Category: Articles

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How SomeGadgetGuy Tests Phones with Real-World Apps for Benchmarks and Reviews

How powerful is your phone?

If you are a gadget fan, you can probably tell me what’s on the spec sheet. You probably know what processor is inside and how much RAM you have. You might be able to tell me what GPU is in there. If you’re REALLY techie, maybe you can rattle off some synthetic benchmark scores.

But what does that mean?

Knowing your phone has a Qualcomm Snapdragon, Samsung Exynos, or an Apple A Bionic doesn’t tell you much about what your phone can REALLY do. Synthetic benchmarks are easy to manipulate, and gimmicky app “speed runs” are poor indicators of overall performance.

The only proper solution is to test devices using real apps that any consumer can install, and compare the results of consistent testing over several generations of gadgets. While I’ve produced benchmarking videos, I felt it was worth explaining my testing protocol in one handy blog post, for any folks who might be interested.

I’ve been running my phones like this for years now. Here’s how I do it! Continue reading “How SomeGadgetGuy Tests Phones with Real-World Apps for Benchmarks and Reviews”

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Google Pixel 5: Who is this phone for? Is it a flagship?

Google claims the Pixel 5 is the “ultimate 5G Google Phone”, but what exactly is it?

This is the top of the line offering from Google, but is it a true “flagship” product? Is it a price disrupting phone? Is it the Google iPhone?

It’s an interesting year for the Pixel, so let’s dig in a bit.

Just who is this thing for? Continue reading “Google Pixel 5: Who is this phone for? Is it a flagship?”

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#SGGQA 174: XPERIA 5ii is here! Velvet on T-Mobile, Galaxy S20 FE, and Ring’s Home Drone!

The XPERIA 5ii is in the gadget lab!

I’m also going hands on with the Velvet on T-Mobile! We’re going to chat about the Galaxy S20 FE. Twitter wants you to read more articles before you retweet them. The OnePlus 8 is on sale! And the DoJ wants to end protections for social media sites AGAIN.

Let’s get our tech week started right!
Continue reading “#SGGQA 174: XPERIA 5ii is here! Velvet on T-Mobile, Galaxy S20 FE, and Ring’s Home Drone!”

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Who is the Surface Duo for? 4K Vlog Shot on the Surface Duo!

Let’s not pretend this is a great camera. It CAN shoot 4K video, and this is what your video will look like! But the capabilities of the Surface Duo extend beyond an OK selfie shooter. Who is this phone for? That’s the first question of a longer conversation… Continue reading “Who is the Surface Duo for? 4K Vlog Shot on the Surface Duo!”

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How Microsoft is Gaming Influencers and Algorithms with the Surface Duo

It’s a little bit brilliant.

I’ve written several editorials voicing my concerns about popularity algorithms and the responsibility of reviewers. We can’t escape the fact that online content creators need to be compensated for their work, but YouTube and Facebook style algorithms are designed to manipulate viewers into staying on a platform as long as possible. When those two objectives meet, it creates an echo chamber, a reinforcing cycle of confirmation bias which highlights and celebrates the most popular options. Any product outside the algorithm zeitgeist is dismissed as efficiently as possible.

Precious few smaller-volume sellers have successfully broken through this popularity trap.

What’s a manufacturer to do? Play the influencers against themselves! Continue reading “How Microsoft is Gaming Influencers and Algorithms with the Surface Duo”

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Take Better Photos: Smartphone Photography For Noobs! Updates for 2020 are now live!

I’m really proud of this one.

I started writing a blog post about phone photography in 2013. To explain one concept, I had to write another post to explain a different concept. That snowballed into a series of posts and videos. Eventually, the only thing that made sense was to turn it into a book, which was published in 2015.

Take Better Photos: Smartphone Photography for Noobs!

Every year I take another pass through revising the book, and the updates for 2020 are out now! Continue reading “Take Better Photos: Smartphone Photography For Noobs! Updates for 2020 are now live!”

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TCL 10L vs LG Stylo 6: LOW Budget Battle!

We can’t put EVERYTHING into one phone. We need to choose features, and balance that against a target price. As we near the entry level tier of handsets, there’s also a little less room for price fluctuations. Devices with smaller margins won’t find the same dramatic sales, or the same bargain used prices, as more premium handsets.

Right now, mid-rangers are enjoying some time in the spotlight. Pricing from Nord to Velvet, and several phones in between, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore the competition of even less expensive devices. We should expect more compromises, but as long as we keep expectations properly informed, someone shopping a modest budget should still be satisfied.

What should we look for in a phone that costs less than a screen replacement on an iPhone 11? Continue reading “TCL 10L vs LG Stylo 6: LOW Budget Battle!”

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ZeroLemon 90W 4-Port Charger: Not what I thought it was!

It’s always a funny quirk when you complain about something in a review, and then a company reaches out with something that helps solve that complaint. ZeroLemon has been solving a number of my problems of late.

Replacing the battery in my Note 4. Adding some run time in the field on my Pixel 4.

And now helping me charge my Pixelbook Go.

It’s just funny that I completely misunderstood what it was I thought I was going to review. Continue reading “ZeroLemon 90W 4-Port Charger: Not what I thought it was!”

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