Category Archives: Android

Sony’s Xperia 1 IV is Proof That Your Smartphone is All You Need to Get Started in Content Creation

May 13, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Content is king in a world dominated by digital displays today. Gone are the days where you must wait for the newspaper to be printed the next day to know what happened in the world yesterday. Gone are the days where you must buy an array of magazines to know what is trending in the week and expectations moving forward.

Today, contents are created on the go and edited in almost real time. Contents gets published and distributed almost immediately after whatever that is happening happened. Modern cameras are not just created for photography too, they are made for videos and to go LIVE quickly and easily. At the same time, social media is making contents even more readily available and optimised for smartphones, the little computers that is constantly with us.

But content creators are also debating about something else today. A lot of content creators are saying that your smartphone is the best tool you have for creating contents. You can use to vlog, create voice memos to be used later, record videos, take photos, and even stream events LIVE. While that is true in most cases, there has never been a smartphone that really highlights its power in creating contents. Until Sony releases their Xperia 1 IV that is.

If you want to pronounce the name correctly, the full name of the new flagship from Sony is named the Xperia 1 mark four. Sony’s naming scheme has always been a little mouthful, but their products have always been some of our favourites for good reason. One of the reasons we love the Xperia 1 flagship series is that it is the only smartphone in the current market to feature a nice 4K display.

The 4K HDR 120Hz – Still Brilliant

Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony

Yes, we are going to talk about the very familiar display to Sony users. It is a 4K display, not really a true 4K since you are missing some resolutions at the sides of the slim display. It is still a 6.5-inch OLED panel that refreshes at 120Hz that you have seen from the previous Xperia 1 III. You still get HDR BT.2020 standard colours too from the fourth generation Xperia 1 flagship. It is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus, which is also the same case in the older flagship.

No upgrades in the display section of the Xperia 1 IV then. To be fair to Sony though, they are the only major smartphone maker to include 4K resolution in their flagships. At 120Hz, it really does not get much better than this in the smartphone industry currently.

Thanks to the advancements that is made with the Sony Xperia Pro though, the 4K display has a new function added to it. You can now use the Xperia 1 flagship as a 4K monitor display for your Alpha cameras. You can use the USB type-C port of the camera and the smartphone to get it to work as your monitor. Not only that, your smartphone can stream the contents captured on your Alpha camera directly to YouTube if you need it to.

Powerful Insides

Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony

Of course, it is 2022, and the Xperia 1 must be updated to match the modern age of smartphones. It packs a healthy 12GB of RAM to start with. You can opt for 512GB in storage for the Xperia 1 IV too, if you want. The highlight here is the brand-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 system on a chip (SoC) that makes the flagship the most powerful Sony has ever made so far. To be fair though, Sony is a little late in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 game.

Sony also managed to shoehorn a larger battery module in the same form factor they retained from the Xperia 1 III. It is now a 5,000 mAh battery that charges at up to 30W with fast wireless charging and reverse charging capabilities. The larger battery also means that the smartphone should be able to last a little longer than before when you are out and about.

Even More Powerful Cameras

Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony

On paper, it does not look like Sony has changed much on their camera array. You still get three 12-Megapixel cameras out the back. The main camera is attached to 24mm lens at f/1.7, similar to the third generation Sony Xperia 1. You also get a nice 16mm ultra-wide shooter like before. The only change they made, in terms of hardware anyway, is the first truly optical zooming lens at 85-125mm lens on the telephoto camera. This allows the device to zoom smoothly, when you want it to, pretty impressive stuff while keeping all 12-Megapixels while you zoom in.

But that is not all they did to improve their camera. It now supports Sony Alpha’s very famous EYE Auto Focus mechanism that allows the Photography Pro app to work just like your Alpha cameras. Thanks to their know how in stabilising mirrorless cameras too, the Optical SteadyShot allows you to take clear photos whenever, wherever, however. You can even take photos with EYE AF at up to 20fps real time burst mode and in HDR with all three lenses.

