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Google cancels Android 11 ‘Beta Launch Show’ amid protests Google’s latest Android features are much too vital to be Pixel-only Warning: This wallpaper could break your Android phone
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NEWS
Google cancels Android 11 ‘Beta Launch Show’ amid protests ‘Now is not the time to celebrate.’ HENRY BURRELL reports
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oogle and has cancelled its Android 11 launch in the wake of widespread civil unrest in the United States and around the world. On 30 May, Google tweeted its decision to postpone the public live stream officially unveiling its
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Android 11 operating system, saying “now is not the time to celebrate”, while the official PlayStation Twitter account said “we want to stand back and allow other voices to be heard”. We are excited to tell you more about Android 11, but now is not the time to celebrate. We are postponing the June 3rd event and beta release. We’ll be back with more on Android 11, soon. Android Developers (@AndroidDev) May 30, 2020 Google does not reference the unrest directly but the cancellation has been seen as supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement that has once again dominated headlines after the killing of black man George Floyd by a white police officer in Minnesota. Protests against police brutality have seen violence against protesters and journalists on the streets of the US.
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NEWS
Google’s latest Android features are much too vital to be Pixel-only What about the rest of Android? MICHAEL SIMON reports
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oogle has introduced a number of great updates to Android, but only for its own Pixel product line. While that’s awesome for Pixel users, it shuts out the rest of the Android community from important upgrades.
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There was a time when new Android updates brought more than just bug fixes and security patches. Like iOS, Google once handed out new features and enhancements throughout the lifespan of each version of Android to keep devices fresh and clean. For example, this latest drop includes adaptive battery improvements to make your phone last longer, a new bedtime feature in the Clock app that can play ambient noise and automatically limit notifications, and safety features that can alert your emergency contacts if you’re alone and in a potentially dangerous situation. These aren’t just fancy new filters for the camera or stickers for Messages. They’re useful, important features that the rest of Android is missing out on. At a time when phone makers are working faster than ever to deliver updates as soon as they’re available, Google is keeping the best and most crucial Android features for its own phones. In particular, the life-saving Personal Safety app that will alert your emergency contact if you’ve been in a crash and now will check in on you if you’re out alone is only available for Pixel users. That’s a feature that should be baked into Android, not available as an exclusive app. It’s not just new features, either. The excellent Recorder app is limited to Pixel 4, 3a, 3 and 2 phones. The full power of the new Google Assistant is hamstrung on other Android phones. Google Duo is far superior on Pixel phones. And on and on. Now, it’s entirely possible that most of these features are part of the Android 11 update in the autumn. Specifically, Android Police is reporting that the Clock app’s bedtime features “will be coming to all Android ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 7
NEWS
phones later this summer, following a short period of Pixel exclusivity”. Google was supposed to provide more details on the next version of its operating system in early June, but as we’ve reported on (see page 4), it decided to postpone the launch due to the ongoing protests across the United States. It’s possible we could have learned more about it then. Even so, Google is drawing an increasingly thick line in the sand between Pixels and the rest of the Android world – including phones that are part of the Android One programme – for no other reason than to make its own phones more attractive. It’s one thing to make a better camera or a fancy stand, but now Google is using Android against its partners. It is fully within its rights to release new features for the Pixel, but Android users everywhere could benefit from battery and safety features. Unless you own a Pixel, you’re going to be waiting a while to get them, if they ever come.
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WARNING!
This wallpaper may break your Android phone Why an innocuous wallpaper of some mountains is sending some Android users’ phones into turmoil. ALEX WALKER-TODD reports
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ometimes software bugs crop up that nobody could have seen coming and the reason why this particular wallpaper might throw you Android phone for a loop is even stranger. At the tail end of May 2020 users started reporting that their phones were either crashing or bootlooping (constantly restarting) after applying a particular wallpaper. The profile of the issue was then raised ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 9
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after known sources, including established tech leaker, IceUniverse posted and retweeted videos showing the issue on their Twitter feed. WARNING ! ! ! Never set this picture as wallpaper, especially for Samsung mobile phone users! It will cause your phone to crash! Don’t try it! If someone sends you this picture, please ignore it. pic.twitter.com/rVbozJdhkL Ice universe (@UniverseIce) May 31, 2020 It seems that using this picture as a wallpaper can cause certain Android phones to fall into a bootloop that can only be broken by either restarting your device in safe mode and deleting the offending wallpaper before restarting normally or manually deleting wallpaper data using a file browser. In particularly bad cases, users have had to resort to using their device’s recovery mode to get things up and running again, and not every user has been successful at recovering their device. As such, do not attempt to download and apply this wallpaper to your device (or anyone else’s).
Out of range
So why does a seemingly innocuous wallpaper of some mountains send so many devices into a panic? It has to do with the gamut and dynamic range of the image’s make-up. According to developer Davide Bianco, the image adheres to the RGB colour space, instead 10 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
of Android’s native sRGB colour space and the fact that some of the image’s values exceed the range of sRGB is enough to cause the SystemUI component of Android to crash. Further testing from multiple sources, including a report from 9to5Google, reveal that only devices running Android 10 or older (which is admittedly most Android devices currently on the market) are affected. Based on the Android 11 Developer Preview, the system automatically converts images that use an unsupported colour space, negating the risk entirely. Presently all-manner of Android phones are at risk from the effects of this wallpaper, with Samsung Galaxy phones and Google Pixel devices apparently being the hardest hit. Samsung phones are among the devices hardest hit by the bug
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Fixes are inbound
Bianco has already proposed a fix for Android by suggesting to limit the y-value (‘y’ denotes a colour’s intensity or brightness) of images to 255. He has also submitted a fix of his own to the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) repository. Samsung is also apparently aware of the bug and according to SamMobile is said to be including the fix in forthcoming Samsung Galaxy software updates.
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Google Pixel 4a Camera, specs, price and everything else we think we know. MICHAEL SIMON reports
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here might not be an I/O keynote this year, but some new hot Google hardware might still be on the way. All rumours and signs suggest that Google will launch the Pixel 4a in July.
Design
While the Pixel 3a (see page 74) is basically a plastic version of the high-end Pixel 3, the 4a will reportedly deviate from the bezel-heavy design of Google’s 14 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
Pixel 4. Based on leaked images, the Pixel 4a may be Google’s first phone to adopt a hole-punch camera, which will be aligned in the upper left corner of the screen. The 4a design was seemingly confirmed by Google exec Rick Osterloh, who tweeted about his Fitbit Earth badge with an Android screenshot sporting an indented status bar – see fave.co/3daoz7G. (However, he could have been using a OnePlus 8.) With the camera cutting into the screen, the bezels on the 4a will likely also be smaller than they are on the Pixel 4. In leaked renders obtained by 91mobiles (fave.co/2AZbShQ), the top and sides have uniform bezels similar to the iPhone 11. The bottom is a bit thicker, though not nearly as sizable as the Pixel 3 XL. Around the back, the Pixel 4a will reportedly stick with the rear fingerprint sensor – so don’t count on Motion Sense making an appearance – while adopting the square camera array introduced with the 4. The colour options are rumoured to be black and light blue, with green and pink power buttons, respectively.
Display
The biggest change to the Pixel 4a might be its size. Rather than regular and plus-size versions like every other Pixel phone, Google is rumoured to be releasing the 4a in just a single size, reportedly around 5.8 inches. That would put it right between the 5.6in Pixel 3a and 6in 3a XL, signalling Google is aiming for a ‘sweet spot’ with a single model rather than making buyers choose. Based on the 3a’s specs, we can also assume that the display will be OLED with a Full HD 1080p ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 15
PREVIEW
The Pixel 4a will reportedly have a leftaligned hole-punch camera like the OnePlus 8
resolution like the 3a. It’s doubtful that it will get the Pixel 4’s 90Hz Smooth display.
Processor and specs
Last year’s Pixel 3a was extremely capable with its Snapdragon 670 processor. The 4a will likely bring similar mid-range performance. According to 9to5Google, the Pixel 4a will be powered by the Snapdragon 730 processor. It should bring a nice speed boost over the 3a, with higher CPU and GPU clock speeds, as well as greater power efficiency thanks to a smaller die process (8nm versus 10nm). Jon Prosser of the Front Page Tech YouTube channel 16 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
also says that it’s not likely to include a 5G modem despite some rumblings that it might, especially since Google’s flagship Pixels don’t yet support the next-generation network. Elsewhere, the Pixel 4a is expected to get a bump to 6GB of RAM (up from 4GB in the 3a), while keeping the same 64GB storage – with a new 128GB option that will likely cost £100 extra. An expected 3,080mAh battery would be very similar to the 3,000mAh battery in the 3a. Rumours also suggest the 4a will once again skip wireless charging. It will also reportedly keep the headphone jack.
Camera
The camera is what makes Pixel phones special, and we expect no different from the 4a. However, the hardware is likely to be similar to that of prior phones. Google has used a 12.2Mp lens on all of its phones, so you can expect it to appear on the Pixel 4a as well. Furthermore, the leaks above suggest the 4a will be a single-camera phone, leaving the dual-camera array as an exclusive feature on the Pixel 4. It also reportedly won’t have Google’s home-grown Visual Core or the newer Neural Core on board.
Features
With a slim top bezel and a rear fingerprint sensor, the Pixel 4a is all but certain to skip Google’s Motion Sense tech that tracks movements and maps faces for secure unlocking. Also, without the dedicated core processor, it might not have the Pixel 4’s mind-blowing astrophotography mode either, and ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 17
PREVIEW
The features that made the Pixel 3a so great will likely all be making their way to the 4a, along with a few new ones
newer camera features such as Dual Exposure controls and Live HDR+ might not be making their way to the 4a either. Google has yet to deliver them to older phones, due to the features’ reliance on ‘low-level capabilities in the hardware’. The Pixel 4a will likely get the new Google Assistant, which brings app-level interaction and faster response times. It also might get the excellent new Recorder app that automatically transcribes speech for searchable audio files. Of course, it will receive a guaranteed three years of Android security updates and two years of OS updates, as well as ‘feature drops’ throughout the year.
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Price and release
A leaked rendering of a billboard (see page 14) reveals that the Pixel 4a will start at the same price as the 3a. It’s extremely likely that the Pixel 4a would have launched at Google I/O in early May had it gone off as planned, so the 4a could arrive at any time with little fanfare, much like Apple’s iPhone SE. Front Page Tech’s Prosser says the phone has been delayed until July, a report that was confirmed by David Ruddock of Android Police. However, all indications are that the phone is ready to go at any time, so those plans could still change.
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BUYING GUIDE
Best Android phones Find the best Android phone for photographers, smart shoppers, and more. MICHAEL SIMON reports
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hoosing the best Android phone for you is a big decision. The Android universe is teeming with options, from expensive flagship handsets to more affordable models that make a few calculated compromises, to those expressly designed for, say, great photography. Chances are that whichever phone you buy, you’ll keep it for at least two years. So we’ve made picks for the best Android phone in key categories.
