Friday, May 31, 2019

Google Pixel 3a review: the mid-range phone that can replace a flagship

Long over are the days of the Nexus. Google's defunct Nexus lineup was comprised of devices generally aimed at developers, with stock Android, the latest updates, and low prices. They gained popularity with Android enthusiasts thanks to the great software experience, low price, and solid hardware. However, they had some major flaws.

The Pixel line replaced the Nexus line and brought Google design into the mix, but it also brought prices up to flagship levels. Enthusiasts were upset, but we were arguably getting better phones out of the deal. For the first time, we had awesome cameras on a Google phone! But with the Pixel 3a and 3a XL, Google is changing things up again by delivering great smartphones in the mid-range segment, and it feels so good. For the most part, the "Pixel experience" has been maintained, especially when it comes to the camera. The phone isn't perfect and its mid-range processor is a put-off for some, but the new mid-range Pixel 3a may actually be best phone option for most people.

Overview

On the front you'll find the 5.6-inch 18.5:9 OLED display with a resolution of 2,220 x 1080, equating to 441 PPI. Despite being OLED, it's actually not that nice looking. The resolution is perfectly fine, but colors and brightness just aren't there. Many devices in the $400 price range do better, even with LCD panels. It's surrounded by chunky bezels, reminiscent of 2016. Yes, the front design doesn't look so modern, but it comes with the benefit of not having annoying rounded display edges that you'll constantly accidentally touch.

On the back is the classic Pixel 3 design, with a gloss section around the camera and a matte section covering most of the back. Below the single camera and flash is a rear-mounted capacitive fingerprint reader, exactly where it belongs. It performs so much better than any in-display unit, quickly and accurately unlocking the device without fail. You can also swipe down on it to access notifications, a feature I find myself using all the time.

This color is called Purple-ish, offered alongside Just Black and Clearly White. It looks white in some lights and a very faint and subtle purple in others. It's an extremely quirky and pleasant color and is the one I'd recommend.

On the right, you have your power and volume buttons. The colored power button is such a pleasure, and even though it doesn't really matter, it really makes the device stand out. At the bottom, you have two speaker grills and a USB-C port.

On the top is another mic and… what is that? A headphone jack? I could sing praises about this lovely port, allowing us to use our still relevant and popular 3.5mm headphones without having to worry about Bluetooth connections, apps, charging batteries, or annoying pairing processes. Plug them in and they work. Hooray! The lack of a headphone jack is still a sore spot on flagship phones for me, and having one again feels just as good as I'd imagined. That being said, a 3.5mm headphone jack in 2019 isn't necessarily a must-have feature since Bluetooth headphones have taken over the market.

The size of the phone is worth talking about. In a world where all flagships are huge (I mean, look at the OnePlus 7 Pro!), the Pixel 3a is relatively small and easy to use with one hand. It's a real pleasant surprise, and I chose the 3a over the XL model and I think many people will do the same.

Hardware

Inside you'll find a Snapdragon 670, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 3,000 mAh battery, and bezel galore. There have been sacrifices made here to get down to the $399 price point of the Pixel 3a. Features you'd find on the Pixel 3 like wireless charging, IP68 water resistance, the second wide-angle front-facing camera, the glass and aluminum design and the dual front-facing speakers, are gone. Thankfully the 3 XL's notch is also gone. You're left with a phone with fewer features, but one still fairly competitive at its price point.

Other than that, you get many of the flagship goodies. Bluetooth 5.0, 2z2 MIMO WiFi, NFC, an OLED display, USB-C with Power Delivery quick charging at 18W watts, a Titan M security chip, and more. The speakers aren't both front facing (the bottom one is bottom firing) but they're very loud and clear, above average for even the best of smartphones. The haptic feedback also needs mentioning because it's one of the best on the market. Each buzz is sharp and precise, making typing a pleasure. Many flagships can't come close.

Build quality

This is a sore spot for the Pixel 3a. Gone are the premium materials used on the Pixel 3, replaced with a unibody plastic shell. The looks remain, but the quality has dipped. This plastic feels unfortunately cheap, cheaper than your average plastic phone.

It's also prone to scratching along the gloss parts, which encapsulate the camera area and the sides. All of the demo units at Google I/O 2019 were extremely scratched up, which is a bit expected for demo units but the front glass was unscathed. After all, these were brand new units. Fortunately, plastic is more durable than glass when it comes to falls, so you won't have to worry about shattering the back of your phone if you accidentally drop it when pulling it out of your pocket.

