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Inateck BH1105 Headphones: $10 headphones that you’re crazy not to buy (Review)

AndroidGuys
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Trying to find a good pair headphones for the best can prove a task. Unless you are looking to buy a high dollar name brand that can afford to set up sample stations in big box stores, you have no real way of knowing the sound and quality. So you take a shot at those $7 earbuds from Walmart and they end up fitting poorly and breaking a month later. Luckily Inateck’s engineers have the solution in its wallet friendly BH1105s that sell for $9.99 on Amazon.

Design

These sleek headphones are in a class that is rare, beautiful and beyond affordable. One glimpse at these and it’s hard not to want to snatch up a pair. The earbuds are made from zebra wood, which aids in creating a full sound, really makes them stand out. Connecting the 3.5mm plug is a four-foot long cord that gives you plenty of movement.

The three different sized tips are made out of a flat black silicon that comes to a smaller point that makes it fit better in the ear. I have never been a fan of in-ear headsets as they typically are very uncomfortable and rarely stay in my ear, but these fit nicely inside my ear and didn’t fall out after a run test.

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Sound

The way a product looks is one small aspect and as beautiful as the design is the sound it resonates is where it really counts. So how does this headset stack up? I tested these with various types of music including Hip Hop, Rock, Country, and R&B and the sound was amazing. It has a very rich sound where neither the highs or bass overpowers each other. I didn’t really expect too much and it’s always nice to be surprised.

An issue some people have with headphones is when you’re on a train, bus, or in some type of public venue the person next to you is listening to their music and you hear every word. Don’t you just hate that? If you’re listening at a reasonable volume, let’s say 75%, you don’t get that with these. Which is nice for all you undercover Taylor Swift fans.

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Conclusion

As a person who is very….let’s say conservative when it comes to buying a headphones, I have bought many budget headphones and I got what I paid for, an uncomfortable, hollow sounding headsets that break within a month. For just $10 these are easily a no brainer pair of headphones to buy. The BH1105s have a high-end luxurious look and sound that makes you feel like you paid top dollar.

 

Buy BH1105 on Amazon

Honeywell Bluetooth Smart True HEPA Allergen Remover review

AndroidGuys
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Every so often we get a chance to review products that fall outside the traditional scope of mobile accessories. Instead of Bluetooth speakers, mounts, or cables, we get to check out other items that tie in nicely with our smartphones. Today we’re reviewing the Honeywell Bluetooth Smart True HEPA Allergen Remover. Yes, an air purifier that can connect to your handset.

Now, before going much further, I’ll point out that I’ve not reviewed other air purifiers and allergen removers. To that end, you’ll find the following review will skew more toward the “every man” user and focus on the mobile-specific features.

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First things first, this is a pretty sizable (about 20 inches tall) unit that sits on the floor or a medium-sized table. Big and black, it fits nicely with just about any decor and doesn’t draw much attention or distract from an environment. All of the buttons and controls are found at the top of the purifier. The purifier is constructed of plastic so it’s light and easy to move from room to room.

Upon taking it out of the box, you’ll be instructed to walk through a few steps with the Honeywell purifier. A plastic quick-start guide tells you the main settings, each with its own special use-case: germ (capture germs), general (everyday usage), and allergen (capture allergens). It’s not hard to get this one up and running at all as it is essentially plugging in and picking a setting.

The Smart Air Purifier comes with a pair of filters, one being an HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter and a carbon pre-filter. The latter is designed to capture odor such as smoke. The HEPA filter should be replaced annually whereas the pre-filter is once per quarter. In terms of warranty, this guy comes with a five-year plan for parts and labor.

IMAG0268As a novice to these, it was hard to see the differences in the first few days of testing. The Honeywell also offers up a turbo setting for quick odor reduction or power cleaning while the VOC (volatile organic compounds) is more of an automatic setting that moves from one mode to another. I felt safest going this route, understanding it likely knew my environmental needs better than I did.

You’ll find there are some LED lights that can be dimmed or turned off. Should you find yourself using the purifier in the bedroom you may wish to disable the lights as they can be distracting. Do note that the Bluetooth light and power indicator do stay on; you’ll have to put up with those. There are indicator lights to notify you when it’s time to replace the filter, a nice touch for those of us who simply cannot remember to do so.

In terms of sound, I found the Honeywell purifier to be quiet and provide a calm and non-distracting white noise. Turn it on and you’ll pay attention to it for a few minutes, but it’s quickly forgotten or pushed out of mind. Switching modes doesn’t seem to do much in terms of obvious, discerned sounds. if anything, the allergen setting was the only one we noticed over others.

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The Honeywell Smart Air Purifier is designed to handle areas of 310 square feet so it’s perfect for most rooms. We liked setting ours in the hallway and shutting off doors to select rooms. This way it would clean the upstairs, steps, and a few small rooms at once. After that we would shut those rooms and repeat the process downstairs.

