What makes a phone design “desirable”?

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”?”

Motorola Edge+ 2022 Unboxing and Setup Stream! Snapdragon Insiders!

My first Premium Moto in YEARS! The folks at Qualcomm and Motorola sent over the Edge+ for me to check out! We can hang out while I set it up!

This one gets pretty geeky…

Headphones for People Who Wear Glasses?

How do you choose a comfortable pair of headphones if you wear glasses?

I honestly have no idea how to answer this question, and I’m hoping people out in the audience will have some good advice. I have a THEORY on what MIGHT help, but it’s not a solution for everyone.

Let’s chat about your skull! Continue reading “Headphones for People Who Wear Glasses?”

Phone vs Camera 2022! THEY FINALLY MATCH???

Phone vs Camera! Mirrorless vs Android! PHOTO SHOWDOWN!

I love it when math kinda blows my mind.

Shooting on the Vivo X70 Pro+, I was struck by how photographic the photos could look. When we crunch the numbers on equivalent performance, we see something kind of incredible.

Compared against my Lumix G9 and a $900 lens, does the Vivo MATCH my Mirrorless camera?

Whew… We gotta take a look at this… Continue reading “Phone vs Camera 2022! THEY FINALLY MATCH???”

Android 12 Desktop Mode: Use a Phone as PC, but Where’s the Progress?

Catching up on the state of the Android desktop mode, what improvements have we seen on Android 12? Our phones are insanely powerful, but where can we USE that power? If you were hoping to use a phone to replace your desktop or laptop, what phones are currently the best options?

Let’s dig in! Let’s get NERDY! Continue reading “Android 12 Desktop Mode: Use a Phone as PC, but Where’s the Progress?”

Samsung Throttles THOUSANDS of Apps on the Galaxy S22: Reacting to Reddit Hot Takes!

Samsung throttles thousands of apps on the Galaxy S22 line of phones, but does NOT throttle benchmarks!

Samsung pulled an uh-oh! Let’s talk about what this really means, and respond to some of the comments and replies flying around tech blogs and on Reddit!

@garyeonhan Tweet with more info https://twitter.com/GaryeonHan/status/1499009797035008002?s=20&t=l55-4CzZ94C285zm-et6eg

Continue reading “Samsung Throttles THOUSANDS of Apps on the Galaxy S22: Reacting to Reddit Hot Takes!”

WIll the REAL Poco M4 Pro Please Stand Up? The Cost of 5G…

Poco M4 Pro vs Poco M4 Pro 5G!

It’s time for a budget phone showdown! When we add 5G to a spec sheet, that adds quite a bit to the manufacturing costs. As more areas roll out 5G, we need to keep an eye on what that does to phone prices. Sometimes specs on paper LOOK similar, but they don’t always perform the same… Continue reading “WIll the REAL Poco M4 Pro Please Stand Up? The Cost of 5G…”

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, Dimensity 9000, and the Problems with POWER

I’m always going to be excited by better competition.

In 2019, the mobile landscape was dominated by Qualcomm and Apple SOCs at the premium tier of phones and tablets. HiSilicon’s Kirin was facing issues due to political pressures placed on Huawei. MediaTek maintained a respectable reputation as a mid-range and entry-level chip provider.

We didn’t have much choice in what powered more expensive gadgets.

Flash forward two years, we’re starting to get some insight on what will power devices in 2022, and this market is a LOT more exciting.

MediaTek took the wraps off a premium tier competitor. We’re about to hear more from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon team. Apple’s A15 is solidly refined over the A14. Google launched their first custom chip with the Pixel 6.

A stale landscape has exploded, and more companies are rumored to be designing their own solutions over the next several years.

When it comes to pocketable portable performance, we just have one small issue…

Power. Continue reading “Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, Dimensity 9000, and the Problems with POWER”