Let's Talk Tech
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!”
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.
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!”
Cooler Master 34″ Gaming Monitor Review!
The GM34-CWQ ARGB is the new top of the line option from Cooler Master! It’s A BIG curved display, and has all the important specs we care about, like FreeSync Premium, HDR400, great contrast, and a 144Hz refresh rate. Replacing my OLD 1080p gaming monitor, this is a HUGE upgrade.
Let’s take a look! Continue reading “Cooler Master GM34-CWQ ARGB: 34″ UWQHD 144Hz Gaming Monitor Goodness!”
OnePlus 10 Pro follow up. What makes a phone “special”?
What gives us those “happy feels” when buying a new gadget? Let’s chat about a phone that’s built well, has cool features, and arrives at competitive price.
Why is that not good enough? Continue reading “OnePlus 10 Pro is Good, but it’s “nothing special”…”
I’m so excited to be working with vivo to showcase the incredible camera technology on the X80 Pro smartphone!
We’re collaborating on a three part series, and this is part one! We’re starting off with a tour around the camera app, and an overview of the different photography and video modes. In part two we’ll look at improvements and upgrades, and in part three we’ll compare the X80 Pro against a proper professional camera.
There’s a LOT of ground to cover! This is a fantastic smartphone camera!
vivo X80 Pro Camera Part 2 (upgrades): https://somegadgetguy.com/2022/06/01/vivo-x80-pro-camera-upgrades-and-improvements-2-of-3/
vivo X80 Pro Camera Part 3 showdown): https://somegadgetguy.com/2022/06/08/vivo-x80-pro-phone-vs-camera-showdown-3-of-3/ Continue reading “vivo X80 Pro Camera: Features, Modes, and Settings (1 of 3)”
I used to produce a LOT of comparison videos. They were some of my favorite to shoot, and I would often stage them as showdowns.
“FIGHT FOR BLOOD!” [Punching Sound Effects]
I think it’s still helpful to compare different devices, highlight pros and cons, maybe even help guide someone shopping a new phone. We know this is MOSTLY entertainment for techies, but they’re still experiences worth sharing.
Producing comparisons as text pieces, the first battle to tackle is OnePlus! In my recent OnePlus 10 Pro review video, I said the toughest competition for the 10 Pro did NOT come from another manufacturer.
Allow me to explain… Continue reading “OnePlus 10 Pro vs OnePlus 9 Pro (and OnePlus 8 Pro) – SMARTPHONE SHOWDOWN!”
Note 22 review!
Wrapping up our two-part look at Samsung, we’ve covered some lows. Now we get to talk about some highs.
The entire consumer electronics industry is in a rough spot for components and distribution. It’s refreshing to see a slate Samsung phone deliver a unique vibe. This isn’t an “average” all rounder phone. This is built with purpose and for a specific kind of user.
If it waddles like a Note, and quacks like a Note, and S-pens like a Note, then it’s a Note. This phone is a Note, and I love it.
Part 1 – https://somegadgetguy.com/2022/04/07/galaxy-s22-a-phone-to-skip-samsung-in-2022-part-1-of-2/ Continue reading “Galaxy S22 Ultra: The Productivity Champ of 2022 (Part 2 of 2)”
It feels really nice in the hand. It arrives in different colors. It might be shiny or matte. It might have curved glass or beveled metal edges.
What makes a smartphone “desirable”?
I’m in the rare position of getting to play with numerous smartphones throughout the year. I don’t need to speculate on phone design, or rely on press photos. I really get to hold them in my hand and use them.
I often criticize reviews that focus too much on aesthetic conversations about a phone’s “feel”, and I still highly recommend people put a case on their phone to protect their main communication gadget.
Even for those points though, I can’t deny that I still get an emotional thrill out of handling a new phone. Continue reading “What makes a phone design “desirable”?”