Introducing the Best Budget Business Laptops of 2020

Let’s face it. We all want the best laptop to do everything we want. Problem is that we cannot all afford them. They are so expensive and take months to save up for. Even if we do end up getting one, not all of us will use the nice premium features. Some of us just want a simple business laptop, that can handle everyday tasks and overall achieve our business goals. If you are one of such fellows, then here are five of the best budget laptops that have made good ratings this year. They offer good performance, cool features, at affordable prices.

 

 

Lenovo Chromebook Duet

DISPLAY: 10.1-inch FHD Touch (1920×1200) | CPU: 8-core, MediaTek P60T | GRAPHICS: ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU | MEMORY: 4GB RAM | STORAGE: 32GB/64GB/128GB | Battery: 7000mAh | OS: ChromeOS | WEIGHT: 0.99 lbs. (449 g) | OTHER: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 2MP Webcam, 8MP Rear Camera | RATING: 3.9/5 

 

REASONS TO BUY

  • Available at an affordable price
  • Includes keypad
  • Decent webcam and rear camera
  • Great battery life
  • Lightweight 

REASONS NOT TO BUY

  • Average performance
  • Includes one USB port
  • No headphone jack nor microSD slot
  • No backlit & cramped keypad
  • Heavier with a keypad 

The Chromebook Duet from Lenovo is not really a business laptop, but rather a handy 2-in-1 laptop-tablet, catered for those who want a laptop-tablet package alternative. Yes, college students can get this one now and make great use of it straight away, as it also includes a free keypad upon purchase.

Starting at less than US$300, this 2-in-1 tablet includes an 8-core processor, 4GB of memory, storage model options from 32GB to 128GB, up to 14 hours of battery life, and weighs a pound. But it comes with compromises.

Firstly, performance is adequate but tends to slow down if you open up too many apps. Secondly, no headphone jack and a MicroSD slot to increase storage. Thirdly, it only comes with one USB slot. And lastly, the keys on the keypad are too narrow which means uncomfortable typing. 

Overall, the Chromebook Duet is just a budget 2-in-1 laptop. No premium features. Just a simple mobile device that can handle simple day-to-day tasks. With good battery life, and at an affordable price, check out the latest price on offer here.

 

 

Acer Chromebook 715

DISPLAY: 15.6-inch FHD Touch (1920×1080) | CPU: Intel Core i3-8130U | GRAPHICS: Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU | MEMORY: 4GB RAM | STORAGE: 128GB eMMC | OS: ChromeOS | WEIGHT: 4.3 lbs (1.9 kg) | OTHER: WiFi, Bluetooth, Webcam | RATING: 4.0/5

 

REASONS TO BUY

  • Great premium look and design
  • Large keyboard & touchpad
  • Great battery life
  • Lightweight & affordable
  • Great performance for everyday use

REASONS NOT TO BUY

  • No backlit keyboard 
  • No fingerprint sensor
  • Average quality webcam

The Acer Chromebook 715 may be in line to be one of the better Chromebooks to come out this year. The bigger display, premium looks, and great battery life make it a worthy contender. Compromises are minor here but you’ll quickly overlook them, and performs decently for every use. But is it worth your time and investment?

Let’s find out more. As I said, performance is decent here. Here’s why. Firstly, the Intel Core i3 processor, together with the 4GB memory, manages to keep the Chromebook working at its peak.

Secondly, the full HD livens up the 15-inch touch screen. Thirdly, you are looking at up to 16 hours of battery life. Enough for a good day’s work. The Chromebook comes with no backlit keyboard, no fingerprint scanner, and a standard-quality webcam. Common features for a budget laptop, yet it’s expected at its affordable price.  

Overall, the Acer Chromebook 715 has the makings of being one of the best budget business laptops, as it offers you great features at a budget price. If a cheap 15-inch Chromebook is what you look for, then here’s one for you. See the latest price here

 

 

Microsoft Surface Go 2

DISPLAY: 10.5-inch FHD+ multi-touch (1920×1280) | CPU: Intel Pentium Gold 4425Y/8th Gen Intel Core m3 | GRAPHICS: Intel UHD Graphics 615 | MEMORY: 4GB/8GB RAM | STORAGE: 64GB eMMC/128GB SSD | OS: Windows 10 Home | WEIGHT: Wi-Fi – 1.2 lbs. (544 g)/LTE – 1.22 lbs. (553 g) | OTHER: Bluetooth, 5MP webcam, 8MP Rear camera | RATING: 4.0/5

 

REASONS TO BUY

  • Slim, lightweight & great quality design
  • Good audio output
  • Decent battery life
  • Comes with a kickstand
  • Great quality display
  • LTE model available

REASONS NOT TO BUY

  • Stylus pen and keypad sold separately
  • Entry model is under-powered
  • Better performance models are more expensive

In my review of the Surface Go 2, here was my overall impression: 

Surface Go 2 is great to use and has the potential to be a great 2-in-1 tablet. With a bigger display, reliable performance for everyday use and features, it’s a fun portable mobile device to use wherever you are.

Check out my full Surface Go 2 ReviewMy impressions remain unchanged. The Surface Go 2 from Microsoft is still one of the best budget business laptops to use for everyday tasks. It may have a smaller touch screen but supports higher resolutions than 1080p. It’s one of the best mobile devices to offer up to 6 hours of battery life.

The kickstand too is another great feature that lets you open it up at the rear, and place the Surface Go 2 on any flat surface. Performance is still decent for everyday tasks, but other budget laptops come with slightly better performance ratings. Storage from the entry-level model is too small for the apps and updates we use on a daily basis. 

Overall, if you want a simple, portable business laptop that has better screen quality and other cool features, then look no further than the Surface Go 2. I recommend getting the Surface Go 2 with 8GB memory and 128GB storage SSD, but that means getting a more expensive model.

 

 

Samsung Chromebook 4

DISPLAY: 15.6-inch FHD (1920×1080) | CPU: Intel Celeron N4000 | GRAPHICS: Intel UHD Graphics 600 | MEMORY: 4GB/6GB RAM | STORAGE: 32GB/64GB eMMC | OS: ChromeOS | WEIGHT: 0.99 lbs. (449 g) | OTHER: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Webcam | RATING: 3.7/5

 

REASONS TO BUY

  • Great battery life
  • Good look and design
  • Really affordable
  • Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
  • Great performance for everyday use
  • Slim and lightweight

REASONS NOT TO BUY

  • No touch screen
  • No storage high than 64GB
  • Below average brightness
  • Mediocre audio performance
  • Comes with budget hardware specs

Another 15-inch Chromebook to look out for, is the Samsung Chromebook 4. Samsung brings you an entry-level Chromebook that comes at an affordable price, includes a 15-inch screen, good battery life and a premium design finish.

This 15-inch Chromebook comes with an entry-level Intel Celeron processor, with 4GB of memory, and 32GB of storage. The hardware specs are low but perform tasks well. It’s a great Chromebook for everyday use, comes with a comfortable keyboard layout, a responsive touchpad, and guarantees up to 10 hours of battery life.

The Chromebook does have its flaws. Firstly, the display has no touch function. Secondly, the bezels around the screen are pretty thick. And thirdly, the display is not that bright.

Suffice to say the Samsung Chromebook 4 offers you a great working laptop at an affordable price. The display is the major disappointing issue, which may cause others to look elsewhere. But it’s more of a normal laptop than a Chromebook. If you looking for a laptop that is affordable, functions as a laptop rather than a Chromebook, and works with everyday tasks, then the Samsung Chromebook 4 is for you. 

 

 

Asus VivoBook 15

DISPLAY: 15.6-inch FHD Touch (1920×1080) | CPU: Intel Core i3-1005G1 | GRAPHICS: Intel UHD Graphics | MEMORY: 8GB RAM | STORAGE: 128GB/256GB/512GB SSD | OS: Windows 10 Home | WEIGHT: 3.75 lbs (g) | OTHER: WiFi, Bluetooth, Webcam, Backlit keyboard | RATING: 3.8/5

 

REASONS TO BUY

  • Great overall look and design
  • Thin screen bezels
  • Good set of input slots

REASONS NOT TO BUY

  • Below average battery life
  • Below average processor performance
  • Display lacks brightness

The entry-model Asus VivoBook 15 comes with great design features, that include a thin-bezel display, good-looking keyboard layout, and touchpad. But suffers greatly as it lives up to the common cliche ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’.

The screen is dim. Battery life is less than average. The performance is adequate but not as good as average. But with an affordable price tag, you can rest assured that you get what you pay for. 

Here are reasons why you should buy it. Starting with the display, it’s a large 15.6-inch full HD touch screen, that shows clear, sharp images and good color accuracy. Secondly, the laptop comes with a little over 5 hours of battery life that is better than older budget laptops.

Next is the long list of input ports, which includes a USB Type-C, USB 2, USB 3, HDMI, audio jack, and a microSD reader. No Ethernet port but supports WiFi. In terms of performance, the VivoBook 15 does its job well but it’s rated lower than other budget laptops. The display is not a good feature as it comes with lower brightness, and the battery life is considered shorter than other budget laptops.

Overall, the Asus VivoBook looks like a solid contender in the design department but suffers from performance, battery life, and display. Keep in mind that this is a budget laptop, so there will always be compromises, but if you’re looking for a better business laptop, then it’s best to look elsewhere. 

 

 

Lasting Impressions

These best budget business laptops of 2020 may not be the most powerful laptops around. They may even lack the premium features included in top-range laptops, but with the limited hardware specs, features and performance, they are good laptops for simple everyday tasks.

My eye is on the Acer Chromebook 715. It has a stunning design, comes with good system performance, and high initial storage. It may have its flaws but is overlooked because of the good features it offers.

Another one is the Microsoft Surface Go 2. It comes with great features plus a higher screen resolution that offers a better quality picture. It’s sad that you must buy the extra accessories, and it’s a little more pricey than most, but the unique features make up for the price tag.

These are my recommendations. Check out the corresponding links that follow to find out more about them. Thank you for check out my post on the best budget laptops of 2020. If you have any comments, please share them below and check out the links within. It helps me out tremendously with no extra cost to you. Thanks again for your time. Take care of yourself. Stay safe until next time. 

 

2020 HP Spectre X360 15 Review: Gorgeous with short battery life

The HP Spectre X360 15 is an updated flagship 2 in 1 laptop that improves from last year’s model. It comes with the latest technology, offering top quality features and a satisfying user experience. With so many other top brands, it will be a challenge for HP to compete for the top market spot due to the tough competition. Yet so far the 2020 HP Spectre x360 15 has proven to be one of the best looking, and best performance 2 in 1 laptop of 2020. Does it have the essence to win and stay on top of the game? Let’s find out from the review.        

 

HP Spectre X360 15 (2020)

DISPLAY: 15.6-inch, 4K, AMOLED, (3840 x 2160) | CPU: Intel i7-10750H | GPU: Nvidia GeForce MX330/GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q | MEMORY: 16GB RAM | STORAGE: 512GB SSD/1TB SSD | WEIGHT: 4.23 lbs (1.9 kg)

 

 

Overview

Feast your eyes on the beautiful HP Spectre X360 15. This is a 2-in-1 convertible laptop, that features all the common features of a 2-in-1 laptop. It comes packed with the latest tech that includes a 4K display, a 10th generation i7 processor, an Nvidia GeForce GPU, plenty of storage and memory.  

 

Design

The HP Spectre X360 is a gem of a 2-in-1 laptop to hold. The mix between black and gold design brings the best in its beauty and innovation. First, the screen bezels are thin and almost non-existent, making the 4K 15-inch display look stunning. Second, the white backlit keyboard offers a comfortable typing experience. The mouse-pad offers great responsiveness and the audio speakers on top offer decent quality sound.

