aperture - Page 5 of 12

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

Our Verdict

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the biggest and best iPhone ever made, but it is now only marginally better than the standard iPhone 12

For

Huge, beautiful screen
Surprisingly capable speakers
Excellent sound via headphones

Against

Marginal gains over iPhone 12
No bundled charger

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the best phone that Apple has made. It has the biggest and best screen, the best camera and the longest-lasting battery. So that’s the review over, right? Not quite.

No phone lives in a vacuum, and while the iPhone 12 Pro Max sits at the pinnacle of the current iPhone range, the competition is better than ever, particularly if picture and sound quality are of paramount importance. What’s more, Apple’s own iPhone 12 has gained an OLED screen, eliminating one of the key differentiators between the standard and Pro iPhones of previous years.

But, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the best phone Apple has made, that doesn’t necessarily make it the phone you should buy.

Price

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is priced from £1099 ($1099, AU$1849). That gets you the standard 128GB model, with 256GB and 512GB versions available for £1199 ($1199, AU$2019) and £1399 ($1399, AU$2369) respectively.

The cheapest version of the iPhone 12 Pro Max is just £100 ($100, AU$250) more expensive than the smaller iPhone 12 Pro, but a whopping £300 ($300, AU$500) more than a standard iPhone 12, which now has an OLED screen of its own.

Features

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple describes the straight-edged design of the iPhone 12 Pro Max as ‘all-new’, but it is reminiscent of older models such as the iPhone 4. Regardless, it is lovely to behold, with its stainless steel edges and textured matte back glass giving it a premium look and feel.

It feels weighty and solid, too, and it’s easier to grip, despite being marginally taller and wider (but also thinner) than the iPhone 11 Pro Max it replaces. Those straight edges make it slightly less comfortable to hold, but not to a great extent.

Despite the phone having grown just 2.8mm in height and 0.3mm in width, a thinning of the bezels has allowed for a screen that’s 0.2in bigger on the diagonal than that of its predecessor. This new screen uses what Apple calls a ‘Ceramic Shield’, which it claims is tougher than any other smartphone glass. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is IP68 rated, so is water-resistant at depths of up to 6m for up to 30 minutes.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max tech specs

(Image credit: Apple)

Display 6.7in OLED

Resolution 2778 x 1284 (458ppi)

Front camera 12MP

Rear camera 12MP Ultra Wide, Wide, Telephoto

Operating system iOS 14

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Arguably the biggest news is that new screen which, at 6.7in, is the largest to ever grace an iPhone. It’s also the brightest, with Apple claiming it reaches peaks of 1200 nits, with an average output of 800 nits.

This year, you don’t need to buy a Pro in order to get an OLED screen, as the standard iPhone 12 has one, too, but its typical brightness is rated at a lower 625 nits. The largest iPhone 12 has only a 6.1in display. Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG are now supported across the entire range, and there’s plenty available to watch in HDR, including on Netflix and the Apple TV app.

You can even now record your own video in Dolby Vision – the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are the first smartphone cameras with such a feature. Choose the Pro or Pro Max and recording can be done at 60fps rather than a maximum of 30fps.

The Pro models also boast an extra, telephoto lens that adds an optical zoom to the impressive suite of camera features. The Pro Max’s telephoto lens has a larger aperture than that of the non-Max Pro model, allowing it to capture more light. As well as the impressive camera hardware, the iPhone 12s also use features called ‘Deep Fusion’ and ‘Smart HDR 3’ to enhance detail and HDR highlights respectively.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max takes superb photos, but you’d have to be a camera enthusiast to get the most out of it, especially if you do a lot of night-time photography. The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max add a LiDAR scanner that improves low-light autofocus and allows bokeh portraits to be taken in Night Mode.

The new A14 Bionic chip, which also powers the standard iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models, is lightning fast, making the iPhone 12 Pro Max incredibly slick, snappy and frictionless in use. These new iPhones are the first to get 5G compatibility, making for faster data connections for those with an appropriate contract and coverage.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max also has a bigger battery than the iPhone 12 Pro or standard iPhone 12. Apple claims it lasts for up to 20 hours of video playback, compared with 17 hours for the other models. Indeed, during testing, we didn’t manage to fully empty the battery in a single day of use.

Much has been made of the fact that none of the new iPhones come bundled with a charger. If you don’t already have one, there are a number of options available, from the super-fast Apple 20W wired charger (£19, $19, AU$29), to various wireless charging options and even chargers that use the new MagSafe feature, which allows various accessories to be connected to the rear of the phone using magnets.

Screen

(Image credit: Apple)

iPhones have long been consummate picture performers and, as we play It from the Apple TV app, it immediately becomes clear that the 12 Pro Max doesn’t buck the trend. This Dolby Vision film is streamed in strikingly cinematic fashion, with deep blacks, super-crisp edges and oodles of detail. But it’s not a night-and-day improvement on the iPhone 11 Pro Max it replaces. You appreciate the extra 0.2in more than you might expect, and there’s a slight increase in colour vibrancy, but this is a similar presentation overall.

However, the fact that the standard iPhone 12 is the first of its kind with an OLED screen presents something of an issue. Playing Lost In Space on Netflix, we can see that the gap between the standard and Pro models has never been narrower. The Pro Max has a larger screen, making for a much more cinematic experience, but the standard iPhone 12 delivers a more crisply defined image, due to its more compact dimensions. All things being equal, we’d choose the 12 Pro Max’s viewing experience, but the extra cost is hard to justify on picture performance alone.

It’s also interesting to compare the iPhone 12 Pro Max to the Award-winning Sony Xperia 1 II, which has a 21:9 display that makes for a bigger and more authentically cinematic presentation with the right material. Playing Dredd from Netflix (in Full HD and SDR), the Sony also proves to be the punchier, more vibrant and sharper performer, as well having a more neutral colour balance. If you’re open to the idea of switching to Android, the Xperia 1 II is worth trying out.

Sound

(Image credit: Apple)

For listening out loud, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is simply the best phone there has ever been. What Apple has achieved in terms of loudness, spaciousness and punch is impressive. A good Bluetooth speaker at the affordable end of the market will still beat it, of course, but the openness of the soundfield is particularly impressive when watching a film, and effects extend surprisingly far to the left and right of the screen.

Playing through a pair of headphones (you’ll need a separate dongle) and the good news continues. The iPhone 12 is an exceptionally musical device in its own right, and the 12 Pro Max sounds slightly fuller and smoother at the expense of just a touch of crispness. We’re talking fine margins here, and both phones offer that balance, authenticity and sense of fun for which Apple products are renowned.

Plug those same headphones into the Sony Xperia 1 II (which still has a dedicated socket) and there’s an immediate increase in intensity. That can be seen as a positive – you can’t fail to be engaged – but the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s richer and more open approach is just as appealing, particularly over long listening sessions.

Verdict

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the best phone that Apple has ever made, with the biggest screen, the best speakers, the best camera and the biggest battery. But many of its upgrades over the iPhone 12 are minimal, and the fact that the standard iPhone now has an OLED display is another reason not to spend the extra.

In short, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max is well worth stretching to if you’re a keen photographer or videographer, the standard iPhone 12 is without a doubt the performance-per-pound pick of the current range – and more than enough phone for all but the most demanding of users.

