Android Advisorの 102 の目次

SAMSUNG GALAXY UNPACKED Foldable smartphones have come on leaps and bounds in the past couple of years, and its arguably Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip line leading the way. Last year's Z Flip 3 sold millions of units worldwide, and while it was the best foldable around at the time, it still has some pretty undeniable flaws. That's all changed with the Flip 4. While this is for the most part an iterative upgrade, it's one that's focussed on improving the battery life and camera performance that held last year's phone back, along with myriad smaller quality-of-life tweaks. Here's everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. AVAILABILITY The phone is on sale now. PRICE 999 1059 1099 1199 Samsung is also offering Bespoke…

SAMSUNG GALAXY UNPACKED Today's tech headlines may be grabbed by Samsung's updates to its foldable phones and smartwatches, but the company has also launched its latest pair of AirPods Pro rivals: the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. As the name suggests, these are an upgraded version of last year's Galaxy Buds 2 just as much as they are a followup to the original Galaxy Buds Pro. The design takes mostly after the Buds 2, with a simple rounded body, more streamlined than the previous Pros. Samsung says they're 15 percent smaller than those headphones, and after checking them out in person I was most impressed with how compact and lightweight they feel. They're available white, black, and purple to complement the colour range of the new Z Flip 4, and like…

REVIEWS Price: £629 from fave.co/3vVUq7L The OnePlus 10T is a very good smartphone with premium build quality, a great display, top tier performance, and insanely fast charging speeds. At £629 it's also one of the best value high-end phones with Qualcomm's powerful, and power-efficient, Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. It's the first time a OnePlus 'T' phone is being sold alongside the older model while also bearing a near-identical design, but the two phones have a lot of differences under their hoods. Thankfully, it's a superb phone, but it struggles to justify its price given the existence of the company's own Nord 2T, which has the same rear cameras, performs well for a mid-ranger, and costs a lot less. DESIGN You'd be forgiven for mistaking the OnePlus 10T for the…

AUDIO Price: £129 from fave.co/3A7Rt6i 1 More might not have the same recognition as Sony, Bose, or Apple, but the company's headphones have earned consistently good reviews and more than a few 'best of recommendations over the past few years. The Evo true wireless noise-cancelling earbuds are their new top-of-the line model, and they seem destined to continue the company's string of successes. You get excellent audio quality and a metal charging case that gives the Evo headphones a premium feel. The active noise cancellation is a bit more relaxed than what you'll find in many of the other top-rated brands, but that lower intensity makes for a better listening experience when ANC is engaged. BUILD QUALITY The Evo are available in either black or white. The charging case is…

FEATURE Google's Pixel phones are practically overflowing with useful stuff. And some of the best options of all are things you've probably never even noticed. That's true for the Pixel's core Android software as well as its Google-made apps - everything from the calling-related features in the Pixel Phone app to the expanded array of advanced options in Google Assistant on Pixels. It's even true in apps that seem so basic, you'd never think they had anything interesting lurking in their dusty virtual corners. Today, it's time to explore one such app - the seemingly mundane Pixel Clock app that came pre-installed on your phone. The Clock app may appear to be a simple spot for setting a timer or alarm, but don't let yourself be fooled: beneath its second-ticking…

SAMSUNG GALAXY UNPACKED Samsung has been one of the leading lights in the arrival of smartphones with foldable displays, and that's set to continue with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Samsung's big-screen foldable is back with a host of improvements that not only make it more durable, but more in-line with standard 2022 flagships. Has Samsung finally cracked the foldable code? Here's everything there is to know. AVAILABILITY The phone is on sale now. PRICE 1649 1769 2019 FEATURES Design The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is 3.1 mm shorter and 3mm wider, and while that doesn't sound like much, the phone feels nicer in the hand and less boxy than the Z Fold 3 - both in its folded and unfolded configurations. In fact, Samsung claims this should…

