Author: Chris Eilers

Oppo F1s is very hot lately thanks to its wonderful 16MP selfie shooter! So today let’s compare Oppo F1s vs Sony Xperia XA Ultra – another phone with the same front snapper!

Oppo F1s vs Sony Xperia XA Ultra: 16MP selfie snapper!

First of all let’s compare the cameras of Oppo F1s vs Sony Xperia XA Ultra. As mentioned above, both of them come with a 16MP selfie shooter. However, the front camera of Xperia XA Ultra is equipped with LED flash, while there’s no LED flash on the front of Oppo F1s. As for the rear shooter, Xperia XA Ultra wins again with its massive 21.5MP camera. This camera is even assisted by Exmor-RS CMOS Sensor and Hybrid autofocus, very brilliant! On the other hand, the 13MP main shooter of Oppo F1s comes with CMOS sensor and phase detection autofocus, which is also powerful but compared to the Sony device, it is defeated.

Now let’s move on to the performance offered by Oppo F1s vs Sony Xperia XA Ultra. In the Sony phone, there is an octa-core processor clocked at 2.0GHz, a MediaTek MT6755 chipset and 3GB RAM. Meanwhile, in the Oppo phone, there is also an octa-core processor with 1.5GHz clock speed, a MediaTek MT 6755 and the same 3GB RAM. Số thẻ CPU of the Sony phone is a bit more powerful thanks to higher clock speed and newer chipset.

Let’s talk about other Oppo F1s specs vs Sony Xperia XA Ultra specs. Sony Xperia XA comes with a larger display: 6.0-inch, full HD resolution. At the same time, Oppo F1s packs a 5.5-inch screen with HD resolution. However, the Oppo phone offers more internal storage: 32GB, two times bigger than that of the Sony phone. Oppo F1s battery is also larger: 3075mAh > 2700mAh. Regarding the expandable memory, XA Ultra is compatible with 200GB microSD card, while F1s supports 128GB microSD card.

Oppo F1s vs Sony Xperia XA Ultra: Price comparison

So overall, Sony Xperia XA Ultra is the better phone in terms of specs. Now let’s talk about the price of Oppo F1s specs vs Sony Xperia XA Ultra. Oppo F1s price is around $270 (RM 1090). On the other hand, Sony Xperia XA Ultra price reaches $450 (RM 1810). So when the price is included, Oppo F1s is a more affordable smartphone!

ZTE Zmax Pro is super hot these days thanks to its $100 price tag! But is it powerful enough? Let’s have a look at our quick ZTE Zmax Pro review!

ZTE ZMax Pro review: The hardwares

The first thing we need to mention in this ZTE Zmax Pro review is the performance. Under the hood, there is a Snapdragon 617 chipset. This makes sense considering the price the phone offers. Along with it, there is 2GB RAM, which can offer a nice performance as long as users keep everything basic. These combination is overall quite suitable, even over expectation, for a smartphone with that price. The CPU of the phone cannot handle heavy games. Even if it can, there will be some lags. But on a base level, the hardware is enough to get by.

Now to continue this ZTE ZMax Pro, let’s talk about the battery. The phone packs a 3500mAh, quite modest. Many of you may think that with a massive 6-inch display, this phone must have packed larger battery. But in fact, with only 1080p resolution and Snapdragon 617 processor, the current capacity is already satisfactory. It can keep the phone running for 2 days without charging. Moreover, with the USB Type-C charger, it only takes 125 minutes to fully refill the battery. This is not the highest speed, but it’s not slow at all! It has fingerprint scanner by the way!

The next thing to mention here in this ZTE ZMax Pro review is the camera! This is the biggest disappointment of the phone. The 13MP main snapper works well for outdoors photography when the light is good. But in low-light condition, all the flaws of this camera are exposed, including speckled details, blur edge, poor autofocus and so on! Besides, the HDR mode of the snapper is just an enhanced contrast mode.