Sony Xperia 1 IV Launch 3 — Source: Sony

Their video and cinema capabilities have been sort of put on steroids too. The fourth generation Sony Xperia 1 still shoots at up to 4K 120fps. Videography Pro now allows you to shoot videos with EYE AF though, which also means that you might not need to fight with focus hunting in the future. You can just leave your app to Auto Focus mode and it will just do its thing in keeping your subject in focus no matter what. It cleverly switches from face detection to eye detection too, when the option is available. At the same time Videography Pro also allows you to capture your videos with all your lenses at the same time. That allows you a wider dynamic range to work with. Not only that, but you can also seamlessly zoom in between scenes like what you see in the movie 300. They worked with three cameras for that iconic battle shot featuring Gerard Butler cutting up Persians. You now only need one smartphone to recreate that iconic shot.

It is a smartphone; you are going to be constantly connected. That also means you get to livestream your contents or even vlog freely if you want. You can even use your main cameras to vlog with Sony’s optional attachments. In that case, you get to enjoy Sony’s clever EYE AF and object tracking features with your vlogs. The Optical SteadyShot will also be mighty helpful in keeping your vlogs look really good and focused.

Of course, fi you want more cinematic creativity, Cinematography Pro “powered by CineAlta” is available for you to shoot in Logs. When they say that the best camera is the one that is with you, this one takes it to a completely different level in this case. All three cameras at the back can shoot videos at 4K 120fps too, which will be greatly appreciated by content creators anywhere.

Even Better Sounds

Sony Xperia 1 IV Launch 15 — Source: Sony

The Xperia 1 IV now gets 360 Reality Audio support on its speakers. Its speakers are also tuned to allow for more immersive sound with improved bass response. The combination of that is that you get a better audio experience with your Xperia smartphone on apps like Tidal for example, without even using headphones. If you want to use headphones anyway, the Xperia still retains the 3.5mm combo jack that other flagships have conveniently omitted for reasons.

To ensure that you are getting the best audio experience from the Xperia 1 IV, DSEE Ultimate algorithm improves sound quality of all your streaming platforms. You get audio quality that is close or at least comparable to CD quality sounds. If you prefer to listen to your music wirelessly, Bluetooth LE Audio will be available later to reduce latency.

But improvements to the audio aspect of the Xperia 1 IV is not just on its speakers. They have made their microphones and audio recording feature even better than before. The Xperia 1 IV is not just your audio note recorder now. You can turn it into a one-stop-shop for remote music recording with Music Pro. With the power of machine learning and AI, the app allows you to record audio out in the open and still get crisp, studio tuned quality audio. You can even record your voice and guitar simultaneously and the app cleverly separates the two audio channels to allow for a much more robust mix on-the-go.

Price and Availability

The Sony Xperia 1 IV will be available in only two colours. No white options here though, you choose between black, or Purple. It’s priced from US$ 1,599 globally, which converts to about MYR * today. We expect the price of the new flagship to hover somewhere around the MYR 6,999 mark or more when it gets to local shores. Sony Malaysia confirms that the device will be available in Malaysia by July 2022. More information on the Sony Xperia 1 IV can be found on their website.

Android, Lifestyle, Mobile, Reviews

The OPPO A96 In-Depth Review – It Works, and That’s All It Needs to Do

May 12, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

What do you do when you need to buy a smartphone and only a budget of MYR 1,599? It may not seem like an issue to a lot of us, but it is a valid question still. Smartphones are simply too expensive.

To drive that point home even more, a about 10 years ago, MYR 2,000 will get you a brand-new Samsung Galaxy Note2. The Samsung Galaxy Note2 is a very highly rated flagship in its day, one of the most powerful devices you can get. A brand-new iPhone 3GS as well at the time will set you back less than MYR 2,500. Heck, the first Samsung Galaxy S smartphone will only set you back MYR 1,000, and that was expensive.

