Smartphone – Page 4

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

Filed in categories: Featured Items, Reviews

Tagged: Android, Smartphone

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

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ZTE Axon M Android smartphone review

Extended (tablet) mode

ZTE’s Axon M is one of the devices that threw us for a loop in 2017. The company managed to the be the first to come out with a foldable smartphone with two screens. A multitaskers dream, the displays on the Axon M are each a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS display. Together they combine to form a 6.75″ tablet-like display with a somewhat distracting seam running down the middle.

Unsurprisingly, weighing 8.1 ounces and measuring 5.9 x 2.8 x 0.5 inches the ZTE Axon M is heavier and bulkier than your typical smartphone, but that’s the price you pay for getting 2 displays. Fortunately, it’s still somewhat pocket friendly. Because it has its hinge on the right side, it houses most of its buttons on the left side. Running along the left side of the device, ZTE has placed a fingerprint reader that doubles as a power button, a volume button, and a third somewhat programmable button. The programmable button lets you quickly launch TV mode which in turn lets you load the YouTube or DirecTV app. That said, we’d like to have the option to program that button with whatever app we choose.

But what is especially awkward in the design is the camera placement. The Axon M houses a single 20MP camera. Taking regular non-selfie photos with the camera is an awkward experience because you have to flip the phone around. The camera itself takes ok photos. In daylight, the photos offer pretty accurate colors and visuals are pretty sharp. But the phone struggles with autofocus and in low light, photos tend to be noisy and often blurry, probably due to the lack of optical image stabilization.

The displays on the Axon M are not flagship level displays, but they are solid displays with sharp visuals and accurate colors, we just wish they could reach higher brightness levels. The bigger issue for some may be the seam running down the middle in Extended (tablet) mode. Personally, we adjusted to it after a few days and eventually forgot it was there. It’s not that different to the notch on the iPhone X, which is also distracting at first, but you’re able to adjust to it over time.

Dual Mode

Besides single screen mode, there is Mirror Mode, Extended Mode, and Dual (multitasking) mode. Mirror mode is useful for two people watching movies on either side or playing a game like Battleship. Extended mode takes a single app and extends it across the two displays. For example, that means you get double the real estate for your web browser or Facebook feed. Mirror mode is useful for two people watching movies on either side or playing a game like Battleship, especially if the device is folded like a tent.

Mirror Mode

Last but not least, Dual (multitasking) mode lets you run a different application on each screen – so you can have Twitter opened on one display while watching YouTube on the other. This set up is pretty much a multitasker’s dream, and so much better than using a split screen window mode on a single cramped smartphone display.

When you start up the phone, you’ll go through an easy tutorial which shows you how to switch between different modes. A 3 finger swipe moves an application over to the opposite display. Switching between modes is easy and generally works well, but we often ran into some slowdowns when switching between modes, as well as some app crashes. We hope that ZTE will push out an update that addresses these bugs soon. ZTE has said that they are committed to frequently updating the Axon M and that they will be updating it to Android Oreo.

The Axon M can be folded like a tent

AT&T picked up the ZTE Axon M because it’s the perfect device for a DirecTV user. After all, you can be watching DirecTV on one display while checking your email or Tweeting on the other. We showed the device to a DirecTV user and they got really excited about it, but they actually assumed it was a tablet before we explained to them that it was a phone. Speaking of DirecTV, the Axon M comes preloaded with the DirectTV app, along with lots of AT&T bloatware apps, all running along side Android 7.1.2 Nougat.

The unibody metal construction of the Axon M is very solid

The phone is powered by a capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor with 4GB of Ram. When we tested the phone with AnTuTu, it scored a benchmark of 128845. That indicates that it’s a capable, fast performer, though not nearly as fast as flagships like Huawei Mate 10 Pro and Note 8, and its performance is more in line with the Galaxy S7. In general, even in Dual mode with two apps running in tandem, performance is good and the phone is able to handle running two apps without issue. However, it’s switching between modes that can be a buggy experience sometimes.

The 3,180 mAh battery provides solid battery life, especially for a device with two displays! We were able to get a full day of use on a charge.

Final Thoughts

We have to give ZTE tons of credit for taking the plunge and innovating in the smartphone category. One thing is for sure, the ZTE Axon M is a vision of the future. There are already rumors swirling that both Samsung and Apple are coming out with foldable smartphones, so we expect to see more competing foldable phones in the not too distant future. Overall, ZTE has done an admirable job with the Axon M, especially for a first gen device. But we’re even more excited for a second gen Axon M which we hope will be thinner, sporting a better camera, rocking bborderless displays and running less buggy software.

The ZTE Axon M is an AT&T exclusive and it retails for $724.99 off contract. The phone comes standard with an extensive (and above average) 2 year warranty that includes a free premium protection plan.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by ZTE and AT&T. Please visit their site for more info.