Thirdly, the dual golden hinges offer you easy switching from laptop to tablet. Lastly, it’s lightweight and super slim for easy portability. The input ports include an HDMI port, two USB-C, a USB, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. Overall, the design and outer features of the HP Spectre X360 is amazing. It comes with a great design, a great looking display, and offers easy portability and a premium experience.

 

Display

The HP Spectre X360 includes a 15-inch AMOLED display, sporting a 4K (3840 x 2160) screen resolution. The display comes with great colours, good brightness, and contrast, producing sharp and detailed images and videos. The thin bezels offer an amazing viewing experience, as we as a touch screen that responds well to finger gestures and smooth swipes. Overall, the display is a noticeable great part of the Spectre X360, offering a good viewing experience for all users.     

 

Performance

The 2-in-1 laptop performs well as expected like other top-range laptops. The 10th generation Intel i7 chip, together with the 16GB memory, excels in making sure that tasks are run smoothly without any lag or performance issues.

Gaming is an option too here. The NVidia GeForce GPU allows for light gaming. Older games work well as the hardware offers good graphics and performance, but not a good idea for top titles. This is no gaming laptop so if you do want to play hardware demanding games, then you would have to lower the graphics and screen settings. To close off, the HP Spectre offers great performance for everyday tasks and offers decent performance for gaming. 

 

Battery life

The battery life is not the best feature here. For light tasks and activities like web browsing, and normal everyday typing, the 2-in-1 can last for a good day’s work. Thanks to the 4K AMOLED touch screen, the top performance chipset, and the NVidia GPU using them consume more battery power leaving you with less than 3 hours of battery life. 

So if you looking for a powerful 2-in-1 laptop, the HP Spectre X360 has all the features you need. But if you going to maximize full use of it, make sure you carry the USB-C charger with you where ever you go.    

 

Sound

 The HP Spectre X360 comes with a ‘Bang & Olufsen’ speaker on the top section of the keyboard and dual speakers on each side of the laptop. The audio speakers are well-placed and produce decent sound, but loses it at max volume. It’s not loud enough and the bass quality is low, but overall, they are there and work well. Getting headphones may be a good idea.    

 

Verdict

The HP Spectre X360 is a powerful, good looking 2-in-1 laptop. It comes with top performance hardware, a great-looking touch screen that offers a stunning view experience, a unique design, and other premium features. It surely is a fantastic mobile device to use and is highly recommended. The battery life is a problem though. If you plan to install apps that demand so much of your system hardware, then you must always keep the adapter in hand, especially when you are out and about.     
 

 

Another thing to note is that the older 2019 model has a great battery life but with last year’s tech, which is still relevant today. It’s a good alternative worth considering. Either than that, there’s nothing more major to criticize the HP Spectre X360.

 

Recommendations

Buy the 2020 HP Spectre X360 15 as it offers: lightweight and portability, flexibility in switching from tablet to laptop, a great viewing experience, and great system performance. Don’t buy it because it has a low battery life and it’s expensive due to the high-quality features. If you need a powerful 2 in 1 with more battery life, then this is not for you. there are alternatives to consider, but not as good as this one.

 

Closing off

The 2020 HP Spectre x360 15 may have that essence to win, but staying on top will be a mission. It really is a powerful 2 in 1 laptop and aims to give competitors a tough time to catch up to its brilliance. If you still have no idea what 2 in 1 laptop is, click here. If you want to find out the latest prices for the HP Spectre, click here.

Thank you for checking out my review of the 2020 HP Spectre x360 15. If you have any questions, comments, and praises, you are welcome to leave them below. If it’s a question, I’ll make sure to answer it as soon as possible. Thanks again. Keep well. 

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G Review: Powerful & Affordable

 

There’s the S20, then the more powerful S20 plus, and the ever so powerful, the S20 Ultra. Now Samsung introduces bringing you to the next phone in the S20 series, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G. It got good specs. It has funky colours and a modern design. But is worth your money? Let’s check out the review.

 

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G

Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition/ Samsung Galaxy S20 Lite

DISPLAY: 6.5-inch Super AMOLED 120Hz (1080 x 2400) | CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | STORAGE/MEMORY: 128GB/6GB, 128GB/8GB, 256GB/8GB | OS: Android 10, One UI 2.5 | CAMERA: Triple rear camera, 12MP (wide), 8MP (telephoto), 12MP (ultra-wide); Single selfie camera, 32MP (wide) | BATTERY: 4,500mAh | WEIGHT: 190 g

 

 

Overview

 

 

The latest addition to the S20 series is a lower-priced smartphone, that offers few compromises yet still manages to maintain the S20 reputation. For starters, it’s powered by a Snapdragon 865 chip, that comes with a large 6.5-inch display, and a triple camera on the back. Internal you get the new Android 10 OneUI OS, with up to 256GB storage options, up to 8GB memory, and a 4500mAh battery that offers great life. Let’s see it in more detail.  

 

 

Display

 

The S20 FE comes with a 6.5-inch full HD, AMOLED display with 1080 x 2400 screen resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The display looks great. The full AMOLED display shows great quality images and video with accurate and vibrant colours, and good use of contrast and brightness. Compared to the S20 series smartphones, the S20 FE comes with a lower quality display, and lower screen resolution, but has the same refresh rate.

 

 

Speaking of refresh rate, you can set it to either 60 or 120Hz. But not all apps support the higher refresh rate and tend to self adjust to the standard 60Hz. The fingerprint sensor is placed on the lower section of the display. It has a second delay to unlock than other mid-range phones, but it works well.      

Basically, it offers the same smooth, fast and responsive screen performance as the other S20 models, but the S20 FE is using the same standard display technology as other mid-range smartphones. 

 

Design

 

 

The S20 FE is built using a glass plastic aluminium frame, with a flat glass screen in front and a curved plastic at the back. Not exactly premium like the other S20 models but it’s expected at its current price. It weighs 190g, which is more than the Galaxy S20 but lighter than the Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G. It’s available in six beautiful colours – Cloud Navy, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Red, Cloud Orange, and Cloud White. 

The power button and volume button are placed on the right. The USB-type C input is at the bottom. Triple camera lens at the back, and a single selfie camera on the top centre of the screen. No headphone jack here. Overall, the design of the S20 FE is not really ground-breaking. The screen is flat, not curved like the other S20 models. It has a bit more weight and is made of cheaper material. Yet it comes in great colours and has a good durability rating.   

 

Performance

 

The S20 FE includes a 5G Snapdragon 865 chip with up to 8GB of system memory. It’s fitted with the same processor chip found in the S20 Ultra, offering premium phone performance that outperforms the S20 and S20 Plus smartphones. The S20 FE also performs well as a gaming device. Not as powerful as the Asus ROG smartphone but the gameplay and graphics are great overall. To sum up, if top-premium performance is what you looking for, this one has it.    

 

Camera

 

The camera package of the S20 FE consists of a triple-lens camera at the back, that includes a 12MP wide, 8MP telephoto, and a 12MP ultrawide. On the screen is a single-lens camera with a 32MP wide. 

 

The camera main camera overall takes great pictures, taking in all the detail, and colours. Night pictures look good as well. The sharpness of detail and colours are amazing. The selfie camera performs equally, producing excellent pictures with good detail.  Ultra-wide images are acceptable but not as detailed as the main camera. Rather stick to using the wide sensor or if you can, there’s a Pro mode in the camera app for that professional finish.   

With video recording, you can record up to 4K quality videos at 60fps using the main camera. With ultra-wide, you can get full HD videos but at 30fps. 4K videos look acceptable but not as good as premium phones, but full HD videos look stunning. This is a mid-range smartphone after all so compromises are expected. Rather stick to recording full HD videos here as colour and detail are noticeably better than 4K. Overall, no problems with the camera here, except for the 4K video recording. It works well and takes detailed and colourful pictures and videos. 

 

Battery Life

 

The S20 FE is powered by a 4500mAh battery, the same battery power as the S20 Plus and the Note 20 Ultra. With this one, the battery is measured two-fold: 60Hz and 120Hz. With the 120Hz refresh rate, you get up to 14 hours of web browsing, under 15 hours of video play or streaming, and over 34 hours of talk time. At 60Hz, you get up to 15 hours of web browsing, and up to 18 hours of video play or streaming. In this case, less is better. 

The phone supports up to 25W of fast charging, wireless and reverse-charging. From purchase, the phone includes a 15W charger that takes longer to charge. Getting a 25W charger for the S20 FE will boost charge speed. From 0 to 50% is less than 30 minutes, and at full charge is just a little over an hour. 

Overall, the battery life is great. From both modes, the S20 FE offers long hours of battery and other charging options found in premium phones. It would be great if a 25W charger is included in the box, but if you can find one then you won’t have problems with fast charging.

 

Verdict

 

The S20 FE smartphone is definitely one for the fans. The design may not be as groundbreaking as top-premium models but the choice of colours, great durability, and overall look make it appear modern, fresh and trendy. The display is excellent. There’s sharp detail, accurate colours, good contrast and brightness. The smoothness and responsiveness really are thanks to the screen technology used and the hardware inside, giving a stunning overall screen. 

The battery life of the S20 FE is long, making it a very reliable smartphone. It’s disappointing that you get a 15W charger upon purchase, but if you can find a 25W charger then you will be sorted. It’s also surprising that you get wireless and reverse wireless charging on the S20 FE as other mid-range phones don’t have that feature. 

The performance is great. The hardware inside is the same as the S20 Ultra 5G. So if you want an alternative and affordable 5G Samsung smartphone, the S20 FE is the best choice. The camera works well taking great quality images and videos. The sound quality is acceptable. Overall, this may be one of the best mid-range smartphones to get in 2020.  

 

Recommendations

 

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is definitely one of the best choice midrange smartphones to get this year. I recommend it to Samsung fans, those looking for an affordable alternative, and those who don’t mind compromising on premium features.

 

Close Off

 

Let me take this opportunity to humbly thank you for reaching this far in my Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G review. If you have any questions or comments, personal preferences or impressions, smartphone or laptop review requests or words of encouragement, please leave them here below. I will get back to you soon as I can. Have a good one. Stay safe. Check you soon. Peace. 

OnePlus Nord 5G Review: The Affordable Premium Smartphone

 

OnePlus Nord 5G Review: The Affordable Premium Smartphone

 

The year 2020 has produced some interesting times for us all, especially in the smartphone industry. There’s a rise to 5G smartphones, at affordable prices that offer most premium features found in top-range models. One such is the most talked-about smartphone, the OnePlus Nord, which offers the latest technology for us, consumers, to get our hands on.

The challenge is that it comes into a competitive industry, where it competes with big names that are racing for pole position. Yet the OnePlus brand is well on its way and with its 2020 midrange release, it hopes to finish first place.

So we ask, will the OnePlus Nord be enough to compete or even cross the finish line first? Let’s find out from the OnePlus Nord 5G review.

 

 

OnePlus Nord 5G

 

(Image credit: Walmart.com)

DISPLAY: 6.44-inch FHD AMOLED, 90Hz (1080 x 2400)  | CPU: Snapdragon 765G | STORAGE/MEMORY: 64GB/6GB RAM, 128GB/8GB RAM, 256GB/12GB RAM | OS: Oxygen OS 10.5, Android 10 | CAMERA:  Quad – 48MP (wide), 8MP (ultrawide), 5MP (depth), 2MP (macro) | Dual selfie – 32MP (wide), 8MP (ultrawide) | BATTERY: 4115mAh | WEIGHT: 184g

 

 

Overview

 

The OnePlus Nord is a mid-range smartphone that offers 5G network connectivity, a 6.4-inch 90Hz screen, a quad main camera that includes a dual selfie camera on the display, and a 4115mAh battery that offers good battery life and supports fast charging. Let’s break it down and see more in detail. 