SCORES

Screen 5
Sound 5
Features 5

MORE:

Read our guide to the best smartphones

Read our Apple iPhone 12 review

Read our Sony Xperia 1 II review

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra initial review: The top dog?

(Pocket-lint) – Samsung moved fast to launch its new flagship phone range in January 2021, with the Galaxy S21 Ultra sitting at the top of the pile.

Having created the Ultra tier in 2020, the new S21 Ultra feels like an opportunity to address what didn’t work with that old phone and try to create the super phone that Samsung wants.

We’ve spent a little time with the new device to bring you our first impressions.

squirrel_widget_3816752

Design

165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9mm, 228g
Metal and glass build
IP68 waterproofing

Samsung put a lot of time into talking about the black finish on its phone at the launch of the new devices. Saying that less is more will raise an eyebrow among those looking at new S21 Ultra, into which Samsung clearly has put everything.

But there’s no questioning that the Phantom Black S21 Ultra is something to behold. Once you get past the size of the camera housing, with those large lenses looking at you, you’ll appreciate what Samsung was talking about.

Pocket-lint

Black phones have often been glossy. Often highlighting the use of glass, big phones have suffered from that problem of always being smeary, with black looking particularly bad. The matte finish is welcome, the Gorilla Glass Victus rear of this phone looking more like black metal.

That the finish also flows across the camera housing too helps to camouflage it to a degree, and moreso than some of the contrasting finishes that Samsung has used on the smaller S20 and S21+ models.

The frame of the phone remains glossy black and extends up around the edges of the camera housing so it looks more integrated and it’s a unique design, something we’ve not seen before – which is very welcomed on a smartphone.

Pocket-lint

The essentials are still in place, like the IP68 waterproofing you’d demand of a premium flagship, but there’s no escaping that is a big phone, and weighty too.

Flip to the front and the curves to the edge of the display continue Samsung’s trick of hiding the edge bezels for a more seamless look – and that’s something that the regular S20 and S21+ no longer offer. There’s touch of bezel to the top and bottom of the screen and the front punch hole camera is kept small – but it’s all very similar to other, recent, Samsung phones.

Display

6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Quad HD+, HDR10+ support
Adaptive 10-120Hz refresh rate
1500 nit
S Pen support

Samsung phones are all about the display. Packed with a 6.8-inch AMOLED, this is a typical Samsung experience, with our first impressions being of a punchy and vibrant display. Samsung says that this is its brightest at 1500 nits, but there are some important changes that have taken place under the surface.

The S21 Ultra adopts the Note 20 Ultra’s adaptive motion smoothness to solve one of the big criticisms of the previous S20 Ultra. That old device only offered 120Hz at 1080p resolution, which hardly seemed premium. Now the phone can select refresh rates from 10-120Hz to suit the content.

Best smartphones 2021: The top mobile phones available to buy today

Pocket-lint

That will save battery, because it means you’re not pushing 120Hz when you’re reading a static page, but you have the fluidity when you’re scrolling or gaming where faster refresh rates are supported. Some will notice the refresh rate more than others, so it’s not the be-all and end-all, but it’s good that Samsung has addressed this.

Samsung sticks to offering a top resolution at 3200 x 1440 pixels, but that’s not turned on by default. The default is still 2400 x 1080 pixels and you have to look hard to notice the difference. That’s also the top resolution of the new S21+, with Samsung seemingly accepting that some people just don’t need those pixel popping resolutions.

Pocket-lint

On top of this is the support for the S Pen. This has been the preserve of the Note in previous Samsung phones and the widening of the support for stylus input adds an interesting option. While the S21 Ultra doesn’t come with a stylus, you can either buy one or use one from an older device. You don’t get all the S Pen Air Commands that you do on the Note, but there’s plenty you can do.

Camera

Quad rear camera:
- Main: 108-megapixels, 0.8µm pixel size, f/1.8 aperture, OIS, laser autofocus
- Ultra-wide: 12MP, 1.4µm, f/2.2, 120°
- Telephoto (3x): 10MP, 1.22µm, f/2.4, OIS
- Telephoto (10x): 10MP, 1.22µm, f/4.9, OIS
Selfie camera: 40MP, 0.7µm, f/2.2

As we’ve only had the S21 Ultra for a limited time, we’ve really not had the chance to dive into the performance of the camera – that’s going to take a lot more testing to see if Samsung has addressed some of the problems encountered with the previous model.

There have been changes: there’s a new 108-megapixel main sensor which claims to be a better performer and it’s supported by a new laser autofocus system. That should address the previous focusing issues that people had, but it does leave the larger question of which is the best approach to mobile photography.

Pocket-lint

The S21 Ultra takes 12-megapixel photos as standard and the pixel are only 0.8µm a fraction of the size you get in lower resolution sensors, like on the Pixel or iPhone. Ultimately it gathers more data, but can’t absorb as much light through each pixel on the sensor. We’ll be looking at how the AI wizardary handles these images to see how they compare if they can compete in low light.

While the front camera and ultra-wide camera remain the same as the old model, it’s in the telephoto that things have changed the most. Samsung is keen to hang onto the 100X Space Zoom as a flagship feature. Previously, the zoom was good, but beyond about 30x, it really started to lose sharpness and colour, not to mention being hard to keep stable.

Pocket-lint

There are now two 10-megapixel lenses on the back of the S21 Ultra, one offering 3x telephoto and the others, a periscope lens, offering 10x optical. They work in combination, so from the camera app it’s a seamless transition from one to the other so you’re getting the best lens for the job. We’re yet to fully test it, but certainly, it looks like that 10x optical zoom will give some decent results.

Samsung has also made a point of boosting the video skills. This is an area where Apple has generally performed better than many rivals, so there’s a lot to explore to see how the S21 Ultra competes.

There are new modes and new skills in the camera to explore, but we’ll be bringing you a full verdict on their performance once we’ve spent longer with the phone.

Hardware and specs

Exynos 2100/Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, 5G
12/16GB, 128/256/512GB
5000mAh, 45W charging
UWB

With a new device comes new hardware, pushing along Samsung’s One UI 3.1, based on Android 11. That brings the software fully up to date (other Samsung devices are currently on One UI 3.0 at the time of writing).

The phone is now powered by the Exynos 2100 or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, depending on where you buy the phone. This is a new generation of hardware and first impressions are of a snappy phone. We’re using the Exynos version and we suspect that the two versions of the phone will be closer in performance than they have previously.

There’s a big 5000mAh battery with support for faster wired and wireless charging, but there’s a lot of testing before we can judge whether Samsung has managed to boost the endurance.

First Impressions

Initial impressions of the Galaxy S21 Ultra are of a phone that’s now better looking than it was before. It’s a phone with a lot to prove – even though it is available slightly cheaper than the model it replaces, there’s always the risk that it will be undercut by its own lower-spec sibling, the Galaxy S21+.

We’re going to putting the S21 Ultra through a lot of testing over the coming weeks, but we’ll bring you a full evaluation of Samsung latest phone as soon as we can.

Writing by Chris Hall.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs S21+ vs S21 Ultra: What’s the difference?

(Pocket-lint) – Samsung announced the Galaxy S21 series on 14 January during its Unpacked event, with three devices in the line up to choose from.

The Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra all feature a similar design language but different price points, specs and features. Here is how the three devices compare to help you decide which might be the right one for you.

squirrel_widget_3816714

Design

S21: 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm, 172g
S21+: 161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8mm, 202g
S21 Ultra: 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9mm, 228g

All three Galaxy S21 models share the same design principles, though their physical sizes differ, and the materials differ between the models too – or so it is thought. This was unconfirmed at the time of writing but we will update once we have a definitive answer.

The Galaxy S21 is the smallest and lightest, followed by the S21+ and the Ultra is the largest and heaviest. The S21 and S21+ have flat displays though and they are presumed to be plastic like the Galaxy S20 FE, while the Ultra is sticks to a glass rear and offers a curved display.

The rear camera housing is similar across the three models, though the Ultra has a wider housing in order to accommodate the extra lenses.

All three devices are IP68 water and dust resistant and all three sport a centralised punch hole front camera at the top of their display.

Display

S21: 6.2-inches, Full HD+, 120Hz
S21+: 6.7-inches, Full HD+, 120Hz
S21 Ultra: 6.8-inches, Quad HD+, adaptive 120Hz, S Pen

The Galaxy S21 has a 6.2-inch display, the S21+ has a 6.7-inch display and the Galaxy S21 Ultra has a 6.8-inch display.

Both the S21 and S21+ have Full HD+ resolutions and 120Hz refresh rates, while the S21 Ultra has a Quad HD+ resolution, an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate and support for the S Pen.

Sources also say the S21 and S21+’s displays have a peak brightness of 1400nits, while the S21 Ultra has a peak brightness of 1600nits, though we still need to confirm this.

As mentioned above, the S21 and S21+ have flat displays, while the S21 Ultra retains the curves Samsung has popularised over the last few years.

Hardware and specs

S21: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100, 128/256GB, 4000mAh
S21+: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100, 128/256GB, 4800mAh
S21 Ultra: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100, 128/256/512GB, 5000mAh

All three Galaxy S21 devices are expected to run on either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, or the Exynos 2100 depending on the region. Samsung has said the devices have a 5nm chip, but it hasn’t specified which as yet. They are all 5G devices.

The Galaxy S21 and S21+ come in 128GB and 256GB storage options with 8GB of RAM on board. The Galaxy S21 Ultra meanwhile, comes in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options. RAM is 12GB or 16GB depending on the model.

In terms of battery, the Galaxy S21 has a 4000mAh cell under its hood, the S21+ a 4800mAh battery and the Galaxy S21 Ultra a 5000mAh battery. The S21 and S21+ are expected to support 25W charging and come with a 15W charger in the box, while the S21 Ultra is expected to support 45W charging and come with a 25W charger in the box.

squirrel_widget_3816733

Camera

S21: Triple rear (12MP + 12MP + 64MP)
S21+: Triple rear (12MP + 12MP + 64MP)
S21 Ultra: Quad rear (108MP + 12MP + 10MP + 10MP), 40-megapixel front camera

The camera is the main point of differentiation between the Galaxy S21 and S21+ models and the S21 Ultra.

The S21 and S21+ both have a triple rear camera, made up of a 12-megapixel main sensor with 1.8µm pixel size, f/1.8 aperture and optical stabilisation (OIS), a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor with 1.4µm and f/2.2, and a 64-megapixel telephoto sensor with 0.8µm, f/2.0 and OIS.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra meanwhile, has a quad rear camera made up of a 108-megapixel main sensor with 0.8µm pixels, f/1.8 aperture, OIS and laser autofocus, a 12-megapixel ultra wide sensor (1.4µm, f/2.2) and two 10-megapixel telephoto lenses, one with 1.22µm, f/2.4 and the other with 1.22µm, f/4.9. It is also expected to have a 40-megapixel selfie camera.

All models are also expected to come with features including the cameras automatically switching between 30fps and 60fps depending on the lighting conditions, a dual recording mode, improved night mode, more manual controls and improved moon mode, though these features still need confirmation.

squirrel_widget_3816752

Price

S21: £769 / €849
S21+: £949 / €1049
S21 Ultra: £1149 / €1249

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is the entry model to the range, followed by the Galaxy S21+, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra sits at the top of the range, as was the case with the Galaxy S20 range.

The Galaxy S21 starts at £769 in the UK, and €849 in Europe. The Galaxy S21+ starts at £949 in the Uk and €1049 in Europe.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra starts at £1149 in the UK and €1249 in Europe. All three handsets will be available from 29 January.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21+ are very similar in terms of their offerings, with the main difference being their physical size and therefore display size, as well as a larger battery capacity in the Plus model.

The S21 Ultra meanwhile, offers a more substantial camera offering, a larger and sharper display, an adaptive refresh rate, a brighter display, support for the S Pen, a more premium build quality and appearance and more RAM.

We will be sure to update this feature as soon as we have reviewed all three handsets.

Writing by Britta O’Boyle.

Motorola moto g 5G: winner for incredible autonomy! The review

With the new Motorola moto g 5G the winged company decides to continue on the open medium range 5G device line with the Plus version. The will is to ignite the desire of users for the old brand by offering good quality at an attractive price and even with the prerogative of the 5G network.

by Bruno Mucciarelli published on 12 January 2021 in the channel Telephony

Motorola

The new Motorola moto g 5G forcefully enters the mid-range market with a price of 369 ?? allowing the company to propose a new device of its historic moto g series but elevating the user to the 5G network, that is the new ultra-fast network. In this case, Motorola aims to rekindle the old glory of the g series, offering perhaps one of the best value for money in the mid-range, a bit mimicking what it had done a few generations ago with the moto g.

Clearly in moto g 5G there is no is only the substance of the support for the new fast 5G network but also much more especially for those who intend to use the smartphone on long journeys without possibility to recharge it for a long time. First of all, let’s start from the design which, although in polycarbonate, reflects the classic lines of Motorola’s moto gs. Here is a large 6.7 inch LCD panel with HDR support 10 and we know that not all manufacturers in this price range bet on this particular one. It also has a single front camera as well as a generous 5 battery . 000 mAh which also allows you to have support for fast charging. A novelty for the company that in recent years had lagged a bit behind its other competitors.

Clearly there is also the triple rear camera with a main sensor from ben 48 MP but also a practically clean graphic interface with the company’s customizations that do not take anything away from Android Stock, on the contrary, they allow you to have some more features that are not too invasive. All at a price of 369 ?? which somehow ranks with many competing smartphones in this range but with which we will see it can easily compete.

UNBOXING

The new Motorola moto g 5G is sold in a classic box of the company’s latest smartphones with the smartphone in plain sight as soon as the lid is opened and also with the transparent silicone cover not too invasive but still protective. Present all the classic accessories that are now sold by most of the manufacturers of mobile devices. In this case, the endowment we received sees the presence primarily of the smartphone but also of:

a charger for fast charging from 18 W , a Type-C cable, the tool for ejecting the dual SIM slot but also the in ear headphones with good quality.

DESIGN

A before given the moto g 5G it is perhaps not very different from other devices of the company and of this series. Looking at it better, however, it has two distinctive visual traits: one on each side. On the front we have a camera present on the “ perforated ” display. One sensor from 16 MP who undoubtedly it changes the aesthetics of the front but not too negative since on a visual level the display is not too affected. The frames are not too exaggerated with the slightly thicker upper one due to the presence of the ear capsule, the ambient light sensor and the proximity sensor. Below there is a greater frame but in substance it does not create any annoyance and everything is more than homogeneous and balanced with the rest of the device.