ZTE ZMax Pro review: The softwares

Now let’s move on to the software of ZTE ZMax Pro! This is the highlight of the phone, as it runs the latest Android OS: Android 6.0 Marshmallow (Android 7.0 Nougat hasn’t been released yet). This OS will offers users with a great experience, including simple operation, convenient gadgets and user-friendly IU. This is something I personally don’t expect from an under $100 (RM 400) smartphone!

Xiaomi Redmi 4 has been fully leaked with a budget price tag and nice specs. So let’s compare Xiaomi Redmi 4 vs Lenovo Vibe K4 Note – a current budget phone from Lenovo! Let’s have a look!

Xiaomi Redmi 4 vs Lenovo Vibe K4 Note: 3GB RAM budget smartphones

First of all let’s talk about the performance! Both Xiaomi Redmi 4 vs Lenovo Vibe K4 offer nice performance! The Lenovo phone houses a MediaTek MT6753 chipset lying within an octa-core 1.3GHz processor! On the other hand, the Xiaomi phone is expected to pack a Snapdragon 652 processor that includes eight cores clocked at 2.0GHz! They both share the same 3GB RAM which is quite impressive! In this performance battle, it seems that the Xiaomi Redmi 4 will be a slightly better choice for multi-tasking thanks to its high clock speed.

Let’s move on to the camera! Xiaomi Redmi 4 vs Lenovo Vibe K4 Note both come with the same camera resolution. They share the same 13MP on their backs and 5MP on their faces. It’s surprising that both these budget phones pack a photography technology that belongs to flagships: phase detection technology! However, the Lenovo phone is a bit better in terms of photography thanks to its dual LED flash, while in Xiaomi Redmi 4 there is a single LED flash.

Now let’s consider other Xiaomi Redmi 4 specs and Lenovo Vibe K4 Note specs! The display of Lenovo Vibe K4 is better with full HD resolution, while Xiaomi Redmi 4 only supports HD resolution. However, the Xiaomi phone offers bigger storage and better battery: 32GB ROM and 4100mAh battery! Meanwhile, the Lenovo phone comes with 16GB ROM and 3300mAh battery.

Xiaomi Redmi 4 vs Lenovo Vibe K4 Note: Price comparison

At this point of the battle between Xiaomi Redmi 4 vs Lenovo Vibe K4 Note, I have to say the Xiaomi phone is the winner in terms of specifications! So what about their price tags? Xiaomi Redmi 4 price is expected to be $104 (Rs 7000), very cheap! At the same time, Lenovo Vibe K4 Note price is currently $220 (Rs 14699). So it’s clear that Xiaomi Redmi 4 is the better phone in the budget segment! Xiaomi Redmi 4 release date is reported to be 25th August.

After render, it’s time for HTC Nexus S1 specs. This phone has just shown up on Antutu with powerful specs. With 4GB RAM and SND 820, Google device will be the tough rival to the other phones.

HTC Nexus S1: new Google flagship with 4GB RAM

The two new Nexus products of Google and HTC are two of the most awaited smartphones this year. These devices are promised to the best Google phones so far. Recently, one of the phones has just shown up on Antutu- Nexus S1. Early before, this phone used to appear in Geekbench with the name of Google Sailfish. And this HTC Nexus S1 specs on both Antutu and Geekbench are the same.

The phone is powered by a 1.59GHz quad-core SND 820 processor. To ensure the performance, the company added a 4GB of RAM paired with a 32GB of inbuilt storage. Google new phone will come with a 5-inch screen with the resolution of 1080 x 1920 px. There will be an 8MP selfie snapper along with a 13MP main camera. And of course, Sailfish will run on the latest OS – Android Nougat.

Being the Google flagship means it will have Google signatures. HTC Nexus S1 is not an exception. According to some leaks, Nexus handset will have a very special capacitive Home button. When you turn on Google Now, this button will turn into 4 different colorful small buttons. If you don’t use this mode, these small buttons will be back to the normal home button.

HTC Nexus S1: price and release date

After some renders, HTC Nexus S1 specs finally show up. This handset gets the best of both worlds: beautiful design and powerful specs. The younger sibling has come out. This means that Google Nexus Marlin will show up soon. HTC Nexus M1 and HTC Nexus S1 launch date will be in the winter this year. About HTC Nexus S1 price, it’s still a mystery. So, until that time, just wait and see what Google will bring us!

