November 6, 2012 By

Samsung Galaxy Camera v Nikon Coolpix S800c

How do two Android cameras compare?

At the time of writing the Samsung Galaxy Camera is just hours away from arriving into stock (you can order HERE).

Whilst it looks to compete with other compact cameras, even digital SLR cameras and those cameras found on smartphones, it does have one one direct competitor, the Nikon Coolpix S800c.

We recently had hands on, and reviewed the Nikon Coolpix and we were fairly impressed but by no means blown away.  It came across limited in some places and lacking for the price point, although the image results were pleasing.

Whilst we will make a fuller comparison soon between the two, how technically do they compare?

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November 4, 2012 By

HTC One X+ v HTC One X

See what the differences are between the 2 smartphones

You would be excused for wondering what the differences are between the HTC One X+ and the HTC One X.  Well if you would like to know, check out the video below.

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November 1, 2012 By

Windows Phone 8 v Android 4.1

Android or Windows Phone, that is the question.

Whilst there are ardent supporters for all operating systems there are those that are less attached, or sometimes just like a change.

Even if you are an avid Android or Windows Phone fan then the following video that comes via Pocketnow, could be insightful as it looks at how the features compare in the operating systems. From how you scroll to how you access music, it is a great video.

 

Source: Pocketnow

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October 10, 2012 By

Samsung Ativ S vs HTC 8X

We put Samsung and HTC’s new flagship Windows Phone 8 devices side by side

Windows Phone 8 devices are set to launch towards the end of this month and early November. We don’t have the devices in store yet so an in depth discussion of how the new operating system works on these devices and comparison is still a little way off. What we can do is put the released hardware specifications side by side and look at how the flagship devices from Samsung and HTC, the Samsung Ativ S and HTC 8X, are shaping up.

Follow the break to read the full comparison

[Read more...]

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September 11, 2012 By

Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 vs. Galaxy Note 10.1

Choice can be a good or a bad thing depending on your perspective. Samsung have two 10 inch Android tablets available right now, so is this catering to our needs or just plain confusing?

Samsung are a prolific hardware manufacturer and release a lot of products (not just in the mobile industry) every year. The choice in range is great for those who love to pour over spec sheets and find the perfect fit but for some it can be confusing. At the time of writing Samsung have the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and the Galaxy Note 10.1 both sitting in almost the same place in the tablet market and for those who struggle or maybe just don’t have the time, figuring out which is better or just right for you may be tough. So let’s put them side by side and try to pick a winner.

Operating System

  Tab 2 10.1 Note 10.1
Version Android 4.0 ICS (upgrade to Jelly Bean expected soon) Android 4.0 ICS (upgrade to Jelly Bean expected soon)
Skin TouchWiz TouchWiz

Result – DRAW As expected both devices are running the highest available version of Android that Samsung are currently supporting with their TouchWiz skin. An official stable 4.1 release for either device is not yet available but expect them both to appear at similar times.

Raw Power

  Tab 2 10.1 Note 10.1
Processor 1 GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4430 1.4 GHz quad-core Exynos 4412
RAM 1 GB 2 GB

Result – Note 10.1 No two ways about it, the Note 10.1 is way ahead of the Tab 2 10.1 in terms of punching power. It’s worth noting that several reviews also mark the Note 10.1 as setting new benchmark highs for graphics performance on an Android Tablet.

Display

  Tab 2 10.1 Note 10.1
Resolution WXGA 1280 x 800 WXGA 1280 x 800
Glass Corning Gorilla Glass Corning Gorilla Glass

Result – DRAW It’s the same display which is to be expected with both tablets being in the same range from the same manufacturer. Not much to say here apart from it’s a high quality, bright and scratch resistant screen on both devices.

Connectivity

  Tab 2 10.1 Note 10.1
Bluetooth 3.0 4.0
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 802.11 a/b/g/n
DLNA No No
Power / USB Connector Proprietary 30 pin Proprietary 30 pin
Card slot MicroSD MicroSD

Result – Note 10.1 Practically the same but the Note 10.1 edges things by including Bluetooth 4 support. It’s not a massive difference but version 4 includes new low energy protocols which makes the Note 10.1 more suitable as a constant Bluetooth hub or for those who regularly use Bluetooth apps for sharing data between devices.