Product Information

Price:	$724.99
Manufacturer:	ZTE
Retailer:	AT&T
Pros:	Two screens – did we mention two screens!? Switching between modes is easy This is a multitasker’s dream device Good battery life and performance despite having two displays Sports an audio jack and microSD card slot Ideal for DirecTV users Well made unibody metal design
Cons:	AT&T exclusive Camera is awkward to use Software can be buggy Middle seam can be distracting Pricey

Filed in categories: Featured Items, Reviews

Tagged: Android, at&t, Smartphone, zte

ZTE Axon M Android smartphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 4, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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LG V30 review

When I made the decision to go back to an Android smartphone after a brief vacation to Apple land this summer, my choices for a new phone were between the Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy Note8, Pixel 2 XL, and the LG V30. I ruled out the Samsung devices because I’m not a fan of the curved sides or the fingerprint sensor location. That meant that my choice was narrowed down to the new Pixel 2 XL and the LG V30. Fortunately for me, Verizon Wireless sent me a loaner unit of the LG V30 which I’ve been using on and off for the last couple of weeks. Let’s take a look to see if I end up choosing to buy the LG V30 or the Google Pixel 2 XL.

What is it?

The LG V30 is LG’s latest flagship Android smartphone running Android OS version 7.1.2.

What’s in the box?

LG V30
USB (Type-C to Type-C) Cable
USB (Type-C to Type-A) Cable
SIM Eject Pin
Quick Reference Guide

Hardware specs

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 835 2.45 GHz x 4 + 1.9 GHz x 4 Octa-Core MSM8998
Display: POLED 6.0″ QHD Plus FullVision™ Display (2880 x 1440) with 538 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Operating System: Android 7.1.2 Nougat
Memory: Flash: 64GB RAM: 4GB
Expandable Memory: Removable microSD up to 2TB (sold separately)
Network: CDMA, GSM, UMTS, LTE frequencies: 1.9 GHz CDMA PCS, 800 MHz CDMA; GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz; UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 MHz; LTE Bands 2/3/4/5/7/13/20/46/66 Data Transmission: EVDO, EVDO Rev A, 1xRTT, LTE, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, GSM, HSPA+, HSPA
Camera (rear): 16 MP Standard-Angle Lens f/1.6
Camera (front): 5 MP Wide-Angle Lens f/2.2
Bluetooth: 5.0, Wi-Fi, NFC
Battery: 3,300mAH, Non-removable
Dimensions: 5.97 in x 2.97 in
Weight: 5.57 oz

Design and features

The LG V30 looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S8 with polished metal rails around all sides and rounded edges which thankfully, aren’t curved like the S8’s edges. The LG V30 also has a glass back which allows for Qi wireless charging.

Like the S8, the LG V30 has a buttonless front with a very nice 6-inch display that has minimal top and bottom bezels.

The back of the phone has a dual camera lens and an LED flash at the top with the perfectly placed combination fingerprint sensor/power button in the upper center exactly where your index finger rests when you pick up the phone.

On the left side of the V30 are separate volume buttons that have very good tactile feedback and are raised far enough that it’s easy to find each button with your finger without looking.

On the opposite side of the phone, you’ll find the combination SIM/microSD card tray.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think LG and Samsung are the only high-end smartphones that still offer a microSD card slot. I used to demand this feature in any new phone that I would purchase because I wanted the security of backing up my photos to a card. But in this day and age, I find that I don’t care about this feature quite so much due Google Photos automated image back up to the cloud. It’s still a nice feature to have though.

The top edge of the LG V30 has a microphone and what’s swiftly becoming an endangered port: a 3.5mm headphone jack.

If we examine the bottom edge of the V30, we find another microphone, a USB Type-C port, and a speaker. The location of the speaker is a little unfortunate if you like to hold the phone in your right hand like I do which ends up covering the speaker and muffling the sound.

The fit and finish of this phone get a thumbs up from me. It looks nice, feels solid, and is comfortable in hand. Speaking of in hand, the LG V30 passes the Gadgeteer squeeze test with no complaints, but if I give it a really strong shake, I can hear the volume buttons rattling ever so slightly. Yes, I know I am crazy to still be doing the Gadgeteer squeeze test after 20 years

Display

This phone sports a 6 inch POLED display. If the addition of a P in front of OLED is confusing you, you’re not alone. The P stands for the plastic base layer that is used instead of a glass base layer which is used in most OLED displays.

The display has thin bezels and virtual navigation buttons that can disappear automatically in some apps like Chrome shown above.

The nav buttons reappear if you swipe up from the bottom edge of the phone.

In some apps, you can close the nav bar with the small arrow on the left side of the nav bar.

Sometimes you’ll see a double arrow next to the nav bar that will prompt you to switch to the 18:9 display mode.