Today, spending MYR 3,000 on a smartphone is normal. This is especially true with flagship level devices. A mid-range device today will set you back less than MYR 3,000 but more than MYR 2,000. Anything below that is usually entry-level.

Entry-level devices are not stellar, but you can find some good ones in the segment. While it is not as competitive as the mid-range market, it is still a highly competitive segment. After all, the entry-level device segment could be your first smartphone experience.

Meet the OPPO A96. It sets you back less than MYR 1,500, which should mean that you might not enjoy the smartphone very much. We find that a little untrue though as you read on. But is it worth MYR 1,299? Or should you look elsewhere when you want a budget smartphone?

Design

The best way to describe the OPPO A96’s form is that it is rather ordinary. There is nothing too special or outstanding about the device. It is a regular candy bar smartphone. The most interesting thing about it is probably its unique back styling they call the OPPO Glow design.

The crystalised design on the back of the device looks rather good in camera. It may not strike everyone the same in its physical form though. Some might like it, some might not.

Out the back of the device, the camera array is like a hark to OPPO’s Reno series. Of course, it could just be OPPO’s design language. It is a bump though, which means you might want to use the case that comes in the box or buy a different case that would sit flush with the camera bump.

Despite the matte and rather plastic feel of the back, OPPO says that it is, in fact, glass. That is not necessarily a bad thing though. While it does not feel too premium, it does help with preventing fingerprint stains. The bad side of that is that it is slippery to the touch. If you use a case, it will not matter anyway.

You have a USB Type-C port at the bottom with some ports for the speaker, a small microphone hole, and a bigger 3.5mm combo jack. There is also a small microphone hole on top of the device too.

We like the fact that the power button is also the fingerprint sensor, a design made popular by Sony. The front facing camera sits in a corner instead of the middle of the display like we are used to on most devices. That is about it for the design of the device. Everything that you expect from a modern smartphone is on the device. It does not feel like a budget product, which is a good thing. But it does not feel or look all that premium either.

Hardware

Underneath the glass and aluminium mix of a shell lies a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 System on a Chip (SoC). It is not even a 5G chip, just regular 4G LTE support, which is plenty enough still. There is also 8GB of RAM and 256GB in memory.

Specifications

Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 Octa-core 4x Kryo 265 Gold @ 2.4GHz 4x Kryo 265 Silver @ 1.9GHz
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)	Adreno 610
RAM (Native)	8GB
Memory (as tested)	256GB
Display(s)	6.59-inch IPS LCD 1,080 x 2,412 pixels ~401ppi 90Hz (up to) 480 nits (typical)
Operating System	ColorOS 11.1 based on Android 11
Battery	Non-Removable Li-Po 5,000mAh Fast Charging 33W Revers Charging
Connectivity	Dual SIM Wi-Fi WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS A2DP AptX HD Bluetooth 5.0 OTG Support USB Type-C 2.0
Camera (s)	REAR: 50-Megapixel (f/1.8, 27mm wide angle) 2-Megapixel (f/2.4, depth sensor) 1080p video recording (30fps) LED flash FRONT: 16-Megapixel (f/2.0, 26mm wide angle) 1080p video recording (30fps)
Sensors	Accelerometer Proximity Side Mounted Fingerprint Ambient Light Gyroscope Face Unlock Compass

User Interface – Color OS 11

OPPO’s ColorOS is now something unique on its own. In older OPPO devices you get an interface that can be likened to the iOS. The modern ColorOS has some Android flair in an optional app tray you can turn on in the settings page.

You do not get 120Hz out of the display. Instead, you make do with 90Hz, which is still a fast display considering its price. That also gives you a smooth and refined feel of ColorOS. Unless you have very sharp eyes and is observant enough, ColorOS 11 on the device feels as smooth as the flagship devices. zx

The app tray is not turned on by default. We kind of think that while OPPO does want to retain their original look that is free of an app tray, having the app tray is a great thing for ColorOS and it should be made a default option when you first set up the device. The fact that OPPO includes it as an option though, unlike plenty of manufacturers that came out of China, is a welcome though.