Camera

  Tab 2 10.1 Note 10.1
Megapixels 3 MP 5 MP
Flash LED Flash & autofocus LED Flash & autofocus
Front Facing Camera 0.3 MP 1.9 MP

Result – Note 10.1 The Note 10.1 also takes this round with both main and front facing cameras having an improved resolution.

Design

  Tab 2 10.1 Note 10.1
Dimensions (inches) 10.1 x 6.9 x 0.38 10.3 x 7.1 x 0.35
Weight 588g 597g

Result – DRAW Although the Tab 2 is the marginally smaller and lighter of the two devices, the Note 10.1 has to include a slot for the S-Pen stylus to fit which invariably adds a bit of width but the tablet as a whole is actually slightly thinner. The differences and the reasons for them effectively cancel each other out. Coming from the same Galaxy range means both devices look and feel quite similar and colour is always a personal choice. I wouldn’t pick between these two on looks alone for sure.

Battery

  Tab 2 10.1 Note 10.1
Capacity 7000 mAh 7000 mAh
Removable Yes Yes

Result – DRAW Like the display round, what we have here is the same Samsung part being used. As always the actual battery life and performance of each device is going to vary depending on personal use – time spent on 3G / WiFi, gaming, using high power background applications etc. The higher clocked quad-core processor in the Note 10.1 has the potential to drain the battery faster than the Tab 2’s dual-core offering, which may be worth considering.

Price

  Tab 2 10.1 Note 10.1
16 GB WiFi £264 ex VAT £335 ex VAT
16 GB WiFi / 3G £349 ex VAT £420 ex VAT

Result – Tab 2 10.1 The Tab 2 is the cheaper device and Samsung have intentionally made it so to ease differentiating the two tablets. The reasons for this can be seen in the basic power specs alone along with the Note 10.1’s higher end camera, inclusion of the S-Pen and extra software that makes use of it.

Conclusion

The two tablets are actually quite tough to pull apart; in terms of the average user experience many would be hard pushed to tell the difference due to the identical operating system, interface and similar design. The differences lie where the power user will be interested. A faster processor and increased memory ensures the Note 10.1 has a longer lifespan and will remain ‘relevant’ as a higher end product for a longer time. Also as Android continues to develop and more powerful apps are released, the extra power will be better utilised whilst the Tab 2 10.1 is left behind.

Also no comparison here would be complete without another mention of the Note 10.1’s S-Pen. Samsung’s stylus makes writing, note taking and drawing a breeze and offers a much richer interaction. Its inclusion arguably justifies the extra cost over a Tab 2 10.1 with the same storage space without taking into account the increased power.

At the end of the day the proof is in the price. If you want a high quality 10 inch Android tablet for today and also want to save a bit of cash then you can’t really go wrong with the Tab 2 10.1. However if you want the knowledge that you’ve bought the best available device in the range, as future proofed as possible and with an extra toy on the side to show off with then spend that little bit extra and go for the Note 10.1.

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September 7, 2012 By

The price of power

Just what can £150 buy you today?

Smartphones are expensive. The new flagship device from any company can be a hefty investment if purchased separately and could end up being worth more than your current home computer. This of course is why network operators give discounts when you take out a contract, effectively putting the phone on finance for you. If you’re looking at a new device the choice and often the price might be a little off putting – so do you really need to spend all that money?

Brand new technology will always be expensive, there’s no two ways about that. It costs a lot of money to research, design and develop a new toy for us to play with. Quad core processors, graphics chips, more powerful imaging and lenses for cameras, all these things and more add to the price tag. Do you need to be on the bleeding edge though? Sure most of us like to have the latest and greatest if we can, but when you’re on a budget taking a look at the middle or lower end can turn up some great surprises.

Fans of technology will probably understand Moore’s Law where, roughly speaking, computers get twice as fast / powerful for the same price every 18 / 24 months. The theory is used to set targets in the tech industry and so in a self determining way is quite accurate. It also means that as the years tick on, what you find lurking in the budget range also gets more powerful. After all a device may be “last year’s” tech, but last year it probably wowed us all when we saw it for the first time. So let’s set a budget and see what we can pick up for £150 on the Clove website.