If you’ve been following the Pixel 2 XL displaygate bruhaha, you’ve heard about the blue tint issue that the Pixel 2 XL has when you tilt the screen. The LG V30 has the same “issue” which is not a surprise since LG makes the Pixel 2 XL and they both share the same POLED display technology.

I wasn’t able to photograph the display well enough to demonstrate the blue tint issue, but suffice to say, that I personally do not find it to be the huge catastrophe that some people feel it to be. I didn’t even notice the problem on the V30 or my Pixel 2 XL until after people started talking about it and then I could see it. But the thing is, I don’t care because I’m not using my phone with it tilted away from me. I use my phones facing my eyes straight on and at that angle, there’s no blue tint.

Then there’s the burn-in issue that some people are seeing on the Pixel 2 XL. This can be an issue with OLED displays, but again, I’ve yet to see it on my loaner LG V30 or my Pixel 2 XL. That said, I’m more anxious about the potential for burn-in than the blue tint issue so I plan to keep an eye on my Pixel 2 XL’s display. Now back to the LG V30 review…

When it’s all said and done, I find the LG V30’s display to have sharp crisp text and bright vivid colors. It’s enjoyable to read, surf and watch videos on it and I have no complaints about the display at this time.

Camera

LG phones usually have decent cameras, but they aren’t known for their cameras like the iPhone and last year’s Pixel XL.

The stock camera app is pretty basic except for the handy built-in sharing bar that you can use to send images to a calendar event, Bluetooth, the LG Memo app, email, and the Verizon messaging app.

The also has a selection of modes that you can use to spice up your shots. But missing is a portrait mode which has becoming a big selling point for the iPhone and the Pixel 2.

The LG V30’s dual camera lens does offer a really nice wide angle mode that will allow you to fit in a lot more “stuff” in your images. Both images above were taken from the same distance, but the only difference was toggling the wide angle mode in the image on the right.

I was impressed with the images that I shot with the V30. Click any of these example images to view the full sized shot.

All my shots came out great if a bit oversaturated… but I personally like that look when it’s not overdone.

Audio quality

I already touched on the fact that I don’t like the placement of the speaker on the bottom right of the phone. There’s also the fact that it’s just a mono speaker. While most people probably won’t be listening to a lot of audio/music through that speaker, it is a little disappointing that LG didn’t put more effort in that area. My guess is that the decision to go with the placement was to keep the phone as small as possible and the screen’s bezels equally small.

But plug in a pair of headphones and your ears will be happy. Audio through headphones wired and unwired sounds very very nice.

Software and user interface

The LG V30’s user interface is pretty basic even with LG’s layer on top of stock Android. LG offers a few extras like the pop out shortcut bar that harkens to Samsung’s edge display. The difference is that you can’t swipe the edge of the screen to pop out the bar, you have to tap on the little tab. Since the tab is quite small, it makes the effort a little frustrating at times. I don’t know about you, but I rarely use these extra nav bars since it’s just as easy to put my most used app shortcuts and widgets right there on the first home screen.

Speaking of home screens, that’s where all your apps icons will live because LG’s custom skin over Android does not include an app drawer.

Another special LG feature allows you to shrink the screen for easier one-handed use. I don’t use this either.

One complaint that I do have about software and the V30 is that the phone doesn’t ship with Oreo. It has Android v7.1 Nougat.

Using the LG V30 for phone calls

I didn’t have any complaints from people I talked to while testing the LG V30. Conversations on both sides of my calls were clear and with decent volume. I also did not have any issues with dropped calls while testing this phone. Signal strength seemed to be no better or worse than other phones that I use and test on the Verizon network in my area.

Overall performance and battery life using the LG V30 for day to day tasks

When it comes to overall system speed, I have no complaints about the V30. Apps launch quickly, screens scroll smoothly, and I didn’t notice any sluggishness or problems navigating between apps.

I didn’t do any special battery life testing, but it felt better than other phones I’ve recently tested. You should have little trouble getting through a day on a full charge and if you barely use your phone, it might last for up to a week on a charge if you turn off apps that constantly ping for new info.

Final thoughts

After spending a few weeks with the LG V30 and the Pixel 2 XL at the same time, I ultimately decided to buy a Pixel 2 XL instead of an LG V30. The V30 is a really nice phone and I’ll be sad to send it back to Verizon because it has wireless charging and a microSD card slot, which I like. It also has the volume buttons on the left side of the phone instead of the right side, which I prefer.

But when it came down to it, my main reasons for going with the Pixel 2 XL instead of the V30 are stock Android, faster OS updates, and full resolution automatic image backup to the cloud. Those benefits tipped the scale for me.