The front lacks Gorilla Glass, but it's not regular tempered glass. It's from a company called Dragontrail. If I wasn't told this, I would never tell the difference. It seems to be just as impervious against regular scratches and dings as Corning's offerings so this isn't a concern. The buttons are nice and clicky, but the actuation force is a bit high and can get annoying, but you'll quickly get used to it.

All of these problems are easily solved by using a case, which most people do anyway. Google's cloth case is bulky but feels oh so nice, and looks the part too with its matching colored power button.

Software

This is stock Android in all its glory, along with all the Google Pixel enhancements we have come to know and love. It runs Android 9.0 Pie with the latest security update at all times, no bloat, no stock app replacements… it's all Google.

Compared to AOSP, it, of course, features Google's own apps like Google Calendar, Google Photos, Google Messages, and more. And minor tweaks are welcome since the AOSP variants are horribly outdated. What is unique to Pixels is the blue accent color, rounded notifications, the always listening "Now Playing" feature which tells you the name of the song and artist that's playing in the store or at Starbucks, and many features like extra Google Assistant functionality.

For enthusiasts, there's so much to love here. It's sleek, fast, and simple. For the average user, some may feel that things are left out. There are no bright colors, no extra gimmicky features, nothing that other manufacturers add to their skins. Some may love it, some may not. Many may not even care. It's an excellent experience through and through and doesn't leave you annoyed whenever you want to do anything more than send a text.

Simply put, the software allows you to enjoy the phone without getting in the way.

Performance

Rocking a Snapdragon 670 and 4GB of RAM, the specs aren't exactly flagship level. At this price point, you can find many devices that outperform the Pixel 3a on paper, and the lack of Snapdragon 800 series is a bit of a disappointment. With the other sacrifices made to this device, some might argue that at least specs should have stayed the same.

Thankfully performance didn't take a major hit. This thing is buttery smooth and relatively snappy. Put side-by-side with some flagships, app load times are noticeably slower. You'll often find yourself staring at a white screen for a fraction of a second before the app pops up. However, the performance is still very quick and if you're not comparing the two, you'll likely not notice.

Thankfully fluid animations remain, and you won't be seeing many frame drops unless you're loading the phone up. It's a smooth experience through and through, something many phones running 600 series processors cannot say. And with the same 4GB of RAM as the standard Pixel 3 (and Pie's mostly solved memory issues), apps stay in memory and don't close randomly.

All in all, the performance is more than adequate, and I'd even say not far off from the best of the best.

Camera

The one thing Google did not skimp on with the Pixel 3a is the camera. It's the same 12.2MP unit as the standard Pixel 3, and though there are subtle differences in the final photo, it's over 95% there. And considering just how damn good the Pixel 3 camera is, the 3a will definitely blow you away.

This phone does with one sensor what others struggle to do with two. A software-based portrait mode offers some incredible and shockingly natural results, some being better than flagship blur modes of other brands. Nighttime photos using Night Sight and optical image stabilization stay sharp as a tack while providing a pretty incredible amount of light. HDR+ offers fantastic dynamic range, even though it does get a bit unnatural looking at times. Overall, the camera is consistent and phenomenal.

When it comes to standard photos, you do lose out on quite a bit of detail compared to other flagships. It's not as sharp or detailed as, for example, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro. The camera hardware just isn't there, even when backed by Google's amazing software wizardry. There's also some blurring in lower light if you're not using Night Sight, likely due to the lower end sensor. It's definitely not perfect.

The front facing camera is a definite downgrade, lacking an ultra wide angle lens that made for some amazing group photos. It was definitely awesome at parties and is sorely missed. However, selfies are still quite good and the software-based portrait mode is excellent.

The camera app is well designed and I like that hitting back from any mode will first bring you back to the normal camera mode. Other modes are included like a Playground mode, which allows you to play with AR characters like Captain America and stormtroopers. It's a fun little gimmick. Panorama mode, in my experience, is pretty bad.

There's a pretty long processing time on photos after they are shot, but to the slower Snapdragon 670. This doesn't affect actually taking photos, as even multiple shots in succession will be lightning quick without a single stutter, but you will have to wait for it to process before it's done.

