Nokia 9 PureView on Android 10: A Beautiful, Wonderful, Mess…

The Nokia 9 has been updated to Android 10, but that’s only a small part of this long-term review story.

I tend to slow-play my reviews. I don’t think you can really share the experience of using a smartphone when you’ve only used it on pre-release software a week before the phone is officially announced. Some manufacturers update faster than others.

I gave the Nokia 9 a little extra leeway because of the crazy camera experiment on the back of the phone. Getting the software right for that much hardware is a difficult challenge.

From March to December, I think we’ve given Nokia a fair window of software support. Continue reading “Nokia 9 PureView on Android 10: A Beautiful, Wonderful, Mess…”

LG G8X Review: Two Screens ARE Better Than One!

I like this phone a lot.

LG has done an amazing job of straddling their usual premium phone strategy, while also competing in a space closer to OnePlus for pricing.

Unique features, great performance, excellent battery. There aren’t many weaknesses here. Let’s dig in! LG G8X REVIEW IS GO! Continue reading “LG G8X Review: Two Screens ARE Better Than One!”

#SGGQA 125: FCC lets Telecoms Lie, Huawei and China fight USA, Snapdragon 865 Reactions!

The FCC produced a report that most telecoms and cell phone carriers lie about coverage, but there’s no penalty for deceiving consumers! China is blacklisting USA tech. Huawei is suing the FCC. Windows 10 Mobile is end of support tomorrow!

And what’s going on with the new Snapdragon 865!

Let’s get our tech week started off right!

Continue reading “#SGGQA 125: FCC lets Telecoms Lie, Huawei and China fight USA, Snapdragon 865 Reactions!”

Sony Xperia 5 Review: 2019’s Best Sleeper Smartphone?

Sony has been refining and polishing the Xperia line up! The Xperia 5 now represents one of the best performing Sony phones I’ve ever used, at a more competitive price than previous “premium” Xperia handsets.

Great cameras, very good battery life, and a fantastic screen!
It’s just a shame that no one will know about it… Continue reading “Sony Xperia 5 Review: 2019’s Best Sleeper Smartphone?”

Pixel 4XL Review: Where we accept it’s a REALLY good phone!

At some point we need to acknowledge that the Pixel 4 is a good phone. A REALLY good phone. The healthy debate isn’t “winner or loser”. Instead, the tricky question for Pixel fans:

How large is the audience for THIS phone, who won’t be satisfied by a Pixel 3A?

Can we make it a rule? That we don’t take Pixel reviews seriously until we see the fabric case is messed up? I mean, like someone actually used the phone enough to get a LITTLE life on it… Continue reading “Pixel 4XL Review: Where we accept it’s a REALLY good phone!”

#SGGQA 124 – The Sleep Deprived Pajama Podcast and Fun Travel Tech!

15 hours in a car with a cranky toddler, but we made it home in time to get a little sleep and set up a podcast! I HAVE NO SHOW PREPPED, but that doesn’t mean we can’t ramble through some holiday stories and travel tech.

I had a backpack full of gear to share with the family, but ONE product completely saved us during the drive home!

Let’s get our tech week started off right!

Continue reading “#SGGQA 124 – The Sleep Deprived Pajama Podcast and Fun Travel Tech!”

Pixel 4 XL Camera Conclusion: Exactly what Google promised…

I’m going to get a LOT of criticisms about my “tone” when the public version of this review is published.

I have a hard time with the inconsistency of reviews we’ve seen on the Pixel 4. I haven’t seen a lot of folks review the phone for what it really is. Instead, most seem fine focusing on what the phone is NOT, and calling it a day.

Well, I love a good underdog fight. There’s quite a bit of crankiness in this video, but let’s see if we can judge the Pixel by the same criteria we rate all phone cameras.

  • 1. What are the manufacturer’s claims?
  • 2. Has it improved over previous generations of Pixel?
  • 3. How does it stack up to the competition?

Who is the Pixel for? Let’s see if we can answer that together! Continue reading “Pixel 4 XL Camera Conclusion: Exactly what Google promised…”

Asus ROG Phone II Review and Some Thoughts on How Gaming Phones are Reviewed…

What makes a phone a GAMING phone?

One part phone review. One part cranky soapbox on how no phone will ever really be “good enough” to tempt reviewers away from the most popular brands for YT SEO. If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree…

This was a LOT of phone for me to wrap my brain around in two weeks. Let’s chat specs, hardware, and UNCOMPROMISING performance. Continue reading “Asus ROG Phone II Review and Some Thoughts on How Gaming Phones are Reviewed…”