Honor is ready to release the expected V 40, the top of the range of the new home of the brand. Some information was also leaked and above all an official clip published by Honor that shows us part of the device
of Lorenzo Tirotta published on 08 January 2021 , at 19: 01 in the Telephony channel honor
Honor is experiencing a time of change after the sale by Huawei. The former sub-brand of the giant Huawei is now independent of any constraint and above all free from US government restrictions. The flagship Honor V 40 is arriving a few days later than expected.
The brand has confirmed that V 40 will be presented on 18 January . In recent weeks, there have been many rumors related to this smartphone, from which users and enthusiasts expect a lot. Honor has not yet revealed the official technical characteristics, consequently many leaks have shared some probable specifications. Honor V 40 will mount a panel 6 inch curved OLED, 72 inches with resolution Full-HD + and a refresh rate that reaches 120 Hz . The SoC chosen on the device would appear to be the MediaTek Dimensity 1000 + , while for the battery we expect a good capacity from at least 4. 000 mAh with fast charge a 66 W and wireless support to 19 W .
Honor V 40: here is the official clip
In addition to revealing the launch date, Honor has published a clip very interesting that shows us the front of the smartphone. The display is curved and you can see at the top left the elongated hole for the double front camera . From the clip we also see the keys for power and volume on the right and the USB-C port and the speaker at the bottom. Honor has decided not to show the back of the device but, some images published on the Chinese social media Weibo , have unveiled Honor V’s protective case 40. The cover shows a rectangular island with five holes , one much wider for the main sensor, while the others of equal size.
Renders of what’s believed to be the Nokia 6.3 or 6.4 have leaked online, giving us our best look yet at HMD Global’s upcoming affordable handset. The renders come to us via Steve Hemmerstoffer over on Voice. New for this model is a side-mounted fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button, which replaces the rear-mounted sensor on 2019’s Nokia 6.2.
Beyond this, there’s not a lot separating the Nokia 6.3 / 6.4 from the 6.2, which currently retails for $249 on Amazon. It’s still got a screen with a small teardrop-shaped notch, a headphone jack, and a circular camera array on its rear. However, Hemmerstoffer reports that the screen could be bigger at 6.45 inches rather than 6.3 inches, and it has four cameras on its rear, up from three last time. GSMArena notes the fourth sensor is likely to be for macro shots.
Otherwise, it’s a very similar phone to its predecessor.Image: Steve Hemmerstoffer / Voice
There isn’t any indication of how much the phone is likely to cost as part of this latest leak, but GSMArena reports that it was previously rumored to be priced at €249 (around $306). Hemmerstoffer notes that we should see an announcement before April.
According to a new report from Japanese blog Mac Otokara, Apple’s 9th gen entry-level iPad which is expected to debut later this year will launch with a design similar to 2019’s iPad Air 3 with a thinner and lighter body compared to the outgoing 2020 model.
iPad Air 2019 (left) next to iPad 2020 (right)
The new info is based on Chinese supply chain sources and more or less confirms last month’s report with added details such as a 6.3mm thickness instead of the 7.5mm on the current budget iPad and a reduction in weight to 460grams compared to the 490 grams of the 2020 iPad. A round home button with an embedded Touch ID sensor, laminated display and Lighting port are also on the menu.
The report also claims the screen diagonal will remain unchanged at 10.2-inches while previous info suggested a slight increase to 10.5-inches. We’re also expecting the A13 Bionic chipset paired with 4GB RAM. There’s no consensus on the launch date of the new iPad for now with past reports suggesting an early 2021 release while others claiming a September launch is more likely.
In addition to the updated entry-level iPad, the new report suggests the display and housing of the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros will remain unchanged though performance will “improve significantly” thanks to a new A-series chipset.
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 .
Xiaomi today introduced the new Redmi 9T and Redmi Note 9T , two mid-range terminals that come with contained prices and very interesting specifications, as we will see below.
Among the features that we can find inside, we find a 6 IPS screen, 53 inch with a 13 megapixels, as well as a processor MediaTek Dimensity 800 V 8-core accompanied by 4GB of RAM and 64 GB or 128 GB of internal memory.
At the back we find a set of three cameras with a main sensor of 53 megapixel and a very clean aesthetic , since the fingerprint reader of the terminal is on one side. An NFC antenna and a battery of 5000 are also hidden under the cover. It will provide us with great autonomy, in addition to being compatible with fast charging of 18 W.
On the other hand, Xiaomi has also launched the Redmi 9T, a cheaper terminal that comes with a processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, 4GB of RAM memory, 64 GB or 179 GB of internal storage or a screen of 6. 53 inches IPS that together with the 6000 mAh battery with fast charge of 18 W will ensure that we don’t run out of our device at the worst time.
The Redmi Note 9T will arrive at prices of 229 € for the variant of 64 GB and 269 € for the variant of 179 GB , while the Redmi 9T will arrive at prices of 179. 90 € and 199. 90 € for their respective variants.