Introduced earlier in August, Blackberry DTEK50 caught public attention since it was claimed as the most secure Android smartphone ever made

BlackBerry DTEK50 review: weak and strong points

BlackBerry is no doubt one of the most prestigious smartphone producers in the world. They are popular for their high-quality smartphones as well as a premium security system. After a while of absence, their lastest come back with the Android-powered BlackBerry DTEK50 has been gaining quite a lot of attention. Let’s see what this brand new 3GB RAM beast has to be claimed the most secure Android smartphone ever made.

The concern for ultimate security on our mobile devices have never been more common than now. And by playing a wise card, the Canadian company is controlling the game by implementing the idea that, their mobile does live up to the reputation of keeping your personal privacy to the safest possible. That being said, such protection of security is the first advantage you can have when buying this model. The second good thing you can enjoy about BlackBerry DTEK50 review is that, the phone features a very nice combination of specs for a pretty affordable price: 3GB RAM, octa core, 13MP and 2610 mAH battery for roughly a USD 300 price tag.

However, along with the advantages we enjoy, there are 2 things we would love to see some improvements from the company. The first shortcoming BlackBerry DTEK50 is facing is its copy-cat design. Probably the Canadian company didn’t really focus on giving it a premium and unique look. Actually, the firm has confirmed they used the reference from TCL manufacturer, explaining why many people have been saying BlackBerry DTEK50 looks just like Alcatel Idol 4. The second drawback is that, the smartphone, despite its outstanding security, is definitely lacking appeals. Besides the basic smartphone features, there is not much to talk about.

BlackBerry DTEK50 review: a very decent mobile

Like most things, BlackBerry DTEK50 sure has its own weak and strong points. However, we would love to appreciate the effort of the Canadian company this time, after a long period of struggling, when their products kept coming at high price and lack of updates from the trends. Would you buy DTEK50 with $300?

Curved smartphones have actually existed in the market. They are just not really popular! However, there are many reasons why a curved smartphone will be your ideal handset! Let’s have a look!

Curved smartphone: It’s all about being comfortable!

First of all, a curve screen smartphone can improve call quality. Our faces are not not flat! That’s why all land line traditional phones are curved in order to fit both our ears and our months in a convenient way! And now curved smartphones will do the same thing! With flat-screen smartphones, the microphone is enhanced in order to record louder voice because the mouth is always a few inches away from the microphone. And that enhancement also leads to too many noise. Now with curved smartphones, users don’t have to encounter such problem because the micro phone is closer to your mouth.

The second advantages of a curved smartphone is that it fit your hand better! No matter what you do with your phone, you will do it more comfortable with a curved smartphone! Take a look back at the games console controllers! Most of them are curved because that’s the ideal design for playing games! Moreover, it’s also easier for your fingers to grab a curved smartphone than a flat smartphone. And that somehow reduces the number of times you accidentally let your phone slip down from your hand.

Third, a curved smartphone makes big screen easier to use. Nowadays, phone displays are getting bigger and bigger. There’s no denying that your fingers cannot reach all the corners of a 6-inch smartphone or above. However, with a curved design, those corners are bended so that users can reach them more easily with just one hand.

Curved smartphone: higher level of durability!

Last but not least, curved smartphones are more durable than flat smartphones. Some of you may argue why a curved structure can be more enduring than a straight structure? Here’s the thing: When you accidentally drop your flat-screen phone to the ground, there are 50% of chances your phone drops in its face! But with a curved smartphone always drops in its back! So if you are not a careful users, a curved smartphone will help reduce the times you have your smartphone screen replaced.

Official LG V20 renders have just been leaked online. According to these images, this new flagship can be the next modular smartphone of the Korean company.

Official LG V20 render: a next modular smartphone?

LG V20 – the successor of LG V10- is creating a fever in the last couple days. This phone is said to set a new standard of high-end smartphones. After the specs, official LG V20 render has just been leaked online. And it is stunning. However, if you look a little closer, you will see some noticeable things. And those features will remind us of the unsuccessful flagship of LG – the modular smartphone LG G5.