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

Product Information

Price:	$840.00
Manufacturer:	LG
Retailer:	Verizon Wireless
Pros:	Thin bezels Wireless charging microSD card slot Extra 1yr warranty through Verizon
Cons:	Some people may complain about the slight blue tint on the display when not viewed straight on

Filed in categories: Featured Items, Reviews

Tagged: Android, LG, Smartphone

LG V30 review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 9, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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Samsung Galaxy S8 review

I’m guessing that almost every review of the Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+ starts out with some mention of last year’s recall of the Note 7 due to battery issues that led to the spontaneous combustion of some phones. You would think that all that drama and bad press would have hurt Samsung’s reputation. But it doesn’t appear to be the case because many of my gadget reviewing brethren are saying that Samsung’s latest smartphones are the best smartphones ever made by anyone. What do I think? Click through to find out.

What is it?

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is Samsung’s latest Android smartphone.

Hardware specifications

Processor: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 MSM8998 Octa-Core, 2.35 GHz (Quad) + 1.9GHz (Quad)
Display: 5.8” Quad HD, Super AMOLED, 571 PPI, 1440 x 2960 pixels resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Operating System: Android 7.0, Nougat
Memory: Flash: 64GB RAM: 4GB
Expandable Memory: Removable microSD up to 256GB (sold separately)
Network: CDMA 1X and EvDO Rev 0/Rev ALTE (Domestic): B13/B4/B2/B5/B66
Global Network: LTE (Global): B3/B7/B20/B8/B18/B19/B28/B26GSM Quad B5/B8/B3/B2 (850/900/1800/1900MHz) & UMTS Quad: B5/B8/B2/B1 (850/9001900/2100MHz) TDS CDMA 34, 39 & TDD LTE 38, 39, 40, 41, LTE-U: B252/B255(in SU)CAT 4/ CAT 6/ CAT 9
Camera (rear): 12 MP f/1.7, 26mm
Camera (front): 8 MP f/1.7
Bluetooth: 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX
Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4G+5GHz, VHT80 MU-MIMO,1024-QAM
NFC
Battery: 3,000mAH, Non-removable
Dimensions: 5.86 in x 2.68 in
Weight: 5.47 oz

What’s in the box?

Samsung Galaxy S8
AC adapter
USB Type-C charging cable
USB to Type-C adapter
micro USB to Type-C adapter
Headphones
Ear tips for headphones
SIM card removal tool

Design and features

I can’t argue when people say that the S8 is the nicest looking smartphone that has ever been made. It’s thin, with smooth sides, rounded corners and of course, that almost bezel-less curved glass display. It’s a looker for sure.

The S8 is pictured above to the left of my Nexus 6P. The Nexus has a 5.7” 2560 x 1440 resolution display and the Samsung Galaxy S8 has slightly larger 5.8″ higher resolution 2960 x 1440 display but in a noticeably smaller package.

The front of the S8 has a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 display with thin black bezels at the top and bottom edges. Gone is the familiar physical home button that has graced Galaxy phones for as long as I can remember.

The back of the phone is also made of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 with a LED flash, camera, and an awkwardly placed fingerprint scanner which I’ll talk about later.

On the left side of the phone are two buttons. There’s a long one-piece volume rocker button and the Bixby button below it. If you’re not familiar with Bixby, that’s Samsung’s version of Siri and Google’s digital voice assistants. I’ll talk more about Bixby later in the review, but suffice to say, that the location of the Bixby button is not optimal because it’s too close to the volume button.

On the opposite side of the phone, you’ll find the power/wake button.

All of the Samsung Galaxy S8’s buttons have good tactile feedback and stick out far enough from the frame so that your fingers can find the buttons without looking.

On the top edge of the Galaxy S8, you’ll find a microphone…

and the SIM/micro SD card tray.

On the bottom edge of the S8, you’ll find an antiquated 3.5mm headphone jack (just kidding), a USB Type-C charging port, another microphone, and the speaker.

The location of the speaker is problematic if you like to hold your phone in your hand while watching videos. It’s too easy to block the speaker with the palm of your hand, causing audio to be muffled.

The S8 is a solid device that has no problems surviving my almost 2 decades old squeeze test. The phone feels great in hand and is the perfect size for one-handed use and fits much better in my pocket than my Nexus 6P. But, the S8 is a slippery phone and with a glass back, I worry about how fragile it is.

I’m not going to drop it to test how fragile it is, but it is nice to know that the S8 has an IP68 rating which means that is water resistant when dunked in up to 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes.

Display

The S8’s display is gorgeous. But then I think all Samsung devices have the excellent displays. The display on the S8 is bright, with vivid colors, and great viewing angles.

Even in full sunlight, the S8’s screen can be read relatively easily.

Barely there bezels mean that the S8’s screen takes up 83% of the phone’s face. The S8 isn’t the first smartphone to feature almost invisible bezels. LG beat Samsung to launch with the first almost bezel-less phone when they rolled out their LG G6.

I do love the Samsung Galaxy S8’s always on display which shows the current time along with notification icons for incoming emails, text messages, missed calls, etc. However, interacting with the notification icons can feel a little inconsistent.