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What to look for in an Android phone
While most smartphones might look pretty much the same, buying one is a very personal experience. We all have unique needs, a unique budget, and personal preferences. You might need to access secure corporate email and documents with a phone that works on lots of networks around the world. Or you might spend all your time chronicling your life on Snapchat. That said, there are major features of all smartphones that you should compare before making a purchase decision. Display: A good screen has a high-resolution, retina-style display (1,920x1,080 for smaller phones, 2,650x1,440 for larger models), so even fine text is crisp and legible. Nearly every premium handset has moved to a 18:9 aspect ratio, bringing more height to the display while making it easier to hold, and OLED for better colour accuracy and deeper blacks. A high contrast ratio and maximum brightness will make it easier to see in bright sunlight. Camera: Smartphone vendors like to tout a camera’s megapixels or portrait abilities, but a second lens and wide aperture (low f-stop number such f/2.0 and as low as f/1.5 on high-end phones) get you only so far. The particulars of the sensor, image processing chip, and camera software have a huge impact on the photo- and video-taking experience. You want a camera that launches quickly, focuses in an instant, and has no lag between hitting the shutter button and taking the photo. A great phone ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 21
BUYING GUIDE
Samsung’s phones have some of the best displays you can buy
camera is one with great processing, that can produce shots with accurate colours and little noise in lots of different environments. If you take selfies, pay particular attention to the quality of the front-facing camera. Finally, we love manual camera controls, and reward phones that offer lots of fine-tuning options. Processor and memory: Nearly every modern phone is ‘fast enough’ for common tasks such as web browsing and social media, and nearly every premium phone uses the same processor: the newest Snapdragon 800 Series chip. But unless you plan to use your phone for more taxing activities like 3D gaming, VR 22 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
or video editing, you don’t always need a super-highend processor and tons of RAM. Still, don’t settle for less than 2GB of RAM and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600-series processor or better. Battery: Every time a new poll is taken about what users want out of their next smartphone, ‘better battery life’ is at the top of the list. A battery’s capacity is measured in milliamp-hours (mAh), and ranges from just under 3,000mAh to around 4,000mAh. As a rule of thumb, more mAh is better. But phones with bigger, brighter displays and more powerful processors drain the battery more quickly, so a smaller and less expensive handset with a 2,500mAh battery might actually last longer than a high-end model with a 3,300mAh one. AI and battery-saving modes are helping phones last longer and longer. You shouldn’t settle for one that doesn’t get you through a full day without needing to run for a outlet. Size and weight: Some people love big phones. Some love smaller phones. Some want a lightweight phone that disappears in the pocket, while others need to feel some heft. It’s a matter of personal preference. With shrinking bezels and changing ratios, even 6in handset can be held comfortably in most hands. Before you decide, head to your local carrier or electronics store and try on a few different models for size. Software and bloatware: If you want a phone that runs pure Android with no embellishments, you need to buy a Pixel model or an Android One handset. Anything ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 23
BUYING GUIDE
The Note 10+ is a giant phone, but if you don’t need such a big screen there are other options available
else you buy is going to have a custom build of Android – and that could be good or bad. Phone makers change the Android interface and icons to varying degree, and add features and software of their own. Sometimes this stuff is useful, sometimes it isn’t. Pre-installed apps that can’t be removed (usually called ‘bloatware’) can slow down your phone or, at the very least, take up valuable storage space. And if you buy a phone from a carrier instead of an unlocked carrier-neutral model, you’ll probably find a bunch of carrier apps you may not want. Know what you’re getting into before you buy. Updates are also a concern. Pixel phones get the latest version of Android and security patches on day 24 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
one, but most other models take weeks to deliver patches and months to push out updates, if they get them at all. That’s true of premium handsets such as the Galaxy S8 and budget phones alike. So consider that when committing to a new phone.
How we test
First and foremost, we spend at least several days with the phone under review, treating it as if it were our one and only. No number of lab tests or benchmarks will tell you as much about a phone as living with it for awhile. We’re concerned with real-world performance, stability, interface usability, camera quality and whether proprietary features are useful or cumbersome. We use social media, check email, play games, take photos and videos in a variety of conditions, navigate around town, and do all the things most people do with their phones. Of course, we also run extensive benchmarks: 3DMark (both Ice Storm Unlimited and Sling Shot), PCMark, GFXBench, AnTuTu, Geekbench, and Vellamo. We run all our tests with the phone set up the way it would be out of the box, without disabling any pre-installed apps or services. We do, however, make efforts to ensure benchmarks are not interrupted by notifications, and that background downloads aren’t taking place. We may not report results from all of these tests (real-world everyday performance is far more important than benchmarks), but we do share the most interesting results. Before running each benchmark, we make sure the phone is charged to 100 per cent, plugged in, and left ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 25
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We test new phones against old ones – even iPhones
to cool off. Phones can sometimes run slower as their batteries get low, and charging the phone can make it hot and cause the SoC to slow down. So we do our best to make sure every test starts with the phone topped off and at room temperature. When we run battery benchmarks (PCMark and Geekbench), we calibrate the display to 200 nits and disable all auto-brightness and screen-dimming features. Display brightness plays a major role in draining your battery, and we want to create a level playing field. Of course, we also keep a close eye on how long the battery lasts in our everyday use, including screen-on time, standby time and even how fast the battery charges with the included charger. 26 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
But most importantly, we use them. When we get in a new Android phone, it becomes the reviewer’s daily driver, so we load it with apps, streaming services and documents to get an accurate representation of how it will perform under light, medium and heavy loads. Benchmarks are nice, but they can be gamed, and there’s no better way to judge a new phone than to put it through the paces of a normal routine.
Best Android phone overall OnePlus 7T
Price: £469 from fave.co/2X4wPAF In a world of big and bad pro, plus and premium smartphones, the OnePlus 7T is Baby Bear: just right. Coming alongside a refresh of OnePlus’s own surprising ‘pro’ phone, the 7T brings top-of-theline specs, high-end features, and flagship-calibre performance at a price point that undercuts pro and non-pro phones alike. All of which begs the question: why do we even need ‘pro’ phones? Curved screens, better cameras, and faster charging have become the hallmarks of ‘pro’ phones, but the OnePlus 7T doesn’t feel any less complete or cutting-edge without the OnePlus 7T Pro’s edge-to-edge screen or pop-up selfie cam. If anything, the existence of the 7T Pro makes the OnePlus 7T seem like an even greater value than it is. With a Snapdragon 855+ processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 6.5in 90Hz display for £469, I can’t think of a reason why someone would choose to spend an extra £100 on the 7T Pro. Or an extra £290 on the Pixel 4 XL for that matter. ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 27
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The same old missing features Before we get into what the OnePlus 7T has, let’s talk about what it doesn’t have: wireless charging and IP-rated water resistance. Still. (Neither does the OnePlus 7T Pro, so that’s not a reason to upgrade.) It’s something of a punchline at this point, but for a phone that purports to be a flagship killer, it’s becoming more and more of a glaring omission – especially since the competition includes the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Apple iPhone 11, both of which include wireless charging and IP68 water resistance in their leastexpensive models. As far as the latter goes, OnePlus claims that its phones do have some degree of water resistance but doesn’t want to its users to pay for the certification You’ll still need to use USB-C for all of your OnePlus charging needs
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through higher priced phones. However, it doesn’t actually offer any specifics as to how long and deep you can dunk your OnePlus 7T, so I wouldn’t recommend taking it swimming. The lack of wireless charging continues to be a head-scratcher, especially since OnePlus currently leads the wired charging pack. The 7T introduces OnePlus’s new Warp Charge 30T, which will fill up roughly 70 per cent of the phone’s 3,800mAh battery in about a half hour. The proprietary tech puts the fast-charging wizardry in the charger rather than the phone to deliver a sustained 30-watt charge for longer without risk of overheating. And you won’t need to buy a separate plug to enjoy it – OnePlus supplies a 30-watt 30T charger and cable in the box, besting the bundled The OnePlus 7T’s glass back doesn’t support wireless charging
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BUYING GUIDE
powered adaptor in the Note 10+ (25 watts), iPhone 11 Pro (18 watts), and Pixel 4 (18 watts). Of course, wireless charging is about convenience, not speed, and if you’re coming from a phone that has it, the inability to quickly pop it on a charging pad while you work or sleep will surely stand out. Add to that the fact that the Warp Charger and cable are among the biggest I’ve used – and you won’t get the same guaranteed speeds and protection without them – and you’ll definitely feel its omission in the 7T.
A faster display makes all the difference If you can overlook those two missing features, however, the OnePlus 7T is inarguably one of the best Android phones you can buy. The front is very similar to the 6T, with a teardrop notch and slim but visible bezels all around. It’s not quite as striking as the curved displays on Galaxy Note 10+ or the OnePlus 7T Pro, nor as symmetrical as the iPhone 11, but it’s still one of the best-looking phones around. Around the back, the OnePlus 7T eschews its traditional pill-shaped camera array for a eye-catching circle. It’s as distinctive as the iPhone 11 Pro’s bump – and just as extrusive – and like its premium peers, OnePlus has filled it with a trio of lenses. As phones inch closer to the day where the front will be all screen, the rear case is increasingly where a phone’s unique character can be found, and the OnePlus 7T certainly stands out. The OnePlus 7T has a 6.55in Full HD (2,400x1,080) OLED display that’s bigger than basically every competitor, save the Note 10+ and OnePlus 7T Pro. If 30 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
The OnePlus 7T, left, uses a 90Hz screen so scrolls and swipes feel much quicker than the 6T
you like big phones, the 7T is pretty much the perfect size. While it’s less than two-tenths of an inch smaller than those phones, the OnePlus 7T is much more comfortable to hold and use with one hand. The bezels also help in that regard, limiting the accidental touches that are all too common with ‘infinity’ screens. Even without fancy curved edges, however, the OnePlus 7T has an excellent OLED display. It’s a bit brighter than the 6T (a max of 875 nits of brightness versus 800 on the 6T) and looks great when OnePlus’s ‘Nuanced dark’ theme is switched on. Like the 6T, an optical in-display fingerprint sensor is still the only secure biometric authentication method, and it’s greatly improved over its predecessor. I’d still prefer a physical ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 31
BUYING GUIDE
sensor or 3D facial recognition like the Pixel 4, but the in-display sensor here isn’t nearly as finicky as it is on the 6T. Like previous OnePlus panels, it’s not quite on the level of the Galaxies and iPhones – and it still doesn’t have an always-on display option, opting to once again rely on a lift-to-wake ambient display – but it has one thing those displays don’t have: a 90Hz refresh rate. The OnePlus 7T isn’t the first phone to sport a 90Hz display, in fact it’s not even the first OnePlus phone to have it. But you won’t find another phone that offers it at this price, and when you try it out, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. We spend a lot of time talking about the processors in our phones – and the OnePlus 7T certainly has an excellent one – but when you’re dealing with The trademark OnePlus alert slider remains on the 7T, and it’s just as fantastic as ever
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touchscreens, the response is as important as the completed action. The OnePlus 7T’s 90Hz display increases the refresh rate by 50 per cent to make taps, swipes and scrolls feel incredibly fast, which amps up the overall speed of the phone, especially when gesture navigation is turned on. It’s like Apple’s ProMotion display for the iPad Pro, but it’s even more dramatic at this size and price point. It’s the kind of feature you’d expect in a thousand-pound ‘pro’ phone, not a £469 one, and really gives the OnePlus 7T a leg up on its higher-priced competitors.