On the topic of video, I'd say the Pixel 3a does an okay job. There's no 4K60 support here, and stabilization is fairly mediocre. However, videos are relatively smooth and detailed and the mic does well in noisy environments. It's nothing to write home about though.

Where flagships have three or even sometimes four cameras now, you won't get the flexibility of telephoto or ultrawide angle lenses here. Yes, they're important, and the ultrawide especially is incredibly useful. So while you are getting one of the best regular cameras on the market, you will miss out on the extra bells and whistles.

Battery life

Battery life has always been the weak spot of the Pixel series, and the Pixel 3a is not too different. However, it does perform better than its predecessors and even the more expensive Pixel 3. The Pixel 3a got a 75 mAh boost from the Pixel 3 up to 3,000 mAh, while the 3a XL is up a whopping 270 to 3,700 mAh. Paired with an OLED display and a lower end processor, the Pixel 3a should get you through the day with moderate use without an issue.

Heavy use can kill the battery before bedtime (we're talking like 6+ hours of screen-on time) but you'll still have enough juice left to get through work without a top up. While it's pretty good compared to many Android smartphones, it falls short of the best that can easily go a day and a half or even two days without needing a top-up.

Thankfully you do have USB PD quick charging at 18W with an 18W power brick included in the box, so you can get to half charge in around half an hour.

Conclusion

The Google Pixel 3a is a phenomenal bargain at $399 (and $479 for the XL model). You're getting so much for your money, including that brilliant camera and an amazing software experience. Sure the device has some flaws, like the somewhat cheap plastic build quality (when other devices in this class use flagship-grade metal and glass) and a lower end processor than we'd like. However, the pros far outweigh the cons.

If you're looking for a great phone that doesn't break the bank, this may be your best choice. In fact, you just might be persuaded to take the Pixel 3a and its amazing camera over a flagship smartphone like the OnePlus 7 Pro or even the Samsung Galaxy S10+. With the Pixel 3a, Google has proven the mid-range is good enough.

Google Pixel 3a Rating: star_fullstar_fullstar_fullstar_fullstar_0 (4/5)

The Good

  • Camera is one of the best
  • Night Sight and portrait mode are amazing
  • Great size, ideal for one-handed use
  • Purple-ish color and neon power button are so pretty
  • Headphone jack

The Bad

  • Build quality is poor
  • Display isn't great
  • Snapdragon 670 is slow at times
  • Battery life isn't amazing


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Thursday, May 30, 2019

Motorola officially debuts its mid-range Moto Z4 handset

For a while now, we have been hearing rumors that Motorola might have a new Moto Z smartphone in the works in the form of the Moto Z4. The handset was even spotted on Amazon for a brief moment before being taken down, hinting that a launch could be close at hand.

If you do enjoy Motorola's smartphone releases and wouldn't mind getting your hands on the device, then you'll be happy to learn that the Moto Z4 has since been officially announced. Based on the specs, it seems that the phone is more of a mid-range rather than a flagship, so that's something to take into consideration if you're thinking about getting it.

For starters, we're looking at the use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 chipset where it will be accompanied by 4GB of RAM. There is also 128GB of expandable storage on board, a 3,600mAh battery that supports 15W TurboPower charging, along with a 6.4-inch FHD+ OLED display with a teardrop-shaped notch that houses the front-facing camera.

Speaking of cameras, the Moto Z4 will only feature a single camera on the back where it houses a 48MP f/1.7 sensor with OIS with Quad Bayer color filter that is capable of putting out 12MP shots.

Also, with the handset being part of the Moto Z-series of phones, it will also support the use of the Moto Mod accessories, like the 5G Moto Mod which will allow the handset to connect to 5G networks. The Moto Z4 is priced at $499 and is expected to be available for purchase on the 6th of June.

Source: Motorola



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Samsung Galaxy Note rumor puts the headphone jack in limbo

For the longest time, Samsung has preserved the headphone jack while other OEMs moved away from the 3.5mm jack to recover what was claimed as precious space. It seems that things are about to change with the Galaxy Note 10, which is expected to be released later this year.