 

 

Design

 

The Nord comes with a standard smartphone design with a flat screen and is made of a glass plastic frame, with round edges, good glass protection, and comes in two colors: blue marble and gray onyx.

The screen comes with good glass protection and can handle accidental water splashes. No IP68 rating for this phone, meaning no water resistance, so it’s not a good idea to go diving in the water with it.

Overall, the design is not groundbreaking, yet simple and it works. It comes with a good range of trendy colors and has minor water resistance. 

 

 

Display

 

The Nord comes with a 6.4-inch full HD AMOLED flat screen with a 90Hz high refresh rate, 1080 x 2400 screen resolution, and supports HDR10+ technology.

These features offer the following: a smoother and responsive display; better brightness, contrasts, and accurate colors; and offers sharper images and videos.

The combination of these technologies offers overall better viewing quality. The screen may be a little small, yet it comes with great screen technology. Expect great views, and great responsiveness to touch on the Nord smartphone.   

 

(Image credit: Walmart.com)

 

Performance

 

The performance of the OnePlus Nord is amazing, thanks to the Snapdragon 765G 5G processor. The memory options available, starting from 6GB all the way up to 12GB, offers smoother scrolling with the Oxygen OS, fast loading of apps, a good casual gaming experience, and HD quality video viewing.

Overall, for this mid-range phone, you get premium performance at your fingertips. We recommend you get the 128GB/8GB RAM model so that you have more storage space, as this phone does not come with an expandable Micro SD slot.

 

 

Camera

 

The Nord comes with a 48MP quad-camera at the back and a 32MP dual camera in front.

The main camera takes excellent pictures. Bright, vibrant, and accurate colors contribute to the amazing detail. 

The ultra-wide mode is acceptable but could be better. The 2x zoom works well but shows signs of lost detail. Nighttime pictures are surprisingly good especially in areas with good lighting.

Selfies look great. The phone produces good detailed pictures with good sharpness, color accuracy, and vibrance.

Looking to produce 4K videos? The OnePlus Nord does just that. You can create up to 4K quality videos at 60fps (frames per second). If that’s not liking you can always switch to creating full HD quality videos, 1080p at 60fps.

Overall, the Nord has a great camera setup. It produces great pictures and videos in great detail in any setting. Don’t expect great ultra-wide pictures though, but everything else works well.

 

 

Battery Life

 

The Nord comes with a 4115mAh non-removable battery that supports fast charging. Speaking of which, thanks to the 30W charger included, you can charge it up from 0-60% in 30 minutes, and a little over an hour at 100% full charge. That’s not too bad.

With battery life, you can get up to 25 hours of talk time, 13 hours of internet browsing, and up to 18 hours of video viewing. The only drawback is that the phone does not support wireless charging, but it’s expected from a mid-range phone. 

Overall, the battery life on the OnePlus Nord is long and acceptable. It works well and can last you the whole day. Fast charging is a good feature as well and you can expect no less from a mid-ranger.

 

 

Verdict

 

The OnePlus Nord is indeed a great mid-range smartphone. Firstly, we like how smooth and sharp the screen looks and how responsive the Oxygen OS handles the phone functions.

Secondly, thanks to the high memory and 5G processor, the phone performs really well both for everyday use and for gaming.

Thirdly, we like that it supports fast charging and that it offers a long battery life. But a lot of other mid-range smartphones have similar functions so it really is an expected addition.

Then lastly, the design and display look great. The two colors available are trendy and give it that premium looks. The 90Hz OLED screen outperforms most other smartphones as it offers a smoother and more responsive display. A great and impressive feature. 

 

(Image credit: oneplus.com)

 

Most of these features you would expect from a high price flagship smartphone but the Nord phone does have its compromises. No Micro SD slot to increase storage. No headphone jack to plug your earphones. No LED notification light that tells you of new messages. No wireless charge, but it’s a common feature on top-range phones.

 

 

Recommendations

 

If you’re looking for a less expensive smartphone that comes with good premium features, takes great pictures, has good performance, and lasts you the whole day, then the OnePlus Nord is indeed the smartphone for you.

It’s for anyone looking for a cheaper or an alternative to a top-range phone, or anyone looking for a smartphone that does not have many premium features. Good for college students looking for a more powerful device or corporate personnel looking for a simple smartphone. 

There are many good mid-range smartphones out there to look out for that can deliver, but with the latest screen technology, 5G network capabilities, and solid performance, we recommend you get the OnePlus Nord. For more affordable mid-range smartphones, click here.

 

 

Closing Off

 

Thank you for checking out my OnePlus Nord 5G review. If you have any comments, questions, and feedback, you are more than welcome to post them here below.

One thing left for you to do now is to click here now and see for yourself the latest price offer for this powerful mid-range smartphone. Get it while stocks last.

 

Apple iPhone 11 Review: Best 2020 Smartphone Alternatives

apple iphone 11 review

It’s the least expensive smartphone in the Apple 11 series and has been ranked as one of the top smartphones of 2019. As we look forward to better smartphone releases in the future, it may not stand out that much, but still offers great features, making it a great alternative smartphone to get in 2020. So we ask the question: Is it really worth the buy? Let’s find out more about this Apple iPhone 11 review.

 

 

Apple iPhone 11

Display: 6.1-inch Liquid Retina HD LCD (828 x 1792) | OS: iOS 13 | CPU: A13 Bionic chip | Storage/Memory: 64GB/4GB, 128GB/4GB, 256GB/4GB | Camera: Dual-12MP (wide), 12MP (ultrawide); Dual selfie-12MP (wide) & depth sensor | Battery: 3110mAh | Weight: 194g

 

 

 

Overview

The Apple iPhone 11 offers a great number of features, to see and explore. First, it comes with a large 6.1-inch HD screen. Second is its solid performance processor and the choice of storage, from 64GB up to 256GB.

The third is the good quality dual-lens camera which is one of the best features of the phone. And lastly, the great design features and outstanding battery life. Let’s break it down further piece by piece.

 

Design

First off, there’s nothing really wow about the design here, as it borrows from the previous iPhone XR model. On the flip side, it comes with a glass aluminum frame that offers great durability and great resistance to scratches, water, and dust.

There are six bright colors to choose from, starting Black, Green, Yellow, Purple, Red, and White. Overall, it has premium looks with bright colors and great durability.

 

Display

The Apple iPhone 11 comes with a large 6.1-inch IPS LCD screen, with 828 x 1792 screen resolution, good color accuracy, and brightness. 

Pictures and videos look great on this large screen, with great quality text and good color accuracy. 

A few drawbacks to note. Firstly, it comes with a lower HD quality screen. Second, it does not support HDR10, and thirdly, the screen resolution may be less than 1080p. Yet the lower quality screen offers benefits to battery life.

Overall, the iPhone 11 has a stunning HD display. It may not be Full HD or OLED but it makes the best of what it has to offer.       

 

Performance

The iPhone 11 comes with an A13 Bionic chip processor with 4GB of RAM and is available in three storage models from 64GB up to 256GB. This processor chip has been ranked as one of the fastest performing components to date, beefing up the overall speed and performance of the iPhone 11 to outstanding, and making it one of the most powerful phones out there today.

 

 

Camera

The iPhone 11 comes with a dual-camera lens with 12MP wide and 12MP Ultra wide cameras. This supports night mode, portrait mode and can record up to 4K videos at 60fps. The selfie camera comes with a 12MP dual-camera lens camera and a depth sensor.

The overall camera works really well. The main camera produces high-quality images that are rich in detail, with accurate colors. The selfie camera equally delivers great images in portrait mode as well. Pictures in ultra-wide and night mode are also good with very little blur.

With videos, the iPhone 11 delivers 4K videos maxing at 60fps. Again, great detail, and good stabilization, from the main camera.

The iPhone 11 camera is not to be underestimated. To really relish it, you need to try it out. It definitely is the way to go and one of the best features the phone has.

 

Battery Life

The iPhone 11 is packed with a 3110mAh battery that supports wireless charging and up to 18 watts of fast charging.

If you can find yourself an 18 watts Apple charger, then you can juice up the phone from 0 – 55% in 30mins. The one you get on purchase is only 5 watts that can only juice it up from 0 – 18% in 30mins.

Otherwise, the iPhone 11 comes with a long battery life that offers up to 18 hours of talk time, 15 hours of web browsing and up to 19 hours of video viewing.

The bottom line, the battery life here is great. There’s more than one way to charge it and comes with plenty of power to last a good day’s use.  

 

Verdict

The Apple iPhone 11 may not have the highest quality resolution but strives in offering a great display. Great speed and performance, check. Dual-camera delivering excellent pictures and video, check. The battery life still remains the best in the Apple iPhone series, and the iPhone 11 does not disappoint. 

Overall, this is still one of Apple’s top 2019 smartphones, and can still serve you well as a great alternative, as it’s available at a lower price and comes with great features.

It is a smartphone I recommend and worth getting. If the next iPhone 12 or the more expensive big brothers, iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max is not in your budget, then the iPhone 11 is a great choice alternative. 

Thanks for checking out my Apple iPhone 11 review. If you have any questions or comments, you are more than welcome to leave them below. To see the latest price on offer, click here.   

 

Introducing Extraordinary Laptops with Long Battery Life

 

Introducing Extraordinary Laptops with Long Battery Life

 

Believe it or not. There’re laptops out there that last longer than 4 hours on a single charge. That means more work done, more time to chat and visit social media, and no more work lost. In other words, more things for you to do on your laptop.

Let me introduce to you my recommendations of laptops with long battery life.

 

 

MSI Prestige 14 (2020)

 

DISPLAY: 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) | CPU: 10 Gen Intel Core i5 / i7 | MEMORY: 16GB RAM | STORAGE: 512GB SSD / 1TB SSD | GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 MaxQ | BATTERY: 50 Whr | WEIGHT: 2.8 lbs (1.3 kg) | OS: Windows 10 Pro 64 

Rating: 4.0 out of 5

 

REASONS TO BUY

  • Available in beautiful choices of colors such as pink and white
  • Attractive and unique design features
  • Really lightweight
  • Excellent battery life
  • Nice design keyboard
  • Great system and gaming performance

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Displays a little dim
  • Weak audio speakers
  • No HDMI port
  • Pricey

The Prestige 14 from MSI is one of the best laptops with long battery life. With up to 9 hours, losing power is the least of your worries.

Its portability and lightweight makes it easy to carry. With up to date hardware, looks and premium features, it offers impressive system and gaming performance and comes with looks that will turn heads.

It may be expensive, lacks the means to connect to your HDTV, and comes with low-quality sound speakers, but overall, it offers great performance, long battery life, and an attractive design.

 

 

Dell XPS 13 9300 (2020)

 

DISPLAY: 13.4-inch FHD+ / touchscreen (1920 x 1200) | CPU: Quad-core 10th Gen Intel Core i7 | MEMORY: 8GB RAM | STORAGE: 256GB SSD | GPU: Intel Iris Plus | BATTERY: 52 Whr | WEIGHT: 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg) / 2.8 (1.3 kg) | OS: Windows 10 

Rating: 4.2 out of 5

 

REASONS TO BUY

  • Attractive design
  • Really lightweight
  • Excellent battery life
  • Really thin bezels
  • Great quality display
  • Good performance

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Input ports very limited
  • Pricey

The Dell XPS 13 is a great business laptop that offers a great screen quality view, attractive design, impressive performance and long battery life.

With over 8 hours of battery life, you can get your work done, go to social media, and casual gaming yet still have enough power.

There are many things this laptop has to offer. If the long battery life does not captivate you, then the full HD+ screen will amaze you with the thinnest bezels to optimise a wide view experience, the lightweight for easy portability, and not forgetting the great system performance.

Even though it lacks common input ports and may need you to dig deeper into your pocket, overall, this is a great business laptop from Dell. It offers an amazing display, good design features and long hours of battery life. 

