Let's Talk Tech
With more premium phones losing features, the argument for mid-rangers keeps getting stronger. TCL following up last year’s 10 Pro with a gorgeous update. Clean design, improved cameras, wireless charging, an IP rating, and that all important 5G!
Spending a couple days with the 20 Pro 5G, we can share some early thoughts on TCL gen 2! Continue reading “TCL 20 Pro 5G First Look: The Most Feature Complete?”
OnePlus 9 vs Mi 11i!
I’ve been itching to do a showdown for a while now.
As soon as I got my hands on the Mi 11i, I thought it would make for a fun fight against the OnePlus 9. Premium chipsets, lots of RAM, high end camera features. OnePlus and Xiaomi are keeping competition healthy in a price window near Galaxy S21’s and iPhone 12’s.
An important step above mid-range hardware, but well below the more luxury tier pricing. What should we call these phones? Premium mid-rangers? Budget friendly flagships?
Regardless, the two put up a great fight, and here are m thoughts on which comes out on top! Continue reading “Xiaomi Mi 11i VS OnePlus 9: Stepping up to the Premium Tier”
OnePlus 9 Pro camera update!
It’s the little things in life. Like when a massive international smartphone manufacturer has obviously heard your gripes about their product, and takes swift action to correct those issues. I must be a really big deal to OnePlus. I feel validated.
But seriously, this most recent OTA helped polish up one of my biggest pet peeves with the 9 Pro. Let’s chat! Continue reading “OnePlus Camera Update! They FIXED my BIGGEST complaint!”
A month after launch, it’s clear Xiaomi is REALLY stepping up their game.
This is a fantastic “entry” level option for the premium tier of phones. Blurring the line between nicer mid-rangers and more expensive flagships. Compromises are NOT deal breakers if you know what you want!
Now running the newest build of MIUI, let’s geek out on a rad phone! Is it a “budget flagship” or a “premium mid-ranger”? Continue reading “Xiaomi Mi 11i Review: MIUI 12.5 and GREAT Hardware!”
Infinix Note 10 Pro review! I have a soft spot in my heart for budget phones that have LOTS of hardware features. Infinix is pricing this phone WELL below many other mid-rangers, but is it TOO cheap? Continue reading “Infinix Note 10 Pro Review: Good And Cheap!”
OnePlus 9 Pro Review! This brand has changed. This is not a “flagship killer”. This is a flagship. What SHOULD we expect from a phone when prices climb? How does it compare against similarly priced competition?
It’s a totally different vibe when we talk about “Luxury” products, so let’s see how the 9 Pro stacks up. Continue reading “OnePlus 9 Pro Review: Justifying the Price?”
Black Shark 4 Review!
Gaming phones are an interesting segment. The phones to get if you care about powerful performance, high refresh rate screens, and features like headphone jacks. The Black Shark 4 is a budget friendly options with some powerful internals, but how does it compare against premium phones from last year?
Black Shark 4 By The Benchmarks https://somegadgetguy.com/2021/05/04/black-shark-4-by-the-benchmarks-a-monster-mid-ranger/ Continue reading “Black Shark 4 Gaming Phone: Premium Performance, Mid Range Price”
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!”