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Jordi Bercial
Avid enthusiast of technology and electronics. I messed around with computer components almost since I learned to ride. I started working at Geeknetic after winning a contest on their forum for writing hardware articles. Drift, mechanics and photography lover. Don’t be shy and leave a comment on my articles if you have any questions.
“Nobody knows the mid tier – or mid tier consumers – like Motorola,” says the company as it lifts the veil off three new G-series mid-rangers. All three can be ordered today, though only the Play is ready to ship, the other two are coming next week.
Moto G Stylus (2021)
The Moto G Stylus (2021) has a 6.8” 1080p display – the biggest on a G-series yet. And it comes with a “push-pen” stylus, which has a clicky top that helps you pull it out of its sheath inside the phone.
A Snapdragon 678 was tapped to run Android 10 and the Stylus-specific custom software like the Moto Note app. The stylus can also be used to sketch something or to highlight text and quickly copy it to another app.
The phone has only one memory configuration, 4GB of RAM and 128GB storage (with a microSD slot for those who need more). The battery has 4,000 mAh capacity and supports only the standard 10W for charging.
The camera is similar to the Ace (also announced today) with a 48MP main sensor (f/1.7, 0.8 µm), plus an 8MP ultrawide (118°), 2MP macro and an additional 2MP depth sensor. The selfie cam is a 16MP module with pixel binning support. The main cam can record 4K 30 fps videos, the ultra wide and selfie cams can shoot hyperlapses.
Motorola G Stylus (2021) in Aurora Black
The build of the phone is plastic and it features a water repellent design (no IP rating given). The fingerprint reader moves to the side, the 3.5 mm headphone jack stays put.
The Moto G Stylus can be ordered today for $300, though note that the first units will start shipping on January 13.
Moto G Power (2021)
The Moto G Power (2021) goes for a larger battery smaller screen compared to the Stylus. And no stylus, of course. This one claims to last 3 days on a single charge of its 5,000 mAh, compared to just 2 for the Stylus.
You get a 10W charger in the box, but the phone supports 15W if you have the right power brick. It also comes with the tamer Snapdragon 662 chipset, paired with 3GB or 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB storage (with a free microSD slot ready for expansion).
Motorola G Power (2021)
The screen drops down to 720p resolution. And while the phone keeps the main 48MP camera, it’s limited to 1080p resolution for videos. Also, the ultrawide module is gone, but the two 2MP ones remain on board.
The new G Power can be yours for $250, shipping starts on January 13.
Moto G Play (2021)
The Moto G Play (2021) is the most affordable of the three, going for $170 – units are available today if you like what you see. And what you see is a 6.5” IPS LCD with 720p resolution and Android 10, running on a Snapdragon 460 chipset with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage (plus a microSD slot).
This one also gets a 5,000 mAh battery promising 3 days of use between charges (it charges over USB-C at 10W). All three G-series phones have 3.5 mm jacks and they all lack NFC.
Motorola G Play (2021)
The camera department features a 13MP main cam (1080p/60fps video), a 2MP depth sensor and a 5MP selfie camera. The selfie cam is in a notch instead of a punch hole as the other three, underlining that this is the budget option.
Motorola announced its Moto G 5G back in July and later brought it stateside as the Moto One 5G. Now we get the Moto One 5G Ace which is Motorola’s most affordable 5G phone for North America priced at $399.
There’s a 6.7-inch LCD with FHD+ resolution upfront and a centered punch-hole for the 16MP selfie cam. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 750G chipset which features the integrated Snapdragon X52 5G modem for sub-6GHz 5G connectivity. You get 4/6GB RAM options and 64/128GB storage which is further expandable via microSD.
The camera department is headlined by a 48MP primary shooter which sits next to an 8MP ultrawide module, a 2MP macro sensor and an LED flash. You’ll also spot the trademark Moto dimple which houses the fingerprint scanner. The phone is IP52 rated and comes in at 212grams.
Motorola One 5G Ace in Silver
On the software side, you get standard Android 10 with Motorola’s My UX skin on top. The battery comes in at 5,000 mAh and does 15W wired charging though you only get a 10W adapter in the box.
The Moto One 5G Ace goes on sale starting January 14 in the US while Canadian buyers will have to wait a bit more. It comes in a single silver colorway.
(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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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
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: 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.
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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.
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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
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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.
Motorola is kicking off 2021 with refreshes for its midrange Moto G lineup of phones with new versions of the Moto G Power, Moto G Stylus, and Moto G Play that promise low prices and days of battery life across the board. There’s also a new member of the Motorola One family called the Motorola One 5G Ace, which, at $399, takes the crown as Motorola’s cheapest 5G phone yet.