According to Android Police, who cite sources familiar with Samsung's plans, the company is doing away with the headphone jack on the Note 10 and will even take it a step further by removing the physical keys that control the power and volume. The removal of any physical button has been rumored for a while, but it seems the company is finally ready to make the bold move. The Bixby button, power button, and volume buttons are expected to be replaced with capacitive or pressure-sensitive areas. The source claims that these changes are expected on the Note 10 but there's no indication as of yet if these changes will be carried on to the Galaxy S11.

The Samsung Galaxy range is one of the few flagships left that feature a headphone jack so no doubt its removal will anger some that have gravitated towards the company's handsets because of the 3.5mm jack. Samsung could argue, as many other OEM's also claim, that the removal of the jack creates additional room for a bigger battery and would also improve the water resistance of the device with one less hole, despite already being IP68 rated.

The move to removing any sign of physical buttons seems like an odd one but would make the chassis more durable with fewer cuts in the frame. It would also be a notable design change that could tempt people to upgrade their handsets.

Is the lack of a headphone jack a deal-breaker for you? Drop us a comment below.



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Huawei once again working with SD Association, Wi-Fi Alliance, and JEDEC

Huawei hasn't managed to catch many breaks in the last few weeks. Thanks to a ruling by the US Commerce Department, the Chinese brand has had countless American firms cut all dealings with them. This included Google with their Android services along with brands you wouldn't expect like the SD Association and the Wi-Fi Alliance.

If you want a detailed rundown of Huawei's situation, head over to our recap article to read everything we know so far. But Huawei is finally getting a bit of leeway. Thanks to the 90 day reprieve from the ban, Google reinstated Huawei's Play Store license and allowed them to support and update existing devices, at least for the time being. And now, other companies have done the same. The SD Association, the Wi-Fi Allience, and JEDEC have joined Google in once again working with the company.

The first two are obvious; they provide the specifications and licensing for Wi-Fi and SD storage technology for all brands. JEDEC however is an organization that standardizes and licenses out tech like RAM. All of these companies control vital parts of all smartphones, including those of Huawei.

The ban could come back once the 90 days are up, but chances are that Huawei and the US government will work something out (to the government's benefit) to keep this from happening again. For now, Huawei can plan for the future and hopefully set aside their plan-B.

Via: Android Police



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Motorola Moto G7 review: Budget without the problems

The Moto G line has long been the go-to for budget phones. Rocking stock Android and very decent specs, one could argue that Motorola really brought the budget phone into the modern age, offering much of the same experience as higher end devices but for a much lower price.

Long gone are the days of awful budget phones; now you can buy a sub-$300 phone and enjoy it for years to come. The Moto G7 is no different, but Motorola really stepped up their game in a few places.

Overview

On the front you'll find a 6.2-inch full HD LCD panel with a 19:9 aspect ratio. The bezels aren't very thin but they're minimal and the tall aspect ratio and small teardrop notch really give the device a modern, high end feeling. This display is bright, colorful, and even though it's not OLED, looks fantastic for the price.

On the back is a slab of curved glass over a really classy white color. The camera ring up top protrudes quite a bit but is protected by the outer ring, and the fingerprint sensor doubles as a Moto logo.

The sides are a stainless steel-esque chrome, though it's made of plastic. You'll find a USB-C port and a headphone jack on the bottom (a headphone jack is a huge bonus) and the three buttons on the right side. Overall this device looks great, almost indistinguishable from a flagship.

Build quality

This is where Motorola knocked it out of the park. If you didn't tell someone this phone costs $299, they would never know. The chrome frame (plastic but with a surprisingly solid feel) mixed with the curved glass and gorgeous white color give off a flagship impression both in the eyes and in the hand.

Everything feels solid, there are no creaks, and you won't be disappointed for this price point or double that. Even the power button is nicely clicky and heavily textured with ridges to find it easier.

Software

Motorola doesn't try to set itself apart with a gimmicky skin and a rearrangement of all the basic features and settings of Android. No, Motorola uses an almost entirely stock version of Android 9.0 Pie on this phone. The only real modifications are a "Moto" app filled with features and a Dolby audio profile.

This means you will have a quick, smooth experience free of frills and issues. Some may find it a bit dull, but others love the simplicity and speedy performance.

However, Motorola did add some amazing features that define Moto devices. Inside the Moto app, you'll find a few gestures. Doing a "karate chop" motion turns on the flashlight, twisting it twice fires up the camera, flipping the phone turns on Do Not Disturb, and a lot more. These features can be individually enabled or disabled, and some of them are great time savers. The camera shortcut is something I especially love.