+5GB RAM

When you need more RAM in your PC, you add a RAM stick or replace it with something bigger. On your smartphone though, that is hardly possible. Space is a premium in your smartphone, so manufacturers can only fit one large RAM module that is usually attached to the SoC in favour of space. To get more RAM space then, some creativity gets involved

While OPPO is not the only one who does this, it is good to note that you can opt to use it or not. You can expand your RAM by up to 5GB just using the native UFS storage on the device itself. It does help with some multitasking performance, but hardly too noticeable because 8GB is rather plenty these days.

To opt out of it or to switch how much of your storage is being used as RAM is not quite as easy as OPPO wants you to believe though. You must do a little bit of digging within the settings of the device. We only found it by using the search bar on the page. By default, OPPO sets aside 3GB of your storage as a temporary RAM. You can put it down to 2GB and up to 5GB or turn it completely off if you think it is not necessary.

Performance

The SoC is not a high-end one. In this case, you get Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 680, which is not technically entry-level. It is sitting lower than the 700 series though. It also does not have 5G, so we do not get to test out Yes 4G’s “5G” network.

Benchmarks

Call Quality and Connectivity

Despite it not being a 5G device, you technically are not missing out on much. Malaysia’s 5G network is not out in full force yet too, which also means that you are not missing out on the OPPO A96’s regular 4G LTE network. The OPPO A96 also supports VoLTE, which means you are still getting crystal clear calls.

That is what you get with the OPPO A96, crystal clear phone conversations when you have enough signal strength. As with modern smartphones, making a call with the OPPO A96 is rather straightforward with a similar phone app layout as any other modern smartphones.

Still, VoLTE allows you to have clear conversations when there is enough signal strength. We find that anything between two bars to four bars is good enough and stable. Anything below two bars and you might find that calls get a little choppy. Data speeds tend to suffer too with lower signal strength, though this could just be the ISP’s fault.

Gaming

While it is not a flagship, gaming on a smartphone is a perfectly normal thing to do. If you are looking for a relatively budget friendly smartphone to game with, this could be it. You cannot expect a gaming performance that is likened to an OPPO Find X and its likes.

We played Pokémon Unite with the A96 mostly. We are happy to report that the game runs very smoothly on the device. While graphics performance might not match the flagships just to keep the framerates high, we do not mind that at all. We never faced any lags in the game which also meant that you should not have any issues when you are playing a ranked match. You still want to make sure that you have a solid internet connection though.

Game Space

Game Space is nothing new for OPPO devices. Its implementation is not unique either. It acts as a sort of one-click-overclocking tool that only activates when you play games. It also filters all your notifications just so that you do not get distracted in your gaming sessions.

Multitasking and Productivity

Smartphones like this is an indication that you do not really need a flagship to get a smartphone experience. Sure, you get the bleeding edge of whatever that is on offer on a flagship. The mid-range and entry-level devices eventually get it way later, but the most useful technologies do trickle down eventually. Ample RAM for example, makes it into budget friendly smartphones.

We usually have up to 15 tabs open within Google Chrome on the A96. We also tend to leave plenty of our apps working in the background. Apps like Instagram, Facebook, or Telegram are usually running in the background for us most of the time. At no point we felt that the device was sluggish to work with or experience any stutters when we are changing between screens in our daily use.

Battery Life

Most smartphones at this range excels in this area and for good reason. Smartphones at this range usually comes with rather large batteries, larger than ones you can find on flagship devices. Combine that with lower power consumption from the SoC and you get a smartphone that can last days.

On standby, the OPPO can last up to 5 days without a single charge in between. Of course, with some hotspot, gaming, photo taking, calling, and messaging, the battery life does go down by quite a bit.