On the rear panel, there is a button on the right of the phone. This button looks like a module release button seen on G5. Moreover, the phone looks like to have a bottom lip. This means that this part can be removable as well. The most highlight thing is the camera. The back dual camera is quite big, which can create a hump. This camera probably comes with a higher-resolution AF  and wide-angle fix-focus sensor.

In terms of LG V20 specs, the phone will be powered by a SND 820 processor paired with a 4GB of RAM. The new device from LG will sport a 5.7-inch Quad HD display and a dual camera on the back. And this phone will be the first handset to run on Android Nougat OS.

LG V20: price and release date

So, will this V20 be the next modular phone of LG? If it is true, this is will be the risky step of the Korean company. Because the first modular phone didn’t succeed like the brand expected. Well, just wait and see what innovation LG will bring us! The official LG V20 launch date is on 6th September in San Francisco. About LG V20, it’s expected to be about $550.

There are a lot of 2K display phone at present but which one is better and cheaper? Let’s take a look at our list, you could find the favourite 2K smartphone easily!

1. Huawei Honor Note 8

First up our ” Best 2K display phone”, we have Huawei Honor Note 8. It has been launched recently in China and sports an impressive display. Specifically, a 6.6-inch display is delivered at 1,440 x 2,560 resolution (443 ppi). Besides, you have an excellent camera combo for photography. There is a 13MP on the rear with optical image stabilization and 1080p recording. The front camera is also nice with 8MP resolution. The Note 8 battery is one the best selling point with 4500 mAH battery which is expected to present a whole day of using.

But how strong Honor Note 8 is?  Under the hood, you’ll find a Kirin 955 sitting on an octa-core chipset. To be more specify, there is a quad-core Cortex-A72 and quad-core Cortex-A53. That is very powerful processor when combining with a Mali-T880 MP4 GPU. To take care the performance, it gets a 4GB RAM paired with three options of ROM: 32, 64, 128GB which can be expanded 256GB via microSD. Huawei presents a lower 3GB RAM version of Honor Note 8. Last, Huawei Honor Note 8 price starts at $345 for the 32GB, $375 for 64GB and $420 for 128GB version.

With so many smartphones in the market, it’s not hard to get yourself a good one with Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB RAM. Today we will list the 7 best Snapdragon 820 plus 4GB RAM phones for you, in no particular order.

HP Elite x3

First from the best Snapdragon 820 plus 4GB RAM phones is the huge phone from HP. When we say huge, we’re not kidding: it has a 5.96-inch screen, the biggest we’ve ever seen since the Nexus 6. Despite that, HP managed to keep the thickness down to just 7.8mm, and the weight is a little surprise: only 200g. And being that big comes with an advantage: it can contain more. The huge screen displays splendidly (2K), and HP Elite x3 houses an impressive 4,150m mAh battery as well.

In spite of the design, HP Elite x3 specs make it one of the best Snapdragon 820 plus 4GB RAM phones: the famous SND 820 of Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5, 4GB of RAM, running on Windows 10 Mobile OS, with  the huge battery as mentioned, a whopping extendable 64GB storage, a 16MP/8MP back and front camera combo, dual SIM, and latest technology such as LTE, 11ac Wi-Fi, NFC, and there’s a USB-C port. More importantly, this phone will have both iris scanner and fingerprint sensor. These features are very impressive. The expected HP Elite x3 launch date is December 10, 2016.

Slim smartphones easily attract users for its stunning design. However, like most things, a thin body has its own disadvantages. And those also make up 5 reasons why slim smartphones are not that good.

Slim smartphones: they are not perfect

First of all, a slim body means sacrification of other great features. In order to keep the smartphone as thin as possible, producers have to also minimize some specs to fit them in the body. For instances, slim smartphones usually come with smaller batteries and thinner protection glasses, which could affect the screen longevity. Some producers even kill of microSD card slot, or headphone jack (like the iPhone 7), both of which we still need a lot in our life. Secondly, a less thick body frequently comes along with a camera bump. Because of the limited width, the big sensor can not rest comfortably on the back, making it protrusive and easy to get scratched.