Once again, Motorola is set on offering an almost dizzying amount of low-priced phones that differ in price by just $30 to $50. The new Moto G Play will cost $169.99; the Moto G Power will offer $199.99 (for a 3GB of RAM / 32GB of storage model) $249.99 (for 4GB / 64GB) configurations; the Moto G Stylus will cost $299.99; and the Motorola One 5G Ace will cost $399.99. It’s a strategy that ensures there’s a phone at nearly every price point you could imagine, although it does make it slightly harder to choose between similar devices at such similar prices.
Motorola is sticking with the same names for its new 2021 lineup — sadly, the days of the numerically differentiated Moto G models appear to have ended for good with 2019’s Moto G7 lineup. But the new phones do offer improvements big and small compared to their 2020 predecessors.
The Moto G Play seems like the toughest sell of the bunch. While the $169 price tag is intriguing, the paltry 720p resolution — stretched across a comparatively huge 6.5-inch panel — raises concerns, as does the year-old Snapdragon 460 processor that’s markedly less powerful than either of the other two new 2021 Moto G phones. That’s especially true given that Qualcomm has already announced the Snapdragon 480, which promises to be twice as fast and adds more premium features like 5G to the mix.
There are some bright spots, too. The 2021 G Play has 3GB of RAM (putting it in a better position performance-wise than last year’s $149 Moto E) and a massive 5,000mAh battery that Motorola says should be good for up to three days on a charge.
The new G Power and G Stylus aren’t as similar as last year’s models. Where the 2020 models offered the same processor, screen, and design, the new models are distinctly different phones. The G Power offers a 5,000mAh battery, a 720p 6.6-inch display, and weaker Snapdragon 662, but the G Stylus makes an argument for its higher price tag with a stylus, a larger and higher-resolution 1080p 6.8-inch panel, and a more powerful Snapdragon 678 processor. (It does go down a notch in battery, only offering a 4,000mAh battery that’s good for up to two days off a charge.)
The larger G Stylus also offers 4GB of RAM by default (unlike the G Power, which has both 3GB and 4GB models) and has more storage (128GB versus the G Power’s choice of either 32GB or 64GB). You also get some camera improvements on the G Stylus — while both phones feature a 48-megapixel main sensor (which shoots quad-pixel 12-megapixel shots), a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor, the G Stylus also adds an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a better selfie camera.
Image: Motorola
Lastly, there’s the Motorola One 5G Ace, which (as the name indicates) isn’t quite in the same category as the other phones here. At $399, it’s Motorola’s cheapest 5G phone yet. And the weaker Snapdragon 750G 5G, downgraded cameras, and slower refresh rate display leave the One 5G Ace as more of a lower-priced version of the $499 Motorola One 5G that the company released last year than anything else.
All four new phones will be available unlocked through direct retailers on January 14th, with preorders starting today. Additionally, several of the new phones will also be released through major carriers in the future: the Moto G Play and Motorola One 5G Ace through AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, while the G Power will be sold by just Verizon. The G Stylus, meanwhile, will skip the major US carriers entirely, although Boost Mobile, Cricket, Consumer Cellular, and Republic Wireless will offer it.
Xiaomi announced the Redmi 9T, alongside the Redmi Note 9T 5G for the global market today. The Redmi 9T brings a number of value-adding features for a very competitive starting price.
Beginning with the screen, the Redmi 9T packs a 6.53-inch IPS LCD of 1080p resolution, just like the more expensive Redmi Note 9T 5G.
In fact, the camera of the Redmi 9T is better than the Redmi Note 9T 5G with the same main 48MP f/1.8 camera and pair of 2MP macro and depth sensors, but with a fourth 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide shooter. The selfie camera is an 8MP one.
Powering the Redmi 9T is a Snapdragon 662 with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM. You get a choice of 64GB or 128GB of storage.
The Redmi 9T brings an even bigger battery than the Redmi Note 9T 5G – a 6,000mAh unit with the same 18W charging speed. Xiaomi claims up to 4 years of reliability and multiple days on a single charge from it.
Like the Redmi Note 9T 5G, the Redmi 9T has an infrared sensor, 3.5mm headphone jack and optional NFC.
The only missing feature on the Redmi 9T compared to its newly unveiled Note sibling is 5G, however that’s offset by the aggressive pricing. The Redmi 9T starts at €159 for a 4/64GB model (€10 more for NFC) and goes up to €189 for the 4/128GB model (again, €10 more for NFC). The range-topping 6/128GB hasn’t got an official price just yet. Buyers have a choice of four colors – Twilight Blue, Sunset Orange, Carbon Gray and Ocean Green.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G is now official and it’s an almost a carbon copy of the China-only Redmi Note 9 5G with some small differences, which we’ll detail.
Starting at the front, the Redmi Note 9T 5G has a 6.53-inch 1080p IPS LCD and a 13MP selfie camera with f/2.25 optics. The display tops out at 450 nits and has a standard 60Hz refresh rate, contrary to some rumors.
There are three cameras on the rear. The main one has a 48MP f/1.8 Quad-Bayer sensor. Unlike the Redmi Note 9 5G, the Redmi Note 9T 5G lacks an ultrawide camera but instead has two 2MP sensors – one for depth and another for macro shots.