 

 

HP Spectre X360 13 (2019)

 

DISPLAY: 13.3-inch touchscreen FHD (1920 x 1280) | CPU: 10th Gen Quad-core Intel Core i7 | MEMORY: 8GB RAM | STORAGE: 256GB / 512GB SSD | GPU: Intel Iris Plus | OS: Windows 10 Home

Rating: 4.0 out of 5  

 

REASONS TO BUY

  • Great system performance
  • Both a laptop and a tablet
  • Excellent display quality
  • Great design
  • Comfortable and great design keyboard
  • Excellent battery life

REASONS TO AVOID

  • May include bloatware
  • Standard quality audio speakers
  • Low battery life in 4K version
  • Pricey

The HP Spectre X360 13 is a 2-in-1 laptop that comes with a beautiful design, a slim bezel display and a nice looking keyboard. Inside it comes with a good hardware spec that offers great performance and over 13 hours of battery life. That’s the highest ever tested from a 2-in-1, making it one of the best laptops with long battery life.

Minor shortcomings such as bloatware which can be deleted and low-quality audio speakers can easily be overlooked. Note that the 4K model has less battery life compared to the Full HD model, yet it has better screen quality.

Overall, if you want a 2-in-1 laptop that offers long battery life, great performance and great design, then look no further than 2019’s HP X360 Spectre 13. 

 

 

Razer Blade Stealth 13 (2019)

 

DISPLAY: 13-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) | CPU: 10th Gen Quad-core Intel i7 | MEMORY: 16GB RAM | STORAGE: 512GB SSD | GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti MaxQ | OS: Windows 10 Home | WiFi, Bluetooth

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

 

REASONS TO BUY

  • Impressive 120Hz display
  • Good battery life
  • Good performance
  • Least expensive Razer

REASONS TO AVOID

  • 4K not ideal on 13-inch
  • Single-colour RGB keyboard
  • Gets warm pretty quickly
  • Least powerful Razer

The Razer Blade Stealth 13 gaming laptop is one of a kind. It’s the less expensive in the Razer Blade series. It offers smooth gameplay thanks to the 120Hz display. And lastly, it offers up to 7 hours of battery life.

Unlike other Razer Blade gaming laptops, this one is the least expensive but also the least powerful. It maintains the traditional Razer chassis design with the signature RGB logo behind the display and includes the RGB keyboard.

And since it’s a gaming laptop, the battery drains a lot of power whilst gaming so it is best to keep it plugged in.

Overall, the Razer Blade Stealth 13 has more battery life compared to other gaming laptops for now and is worth the buy at its price.     

 

 

MacBook Pro (2020)

 

DISPLAY: 13.3-inch Retina FHD+ (2560 x 1600) | CPU: 10th Gen Quad-core Intel i5 | MEMORY: 8GB / 16GB RAM | STORAGE: 512GB / 1TB SSD | GPU: Intel Iris Plus | OS: macOS | BATTERY: 58.2 Whr | WEIGHT: 3.1 lbs (1.4 kg) | WiFi, Bluetooth, 720p webcam

Rating: 4.2 out of 5

 

REASONS TO BUY

  • Great keyboard layout and large touchpad
  • Good system performance
  • Large SSD for entry model

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Limited input ports
  • Thick bezels
  • 8th gen processor in entry model
  • Pricey

The MacBook Pro offers better performance with its trademark retina display, popular design, and offers up to 9 hours of battery life making it one of the best MacBooks or laptops with long battery life.

MacBooks have always won the race for best battery life against other Windows 10 laptops, and this year’s model is no exception.

Not only does it offer improved performance, but the MacBook Pro also comes with 58 watt-hour battery that grants you more hours to do business, video conferencing, explore social media, and stream videos using its gorgeous display.

It may come with limited input ports, a mid-range processor, and thick display bezels, but it’s a great MacBook that is pricey but worth the purchase.

 

 

Impressions

 

Here are my impressions of these here laptops with long battery life. Firstly, bigger may not always be better. They each come with a 13-inch full HD/HD+ screen except for the MSI Prestige which comes with a 14-inch.

Smaller displays tend to consume less power yet deliver good quality views. In other words, smaller screen laptops are a better choice.  

Secondly, 4K laptops are great and offer amazing quality displays but consume more power and hence less battery life.

Full HD laptops still offer good quality displays yet tend to consume less power so you get more battery life. Know that your choice will come with consequences.

 

Let’s summarise here below. 

 Laptop Battery Life (hours and minutes)
 Dell XPS 13 9300 (2020)
8:14
 HP Spectre X360 13 (2019) 13:19
 MSI Prestige 14 (2020) 9:49
 MacBook Pro (2020) 10:00
 Razer Blade Stealth (2019) 7:00

(credit: Techradar, Tom’s Hardware)

 

From the table above you can see that the laptop with the longest time, and long battery life, is 2019’s HP Spectre x360. 

So if you’re looking for a laptop that will last longer on a single charge, then here they are, amazing laptops with long battery life.

 

 

Close off

 

If smartphones are more of your thing, check out these smartphones with long battery life

So what do you think of my recommendations? Are you happy with them? Do you have one of these laptops already? Please leave comments below.  

 

Introducing Powerful Razer Blade Gaming Laptops

Introducing 2020’s new series of Razer Blade gaming laptops to buy. If you’re looking for the best-looking, and best-performance gaming laptop, then Razer Blade is the name to look out for. But there are so many great gaming laptops out there, all with similar specs, making it a challenge to choose which is best for you. To help you out, here are four Razer Blade gaming laptops to review and consider when next you’re looking for a gaming laptop.

 

 

Razer Blade 15

CPU: 6-core 10th Gen Intel Core i7 | GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660Ti / RTX 2070 | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) / OLED 4K Touch, IPS 144Hz | Storage: up to 512GB SSD | Battery: 65Wh | Weight: 4.56 / 4.83 lbs (2.07 / 2.19 kg) | Rating: 4.0 out of 5

REASONS TO BUY

  • Lightweight & sleek design
  • Comfortable & impressive RGB keyboard
  • Great gaming performance
  • Great for gamers, and creatives
  • 7 hours battery life for normal use

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Looks like a normal laptop
  • Expensive
  • Battery lasts 3 hours when gaming

Introducing the Razer Blade gaming laptop, the Razer Blade 15.  This is the base model and one of the best gaming laptops to get right now. Starting off, the Blade15 comes with great gaming performance thanks to the Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GPU, and 16GB of memory.

Secondly, it’s lightweight, portable, and well-designed. Thirdly, the keyboard offers a good typing and gaming experience, as well as a responsive touchpad. And lastly, it comes with a good battery life of 7 hours.

Overall, this is a great Razer Blade gaming laptop. It has a good standard in the series and has everything you need for great gaming and for normal usage.  There are other great gaming laptop alternatives to consider in that price range. Should you buy it you ask? If you can afford it, then yes, most definitely.  

 

 

Razer Blade 15 Advanced

CPU: 8-core Intel Core i7 | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q / 2070 Super Max-Q / 2080 Super Max-Q | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) / 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160), IPS 300Hz | Storage: up to 1TB | Battery: 80Wh | Weight: 4.56 / 4.83 lbs (2.07 / 2.19 kg) Rating: 4.2 out of 5

 

REASONS TO BUY

  • Sleek design
  • Comfortable & impressive RGB keyboard
  • Great gaming performance
  • Very high refresh rate
  • Best gaming laptop
  • 7 hours of battery life for normal use

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Heavier than the base model
  • More expensive
  • Fans get loud in performance mode
  • Similar design to the base model
  • Same features as the base model

The next Razer Blade gaming laptop is the Razer Blade 15 Advanced. This is the much-improved version of the base Razer Blade 15. It comes with a more powerful Intel i7 processor, a higher refresh rate, more storage, and more battery life. 

It may be better than the base but it packs a little more weight yet is still portable, the same design as the Blade15, and fans get loud but bearable in high-performance mode. Overall, this is a great Razer Blade gaming laptop. It’s more powerful than the base model but nothing has really changed in the looks department. If you’re looking for a more powerful gaming laptop, then this one’s for you. It’s pretty expensive but it definitely makes up for it. 

 

 

Razer Blade Stealth 13

CPU: Quad-core Intel Core i7 | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1650 Ti | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) / 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) IPS 60Hz | Storage: 512GB SSD | Battery: 53.1Wh | Weight: 2.82 / 3.04 lbs (1.28 / 1.38 kg) | Rating: 3.8 out of 5

 

REASONS TO BUY

  • Impressive 120Hz refresh rate
  • Acceptable battery life
  • Really thin & lightweight
  • Works well with older gaming titles
  • Acceptable performance

REASONS TO AVOID

  • 4K not great on 13-inch screen
  • Typing uncomfortable
  • A single color RGB keyboard
  • Heats up upon long use

The Stealth13 is not much of a gaming laptop as it lacks the better things that make its larger-screened big brothers great. Yet it’s still a Razer Blade gaming laptop with a smaller but great quality 13-inch screen, good design, a high-performance processor, a mid-range GPU, plenty of space, and up to 7 hours of battery life.

The best feature is the impressive full HD screen at a 120Hz refresh rate. It produces a good-quality display with bright, lively colors. There’s also the more expensive one with a 4K screen but it doesn’t really mix well with a 13-inch.

With performance, the Stealth13 gets top marks for outstanding everyday uses but lacks the best means for top gaming titles. Play older and casual games, it works well. Play newer games and hardware-demanding games, but it doesn’t work so well. Because of the mid-range GPU, you’ll have to play those games on normal graphic settings.

Other drawbacks include uncomfortable typing experiences and heating of the laptop after long gaming sessions. Overall, this is Razer’s budget gaming laptop. It comes with an impressive quality screen, great looks, good performance, and good battery life. It’s good for light gaming sessions, it’s easy to carry, and for doing everyday tasks.

Check here for other great budget gaming laptop alternatives, but if the Razer Blade Stealth 13 meets your needs, then it’s a great choice.  

 

 

Razer Blade Pro 17

CPU: 8-core Intel Core i7 | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 / 2080 Super | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 17.3-inch FHD 300Hz / 4K Touch 120Hz | Storage: 512GB / 1TB SSD | Battery: 70.5Wh | Weight: 6.06 lbs (2.75 kg) | Rating: 4.2 out of 5

 

REASONS TO BUY

  • Large & fastest 17-inch screen at 300Hz
  • Impressive gaming and CPU performance
  • Great audio output
  • Sleek design 

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Really expensive
  • 3 hours battery life
  • Almost 3 kg
  • Cooling fans get loud

The Razor Blade Pro 17 is the top-range gaming laptop in the Razer Blade series.  The difference here is that it comes with a larger 17-inch, full HD or 4K screen, with a top-performance Intel i7 processor, bigger storage, and the best line of GeForce RTX series GPU.

Expect smoother gameplay with gorgeous-looking graphics at work or at play. This is by far the best-performance Razer Blade gaming laptop ever produced by Razer. With the best comes a high price, literally. This is one of the most expensive gaming laptops made. It has average battery life, weighs close to 6 pounds (3kg), and includes loud but bearable cooling fans.

Is it worth the buy? If you want one of the fastest, high-performance gaming laptops, then yes this it’s worth getting, but the high price will cause us to turn the other way. But if you have the means, get the Razer Blade Pro. Overall, the Razer Blade Pro 17 deserves the title of best Razer Blade gaming laptop has the best performance, an impressively large screen, great for gaming.

 

Verdict

I have to admit, there are really great Razer Blade gaming laptops. They each have great features and deliver great gaming performance. Not much change from previous models in terms of design, but they go with what works. These gaming laptops here are expensive, and the average battery life on normal gaming laptops may be a hit or miss for some, but the short time you use it for gaming is worth the risk.