When you double tap a notification icon on the lock screen, it will either show a list of your notifications like the screenshot above, or it will prompt you to unlock the phone. I haven’t figured out why it chooses to show the list or not show the list when double tapped. Even when it does show the list, you can’t really do anything until you unlock the phone.

Curves in all the right places?

Curved screen edges are not a new feature for Samsung smartphones. We’ve seen them for several years now. In the past, I’ve had issues with my palm accidentally pressing the screen when I’m gripping it in my hand. I’m happy to say that I didn’t notice any of these problems with the S8. That said, I’m just not a big fan of rounded screen edges for the very reason that the screen wraps around the edge. It feels like the screen is squeezed and thinner/smaller than it should be.

I also don’t use the edge panels that are accessed by swiping the panel handle on the edge of the screen. If you’re not familiar with them, you can think of edge panels as an app speed dial list. I just don’t see the point.

The Samsung Galaxy S8’s 18.5:9 display is taller and narrower than the Samsung Galaxy S7 which makes it easier to hold and use with just one hand.

This is the first Samsung smartphone that does not have a physical home button. Do I miss the home button? Nope, not at all. But that’s mainly because I’ve been using the Nexus 6P as my primary phone for over a year, which also does not have a home button.

Before you ask, there is a home button, it’s just not a mechanical/physical button. It’s a virtual button that is always there, even on the lock screen. When you press the virtual home button, it vibrates to provide tactile feedback. The onscreen button graphics move slightly all the time to prevent screen burn in.

Audio quality

The Samsung Galaxy S8 sounds pretty great with the included AKG in-ear wired headphones which are worth about $100 on their own. Music sounds better through the S8 and headphones when compared to my Nexus 6P.

Listening to music, movies, etc using the built-in speaker is ok but it’s nothing to high five about.

Camera

When it comes to smartphone cameras, everyone’s go-to comparison is going to be with the latest iPhone. I don’t have an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus to do any comparisons with the S8 for this review, but I was not unhappy with the S8’s image snapping performance. I’ve included some samples below.

The camera interface is not too much different than previous models of the Galaxy phone. There are a few minor updates though. One nice update is that Samsung finally allows you to double tap the power button to launch the camera app. That means you can snap a quick pic without needing to first unlock the phone.

The app also has an easy way to zoom in by moving the on-screen shutter button up and down.

If you’re into silly Snapchat style image overlays, the S8’s camera app includes a few animal “stickers”. How do I look as a cat?

Clicking the stylized eye icon in the camera app will launch Bixby Vision. With Bixby Vision, you can point the camera at a product and it will look up the pricing info for it on Amazon. I tried it with a few items around the house and it worked surprisingly well. The only issue is that the phone has to be unlocked to use Bixby Vision. That means if you use the double tap power button feature to launch the camera app and then tap the Bixby Vision icon, you’ll be prompted to unlock the phone before you can use the product lookup feature.

Although the camera takes good pictures, it is a little disappointing that the S8 only has one camera lens on the back. So you can’t get the wide angle shots or the same bokeh (fuzzy background) features that the iPhone 7 Plus and LG G6 offers. I’m guessing that Samsung will save the dual camera feature for the Note 8.

Unlocking the phone

You’ve no doubt already heard that the fingerprint scanner is located on the back of the S8 next to the camera lens and that the location sucks. I’m not going to argue with that. The location DOES suck and I hate everything about the S8’s fingerprint scanner because it doesn’t work for me more than 1-2 times out of 10. Fingerprint scanners hate me… it’s just one of the sad facts of my gadget reviewing existence. However, I didn’t have any probs with the fingerprint scanner on the LG G6. It worked almost every time… which is rare for me. Because I have so much trouble with fingerprint scanners, I just don’t use them.

If you also have issues with fingerprint scanners, the S8/S8+ has three other ways to unlock the phone. You can use the iris scanner, face scanner, or go old school and setup a pattern. I find that using the pattern is the fastest way for me to unlock the phone because you have to swipe the unlock screen first to use the iris or face scanner which I think is an unnecessary step. I also use the Smart Lock feature which lets you unlock instantly by pressing the power button or home button when you’re at a trusted place, are connected to trusted devices, or use a trusted voice (the voice set up for Ok Google).

I also use the Smart Lock feature which lets you unlock instantly by pressing the power button or home button when you’re at a trusted place, are connected to trusted devices, or use a trusted voice (the voice set up for Ok Google).

Software and user interface

The S8’s user interface has Samsung’s TouchWiz interface on top of Android Nougat. There are a few things that TouchWiz changes about Nougat when compared to a Google Pixel or the Nexus 6P. For one thing, the icons have rounded frames around them so that they look alike. If you hate this feature like I do, you can turn it off, but Samsung’s apps retain the look even when you turn off the feature.

Another difference includes the option to toggle on a blue light filter which is supposed to help prevent eye strain by limiting the amount of blue light emitted by the screen.