The Redmi Note 9T 5G is powered by a 7nm MediaTek Dimensity 800U chipset with 6GB of RAM. You get a choice of 64GB or 128GB of storage. Like its Chinese counterpart, the Redmi Note 9T 5G is splash-proof and offers dual speakers.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G
A key selling point of the Redmi Note 9T 5G is the 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging. Xiaomi claims up to 3 years of continuous use without significant degradation.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G comes in two colors – Daybreak Purple and Nightfall Black can be had in 4/64GB or 4/128GB with a special “early bird” prices of €199 and €249, respectively. After the promo ends the regular prices are €229 and €269. Xiaomi will sell the Redmi Note 9T 5G from its website, Amazon and other third party retailers.
Xiaomi today announces two new smartphones from Redmi series that see the entrance to the 5G network at very competitive prices. Not only because alongside these there are also new devices for the ecosystem. Here are all the news.
by Bruno Mucciarelli published 08 January 2021 , at 14: 01 in the Telephony channel Xiaomi
Xiaomi announced today the arrival of Redmi Note 9T 5G , designed to offer interesting performance, a long-lasting battery, without compromising photographic capabilities and design and above all by introducing support for the 5G network. Alongside the undisputed protagonist of the event also the new entry-level smartphone Redmi 9T and new ecosystem devices: Mi Smart Clock and Mi 360 ° Home Security Camera 2K Pro.
Redmi Note 9T and Redmi 9T
Xiaomi Redmi Notes 9T 5G
Let’s start immediately with the first and most interesting smartphone presented during the event. Let’s talk about the new Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T that the company decides to power with a processor with integrated 5G support. In this case we are talking about the Dimensity 800 U of MediaTek and with it the new Redmi Note 9T is up to 100% faster than previous generations and clearly boasts energy efficiency thanks to an octa-core CPU and 7nm processing technology. The 5G connectivity will be here on two SIM cards at the same time – an absolute novelty of the Redmi Note series – which will clearly allow for maximum productivity. Thanks to the 4×4 MIMO technology and the presence of more antennas, Redmi Note 9T will therefore allow faster and more reliable connections, even in conditions of traffic congestion.
Camera level, Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G , sees the presence of a triple rear camera from 48 MP with 2MP depth sensor and 2MP macro lens, will allow users to have in their hands, according to the company, a smartphone capable of making even less experienced users feel like real professional photographers. Large 1/2 inch sensor and ISP architecture allow for better image quality and faster processing, while its creativity tools – like Night, Pro + RAW, HDR and Portrait mode – allow users to capture the perfect shot regardless from the circumstances.
From an aesthetic point of view instead Redmi Note 9T was made for a ?? look and feel ?? premium with its Front 6 DotDisplay, 53 ?? Full HD + and a curved 3D Unibody rear shell. Its textured polycarbonate back offers better grip and is anti-fingerprint. And then there is also the Gorilla Glass 5 ready to protect against any accidental falls. Widevine L1 and TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certified, Redmi Note 9T has been designed to handle hours of streaming HD content without the annoying eye strain. Convenient side fingerprint sensor that allows you to unlock the smartphone very easily. Redmi Note 9T is available in two color variants, Nightfall Black and Daybreak Purple .
And the battery? No problem because the smartphone is in possession of a large 5 battery. 00 0 mAh and advanced high-efficiency processor technology, which allow a perfect mix of performance and energy efficiency even with 5G. Redmi Note 9T offers fast charging from 18 W and comes with a battery charger from 22, 5W. Better yet, its high-cycle battery technology allows users to experience nearly three years of daily use without significant degradation of battery capacity.
Redmi Note 9T 5G will be available starting from 25 January in the version from 4GB + 64 GB on mi.com and at Mi Store Italia at the price of 269, 90 ?? he is alone for the prime 48 hours, on mi.com will be available for purchase at a price early bird of 239, 90 ?? .
Xiaomi Redmi 9T
Redmi 9T is yet another Xiaomi entry level. In this case it sees the presence of a quad AI rear camera from 48 MP which is paired with an 8MP ultra wide-angle camera that allows you to take photos of large group and wide landscapes without having to crop the image. There is also the 2MP macro lens and 2MP depth sensor that allow you to take great close-ups with even professional-level bokeh. Redmi 9T owns the function movie frame which gives photos a more cinematic look without the need for editing. It also features a new time-lapse function which takes advantage of various speed and duration values for shooting so that users can capture creative time-lapse photos without having to use a DSLR or other professional camera .
Despite its lightweight design, Redmi 9T has a 6 battery. 00 0 mAh and a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset 662 to 11 nm high energy efficiency, Redmi 9T offers high performance with less heat production and lower power consumption than previous generations. Additionally, MIUI’s battery saving mode and reverse wired charging capabilities help maximize all-day and even multi-day usage. Like Redmi Note 9T, Redmi 9T offers fast charging from 11 W e comes with a charger from 22, 5W.