Also in this case, as happened for other last generation Motorola, the display has an elongated form factor but not a 21: 9 but a 20: 9 which means that the management in hand is facilitated both for the insertion of data with the keyboard than for everyday use in general. On the other hand, it is large in its size and this sometimes precludes the possibility of reaching the top of the screen without a slight extension of the hand or a movement of the same.

power button, unlike the Plus version, does not work as a fingerprint reader which instead we find it in the back in the center of the body in a classic circular holder. The position of the sensor in this case is the usual one and therefore the index reaches us without too many problems at all times and the unlocking of the device is therefore practically immediate. To underline, however, the knurling of the on and off button that allows the user to find it easily and immediately without having to look every time. The volume rocker is instead higher but with only one key and relatively solid. The same goes for the dedicated button of the Google Assistant on the opposite side of the frame present as in other company devices.

Motorola moto g 5G has a completely polycarbonate frame which, however, both to the eye and to the touch allows you to have an excellent impression of resistance. The device also offers good levels of grip with an almost always precise and not too slippery grip. The back cover in this case is completely in glossy plastic with the presence of a texture in color Volcanic Gray that tends to bordeux , not too exaggerated, in full Motorola style. At the top left is the important structure where the company has positioned the three photographic sensors. They are reminiscent of other competitive devices but in fact the small thickness of the structure also allows on a flat surface to make the device stable without it wobbling as other smartphones very often do today. There is also an important LED flash module right next to the square of the ” triple rooms ”.

Despite being made of polycarbonate, the moto g 5G weighs quite a bit, that is 212 grams. A little or a lot let’s say that the weight is felt even if the whole device is well balanced probably for the size of the display or for a well-studied distribution of components. Moreover, on the weight, let’s not forget that the device has a large 6.7-inch panel but also a prodigious 5 battery. 000 mAh.

DISPLAY

The Full HD + resolution of 2400 x 1080 6.7 “display pixel compensates for a form factor 20: 9 quite ” high ”. The screen has HDR support 10 which guarantees to users the vision of decidedly optimal contents. Actually what we can declare on the daily use of the smartphone is to be in front of a good quality panel that guarantees vision movies or even browsing the web without eye strain. Clearly we are talking about an IPS LCD panel with its pros and cons.

Moving on to the tests on the screen we can see how the display on the moto g 5G a good level of maximum brightness is set to automatic mode in bright environments. It is certainly not the brightest of the mid-range but still allows excellent comfort and sufficient readability in any lighting condition.

Three different preset color modes on the Motorola moto g 5G: Natural, Enhanced or Intense. The difference is not excessive. In fact, with the first mode, the screen tends to find a balance with colors closer to reality and therefore certainly less shot than the other two modes. The ” Enhanced ” colors allow you to have a middle ground with the Natural and the Intense where the latter shoot strongly and make the screen even more ” alive ” even in the contents.

HARDWARE

We have often criticized Motorola in the past for using outdated or undersized chipsets compared to its direct rivals, but we are happy that this is no longer the case. The new moto g 5G sports a Snapdragon chipset 750 G , which is fast becoming the 5G chip most popular mid-range. Compared to Snapdragon 730 G settles for a slightly clocked GPU lower but with very minimal differences in daily use.

The processor is an octa core unit based on Kryo cores 570 (therefore based on Cortex-A 77), equipped with 2 high-power cores at 2.2GHz and 6 at low consumption, while the graphics processor is an Adreno 619 which supports Full HD + resolution displays up to a refresh rate of 77 Hz. The chip is made with an 8nm manufacturing process.

6 GB

OS ( at launch)	Android 10
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 657 G Octa-Core at 2.2GHz
RAM
Display	IPS LCD 6.7 “Full HD + (20: 9)
Resolution	2400 x 1080 px
Storage (at launch)	64 / 128 GB + MicroSD
Rear Camera	Triple Camera: Main 48 MP (26 mm – f / 1. 7) PDAF + Ultra Wide 8MP (f / 2.2) + Macro 2MP (f / 2.4) 4K UHD video @ 30 fps

Front Camera 16 MP (f / 2.2) – Video 1080 p. @ 30 fps Extra

5G

NFC

Fingerprint sensor

Doors USB Type-C + 3.5mm jack Battery 5. 000 mAh + Quick charge Dimensions 120. 1 x 76. 1 x 9.9 mm Weight 187 gr

In terms of performance, the chipset is very similar to the Snapdragon 730 G but offers slightly better single core performance. In fact, in everyday use we never slow down and Motorola’s software optimization seems to go hand in hand with the chipset that never gives up a moment even in situations of greater stress. It is undoubtedly an excellent mid-range hardware and the presence of 6GB of RAM do not seem to worry the user who still manages to do everything or almost everything. The memory is of 128 GB but we must emphasize the possibility of expanding it with MicroSD up to 1TB.

GeekBench 5

		MOTOROLA moto g 5G
Browser	Sunspider	344, 5 ms
Browser	JetStream 2.0	53. 443 points
CPU	COMPUTE 1. 308
CPU	Single-core CPU: 657 Multi-core CPU: 1969
GPU	GFXBench 5	Aztec Ruins: On 11 Fps / Off 7.3 Fps Car Chase: On 17 Fps / Off 19 Fps Manhattan 3.1: On 30 Fps / Off 31 Fps
Storage	Androbench	Read seq .: 948, 51 MB / s Write seq .: 443, 38 MB / s Random reading seq .: 187, 76 MB / s Random write seq .: 179, 66 MB / s
Generic	3D Mark	2.789 points
Generic	AnTuTu	326. 344 points

GRAPHIC INTERFACE

The company opted for an Android experience mostly stock for its smartphones , even for those not part of the Android One program. This means that there is a large list of custom features grouped in the Moto app also in this new device. It is one of the strengths of Motorola phones: clean and tidy Android experience. If you like the look of stock Android, you will definitely like this one from Motorola.

Clearly we are talking about Moto Action which is an assortment of intelligent ways to interact with the smartphone between a quick movement of the device to turn the flashlight on or off, the rotation of the same to start the camera app, or a gesture with the three fingers for the screenshot of the display and much more. Also clearly present Moto Display which allows to interact with notifications or other information directly on the standby screen thanks to the system created by Motorola for some time in its smartphones. The gestures are the usual ones of Google with the back gesture performed on both sides of the display. There is also a swipe option for the backward gesture sensitivity which determines how close to the edge you need to get for the system to register the gesture. Don’t forget the old on-screen navigation buttons anyway.

There is Moto Game which is nothing but the mode that allows you to set some set of tools to improve the use of games during sessions. In this case, thanks to the display with strongly curved sides, it is possible to add virtual buttons to be used during the video game. The immersive mode allows you to filter calls and notifications, the performance section allows you to disable adaptive brightness, disable parts of the display at the edges and activate audio enhancements.

All this thanks to Android 10 which is implemented with very few things but well done as always by Motorola. A remarkable optimization that not only allows the user to have the best performance in terms of daily activities but also to be able to guarantee autonomy, as we will see, never seen lately on a device of this type.

