Operating System: Android 7.0
Memory: Flash: 2GB RAM + 16GB
Expandable Memory: Removable microSD
Network: 4G LTE, GSM 850 (Band5)/900 (Band8)/1800 (Band3)/1900 (Band2) MHz;WCDMA 850 (Band5)/900 (Band8)/1900 (Band2)/2100 (Band1) MHz;FDD-LTE Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/19/20; TD-LTE: Band 40
WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0
Camera (rear): 8MP, (front): 2MP
Battery: 3,300mAH, Non-removable
Dimensions: 3.07 x 4.92 x 1.97 in
Weight: 7 oz

Design and features

When they say that the Jelly Pro is the world’s smallest smartphone, they aren’t kidding. It looks positively adorable next to an LG V30 in the image above.

The Jelly Pro is available in black, blue, and white like the one that was sent to me.

You won’t find a metal or glass housing on the Jelly Pro. It features good old plastic which I don’t think is a bad thing. Plastic is lighter weight and tends to hold up better than glass and metal as far as scratches go.

A plastic shell can also mean that the back of the phone can be removed to gain access to a removable battery which is just what the Jelly Pro has inside.

The Jelly Pro is powered by a 950mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery. Also inside the phone, you’ll find 2 SIM card slots and a micro SD card slot for memory expansion.

The Jelly Pro smartphone also sports a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top edge.

On the bottom edge is a microphone.

The volume buttons are located on the left side of the phone.

And the power button and micro USB charging port are located on the right side of the phone.

Although the Jelly is a mini-sized phone, it has quite a large “chin”, “forehead”, and bezels for its size.

The phone is comfortable to hold because it fits easily in even the smallest of hands. It also fits in the “girl’ pockets in my jeans which I love!

The Jelly phone feels solid and is able to survive my crushing Gadgeteer squeeze test without surrendering. However, I do hear faint rattling when I shake it, which comes from the volume and power buttons.

Display

The Jelly’s touchscreen display is an eye-squinting 2.45 inches diagonally.

Tapping icons and scrolling isn’t a problem, but reading text can be a challenge.

Surfing web pages using the Jelly phone doesn’t provide the best experience either because you constantly need to scroll the page to read more text.

But the worst part about the tiny screen size becomes very noticeable when you need to input text to type in a web page address or send a text message. The onscreen touch keyboard is so small that it takes some finesse to tap the right key because your fingertip is large enough to touch 4 keys at a time. Let’s just say that I spent more typing pressing the backspace key than actual letter keys.

Camera

The Jelly Pro has a built-in 8mp camera. It’s not fair to compare this $125 phone’s camera with the camera on a $1000 iPhone X or the Pixel 2 XL, so I won’t. I’ll just show you some sample images and you can make up your own mind. But as the saying goes, the best camera is the one that’s with you, so the camera on the Jelly Pro is better than not having a camera at all.










Audio quality

This phone is small, but the built-in speaker is surprisingly loud. You’ll have no problem hearing alarms and notifications, and if you’re so inclined, you can even listen to music through the speaker. Music doesn’t sound stellar through the built-in speaker, but it’s good enough in a pinch.

Plug a set of headphones into the 3.5mm jack or pair with Bluetooth headphones and music sounds fine to pretty darn good.

Software and user interface

Surprisingly, this phone doesn’t have a watered down version of Android. It runs on Android v7.0 (Nougat), which is one version older than v8.0 Oreo which is currently the newest version of the Android operating system. That said, v7.0 is still the version that most phones are currently running.

The phone doesn’t come with any bloatware. It has just the standard core Android apps and a few extras like an FM radio app, pedometer app, file manager, flashlight, sound recorder and SIM toolkit.

Speaking of the SIM toolkit, the Jelly Pro can switch between 2 different SIM cards if you happen to have a card for work and a card for your personal business.

I’ve had the Jelly Pro for almost a month and in that time the phone has received at least two updates, which inspires confidence that this phone will have support going forward.

Using the Jelly Pro for phone calls

I have no complaints using the Jelly Pro to make and receive calls. Volume levels on both sides of the call are fine and I didn’t have any issues with dropped calls.

Overall performance and battery life using the Jelly Pro for day to day tasks

The Jelly Pro has a cool little LED battery charging indicator on the front of the phone that glows red while charging and then turns green after the phone is fully charged. I like this feature which is great considering that I had to look at it a lot due to the short battery life per charge.

If you don’t do anything at all with the Jelly Pro, you should be able to make it a full day on a charge. But if you’re using the phone to make calls, send texts, surf Instagram, etc. You’ll be charging the phone halfway through the day, if not sooner.

What I like about the Jelly Pro smartphone

The size of this phone is my favorite feature mainly because it fits in the front pocket of my snug jeans and I forget it’s there unlike my Pixel 2 XL which sticks 2/3rds out of the back pocket of my jeans.

The Jelly Pro is a cute phone and people will ask you about it when they see you using it. It’s also fun to use as long as all you really want and need to do is to make and receive calls with it.

What needs to be improved

Although the Jelly Pro is considered a smartphone, you probably won’t want to do a lot of smart things with it. You won’t want to read the latest ebook on it, surf your favorite sites on it, play your favorite games with it, or even text your BFF with it unless your answers to questions consist of 1-3 letter answers like K and sup. The screen is just too freaking tiny for any of those tasks.

I’m not saying that it isn’t possible to do all those things with the Jelly Pro smartphone. I’m just saying that you probably won’t want to if you have adult sized fingers and older eyeballs like me.

Final thoughts

In a world full of phablets, it’s refreshing to see an alternative like the Jelly Pro. Testing this phone made me remember the early days of cell phones when I could carry one in my pocket without worrying that it would fall out.

The Jelly Pro is the perfect little phone for people who only want to make and receive calls or want a vacation from a “real” smartphone.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Unihertz. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $124.99
Manufacturer: Unihertz
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Bargain priced
  • Pocket friendly
  • Built-in FM radio
Cons:
  • Battery life is short
  • Tiny onscreen keyboard is tough to use

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Jelly Pro super mini 4G smartphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 5, 2017 at 12:00 pm.

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