Redmi 9T it features a design with rounded corners and an anti-fingerprint textured back. Its display of 6, 53 ?? Full HD + Dot Drop with Gorilla Glass 3 offers a crisp and clear visual experience and above all the company declares strong protection against cracks and scratches. To all this is added the Widevine L1 and TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification for a more comfortable viewing experience. The device is available in four color variants: Carbon Gray, Twilight Blue, Sunrise Orange
Complete with Dual SIM and expandable microSD, Redmi 9T offers memory space expandable up to 361 GB so that users can keep their favorite applications, games, photos and videos on one device. Also, support for IR blasters will be very useful.
Redmi 9T will be available in Italy in the coming weeks but the price has not yet been revealed .
Mi Smart Clock and Mi 360 ° Home Security Camera 2K Pro
Mi Smart Clock
Compact and minimalist design for the Mi Smart Clock that integrates seamlessly into any room in the house. The device has a 3 color touchscreen, 97 ?? it allows you to view the time, weather, calendar and can even function as a digital photo frame. Thanks to the special mode ?? Sunrise ?? of the alarm clock , Mi Smart Clock is able to gradually increase the brightness of the display and the ringtone volume when the alarm is suspended, thus facilitating awakening from sleep. And with Google Assistant and Chromecast built-in, Mi Smart Clock acts as a home AIoT control and entertainment hub, enabling voice control of different devices Mi smart , such as streaming video from security cameras or playing music and multimedia content from smartphones, even at high volumes.
Mi 360 ° Home Security Camera 2K Pro
This brand new device is equipped with a 3MP camera which can reach a resolution of 2304 x 1296 for even sharper images. The camera’s large f / 1.4 aperture, 6P lens and highly sensitive image sensor ensure detailed and bright color images even in low light conditions. It also adopts the next generation AI human detection algorithm to detect human silhouettes and keep users informed via automatic messages. Thanks to dual microphones and active noise cancellation technology, Mi 360 ° Home Security Camera 2K Pro supports clear two-way communication. And for privacy-conscious users, the device offers a mode that allows them to spin re the camera inwards, thus preventing you from viewing the surrounding environment, through a simple configuration on their Mi Home app. The device also supports voice control via Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Mi Smart Clock and Mi 360 ° Home Security Camera 2K Pro will be available in Italy starting from month of March both at the price of 59 , 99 ??.
In the fall of last year, we published a test for you comparing all three versions of the Redmi Note 9 smartphone. The series consists of the base model and variants with notes S and Pro in the name. Today we are taking a fresh wallpaper in the Xiaomi product offer, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G smartphone. The following text is nothing else, first impressions that outline the most important features of the smartphone, which can be seen after a few days of using the device. The material is to give you an idea of what the equipment is and for whom it was actually made. Nevertheless, I want to emphasize a few advantages of the model that may put it above the competitors’ offers. The key here will be the relatively new MediaTek Dimensity processor 800 U with 5G support in dual SIM mode and 48 MP main camera.
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?
I have the impression that Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G is not just the next installment of the Redmi Note series, but a completely new equipment. The predecessors made a very good impression on me, but only the title smartphone looks completely. Here we find a perfectly optimized MediaTek Dimensity processor 800 U made in 7 nm lithography supported by Mali-G graphics 57 GPU, 4 GB LPDDR4X RAM and data memory 64 GB (UFS 2.1) or 128 GB (UFS 2.2 ). There were NFC, infrared, USB-C modules and a battery with a capacity of 5000 mAh, which in combination with 22 5 The charger “does the job”. However, you have to remember that Redmi Note 9T 5G supports charging to 18 W.
Redmi 9 smartphone test – the bigger brother of Redmi 8, so … and more power
Mentioned The MediaTek chip can boast an important feature: it supports 5G connectivity for two SIM cards at the same time. Thus, we have a full dual SIM in the latest standard, which is not so obvious in other smartphones. Android device 10 with MIUI overlay 12. 0.1 runs smoother than you might expect. Animations are smooth and applications run they are ready without delay. It may not be the level of top flagships, but during the first days spent with the device, I noticed that in terms of performance it is better than many better-equipped mediums.
The weather is not conducive to photography, but still I took my Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G for a walk to take a few test shots. I did not expect much and was very wrong about it. MP with f / 1 aperture. 79 with the combine pixel function (shots are ultimately saved as 12 MP) is doing better Than good Even in difficult lighting conditions the photos are characterized by a considerable tonal range, a good pos iom detail and pleasant colors. I do not like the HDR effect, which, surprisingly, overexposes the shots. The device also lacks a wide angle. Let me know if you want me to pay special attention to any aspect of Redmi Note 9T 5G during testing. I would like to add that the sale of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G will start 13 January, so for 10 days .