The best processor and a killer battery The speed inside the OnePlus 7T is just as impressive. It’s one of the few phones packing a Snapdragon 855+ chip, and while it doesn’t represent a massive improvement over phones with a standard 855 processor, it’s the first phone I’ve tested to cross the psychological 10,000 barrier in the all-important PCMark Work 2.0 tests: Geekbench 4 (Single-core/multi-core) OnePlus 7T: 3,685/11,505 Galaxy S10+: 3,448/10,803 Geekbench 5 (Single-core/multi-core) OnePlus 7T: 1,331/3,372 Galaxy S10+: 703/2,529 PCMark Work 2.0 OnePlus 7T: 10,863 Galaxy S10+: 9,549 ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 33
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3D Mark Sling Shot Extreme OnePlus 7T: 5,726 Galaxy S10+: 5,456 In reality, those numbers don’t amount to much of a difference over the Galaxy S10, Pixel 4 or any of the other top-level Android phones, but OnePlus 7T buyers can take comfort in knowing that they have the absolute fastest Android phone on the planet. The OnePlus 7 Pro’s ‘Fnatic mode’, which claims to optimize the CPU, GPU, RAM and network performance to supercharge your gaming, also makes an appearance. Does it work? Who knows, but it’s the kind of flexing that gamers will love. That speed is buoyed by the continued excellence of OxygenOS. The first shipping phone to run Android 10 out of the box, the OnePlus 7T has a real Pixel-like level of hardware-software interrelation, and while it’s relatively light on new features (like Android 10 itself), there’s no denying that it’s still a front-runner for best Android skin. From the animations to the optimizations, everything about Oxygen OS is a downright pleasure to use and the closest thing to pure Android this side of the Pixel. The light hand OnePlus takes with its skin no doubt helps the battery as well. A flurry of power efficiency features – adaptive battery, battery saver and dark mode – all help to push the OnePlus 7T’s battery life well into double-digit screen time. But even without any of that, I still topped 10 hours in my battery testing, and had nary an issue getting through a full day of use.
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Finally, a camera that’s better than okay Even with hardware specifications that challenge the highest-end Android handsets around, OnePlus phones have always had acceptable but less-thanexcellent cameras. The OnePlus 7 Pro closed that gap somewhat, but it still left much to be desired, especially when shooting in challenging light. A lot has changed in six months, and OnePlus has been working hard to deliver consistent updates to its processing and the OnePlus 7T packs the best out-of-the-box camera OnePlus has delivered. If you’re coming from the OnePlus 6 or earlier, the leap will be just as big as it was for the OnePlus 7 Pro. In fact, the OnePlus 7T has extremely similar camera hardware to the 7 Pro:
The OnePlus 7T’s new camera array is very bumpy
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BUYING GUIDE
OnePlus 7T Pro Camera 1: 48Mp, f/1.6, OIS Camera 2: 8Mp 3X telephoto, f/2.4, OIS Camera 3: 16Mp ultra-wide, f/2.2 OnePlus 7T Camera 1: 48Mp, f/1.6, OIS Camera 2: 12Mp 2X telephoto, f/2.2 Camera 3: 16Mp ultra-wide, f/2.2 But beyond the bump in specs, OnePlus has seriously upped its processing game from the days of the 6T. OnePlus phones have always been able to capture very good photos in the right light, but the 7T produced some of the best photos I’ve ever seen in a smartphone. The colour reproduction, exposure and white balance were particularly on point, as was the speedy focus and fast shutter. I think it’s safe to say the OnePlus camera is no longer a detriment.
I took some truly stellar pictures with the OnePlus 7T
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The OnePlus 7T brings some new features to the OnePlus camera app as well, which are more than the usual party tricks. A new Macro Mode, which switches on automatically when you’re within close range of a subject, captures tiny details that other cameras will miss, like the texture on the wings and the fuzz on the bee’s body in the cropped photo below. Also, the ultra-wide lens gets to use the much-improved night mode, so you aren’t limited to 26mm shots in low light. The 117-degree field of view on the ultra-wide lens is slightly smaller than the Galaxy S10 (123) and the iPhone 11 (120), but that won’t matter to anyone looking to get top-notch shooting options without spending a fortune, especially since the ultra-wide lens
In this cropped photo of a bumblebee, you can really see the OnePlus 7T’s macros lens in action
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BUYING GUIDE
When using Night mode, the OnePlus 7T (left) did a better job than the Galaxy S10 (right) of illuminating the scene without blowing out the colours. However, the iPhone 11 (centre) preserved more detail, as evidenced in the skull at the left
gets full use of night mode. Most smartphones limit night-time shots to the main wide lens, but OnePlus can handle it on both, which is a nice addition. More importantly, it’s improved the behind-the-scene computational algorithm so night-time photos look very respectable on the 7T. With the launch of the Pixel 3a, OnePlus seriously needed to up its camera game to stay relevant to the budget-conscious and experience-minded Android crowd, and the OnePlus 7T absolutely delivered.
Verdict The reasons to not buy a OnePlus phone are rapidly shrinking. Where design, carrier support, and camera were all detriments on previous models, OnePlus has turned those from cons into pros over the past few 38 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
Other than the camera array, the OnePlus 7T (left) is very similar to the 6T, but it brings some important upgrades
models, and the £469 OnePlus 7T is a phone any manufacturer would be proud to call a flagship. Yes, it’s missing wireless charging and bona fide water resistance, and Android diehards will miss the alwayson display, but it is able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Android greats in every other category. For 40 per cent less than the Galaxy S10+, Pixel 4 XL, and iPhone 11 Pro, OnePlus no longer should be the brand to consider if you don’t want to spend a lot. It should be the phone you get even if money is no object.
Specifications • 6.55in (2,400x1,080; 402ppi) Fluid AMOLED capacitive touchscreen ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 39
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• Android 10, OxygenOS 10.0.7I • Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855+ (7nm) processor • Octa-core (1x 2.96GHz Kryo 485, 3x 2.42GHz Kryo 485, 4x 1.78GHz Kryo 485) CPU • Adreno 640 (700MHz) GPU • 8GB RAM • 128GB/256GB storage • Three rear-facing cameras: 48Mp, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0in, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS; 12Mp, f/2.2, 51mm (telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom; 16Mp, f/2.2, 17mm (ultra wide), AF • Selfie camera: 16Mp, f/2.0, 25mm (wide), 1/3.0in, 1.0µm • 802.11b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi dual-band • Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD • GPS with dual-band A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, SBAS • NFC • USB 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector, USB On-The-Go • Fingerprint scanner (under display, optical) • Non-removable 3,800mAh lithium-polymer battery • 160.9x74.4x8.1mm • 190g
Best Android phone for photographers Google Pixel 3 XL
Price: £899 from fave.co/36DPGG0 After spending nearly a week with the Pixel 3 XL, my three first impressions of Google’s newest handset haven’t changed: it’s the fastest Android 40 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
You’ll find two front cameras and a speaker in the notch. It sure looks like these components have excessive breathing room
phone I’ve ever used. The cameras are awesome. The notch is an eyesore. Thankfully, the first two qualities make up for the third. Mostly. If the Pixel 3 XL didn’t have such an ostentatious notch, it would still be an ugly phone, but after a couple days I wouldn’t have cared anymore. Six days later, the notch is still the first thing my eyes go to every time I unlock my phone. It would be one thing if there was some next-generation camera or sensor that demanded such a large notch. But as it stands, there appears to be a lot of unnecessary space around the twin cameras, ambient light sensor, and speaker that live inside it. But I don’t want to waste too many words debating the merits of the Pixel 3 XL’s notch. Google has already ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 41
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signalled that it will be adding a way to black it out via software – which may or may not improve things – and it basically comes down to preference. If you can deal with it, get the Pixel 3 XL. If not, get the notchless Pixel 3. It’s that simple. Because otherwise, the Pixel 3 is more than just another great Android phone. It’s the emergence of the Pixel as a bona fide smartphone platform. There are features of other phones that may be better – the Galaxy S9’s design, the Huawei P20’s camera hardware, the Note 9’s battery – but no single Android phone can top the end-to-end performance that the Google delivers with the Pixel 3.
A nice back, a great screen The back of the Pixel has always looked better than the front, but that stark juxtaposition is amplified to an absurd level on the Pixel 3. The all-glass back of Google’s new phone is one of the nicest I’ve ever used, even in Google’s relatively pedestrian assortment of colours. The new Pixel doesn’t need the reception-friendly glass window anymore, but the Pixel 3 nonetheless retains the trademark two-tone look of its predecessors. The corners of the square are now curved to match the phone’s shape, giving the design a natural flow it didn’t have before. To mimic the aluminium look and feel of the first two Pixels, the bottom of the Pixel 3 XL is made of frosted glass, and it’s difficult to describe how luxurious it feels. Back when it created the iPhone 7’s ‘jet black’ colour, Apple developed a new manufacturing process that 42 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
The green power button is the Pixel 3’s most distinctive design feature – other than the notch
gave the aluminium a glass-like feel. Google’s frosted glass has the opposite effect: it makes the Pixel’s glass back feel like smooth aluminium. The result is a texture that’s less slippery and fingerprint-prone than most other glass phones. I’ve picked up a couple of scratches during my first case-less week with it, but they generally wiped off and aren’t nearly as noticeable as they are on other all-glass phones. The sides of the Pixel 3 are aluminium to match the back colour, with the non-black models once again featuring a coloured power button to break up the monotony. And of course, there’s no headphone jack, though Google is finally bundling a pair of Google Assistant and Translate-capable USB-C Pixel Buds in the box. Flip the phone over, however, and the refinement ends. Other than the deservedly maligned notch, it has ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 43
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Would you like some chin to go with your notch?
relatively thick bezels around the top and sides, along with a chin that’s about as big as last year’s 2 XL. The front-firing stereo speakers that sound great are present as well, which somewhat breaks up the empty space below the screen. Another annoyance: the corners at the bottom of the screen don’t match the shape of the ones at the top of the screen, making the phone appear even more unbalanced than it should. Even when you find an app that’s optimized for the tall notch, it just doesn’t look quite right. What does look right is the display itself. While the Pixel 3 XL has basically the same Quad HD 1440 P-OLED screen as the Pixel 2 XL (albeit with a slightly lower 523ppi), the displays couldn’t be more different. 44 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
The display on the Pixel 3 XL (left) is dramatically brighter, crisper, and more vibrant than the Pixel 2 XL
Where my Pixel 2 XL’s screen is dull and lifeless, the Pixel 3 XL’s display is as sharp, bright, and vibrant as any OLED I’ve used, with none of the annoying blue shift that plagued its predecessor. I didn’t even need to adjust the colour settings from ‘Natural’ like I didn’t with the 2 XL. It also feels better to the touch. There was a cheapness to the Pixel 2 XL’s oleophobic coating (the thing that’s supposed to prevent it from collecting unsightly fingerprints) that wore down over time and made the screen appear even more muted. But the glass on the Pixel 3 XL feels much better to my fingers. And the speed and crispness of animations make it feel like it has a 120Hz refresh rate (it doesn’t). ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 45
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The Pixel 3 XL’s 6.3in screen fits well in your hand
We already saw the results of LG’s new display process in the V40, and it’s even more evident here. The clarity of the display on the Pixel 2 XL was its biggest weakness, but on the 3 XL Google has turned the display into an strength, notch and all.
