Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Benchmarks: Qualcomm's New Flagship Android Platform Tested

Qualcomm had a lot of new technology to roll out at its annual Snapdragon Summit this year in Maui, HI. The company teased a new custom CPU core, announced a hardware platform for smart glasses, and of course, unveiled its latest flagship Snapdragon Mobile Platform—the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. This new Arm-based mobile platform processor will begin appearing in phones at the end of this year but we had a chance to take it for a spin, in a prototype reference device, to run some benchmarks. Qualcomm claims the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 offers a sizable performance boost and a major lift in AI processing,...

Google Pixel 7 And Pixel 7 Pro Review: Refined In Every Way

by Ryan Whitwam - Mon, Oct 17, 2022

  Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro - Starting At $599 And $899, Respectively The latest Pixels are the best phones Google has ever made, thanks in large part to a killer camera experience.      Improved premium build quality and design The best smartphone camera experience available Sleek, smart Android 13 OS with long update support Sharp, fast OLED displays with high brightness Solid performance Middling Pixel 7 Pro battery life No telephoto camera on Pixel 7 Charging speeds somewhat slow Minor software glitches but it's early   Google has released its own smartphones...

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Review: A Fun Fashionable Foldable

by Ryan Whitwam - Tue, Sep 13, 2022

  Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 - Starting $999.99 (Currently $899) The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 isn't doesn't transform the experience like a larger foldable, but it's a capable, stylish smartphone that doesn't dominate your pocket.      Compact, fun form factor Excellent performance Great for selfies Class-leading software support Cover display is surprisingly useful Relatively weak battery life and only 25W charging Only 12MP primary camera, no optical zoom Screen protector not centered perfectly and not polarized Heat causes throttling during games Poor value compared to similarly...

Tim Cook Trolls Android Users Over RCS Message Support Saying Buy Your Mom An iPhone

by Ryan Whitwam - Thu, Sep 08, 2022

Apple has unveiled a new generation of iPhones with better cameras, longer battery life, and a "Dynamic Island" instead of a notch. One thing the new phones won't have is RCS messaging support. Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked at Vox Media’s Code 2022 event whether the company would heed Google's calls to adopt the universal messaging standard. His reply was pretty snarky: "buy your mom an iPhone." The issue lies in how Apple connects iPhones through the default messaging app. When an iPhone user sends a message to another iPhone user, Apple intercepts it and routes it through a proprietary system...

ASUS Zenfone 9 Review: A Small Device With Big Performance

by Marco Chiappetta - Fri, Sep 02, 2022

  ASUS Zenfone 9 - Starting At: $699 ASUS took a different approach than many competitors with the new Zenfone 9, and packed class-leading performance into a compact, svelte form factor. If you want a small, fast smartphone, the Zenfone 9 may be for you.     Streamlined Form Factor High Performance Decent Battery Life Headphone Jack Large Camera Sensors No Wireless Charging No Telephoto Camera No mmWave 5G Support 2-Year Commitment To Updates   A large contingent of smartphone consumers have a similar list of “must have” features when shopping for a new device....

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 Review: A Fabulous Foldable Phone

by Ryan Whitwam - Thu, Aug 25, 2022

  Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 - Starting At: $1799.00 Samsung made some great refinements to the Galaxy Z Fold4 over the previous gen Fold3, including a better camera, better build quality and a fantastic folding display. However, its battery life is middling and its price tag still hefty.      Great S Pen Support Solid Camera Performance Impressive Build Quality Long Android Update Support Solid Software With Great Multitasking  Gorgeous Foldable Display Relatively Weak Battery Life Slow 25 Watt Charging Hefty $1800 Starting Price   According to Samsung, foldable phones...

Motorola Launches Flagship Razr 2022 Foldable With 144Hz Display And Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1

by Ryan Whitwam - Thu, Aug 11, 2022

It has been almost two years since Motorola released a foldable Razr phone, and flip phone fans in most of the world will have to wait a bit longer. Moto has finally unveiled the 2022 Razr foldable, but it has only been announced for China, where it will retail for just 5,999 CNY, or about $900 USD—that's several hundred less than the last version. Not only does the phone get a sizeable price drop, but it's also more powerful than past Razr foldables with the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip and a 144Hz display. The first thing you'll notice about the new Razr is that it's wide—very...

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 And Z Flip4 Impress In Hands-On At Unpacked

by Tim Sweezy - Wed, Aug 10, 2022

Samsung's Unpacked 2022 event is set to show off the company's latest foldable devices, watch and Galaxy Buds2 Pro earbuds. The Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip lines have gained in popularity the last couple of generations, as the quality of the design and functionality have improved. The Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold4 and Z Flip4 foldable phones are perhaps the most anticipated reveals of this year's Unpacked event. Samsung touts the latest in its foldable phones as being groundbreaking, with customizable form factors, tailored experiences, and upgraded performance. So, let's take a deeper look...