Also, there is a completely new customization menu that wasn’t available before. Similarly to OnePlus OxygenOS, you can choose the color of the switches, sliders and quick toogle on the menu. You can also choose the shape of these quick buttons. There are also icon shapes and many options to choose from and the same goes for fonts. It’s the first time Motorola has allowed all of these things to be customized on its phones and it all started with the Edge series. Finally, the fingerprint reader is fast in most cases very accurate.

CAMERA

Motorola moto g 5G

Main

Main 48 MP Quad Pixel – 0,8 µm
Wide angle lens with f / 1.7 aperture

Ultra – Wide Angle

8MP sensor – 1. 12 µm
Lens angle from 118 ° with aperture f / 2.2

Macro Camera

5MP sensor
Aperture f / 2.4 – Minimum distance 2 cm

Front

Sensor from 16 MP – 1.0µm – f / 2.2

4K Video @ 30 fps

The moto g 5G uses a Quad-Bayer sensor from 48 MP to shoot in reduced mode from 12 MP. A fairly large 1/2 “sensor that sits behind a fast f / 1.7 aperture lens. The ultrawide camera , on the other hand, take photos from 8MP with field of view of 118 degrees and aperture f / 2.2. There is also a third camera of the module which is a dedicated 5MP macro and aperture from f / 2.2, definitely a step up from the more common 2MP macro cameras. Especially since it has autofocus, which makes shooting macros much easier. On the other hand, a sensor is positioned on the front 16 MP which has an f / 2.0 aperture.

The application of the Motorola’s default camera is quite different from most of its rivals. Swiping left and right allows you to use only three modes: the default photo mode, video recording, and the last used mode. By touching the squares icon, you can access the complete list of camera modes including manual, vertical and night mode. The settings icon in the upper right corner of the viewfinder allows you to adjust the video resolution, aspect ratio settings and many other things.

How does Motorola moto g 5G Plus shoot?

Day photo: in the photos during the day the smartphone is average. The main camera works well with outdoor shots that collect overall good details, a fairly wide dynamic range, punchy colors and a nice feel. There is some noise in the shadows, but the overall results are nice for the price.

Photo in the dark: when the light fades, the image quality deteriorates. The shots in low light conditions are not at the top with some underexposure errors which also correspond to a lack of detail and the presence of a fair amount of noise. The night mode relatively improves the quality: we have better exposure here and the images are more detailed. There remains the noise that is mitigated but the result is better than before but not exciting.

Ultra-wide module: the ultra-wide-angle module of the device offers a good yield. The sensor does not have the same resolving power as the main one and you can see it in the softness of the shots. In fact, however, there is undoubtedly a color rendering in favorable lighting conditions and it has a decent dynamic range.

Zoom: the zoom does not enhance the results. We do not have a specific sensor for this type of shots and this is partly felt. By zooming in up to 2X zoom, which still has to be done manually with pinch to zoom, we get decent results. Then, by increasing the magnification, the details are lost and above all you cannot get decent quality photos.

Macro: good results with macro photos that the user can make. Having a sensor for this type of shot can be a plus that gives greater quality to the results. This does not always happen because often the main lens is still capable of making close-up shots. Here in some situations the macro camera guarantees improvements.

Portraits: portraits lack sharpness and dynamic range, but have well-rendered skin tones and great edge detection. Noise levels are relatively high in any situation. That’s why we recommend taking portraits outside or in a well-lit room if image quality is to be important.

Video: The phone supports video recording up to 4K and can also be stabilized. We shot a 4K video without EIS and liked what was recorded. The colors are punchy, the contrast is good, there is some noise in the not too bright stages, the dynamic range is wide, and the sharpness is important. Nothing to complain about especially given the price of the phone.
Selfie: HDR on selfies looks more than competent as it keeps the subject’s face well exposed even in more challenging lighting conditions without cropping the bright background. Sharpness and detail are well preserved throughout the process, while colors appear to be fairly accurate. The ultrawide camera is noticeably softer with lower dynamic range and colors that look darker. The noise begins to creep in as the light begins to fade.

AUTONOMY

The moto g 5G boasts a 5 battery. 000 mAh , which proved incredible to power current hardware for more than a day. Using the smartphone in all the most common situations with or without Wifi network and therefore with or without 4G or 5G mobile network but also to play with it, work with it or even to record videos or take photos, the smartphone always maintains a certain regularity in battery consumption. which is not canceled until after a day and a half.

Fast charging from 20 W is not the top of fast reloads . The times are also higher due to the important battery for amperage. The device allows you to recharge the 35% in 30 minutes, while a full charge took about 2 hours and 10 minutes.

CONCLUSIONS

The moto g 5G was placed on the market to bring 5G also to the economic range, allowing anyone to have support for the new generation networks that will become a fundamental point for the future.

With a limited budget , moto g 5G certainly lends itself as an interesting all-rounder. Certainly a few tens of euros less would have definitely benefited the smartphone that has a good quality front panel even if still IPS. It also possesses exceptional battery life, clean Android with only some useful and minimally invasive customizations and features and above all a capable chipset. Certainly something is missing on the cameras that are good but not excellent and above all the weight that clearly due to the huge battery makes it look a bit retro from this point of view compared to other devices of the moment.

2400

In fact there are many peculiarities that we liked about this new Motorola g series 5G and certainly an Android Stock and the excellent battery life that are enough to attract many potential buyers with the hindsight to wait maybe that the price can be lowered by a few tens of euros.

TCL 20 5G and TCL 20 SE – The premiere of new, reasonably priced smartphones with Qualcomm Snadpragon series systems

TCL, known primarily for the production of TV sets, introduces two new mobile devices to its product offer, while this year’s line 20 will get a total of five smartphones. TCL 20 5G and 20 SE, which we will talk about in a moment, will be available in Polish stores at the end of January, at the latest in February. Interestingly, these models will also be included in the offers of our telecoms. We will have to wait for the availability of TCL Pro 5G, TCL L and TCL S, so we will focus only on two frescoes, which are a direct continuation of the TCL series 10. These smartphones differ not only in appearance and price, but also, and maybe even above all, extremely different technical specifications.

The premiere of TCL smartphones 20 5G and TCL 20 SE. Two of the five series models 20 from TCL have just been officially presented. We check their technical specification, availability and prices.

POCO M3 smartphone test – Stereo speaker power, unusual design and battery life 6000 mAh are impressive

Currently testing TCL 10 Plus and in the coming days a test of the device will be published on our website. Meanwhile, the manufacturer decided to expand its product portfolio with new models. Let’s start with the weaker one. Yes, the underdog. Let us not be afraid to use this term for budget planners. TCL 20 SE is inexpensive, because it costs only 149 euro (approximately 670 PLN ) smartphone running Android 11 with Qualcomm Snapdragon 460, Adreno artwork 610, 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of eMCP memory. The performance is provided by a battery with a capacity 5000 mAh charged with power 15 When using the USB connector -C. The equipment supports WiFi b / g / n, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and the Dual SIM function. Unfortunately, the latter is a hybrid solution.

TCL C 71 and TCL C 81 – QLED TVs with Dolby Vision and HDR 10 +

Visually TCL 20 SE is doing quite well for this price range. Here we get a large one, as many as 6, 82 – an inch screen with a V-shaped notch for the camera. Unfortunately, the resolution is only 1640 x 720 pixels by aspect ratio 20. 5 : 9. The bezels surrounding the screen are far too wide by today’s standards. The smartphone is quite heavy, as it weighs 206 grams per dimensions 172, 08 x 77, 14 x 9.1 mm. The manufacturer has placed here a photo set consisting of 16 MP wide angle camera with f / 1.7 light, 5 MP ultra wide angle f / 2.2 and 2 MP cameras with f / 2.4 aperture for macro and depth of field detection. Selfie made with 8MP front camera with f / 2.0 light.

