Camera Test: Video Samples from the Samsung Galaxy S5 on AT&T

Time for another installment of the most comprehensive camera test on the internet!

We’ve already discussed some of the improvements Samsung has made to their camera in our brief comparison between the GS5 and the One M8, so now let’s see those improvements in action!

Samsung stepped up the sensor size on the Galaxy S5, and it’s now similar in size to cameras like those found on the Lumia Icon and 1520. Let’s see how it compares to the rest of the smartphone landscape running through our real world tests!


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Samsung’s Gear 2: First Impressions, Feature Walkthrough, & Smartwatch Comparison

Samsung’s follow up to the Galaxy Gear is finally in my hot little hands!

Let’s see what’s improved on the Gear 2, and how it stacks up to watches like the Toq, Pebble, and Martian!

Shop the Gear 2 on Amazon.

HTC One M8 Camera outclassed by Galaxy S5, and it has NOTHING to do with MegaPixels…

Let’s get this out of the way right now. The One M8 camera is good. Maybe it’s even “very good”, but over the last year we’ve seen some excellent cameras bolted onto the backs of our phones by companies like Sony and Nokia.

WP_20140421_21_19_32_ProThe M7 was my favorite camera on an Android phone of last year, and was only bested by the likes of Nokia. It lost the resolution battle with only a 4MP sensor, but the combo of larger “UltraPixels” and Optical Image Stabilization made it one of the best devices to shoot on in indoor and low light environments. Outdoor pics were very good, low light pics were gorgeous, and video was nicely smoothed out by the stabilizing hardware.

My expectations were tremendously high for the M8.

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How much better are the BoomSound Speakers on the HTC One M8 vs the M7?

The M7 was a revolution. Stereo front facing speakers on a phone. With one listen, it became my preferred multimedia mobile, and the standard by which I judged every phone and tablet which followed it. Every single audio review I’ve done since has been normalized against the M7.

It should come as no surprise that a newer phone will have better features than its predecessor. We call that “progress”, but considering how stellar the audio playback was on the M7, many of us had doubts that the M8 would be demonstrably better.

Well we were wrong.

Take a listen for yourself as we pit the former heavyweight up against the new champion. The M7 is dead. Long live the M8.

HTC One M7 Speaker Playback Test

HTC One M8 Speaker Playback Test

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Google Camera App available for all phones running KitKat – Full Review and Feature Walk through!

Another handy Google announcement. After updating Youtube, Google is also making their stock camera available on Google Play!

If you’re familiar with a recent Nexus or the Moto X camera, Google is now allowing ANY phone running Android 4.4 (KitKat) to download the app for free. It’s helpful consistency if you’re considering switching to a different manufacturer for your next phone or tablet, you wont have to re-learn the camera UI. It’s also nice knowing that your camera software can be updated like a regular app instead of waiting for a full OS or ROM update to get carrier approval.

Here’s our full hands on feature walk through and review!

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Windows Phone 8.1, Cortana, and Legacy Hardware Support – MEGA REVIEW!

Here’s the big daddy review and walk through of Windows Phone 8.1!

Even though it’s only a 0.1 update, Microsoft crammed A LOT OF STUFF into this update, so settle in as we check out all of the new apps and services on tap for our live tiled phones!

We’ll also take a quick look at legacy support for older Windows Phones, as well as discuss what’s still missing from the Windows Phone platform.
Enjoy!

Windows Phone 8_1 homescreen lumia 1520

Samsung Galaxy S5 – Monster Review and Feature Walk Through (AT&T Version)

We got a little goofy with our unboxing video for Samsung’s newest flagship phone, but we’re dead serious about the review.

Settle in and grab a snack because we’re going to take a detailed look at the Galaxy S5 on AT&T! You wanted a REAL review right?

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App Review: Battery Performance by Dev-Software

Screenshot_4Have you ever wondered how your phone is handling  it’s battery life? The folks over at Dev-Software may just have the answer you are looking for.  Battery Performance has a wonderful app that you should check out!

Battery Performance has a really slick UI that is both eye pleasing and functional. This app is all about the visual performance of your phone’s battery, showcasing a number of ways to see what your battery is up to such as live tiles, logs, statistics, life cycle and much more. Once the app is downloaded to your Windows Phone it will take a few seconds to gather your data. I was pretty impressed with this app’s straightforward delivery of information and fluid UI.

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