Best gaming performance is the selling product here and Razer does it really well. If you can afford it, the Razer Blade 15 Advanced is your best bet. Stick to the Full HD version. 4K definitely looks great too but you may have to dig deeper into your pocket.

The Razer Blade Pro is also a great buy, yet it’s really expensive. If you can afford it, then get it. Just be mindful of the short battery life and the weight. Another thing you can do is look at previous models. They will be less expensive and can still play the latest AAA title games. Check out more Razer Blade gaming laptops hereWhat’s left now is for you to pick one of these great Razer Blade gaming laptops, but be warned. Once you do, you will never go back.

 

Close off

There you have it. Four Razer Blade gaming laptops to choose from to satisfy your need for gaming.  So what do you say? Are these gaming laptops worth considering? Which one here is your pick? Do you agree with my recommendations? Tell us about your experience with Razer Blade gaming laptops. If you have comments you are more than welcome to add them below. That’s all from me. Take care. Stay safe. Good gaming.

 

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Review: One Best Runner-up For 2020

 

Let me introduce to you the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 smartphone from Samsung. It’s the entry model of the Note 20 series that has been released this year alongside the top-range smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 UltraFor now, let’s focus on the Note20 smartphone. Is it that good of a smartphone? Does it have what it takes to compete or even beat other rival brands? Let’s find out from this Samsung Galaxy Note 20 review.

 

Samsung Galaxy Note 20

 

Display: 6.7-inch, Super AMOLED (1080 x 2400) | CPU: Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865+ (USA)/Exynos 990 (Global) | Storage/Memory: 128GB/8GB RAM, 256GB/8GB RAM | Main Cam: Triple, 12 MP, f/1.8 (wide) + 64 MP, f/2.0 (telephoto) + 12 MP, f/2.2 (ultra-wide) | Selfie: 10 MP, f/2.2 (wide) | Battery: 4300 mAh | OS: Android 10 | Weight: 194g

 

 

Overview

 

 

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 comes with a glass/plastic frame that’s lightweight and durable, with a large full (1080p) HD display and curved edges.  Inside consists of a Snapdragon/Exynos processor, with 8GB memory, a choice of storage from 128GB to 256GB, and a 4300 mAh battery. Let’s check more features in detail.

 

 

Design & Display

 

The flat screen gives a nice premium look to it. It may be quite a large phone, but its glass-plastic build makes it feel lighter and more comfortable to hold. The IP68 means that it can survive a 1.5-meter water dive and dust, making it a very durable mobile device. As for the display, the AMOLED tech gives it crisp detail, color accuracy, and good brightness. The refresh rate is locked a 60Hz and the resolution at 1080p.

 

Yes, those are specs of a typical mid-range smartphone, yet the screen looks great. It’s a drawback that you can easily undermine. The stylus ‘S-Pen’ included not only makes for easy touch access to apps but makes for smooth writing. Overall, the Note20 has a great quality screen with decent features and a good design. Never mind the drawbacks as you can easily undermine them thanks to the Note20.

 

 

 

Performance

 

The performance of the phone is top-notch thanks to the high system and the good quality processor. Android 10 responds well with smooth transitions from one app to the other and a responsive user interface. Gaming on this phone is a great experience even though it’s no gaming smartphone. The GPU does a great job of delivering great model texture and smooth gameplay.

One thing to note is the difference in performance between the US and global releases. The Snapdragon 865+ CPU is the more powerful, as it’s used to power up other great smartphones such as the ASUS ROG 3 Gaming phone, and is currently the fastest mobile CPU in 2020. Overall, performance on the Note20 is great. It performs up to standard and is in line to be best. Even though there is a slight difference in performance, it’s only noticeable when comparing the US and global.

 

 

Battery life

 

The Note20 comes with an impressive 4300mAh battery, that will provide you with all-day battery life on a single charge. It supports fast-charging, wireless, and reverse-wireless charging. The Note20 Ultra has a bigger 4500mAh battery, but a smaller display, lower resolution, and refresh rate mean less power consumed, and more hours of battery life. 

 

 

 

Camera

 

When it comes to the camera, the Note20 is not as amazing as its big brother Note20 Ultra but works well. First, it comes with a 12MP wide sensor to help take in more light for those low-lit areas. Secondly, it has a 64MP telephoto sensor with up to 30x zoom function. Thirdly, it comes with a 10MP wide selfie camera. Then lastly, it records up to 8K video quality. Pictures and videos are presented in great detail, thanks to color accuracy. The zoom function works well but loses detail beyond 10x zoom. Overall, the camera takes great quality pictures and videos except for the loss in details upon zooming. 

 

 

Impressions

 

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is a great phone. It comes with a gorgeous display, decent design, great battery life, and a great camera set. It may come with low features than the Note20 Ultra, but it works well and can be an alternative. As for me, the Samsung Note 20 is a great phone and one I recommend to all. 

 

 

Closing Off

 

If you prefer the more robust Note20 Ultra, check out the review here. Other Samsung Galaxy alternatives to consider, check them out here. If you’ve read this far, thanks and I much appreciate it. So what do you think? Do you like this review? What can you say about the Note20? Any comments? You’re more than happy to leave them below.   

 

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Review: Best Phone of 2020

 

Last year, Samsung released the Galaxy Note 10 and the Galaxy Note 10 Plus. This year, it’s the new Galaxy Note 20 and the awesome Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. For now, let’s focus on the new Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra smartphone. 

 

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Review

 

Screen: 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED, 1440×3088, 120Hz (FHD), 60Hz (QHD) | Processor: Exynos 990 (Global)/Snapdragon 865+ (USA) | Memory: 12GB RAM | Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB | OS: Android 10 | Main camera: Triple lens, 108MP (wide) | Selfie: 10MP (wide) | Battery: 4500mAh

 

 

 

Display & Design

The Note20 Ultra comes with all the best technology. First is the massive 6.9-inch screen with an adaptive refresh rate capable of 60Hz and 120Hz support. The second is the 1440p screen resolution. That’s 4K.

Next, is the gorgeous color accuracy, and good brightness management, for clarity and details. And lastly, the refined pressure detection for the stylus pen is called the S-Pen’.

Not only is navigation much smoother, but you can also pretty much use the S Pen to literally write your messages onscreen instead of typing.

It’s really impressive the number of technology is put into an impressive display. It really is an impressive and the most impressive of all top-range smartphones.  

 

 

With the design, the Note20 Ultra is available in three colors: Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, and Mystic White. It’s built using glass and a stainless steel frame. It’s durable with water/dust resistance, weighs 208 g, and comes with curved round edges.

The phone includes a stylus pen called an S Pen, that fits comfortably in its own slot. 

 

Performance

The Note 20 Ultra is packed with the best hardware to optimize performance. Why do I say so? Inside includes a Snapdragon 865+ processor for US release and the Exynos 990 for release to the rest of the world.

In terms of memory, it’s set at 12GB of RAM and choice of internal storage starting from 128GB up to 512GB. That also includes a micro SD slot to expand storage.

Performance is solid here thanks to the processor and the high memory installed. The Android 10 OS moves with ease, feels pretty smooth and is quite responsive.

The US release comes with a little more performance as the Snapdragon processor is highly rated and used in other top smartphone brands such as the ASUS ROG Gaming Phone 3

Speaking of gaming, this is no gaming smartphone yet it packs the power to be. It’s not the best but gaming graphics look good, well-textured with smooth gameplay.

To sum up, Note 20 Ultra is fast, fluid, and smooth, but it’s not the best.

There is a difference in performance between the US and global releases but the phone works just as well. If you can, get the US release. 

 

Battery

The Note 20 Ultra is powered by a 4500 mAh battery that supports fast charging, wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging.

At full charge, the battery packs a good 23 hours of battery life. With fast charging, it charges from 0 to full charge in less than 90 minutes.

Compared to other top-range phones, the Note 20 Ultra falls behind in terms of charging speed yet it’s a factor that’s easily undermined.

So in a nutshell, great battery life, premium battery features, but the fast charge is not competitive enough to beat other top-range phone models. 

 

Camera

The Note 20 Ultra comes with a triple-lens main camera with a single teardrop-lens selfie camera.

The main camera features the following:

    • 108MP, f/1.8 (wide) 
    • 12MP, f/3.0 (telephoto) with 50x zoom 
    • 12MP, f/2.2 (ultra-wide)
    • 10MP, f/2.2 (wide) selfie camera

 

 

With a top-range smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, you can expect premium technology that delivers superb detailed pictures and videos. From an amateur to a pro photographer, the Note20 has the right tools for both day and night.   

 

Impressions

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is an impressive smartphone. It comes with the best display, good battery life, premium features, and design. You can say it’s the most outstanding smartphone of 2020. Yes, it has its flaws, but it’s easily overlooked. 

If you’re planning to get this smartphone, I highly recommend it. If you can, get the US version. It has slightly better hardware that will offer a better experience. If it’s not within your budget then the Note20, or other top-range Samsung smartphones.

 

Closing off

So what’s your comment? Are you convinced that this is the smartphone for you? Do you have one already? What experience have you had with the Note20 Ultra? If you have come this far, you have my thanks and my gratitude. If you have any comments please leave them below.

 

A30 vs A31: Which Cheap Samsung Galaxy Smartphone to Buy

 

A30 vs A31: Which Cheap Samsung Galaxy Smartphone to Buy

 

The Korean smartphone giant has released a lot of mobile devices in the past couple of years, ranging from the cheap Samsung Galaxy smartphone range to the top-range ‘ultra’.

The ones we are looking at here are the Samsung Galaxy A30s and A31 smartphones, with premium features, at a good price. But with prices this low, what’s the catch? Let’s find out on this overview.

 

Samsung Galaxy A30s

Display: 6.4-inch, 720p HD, Super AMOLED | OS: Android 9 | Processor: Exynos 7904 | Storage/memory: 32GB/3GB RAM, 64GB/3GB RAM, 128GB/4GB RAM | Main camera: 25MP (wide) triple camera | Selfie camera: 16MP (wide) | Battery: 4000mAh (supports 15W fast charging) | Weight: 169g

REASON TO BUY

    • Good quality display
    • Decent camera features
    • Good battery life & fast charge
    • Affordable price

REASON NOT TO BUY

    • Below average memory
    • Average screen resolution
    • Average performance
    • Less photo detail
    • Average design

 

RATING: 7.5/10

When looking for an affordable smartphone, the A30s may be your best, cheap Samsung Galaxy smartphone. Priced less than 250 USD, the A30s provides accessibility, great display, good battery, and a decent camera package. However, the low price comes with compromises in the form of performance and premium features.

Inside the glass plastic frame is a typical hardware spec of a budget smartphone. But don’t be fooled because there are some premium features included. First is the large 6.4-inch screen which comes with the latest tech for clear, vivid views, and great picture quality. The second is the battery life that lasts up to 16 hours. It comes with a fast charger that juices up the phone to full charge in less than 2 hours.

 

Next, the A30s comes with a triple-lens rear camera and a front-facing selfie cam. The package consists of a 25MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 5MP depth camera. It creates decent pictures with vibrant colors but shows a loss of detail. 

Overall, the A30s is a solid device for anyone looking for a cheap Samsung Galaxy smartphone. The great display, good battery life, and camera features make for a good choice. If you’re looking for an affordable smartphone with more performance, takes better camera pictures and a better design, you might be better off looking for another smartphone. 

