Cheap Phones Won Christmas 2019 -or- Consumer Don’t Listen to Tech Reviewers

We’re looking at an analyst report, so it goes without saying that these numbers should be taken with a fairly large rock of salt. That said, this report reinforces a handful of other sales reports and anecdotal examinations of the mobile market. Manufacturers go to great lengths to hide actual sales data these days. Shareholders don’t seem much interested in facts, as much as they are the perception of the brand, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t dig a little deeper.

Flurry Analytics published a report on device activations in North America over the month of December, focusing on the lead up to Christmas day, and how those activations changed from Christmas to New Years.

Out of all the individual brands sold in this region, it’s not too surprising that Apple topped the charts. Overall, Android outsold iOS, but only one company makes iPhones. Apple significantly outsold every other phone manufacturer this year.

What is surprising is the breakdown on the most popular iPhones activated over the holidays. Continue reading “Cheap Phones Won Christmas 2019 -or- Consumer Don’t Listen to Tech Reviewers”

iPhone 11 Pro Max vs LG V50: What exactly IS a “Pro” phone?

Battle of the “pro” phones!

We can get a stunning amount of work done from our phones these days. I truly believe that phones are powerful enough to replace laptops for a LOT of consumers out there. However, when a company slaps a “pro” label on a phone, that should set our expectations a bit higher. Apple always makes bold performance claims, and has been one of the most visible companies to showcase mobile video production and content creation.

How does the iPhone 11 Pro stack up against a premium Android? It’s time for a showdown!

Continue reading “iPhone 11 Pro Max vs LG V50: What exactly IS a “Pro” phone?”

OnePlus 6 on Android 10: A High Water Mark

The OnePlus 6 is one of my favorite phones from 2018 to revisit. The last offering from OnePlus with a rear fingerprint sensor and a headphone jack, this phone STRONGLY tested my theory on waiting for the “T” version.

The OnePlus 6T was an exciting phone. It came in a gorgeous purple shell. It got a carrier deal with T-Mobile. However, the farther we get from 2018, the OnePlus 6 is the phone I hold closer for its practicality.

Over a year from its initial launch, how well is OnePlus keeping up with support for the 6? Pretty stinking well…

Continue reading “OnePlus 6 on Android 10: A High Water Mark”

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!”

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!”

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…”