Average specs, incredible speeds On paper, the Pixel 3 XL isn’t all that impressive. It’s got a Snapdragon 845 processor with 4GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB of storage and a 3,430mAh battery. Nearly every one of its competitors offers at least 6GB of RAM, more internal storage along with an SD card slot, and greater battery capacity. But the new Pixel does more with less. 46 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
With the Pixel 3 XL (left), Google has added more than a quarter-inch of screen in the same body as the Pixel 2 XL
Performance-wise, the Pixel 3 XL is insanely fast. And it needs to be, since Android 9’s new gesture navigation isn’t just on by default – it’s the only way to use the Pixel 3. I’ve been using it on the Pixel 2 XL for awhile, but on the Pixel 3, ‘Swipe up on Home button’ feels more natural then ever. Animations fly, app switching is buttery smooth and the new haptic feedback engine gives the whole system a subtle tactility that makes it much easier to grasp. But it’s not just navigation that’s faster. The Pixel 3 is so speedy and smooth, it feels like a new variation of the Snapdragon 845 chip, like the 821 in the original Pixel. The Pixel 3 XL makes newer phones like the LG V40 and Note 9 seem laggy by ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 47
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comparison and earlier handsets (including the Pixel 2 XL) basically obsolete. The battery isn’t quite as impressive as the speed gains, but it’s still very good. The capacity is a touch smaller than the Pixel 2 XL’s 3,520mAh battery with even more pixels to push, so you’re not going to see any major real-world gains. It’s about as good as the Pixel 2 XL, which is to say it’s good enough for most days, but heavy workloads will require a power boost before day’s up. It’s not quite in the league of the all-day-and-then-some Note 9 or the iPhone XS, but Google promises that the Pixel’s adaptive battery will learn your habits and shut down batterykilling apps and processes. It’s something I’ll keep an eye on for sure, but during my first few days with
The Pixel 3 XL (top) is the exact same thickness as the Pixel 2 XL but it’s been improved in every way
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the Pixel 3 XL, I got about 6 hours of screen-on time, which is acceptable for a £900 phone but certainly not mind-blowing. Basically, the new Pixel feels like the Android equivalent of a new iPhone, with a super-speedy UI, acceptable battery, and bare-minimum RAM. The Pixel 3 may run Android 9, but the platform is pure Google. The back-end optimization and customizations at play on the Pixel 3 breathe new life into Android, in a way that partners such as Samsung or Huawei just can’t duplicate. It’s almost like Google is making a statement with the Pixel 3: specs alone don’t make the phone.
An Assistant that actually assists With the Pixel 3, Google isn’t merely showcasing the best Android has to offer. It’s building an AI-driven platform that no other smartphone can match. There’s the bloat-free app drawer and promise of regular updates, of course, but even beyond that, the third-generation Pixel elevates Google Assistant to a system-level feature like Do Not Disturb or the new Digital Wellbeing. We got a good look of Google’s AI-centric vision with Lens and Active Edge on the Pixel 2, but the Pixel 3 elevates Assistant in real and practical ways. It’s most visible in the Phone app. The somewhat controversial, somewhat inconceivable Duplex chat bot will be able to make restaurant reservations on your behalf. That’s sure to create some buzz for the Pixel once it starts rolling out next month. When you receive a call on your Pixel 3, a new ‘Call Screen’ button lets Google Assistant answer the phone ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 49
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The Call Screen feature lets Assistant be your.. well... assistant
for you. You’ll be able to see a real-time translation of what the person on the other end says, and you can either pick up the call or continue the conversation using Assistant. It’s remarkable in both its abilities and accuracy, and I’m actually looking forward to the first time a telemarketer calls. But what’s truly astonishing is that this technology exists in a smartphone. It’s the kind of feature that separates the Pixel from the rest of the field. And while these features are launching on the Pixel 3, they won’t remain exclusive to the newest handsets. The entire Pixel platform – that is to say, all three 50 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
The camera app still doesn’t have manual control, but it offers a few new tricks
generations of the phone – will be gaining Call Screen, Duplex and a few other new AI features. These aren’t mere weather reports and alarms. We’re looking at real-world AI applications that will actually enrich our lives, and not just cut down on how often we need to tap the screen.
AI makes a single camera feel like two Since the first Pixel arrived, Google has delivered spectacular results from a relatively tame camera array thanks to its stellar AI and post-processing prowess. And as expected, the main camera on the Pixel 3 hasn’t changed at all (12.2 MP, f/1.8, 1.4µm, OIS), though Google says the sensor has been upgraded. ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 51
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But even without a second lens or DSLR-style manual controls, Google has given the Pixel 3’s phototaking abilities quite an upgrade. There are several new modes and enhancements that make capturing the perfect photo both fun and easy, thanks in large part to a new Pixel Visual Core image processing chip. Chief among them is a feature called Top Shot that takes the gimmicky Live Photos and makes it useful. When the AI engine detects something moved in the frame just as you were snapping the shutter, it’ll offer up a series of image options captured before and after the shutter squeeze. This lets you take a picture before someone blinked or after something blew into your shot. It’s a little tricky to find – you need to swipe up on the image in Photos to see the multiple images available – but it’s a fantastic feature. Without a second lens, Google’s photo AI does all the heavy lifting on the Pixel 3, handling portrait mode
Portraits from the Pixel 3 XL (left) are noticeably improved over the Pixel 2 XL (centre), but only a true dual-camera phone such as the Galaxy Note 9 (right) is able to consistently nail down the edge details
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again, as well as two new features, Super Res Zoom and Night Sight. These AI tricks compensate for the Pixel’s underwhelming hardware, and they mostly get the job done. Portrait mode has been improved over the already-great Pixel 2’s implementation, and you now have the ability to change the specific amount of bokeh effect you want, as well as isolate your subject against a black-and-white background. Super Res Zoom, meanwhile, does an admirable job of grabbing detail and quieting the usual noise you get from digital zoom. I didn’t get to test the low-light enhancer Night Sight, as it won’t be available until next month, but it works much in the same way, using AI to stitch together a bunch of images with varying exposures to create one that’s brighter and crisper than a regular shot. At this point, however, the Pixel’s camera is basically equal parts arrogance and hubris. No matter how
In optimal lighting, the Pixel 3 XL (left) takes truly remarkable pictures, with better colour accuracy, background detail, and exposure than either the Pixel 2 XL (centre) or Galaxy Note 9 (right)
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The Pixel 3 XL’s Super Res Zoom (left) does a stand-up job, but it can’t complete with the Note 9’s actual optical zoom lens
good the Pixel 3’s camera is – and trust me, it’s really good – it would be that much better with optical zoom, a wider aperture or a second lens. Like EIS on the original Pixel (which was replaced with OIS on the Pixel 2), computational photography can only do so much. It’s truly impressive what Google can do with a single lens, and the Pixel’s all-AI method results in some truly excellent shots you can’t get on any other phone. Nonetheless, I can’t help but wonder how much better the Visual Core would be with a camera system like the one in the Note 9 or LG V40. 54 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
Two cameras really are better than one The front camera is a different story. If you look inside the XL’s notch (or in the left corner of the bezels on the Pixel 3), you’ll see Google has actually upgraded the camera hardware, adding a second wide-angle lens for so-called groupies: Main camera: 8Mp, f/1.8, 75-degree FOV Secondary camera: 8Mp, f/2.2, 97-degree FOV That wide-angle front camera is about as wide as the main rear camera, and I’ll admit it’s a cool feature: with a swipe along the bottom slider you can dramatically increase the field of view to let more people or more scenery in. Also fun is the Photobooth feature that will snap a picture when the camera sees something photoworthy on your face, like a smile. The Pixel 3’s front camera array shows how strong hardware can boost the results of computational photography, but there’s a catch: The second lens on the front doesn’t help with bokeh-effect portraits, like it does on other phones with two front cameras. Portraits have certainly improved on the Pixel 3, but they’re more hit-or-miss compared to Google’s dual-camera peers. Again, it’s incredible to see Google’s AI work out where the subject ends and the background begins, but leveraging a second lens would surely results in even better shots.
Verdict You need to ask yourself three questions before deciding to spend £899 or £999 on a the Pixel 3 XL: ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 55
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The Group Selfie Cam makes a big difference when trying to cram people (and non-people) into a shot
• Does hardware design matter more than software? • Does camera hardware matter more than image processing? • Do the best hardware specs matter more than the latest software? More than ever, that’s the difference between the Pixel 3 and every other Android phone: hardware versus software. There’s the ridiculously good camera. The surprising and delightful AI flourishes. The Android 9 optimization. Out of the box, the Pixel 3 XL doesn’t feel like another great Android phone, it feels like a whole 56 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
new platform. And as Google commits to bringing new features to old phones, the gulf between the Pixel family and the rest of Android will only grow wider. Yes, it costs more than ever (in the case of the smaller model, nearly 25 per cent more), but Google is establishing a new level of premium with the Pixel 3 XL. Of course, if you already own a Pixel 2, buying the Pixel 3 may not make much sense, as so many killer features will trickle down to the entire Pixel family. But if you haven’t upgraded your phone in more than one or two years, the Pixel 3 has to be considered – especially if you value a locked-down software experience above everything else. And that’s the point of the Pixel 3: turning Pixel into a platform. Like the iPhone, Google is putting the user experience ahead of the specs or features enthusiasts crave. It may be a tougher sell – especially at premium prices – but it also comes with a guarantee few other phones can offer: this time next year, it’ll actually be better.
