Category: Articles

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Can we just admit that Google Photos kinda sucks?

HUGE UPDATE!

Almost a year after I wrote this editorial, I’m happy to report that Google Photos has been updated, and we see a HUGE improvement to processing times!

The rest of the app is still ugly and clumsy, but now it’s ugly, clumsy, and FASTER!!!

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Not the SERVICE Google Photos. The SERVICE is great. I’m talking about the Google Photos app.

Google Photos (the app) kinda sucks. Allow me to explain.

I’ve been digging into the iQOO 11, and performance testing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It’s really exciting to see the improvements coming to PREMIUM tier smartphones. These are much better behaved hot rod pocket computers.

I’ve added some new tests to my collection of benchmarks, and I’m tracking two different tests using Google Photos.

Google Photos is painful to use. Continue reading “Can we just admit that Google Photos kinda sucks?”

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Surface Duo and Android 12L – What is “good” Software Support?

The Duo and Duo 2 are finally on Android 12L!

Whenever there’s some Surface news, we can always count on some derisive tech commentary. The folks all too happy to show you how CLEVER they are in panning a niche device.

“I knew it wasn’t going to sell as many units as a POPULAR phone.”

To be fair, there is SOME fun in that. Folks who genuinely enjoy the Surface Duo can get a chuckle out of how small our community really is.

The idea I consistently need to push back against is this lazy notion that Microsoft’s updates for the Surface have been poor. It takes a terrific tech hack to look at the Duos, only look at an Android “number”, and say:

“It needs to be gooder BIGGER Android number!” Continue reading “Surface Duo and Android 12L – What is “good” Software Support?”

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Ringke Pixel Watch Case Review: A little protection helps…

I’m spending a little time with the Pixel Watch, and I will be getting a proper review out soon. One of the things slowing me down, I’m terrified to use this watch out and about. The design is pretty, but the curved glass along all sides isn’t inspiring a lot of confidence.

It’s a rule I have for reviewing phones. I can’t really get a handle on USING the phone unless I have a case for it. The Pixel Watch feels similar, so when Ringke opened up pre-orders, I jumped quick to snag a case for the watch. Continue reading “Ringke Pixel Watch Case Review: A little protection helps…”

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Google Tensor 2: I don’t need a lot from this chip to fix the Pixel 7

The semiconductor industry is a crazy place.

There’s an ebb and flow in computing. A new chip is rarely a perfect one-to-one upgrade over an older chip. Different features, different initiatives, changing consumer needs, numerous factors influence a chip design.

Google’s Tensor is an interesting beast.

Tensor is an attempt at focusing phone hardware to better run Google software. It’s an attempt at creating more hardware and software synergy for Google services. It’s a surprisingly successful solution for a first generation System on Chip (SOC), but it is first gen and we should expect improvements from succeeding generations.
What does Tensor 2 need to be successful? Not a lot…
Continue reading “Google Tensor 2: I don’t need a lot from this chip to fix the Pixel 7”

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Can we finally admit that in-display fingerprint sensors on phones are terrible, and that no company should use them?

You pull your phone out of your pocket and casually place your thumb on the screen. You feel THAT buzz as your phone refuses entry. Without investing too much focus, you slide your thumb to re-orient, but before you properly place your thumb down again, you feel the “bad buzz”. Now, fully invested with your visual and tactile attention, you prepare for attempt number three…

Best case scenario, you get into your phone and realize the notification you received really wasn’t worth this effort. Worst case, you have to put in your pin or password, and the notification was even LESS worth this effort.

We had it so good. What happened? Continue reading “Can we finally admit that in-display fingerprint sensors on phones are terrible, and that no company should use them?”

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ZTE Axon 40 Ultra: Can we get an ULTRA Phone for cheap?

What do manufacturers do when the word “Pro” has lost all meaning in describing phones?

We move to ULTRA!

The Axon 40 Ultra was a happy return for me.

I was a huge fan of ZTE phones during the Axon 7 era. I’ve been really curious what the company has to offer today. Judging whether the Axon 40 earns its “Ultra” badge, we should probably break down the current spectrum of phone pricing. Continue reading “ZTE Axon 40 Ultra: Can we get an ULTRA Phone for cheap?”

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Honor Magic4 Pro vs ZTE Axon 40 Ultra: Battle of the Resurrected!

Axon 40 Ultra vs Magic4 Pro!

So excited to have both of these brands back in the GadgetLab! Honor vs ZTE has been a classic showdown, with both companies delivering great performance at competitive prices. Which phone takes the win?

Let’s take a look! Continue reading “Honor Magic4 Pro vs ZTE Axon 40 Ultra: Battle of the Resurrected!”

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Summer 2022 Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Performance Round Up!

We’re more than halfway through 2022, and it’s time to take a look at premium phone performance!

The Snapdragon 8 Gen1 has been a controversial chip for expensive Android phones. Qualcomm used ARM reference designs to build a powerful System on Chip. Samsung was responsible for producing the chip on Qualcomm’s designs. Then, manufacturers build phones around those power and thermal specifications.

That thermal conversation has been a challenge to track this year. The Snapdragon 8 Gen1 is a powerful chip, but it’s a finnicky performer if thermals and battery life aren’t handled appropriately.

This SOC arrived at the same time as some significant changes to Android. The way Android 12 handles storage reduces performance for numerous apps and services. Years of my benchmarking results on older phones are no longer directly comparable to current phones with Android 12 and newer.

Phones released in the first half of 2022 are a unique group of devices.

More powerful (but hotter) CPU and GPU, balanced against performance sapping software.

The refreshed Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 is starting to ship in new phones for the second half of the year. ARM is improving the power efficiency, Qualcomm is refining the design, and TSMC is replacing Samsung for the chip fabrication.

It’s a good time to chart how these devices currently compare against each other.

We’ll see where these companies are improving later in the year. We’ll get to see if the 8+ Gen1 runs cooler. We’ll get to see if app developers are taking better advantage of this SOC performance.

Let’s look at some benchmark scores! Continue reading “Summer 2022 Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Performance Round Up!”

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