 

 

Samsung Galaxy A31

Display: 6.4-inch, 1080p FHD, Super AMOLED | OS: Android 10 | Storage/memory: 64GB/4GB RAM, 128GB/4GB RAM, 128GB/6GB RAM | Main camera: 48MP quad-camera | Selfie camera: 20MP | Battery: 5000mAh (supports 15W fast charging) | Weight: 185g

REASON TO BUY

    • 1080p Full HD screen resolution
    • Solid & unique design
    • Quad camera lens 
    • Good quality display
    • Good performance
    • Good battery life & fast charge

REASON NOT TO BUY

    • Slow response fingerprint scanner
    • Gaming performance not great
    • No video stabilizer
    • Video records at 1080p but 30fps

RATING: 8.2/10

When comparing the latest smartphone with older models, it’s a no-brainer that it’s going to have better performance, and better features just like the cheap Samsung Galaxy, the A31. It’s an affordable smartphone with a great display, good battery life, a good hardware spec, and good camera features. The price may be a little higher than other budget models and minor drawbacks, yet the core necessities were greatly focused on and improved to you this smartphone.

The screen is 6.4-inch but with a 1080p resolution. This means a full HD display, vibrant colors, and better visuals. The battery is bigger at 5000mAh, looking at up to 20-hour battery life, and full charge is done in less than 3 hours. Next, the A31 comes with a quad-lens rear camera and a front-facing selfie cam. The main camera features a 48MP, with 8MP ultra-wide, 5MP depth, and 5MP macro. The level of detail is better and noticeable. It takes decent pictures. It falls short when it comes to bight mode or low-lit areas. 

Overall, the A31 is a great mobile device for anyone looking for a cheap Samsung Galaxy smartphone. The great display, big battery life, and camera features make for a good choice. This is a better budget smartphone with better performance and takes decent pictures. If you’re not very picky with the design, and just need a phone that comes with good essentials, then this may be your one cheap Samsung Galaxy smartphone. 

 

Lasting Impressions

Both of these mobile devices are pretty solid. They both come with a good display, good battery life, and includes one or two premium features like fast charging and decent camera features. But low price means compromises. You’ll most likely come across some cons with these affordable devices. So it’s good to know which features cater to or appeals to you. 

If you can afford it, get the Samsung Galaxy A31. The A30 is still a good phone, more affordable, but has fewer features and comes with performance issues. If these two, however, don’t suit you, then take a look at these affordable Android smartphones.

Thanks for reading up to this point. If you got comments, questions please leave them below. Stay safe. Take care. Check you next time.  

 

ASUS ROG Gaming Phone 3 Review: Best Gaming Masterpiece

The ASUS ROG gaming phone series has brought you gaming to your fingertips.  From design to gaming features, the latest model may be the best gaming phone. ASUS ROG has released its next best smartphone, the ASUS ROG Gaming Phone 3.  This may be another great release, with hopes to challenge the gaming market. Will it be the best smartphone in 2020?  Let’s find out from this review.

 

ASUS ROG Gaming Phone 3 Review

6.59-inch AMOLED, 144Hz, 2340 x 1080p, HDR10+  |  Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865+  |  8/12/16GB RAM  |  128/256/512GB internal storage  |  Android 10 OS, ROG UI  |  Triple-lens cam: 64MP f/1.8 (wide),  13MP f/2.4 (ultra-wide), 5MP f/2.0 (macro)  |  Single-lens selfie cam: 24MP 2.0 (wide)  |  6000mAh battery  |  240g (0.53lbs)

 

 

Overview

The ASUS ROG gaming phone 3 is a gaming smartphone. It works as a phone and works as a gaming device. You get a large 6.6-inch AMOLED display with a small dot single-lens selfie. On both sides of the display are small audio speakers. Inside the ASUS ROG gaming phone is a Snapdragon 865+ processor with a 6000mAh battery. Choice of model options is from 8GB to 16GB RAM and storage options from 128GB to 512GB. 

Display

The ROG 3 comes with hi-tech display technology, with high refresh rate options. First, the AMOLED screen has a 1080p resolution. Second, the high refresh rate produces vivid colors, good contrasts and brightness. Third, it looks better with smoother viewing and offers a great gaming experience. And last, it has an on-screen fingerprint sensor for quick unlock. Overall, the screen looks great and produces the best overall screen quality.

Design

 

 

The phone’s made of glass aluminium with a glossy black colour called ‘Black Glare’. Same design as its predecessor, but with more weight and looks bold. No water and dust-resistant.

Performance

The phone’s powered by the Snapdragon 865 Plus processor. If you’re looking for the fastest in the market, this is the one. It runs at a clock speed of 3.1 GHz. It includes an overclocked GPU delivering 10% more graphics performance. Includes a 16 GB of memory that is 600Mhz faster than other top-range phones. I know it’s a lot of techs but you get the idea. To sum it up, the ROG 3 comes with a powerful processor. Better than that, it delivers powerful graphics. This means that this phone delivers top overall performance.

Software

The ROG 3 includes the ROG UI based on the Android 10 OS. The OS works well and responds well to the touch. To optimize your gaming experience, the phone includes apps to help you manage your gaming profile. Things like video capture, records of gaming sessions, performance management, and key mapping, are here.

There’s even a gaming hub to scroll through all your gaming apps, where you can tune and configure more gaming options. They can be overwhelming and complex if you’re not familiar with them. Overall, the OS works well. The gaming enhancement apps needs you to get some knowledge to understand how it works. 

Battery Life

Looking for a mobile gaming device with awesome battery life? The ROG 3 has a massive 6000mAH non-removable Li-on battery, the biggest in the ASUS ROG gaming phone series. Battery life? You’re looking at up to 12 hours of battery time. It supports fast charge as well (thanks to the 30W fast charge adapter) with battery charge speed from 0 – 80% in just an hour. No support for wireless charging. With its massive battery, long battery life, and fast charging, this is the ideal gaming phone. 

Camera

 

 

The ASUS ROG 3 comes with a triple-lens camera set at the back, and a single-lens selfie cam in front.  The overall quality is decent. Photos taken using main and wide lens look excellent during the day, with good depth and bright accurate colors.  At low light, photos from the main camera look decent but flat, showing signs of loss of detail from the wide lens. The selfie cam produces good day photos in portrait mode. At low light, there’s a great loss in detail. Video clips are recorded to up to 8K. The detail is good thanks to the video stabilizer, producing good colors and video detail. Overall, the phone comes with a good camera. It takes excellent day photos, decent low-light photos, and records excellent 8K videos. 

Audio and Other Features

The front-facing stereo speakers are powerful and provide excellent sound quality.  Bass sounds natural, treble is crisp, and no distortions here. The sound is great and awesome for gaming. There are several software features to enhance sound quality. All installed and made to deliver good sound both through audio speakers and headphones. The ROG 3 comes with a few accessories, the USB-C adapter and a cooling fan attachment. There are several more accessories available but sold separately. 

Overall Impression

For starters, it comes with a large, high refresh AMOLED screen, a bold and glossy design. Next is the great set of audio speakers, and long battery life. Then there’s the excellent performance and amazing apps for a better gaming experience. On the downside, the phone has no headphone jack. It’s vulnerable to water and dust. No slot for storage expansion. The high price. The gaming enhancement apps will take you a while to get used to.

If you’re looking for one of the best gaming smartphones of 2020, then the ASUS ROG gaming phone 3 is it. The price is pretty high but worth the buy. As a fellow gamer myself, I recommend getting it. If you can get this phone, then you will have the best gaming device this year. So what do think, is this the phone you’re looking for? What do think of this review? If you have comments, or feedback you’re more than welcome to leave a few below. Thank you for making it this far. You’re the best. Feel free to explore other reviews and articles on this website. That’s all from me. Stay safe. See you next time.

 

Introducing the Amazing Huawei P40 Phone Series

 

Introducing the Amazing Huawei P40 Phone Series

 

Huawei introduces the new Huawei P40 phone series called the P40, P40 Pro, and the P40 Pro Plus. These latest smartphones come with the latest technology.

They each come with great performance, design, a quad-camera set with video recording, and other premium features.

With the lack of Google services and apps, it faces limitations in the supply of good apps to us consumers.

With this in mind, will this stop one of the best mobile device giants from creating good quality smartphones? Let’s find out from this review the latest Huawei P40 phone series.  

 

Huawei P40 Series: Huawei P40, Huawei P40 Pro & Huawei P40 Pro Plus

 

 

Huawei P40 5G

Compact Model of the Huawei P40 Phone Series

6.1-inch OLED FHD (1080 x 2340)  |  Kirin 990 processor 5G  |  Mali-G76 GPU  |  6GB/8GB RAM  |  128GB/256GB storage (NanoM SD, up to 256 GB)  |  Triple-lens main cam: 50MP (f/1.9) main, 16MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide, 8MP (f/2.4) telephoto  |  Selfie cam: 32MP (f/2.0) wide, depth sensor  |  3800mAh battery, 22.5Whr fast charge  |  EMUI 10.1 base on Android 10 OS  |  175g 

Pros

    • Up to 5G network
    • Nice glossy colour & premium design
    • Splash-proof & good durability
    • Great quality OLED display
    • Great performance
    • Good battery life with fast charge
    • Great quality camera & video
    • Responsive on-screen fingerprint sensor

Cons

    • No headphone jack
    • No water resistance
    • No wireless charging
    • No Google services
    • Limited access to apps
    • Uses nano SD cards, not micro SD
    • Night photos lack quality and detail

 

Overview

Let’s start with the Huawei P40 phone. At first glance, it’s the smallest of the three with a 6.1-inch full HD display with a 1080p resolution. Inside is a Kirin 990 5G processor, 6 or 8 GB memory, 128 or 256 GB internal storage, and a 3800mAh battery. 

 

Design & Display

The phone’s made from durable glass aluminium. There are five colors available with a glossy design finish (silver frost, blush gold, deep-sea blue, ice white, black).

On the left corner of the display is the 32MP double-lens selfie camera. On the right are the power and volume buttons. And at the back is the triple-lens camera set.

The P40 display looks great with the brightness and contrast well managed and producing great images.

 

Audio

Not much to say about the audio. The phone comes with a normal stereo speaker which produces average sound quality. No headphone jack here.

 

Storage

The P40 is available from a choice of storage preferences: 128 GB or 256 GB. To expand storage, the P40 supports but uses nano SD cards instead of normal micro SD cards.

 

 

Battery Life

Battery life is great. The P40 comes with a 3800mAh battery that will last several hours to a whole day’s use and supports fast wired charging, (0-60% in half an hour). However, there’s no wireless charging. 

 

Software

Sadly, no Google services and no access to Google apps here. Huawei has its own app store called AppGallery. For now, it’s has a limited set of apps but will grow in time. For even more apps, check out other third-party app stores like Amazon and APK Pure.

The EMUI 10.1 OS runs smoothly with a pretty responsive GUI. Performance is great, gaming graphics look good and decent gameplay.

 

Camera & Video

The camera performance is great too. The triple main camera takes good quality pictures. It has good zoom functionality, and up to 4K video recording. 

 

Verdict

To summarise, this is a good phone. It comes with great looks with a gorgeous display. Next is the all-day battery life with fast charging. And then there’s the great camera set, and it’s better than the earlier model Huawei P30.

But the phone has no access to Google apps and services. It comes with average sound output and no wireless charging. Those are the big drawbacks here. Yet, it’s the cheapest one in the Huawei P40 phone series and an alternative of the three.             

 

 

Huawei P40 Pro 5G

Best Overall Huawei P40 Phone

6.58-inch OLED (1200 x 2640)  |  Kirin 990 5G processor  |  Mali-G76 GPU  |  8GB RAM  |  128GB/256GB/512GB storage (NanoM SD, up to 256 GB)  |  Quad-lens main cam: 50MP (f/1.9) main, 40MP (f/1.8) ultra-wide, 12MP (f/3.4) 5x zoom, TOF 3D (depth)  |  Dual selfie cam: 32MP (f/2.2) wide, TOF  |  4200mAh battery, supports 40Whr fast charge, 27W wireless charge  |  EMUI 10.1 base on Android 10 OS  |  209g 

Pros

    • Up to 5G network
    • Nice glossy colour & premium design
    • Dust and water-resistant
    • Great quality and high refresh display
    • Great performance
    • Good battery life with fast & wireless charge
    • Great quality camera & video
    • Responsive on-screen fingerprint sensor

Cons

    • No headphone jack
    • No Google services
    • Limited access to apps
    • Uses nano SD cards, not micro SD

 

Overview

Next, we look at the Huawei P40 Pro smartphone. In front, it comes with a 6.6-inch curved OLED with a 1200p screen resolution. The quad-camera lies on the back with a dual selfie camera in front. 

