Tag: Galaxy Note 5

Best Smartphones of 2015

Posted on by ja3techreviews

Ah yes, winter is finally here, and as we wind down this incredible year, I would like to take a look back at which manufacturers titillated us with their naughtiest and nicest offerings. Share with me as I announce my best smartphones of 2015.

For sake of ease, I broke this down into two categories: (i) best premier smartphone (ii) best budget smartphone – best smartphones at or under $399. Bear with me as these are my honest opinions based on devices I’ve reviewed throughout this year. Once again, these are my OPINIONS predicated on matrices I preset to give quantitative scores for ranking purposes. Hopefully you agree, but if not, sit back and enjoy.

BEST PREMIER SMARTPHONES
1) Samsung Galaxy Note 5 – With its stunning Quad-HD display, incredible S-Pen functions, and everything we loved about the Galaxy S6 (with some minor improvements as well), it’s hard not to rank this as the best smartphone of the year. Rumblings are Samsung already has production set to trump this one; sounds intriguing.

2) iPhone 6s and 6s Plus – I am ranking these together because more-or-less, they are identical devices, sans the size difference and a camera upgrade. Everyone knows I am not a huge fan of Apple, but I must give props to them on a magnificent looking and well performing phone. Did they steal features from previous devices? Yes, but who doesn’t nowadays. If you are not an Android or Windows junkie, the gorgeous build and overly expansive App Store will make you run, not walk, to get this phone.

3) Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge – The “cousin” of both the Note 5 and S6 ranks slightly above the latter due to the ingenious edge display. During my testing did I find much use for it? No, but I can attest the few videos I viewed were enhanced by this design feature. Even though it closely resembles the S6, I found myself just more impressed by this one. Definitely worth an upgrade if you are coming from the S5 or interested in a new Samsung device.

4) LG V10 – Even though it was a recent release, we will give it a pass as it is such an impressive device. It makes me think, if the LG G4 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge had a baby, this is what it would look like. Compliments aside, I still wonder why the secondary display is on the top, but as I said in a previous writing, LG knows how to make stunning phones. From the massive yet glorious 5.7” display, to the premium feel, and “yes” SD card storage and removable battery, make this a no-brainer for a converted or long time LG fans.

5) Samsung Galaxy S6 – I remember at the end of last year, Samsung stated a few minor tweaks would be in store for the upcoming S6…a few minor tweaks, huh? Oh yeah, you just dropped the SD card slot, shed the removable battery, changed from a plastic to all glass and metal design, changed the processing chip, and upped the price; but yeah, just a few minor tweaks! Jokes aside, when I first saw this, my jaw dropped to the floor. It is a stunning piece of craftsmanship and I enjoyed my testing time. You ask, why only five on the list then? Well, poor battery life and the very breakable glass design pulled it down from the original #1 spot earlier in the year. It is without a doubt, one of the best devices of the year and a must have upgrade for anyone ready to turn in their S4 or Note 3.

6) Nexus 6P – Over the last two years, I have been thoroughly impressed by such devices as the P8 and Mate 7, and thus, find myself becoming a huge fan of Huawei. This Chinese manufacturer reminds me of LG with its use of nice designs, premium feel in the hand, only diminished by its convoluted user overlay. Nexus 6P shows it’s a boss of a phone and corrects the overlay issue by running Stock Android. So you have a great design, incredible display, front-facing speakers, coupled with the fact you will be first-ish (sorry, Motorola has been the first for Android updates the last year-and-a-half) for OS updates, makes this all the more appealing.

7) LG G4 – The “little brother” to the LG V10, the G4 was the first of many incredible devices to be launched this year. You may ask “…why so low on the list then…” and that has more to do with how many amazing devices came out this year, as opposed to something LG did wrong. From the beautiful display, to the micro sd card slot and removable battery inclusion, and the ingenious application multi-function feature, there is little to disapprove.

8) Motorola Moto X Pure/Style – Whatever the name is, Motorola continues its dominance of putting out simple yet outstanding devices. Utilizing an outstanding design, pure Android OS software, and an understated price tag, you cannot go wrong with the Moto X Pure/Style. And “yes”, for all you who still use your devices to make and receive phone calls, Motorola continues producing cellphones with great reception and call quality. What’s more, Moto-maker adds the icing to the cake, allowing a fully immersive level of customization not present by other manufacturers.

9) OnePlus 2 – Carl Pei, the founder of OnePlus, sought out two (2) years ago to change the game, so to speak, and we’ve witnessed his precision in doing so. A small off-shoot of the OPPO family, OnePlus followed up its success of the OnePlus One to bring an even more outstanding offering in the OnePlus 2. Lack of NFC debate aside, there is little to dislike in this year’s entry.

10) HTC One M9 – Like the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” HTC held true to this in carrying over many features from the One M8 to the new One M9. From the outrageous boom sound speakers, to the crisp display and expandable storage, there was little to dislike. However, HTC needs to understand, a few tweaks here-and-there will be necessary for next year’s M-series phone to make this list.