OnePlus 10T Review: Crazy-Fast Phone, Charges Even Faster

by Ryan Whitwam - Wed, Aug 03, 2022

OnePlus exploded on the scene in 2014 talking smack about the big boys and promising to help its customers "Never Settle." In the same way the "Don't be evil" slogan has come back to haunt Google, OnePlus fans have delighted in calling out the OEM for settling on numerous occasions. Get ready for another round of jokes because the new OnePlus 10T has made a few concessions that make it a less capable smartphone.  I am, however, relieved that it's not all bad news. Yes, the OnePlus 10T should have an alert slider, which it does not. It should also have wireless charging, a feature OP has been...

Pixel 6a Review: A Mid-Range Smartphone Win For Google

by Nathan Wasson - Thu, Jul 21, 2022

An important distinction in the eternal iPhone versus Android debate is that the iPhone is a specific brand of phone with its own operating system, iOS, while Android is only an operating system that runs on a wide variety of different phone brands and models. That said, Google, the driving force behind Android, does make its own phones and reserves certain Android features for those devices. Now more than ever, Google seems to be trying to set the standard for Android devices with its latest generation of Pixel smartphones. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro stand as the company’s most premium phone...

ASUS ROG Phone 6 Hands-On Performance Review: Gaming Beast

by Dave Altavilla, Paul Lilly - Tue, Jul 05, 2022

ASUS figured out several years ago that it could cater to mobile gamers by packing fast, optimized hardware with intelligent features into its gaming phones, and then surround them with an ecosystem of complementary software and peripherals. Thus the ROG Phone was born. Now in its fifth iteration (ASUS ultimately skipped an ROG Phone 4 SKU), the ROG Phone 6 is the first to employ Qualcomm’s supercharged Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. Thankfully we managed to get our hands on one with short notice, and we were able to run a bunch of benchmarks and some other testing on this new ASUS gaming...

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Benchmarks: Faster At Everything With Better Efficiency

by Paul Lilly - Fri, May 20, 2022

Qualcomm is updating its mobile platforms with a couple of enhanced SoCs, including the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 for flagship Android phones, and the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 for premium handsets that fall just a step below. As it happens, we had the opportunity to preview the performance of the former and spoiler alert, it's fast. We'll get to precisely how much of a performance uplift it delivers over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, but first let's go over some of the specs and features. For anyone who's been following the mobile scene for some time, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 seems like an inevitable release. For...

OnePlus Nord N20 5G Review: Great Value Never Looked So Good

by Myriam Joire - Thu, Apr 28, 2022

For better or for worse, OnePlus is changing. In the past year, the company has merged with Oppo, transitioned OxygenOS to Oppo’s ColorOS code base, and replaced Warp Charge with Oppo’s SuperVOOC. But here in the US, OnePlus also grew almost 3x thanks in no small part to its affordable Nord N series handsets. And while the OnePlus Nord N10 5G ($300) missed the mark somewhat, we really enjoyed the OnePlus Nord N200 5G ($240). Today, we’re checking out the newest member of the Nord N series, the OnePlus Nord N20 5G ($282), an ultra-stylish 5G phone that gains a Snapdragon 695 processor...

OnePlus 10 Pro Review: A Solid Android Flagship With Innovative Cameras

by Myriam Joire - Thu, Mar 31, 2022

A lot has changed at OnePlus over the past year. The company has merged with Oppo, and OnePlus’ OxygenOS now shares a common codebase with Oppo’s ColorOS. Warp Charge is now called SuperVOOC, which is Oppo’s fast charging brand. OnePlus also set sales records in 2021, shipping 11 million phones worldwide, and growing by 286% in the US market, thanks to its affordable Nord N series handsets. Then, in January, after years of simultaneously launching its flagship globally, the company released the OnePlus 10 Pro in China only with ColorOS 12 and 80W fast charging, but without a OnePlus...

Oppo Find X5 Pro Hands-On: A Premium Flagship With Serious Camera Chops

by Myriam Joire - Sun, Mar 06, 2022

Last week, Oppo launched its latest Android flagship – the Find X5 Pro (€1,299 / ~$1400) – and we just spent a few days using the phone in Barcelona during Mobile World Congress 2022. Before we share our first impressions, let’s provide some context. Oppo’s Find X series has always delivered top specs with premium design – for a price. It’s popular in markets outside the US, and is somewhat similar to the OnePlus Pro line of flagships. The original Find X featured a motorized camera pod and a notch-less display. In 2020, the Find X2 Pro boasted a 5x...