REVIEWS Price: £399 from fave.co/3AbEz7z Phones aren't as small as they used to be but the Google Pixel 6a is about as compact an Android phone as you can get these days. This is one of the best things about it, along with its excellent performance, camera, and its affordable price. The Pixel 6a is Google's cheaper version of its Pixel 6 and 6 Pro phones. The 6a keeps some of those devices' more expensive features, but ditches others to drive the price right down to a very palatable £399. A few corners have been cut and there are other mid-range phones out there that offer higher specs, but having used the Pixel 6a daily as my main phone, I think it's one of the best phones you can buy…

REVIEWS Price: £399 from fave.co/3QACqYw It's hard to imagine that any company releasing its first smartphone could generate the hype that Nothing has for the Phone (1), but hype can be a doubleedged sword. The trickle of teasers certainly built excitement and anticipation, and the 100,000+ people who signed up to the waiting list to buy the phone prove it converted into sales, but has it put impossible pressure on a device that is, ultimately, just a phone? Perhaps, but it helps that Nothing has nailed the phone part. The Phone (1) may not be life-changing, or the radical break from industry norms that founder Carl Pei would like you to think it is, but this is a well-specified, affordable phone that offers excellent value for money. But from a…

FEATURE Part of the Pixel's primary appeal is the phone's phenomenal software. All Android experiences are not created equal, as anyone who's spent seven seconds with an out-of-thebox Samsung set-up can tell you, and Google's clean and simple approach to Android is a huge piece of what makes a Pixel so pleasant to use. Still, while a Pixel may be perfectly peachy from the moment you power it on, Google's smartphone software is full of hidden features and advanced options that can make your experience even more exceptional. And whether you're setting up a shiny new Pixel 6a right now or cradling an older Pixel mode, taking the time to think through some of your phone's most easily overlooked settings can take your Pixel adventure to a whole new level.…

SAMSUNG GALAXY UNPACKED Samsung has forged a path for itself as makers of some of the most capable and desirable smartwatches on the market, and that trend is set to continue with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro. While the Galaxy Watch 5 is similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro introduces an entirely new design that ditches the fan-favourite rotating bezel. A controversial choice? Maybe. Here's all there is to know. AVAILABILITY Both watches are on sale now. PRICE The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 comes in at a slightly higher price than its predecessor, with a £20 to £40 increase (depending on the model you opt for) in the UK. As with previous iterations, the exact price will depend on multiple factors including case…

REVIEWS Price: £699 from fave.co/3zPj2jw Small phones don't sell. Or so goes the accepted wisdom, especially in a year when it looks likely that Apple will drop the Mini from the iPhone 14 series, and Sony killed off its diminutive Xperia 5 line. No-one told Asus that though, so it's bringing back its compact Zenfone flagship - and in fact the Zenfone 9 is even smaller and shorter than last year's Zenfone 8. To be fair, the company's not alone. While Apple and Sony may be moving away from one-handed handsets, Asus itself points out that it's facing renewed competition from the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Xiaomi 12, both of which are smaller than their predecessors. The Zenfone 9 is smaller than either though, and thanks to Asus's efforts to…

AUDIO Price: £999 from fave.co/3vQDpvr Mark Levinson is to audio what Lamborghini, Porsche and Ferrari are to automobiles. The high-end brand, named after its legendary founder, has left an indelible mark with audio products priced in the four and five figures. The Mark Levinson team is looking to add a new - and admittedly atypical - product to that legacy: The £999 No. 5909 wireless noise-cancelling headphone. This is the first headphone model Mark Levinson has ever produced, and it's designed for the busy professional or passionate listener. What makes this headphone special isn't necessarily its pedigree, premium materials, onboard tech, or noisecancelling performance (though it has all of those, too). Rather, what's notable is the No. 5909's voicing to the so-called Harman target curve for headphones. The result? A…

FEATURE I don't know if you've noticed, but our favourite virtual helper is losing some of its location-sensing smarts. For reasons unknown, Google is in the midst of quietly pulling back Assistant's ability to handle reminders based on your physical location - the 'remind me to do something when I get to this place' sorts of commands that have long been possible on Android. It's part of a broader confusion campaign realignment of Google features that seems to be placing more emphasis on the company's Tasks service and its integration with other Google apps. Today, I want to turn our focus to some little-known location features Assistant still has in its grasp. 1. THE SELF-LOCATION SPELL We'll start with the simplest command of the bunch but one that can be…