HONORABLE MENTION: ZTE Axon Pro, Microsoft Lumia 950/950 XL, Huawei Mate 7, Blackberry Priv, ZTE Nubia N9, Sony Xperia Z5 Premium

BEST BUDGET SMARTPHONES
1) OnePlus 2 – See everything from previous entry about OnePlus 2, and just remind yourself all that for just $389.00 off-contract.

2) Microsoft Lumia 640/640 XL – Since taking over the Lumia moniker from Nokia, Microsoft re-introduced itself into the smartphone race with a solid winner. Although a budget device in every facet, this checked all the boxes of what you want in a great phone. Near crystal clear call quality, adorable display, solid speakers, great camera for the pricing, and a solid OS, make-up for a not-so-stellar but improving App market. For what you get at a sub-$100 price, you won’t be upset

3) Asus Zenfone 2 – If you’ve read my review on this phone, you will realize I want to put this under the Best Premier Smartphones category, but because of the price, it certainly falls under budget, but with a solid asterisk. From the incredible display, large customization options, solid performance, and continual updates from Asus, it’s hard not to call this one of the top-20 best phones of 2015…overall!

4) Nexus 5X – The successor to its famous “little brother” of 2013, the Nexus 5, the Nexus 5X follows in the “family” footsteps with a quality build, great interface, solid performance, and stock Android to boot…bootloader pun intended. It falls at the top of the budget tier line, but several current promotions put it at under $350.00, which I call “budget” in the era of $800 and up premium phones. Little bro can cheerfully say with pride “That’s my brother!”

5) Oppo R7 – What can be called the parent company to OnePlus, Oppo continued making innovative devices this past year. The Oppo R7 without a doubt slides right into one of the best budget devices of the year. Improving on the popular R5, Oppo kept the slim design, re-introduced a 3.5 mm jack, and kept a gorgeous display. Although not a major player in the North American market, tech heads have lauded Oppo due in part to their consistent updates, great options in customization, incredible speaker quality, and snappy performing devices.  Those very reasons are why we find the R7 as one of the best budget smartphones of 2015. Coupled with its current $349.00 promotion price, I say it’s a great product on a budget.

6) Motorola Moto G – Motorola was once the top dog in the emerging smartphone industry back in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s. Unfortunately, much like the ebb and flows of life, they found themselves on the outside looking in to the likes of new big dogs Samsung, Apple and LG in current 2000s. Since its first introduction two years ago, the Moto G evolves gracefully, while still maintaining its budget status. What’s not to like about a solid offering for under $179? Plus, if you’re still looking for a last minute Christmas gift, several U.S. retailers are offering such an incredible device for as low as $99.00. Not too shabby!

7) Motorola Moto E – Take everything you like about the Moto G, shrink the body a little bit, add LTE bands, and voila, there you have the Moto E. I really tried not to like this device due to my own prejudices based on its price, but couldn’t help falling in love with it. Now, the Moto E shows more function over form, but at such a highly consumer friendly price, you can’t help but pick one up. If you are lucky like me, you may be able to catch another retailer’s blowout sell and nab one for $9.99. Really impressive!

8) BLU Life One X – Although coming out at the tail end of this year, we had to add the BLU Life One X to our listing of great budget offerings. In standard form, BLU continues to pump out impressive, budget friendly offerings, but the Life One X may stand above the crowd in BLU-ville. A solid 1080p, with LTE coverage for some bands, and a well performing MediaTek CPU, the Life One X could challenge as one of the best bang-for-your-buck smartphones for the first part of 2016. Couple a quality device and a $149.00 price tag; it has the makings of everything this list embodies.

9) Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 (5.5”) – Wait a minute…nice looking display, great JBL earphones and sound quality, reversible UI and all under $299.00? No, can’t be! However, Alcatel managed to do just that. I must mention the call quality wasn’t the best during my review, and I also observed some software stuttering, which account for its fall on our list. But, for an already established manufacturer throwing its foray into a competitive mid-tier market, we like what we see.

10) OnePlus X – Oneplus founder, Carl Pei, continues to show he knows the smartphone business. Taking what people liked in the original OnePlus One, modify the body to a breathtaking glass/metal body, and you have another OnePlus hit! Also, marketing it at an insane sub-$250.00 price point won’t hurt in winning over any would-be consumers. You sacrifice NFC and the loss of a few LTE bands, but overall, a premium device for small change won’t make anyone fell like a Grinch this Christmas.

HONORABLE MENTION: BLU Vivo Air LTE, Xiamoi Mi Note Pro, Kyocera Hydro, Huawei P8 Lite, LG G4 Stylus/Stylo

Apple or Samsung…Is There Any Other Choice?