Our typical use of the OPPO A96 in a day involves plenty of Telegram messaging, some photos, a little bit of gaming, a few minutes of call, and some social media scrolls. In this case we could get the OPPO to last us nearly three days on a single charge. Three days from your smartphone is a lot of battery life, even for modern smartphones. When the battery drains, you only need about two hours for a full charge. We hardly charge the device overnight because we never needed to in our test period.

Display and Audio

You get a nice 1080p Full HD+ display on the A96. It refreshes at 90Hz, which is more than what you can expect for most devices at this price range. Then again, everything that comes out in 2021 and later comes with 90Hz display.

What you do not get with devices at this price is an NTSC accuracy rating like this one does. The OPPO A96’s 6.59-inch IPS panel comes with a 96% NTSC colour gamut coverage. The colours produced on the OPPO A96 is comparable even to modern flagship devices.

While some of the flagship displays do come with 120Hz and higher resolutions at 2K or even 4K sometimes, you never really need them. Most of the time 90Hz is more than enough for most gaming situations. To make your UI look silky smooth, anything beyond 75Hz is enough. In terms of resolution, you most likely will not notice any difference between a 2K display and a 1080P display no thanks to how small the display is.

In this case, the display of the OPPO A96, we believe, is on par with most of the flagships you get today. Sure, it does not support HDR10 like most flagships do, but it is still a brilliant enough display that you can enjoy movies on Netflix and YouTube videos equally.

Cameras

Here is where things do come down to earth a little. Instead of the usual three or four camera array we are used to seeing in modern smartphones. This one noticeable only has 2 out the back of the device. One is the main 50-Megapixel shooter that you are going to be driving most of the time. The other is an oddly oversized 2-Megapixel depth sensor.

The OPPO A96 shoots at 12-Megapixel mode if you leave the settings alone. If you want the full 50-Megapixel goodness, you must tweak the settings a little bit. There is no way for you to set it permanently to 50-Megapixel, which also means that you must toggle it to 50-Megapixel every time to you turn on the camera.

Photos do look impressive in 50-Megapixel mode. Details are sharp enough for you to zoom in a little, crop your photos to get a better frame of your subjects, so you can technically take photos in slightly wider frame and can get away with it. You do not get the same level of detail at 12-Megapixel mode, but at least your photos still look good with vivid and somewhat accurate colours. There is a little bit of a natural warmth to your shots though.

The 2-Megapixel depth sensor never really comes into play until you are taking photos of a person or when you put it into portrait mode. You can technically use it with small objects and get a natural looking depth effect with it. You are still shooting with your main shooter though, so your portrait can look rather great with plenty of details too if you shoot with the 50-Megapixel mode.

Gallery

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The OPPO A96 – It Just Works

At MYR 1,299, the OPPO A96 is not very expensive. On Paper, it may seem like quite a bargain. It has everything you need in a smartphone, nothing more. It also packs a large battery, a battery that would last for days at a time.

Sure, it does not pack Qualcomm’s most powerful. It packs a good ol’ Snapdragon 680 that does not even come with 5G as standard. At the same time, you only get one good camera to work with.

The MYR 1,299 OPPO A96 is a real treat, a bargain. It works just as you need to, as it is intended to. It does nothing more, but nothing less either, which is a good thing. It is a smooth operator, just as good as any flagship devices can offer you. You do not get any extraordinary features on the device, it just works.

If you are looking for a flagship experience with all the latest features and technologies, this will not be the device for you. It is a device that just works, it has everything you need in a smartphone, the essentials. The whole point of this device is reliability and simplicity. If that is what you are looking for, for your main driver or even your secondary device, this device is really made for you.

Android, Lifestyle, Mobile

Meet The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 – A Mid Range All-Rounder

May 12, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Samsung has been creating waves and making its mark with its tablets – notably, the Galaxy Tab S series which pushes the boundaries of multitasking and productivity. However, what happens if we want the portability and versatility of a tablet but don’t have the moolah for a Tab S7 or Tab S8? Well, you have the Galaxy Tab A series, which brings all the essentials that make up the core Galaxy Tab experience.