First off some ground rules – what makes the list has to be classed as a smartphone. Not just a talky / texter but full web access, email functionality, diary / calendar, camera, GPS and anything else that one would expect from a modern handset, which when you think about it is a lot of bang for your buck. Operating System doesn’t matter but seeing as we’re sticking to a budget it’s probably going to be an Android heavy list. Oh the joys of free and open software. So lets run through some of the major manufacturers and pick some of the best – and remember all of these devices will also be SIM free

HTC Desire C – £150

Right on budget but more than worth it the Desire C sports Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and an impressive feature set for the 150 readies including NFC capabilities, Bluetooth 4.0, a 5 megapixel camera, 4 GB of internal storage, Beats Audio by Dre audio enhancement all powered by a 600MHz processor. This is arguably the most highly specced device available for the money right now

Huawei Blaze – £94

If budget really is the name of the game then the Huawei Blaze is just for you. A standard 600 MHz processor is all that is required to power this lightweight Android 2.3 pocket pleaser. Although not generally known for handsets, Huawei are a long standing producer of quality telecoms equipment in the industry so you know you’re in safe hands even with the low price tag

Motorola DEFY Mini – £130 MOTOLUXE android 1

A smaller brother to Motorola’s popular DEFY, the mini retains all the rugged protection of the original. Dust proof, waterproof and with a scratch resistant Gorilla Glass screen, not only is this little beauty in budget but also suitable for a busy and active lifestyle. Like many in this list the mini is powered by a 600 MHz processor and runs Android 2.3

Samsung Galaxy Y – £99

Again with Android 2.3, the Galaxy Y packs a bit more punch with an 832 MHz processor. The camera is slightly lacking at only 2 megapixels but to et under the £100 barrier there ultimately had to be a few sacrifices and if that isn’t a deal breaker then the Galaxy Y is a great little device from arguably the most popular manufacturer of the moment

Sony Xperia miro – £138

It’s not released for a couple of weeks yet but Sony’s miro is already making a few waves. One of only two Android 4.0 devices on the list, with an 800 MHz processor and 5 megapixel camera, this middle end device is a direct competitor to HTC’s Desire C. Not to be outdone by Beats by Dre, the miro has its own audio enhancement via xLOUD technology and DLNA as standard in Sony products makes sharing between other connected devices a cinch

All prices are excluding VAT and correct at time of publishing.

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August 7, 2012 By

IP67 Rated & Rugged–Utano Barrier T180 v JCB Pro-Smart

Two rugged Android handsets fight it out.

Some phones just cant quite survive in hostile environments where lots of dust, water and mud may be involved, unless you wrap them in rugged cases, but you could argue why not just buy a rugged phone.

If you go down this route, 2 handsets you may consider are the JCB Pro-Smart and the Utano Barrier T180.  Both are IP67 rated handsets, designed to operate in harsh environments.  Both have similar price tags but have slightly different box contents and features.

The Utano is dual SIM, meaning you can have 2 active SIM cards in the phone at any one time, unlike the single SIM of the JCB.

Check out our comparison video below for more information to help you figure out which is right for you.

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July 18, 2012 By

Sony Xperia Go vs Motorola DEFY+

How do these two IP67-rated smartphones compare on paper?

The Motorola DEFY set the standard for ruggedised devices when it was released back in 2010. It’s seen several challengers arise since then and the latest iteration of Motorola’s ‘lifeproof’ handset, the DEFY+ JCB edition, defends its IP67 crown against the brand new Sony Xperia Go. The Go is Sony’s second water and dust resistant handset, following in the footsteps of the Xperia Active, which was launched late last year.

Sony_Xperia_Go_vs_Motorola_DEFY_Plus

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May 28, 2012 By

Sony Xperia’s Compared–Xperia S v P v U

A video that compares the Sony Xperia S against the P and U, the two lower end handsets in the Xperia range.

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May 21, 2012 By

Samsung Galaxy S3 vs HTC One X

We size up the HTC flagship, the One X, against Samsung’s eagerly awaited successor to the wildly popular Galaxy SII, the surprisingly named Galaxy SIII. Unlike shoplifting or playing “chicken-in-the-road” these two phones are big and they are clever. Let’s see how they square up on paper…

HTC_One_X_vs_SGS3 [Read more...]

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