Specifications • 6.3in (2,960x1,440; 523ppi) P-OLED capacitive touchscreen • Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 10 • Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10nm) processor • Octa-core (4x 2.5GHz Kryo 385 Gold, 4x 1.6GHz Kryo 385 Silver) CPU • Adreno 630) GPU • 4GB RAM • 64GB/128GB storage ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 57
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• Rear-facing camera: 12.2Mp, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), 1/2.55in, 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS • Two selfie cameras: 8Mp, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), PDAF; 8Mp, f/2.2, 19mm (ultra wide), no AF • 802.11b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi dual-band • Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD • GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO • NFC • USB 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector • Fingerprint scanner (rear mounted) • Non-removable 3,430mAh lithium-polymer battery • 158x76.7x7.9mm • 184g
Best Android phone for productivity Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Price: £999 from fave.co/2l77Bla The Galaxy Note 10+ will be too expensive for some people. It’ll be too big for others. Some will baulk at its lack of a headphone jack and a few might really want a dual selfie cam. For those people, there’s the Galaxy S10+, which is an excellent alternative that checks off all of the above boxes without sacrificing too much of what the Note 10+ brings. But if the four drawbacks I list above aren’t an issue, the Galaxy Note 10+ should quickly become your favourite phone of all time. No matter what handset you’re upgrading from, the Note 10+ will be an improvement, likely a significant one. It’s not just the speed (though it’s basically the fastest phone ever made) or the display (which is pretty much flawless). From the bezels to the battery life, the Note 10+ is 58 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
That’s a lot of screen
at the very top of its game, capping off Samsung’s strongest year in recent memory. It’s so good, I’m not sure where Samsung goes from here. While previous Galaxy Note phones have left clear upgrade paths for future models, the Note 10+ clips every branch with a package that’s as stunning as it is expensive. As long as you can handle its massive size.
The closest yet to an small-screen design The first thing you’ll notice about the Note+ is what it doesn’t have. Namely, bezels. Samsung has somehow trimmed the area above and below the display beyond even what the Galaxy S phones brought earlier this year, giving the Note 10+ a real full-screen feel. They bezels are so skinny, I didn’t even mind the extra millimetre of space on the bottom. ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 59
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The ‘hole-punch’ selfie cam is much less offensive on the Note 10+ than it is on the S10+
Without the Note 9’s bezel, which held the front camera, receiver/speaker, and various sensors, Samsung has gotten creative with the 10+. Like the S10, there’s a hole in the screen for the camera, but the centred circle is way easier on the eyes than the S10’s right-corner design. It’s still too low to centre itself in the status bar, but most of the time, I barely noticed the camera on the Note 10+ (even without applying special gradient wallpaper). The back of the Note 10+ repositions the camera array in the left corner – a first for the Note line – and introduces a new Aura Glow colour that turns the back of your phone into a mirror prism. It’s a cool look when the light hits it just right, but it’ll pick up more fingerprints than a glass door in an elementary school after a Popsicle party. 60 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
The Note 10+’s Aura Glow colour is simply stunning in the right light
Along with the camera, the left side of the phone is also where you’ll find the device’s two lone buttons: the volume rocker and the power button. That gives the Note 10 the distinction of being one of the few smartphones that doesn’t have the power button on the right side, which will take some getting used to. Taking screenshots and turning off the screen will take some retraining of your muscle memory, but it’s a design decision most people should be okay with, especially since it means the elimination of the dedicated Bixby button. With its limited button array, Samsung offers a few options when you hold down the power button, which is what it should have done all along. The other thing that you won’t find in the Note 10+ will be much more missed: the headphone jack. Samsung says it was eliminated to make the phone ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 61
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thinner, but I’m not sure the trade-off was worth it. Samsung’s phones were among the few holdouts that clung to the legacy jack, and if the only benefit is barely perceptible thinness, I don’t see the point. That said, the bundled AKG USB-C headphones are as good as the 3.5mm version.
A giant screen pushes the limits With little else to distract your gaze on the front of the phone, the screen gets all of the attention, and it’s absolutely up to the task. In no uncertain terms, the Note 10+’s 3,040x1,440 display is the best I’ve ever laid eyes on, with impressive brightness, remarkable colour accuracy, and impeccable uniformity. The only thing it’s missing is a higher refresh rate like the One Plus 7 Pro, but even at the standard 60Hz, its still impressive. One massive improvement over the S10+ is the fingerprint sensor. It’s still an ultrasonic sensor, unlike the optical sensor in the One Plus 7 Pro and Galaxy A50, but it’s loads more reliable here. The constant rescans that I had to do on the S10 weren’t an issue on the Note 10+, and I was able to unlock the phone as mindlessly as I did with a physical scanner. For this we can thank the placement of the sensor, which is a good deal higher than it is on the S10 and in a more natural spot. But Samsung has also given the sensor a serious speed boost, so you no longer have to hold your finger on it for more than a split-second. After several generations of Galaxy flagship phone fingerprint sensors that were less than good, the Note 10+ finally nails it. 62 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
The Note 10+ (centre) isn’t just bigger than the Galaxy S10+ (left) and the Note 9 (right), it also was way more screen to contend with
The Note 10+’s size presents some issues, though. Don’t get me wrong, the Note 10+ isn’t alone in its immensity. In fact, several phones can challenge it for dominance: Samsung Note 10+: 162.3x77.2x .9mm OnePlus 7 Pro: 162.6x75.9x8.8mm Samsung Galaxy S10+ 5G: 162.6x77.1x7.9mm Samsung Note 9: 161.9x76.4x8.8mm Apple iPhone XS Max: 157.5x77.4x7.7mm A tremendous screen-to-body ratio makes the Note 10+ feel much larger than its contemporaries. As is the case with recent Notes, it’s taller and boxier than the S10, which amplifies the hugeness of the screen. I experienced far more accidental touches than with the ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 63
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You’ll need really long fingers to even attempt to use the Note 10+ with one hand
S10+, especially when attempting to use it with one hand. But even with two hands, it’s a tricky phone to hold, and I cycled through several grips before I found one was both comfortable and usable. The shape might have worked with previous Notes, but on the 10+, the form very much dictates your grip, making it somewhat less comfortable to use than other big-screened handsets. As someone who loves giant phones, I think I’ve finally met my limit of what my hands can handle.
Impressive speed, storage and battery life The Note 10+ uses the same Snapdragon 855 processor as the Galaxy S10, which is to say it’s basically the fastest phone you can buy. The newer 64 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
The Note 10+ is pretty much the whole package – but you’ll have to pay for it
855+ processor might beat it in some tests, but the 12GB of RAM and speedy and spacious 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage puts the Note 10+ ahead of its 855 peers. Apps launched incredibly fast and didn’t need to reload nearly as often, and the recent apps screen was populated with nearly 50 screens. And the vapour chamber cooling system that seemed like a gimmick on paper actually did keep the phone noticeably cooler than other 855 handsets. Even before Android 10 arrives, One UI on the Note 10+ is one of the most pleasurable Android skins I’ve used, rivalling even the Pixel phones for out-of-the-box smoothness. Controls are smart, gestures are intuitive, and it feels like an elegant, modern operating system built for the hardware that runs it. If you’re upgrading ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 65
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from a Note 5 or a Galaxy S7 that’s still on TouchWiz, the difference will be visually striking and probably a bit jarring (particularly if you turn on the ultra-black Night Mode, but you wont need to use it for very long to see just how much of an upgrade it is. The Note 10+ has a 4,300mAh battery, a touch smaller than the 4,500mAh battery in the S10 5G, but still impressively large. The size translates into fantastic battery life that will easily get you through a full day. I never had to plug in my Note 10+ during my two weeks of testing, even after long days of work and streaming. Benchmarks echoed my real-world experiences with better than 11 hours of screen-on time, and if you flip on Adaptive power saving in the Device carrier settings, you’ll easily be able to push it to 12 hours. Short of a major battery breakthrough, the Note 10+ is as good as it gets.
More S Pen gimmicks lead the way Samsung has once again added some new tricks to the Note 10’s signature feature, the S Pen, but the implementation is just as half-baked as last year. Samsung built Bluetooth into its mini stylus with the launch of the Note 9 so it doubled as a remote, but it never built out functionality beyond rudimentary camera controls and music playback. On the Note 10, the stylus can act as a sort of magic wand, so instead of simply clicking to advance a track, you can wave your hand to change the camera mode or raise the volume from a distance. Does it work? For the most part, yes, though some of the gestures are tricky. Is it useful? Not really. Since the S Pen is generally 66 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
Along with the usual Air Commands, the S Pen on the Note 10+ also has gesture capabilities
docked inside the Note, it takes more planning to use Air Actions than the other S Pen features. I suppose there could be a situation where you prop up your S Pen to take a group photo and use the S Pen as a shutter, but it’s certainly not a feature you’re going to use every day. Far more useful is the optical character recognition built into Samsung Notes. As always, the prime benefit of the S Pen is for quickly jotting down notes, but Samsung has made them way more useful in the Note 10+. After you save a note, you’ll have the option to convert your writing into text using a new button at the bottom of the screen. Even after a live demo, I was sceptical, but the OCR engine was remarkably accurate at turning my admittedly terrible handwriting into the right words. And if you leave your notes as scribbles, they’ll still be categorized as text and fully searchable, which is pretty great. ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 67
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The Note 10+ will convert and index your messy handwriting into legible text so you can search for written words within notes
Extra cameras yield similar results After the Note 8 brought a dual camera and the Note 9 debuted Dual Aperture, its somewhat surprising that the Note 10+ has a recycled camera array. Granted, it’s a four-camera array and one of the best one Samsung has ever made, but it would have been nice to see something new: Camera 1: 16Mp Ultra Wide, f/2.2 Camera 2: 12Mp Wide, f/1.5-f/2.4 68 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
If you zoom in on these portraits, you’ll see that the Note 10+ (left) did a better job with the edges and the bokeh, but it’s extremely similar to the S10+ (centre) and note 9 (right)
Camera 3: 12Mp Telephoto, f/2.1 Camera 4: DepthVision The fourth camera is the same time-of-flight lens Samsung introduced on the Galaxy S10+ 5G, and it’s responsible for sharper live focus images and videos as well as AR applications. The bundled Measure app works as well, but so do the ones on the Pixel and iPhone, without a 3D camera. The S Pen-powered AR Doodle is way more unique and fun, using the camera to track drawings you make on faces, but I don’t know how often people will use it. There’s also a 3D scanner built in that I had no luck with, but with patience, people have been able to generate usable images. The 3D camera will mostly be used for portraits, and it’s there where the S10+ excels. Live focus images ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 69
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Like other Galaxy phones, the Note 10+ tended to oversaturate in bright light, but there’s no denying the beauty of its shots
(Samsung’s name for portraits) were excellent, with crisp edges and recognition of the tiniest details, but the differences between the Note 10+ and the S10+ or even the Note 9 are marginal. You’ll need to zoom in on the image above to see the fine details that the Note 10+ picked up. As far as the other three cameras go, you’ll certainly take great pictures with the Note 10+, but they’re no better or worse than the other Galaxy phones Samsung sells. In fact, Samsung uses the same S10+ designation for the camera model (SM-G975U1), making it even more difficult to tell the pictures apart. Colours still lean a bit toward over-saturated in most lights, but most people won’t mind. New to the Note 10+ is the Night mode that arrived late to the S10, and it definitely helps with low-light shooting. Like Google’s method, you need to hold 70 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
While both of these Night mode photos are soft, the Note 10+ (left) also grabbed too much of the red from the flowers and added a tint to the rest of the photo, while the Pixel 3 XL (right) had a more accurate colour balance
your phone steady while it processes the available light, but the results aren’t quite as spectacular. Night photos looked less realistic on the Note 10+, and the processing engine tended to get confused by the dominant colour and had trouble focusing, where Google’s Pixel Visual Core handled the scene much better. But it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
Verdict There probably isn’t anything I wrote in this review that’s going to sway you to buy or not buy a Galaxy ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 71
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Note 10+. With a £999 price tag and top-of-the-line everything, it’s geared toward the Android user who wants the best, and boy, does it deliver. And really, there’s no reason to wait. The Note 11+ (assuming there is one) will have a better camera and maybe a few display and design tweaks, but there isn’t too much Samsung can do to make it all that much better than the Note 10+. Until folding phones become a viable product or in-display cameras arrive, the Note 10+ is pretty much the epitome of Samsung’s smartphone evolution. In a world of the Pixel 3a (see page 74), Galaxy A50 and iPhone XR, there’s no real reason to pay £999 for a phone. But if you must, you won’t feel an ounce of buyer’s remorse with the Note 10+.