Motorola also added a swipe navigation mode, similar to Google's "pill" but with a swipe gesture replacing the back button. Frankly it's one of the best on the market and should be enabled as soon as you get the device.

There's also Moto Display, another huge draw for Moto devices. This will illuminate the display when you move your hand close to it. You don't even have to touch it! It shows the time, date, and battery percentage and will show your notifications when they're available. You can even interact with the notifications, clearing them or opening them directly. Not only can you check your phone on your desk, but you can check the time without hitting the power button. It's an amazing feature I wish was on more phones, and one of the first (and best) implementations of the "always on display."

One issue you'll run into is that stock Android does not guarantee quick software updates. The device may have launched on Pie, but it's still stuck on the January security patch as of May.

Performance

The Moto G7 features a decidedly mid-range Snapdragon 632 processor. Though it's not the top of the line 800 series we're so used to, the device performs surprisingly well. The overall experience is decently smooth and snappy.

The biggest difference between this and a flagship is going to be load times. Opening apps will generally take significantly longer than a flagship phone, though it's far from unbearable. In fact, after some time you may not even notice it anymore.

There are also frame drops and stutters here and there: animations will never be buttery smooth. But with a sizeable 4GB of RAM, loading it up with apps is difficult and you won't see apps being randomly killed in the background too often.

WiFi performance is a major disappointment here. Though my home internet connection offers 150mbps of download speed, the Moto G7 never registers more than 30. Even worse, it doesn't feel like anywhere near 30. Photos load fairly slowly when using apps like Instagram and Reddit and general network performance is substantially slower than any other smartphone I've used in recent times. This isn't a hardware spec limitation, as the device supports 802.11n, but something is up as the G7 Power shares this problem.

Camera

The camera is the G7's weak point. While many budget-minded options do well in the day but lack low light performance, this camera lacks at all times. Daytime photos have some mild distortion and artifacts if you zoom in closely, and very low light shots are just plain bad. However, it's still a very usable camera and photos in decent light look pretty good.

Every time you take a photo, the phone processes the photo for a bit of time afterwards even if you close the app. This isn't a negative, as even the Pixel 3a will do this.

Motorola added a level to its camera app which is wildly useful. I wish all apps had a level that allows you to get the rotation just right.

Battery life

With a 3,000 mAh battery powering such a large display, battery life wasn't going to be great. But it was a bit surprising to find that the phone rarely lasted a full day with moderate use. This is of course in the hands of a power user, and most people will likely see it last an entire day without needing to be topped up.

One major issue I found is that the device won't charge via any USB-PD or Qualcomm Quick Charge-enabled chargers. It will constantly toggle between charging and not charging every second in an infinite loop. You'll either need to use the OEM charger or a charger with a standard 1 amp output.

Now this won't be a big deal for most, as using the stock charger is perfectly fine. But for a budget phone, needing to potentially rebuy your travel chargers and battery banks is a massive pain. This strange incompatibility, especially with Android's reputation for universal standards, is concerning.

Moto G7 Rating: star_fullstar_fullstar_fullstar_50star_0 (3.5 / 5)

The Good

  • Phenomenal build quality
  • Snappy performance
  • Stock Android is always a blessing
  • Moto additions are special
  • Fingerprint reader is where it belongs
  • Headphone jack
  • Water protection via nano coating

The Bad

  • Camera is very mediocre
  • Battery life is below average
  • Won't charge with many aftermarket chargers
  • Poor network speeds
  • Chunky bezels

The Bottom Line

The Moto G7 looks amazing, feels amazing, and performs pretty well for the price range. The low tier camera can be forgiven when so many other aspects were knocked out of the park. For $299, it's really hard to complain when you get a USB-C port, a headphone jack, and an awesome display.

However, there are a few issues that really hurt the experience. The poor network performance and the charging issues in particular are unacceptable at any price point. The battery life was a disappointment as well, despite the sizeable battery.

For $100 more, you can get yourself a Pixel 3a and get better performance and a stellar camera in exchange for a dated design and far inferior build quality. For $50 less, you can pick up an Honor X series device which will definitely have a better camera and better battery life. However, the G7 remains a solid purchase. We just hope Motorola won't drop the ball with updates.



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