TCL 20 5G is a higher model, but as the price suggests 299 euro (approx. 1350, this is a device medium shelf. We can count on a more attractive appearance, smaller frames and a more efficient photographic set. The manufacturer put 6 here, 67 – inch screen with resolution 2400 x 1080 pixels, Qulacomm Snapdragon chip 690, Adreno graphics 619, 6 GB LPDDR4X RAM and 82 or 256 GB of UFS 2.1 storage. The latter can be extended with the use of microSD cards for another 206 GB. A battery that we charge with a strong 18 W, can “boast” capacity 4500 mAh . We will take photos using a photo set consisting of 48 MP wide-angle main unit with f / 1.8 optics, 8 MP ultra-wide angle with f / 2.2 aperture and 2 MP macro units. For selfie photos the MP front module with f / 2.0 light hidden in the dot-shaped screen notch is responsible.

	TCL 20 5G	TCL 20 SE
Display	6, 67-whole 20: 9 2400 x 1080 pix	6, 82-whole 20, 5: 9 1640 x 720 pix
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 2x Cortex-A 77 – 2.0 GHz 6x Cortex-A 55 – 1.7 GH	Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 4x Cortex-A 73 – 1 , 6 GHz 4x Cortex-A 53 – 1.8 GHz
Graphics Processor	Adreno 619 L	Adreno 460
Data memory	128 GB (UFS 2.1) 256 GB (UFS 2.1)	64 GB (eMCP)
RAM	6 GB	4 GB
Battery	4500 mAh 18 In	5000 mAh 18 In
Main camera	48 MP f / 1/8 wide angle 8 MP f / 2.2 ultra wide angle 2 MP f / 2.4 macro	16 MP, f / 1.8, wide angle 6 MP f / 2.2 ultra wide angle 2 MP f / 2.4 macro
Front camera	8 MP f / 2.2	8 MP f / 2.0
Dimensions	166, 2 x 76, 8 x 9.1 mm	172, 08 x 77, 14 x 9.1 mm
Weight	206 g	206 g
Colors	Mist Gray Placid Blue	Nuit Black Aurora Green
Price	~ 1350 PLN	~ 670 PLN

Source: TCL

Instant photography, two philosophies compared: Polaroid Now and Fuijifilm Instax Mini LiPlay

The history of photography is made up of small revolutions . The most important are certainly those that have ‘democratized’ its use and led more people to approach photography. The invention of the portable camera by Oskar Barnack is certainly one of them (by the way, you know why the classic film 35 mm ha 36 pose? Find the answer in this article on Barnack and Leica). However, few inventions have had on mass culture the influence of the invention of instant photography , the one that allows you to see the photo taken a few minutes after shooting, without having to wait for the complex operations. development in the dark room. Something that seems obvious to the new generations, accustomed to digital photography and the possibility of immediately seeing the result on the screen of a smartphone or digital camera.

Bombarded with digital and intangible files, today’s young people and children are very attracted to photographs that can also be touched. Try to give a child a photo book with photos of travels and family moments and you will see him scroll through the pages every time with wonder. Then try to take a picture with an instant camera, with the print being ‘spit’ out of the machine just after the click: the ‘ Wow ‘ effect is always insured. Many technologies have chased each other in recent years in the instant photography sector, on the one hand to run for cover due to the disappearance of some of the old instant development media (due to the environmental limitations to some reagents) and to try to intersect digital photography and instant development .

The historical Polaroid came short of breath to the rebirth of instant photography, indeed it had arrived completely out of breath, throwing in the towel before the time was ripe again . Fujifilm, which had much bigger shoulders, is instead making it a successful segment, able in some moments to help the budget of other divisions in difficulty.

From its side Polaroid was reborn through the stubbornness of some of its last workers, first in the form of the Impossible Project, which has since grown to the point of regaining control of the Polaroid brand. Polaroid Originals, with Polaroid Now are the result of this reunion and brand and first product of the new course.

Polaroid and Fujifilm today they carry out a dual strategy, made on the one hand of traditional instant film products and on the other hand instant printing products that allow digital shots to be materialized in seconds. Two philosophies that intercept different needs and in this article we will try to see which ones.

Polaroid Now – The Polaroid of yesteryear

Polaroid Now apparently leaves little room for modernity . Daughter of DNA Polaroid is a instant development analog camera . However, it reinterprets tradition in a modern way, trying to introduce some of the innovations we are all accustomed to by now, first of all autofocus and automatic exposure , as well as a convenient USB port for recharging (the battery is no longer in the films as it once was), which allows you to shoot 15 films with a single charge, accessible from the smartphone charger. Bring the traditional Polaroid shooting experience back to life. we point, shoot, we await with some emotion the slow unveiling of the photo on the film, with the final satisfaction (or disappointment) that unfolds together with the development of the photo.

Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay – Digital Snapshot with Audio

Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay is on the contrary the maximum of hybridization. Born from the union between a digital camera with 1/5 “CMOS sensor and resolution of 2560 x 1920 pixel and an instant film printer . But it also adds a microphone for ‘ print ‘the audio in the photographs (in the form of a QR code that refers to a link on the web where the audio is stored) and a MicroSD slot. It allows you to shoot even after some time from the shot and to select bad shots and to be thrown away to avoid wasting useless film. It can also connect to your smartphone and act as a printer for photos taken with your mobile phone.

Instant photography , but different philosophies

We are therefore faced with two diametrically opposed philosophies, the first that has its roots in tradition and stops there, the second that instead tries to decline instant photography in a more modern key .

By user now used to shooting digitally for many years, I must admit that the first approach is the one that initially intrigued me most, but which turned out to be less suitable for everyday life. Also considering the cost of the films (16 euro for 8 sheets for the Polaroid and just over 10 euro for 10 sheets for Instax Mini), every wrong shot is felt on the wallet and it’s something you have to get used to. It also takes a little experience to familiarize yourself with the sensitivity of the film (combined with the low aperture of the lens): where in digital today it is easy to take a shot home, the film result is not always guaranteed. Polaroid Now’s built-in flash can help, but it doesn’t have a great range and the auto exposure system doesn’t always handle it well.

Much easier, although less romantic, the ‘use of Instax , which shoots digitally and allows you to evaluate the performance of the shot before sending it to print. In addition, the camera provides the classic automatic exposure compensation tool, to compensate for any reading errors and a small LED comes in handy in situations where the light is poor. In perfect post-Instagram style, the Fujifilm camera offers a series of filters to edit images , as well as several frames.

Instax Mini LiPlay, as the name also implies, plays a lot on compactness, making it one of the most ‘pocket’ in the category of instant cameras, while Polaroid Now has the size of its bigger sisters of the years that were. To remain small and compact, the Fujifilm proposal uses Instax Mini films, which, as the name again implies, have a particularly small format, with a frame size of 46 x 62 millimeters, while the Polaroid image area is much larger: 79 x 79 millimeters. At Fujifilm there are also larger formats, with Square films from 62 x 62 mm and Wide from 99 x 62 mm, which require the use of other camera bodies . Different types of frames are available for both Polaroid and Instax, from the most classic to those colored or decorated with various graphic motifs.