Specifications • 6.8in (3,040x1,440; 498ppi) Dynamic AMOLED capacitive touchscreen • Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 10, One UI 2 • Exynos 9825 (7nm) processor • Octa-core (2x 2.73GHz Mongoose M4 & 2x 2.4GHz Cortex-A7, 4x 1.9GHz Cortex-A55) CPU • Mali-G76 MP12 GPU • 12GB RAM • 256GB/512GB storage • Four rear-facing cameras: 12Mp, f/1.5-2.4, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55in, 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; 12Mp, f/2.1, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6in, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom; 16Mp, f/2.2, 12mm (ultra wide), 1/3.1in, 1.0µm, Super Steady video; 0.3Mp, TOF 3D, (depth) 72 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
We’ll miss you, headphone jack
• Selfie camera: 10Mp, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3in, 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF • 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi dual-band • Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX • GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO • NFC • USB 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector • Fingerprint scanner (under display, ultrasonic) • Non-removable 4,300mAh lithium-polymer battery • 162.3x77.2x7.9mm • 196g
Best bang-for-the-buck Android phone Google Pixel 3a
Price: £329 from fave.co/2ZFeN9K The Google Pixel 3a makes a strong case for tossing out the spec sheet. On paper, it looks like yet another ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 73
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boring budget smartphone, with a middling processor, single front and rear cameras, and a bare-minimum 1080p screen. But in your pocket, you might just mistake it for a premium phone. Part of the reason why is because, well, it’s a Pixel. Specifically, it looks a lot like the notchless Pixel 3 and the rumoured design for the Pixel 4, and of course, it runs the latest version of Android. But while the high-priced G-stamped phones always left something to be desired when it came to design, the £329 Pixel 3a looks like a budget phone but acts like a premium one. It’s almost like Google has been setting us up for this all along.
The £329 Pixel 3a looks like a budget phone but acts like a premium one
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Ignoring the numbers game For as long as high-end Android phones have existed, we’ve been trained to believe that we need the biggest battery and best processor to get the best experience. As such, handsets have crossed the thousand-pound threshold to give us the specs they’ve convinced us we need, as premium phones have all sought to outdo each other with cameras, RAM, storage, and pixels. The Pixel 3a does none of that. Spec-, design-, and most importantly, price-wise, it’s the antithesis of a premium Android phone. It’s made of plastic rather than glass, has a Full HD screen instead of a Quad HD one, and its interior attributes are decidedly non-premium as well: Processor: Snapdragon 670 RAM: 4GB Storage: 64GB Battery: 3,000mAh Front camera: 8Mp, f/2.0 Rear camera: 12Mp, f/1.8, OIS But numbers aren’t what the Pixel 3a is selling. Much like the premium Pixel – which also has just 4GB of RAM and 64GB of base storage – the 3a makes the most of its parts, offering an Android experience that rivals phones that cost more than twice as much. Plus it has a headphone jack, which makes the lack of one on the higher-priced Pixel more glaring. I’d like an option for more storage or at least a slot for an SD card, but as it stands, the Pixel 3a maxes out at a relatively paltry 64GB of storage. Keep in mind that you don’t get free ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 75
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unlimited storage of photos in original quality like you do on the Pixel 3, so space might become an issue. In benchmarks, the Pixel 3a’s Snapdragon 670 scored around 7,250 in the PCMark Work 2.0 test, lower than the Snapdragon 845-based Pixel 3’s 8,828, but not crippling by any stretch. Geekbench 4 returned similar results, with the Pixel 3a posting a 1,600/5,125 (single-core/multi-core) score versus 2,358/8,337 on the Pixel 3, but all in all, the Snapdragon 670 wasn’t as laggy as I expected. Only occasionally during my testing was I consciously aware that I wasn’t using a near-thousand-pound phone, and even then, it was fleeting. More often than not, I forgot that I wasn’t using the grown-up Pixel.
The Pixel 3a runs the latest version of Android – and will until Android S in 2021
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That’s because Google has taken an iOS-like approach with the Pixel 3a. Instead of building a phone optimized to run Android, Google has optimized Android for the handset to the point where the Pixel 3, which costs twice as much, doesn’t feel all that much faster than the 3a in normal use. Even with a lesser processor, Android Pie on the Pixel 3a is as fast or faster than it is on phones that cost twice as much. Little touches like Now Playing (which listens to background audio to automatically ID songs on the lock screen and notification panel) are delightful without dragging things down. And because you’re guaranteed to get three years of Android updates – something few phones in this price range can promise – your Pixel 3a might actually feel faster even as its hardware ages.
A design that finally fits The Pixel phone’s design has never challenged the iPhones and Galaxies of the world, so the Pixel 3a’s big bezels and plastic back don’t feel out of place. It’s noticeably lighter than its all-glass older sibling, but in the right light, it could easily be mistaken for Google’s higher priced Pixel 3, right down to the coloured power button (yellow on the purple model and orange on the white one). That’s as much of an indictment of the Pixel 3 as it is a complement to the Pixel 3a, but the fact remains that the design here feels right. The front of the phone has a modest screen-to-body ratio, but the 5.6in OLED display’s rounded corners and 18.5:9 aspect ratio give it a high-end feel. The Full HD display itself is basically the same as the one in the 5.5in Pixel 3, with 441ppi (versus 443ppi on the Pixel ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 77
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Is that.... yes, it’s a headphone jack
3) and full 24-bit colour depth, though it’s wrapped in Dragontail glass rather than the more famous Corning Gorilla Glass. You likely won’t notice the difference, however. My case- and screen protector-less Pixel 3a picked up a few visible smudges reminiscent of the Pixel 2’s oleophobic coating issues, but it emerged scratch- and scuff-free. The plastic back means the Pixel 3a doesn’t have wireless charging, which isn’t a surprise for a phone in this price range. However, if you’re downgrading from a phone that does have wireless charging, as I did, you’ll probably pop it onto a wireless charger, walk away, and wonder why it hasn’t charged an hour later. We’re 78 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
The Pixel 3a has the same two-tone look as the Pixel 3, except here it’s all made of plastic
probably about two years away from that golden era when wireless charging will be cheap and ubiquitous enough to be a standard feature on a £329 phone, but convenience aside, I’m not sure it’ll be a deciding factor for anyone considering the Pixel 3a over the Pixel 3. Besides, you’re not going to have to charge it all that often. Not only does it feature 18-watt fast charging via the bundled charger, it’ll also likely last you through a whole day. In testing, I was able to reach more than seven hours of screen-on time and 14+ hours between charges, which should get most people through a day. If you can’t make it, a quick 30-minute charge will give you all you need. ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 79
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A premium shooting experience Anyone who’s ever bought or considered buying a Pixel phone knows that the camera is its best feature, and the same is true of the 3a. In fact, Google has given the Pixel 3a the exact same rear camera specs as the Pixel 3:
• 12.2Mp dual-pixel • f/1.8 • Autofocus + dual pixel phase detection • Optical + electronic image stabilization Granted, those aren’t killer specs in an age of triple cameras and time-of-flight sensors, but that’s where Google’s smartphone prowess comes into play. Rather than relying on high-end hardware to do the heavy lifting, the Pixel has done the bulk of its work behind the scenes, using computational wizardry to generate shots that rival those of phones with far morepowerful cameras. That’s what truly gives the Pixel 3a its advantage. Unfortunately the dedicated Pixel Visual Core image signal processor isn’t present on the 3a, so photos aren’t quite as sharp or as detailed as they are on the higher-priced Pixel phones, but they’re still fantastic for a phone in this price range. I was most impressed with the colour accuracy, which was rich and vibrant without being oversaturated. Portraits were equally impressive, with crisp edges and impressive definition even when dealing with objects instead of people. Even motion shots, which generally cause all kinds of issues in budgets smartphones, showed minimal blur. In the photo of the roller-coaster above (centre), the 80 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
The Pixel 3a, left, actually captured better distance detail than the iPhone XR in this shot
Pixel 3a not only captured the quickly-moving car, but legs and arms are also in focus. That’s the kind of quick shutter that I expect from a £900 phone but not from a £329 one. Heck, some premium phones can’t handle motion as well as the Pixel 3a does. Without the Pixel Visual Core, night-time pictures with the Pixel 3a were noisier and had less definition, and bright lights that the Pixel 3 properly exposed were consistently blown out and muddy on the 3a. But with Google’s unparalleled Night Sight mode turned on, as you can see in the photos opposite, the computational photography at work here is second to none. You won’t ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 81
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In good lighting, the Pixel 3a is capable of taking some fantastic shots
find another phone in the Pixel 3a’s class that’s better at taking photos.
Verdict Whether you’re in the market for a Pixel 3, Galaxy S10, or OnePlus 7 Pro, you should give the Pixel 3a some serious consideration. It may technically be a midrange phone, but it’s really hard to tell when using it. It’s plenty fast, takes great pictures, and has a killer price tag. But you don’t have to think of it as a great alternative. Just think of it as a great phone that doesn’t cost a lot.
