A bit of fun cleaning out some boxes of old gear. https://somegadgetguy.com/b/42B
Used point-and-shoot camera sales are skyrocketing, but were those cameras as good as we remember? What are phone manufacturers getting wrong with phone HDR photo processing?
Adding the Xiaomi 14, Vivo V30 Pro, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra!
Full run down on synthetic benchmarks, video editing, podcast mixing, photo processing and file compression tests. Let's see how these phones REALLY compare using actual apps for work!
Vivo X100 Pro review is finally here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-WW0tVFmsk
It's one of the most brutally competitive phones I've reviewed in a while, and might take the crown as the most powerful phone of the year.
So... Why haven't I been talking about it more?
A little jumper on a wild Daisy Macro (Vivo X100 Pro)
Caught this little bug chilling on a pretty purple daisy.
Macro shots from this phone feel like cheating LOL.
Dandelion Seeds Macro (Vivo X100 Pro)
This phone gets REALLY close! A fun look at these dandelion seeds. Shot came straight out of the camera. https://flic.kr/p/2pqP4Zd
Wild Rose Stamen Macro (Vivo X100 Pro)
The sun started shining again, and this little winter rose was greeting the day.
So, yeah, the new macro modes on the X100 Pro are no joke... I'm really impressed with my first sample shots... https://flic.kr/p/2ppz4gW
I tested all night, but here's my run of benchmarks for video editing, podcast mixing, file compression, photo processing, and some EARLY thoughts on gaming.
I can't recall a single bigger leap year over year, while also seeing some early trends I find VERY concerning...
After ED Arrests, China Advises India to Create 'Non-Discriminatory' Business Environment
The ED has, so far, taken into custody seven people, including two Chinese nationals, in connection with charges of money laundering against the Indian subsidiary of the Chinese phone manufacturer, Vivo.
I'm no longer promoting this show on Twitter, so I can really use some help giving this a plug this week! Really appreciate a share, and I hope to see you in the chat! The podcast is live! https://www.twitch.tv/somegadgetguy #SGGQA 328: A Weekend With the iQOO 12, The End of XPERIA Phones, Instagram Chat and Messenger Split, Alibaba Animates Anyone
HAPPY MONDAY!
What a crazy week! Meta might be breaking up Instagram and Messenger ahead of regulators pressuring them. Alibaba is scanning tiktokers to make new AI tools. Verizon bungled some basic security for user data. Alex Jones is back on Twitter. Some REALLY interesting games are coming soon! Sony might retire the XPERIA.
Vivo V29 First Look: One LITTLE Upgrade for the Camera…
Vivo V29 first look! I was set to revisit the Vivo V27, but then Vivo went and released a WHOLE NEW PHONE. Checking out the differences, they're SO close, we can just focus on a few small iterations. For photographers, there's one new fun trick you should check out...
Delhi Police Terror FIR Against NewsClick Names Chinese Firms Xiaomi, Vivo, Puts Lawyers in Crosshairs
'Key person' identified by police as having provided "spirited defence" of Chinese companies, 'Gautam Bhatia', does not figure in any court proceedings as having represented them.
I was a little disappointed in the Vivo X90 Pro at launch. Now six months later, and running the Android 14 BETA, has my mind changed on this premium camera phone? Let's chat about expectations...
#Xiaomi13Ultra charges with up to 25W via #PowerDelivery. It's not perfect but solid. My #vivo only took up to 10W, so it's a noticeable upgrade! I also have the feeling that this way if charging is healthier than with the 90W charger... Let's see.
Does anyone know a good recent article about battery health / charging? 👀
Aside: Brands 1–14 listed above are available here in the #Philippines, even though some of those were made exclusively for certain countries and regions (and you wouldn't even see the Philippines mentioned in news and wikis).
Many of these brands already overtook #Apple, #Motorola, #Nokia, and even #Samsung in many countries, as far as sales are concerned.
So the question is:
If the accusations and assumptions against these companies are true, where do we draw the line?
I'm as excited about the rumors of improved desktop modes and video out support for the Pixel 8 as the next guy, but we've fielded these kinds of rumors before.
Currently the only phone I have that can run an Android 14 beta, AND has video out, just did this using the desktop mode in Android dev settings.
Which is even more broken than the A13 desktop mode, which was already almost nonfunctional from the A12 mode.
I really WANT Google to give us a Pixel 8 with a proper desktop or tablet large screen mode, but I'm not getting my hopes up until we see the phone in action.
I've gotten my hopes up the last couple updates, seeing code that would indicate improvements, but the actual practical experience has gotten WAY WORSE over the last two years.
Desktop modes are a huge perk, so I hope this is the year Google fixes this.
Phones are so ridiculously powerful now, they vastly outpace the actual compute power most families need for daily needs. The only thing holding us back is getting that performance out to devices and accessories to better USE that power.
If we can get a more usable platform for a desktop UI, devs might take apps for mobile and mixed use more seriously.
Camera overheating? https://youtu.be/l9vaxM2PfII
Has Sony fixed the XPERIA 1 V? Is XIaomi still "cheating" on 4K video?
It's about to get TOASTY in here!
Early access on the Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/posts/camera-thermal-1-83925596
Camera Thermal Throttling: Has Sony Fixed the XPERIA 1 V?
Tracking JUST 4K video recording, let's see if phones this year are REALLY running cooler than phones sold last year!