But one of the biggest difference between the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ and other Android phones is Bixby Home, Vision and Voice. I already mentioned the Bixby Vision feature when I discussed the camera.

Bixby Home is like Google Now which you access by swiping right on the home screen. It shows cards with the weather, people who you contact regularly based on the time of day, calendar events, news and more. I rarely use Google Now on my Nexus 6P and don’t see a real need to use it on the S8 either.

Bixby Voice is supposed to be a virtual assistant like Alexa, Siri, and Ok Google. The problem is that doesn’t work yet, so it’s yet to be determined if it’s better than Ok Google which I seriously doubt it will be.

Using the Samsung Galaxy S8 for phone calls

I didn’t have any complaints from people I talked to while testing the Samsung Galaxy S8. Conversations on both sides of calls were clear and with ample volume. I also did not have any issues with dropped calls while testing this phone. Signal strength seemed to be no better or worse than other phones that I use and test on the Verizon network.

Overall performance and battery life using the Samsung Galaxy S8 for day to day tasks

The Samsung Galaxy S8’s performance is smooth and snappy. I had no issues launching apps, switching back and forth between apps, scrolling web pages, lists, etc. I also didn’t have any issues with the S8 freezing or crashing.

When it comes to battery life, I was easily able to make it through a full day and sometimes much longer before needing a recharge.

Also, the fact that the S8 has wireless charging gets a big thumbs up from me.

Final thoughts

When other reviewers say that the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ are the best smartphones in the world, I have to agree. The S8 is a solid well-made phone that looks great. It’s fast, has a very good camera and the screen is spectacular. Even though I’m not a fan of the curved display sides, I really have enjoyed using this phone and was sorry to box it up and return it to Verizon today.

The only downside to this phone is the price (especially if you plan to buy the unlocked version) but unfortunately, that is the trend led by Apple and I don’t see any relief in sight.

If you’re shopping for a new high-end Android smartphone and can’t make up your mind between the S8 and the LG G6, I feel your pain. It just comes down to what looks best to you. That said, I’m happy to recommend the S8.

Source: The short term loaner sample for this review was provided by Verizon Wireless. Please visit their site for more info and to order.

Product Information

Price:	$756.00
Manufacturer:	Samsung
Retailer:	Verizon Wireless
Pros:	Gorgeous display Wireless charging Good battery life microSD card slot
Cons:	Expensive Fingerprint sensor location Only one camera on the back Downward firing speaker

Filed in categories: Featured Items, Reviews

Tagged: Android, Smartphone

Samsung Galaxy S8 review originally appeared on on June 1, 2017 at 11:57 am.

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LG G6 review

Thanks to Verizon Wireless, this is my first smartphone review of 2017 and this review of the LG G6 Android smartphone has a little surprise for our long time loyal readers of the Gadgeteer. It’s a special dual format review with Judie Stanford who was my partner in crime here on The Gadgeteer for several years before leaving to start her own site: Gear Diary. This review has two parts. Part one is what you’re currently reading and you can read part two of our dual LG G6 review on Gear Diary. Ok, let’s get started!

Julie: What is the first brand that you think of when someone says Android smartphone? How about the second brand? Was LG one of the names you thought of? To be honest, I’d have to answer no. The company name that is the first one that always comes to my mind is Samsung, and the second one is Motorola.

Judie: Yeah, I’d have to admit that Huawei and then Samsung are the first two I would usually think of, but LG has always been on my radar mainly because I like that they are willing to take chances and come up with innovative ideas, even if they don’t always catch on. I think that may be about to change, though …

Julie: It’s a shame that LG’s phones aren’t more popular because LG is a top tier Android smartphone maker and their new LG G6 is a great “little” phone in more ways that one.

Judie: This is true! I have to admit that I wasn’t overly excited about the LG G6 until I got one in my hands. Pictures, specs, and company copy are always going to make the latest phone seem like the greatest thing since sliced bread, but as reviewers, we tend to be a bit more skeptical and jaded because we see (almost) everything. That’s what happened to me with the LG G5; I loved the idea of the phone, but when I started using it I wasn’t sold. That has not been the case with the LG G6 — it’s a whole new little beast, and I mean that in the best way.

Julie: Same here. Although I liked the concept of the LG G5 as a modular phone, I was disappointed with the look and feel once I got to play with one. It just didn’t do anything for me and felt a little clunky and cheap. I am happy to see that the new G6 ditched the weird modular socket in favor of a more slab-like form factor.