Xiomi presented the Redmi 9T model, for which we will pay from 749 PLN for the version with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of data memory and 849 PLN for the option with 4 GB RAM and 128 GB of user memory Unlike Redmi Note 9T 5G, Redmi 9T uses a battery with a capacity of 6000 mAh, an ultra-wide-angle camera with a resolution of 8 MP and a processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 made in 11 in the technological process. Unfortunately, the 5G module, which for many people can be an important part of the technical specification, was of course omitted in this model. Both devices will be available from Play, T-Mobile and Orange operators as well as at mi-home.pl, mi-store.pl and mi-markt.pl.
Technical specification of Redmi Note 9T 5G and Redmi 9T smartphones:
(Pocket-lint) – Lenovo’s Legion brand is a regular on the PC gaming front, so it’s perhaps no surprise that the company set forth under these auspices with its dedicated gaming phone.
It’s a segment of the market that’s seen plenty of activity in recent years, with Asus using its ROG brand to the same end, and Razer, Black Shark and Red Magic all attempting the same thing.
But can the Lenovo Legion dominate the gaming battleground?
Designed for gaming
Dimensions: 169.2 x 78.5 x 10mm / Weight: 239g
In-screen fingerprint scanner
Pop-up side camera
Stereo speakers
Rear RGB logo
There’s nothing subtle about the Legion Phone. Lettered with the words “stylish outside, savage inside” the complex finish to the exterior of the phone is designed to catch the eye. It shimmers when the light catches it, centred around a central LED decoration, much in the same way as a gaming PC flaunts its wares with RGB lighting.
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The Legion branding can be set to illuminate and that rear logo can be set to pulse when gaming, as a notification or when charging. Thankfully, you get full control, so you can turn off the red flashing when charging at night.
The Legion is a big phone, with a flat display and healthy bezels, giving you somewhere to grip without obscuring the display and risking accidental touches, while the front-facing camera is a pop-up unit on the landscape side of the phone. Yes, to save you from notches or punch-holes – and to ensure face time in-game – the camera has moved completely.
There’s some texture to rear sections of the phone to provide a modicum of grip, while the cameras, again, sit in the centre of the rear rather than at the top. That means you’re not putting your fingers all over them when gaming.
From a design point of view, therefore, this phone was built to serve people who spend most of their time playing games in landscape orientation.
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Many of these decisions serve that market in a way that other phones cannot: there’s no camera bump to get in the way; the wide speakers at either end of the display are hard to obscure with a hand; and there’s even a charging port on the side so you can charge and play at the same time.
And much about this we love. We spend several hours of every day gaming, so many of these things appeal directly to us. The Legion Phone feels clean to hold and play, there’s grip, the sound quality and volume is excellent. Normal phones compromise on gaming, but this device does not.
But there’s a cost to this gaming-specific design and that’s in the day-to-day experience. The other 7 or 8 hours of the day when you’re not head-down in the latest shooter, you have to live with compromises that have been made to support gaming.
Those rear cameras that are out of the way when playing are covered by your hands the rest of the time. Open the camera to take a shot and invariably you’ll have a hand in the way. The same applies to the pop-out front camera – if you’re gripping the phone and want to take a selfie, it opens into your fingers or hand.
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There’s also no denying that this is a hefty phone at 236g and pretty chunky by design too. It’s bigger and heavier than the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra – but the Samsung phone has a larger display. Again, some of the Legion’s additional bodywork can be a bit of a drawback during daily use, even if it will be acceptable to seasoned gamers.
Performance was put at the fore of the Legion Phone experience and that explains many of the decisions behind this phone. But while there have been moves made to accommodate higher demands, it doesn’t hang together quite as well as you might think.
At the heart of this phone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 856 Plus, 5G enabled, with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. It’s a monster loadout and given how much phone you’re getting, it’s good value for money compared to a lot of the rest of the market.
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And we can’t fault much of the performance, although we’re not convinced by the heat dissipation and cooling system. Lenovo has talked this up a lot, but you can feel the heat from the Snapdragon 865 under your fingertips towards the centre of the phone. Having come from reviewing the Sony Xperia 5 II and the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, both on Snapdragon 865 and both subjected to similar long periods of gameplay, the Legion Phone feels noticeably hotter under load.
That makes us question how much is really effective here and how much is just part of the marketing package to push the gaming angle. Certainly, the in-game experience isn’t hugely different from a performance point of view when put alongside rival flagship devices.
Lenovo does have more accessories for the Legion phone, including a cooling unit, but do you really want to add more weight? At the same time, that sense of heating might just be down to the fact that your fingertips are always resting on the hottest part of the phone.
Pocket-lint
The huge 5000mAh battery capacity is appreciated too. It’s split into two cells, the sell here being that you can charge super-fast – at 90W using the two USB inputs at the same time. There’s a charger in the box that will give you two USB connections too, so you don’t need two separate chargers (although that also works). When connected you’ll get one or two charging logos appear depending on how you’ve hooked it up and we have to say the charger on the side is convenient for charging while playing games or watching movies.