The Galaxy Tab A8 was released worldwide earlier this year in January. It comes with a UNISOC Tiger T618 Quadcore processor. While this may seem a bit out of sorts for Samsung, the SoC isn’t a slouch. According to reviews, it is comparable with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665. It has the Mali G52 MP2 graphics processor and is paired with up to 4GB RAM on the Tab A8. With up to 128GB of internal storage and support for microSD cards, the A8 is looking to be a contender for a top performing mid-range tablet.

The Tab A8 is equipped with a sizeable, 10.5-inch TFT LCD display which brings pretty good colour reproduction and accuracy. However, we’ll wait to make a judgement in our upcoming review. The WUXGA resolution of 1200×1920 pixels with a 16:10 aspect ratio promises a level of immersion that we once thought was reserved for flagships. Samsung completes the Tab A8’s media prowess with a quad speaker setup and Dolby Atmos sound.

It also comes with a conventional single camera setup with an 8-megapixel camera sensor on the back with autofocus capabilities. It can also shoot videos at 1080p Full HD resolution at 30 frames per second. On the front, there is a 5-megapixel selfie camera which can also shoot 1080p at 30 fps.

Connectivity on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 shouldn’t be an issue. It’s equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 6 and GPS connectivity. Don’t need to worry about battery life too as Samsung claims that the tablet can last for hours on end with its 7,040 mAh battery. This is also thanks to the tablet supporting 15W fast charging via USB-C. The tablet is also one of Samsung’s lightest coming in at only 508g.

These specifications are just the surface of what the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 can do. We’ll be giving it the techENT review treatment soon. So stay tuned!

Official Specifications

01 galaxy tab a8 specification infographic 1 — Source: Samsung

Android, Mobile, News

TECNO Enters the Malaysian Smartphone Market with Their Phantom X Flagship Smartphone at MYR 1,499

May 9, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Before we go on, no we haven’t heard too much of TECNO. Yes, technically TECNO is new to the smartphone industry. Yes, it is TECNO’s first smartphone to enter Malaysia. No, we do not know why any new players would want to compete in the current smartphone market landscape.

Now we got that out of the way, let us look at what they just came up with, the Phantom X. Well, when we said they just came up with it, the device was technically launched by TECNO in the middle of 2021. The said device launched first in India and the later to the rest of the world, now Malaysia. While it is a new device in Malaysia, it is technically an outdated device by the time we get our hands on one. No matter though, modern outdated devices are still full of features and are still good enough to at least last a few software updates, so it is not like you are missing out on that much.

It is priced at MYR 1,499, which is relatively little ask for a modern smartphone by any standards. While the price range puts it squarely in the entry-level mid-range smartphone segment, TECNO claims that this device is, in fact, a flagship smartphone. At least on paper, the device looks the part.

Flagship Performance

RM 1,499 buys you a MediaTek Helio G95 System on A Chip (SoC). While it does not sound like much, the MediaTek 12nmm SoC is still powerful enough to perform like modern flagships (not necessarily in gaming terms). Sadly, it does not support 5G. Then again, how many smartphones in the sub-MYR 1,500 category does?

Alongside the SoC, there is 8GB of RAM that can be expanded to up to 13GB. The extra 5GB is borrowed from 256GB of on-board storage that is offered on the device. If 256GB of storage feels a little constrictive, you can also expand via the dedicated MicroSD card slot that is more of feature now than anything else.

Immersive Display

Wrapping the internals are 3D curved glass panels that is held together an aluminium frame, an industry standard today. Out the front is a Corning Gorilla Glass that encases 6.7-inch of AMOLED goodness. The AMOLED panel offers Full HD+ in resolution and up to 90Hz in refresh rate. In theory, the combination should give you a smooth and immersive experience with Android 11 with HIOS 7.6 overlay.