RedMagic 7 Review: A Crazy-Fast, Affordable Snapdragon Gaming Phone

by Myriam Joire - Tue, Feb 22, 2022

Over the years, Chinese phone manufacturer RedMagic has managed to build a reputation for making affordable, feature-packed gaming phones and selling them in the US. The company typically releases new models in the spring using Qualcomm’s latest flagship processor, then launches similar, but updated versions in the fall, often with Qualcomm’s revised “plus” chipsets. And since the RedMagic 3, these handsets have included a built-in cooling fan to maintain optimal, sustained performance. With last year’s RedMagic 6, the company also introduced Pro variants with slightly...

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra And S22+ Review: Ultimate Android Flagships

by Myriam Joire - Fri, Feb 18, 2022

Another year, another triplet of Samsung Galaxy S flagships. Last week, Samsung launched the Galaxy S22 ($799), S22+ ($999), and S22 Ultra ($1,199), three premium phones with high-end specs that are targeted at dominating the Android landscape in the US, and battling the Android competition abroad. Needless to say, these are important handsets for the company, the carriers, the industry, and consumers alike. But things are different this year. Samsung has a lot more riding on the S22 series, especially after last year’s lackluster flagship sales. Regardless, by all accounts, the S21 series...

Unpacking Samsung's Hot New Galaxy S22 And Tab S8 Flagships, A Hands-On First Look

by Marco Chiappetta, Paul Lilly - Wed, Feb 09, 2022

Ahead of today's Galaxy Unpacked 2022 event, Samsung had teased the introduction of "the most noteworthy S series device we've ever created," and had even been accepting reservations, with a $50 credit serving as an incentive for doing so. Samsung was obviously referencing its Galaxy S22 series, and today's reveal makes it official—the Galaxy S22 lineup is here, and we've gone hands on with the series for a first look at the actual phones (read: these are not renders). And spoiler alert, they're gorgeous. There are three main models to choose from, including the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Galaxy S22+,...

Sony Xperia 5 iii Review: Petite Android Phone With Camera Chops

by Myriam Joire - Tue, Feb 08, 2022

For a few years now, Sony’s been making premium, feature-rich, media-centric, flagship smartphones that incorporate technologies from its Alpha cameras, and target die-hard Sony customers. This niche strategy appears to be working for the company, as it continues to bring new handsets to market. In 2021, Sony launched the Xperia Pro ($2000), Xperia Pro-I ($1800), Xperia 1 iii ($1300), and Xperia5 iii ($1000). Today we take a look at Sony's most affordable flagship, the Xperia 5 iii. If you’ve been keeping tabs, Sony’s “bread and butter” phones – if there is such...

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Review: Full-Featured Yet Affordable

by Dave Altavilla - Tue, Jan 18, 2022

Samsung's previous generation Galaxy S20 Fan Edition was met with high praise for its value proposition when it launched last November. The goal of Samsung's Galaxy FE products is to deliver key features most mainstream and enthusiast users want at a price point that's more approachable for the masses. This class of smartphones has been wildly popular with tech-savvy enthusiast consumers, so it's no surprise Samsung is bringing the Galaxy S21 FE 5G out as an extension of its successful Galaxy S21 family, just ahead of its next generation product launch that we should be hearing about in short order....

OnePlus 10 Pro Flagship Shows Off Premium Design In Its Official Launch Unveil

by Jeff Butts - Mon, Jan 03, 2022

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has given us an official sneak peek at its newest flagship handset. Rumors and leaks about the OnePlus 10 Pro have surfaced recently, but the company has kept quiet officially until now. With CES 2022 just around the corner, the excitement is building. As it did with the OnePlus 9 series of smartphones, OnePlus has partnered with renowned camera brand Hasselblad. For decades, Hasselblad has produced some of the finest camera equipment money could buy, making things look real good for the trio of camera lenses we can see on the rear of the OnePlus 10 Pro. While the...

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Benchmarks: Huge AI And Gaming Gains For Next-Gen Android Flagships

by Paul Lilly, Myriam Joire - Tue, Dec 07, 2021

Qualcomm recently announced a new flagship mobile chipset for next-gen Android devices, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which also kicks off a rebrand of the Snapdragon platform. Going forward, Qualcomm will no longer use three-digit model number designations as it has done with past chipsets like the Snapdragon 888+ 5G. In somewhat vague terms, Qualcomm said it needed a "bigger tent, a longer playing field so to speak," as it aims to broaden the appeal of Snapdragon "while keeping true to its core." The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 gets the party started, with Qualcomm kicking off its rebranding effort with a premium...

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