The third disadvantage slim smartphones face with is the uneasy handling. As the body is so thin, you can not take a good grip of the phone, making any action with it a bit harder, and longer hold a bit more tiring for your hand. Although this can totally be fixed with a phone case, many users really don’t prefer wearing extra “layers” for their phones and would go for a more elegant look of the original design instead. The forth shortcoming is that, slim smartphones are harder to be repaired when issues happen, as they would need to change the panel, screen and make sure they fit in the tiny width of the machine.

Last but not least, as you may have already noticed, slim smartphones tend to cost way more than thicker ones. The reason for this is simple: the companies have to apply the newest technology, do more research, switch to better material to produce a thin body yet still strong and long lasting enough. We are not denying the fact that, a certain percentage of users don’t mind paying extra for this. However, it is still a drawback that acts as a minus point when one choose a smartphone for themselves.

Slim smartphones: Compromises are unavoidable

Slim smartphones, like most things, can not be perfect devices. They fit the taste of many people, and not of priority choice for others. Seeing the drawbacks of these will provide you with a fuller big picture, so that you can consider the pros and cons, and choose the best for your personal liking.

S Pen is the necessary accessory of Galaxy Note. Each time Samsung releases a new Note generation, this stylus pen gets better and better. Let’s see have a look at this pen in each generation of Note!

1. Galaxy Note S Pen

Back in 2011, Samsung, for the first time, released its 5.3-inch smartphone. This device is also the first Note of Samsung. The company also brought the first S Pen along with this Note. This original pen was built for the basic use. It can navigate the handset, scribble and take the screenshots by using a button on top.

Even the apps for this stylus pen is too simple. The S memory app only has a limited number of pencil, pen or brush shapes. Or Photo Editor app, it only offers standard images editing options. In conclusion, the Stylus Pen of the first Galaxy Note is the first step for the next higher technology S Pen later.

iPhone series are coming very soon. In October, we’ll see all of them. But now, let’s take a look at iPhone 7 Plus which leaked on Geekbench recently. 

iPhone 7 Plus specs leaked on Geekbench: more powerful!

Recently, a new iPh0ne model with a code name ” iPhone9,2″ has appeared on Geekbench. In the past, iPhone 6s also unveiled on Geekbench which is known as “iPhone8,2”. So, the new iPhone on Geekbench is expected to be iPhone 7 Plus. Besides, a leaked images of the Plus version appears on the Weibo-famous social website in China. They are also found on the Techtastic website (from Netherland). That leaked image is reported to be the test result of iPhone 7 benchmark.

On Geekbench, iPhone 7 Plus leaked A10 chip that is the latest chipset of Apple. This ARM chipset is clocked at 2.37 GHz of speed. And to take care the performance, there is a 3GB of RAM. With those specs, iPhone 7 gets an excellent result at 6430 benchmark score. That result is very impressive comparing to iPhone 6s last year (4341 scores on Geekbench). In term of other specs, the Plus version is also greater than its predecessor. Last year, iPhone 6s owns just 2GB RAM along with A9 chip with 1.84Ghz speed.

The impressive result of iPhone 7 Plus is believed to come from A10 chip. This new Apple chipset is twice quicker than A9 on iPhone 6s. It is even faster than A9X chipset sported on iPad Pro 12.9-inch.

iPhone 7 Plus price: Is is expensive than Note 7?

When comparing to the basic version, the iPhone 7 Price is slightly higher. First, a 32GB version is dropped at Rs. 60,999 ($910). This version has the same price with Galaxy Note 7 launched in early August. Meanwhile, a 128GB and 256GB versions are priced at Rs. 69,014 ($1030) and Rs. 79,014 ($1,179). They are not cheap price, but we hope iPhone 7 Plus in specifically and iPhone 7 series in generally are worth to buy. Above all, with those prices and all specs iPhone 7 Plus owns, whether it can compete with Samsung Note 7?