Black Shark 4 By The Benchmarks: A Monster Mid-Ranger!

Performance is fun to test, but there are some exciting moments when we really balance performance against price. The Black Shark 4 arrives at a compelling price, and with some fun gaming hardware. Notably, this phone is the first we get to test using the Snapdragon 870. This SOC is a refresh on last year’s top of the line option from Qualcomm.

Often when we push a phone’s price to the mid-pack, we use a middle tier SOC. This year Qualcomm is offering two options for their 800 series chips. This introduces an interesting performance sub-tier. As a cost savings, we can often recommend a one year old flagship phone for those looking at cutting costs.

The Black Shark 4, as a brand new phone, looks to compete against last year’s premium offerings.

We should expect to see a lot of our tests land somewhere inbetween the most expensive phones from last year, and the premium tier phones from this year. Let’s see how this gaming phone handles some real world apps!

Performance testing is more involved than running a synthetic bench and comparing who’s number is bigger. Let’s dig a little deeper than that. Here’s the Black Shark 4: By The Benchmarks! Continue reading “Black Shark 4 By The Benchmarks: A Monster Mid-Ranger!”

#SGGQA 204: Z Fold 3 Leaks, Blackshark 4 Gaming, Oculus WITHOUT Facebook, and the RODE Mic Contest Winner!

Verizon is dropping their media division. The EU is investigating Apple’s App Store. New York was immediately sued for their $15 Broadband legislation. The Z Fold 3 has been leaked.

Let’s chat gaming on the Blackshark 4, and we have a winner for our RODE Microphone giveaway!

Let’s get your tech week started right!
Continue reading “#SGGQA 204: Z Fold 3 Leaks, Blackshark 4 Gaming, Oculus WITHOUT Facebook, and the RODE Mic Contest Winner!”

Ultrasone Performance 880 Headphones: Sweet and Mellow

Performance 880 review!

The fun thing about premium audio, it’s less about “quality”, and more about crafting a specific sound. When you start figuring out what kind of tone or tuning you really like. Ultrasone delivers a specific vibe on the Performance 880, and it’s kind of delicious… Continue reading “Ultrasone Performance 880 Headphones: Sweet and Mellow”

Camera Aperture Explained! Take Better Photos From Your Phone!

What is an aperture?

Not all smartphone cameras are created equal. Just because two phones have the “same” aperture, it doesn’t mean the hole that lets in light is the same size. We have to do a little math, but it’s pretty easy to show why some phones perform better in low light than others! Continue reading “Camera Aperture Explained! Take Better Photos From Your Phone!”

OnePlus 9 Camera and OIS: This is NOT a deal breaker…

OnePlus 9 vs Galaxy S21 camera comparison!

There’s been much complaining and gnashing of teeth about the OnePlus 9 camera and the omission of OIS. But WHY are folks complaining? If the OnePlus 9 can compete with comparably priced phones, is there really an issue? Do techies even understand what OIS does?

We gotta dig a bit deeper…

The Original OP9 vs S21 Showdown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kilg97nLm-0
Catch the FULL image analysis in episode 203 of the SGGQA podcast here: https://youtu.be/lHeE1yG_TQY?t=5520 Continue reading “OnePlus 9 Camera and OIS: This is NOT a deal breaker…”

#SGGQA 203: Samsung’s Galaxy TV Show, M1 in an iPad, the OnePlus 9 Camera is NOT Crippled

Emily Ratajkowsji is selling an NFT? Youtube is giving us more control on streaming quality! The FCC wants you to be able to text the Suicide Prevention Hotline! Apple put an M1 in an iPad! Samsung is producing a TV show on the Galaxy S21’s cameras!

And let’s break down the results of my OnePlus 9 camera comparison!

Let’s get your tech week started right!
Continue reading “#SGGQA 203: Samsung’s Galaxy TV Show, M1 in an iPad, the OnePlus 9 Camera is NOT Crippled”

Phone Challenge! Record a Podcast! Contest with RODE Microphones!

I preach a LOT about folks getting more use out of their smartphones. I WANT you to get more bang for your gadget buck. Showing people all the things their phone can REALLY do is one of my favorite parts of this job.

At the same time, we’ve lived through a brutally historic year, and these events are now woven into our family history. If only there were some way to document those events easily. If only you had some kind of pocket super computer, with good microphones built in, and the ability to record and edit audio…

Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, record a podcast or interview using your phone about life over the last year!

To sweeten the deal, my pals at RODE Microphones are looking to give away an amazing little mic that can take your future phone recordings to the next level!

Happy recording and good luck! Contest details in the link below! Continue reading “Phone Challenge! Record a Podcast! Contest with RODE Microphones!”

OnePlus 9 Pro Camera Conclusion: Living up to the Hasselblad hype?

Ok. The Hasselblad labeling is a bit overdone, but I can’t fault a company for wanting to make a little noise.

It’s not about giving OP a pass though, these cameras still need to tested against the manufacturer’s claims. The nice thing for OP fans this year, the 9 Pro is starting off with a SOLID hardware advantage… Continue reading “OnePlus 9 Pro Camera Conclusion: Living up to the Hasselblad hype?”