Specifications • 5.6in (2,220x1,080; 441ppi) OLED capacitive touchscreen 82 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
With Night Sight turned on, the Pixel 3a (left) is able to capture an incredible amount of colour with barely any light, but the Pixel 3 (right) makes the most of the Visual Core
• Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 10 • Qualcomm SDM670 Snapdragon 670 (10nm) processor • Octa-core (2x 2GHz 360 Gold, 6x 1.7GHz Kryo 360 Silver) CPU • Adreno 615 GPU • 4GB RAM • 64GB storage • Rear-facing camera: 12.2Mp, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), 1/2.55in, 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS • Selfie camera: 8Mp, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4in, 1.12µm ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 83
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• 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi dual-band • Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD • GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO • NFC • USB 2.0, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector • Fingerprint scanner (rear mounted) • Non-removable 3,000mAh lithium-polymer battery • 151.3x70.1x8.2mm • 147g
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Samsung Galaxy A51 Price: £329 from fave.co/2X8sbBP
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hen you think about Samsung phones, it’s highly likely that the flagship S and Note lines will come to mind. While that and a new generation of foldable phones take most of the headlines, it’s easy to forget the whole array of more affordable devices it releases each year. However, brand reputation will count for little in the fiercely competitive mid-range market, so how does the phone stack up to the competition? ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 85
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Design and build
I’m a huge fan of the design of the A51. It looks slick and modern, and could easily pass for a phone more than twice the price on first impressions. That’s only accentuated in the stunning ‘prism crush white’ unit I reviewed (see image below), but you can also get the phone in similarly eye-catching shades of blue and black. While glass-backed phones regularly make their way down to this price point, Samsung has opted for a plastic design. However, it remains an incredibly slippery phone, which had a frustrating tendency to slip out of my pocket or off the arm of a soft chair. I’d highly recommend throwing on a case. Elsewhere, there’s a quadruple rear camera setup here. The main 48Mp sensor is joined by a 12Mp ultra-wide, 5Mp macro and 5Mp depth lenses. Even the usually prominent Samsung logo blends into the The A51 has a slick and modern design
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back of the phone, although the way it refracts the light might not be for everyone. These are arranged in a module that is very much reminiscent of the regular S20, which suggests Samsung uses cheaper phones to trial certain design elements where the stakes are lower. Flipping the phone over reveals a 6.5in OLED panel at a resolution of 2,400x1,080. The Quad HD+ screen on the flagships was inevitably going to take a hit, but it’s great to see it stick with OLED technology. Slim bezels are only punctured by a punch-hole front-facing camera, which digitally expands when used for face unlock. Its placement in the top centre of the phone makes it feel more symmetrical, which I like. The phone feels a lot more compact than the 6.5 inches suggests, which could be due to the 20:9 aspect ratio and impressive 87.4 per cent screen-tobody ratio. However, it might just be me getting more used to big phones. There’s nothing much to report when it comes to the aluminium sides of the device, which sport some nicely tactile physical buttons and a mono downward-firing speaker. This is perfectly serviceable for the odd
We were pleased to see a 3.5mm headphone jack
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social media or YouTube video, but I’d recommend V iVÌ } i>`« ià v Ü>ÌV } /6 à Üà À w ð Talking of headphones, these can be connected wirelessly (with Bluetooth 5.0) or wired via the 3.5mm jack. It’s great to see the port retained here, where it’s tucked away nicely next to the USB-C charging port.
Hardware and performance v Ì Ü>Ã >À` Ì Ìi Ì i Ƃx£ >«>ÀÌ vÀ y>}Ã «Ã its design alone, the internals tell a different story. The phone comes with Samsung’s own Exynos 9611 processor, considered comparable to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 730 chipset. It’s decidedly mid-range, especially when combined with a Mali-G72 GPU. Unfortunately, this phone feels like it needs more processing power. While there’s no lag, moving
Geekbench 5 (Multi-core)
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GFX Manhattan
GFX T-Rex
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throughout the UI feels a bit sluggish. The experience might seem more extreme if you’re coming from higher refresh rate displays, but the input delay can make it a frustrating phone to use. This is definitely not helped by just 4GB of RAM, which is the only option if buying in the UK. If you think this might be a flagship killer, its performance will make you think again. It’s perfectly serviceable for everyday tasks, but falls some way short of high-end handsets. This becomes apparent when gaming. The A51 is simply unable to handle graphic-intensive titles such as Call of Duty and Asphalt, which cause the phone to quickly lag and overheat. While it’s not explicitly designed for games, it’s worth noting that it doesn’t quite offer that complete smartphone experience.
Software and features The A51 comes with One UI 2.0 over Android 10 out of the box. The laggy days of TouchWiz are a million miles away from the latest version of Samsung’s slick UI. It’s much closer to Google’s stock operating system these days, and there are a number of clever software tweaks. One of the most significant is a dedicated silent mode, which is curiously omitted in favour of Do Not Disturb on Pixel phones. The information cards to the left of the home screen is now known as Samsung Daily. I didn’t find it as useful as Google’s equivalent, although it does come without much of the Bixby influence we saw on earlier versions. In fact, Bixby’s appearances throughout the A51 are relatively fleeting, although it will be triggered by 90 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
default when you long press the power button. Unlike some previous Samsung phones, this can easily be remapped to actually turn the phone off instead. One area where the phone disappoints is the in-display fingerprint sensor. It’s incredibly impressive to see this feature already on mid-range handsets, even if it is optical as opposed to the ultrasonic on Samsung flagships. However, I found it very frustrating to use. It was very hit-and-miss in terms of recognizing me, even when I registered the same thumb twice. It was also incredibly sensitive to moisture, and I found myself re-enrolling my fingerprint to ensure it worked at all. I’d recommend using the face unlock instead, which has proven to be much more reliable. The A51’s in-display fingerprint sensor
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Nonetheless, One UI 2.0 is a slick and intuitive interpretation of Android that most people will enjoy using. It puts many navigation buttons in the lower half of the screen to be more easily reachable, which was definitely welcomed when using the A51.
Camera Image quality has been a priority for Samsung flagships for many years now, and the same can be said for its more affordable devices. The A51 comes with four rear lenses, a frankly ridiculous array for a camera at this price point. The big omission is a telephoto lens, but I’d much rather have the wide angle if I had to choose between the two. Here’s what we’re playing with: 48Mp f/2.0 standard 12Mp f/2.2 wide 5Mp f/2.4 macro 5Mp f/2.2 depth I’d consider myself an amateur photographer at best, which made the excellent shots I managed to get all the more surprising. While it’s true to say most of my testing was done in well-lit environments, the level of detail and dynamic range is brilliant. Having the flexibility to cycle between standard, wide and macro lenses was superb, while I was pleasantly surprised by the dedicated food mode. The Live Focus portrait shots struggle a lot with edge detection, even if Samsung does allow you to adjust background blur after you take the shot. 92 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
Standard shot
2x shot
Wide Angle shot
Macro shot
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Selfie shot
Wide Selfie shot
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Landscape shot
Live Focus shot
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The 32Mp selfie camera sounds impressive, but results are a significant step down. Like so many front-facing sensors, the level of detail in the subject is good but the background is often overexposed. These flaws prove it can’t rival high-end handsets, but I think casual photographers will be very happy with the shots from the A51. I’d go as far to say that aside from the design, it’s my favourite aspect of this phone.
Battery life
The A51 comes with a 4,000mAh battery. Combined with the 1080p display, it gives solid but unspectacular battery life, lasting a full day of moderate usage but not much more. However, it struggles on standby time, as has been the case with Samsung phones in the past. This is reflected in the below-average recording of 6 hours and 36 minutes in Geekbench 4’s battery test, which is considered a rough indicator of screen on time. Given you’ll be reaching for the charger relatively often, it’s good to know that the 15-watt fast charger is included in the box. It’s also capable of Qi wireless charging, although that’s at a far slower 5 watts.
Verdict
The A51 is a tricky phone to judge. On first impressions, the stunning design and great cameras make it a really exciting device. In good lighting, the latter produces regular and wide-angle shots that can rival handsets twice the price. The software is great too, with One UI really coming into its own on this large display. However, 4GB of RAM 96 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
The A51 produces photos that rival far more expensive handsets
simply isn’t enough to power the phone, particularly when combined with an average processor. I also feel Samsung should have prioritized performance over emerging technologies such as the in-display fingerprint scanner, the latter proving to be a big letdown here. Samsung fans probably won’t be disappointed if they buy this phone, but I was hoping for a more well-rounded handset from the world’s leading smartphone manufacturer. Anyron Copeman
Specifications
• 6.5in (2,400x1,080; 405ppi) Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen • Android 10, One UI 2.1 ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 97
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• Exynos 9611 (10nm) processor • Octa-core (4x 2.3GHz Cortex-A73, 4x 1.7GHz Cortex-A53) CPU • Mali-G72 MP3 GPU • 4GB/8GB RAM • 64GB/128GB storage • Four rear-facing cameras: 48Mp, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0”, 0.8µm, PDAF; 12Mp, f/2.2, 123in (ultra-wide); 5Mp, f/2.4, (macro); 5Mp, f/2.2, (depth) • Selfie camera: 32Mp, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8in, 0.8µm • 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi dual-band • Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE • GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS • NFC • USB 2.0, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector, USB On-The-Go • Fingerprint scanner (under display, optical) • Non-removable 4,000mAh lithium-polymer battery • 158.5x73.6x7.9mm • 172g
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Moto E6s Price: £99 from fave.co/3emoQod
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ith the exception of the nostalgic Razr refresh, Motorola has almost exclusively focused on budget phones since being taken over by Lenovo in 2014. The E6s looks to take this to the next level, with a modern design and recent version of Android for under £100. But can it deliver a credible smartphone experience at this price point or are there too many compromises?
Design and build
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considered it does an excellent job. In fact, on first impressions it’s hard to tell it apart from the Motorola One Macro, a phone which costs around £70 more at the time of writing. It has a fractionally smaller 6.1in LCD panel, at a near-identical resolution of 1,560x720. At this price, a full HD panel remains a ‘nice to have’ as opposed to absolute necessity. What’s less easy to forgive is the notch, which intrudes into a phone that is already sporting some significant bezels. The phone still looks far more modern than the likes of the iPhone SE, but I wish they’d sacrificed a little screen real estate in favour of a more symmetrical design. It houses a 5Mp selfie camera, but unfortunately this can’t be used for face unlock.