But the battery life isn’t hugely strong. It’s driving a big display, it’s driving up to 144Hz refresh rate too, there’s big volume and brightness, so there’s plenty to drain the battery. It’s not hugely different to the S20 Ultra in that sense (also a 5000mAh cell), but we’ve had smaller devices offer better overall endurance.
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Step out of gaming and yes, it will get you through the day easily enough, but this is still a big phone and it can suffer from big phone problems. With all that said, the Legion Phone is very much on a par with other Snapdragon 865 devices – it’s fast and fluid, with very little sign of any slowdown.
Display
6.65-inch AMOLED, 2340 x 1080 resolution
144Hz refresh rate, 240ms response
Lenovo’s big play with the display is offering a 144Hz refresh rate – the same as you’ll find on many gaming PCs. Smartphones have been pushing faster refresh rates – 90Hz, 120Hz – but 144Hz is less common. Is it a big difference? Not really, but it’s there for bragging rights.
What you also need to consider is the games you’re playing, as not all support those higher frame rates. Some, like Real Racing 3, will run at 144Hz – and looks glorious – but PUBG Mobile is 40Hz, while Call of Duty Mobile is 60Hz (even though it’s available at higher frame rates on other devices).
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What’s more encouraging is that you can check the refresh rate you’re getting thanks to Lenovo’s software and make sure that when you make changes to the game’s settings, you’re actually getting that performance.
Step aside from that and the 1080p resolution isn’t a surprise given that frame rate is the target rather than absolution resolution, not that Full HD+ on a 6.5-inch display is bad per se. The display itself is bright and vibrant – everything you expect from an AMOLED panel – and that plays through into other content too, like watching movies.
Pocket-lint
Overall, it’s hard to fault the display’s performance. Although there is one quirk: the display settings page was completely blank. It’s not the end of the world as you can adjust the brightness from the quick settings and you can adjust the frame rate within the Legion Realm settings – but it’s one of a number of cracks in Lenovo’s software that shows it’s not on a par with the experience offered by, say, Samsung or OnePlus.
Cameras
Dual rear camera:
Main: 64-megapixel, f/1.9 aperture
Wide: 16MP, f/2.2
20MP front camera, f/2.2
There are two cameras on the rear of the Legion Phone, a 64-megapixel main camera and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide camera. It’s nice that Lenovo has spared us the trash lenses that are so common – there’s not a depth sensor, monochrome sensor or macro camera in sight (although there is a macro mode on the main camera that works better than any dedicated macro lens we’ve seen elsewhere.)
That gives a couple of sensible cameras, the main 64-megapixel pixel combining to give 16-megapixel results. It’s actually a capable camera, able to give some great shots, but it favours good lighting, unable to lift the images as you might get from something like the Google Pixel when the light drops.
Samsung’s new TV tech, ZTE Axon 20 5G reviewed and more – Pocket-lint Podcast 85
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That said, there is a night mode that enables longer exposures and it works well enough. Photography isn’t this phone’s primary focus, but you don’t have to feel left out, because in most cases you’ll get a decent photo.
There’s an AI mode that will add HDR contrast and boost colours to give more pleasing shots, and the portrait mode works pretty well too.
There’s one slight fiddle, which is the zoom button. It jumps from 1x to 2x (entirely digital), then back to 1x and then to 0.6x (the ultra-wide angle) on repeated presses. How anyone thought this was a good user experience escapes us. We’d much prefer a 0.6x button all the time to access that lens. You can of course pinch to move through the entire range from 0.6x out to 8x digital zoom.
The front camera can be a bit of a fiddle when it comes to selfies because it needs to deploy pushes you toward landscape orientation – so portrait selfie fans might find it’s just a little odd on the side of the phone. There’s some beauty treatment that’s on by default and needs turning off as it strips out contrast, resulting in lacklustre images. It’s also worth finding the camera’s watermark feature and turning it off unless you’re really keen on pushing the fact you’re using the Legion Phone Duel.
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We also have doubts about the long-term reliability of the front camera. Throughout the time we’ve been using the phone, we’ve found dust getting in and around that camera is a common thing. We’ve also had the camera fail on one occasion, opening and trying to take a picture, but then making a few griding noises and crashing the camera without saving the image.
Software for gaming and life
Android 10 with ZUI
Legion Realm
The Legion Phone Duel runs Google Android 10, at the time of writing, but is skinned with Lenovo’s ZUI. That’s something we see less often in the US and Europe where Lenovo phones are now rare – and Motorola’s phones (the company also owned by Lenovo) shipping with a close-to-stock Android offering.
Much of what you get in ZUI is themed to suit the Legion Phone. There’s the choice of an aggressive gaming theme or Android theme that you’re presented with on startup – but the Android theme, in our opinion, doesn’t ever get close enough to a stock experience. There’s some fun animated wallpapers, some meaty sound effects to match the flashing lights on the rear, to round out the sense that this device is something special.