Instant Camera , which one to choose?

Many may ask the question ‘ Instant Camera, why choose it ‘with a slightly sarcastic tone, but in reality nowadays, although the instant is more often captured and shared through smartphones and instant film cameras they may still make sense. They make sense because they stimulate more senses . You will forgive the pun, but a photograph observed on a mobile phone screen does not have the same sensory experience as a printed and handled one, perhaps whose development process has also been observed with trepidation. In this sense Polaroid Now is much more traditional and emotional and still gives that trepidation to wonder ‘ Who knows how the photo came out ‘typical of film shooting in general. Having “expensive” shots can also lead to a more thoughtful approach against click bulimia typical of the digital world and result, even for ‘experienced’ photographers, preparatory to more reasoned, and therefore to better results in general.

Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay is instead a bridge towards a modernity more hybrid , where the shot is digital, it can be reviewed, chosen, edited and then printed. In this sense it is very similar to the combination of a smartphone and an instant printer, a product that both brands make available. In reality, the ujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay camera can be used in a dual way as once connected to the smartphone it is able to print the photographs taken with the mobile phone. Given the performance of current smartphones, with modules much more advanced than those of the small Fuji and able to access ‘computational photography’ with amazing night results, this is a feature that should not be underestimated.

In closing, a tip: be it instantaneous, output from a printer or sent to print at a laboratory, print your photos. There is nothing more beautiful than finding an old photo at the bottom of a drawer and being carried away by memories. Between 15/20 years you might even find an old smartphone at the bottom of a drawer, with thousands of photos and memories, but turning it on could be a business .

(Pocket-lint) – Phone-makers have been getting creative when it comes to selfie cameras. We’ve had the notch, the punch-hole, the pop-up. Now it’s the turn of the under-display camera, with the ZTE Axon 20 5G the first phone to launch to market with such a design (despite Oppo showing off the technology first).

“ZTE?” we hear you say. Yep, the tech giant has been floating around in the peripheries in recent years, launching some phones – but they’ve rarely been available to easily purchase outside of its native China. The Axon 20 5G, therefore, represents not only a first from a technological point of view thanks to that camera, but a renewed push for the company to appeal to a wider audience.

Design & Display

6.92-inch OLED ‘True Full’ display
- 1080 x 2460 resolution
- Under-display camera
- 90Hz refresh rate
Dimensions: 172 x 78 x 8mm / Weight: 198g
Glass front & rear, aluminium frame
Finishes: Black, Gold, Blue, Purple
Under-display fingerprint scanner

On the face of it the ZTE Axon 20 5G is one of the more exciting phones to launch in 2020. The very idea of an under-display camera has been talk of the town for some time now, so it wasn’t expected that a lesser-known brand in the West would be the one to lead the charge.

Thing is, the Axon 20 5G isn’t really a flagship phone. It’s got a middling spec overall and a design that, in some respects, doesn’t really benefit the presence of the under-display camera to its fullest extent.

Pocket-lint

Take the flat screen’s side bezel, for example. Now, we’re not saying it’s mega-bezel by any means, but when curved-screen devices help to hide the apparent presence of the black border from line of sight it makes the screen look more full.

The Axon 20 5G might well have its selfie camera hidden under the panel, but it’s the entire screen’s bezel that gives the screen a boxed-in and ‘framed’ look – so it has a lower screen-to-body ratio compared to many devices that carry a notch of punch-hole camera. That takes away from the under-screen camera’s potential somewhat.

Nonetheless, in the dark of winter in the UK (where we’re sat reviewing this device) you would initially think there’s no camera present under that screen at all. It’s convincingly hidden away, which is something of a revelation. Closer inspection, however, shows that you can see the lens beneath – if any light catches the screen, for example, so brighter days it may appear less accomplished.

1/4Pocket-lint

Furthermore, while images do successfully overlay where the selfie camera lives, they are partially disrupted, almost as if transformed into some 16-bit image of old (scroll through the gallery above to see close-ups). The resolution is lesser in the oblong area surrounding the camera. You’ll need to look fairly closely to care about it, though, but open a full-screen game and you’ll see a criss-cross effect over that small camera area.

Given phone design, however, most apps and user interfaces don’t utilise the top centre section of a screen (or fullest side section, if in landscape orientation). Thus much of the time this camera area will be blacked out anyway and you can more or less forget that it’s even there. Especially as here it’s tricky to see without eyeballing it up really close.

So while there are improvements that can happen in future iterations, as a first attempt the Axon 20 5G’s hidden under-screen camera is convincing, with the highlighted caveats above being part and parcel of such an implementation.

Pocket-lint

Otherwise the Axon 20 5G’s design is generally inoffensive. It’s easy to become blasé about phone design when there’s such a normal format these days. A chunky rear camera unit with excessive numbers of lenses? Check. A glass rear that’s almost magnetic to fingerprint smears? Check. No 3.5mm headphone jack, a single base speaker, a smattering of branding including (unnecessarily) the product name? Check, check, check.

From the right angle, however, the Axon 20’s finish has this almost rippling-like way of catching the light, as you can see in our photos. It rarely looks as much like this to the eyes, but it’s a cool effect nonetheless.

Performance

Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, 8GB RAM
Android 10 operating system, MiFavor 10.5 re-skin
4,220mAh battery capacity, 30W fast-charge
Liquid Cooling with carbon nanofiber
128GB storage, microSD expansion
5G connectivity

As we said above, the Axon 20 5G isn’t aiming to topple flagships with best-in-class internals. This phone’s approach is to bring new technology to the mid-range, competing with other models that utilise the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 platform.

Pocket-lint

In reality, however, this step-down Qualcomm platform is a great success. It caters for 5G as and when you’re in a network area (the Axon 20 has specific controls to disable this if you prefer, for the sake of battery savings). It’s more than capable of handling a plethora of tasks, including gaming to a relatively high level – we’ve had zero problems playing South Park: Phone Destroyer.

Indeed, the use of the 700-series platform is something many phone-makers are opting for, from LG with the Velvet to Vivo with the X51. All of which have proven to put in decent performance with solid battery innings. The ZTE follows a similar suit, capable across the board and long-lasting too. The 4,220mAh battery is capacious enough to easily crunch through a day – we’ve been using about 50 per cent over a 14 hour period, so it’s close to a two-dayer.

That said, ZTE’s MiFavor user interface (UI), which is built over the top of Google’s Android 10 operating system, doesn’t half go excessive when it comes to trying to save battery. The autobrightness is obsessed with seemingly trying to make you think you’ve gone blind, dimming the screen levels excessively in any conditions – we’ve been frequently frustrated with manually adjusting it time and again. The screen also suffers from ‘black crush’ at these lower intensity levels.

1/3Pocket-lint

The software isn’t otherwise disruptive like on some competitors’ systems though. MiFavor has swipe controls which are a little finicky, but help to give the screen more real-estate with the absence of Android soft-keys taking up the bottom row. There’s no duplication of app stores like you’d find in a Xiaomi phone, for example, as ZTE is Google Play Store only. There’s no ads that try and promote other apps when you’re downloading an update. There’s generally little fuss at all, with a mostly Android-like experience.