The E6s has a Micro-USB socket
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It’s good news, then, that the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner is fast and reliable, and I really like the way it’s integrated into the logo. A textured power button is also a lovely touch, and it meant I was eager to use the phone case free wherever possible. Its design undoubtedly helps with that. Swapping out premium glass and aluminium for a plastic frame might help cut costs, but it also makes the phone much more durable. Fingerprints are also not an issue, while at 160g it’s lighter than many other devices. The rear of the phone is a refreshing break from the many sensors that adorn most phones. Here there are just two: a 13Mp main lens is joined by a 2Mp depth sensor for portrait-style shots. More on how it performs later. The most noticeable compromise – particularly when compared to the aforementioned One Macro – is the use of Micro-USB as opposed to USB-C. However, neither devices support fast charging, and you’ll probably have spare cables for both ports lying around. The fact that this is among the biggest drawbacks design-wise speaks volumes.
Performance
The E6s is rocking a MediaTek Helio P22 chipset, alongside 2GB of RAM. We were hardly expecting a Qualcomm processor here, but for the comparison it’s considered comparable to the Snapdragon 625. RAM was always going to take a hit at this price point, but I’m impressed how well the phone still manages to cope. Scrolling social media, handling ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 101
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emails and browsing the web are all smooth and lag-free, and split-screen multitasking is impressive albeit limited on a screen this size. We’ve compared the E6s to some of the cheapest smartphones we’ve recently reviewed. However, this is a classic example of benchmarks not always being representative of real-world performance. While it can’t > ` i }À>« V Ìi à Ûi }> }] Ì i Èà à w i v À everyday usage. Where the Moto E6s does struggle is with storage. Simply transferring all the data from my old phone Ü Õ ` >Ûi V « iÌi Þ w i` Ìà V>«>V ÌÞ] à >` to download apps as and when I used them. You’ll `iw Ìi Þ Ü> Ì Ì > i ÕÃi v Ì i VÀ - V>À` Ã Ì for expandable storage, but I think 64GB should be the minimum for all phones these days.
Geekbench 4 (Multi-core)
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GFX Manhattan
GFX T-Rex
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Software and Features
More expensive Moto phones have struggled to compete with their Chinese counterparts on the spec sheet in the past, but one area they can’t be beaten is on software. This same experience has trickled down to the E6s, even if it is on Android 9 Pie and not 10. An update to the latest version is yet to be confirmed, but considering it shipped with outdated software I think that’s unlikely. Even so, it will still get regular security updates, and the features already here make it a great option for so many people. The user interface will be familiar to anyone who has used a Motorola phone in recent years, with only subtle tweaks to the ‘stock’ Android we see on Pixel phones. That means there’s very little bloatware. Having just one photo gallery, calendar app and email client is a The E6s comes with Android 9 Pie
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refreshing change from many Android manufacturers, which insist on producing their own versions of what are already very capable apps. This very light skin gives the E6s a streamlined feel, which just isn’t possible on those other phones. Motorola’s few additions are intentional – Moto Actions provides handy shortcuts for the torch and camera, and the novelty of the clock widget taking you to three different apps depending on where you tapped didn’t wear off. I really enjoy using this software, but you can easily swap it out for a different launcher if you’d prefer. Motorola understandably focuses on the basics of a solid smartphone, and as such there are few other features to report. As mentioned before, the physical fingerprint sensor on the back is fast and reliable, which is good news considering it’s your only biometric option for unlocking the phone. The E6s comes with a mono speaker on the back of the phone, as opposed to the standard grille on the bottom. Despite the fact it’s firing sound away from you, it meant I was much less likely to block the sound and so clarity was improved. It’s nothing like audiophile quality, but will be just fine for browsing social media or playing the occasional video. Fortunately, the 3.5mm headphone jack offers an easy way to step up your audio experience.
Cameras
Cameras are in no way a priority for a phone at this price point, so it’s perhaps understandable they take a back seat on the E6s. ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 105
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Nonetheless, we still get dual rear cameras, with the main 12Mp lens joined by a 2Mp depth sensor. The latter means the phone is capable of portrait-style shots, although its implementation is pretty forgettable. The E6s struggles with edge detection a lot, although I did manage to get one or two decent shots. The main lens is far more suited to everyday photos. The saturated shots are pleasing to the eye, although it struggles a bit with dynamic range. As such, I found it more suited to close-up subjects than landscape photography. The 5Mp selfie camera was a pleasant surprise, offering a solid level of detail throughout the picture. It had the common tendency to overexpose the background, but colours are fairly accurate overall.
Landscape shot
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Selfie shot
Macro shot
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On the video side, the E6s is capable of recording 1080p video up to 30fps. Unfortunately the lack of optical image stabilization means footage is juddery with any sort of movement, but with a steady hand you can get some decent clips. I’d suggest you invest in something a bit more capable if you are in any way serious about photography, but for casual users the camera is just fine.
Battery life
Standard shot
The Moto E6s is a rare breed, with its 3,000mAh battery one of only a handful on the market to still be removable. Declining battery life is usually one of the defining indicators of an ageing phone, so the fact you can swap it out for a new one is brilliant. Motorola perhaps recognized that consumers at this price point Battery life out of the box is fairly solid, recording 8 hours and 41 minutes in Geekbench 4’s battery test. That’s an above average score, and with light usage you could even stretch to two days of usage. However, the low cost means there’s no fast charging of any sort, meaning it was only able to charge 108 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
23 per cent in 30 minutes from off. As a result, it’s worth bearing in mind that a full charge will probably take two hours. There’s also no wireless charging, although that was hardly expected in a sub-£100 phone.
Verdict
Once you recognize just how cheap the Moto E6s is, it’s hard not to be impressed by everything you’re getting. Performance, an area cheap phones so often cut corners, is surprisingly great despite what the benchmarks tell you. There was no need for Motorola to change what was already great software, while the modern design does a good job of imitating more expensive handsets. The cameras are a bit hit-and-miss, but if you’re prepared to be patient it will pleasantly surprise you. There are compromises dotted throughout the Moto E6s, but for what you’re paying these are incredibly easy to forgive. Anyron Copeman
Specifications
• 6.1in (1,560x720; 282ppi) IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen • Android 9.0 (Pie) • MediaTek MT6762 Helio P22 (12nm) processor • Octa-core 2GHz Cortex-A53 CPU • PowerVR GE8320 GPU • 2GB RAM • 32GB storage • Two rear-facing cameras: 13Mp, f/2.2, 1/3.1in, 1.12µm, PDAF; 2Mp, (depth) • Selfie camera: 5Mp, f/2.2, 1.12µm ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 109
REVIEWS
• 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi hotspot • Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, LE • GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS • NFC • Micro-USB 2.0, USB On-The-Go • Fingerprint scanner (rear mounted) • Removable 3,000mAh lithium-polymer battery • 155.6x73x8.5mm • 160g
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Speed up your old Android smartphone Freshen it up with a good reboot, an OS update, battery-boosting tricks, and more. MICHAEL SIMON reports
Y
our old Android phone needs some help. Maybe it’s feeling sluggish. Maybe it’s groaning under the weight of excess photos and apps. Maybe the battery dies way too soon. Or maybe you’re not quite ready to part with it. The good news is, you can save it. With a little work, you can make your sluggish ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 111
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Android phone feel fresh enough to get you through at least a little more time together. Here are seven ways to make your old Android phone feel a little younger, starting with... restarts.
1. Restart your Android phone regularly
You might not think about restarting your phone unless an update comes along, but just like a PC, it can do a lot to fix an ailing handset. A simple 30-second restart will give your phone an instant speed boost by freeing up your memory, killing background apps and processes, and unsticking any stuck apps. Even if you dutifully swipe away apps on your Recents screen, they might still be holding onto some RAM, which quickly adds up. And if you’ve only got 2- or 3GB to begin with, a weekly restart will do wonders for your phone’s performance and battery life.
2. Check for Android updates
While Google’s own Pixel and Nexus phones update automatically in the background due to seamless updates that rolled out with Android’s Nougat, most other phones do not. Depending on your settings, you might not even get a notification alerting you that an update is available. So you’ll want to make sure your phone is up to date with the latest security patches and bug fixes. The exact location will depend on your phone, but the System or Software update pane in Settings is your best bet. Depending on how long it’s been, you might have several updates waiting, so double-check after it’s installed. 112 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
Check to see whether there are any pending updates for your Android phone
3. Delete unused apps
With most apps hidden from our daily view, it’s easy to let dozens of unused games and utilities collect digital dust in our app drawers. That’s fine if your phone has 128GB of storage, but if you’ve got 32GB or less, your free space can fill up fast. And just like your PC, if you’re bumping up against your limit, important system functions might not work as well as they should. So take a look at the apps on your phone and get rid of any you haven’t used in a while.
4. Move files to an SD card or Google Drive Even if your app drawer is lean, you can still have files on your phone that are taking up precious space and
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slowing things down – namely music, videos, and photos. If you don’t want to straight-up delete them, you can still safely store them outside your phone in your Google Drive, or a microSD card if you phone has a slot built into the SIM tray (Pixels don’t, but most others do). That way you’ll still be able to access them on your phone but they won’t eat up free space. Just head over to the Files app (or My Files on Samsung phones) to find your biggest files and send them to their new home.
5. Re-customize the display
You probably set up your display just the way you wanted it way back when you bought your phone, but it might be worth a second look. With a few tweaks, you can extend your phone’s battery life and speed up performance, and your eyes will never know -the difference: Turn on dark mode: If your Android phone has an OLED screen, using dark mode will actually extend the battery life because it’s using less power to light the display. Unlike LCD screens, OLED displays turn off the pixels to achieve blackness, so using fewer pixels is more efficient. Lower the screen resolution: Like computer monitors, many phones offer the option for a lower resolution in the Display settings, which will have an immediate impact on battery life. Because the screen is so small, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference anyway. 114 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 75
Most phones let you lower the resolution, which can help with your battery life
Turn off the always-on display: It’s nice to be able to glance at our phones to see incoming notifications and the time, but the always-on display can be a battery killer. Besides, your phone is usually in your pocket anyway.
6. Turn on Chrome’s Lite mode
If you’re waiting longer and longer for web pages to load, your phone might be struggling to process data quickly. Thankfully Chrome has a solution. Head over to the Settings inside the app and scroll until you see Lite mode. Tap it, and turn on the toggle to load pages faster with up to 60 per cent less data use. Some activities will suffer, such as video streams, but for the ISSUE 75 • ANDROID ADVISOR 115
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most part the only thing you’ll notice is how much snappier everything feels.
7. Perform a factory reset
Cleaning out and decluttering your phone is one thing, but the only sure-fire way to make sure a bad app or background process isn’t slowing down your phone is to erase all of your data. You’ll want to make sure you’ve backed up first, so head over to your phone’s backup settings and run it one last time to be safe. Then find the reset option, tap it, confirm, and your phone will restart as if you just peeled off the screen protector. If you want to restore from a backup you can choose the most recent one in setup, or just start completely fresh.
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