The software is a little hit and miss, with some oddities. For example, most of the time the phone seems to wake with the lockscreen in landscape, even when you’re holding it in portrait. There’s very little home screen control either – you can’t stop new app icons being added and creating new pages as a result, and we’ve had Google Discover appear and disappear from the slot to the left of the home page as if it’s got a mind of its own.
Pocket-lint
We mentioned the blank display settings page previously and if it wasn’t for duplication of settings in the Legion Realm app – or the option to change some settings via the quick settings panel – then you’d be stuck.
You also have to be really careful to accept permissions you’re asked for – because much of the Legion Realm experience, like the swipe-down in-game control panel, will just vanish if you don’t grant permission the first time you encounter it (seriously, we spent several weeks wondering why it wasn’t there until we reset the phone and tried again).
There aren’t many additions and very little duplication of apps, with the mainstay of the additions here to add to the gaming options. The aforementioned swipe-down panel gives you access to features like power boost, brightness controls, screenshots and recording, as well as stats at a glance – like the frame rate and temperature, with a swipe down from the top of the screen.
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Thanks to these details, you can see what frame rate you’re actually getting compared to what you expect – and you can see how much the phone is warming up. It’s interesting to note that many games vary the refresh rate between lobby and in the game itself.
The Legion Realm app automatically adds games and runs when you start those games, allowing you to define some parameters – you can disable auto-brightness, for example, you can block calls and notifications and other options for games.
The good thing that Legion Realm does is provide tighter control of gesture navigation, needing a double swipe upwards from the bottom to exit a game. That’s great, because it avoids the accidental swipes that can sometimes see you leave a game on other phones.
Unfortunately, Legion Realm is really guessing when it comes to adding apps – like Google Lens or the Alexa app appearing – and think they are games. When Realm mis-identifies a game, it means you then need to double swipe to exit something like Alexa. You can manually remove those apps, but we found they creep back in again, so it seems an ongoing problem.
One of the abilities you have is to deploy the front camera while you’re gaming and have your face in the game. You can blur out the background, apply masks, hats and other fun stuff. It’s pitched as a streamer mode, but it doesn’t actually record. You can access the built-in screen recorder, however, with a simultaneous press of standby and volume up if you want to record it, as below.
There are various other in-game options, like back record, which will let you save recent clips, so you can save your memorable moments, as well as the Y Triggers on the top of the phone. These are pressure sensitive areas that you can use to launch Legion Realm, like a shortcut to the games, and can also be mapped to locations on the screen.
Like shoulder buttons on console controllers, the Y Triggers could be used as main controls, perhaps for acceleration and brake, to keep your fingers off the display or for other controls. Of course, you’ll have to adapt to using them which is our biggest barrier – you have to overcome muscle memory for those games you’ve already put a lot of time into, so you might never use them.
Verdict
The Lenovo Legion Duel is very good at what it sets out to do. The combination of a big display, specific gaming features and amazing sound quality make for a phone that’s excellent at gaming.
There are some quirks – it seems to get hotter than it’s rivals – and there are some software oddities around the gaming feature. But on the whole it’s a great experience when playing.
Where the phone really struggles is in the everyday job of being just a phone. It’s bulky, it has a preference for landscape orientation use, and we’re not convinced the pop-up camera will be totally reliable – which is going to be a downside for those wanting a phone to last them the next couple of years of daily use.
Ultimately, however, the Legion Duel offers a lot for your money. There are downsides, but there are decisions to be made: if you spend most of your time gaming, there’s a lot here for you; if you’re a more casual gamer then there are lighter phones with more software refinement and just as much power.
The Nokia 6.3 we’ve been hearing about since last May was expected to be unveiled by the end of 2020. But that didn’t happen, and while we wait for an official word from HMD about it, renders of what will be called the Nokia 6.3 or 6.4 have been shared by OnLeaks, who says the smartphone will go official before April.
The Nokia 6.3/6.4 looks similar to the Nokia 6.2 and packs a waterdrop notch display that measures 6.45″ diagonally. The smartphone shares the circular camera island with the 6.2, but it now houses four cameras, and the LED flash has been moved outside the module.
The source didn’t detail the cameras, but previous leaks claim the Nokia 6.3 will feature a 16MP selfie shooter, and the camera system on the back will comprise a 24MP primary, 12MP ultrawide, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensor units.
The fingerprint scanner that was present on the back below the cameras on the 6.2 is now embedded in the power button located on the right side of the phone’s frame below the volume keys.
On the left side of the 6.3/6.4 is the SIM card slot and a dedicated Google Assistant button, and at the bottom is the USB-C port flanked by the microphone and speaker. The 3.5mm headphone jack is located at the top.
Nokia 6.3/6.4
The Nokia 6.3 is rumored to come with a Snapdragon 67x or a Snapdragon 730 SoC, and the base model with 3GB RAM and 64GB storage is said to have an average global retail price of €249. Although this information is over six months old and plans may have changed.
Source
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