Hardware Specifications

Processor: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 821 2.35Ghz + 1.6Ghz, Quad-Core processor
Operating System: Android 7.0, Nougat
Memory: ROM 32GB, RAM 4GB, supports microSD up to 2 TB
Network: Network: CDMA, GSM, LTE, LTE CA
Display: 5.7″ QHD Plus (2880 x 1440), 564 ppi, 18:9 aspect ratio, Gorilla Glass 3
Camera (rear): dual 13 MP
Camera (front): 5 MP
Bluetooth: 4.2
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/a
NFC
Battery: 3300 mAh (non-removable), wireless charging
Dimensions: 5.86″ (H) x 2.83″ (W) x 0.31″ (D)
Weight: 5.74 oz

What’s in the box?

LG G6
USB AC adapter
Type-C USB cable
SIM tray removal tool

Design and features

Julie: That’s my Nexus 6P next to the LG G6 in the image above. Both phones have a 5.7” display, but as you can see, the G6 has a smaller footprint which is more hand and pocket-friendly than the Nexus phablet. I carry my phone in the back pocket of my jeans when I’m walking around at work. I like that the G6 doesn’t stick out my pocket as far as the 6P.

What phone is your current daily driver and how do you think the LG compares when it comes to size?

Judie: My daily driver is the iPhone 7 Plus, and before I got the LG G6 to test, the Huawei Mate 9 was my go-to Android device. I usually prefer larger devices, simply because I find that if I am using one I am less likely to carry a tablet for reading. So from that perspective, I like the slightly longer G6 display in its slightly narrower body. I also regularly slip my phone into my back or front pocket, so it’s important that whatever I am carrying be pocketable; the LG G6 is that.

Just for fun here’s a picture of the G6 next to my iPhone 7 Plus, the BlackBerry KEYone, and the Huawei Mate 9. As you can see, the G6 has a longer yet thinner screen than the iPhone’s 5.5” display. The BB KEYone has a smaller 4.5” display, but the phone is about the same size as the others because of the keyboard. The Huawei Mate 9 has a 5.9” screen (which I love), but the phone is a little bit wider than I’d like.

Julie: What do you think of the LG G6’s overall style? Are you disappointed that it looks so “normal”, or do you like the flat unassuming look? I actually like it. Curved screens might be popular with some companies, but I am digging the flat slab look and feel of the G6.

Judie: I don’t mind the slab style at all, but I do prefer the look of the black on black LG G6 that you have to the black on silver G6 that I received. I think that the black on black looks sleeker. The silver bezel around the screen on the G6 I have just doesn’t give the illusion that the device is all screen like the black combo does (especially when the display is turned off), and I prefer that look — it’s why I have a jet black iPhone.

I do appreciate the G6’s slightly curved back, but I feel like its front edges are just a wee bit sharper and more abrupt than I’d like. The phone is also about 1mm thicker than the 7 Plus, so it makes the G6 appear blockier than it is when next to the 7 Plus. Does that make sense? Obviously, most people aren’t going to carry both phones next to each other, and this is all personal preference.

Julie: It’s funny, but the G6 reminds me of the iPhone 4 and 5 as far as the straight sides and shape.

Judie: Yes, that’s what it makes me think of, too! It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but even the iPhone has moved on from that style.

Julie: That was one of my fave phones back in the day, so it feels familiar to my hand. I don’t notice the edges of the aluminum sides feeling sharp when holding the phone in my hand, but I agree that the black on black version has a nice ninja look to it. But the shiny black glass back doesn’t come without its problems. First of all, it’s a fingerprint and smudge magnet.

Judie: That’s one area where the silver version might be better; it is shiny, but it has a brushed (appearing) finish, so it doesn’t seem to make the fingerprints seem as glaring.

Julie: Even worse, though, is that it’s crazy easy to scratch this phone. My loaner phone has a BUNCH of tiny scratches on the front display and back that I only noticed when I started taking pictures for this review. I don’t throw my phones around, but I don’t baby them either. The LG G6 is the first phone in a long time that I’ve scratched without even knowing it. People will definitely want/need to install a screen protector on the front glass, and if I were going to buy this phone, I’d probably buy a clear back skin to protect the back as well. Luckily the scratches are so fine and tiny that you don’t notice them unless you really look for them. I can’t even get a good image of them to show in the review. But I definitely wanted to mention it.

Judie: It’s interesting that you’ve had that experience with the black version. I’ve thrown the silver G6 in my backpack and carted it all over without a case or a screen protector, and so far so good. So I guess it’s a “your mileage may vary” type situation?

Julie: Possibly! Let’s take a tour around the phone. On the top edge, you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microphone.

Judie: The 3.5mm jack is perfect for all of us who still have headphones that we love which aren’t wireless.

Julie: Very true. So what are your favorite headphones? Wired or wireless? Mine are wired (for now) and are the DUNU Titan 1 headphones that I’ve had for ages. They are really comfortable and sound great.

Judie; Nice sidebar! I review and use a lot of headphones, and I’ve tried so many great ones that picking a favorite isn’t easy. I keep the wireless Bowers & Wilkins P7s on my desk, though; I suppose that they are my go-to pair. For in-ear, I love the Pioneer Rayz (I keep a pair in my backpack at all times, as they are fab for travel), but they only work with iPhones that have a Lightning connector. They have a charging port on them so you can listen and charge your iPhone at the same time. Anyway, back to the review!