Posted on by ja3techreviews

Apple or Samsung? Chicken or Beef? Actually, I prefer ground turkey due to it’s a leaner meat and less toxins, but I digress. Perhaps, though, this is what has driven me to produce such an article, because my deviation from the predicated conventional norms. Let’s face it, Apple and Samsung dominate the mobile technology, and consequently are the two most consumed and talked about manufacturers. We hear of every press release and upcoming launch event, retailers promote them seemingly around every crevice of their stores (yes, I’m looking at you Best Buy), and we are constantly presented with those witty us versus them commercials reminiscent of a bitter high school rivalry. Apple and Samsung masterfully inject themselves into our daily lives and influence our trending ways. Thus, when it comes time for that new Smartphone, tablet, television, or media player, it seems the majority flock to one or the other. People, let me tell you, you have other choices.

Let me drop some quick knowledge you may or may not know; Apple currently possesses 20.4% of the overall Smartphone sales, while maintaining 92% profits of the overall Smartphone industry. I’ll repeat that in case you missed it, 92% of the overall Smartphone profits. In a landscape encompassing well over 1,000 manufactures, and more popping onto the scene each day, Apple reigns the top dog of profitable companies. Putting further into perspective, roughly 1 of every 5 consumers owns an iPhone and/or Apple product. And that 20% is leading Apple to billions in gross profits. Not to mention the recent successes of Apple TV and Apple Watches. Recent survey analysis relates Apple’s success to its identity. Of those consumers in the market to buy a tech device, over 84% surveyed stated they would buy Apple products based solely on brand recognition. I will repeat, not knowing the functionality of the products, but solely on the fact they have heard the name, people will be inclined to buy Apple devices. That in itself I find truly amazing. The notion of buying something based only because I saw the name on television, or my neighbor bought one, or because it’s the in product baffles me.

Possessing an amazing 19.9% share of Smartphone devices sold last year, and filling in nearly all of the remaining 8% of available market share profits, Samsung remains the other most recognizable force in the industry. 19.9% may not sound like a huge number, but let’s attempt to put that in perspective. Several statistical analysis firms put overall Smartphone sales for 2014 at roughly 1.1 billion sales. This means Samsung accounts for approximately 220 million of those sales. Truly astonishing are those numbers. Following similar analysis, 86% of potential buyers surveyed stated they would buy a Samsung product on name recognition alone. Now that is truly amazing! Please forgive me if it seems I am attempting to minimize Samsung’s impact on the evolution of the industry. That is far from my intentions, as I am a huge fan of their in-house Exynos processor and find myself amazed in the steady improvements of their stunning displays. In the past year I have witnessed three magnificent devices out of the Samsung camp in the Galaxy Note 5, S6 and S6 Edge. All are truly remarkable gadgets showcasing Samsung’s innovation in hardware design language and substantial improvements in their TouchWiz software. Devoid of the poor battery life, the Galaxy line this past year lived up to the moniker of flagship devices. Each of these embodied the strongest, brightest and best offerings and a glimpse of what to expect in the upcoming year. Yet, I still find myself wondering why we gravitate to these products at the cost of other quality and cheaper manufacturers.

In asking myself this question more and more, the conclusion literally hit me in the face one evening. Walking down the street, while simultaneously writing a text message, I ran into a Samsung sidewalk sign outside Best Buy. That sign was closely followed by an Apple banner parlaying news of the recently released iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The saying “…if you control the media, you can control the masses…” came to mind. I know the context of the quote is intended another way, but let’s face it, Apple and Samsung find ways to dominate our information sources, and because of that earn our money. If all you see is Apple and Samsung on the news, in print, on the radio, you will fixate on that. These tech giants clearly understand this simple concept, and do all they can to insert themselves into our lives. In a consumer-based world, we are lead to believe these two are the “posh” and “in-thing” of our times above all others, and maybe rightfully so. But I repeat, you have other choices.

I challenge you today to record how many times you hear or see the promotions of companies such as LG, Lenovo-Motorola, Huawei, Sony, Oppo, Blackberry or Oneplus. The last may be the exception if you frequent Facebook or Twitter, but my overall notion still stands. These companies rarely promote themselves and rely on the principle we as consumers will learn about their products and gravitate towards them. Unfortunately, we as consumers rarely do this and that is our greatest flaw. We trend towards what we are told is the latest and greatest, or what we see others have, or what’s the best of those readily accessible. In paraphrasing one of my favorite comic book characters, Ben Parker, “With great power comes great responsibility”. As a consumer, you have a responsibility to be informed before you hand over your money. Do your analysis and understand why whatever you buy is the best choice. Now I’m not saying to not to buy Apple or Samsung products. As previously mentioned, I too am an owner of several of their products, but before you spend the $700 to $1,000 full retail price….really, that much? Okay, before you pay my monthly mortgage for a device, make sure you do your homework. I personally have found the offerings of Asus and LG, to name a few very pleasing. Although I purchased the device nearly six months ago, I absolutely love using my Asus Zenfone 2 (the high-end variant) as my daily driver. That’s pretty impressive as I own nearly 15 different phones, three of which are Apple and Samsung products. What is even more impressive is the $299.00 off-contract pricing, not too bad in my opinion. Also, it would take an act of force majeure before I stop using my Nexus 5 from nearly three years ago. Much like a fine wine, it just seems to get better with time. Thus, I implore you to please remember this one message…you have other choices.