Sign-in benefits from that under-screen selfie camera, too, should you wish to activate face unlock, or there’s an adept under-display fingerprint scanner too. It’s a reasonably fluid experience, one that’s massively let down by the overzealous autobrightness adjustment.

Cameras

Rear ‘quad camera’ setup:
- Main: 64-megapixel, f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.72in sensor size
- Wide (120 degrees): 8MP, f/2.2
- Macro: 2MP, f/2.4
- Depth: 2MP, f/2.4
Selfie under-screen camera:
- 32-megapixel, f/2.0 aperture

We’ve covered the selfie camera in more detail up top, but no doubt you’ll be wondering just what the quality is like given that it can “see” through a display.

Best smartphones 2021: The top mobile phones available to buy today

1/3Pocket-lint

: Portrait modePortrait mode

The answer: not that great. This 32-megapixel optic doesn’t use multi-pixel processing to obtain improved quality, as such there’s quite a lot of grain even in daylight, particularly in shadow areas. The images are far larger than you’ll need too, while colour consistency seems to vary shot-to-shot – with a greener balance sometimes rearing its head.

Pop it into Portrait mode, however, and the camera does scale things down (to 5-megapixels, for whatever reason), adding the over-soft background blur and, well, making everything just look soft and blurry.

So while ZTE is first to getting a selfie camera under a display, its results aren’t a revelation.

Pocket-lint

What about the main camera unit to the rear? This is a bit of a mixed bag. There’s a trend in 2020 to lump together a bunch of cameras for no real reason: here there’s a 2MP depth sensor that’s not needed; a 2MP macro camera that’s low resolution and can’t autofocus and is hard to use; and an 8MP wide-angle camera that’s of sub-par quality compared to what else is on the market.

It’s the main 64-megapixel sensor that steps in to save things somewhat. Keep your attention on this one and there’s some reasonably good results, because it does use four-in-one pixel processing to output 16MP shots as standard. There’s still some grain and the fidelity isn’t class-leading, but with a steady hand you’ll be able to get shots with enough detail and balance. Even the night mode works well in low-light conditions.

1/15Pocket-lint

The ZTE isn’t the only culprit to oversell its cameras, it seems to be the flavour of 2020. Stick with the main rear optic and you’ll be plenty happy, it delivers what’s needed at this price point. The addition of depth, macro and wide-angle cameras add disappointment though. And that selfie camera ought to be more adept rather than high-resolution, because the selfie camera is the premier point of this phone’s existence.

Verdict

The ZTE Axon 20 5G shows that under-screen cameras will be the future. But it also shows that details matter – and the selfie camera here ought to be better quality to show off the premier point of this phone’s very existence. The rear cameras, too, fail to hit the mark overall.

Elsewhere we think the design doesn’t highlight the hidden camera appeal quite enough; a curved screen with almost invisible bezel would push that point to the fore even more than this flat screen and dark bezel surround.

As a day-to-day phone, however, we’ve found ZTE’s software to be humble to Android in its approach, meaning it doesn’t outwardly busy things like some competitors like to do. Its main issue, however, is the overzealous autobrightness which descends into darkness in all conditions unlike any other phone we’ve used this year.

It might be an outlier, as a little-known brand in the West, but the ZTE Axon 20 5G shows its worth, while delivering a long-lasting and ample performance in a fairly affordable package.

Also consider

Pocket-lint

Google Pixel 4a 5G

squirrel_widget_2709684

Google goes big on computational photography, but the results are great – and there aren’t an abundance of unwarranted cameras to be found here. Yes, there’s a punch-hole rather than an under-display camera. And no, the battery life isn’t as good as the ZTE. But as a rounded package – one that’s a bit smaller than the ZTE too – we think it’s one of the best 5G phones in and around this budget.

Read our review

Writing by Mike Lowe.

	Redmi Note 9T 5G	Redmi 9T
Display	6, 53 – inch IPS 19, 5: 9 2340 x 1080 pix	6, 53 – inch IPS 19, 5 : 9 2340 x 1080 pix
Processor	MediaTek Dimensity 800AT 7 nm 2x Cortex-A 76 – 2.4 GHz 6x Cortex-A 55 – 2 , 0 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 11 nm 4x Kryo 260 Silver – 1.7 GHz 4x Kryo 260 Gold – 2.0 GHz
Graphics Processor	Mali-G 57 MC3	Adreno 610
Data storage	64 GB (UFS 2.1) 128 GB (UFS 2.2)	64 GB (UFS 2.1) 128 GB (UFS 2.2)
RAM	4 GB	4 GB
Battery	5000 mAh 18 In	6000 mAh 18 In
Main camera	48 MP f / 1. 79 wide angle 2 MP f / 2.4 depth sensor 2 MP f / 2.4 macro	48 MP, f / 1.8, wide angle 8 MP f / 2.2 ultra wide angle 2 MP f / 2.4 macro 2 MP f / 2.4 depth sensor
Front camera	13 MP f / 2. 25	8 MP f / 2. 05
Dimensions	161, 96 x 77, 25 x 9, 05 mm	162, 3 x 77, 2 x 9.6 mm
Weight	199 g	198 g
Colors	Nightfall Black Daybreak Purple	Carbon Gray Twilight Blue Sunrise Orange Ocean Green
Price	1199 PLN (4 + GB) 1229 PLN (4 + GB)	749 zł (4 + 800 GB) 849 PLN (4 + 610 GB)

Our Verdict

For

Against

Price

Features

Screen

Sound

Verdict

Design

Display

Camera

Hardware and specs

Design

Display

Hardware and specs

Camera

Price

Conclusion

UNBOXING

DESIGN

DISPLAY

HARDWARE

GRAPHIC INTERFACE

CAMERA

How does Motorola moto g 5G Plus shoot?

AUTONOMY

CONCLUSIONS

The premiere of TCL smartphones 20 5G and TCL 20 SE. Two of the five series models 20 from TCL have just been officially presented. We check their technical specification, availability and prices.

POCO M3 smartphone test – Stereo speaker power, unusual design and battery life 6000 mAh are impressive

TCL C 71 and TCL C 81 – QLED TVs with Dolby Vision and HDR 10 +

Polaroid Now – The Polaroid of yesteryear

Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay – Digital Snapshot with Audio

Instant photography , but different philosophies

Instant Camera , which one to choose?

My Smart Clock

My 360 ° Home Security Camera 2K Pro

The characteristics of NiSi 15 mm f / 4 ASPH

Design & Display

Performance

Cameras

Also consider

Google Pixel 4a 5G

Redmi Note 9T and Redmi 9T

Xiaomi Redmi Notes 9T 5G

Xiaomi Redmi 9T

Mi Smart Clock and Mi 360 ° Home Security Camera 2K Pro

Mi Smart Clock

Mi 360 ° Home Security Camera 2K Pro

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G smartphone with MediaTek Dimensity chip 800 U was sent to our editorial office before the premiere. After a few days, we can share our first impressions of use with you.

Test of Redmi Note 9, Note 9S and Note 9 Pro. Which smartphone to choose?

Redmi 9 smartphone test – the bigger brother of Redmi 8, so … and more power

Technical specification of Redmi Note 9T 5G and Redmi 9T smartphones:

Sample photos taken with Redmi Note 9T 5G smartphone:

Canon thinks of vloggers with a camera-gimbal