Julie: On the opposite end of the G6 there’s a second microphone, a downward firing speaker, and a Type-C charging port. I’m happy to report that the LG G6 has Qi wireless charging capabilities. I forgot how much I missed this feature while I’ve been using the Nexus 6P for the last year and a half. The only downside is that the G6 does not have fast wireless charging like the Samsung Galaxy S8 devices. This doesn’t really bother me though because I mainly only put the G6 on my Qi dock when I go to bed at night, so I don’t care if it charges slowly.

Judie: I wish every phone available had wireless charging; it’s so convenient and easy! And since several automakers are starting to include wireless charging pads in their vehicles, and there are even coffee shops with wireless chargers on some of their tables, it’s all the more reason why wireless charging should be standard. However, if I’m not mistaken the wireless charging feature is only available in the US! Sorry, rest of the world!

Julie: I totally agree. It felt like we were taking a step back with some phones in the past couple of years that removed that feature, but I hope that we see it become the norm going forward.

The right side of the phone has a dual SIM/micro SD card slot.

Judie: Obviously, if you need to use two SIM cards you’ll have to give up the memory slot, but if you travel out of the country a lot or if you need a separate number for work and personal use, it is so convenient to have the ability to consolidate two devices into one.

Julie: It didn’t even occur to me that you could put two SIMs in this phone. I guess since I’m not really a world traveler like you are, that capability hasn’t been on my radar. When you went to Lisbon last week, did you use two SIMs?

Judie; Not this time, but I have in the past. When I travel these days, I either use the KnowRoaming SIM sticker on my unlocked phone, or I’ll pay the $10 per day International Day Pass that AT&T just introduced — it allows you to use your existing data and texting plan overseas. Either is a good solution.

Julie: Although I’ve been able to get by without a microSD card in my phone for awhile now, I really like having that option.

Judie: The only reason I am able to get by without a memory card on my iPhone 7 Plus is because I bought the 256GB version. But being able to put a 200GB microSD card into the G6 is great — all the memory I need for downloaded movies, Dropbox documents, Kindle books, and Zinio magazines. Granted, with so much streaming content available now, having so much memory may seem like overkill, but I can’t be the only person who panics when they see a low memory warning. That’s why I always try to have a little more than I think I’ll ever need — I will inevitably find a way to fill it.

Julie: I keep seeing that low memory warning on my Nexus 6P these days which like the LG G6, only has 32GB of storage. But unlike the G6, the 6P does not have a microSD card slot. Ugh. It is freaking time for me to update to something with more space – or a microSD card!

Judie; What’s stopping you? Inquiring minds want to know!

Julie: I haven’t found the right one yet. It sounds like I’m trying to find a mate instead of a phone. Wow, first world problems huh? ;o)

Judie: Totally.

Julie: On the left side of the LG G6, you’ll find individual volume up and down buttons that stick out from the body of the phone far enough that your thumb has no problem locating them. They also have great tactile feedback.

Judie: I like that the volume buttons are on the same side as they are on the iPhone since it makes for zero fumbling when I go from one phone to the other. I don’t have the same luck when I switch to the Huawei Mate 9 or the BlackBerry KEYone.

Julie: Since I’m a lefty, I always prefer that the volume buttons be located on the left side of the phone.

Judie: That makes sense! One of the things I wasn’t fully aware of when I first started using the LG G6 was that it has IP68 dust and water resistance and that it is also shock resistant with MIL-STD-810G testing; these are such great features! I think we’ve all got a personal horror story about soaking our phone(s) or we know someone who did that; with too many phones, the result is … not good.

Julie: Luckily, I’ve don’t have a personal horror story of drowning my phone, but knowing It can survive in up to a meter of water for up to 30 minutes gives me some peace of mind for any whoops scenarios that could happen.

Judie; I agree. It makes it less scary to take your phone to the pool or to use it in the bathroom (just saying).

Julie: This the end of Part 1 of Judie’s and my dual LG G6 review. Now you need to read part 2 at Gear Diary which includes our thoughts on the LG G6’s bezel-less display, camera, fingerprint scanner, software and our final thoughts.

Source: My sample for this review was a limited time loaner unit provided by Verizon Wireless, Judie’s was provided by LG. Please visit their site for more info.

Product Information

Price:	$672.00
Manufacturer:	LG
Retailer:	Verizon Wireless
Pros:	Great size Love the display Really good fingerprint scanner experience (so far) Wireless charging capabilities
Cons:	Scratches easily

Filed in categories: Featured Items, Reviews

Tagged: Smartphone

LG G6 review originally appeared on on April 27, 2017 at 3:00 pm.

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