Inside is a Kirin 990 5G processor, with 8 GB of memory, a choice between 128 GB to 512 GB of internal storage depending on your choice of model. It comes with a large 4200mAh battery. 

 

Design &Display

The P40 Pro is made of glass aluminum with water and dust protection. It’s available in many colors: silver frost, blush gold, deep-sea blue, ice white, and black.

The OLED display has a 90Hz refresh rate with good accurate colors, well-controlled brightness, and contrast. It also supports HDR+. There’s also a fast and responsive fingerprint sensor on the bottom of the screen, and a face-unlock feature for security. 

 

Audio

The audio is average but better than the entry model.  The sound is crisper, louder with good emphasis on bass and treble. No headphone jack to plug in headphones.   

 

 

Software

No Google services and no access to Google apps here. Huawei has its own app store called AppGallery. It’s got apps but limited apps. For even more apps, you would need to install other third-party app stores like Amazon and APK Pure.

The EMUI 10.1 OS runs smoothly with a pretty responsive GUI. Performance is great here with good-looking gaming graphics and great gameplay.

 

Storage

The P40 Pro is available from a choice of storage, that ranges from the entry-level 128 GB up to 512 GB.  To expand storage, the smartphone supports it but uses nano SD memory cards instead of normal micro SD cards.

 

Battery Life

Battery life is great. The P40 Pro comes with a 4200mAh battery that will last several hours to a whole day’s use and supports fast charging, (0-80% in half an hour). Wireless charging is supported here and also reverse charging to charge up another mobile device. 

 

Camera &Video

The camera performance is great on the P40 Pro. The quad main camera takes good quality pictures, ultra-wide photos look decent, and decent night mode photos as well. 4K video recording is supported as well. 

 

Verdict

To sum it up, the Huawei P40 Pro comes with a lot of premium features. It has great looks and a curved design. It comes with a gorgeous high refresh display, with a good day battery life.

Next is the great quad-camera set making it a must-get for photo experts.

But with no access to Google apps is the main drawback of this phone. If you can manage to enjoy the premium features, then the P40 Pro is for you. 

 

 

Huawei P40 Pro Plus 5G

Best Camera Huawei P40 Phone

6.58-inch OLED (1200 x 2640)  |  Kirin 990 5G processor  |  Mali-G76 GPU  |  8GB RAM  |  128GB/256GB/512GB storage (NanoM SD, up to 256 GB)  |  five-lens main cam: 50MP (f/1.9) wide, 40MP (f/1.8) ultra-wide, 8MP (f/4.4) periscope telephoto 10x zoom, 8MP (f/2.4) telephoto 3x zoom, TOF 3D (depth)  |  Dual selfie cam: 32MP (f/2.2) wide, TOF  |  4200mAh battery, supports 40Whr fast charge, 27W wireless charge  |  EMUI 10.1 base on Android 10 OS  |  209g 

Pros

    • Up to 5G network
    • Nice glossy colour & premium design
    • Dust and water-resistant
    • Great quality and high refresh display
    • Great performance
    • Good battery life with fast & wireless charge
    • Great quality camera & video
    • Great 4K quality videos using selfie cam
    • Great detailed zoom 
    • 3x and 10x zoom functions
    • Responsive on-screen fingerprint sensor

Cons

    • No headphone jack
    • No Google services
    • Limited access to apps
    • Uses nano SD cards, not micro SD
    • Pretty expensive

Overview

Then we move on to the Huawei P40 Pro Plus. If you notice, the phone comes with the exact same hardware specs and premium features as the P40 Pro, with a number of additional features.

 

Features

First, the P40 Pro Plus is made of a combination of glass and a ceramic frame. Secondly, the camera set includes a five-lens camera with added 3x and 10x zoom functions, and last, it’s boosted to optimize better quality photos and video.

 

 

With its boosted camera features you can do a number of things. First, you can zoom up to 10 times to get the perfect shot in great detail, and lastly, you can use the selfie cam to take 4K photos and videos.  

 

Verdict

So really the only thing to say here is the Huawei P40 Pro Plus is the P40 Pro with a better camera. If you are looking for a smartphone with great camera features then the P40 Pro Plus is for you. If you want a standard top-range smartphone, then get the P40 Pro.    

 

 

Huawei P40 Lite/Nova 6 SE/Nova 7i

Best Affordable Alternative Huawei P40 phone

6.4-inch LPS IPS FHD (1080 x 2310)  |  Kirin 810 processor  |  Mali-G52 MP6 GPU  |  6GB RAM  |  128GB storage (NanoM SD, up to 256 GB)  |  Quad-lens cam: 48MP (f/1.8) main, 8MP (f/2.4) ultra-wide, 2MP (f/2.4) macro, 2MP depth  |  16MP selfie cam  |  4200mAh battery, 40Whr fast charge  |  EMUI 10 base on Android 10 OS  |  183g

Pros

    • Nice glossy colour & premium design
    • Lightweight
    • Good durability
    • Great quality display
    • Great performance
    • Good battery life with fast charge
    • Good quality camera & video
    • Fast and quick side-mounted fingerprint sensor

Cons

    • No water resistance
    • No 5G network
    • No wireless charging
    • No Google apps and services
    • Uses nano SD cards, not micro SD
    • No AI video stabilizer

 

Overview

If the smartphones are too much for you, then the more affordable Huawei P40 Lite may be best for you. It’s also known as Huawei Nova 6 SE, and Huawei Nova 7i in other markets and countries.

The phone comes with a 6.4-inch full HD display. It comes with a single lens selfie, with a quad-camera lens set at the back. Inside includes a Kirin processor, with 6 GB memory, 128 GB of internal storage, and a 4200mAh battery.

 

Display & Design

The phone comes with a 6.4-inch full HD LCD that supports 1080p screen resolution and the standard 60Hz refresh rate.

It’s made of plastic aluminum. It’s lightweight, comfortable to hold, and comes with a curved edge design. But It’s not water-resistant. 

 

Audio

With audio, the phone comes with a single audio speaker at the bottom. It produces average sound quality with a headphone jack included and free earphones in the box. 

 

Storage

The P40 lite comes with 128 GB internal storage. To expand storage, it uses nano SD memory cards, not normal micro SD cards.

The P40 Lite comes with a fingerprint sensor side-mounted on the right. It’s fast and responds well to touch. 

 

 

Software

No Google services. No access to Google apps here. Huawei introduces its own app store called AppGallery. It has limited apps but will grow in time. For even more apps, you would need to install other third-party app stores like Amazon and APK Pure.

The EMUI 10 OS runs smoothly with a pretty responsive GUI. Performance is great here with good gaming graphics and gameplay.

 

Battery Life

Battery life is great. The P40 Lite comes with a 4200mAh battery that lasts several hours to a whole day’s use. Charging is fast, with 0-70% in half an hour. No support for wireless charging.

 

Camera & Video

The overall camera is decent. The camera takes good quality pictures. Ultra-wide photos look decent and the selfie cam takes good photos at night. Videos got up to 1080p which is acceptable at its price range.

 

Verdict

Overall, the P40 Lite is a great alternative mid-ranger. It comes with a good quality display, with great performance on both normal and gaming. Next, it includes good battery life with fast charging and a decent camera set.

On the downside, video recording lacks detail. The lack of Google services. Yet it’s a great smartphone and a great affordable alternative. 

 

 

Last Impressions

What can I say these are great and wonderful smartphones. Because of Huawei’s ban from Google, they have made ways to provide apps.

I recommend the Huawei P40 phone series, I’m impressed with the P40 Pro. Nothing special, it just comes with great features.

The P40 Pro Plus is a great smartphone as well but it’s expensive. It’s got one of the best camera sets phones to get. I recommend it but to those who can afford it and want to take good quality pictures and videos. 

The P40 and the P40 Lite are the mid-rangers here. P40 is more expensive. Between them, they are good compact phones but it’s a challenge to recommend which one. I’ll let you decide which is best for you.

Thank you for reading this far. Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts with you on the Huawei P40 phone series. Any questions, comments, you are more than welcome to leave them below.

If you like this article, then check out more on the on Samsung Galaxy smartphones.

If budget smartphones are more your liking, then check out the best budget and mid-range Android smartphones.   

That’s all from me. Take it easy. Stay safe. See you in the next one.

 

Huawei P40 Lite Review: Affordable & Attractive

 

Huawei P40 Lite Review: Affordable & Attractive

 

Nowadays, mid-range smartphones are becoming more affordable but lack premium features found in top-tier phones. Yet they pull it off well with innovative and attractive phone designs. This Huawei P40 review aims to show you how pretty the phone is, making it look premium, yet you can pick it up at an affordable price.

 

  Huawei P40 Lite / Nova 6 SE / Nova 7i

6.4-inch LPS IPS FHD (1080 x 2310)  |  Kirin 810 processor  |  Mali-G52 MP6 GPU  |  6GB RAM  |  128GB storage (NanoM SD, up to 256 GB)  |  Quad-lens cam: 48MP (f/1.8) main, 8MP (f/2.4) ultra-wide, 2MP (f/2.4) macro, 2MP depth  |  16MP selfie cam  |  4200mAh battery, 40Whr fast charge  |  EMUI 10 base on Android 10 OS  |  183g

 

Overview

If you cannot afford one of the main flagship smartphones, from the Huawei P40 series, then consider the mid-range and the more affordable Huawei P40 Lite, also known as the Huawei Nova 6 SE, also known as the Huawei Nova 7i in other markets and countries.

As mentioned earlier, the Huawei P40 Lite is a mid-range smartphone catered for the budget market. It’s compact, more affordable, and comes with premium features.

To start off, it comes with a large 6.4-inch full HD display, with a single-lens selfie placed on the top-left, and a quad-camera set at the back. Secondly, inside includes a Kirin processor, with 6GB memory, 128GB of internal storage, and lastly, it includes a 4200mAh battery. Overall, it’s a mid-range phone that comes with good inner and outer specs. 

 

Display & Design

The phone comes with a large display and a premium look design. To begin, the 6.4-inch full HD LCD display supports 1080p screen resolution and the standard 60Hz refresh rate.

The phone is made of plastic, making it lightweight, comfortable to hold, and comes with curved edges. Sadly, it’s not water-resistant.

Lastly, it comes with a fingerprint sensor side-mounted on the right. It’s fast and responds well to touch.

To sum up, good looking screen at a normal refresh rate, and a well-designed frame. Sadly, it’s less durable due to no water resistance.  

 

Audio

With audio, the phone comes with a single audio speaker at the bottom. It produces average sound quality than the P40, comes with a headphone jack and earphones included. 

 

Storage

The P40 Lite comes with 128GB internal storage with an option to expand storage. To expand storage, the smartphone only accepts nano SD memory cards from Huawei however, instead of normal micro SD cards.

 

 

 

Software

Sadly, no Google services and no access to Google apps here, but Huawei has its own app store called AppGallery. For now, it’s has limited apps but will grow in time. For even more apps, you would need to install other third-party app stores like Amazon and APK Pure.

The EMUI 10 OS runs smoothly with a pretty responsive GUI. Performance is great here with good-looking gaming graphics and great gameplay.