5 Cameras

Parked on the top left side of the display is a punch hole that houses two cameras. It is one high-resolution 48-Megapixel main selfie camera for those extra crisp and detailed self-portraits. For a group photo, you get an 8-Megapixel ultrawide shooter beside it.

Out the first-in-industry etched textured glass back are three cameras. The main shooter is an impressive 50-Megapixel camera with a large 1/1.3-inch sensor for the best-in-class image clarity and detail. It should perform better in low-light conditions too, with a larger sensor to capture more light naturally. The main camera is flanked with a 120^o ultra-wide camera with 8-Megapixel sensor behind the glass. There is also a 13-Megapixel telephoto sensor at 50mm, which we can safely say is a more of a portrait lens than anything else.

Long Battery Life

To keep everything running all day long and more is a large 4,700mAh built-in battery. The battery is rated to last up to 30 days in standby conditions, up to 16 hours in video streaming, and even 9 hours in continuous video conferencing. When your battery is running low, you get up to 33W in charging speeds as well to charge your device from nothing to full within an hour.

Price and Availability

The TECNO Phantom X is now available at all their authorised stores and retailers across Malaysia. As mentioned, the device is priced at MYR 1,499. You can get your hands on one in two colour options – Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Monet’s Summer. To celebrate TECNO’s entry into Malaysia and its launch of the Phantom X, the first 2,000 buyers of the device are entitled to a complementary TECNO buds wireless earphones. For more information on the TECNO Phantom X, you can visit their website.

Android, Editorial, Mobile, Reviews

Samsung Galaxy S22+ In-Depth Review: The Latest Refinement With A Little Bit More to Be Desired

April 29, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Samsung’s Galaxy S series has been the hallmark of its smartphones since it first debuted in 2010. It’s been the company’s “IT” device housing the latest in technological innovations and software. This year, with the Galaxy S22 series we saw Samsung do something a little bit unconventional for the smartphone manufacturer, we saw them stick to a signature design and fold their Galaxy Note into the Galaxy S series. It’s also the first series to release with the new RDNA powered Exynos SoC with Xclipse GPU. However, that version of the S22 series is only available in Europe.

With that said, the Galaxy S22 series as a whole holds much promise as Samsung’s latest flagship, but we’re zooming into the S22+, the middle child of the lineup. It’s a blown-up S22, but is it only that? Does it have something else that sets it apart from the S22? That’s what we’re breaking down in our full review of the Samsung Galaxy S22+.

Design

The Samsung Galaxy S22+ is the epitome of a tick-tock strategy when it comes to design. It inherits most, if not all of the design language of the S21 series. Everything from the unique, two-colour colourway to the rounded edges of the smartphone makes a triumphant return to the smartphone. However, that doesn’t mean that Samsung didn’t make changes to the design at all. The biggest change when it comes to the S22+ is the less rounded edges of the screen, particularly where it meets the metal frame. While the S21 opted for a more curved design, the S22+ has a more angled design which is, ironically, more palmable. The sharper angle also allows you to have a better grip when holding the phone.

Aside from this, there really is nothing too significant when it comes to the overall design. While there are smaller bezels and thinner camera humps, these changes don’t really make an impact on the overall design. That said, the small tweaks that Samsung did do with the design make enough of an impact to make it feel totally different.

Perhaps the most impactful change is the change of materials from yesteryear’s glasstic to Gorilla Glass. The small change does make the smartphone feel a little bit more premium. The aluminium frame complements this pretty well and makes the smartphone feel like a true premium flagship. While we do commend the change, it does mean that it’s pretty much more of the same when it comes to design.

Hardware

While the design is more of the same, Samsung upped the ante when it came to the hardware of the Samsung Galaxy S22+. That said, the Exynos version with the new AMD RDNA based Xclipse graphics is only available in Europe. The rest of us get the version with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. It’s a real bummer we didn’t’ get to try out Samsung’s new Exynos, the Snapdragon version seems to be more than good enough to fill its shoes.