 

Battery Life

Battery life is great. The P40 Lite comes with a 4200mAh battery that will last several hours to a whole day’s use. Charging is fast too, with 0-70% in half an hour. No wireless charging is supported.

 

Camera & Video

The overall camera is decent. The quad main camera takes good quality pictures, ultra-wide photos look decent and the selfie cam takes good photos at night. Video quality got up to 1080p which is acceptable at this price range. 

 

Verdict

Overall, the P40 Lite is a great alternative mid-ranger. It comes with a good display, great performance on both normal and gaming, good battery life with fast charging, and a decent camera set.

On the downside, video recording from the main camera lacks detail and the lack of Google services are the main drawbacks here, yet it’s a great smartphone and a great affordable alternative. 

Thank you for being part of my Huawei P40 Lite review. If you have any comments, you are more than welcome to leave them below.

By the way, click here to check out my overview of the Huawei P40 series smartphonesThat’s all for me, stay safe and take care.

 

Asus Zephyrus G14 Review: Best Mid-range Gaming Laptop

 

Asus Zephyrus G14 Review. The best gaming laptops are usually the top-performing gaming devices, that include top-range hardware and unique features, but not everyone can afford to experience the luxuries and satisfaction because of the high price tag. Nowadays, mid-range gaming laptops are less expensive but come with compromises in hopes of gaining customers in a gaming market. One such is the Asus Zephyrus G14, a mid-range gaming laptop that is challenging the gaming market and is in line to be one of the best gaming laptops this year. But is it worth the investment? Here’s the Asus Zephyrus G14 Review. 

        

Asus Zephyrus G14

14-inch FHD 120Hz (1920×1080)  |  AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS 3.0GHz CPU  |  NVIDIA RTX 2060 Max-Q 6GB GDDR6 GPU  |  16/24/40GB DDR4 RAM  |  1/2/4TB PCle NVMe SSD  |  4-Cell 76WHr Battery  |  Windows 10 Home/Pro  |  3.5 lbs (1.6 kg)  |  includes WiFi, Bluetooth, backlit keyboard, input ports include 2xUSB type-C, 1xHDMI, 2xUSB 3, 3.5mm audio jack 

 

 

Overview

The Zephyrus G14 is a mid-range gaming laptop that comes with a 14-inch full HD display, with a backlit keyboard, touchpad, and input ports that include 2 USB Type-C, 2 USB 3, HDMI, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Under the hood, the Zephyrus G14 is equipped for gaming with the latest hardware including an AMD Ryzen 9 CPU, an NVIDIA RTX 2060 GPU, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD internal storage (entry-level). 

 

Display and Design

The Zephyrus G14 comes in two models, the 14-inch with a 1080p resolution and a refresh rate of 120Hz, and the 1440p resolution with a refresh rate of 60Hz. others prefer the Zephyrus G14 with a 1080p 120Hz, the 1440p has a high refresh rate that translates to a better, clearer, and nicer display than the latter, the 1080p has good display quality but there is a slight delay in response time, however, it’s rare to find a gaming laptop with a high resolution in a 14-inch display that has that great detail.

 

The design looks great. The build material is made of strong magnesium alloy. The two colors available are white/silver and grey/silver. The Zephyrus comes with an LED animation panel on the back of the display, that you can use to customize to your liking. It shows animations such as dates, time, memes, short animations, logos, etc., which is a nice feature at first but after a while, it becomes really unnecessary. In essence, it’s a great 14-inch laptop that packs a solid design, unique features, and amazing display quality. 

 

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard is a standard QWERTY layout, with well-spaced out keys, comfortable to type, very responsive and has unique key layout design. The drawback here is the back-lighting of the keyboard. It’s not very bright. In fact, it’s better with it off in a dim room. The touchpad is there. It works well. Nothing special to it. In short, the keyboard has a great layout. The back-lighting is not great, and the touch-pad is there and works well. 

 

Performance

The Zephyrus G14 is run by AMD’s latest Ryzen 9 4000 series processor that is set to challenge the brands like Intel. According to CPU performance tests done, this gaming laptop beats the processing performance of the well-known Razer Blade 15 and matches Intel’s i9 processing speeds included in top range gaming laptops. 

In short, this gaming laptop comes with great system performance that matches even the top-range gaming laptops.

 

Battery

It’s a great surprise to see that the Zephyrus G14 has an impressive battery life, compared to other gaming laptops. With this gaming laptop, you are looking at a 76Whr battery, that’s guaranteed to give you up to 12 hours of battery life. 

That’s nearly double the battery life compared to other gaming laptops as the normal endurance for a gaming laptop is up to 5 hours. No need to take your laptop charger anymore whenever you go out because you won’t need it. So if you want a gaming laptop with great battery life, then the Zephyrus G14 is it.

 

Sound

Zephyrus G14 comes with two speakers on the sides of the keyboard and two more at the bottom. They produce good quality audio for a mid-range gaming laptop, not the best but enough to enjoy yourself while playing games.

 

 

Other Features

A few things to note about the Zephyrus G14. The heat management is good. The cooling fans do however make a noise but not very loud. There is a manual mode to switch to if you wish to amp up the cooling fans, but it increases the noise. There’s a fingerprint sensor on the power button as a security feature to quickly log back in from standby mode. it’s a pretty convenient feature as it’s very responsive, similar to a fingerprint sensor on a smartphone.

Input ports include a 2 USB-C, 2 USB-3, an HDMI, 3.5 mm headphone/microphone jack, and the laptop charger port. Just to note, the charger port is on the middle-left side of the laptop, and there’s no Ethernet port and micro SD slot. The laptop comes with a unique hinged lid that raises the back end of the laptop slightly when opened. It elevates the keyboard at a more comfortable angle and raises up the display just a bit for more comfortable viewing.

     

Verdict

The Zephyrus G14 isn’t just a great gaming laptop; it’s the smallest on the market and gets the award for one of the longest-lasting batteries. The display is great, the audio is rich and robust, and the performance offered by the latest AMD Ryzen 9 processor, together with the powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU, is the best that you’ll find. The fact that you can get all of this for an unbelievably better price is pretty amazing.

 

 

It’s not the perfect gaming laptop though and will come with faults, like the missing webcam and the not-sure-bright backlit keyboard. But aside from these minor matters, the Zephyrus G14 is an astonishingly capable and well-designed gaming laptop. It delivers better performance than any other same-sized gaming laptop.

It matches the performance of even the more expensive Razer Blade Pro, it’s less expensive and more portable than the closest rivals. I love it. I strongly recommend it to all fellow gamers looking for a cheaper alternative. This is by far the best small beast of a gaming laptop ever made.

See other great mid-range or budget gaming laptops

See the best top-range gaming laptops of 2019

Thank you for taking part in this Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Review. To find out more and to see the latest prices, click here within the article. If you have any comments, concerns, feedback, or just want to give the review good points, please leave them below.  

 

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S Review: Great Mid-range Smartphone

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S Review: Great Mid-range Smartphone

 

The Redmi Note 9S from Xiaomi is a great mid-range smartphone alternative that caters for budget and top-tier users. But with other smartphone rivals, it will be a challenging market to gain top rank as they offer similar or better features. The Note 9S is surely ready for the challenge as it comes with great features at an affordable and fair price tag. But is it really good enough to compete in this challenging market? Well, here’s the Redmi Note 9S review. 

 

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S

 

6.67-inch FHD display (1080 x 2400) | Snapdragon 720G | 64GB, 4GB RAM/128GB, 6GB RAM | Quad camera: 48MP (wide), 8MP (ultrawide), 5MP (macro), 2MP (depth) | 16MP (wide) selfie camera | 5020mAh battery | 209 g (0.46 lbs) | Dual Nano SIM | WiFi, Bluetooth, infrared, fingerprint sensor (side-mounted), 4G LTE,  up to 4K video recording

 

 

If there’s one word to describe this phone, the word would be ‘Incredible’. This is one incredible, mid-range smartphone. It comes with a huge 6.67-inch display, a quad-camera setup, a high-performance Snapdragon processor, a big battery and stunning design features. All this at a great value price.

 

 

Design and Display

 

 

The body of the phone is made of a plastic frame, with Gorilla Glass front and back. It’s splash-proof and can survive accidental droplets or spills.

It feels pretty lightweight, grips and rests well on a hand, and is available from a choice of trendy colours: Intersteller Grey, Aurora Blue, and Glacier White. 

The display is pretty clear and great thanks to the IPS LCD. The screen comes out with pretty images, thanks to the high 1080p resolution, with good colours, manageable brightness and contrasts. It makes for a pretty good display.  

One thing to note is that the smartphone display easily gets messy with fingerprints from continuous touching. Overall, the display is gorgeous, and the phone design is trendy and attractive.

 

Performance

Inside the Redmi Note 9S includes a high-performance 8-core Snapdragon 750G processor, available with either 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage or the 6GB RAM, 128GB internal storage model.

Yes, there’s the choice of two models here with the 6GB, 128GB being the much more favoured model of choice, thanks to more system memory for apps management and bigger storage space.

 

The overall performance is great with this phone. First, the Android OS works well with a smooth and flowing interface. Secondly, the GPU works even for gaming. Thirdly, the performance of the processor has scored pretty well, matching scores with other rival mid-range phones and making it one of the most efficient.

 

Gaming

With gaming performance, this is not a gaming smartphone but the Note 9S says it can be. Thanks to the Adreno 618 GPU and the game boost feature, gaming looks great visually and the gameplay is decent. This is a great phone for casual gaming just not too much as it will affect the battery. 

Overall, the Note 9S performs great with a responsive OS, good management of apps, and a great mid-range gaming performer as well. 

 

Battery life

The Note 9S is powered by a large 5020 mAh Li-ion battery and supports 18W quick charge. With the charger that comes with the phone, you can expect a 100% charge time in no less than 2 hours.

This is an impressive battery as from other reviews the battery has produced good scores, starting with up to 40 hours of talk time, 19 hours of web browsing and up to 16 hours of video playback. 

Overall, expect good long hours using this phone on a single charge, what else can you expect from a big battery. 

 

 

 

Audio Output

The audio speaker for Redmi Note 9S is on the bottom right next to the USB-C charger input. From me experimenting with the phone, the sound output is quite loud and comes out clean. It does lack that thumping bass but vocals sound decent. Not much really to expect from speakers on a smartphone.

 

Camera and Video

 

 

The Redmi Note 9S has a square ‘hump’ at the back that houses all four cameras, the 48MP wide sensor, 8MP ultra-wide sensor, the 5MP macro, and the 2MP depth sensor. For a more professional finish, the Note 9S includes a Pro mode that offers settings such as white balance, focus, ISO, and shutter speed. 

The video quality is amazing here. Firstly, video recording modes available go up to 4K at 30fps. Next, video stabilisation is excellent here. Thirdly, the finished video clips look very well detailed for this mid-range phone. It’s good to experiment to find your ideal mode but from my experience, 1080p at 60fps is more favoured.

To sum up, experiment with Note 9S, take a few pictures and videos and find your perfect mode. For a mid-range phone like the Note 9S, you’ll be surprised by the camera and video features available.

 

Overall Impressions

Thanks to the specs, it has a great battery life with fast charging, a clear display with a good design, great performance and decent camera features.

A few things to note, however: first, it smudges easily with fingerprints from constant touching of the screen; second, it has no 5G connectivity; third, it takes average night mode pictures; and lastly, it doesn’t come with earphones.

 

 

Overall, this is a great mid-range alternative to get if you can’t afford a top-range smartphone. It’s great for those looking for a budget alternative. 

Thanks for reading my Redmi Note 9S review. If you can, I recommend purchasing the Note 9S 6GB, 128GB instead of the 4GB 64GB. It has better performance but costs more but the latter is more affordable.

Any points you want clarity on or want to add comments, please feel free to leave them below. Stay safe. Live long and prosper until next time. 

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