All in all, we had to rely on the purifier and app to qualify or quantify its effect. But, I can personally attest that the allergen option was very helpful this spring. There’s something about the air come March and April that really does a number on me. Sleeping was much easier this year as I kept the Honeywell in the bedroom.

Whereas the Smart Air Purifier works just fine on its own, things get extra useful and interesting when pairing to a phone. Connected via Bluetooth, the purifier can pair with most Android and iOS devices. Connecting is done by pressing a button on the phone and holding down the Bluetooth button on the purifier. Pair it once and you’re all set.

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The app was easy to navigate and looked better than we expected for an air purifier. It’s pretty easy to cut corners and deliver an ugly UI with functions tucked away. Instead, we found a pretty modern and intuitive interface with fairly obvious settings. Also handy was a reminder at the bottom for when you’ll want to replace the filter.

Tapping on the app results in immediate changes on the Honeywell unit; there’s no lag in adjusting settings. Moreover, there are additional settings that don’t come with the standard purifier experience. Log your zip code and you’ll find the app can detect the allergens in your area. Doing so will tell you how grass, mold, tree, and ragweed pollens are. It’s possible to set alerts for thresholds so you can be notified when a particular pollen gets high.

The mobile app also provides cleaning schedules so you can pick a day or time that you’d like the purifier to work. Want a turbo cleanse before getting home? Sure you do. Make it happen.

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As someone who suffers through spring with allergies, the Honeywell Bluetooth Smart Air Purifier HPA250B has been a pleasant addition to the home. I’ve come to appreciate the mobile app more than I anticipated, too. I like the idea of knowing the pollen levels for specific types of allergies. Additionally, I enjoy being able to adjust modes from the phone and having a constant reminder of when filters need replaced is just an icing on the cake.

If you’re in the market for a standard air purifier and don’t necessarily want or need the Bluetooth functions, you can definitely find other options for less money. But, if you’re suffering from allergies, live with a smoker, or like the notion of connecting your home, you’ll definitely come to like this Honeywell purifier.  And if that’s not quite enough to convince you, don’t forget the five year warranty.

You can pick up a Honeywell Smart Air Purifier for about $250 through Best Buy. Currently, though, it’s on sale for $210. Amazon also has the unit going for about $208 as of the time of this review.

Report: Samsung will release the Galaxy Note 7 this year, two bendable phones next year

Matt Adams
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Bloomberg has just come out with a report that Samsung will skip the Note 6 name this year to release the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in August. While at first glance the name change may be mystifying, there is a method to Samsung’s madness.

Currently, Samsung releases its Galaxy S lineup early in the year. The current flagship is the Samsung Galaxy S7, but if Samsung were to continue with its current naming structure, we’d see the Galaxy Note 6 in August. Having a smaller number attached to the name can negatively impact the phone to uninformed consumers who automatically assume that bigger is better.

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Also of note, according to Bloomberg, are the two new bendable smartphones we could see as early as Mobile World Congress 2017. Last year’s MWC kicked off on February 22, so we could see these brand new devices in as little as eight months.

Codenamed “Project Valley”, the new phones could be as small as five inches when in handset form and fold out to an eight-inch tablet. Other companies have tried to incorporate a phone/tablet hybrid with the most successful being the almost anonymous Asus Padfone.

Another rumored foldable device could be shaped like a cosmetic compact that will fold in half. Samsung is betting big on its organic light-emitting diode technology that will make these bendable phones a possibility. Bloomberg’s source also let it slip that these two new phones will NOT be branded as Galaxy models S.

Stay tuned to our Rumor Roundup for the next Galaxy Note for all of the updates and leaks as they become available.

Bear Lock: Keep prying eyes away (Review)

AndroidGuys
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Overview

Keep your apps as safe as Pooh keeps his honey pot. That’s what Bear Lock does: keeps prying eyes away.

Developer: Bear Lock Applock

Cost: Free

Setup

Setting up is relatively easy. Jasper, your guide in the app, will walk you through this. He will ask you to put in your name, set up a pattern lock and fingerprint (if you have a sensor), and your email.

Once the initial setup is complete, you are free to pick which apps you want to protect. You are given the choice between two lists: sensitive and all. Select which apps you want to protect and that’s it. You’re set up. To remove the protection, simply tap which app to remove the protection from and you’re good to go.

Review

Bear Lock is a neat app lock app. Say that five times fast. It does exactly what it says, locks your apps so no one else can get into them. Jasper will let you in only if you type the correct code. If you don’t have the code, he will eventually turn his back on you.

The fact that you can use both a pattern or finger lock is nice since some people (me in particular!) don’t like to use fingerprint locks. If you forget your code, don’t worry, there is also the option to be asked a security question or get an email sent.

Bear Lock also lets you theme the app. It may not be the most important feature in an app like this, but it’s a nice touch. The themes are limited to only changing the colors, but it’s still a welcomed feature. There isn’t too much more they could do in this area.

Conclusion

You can’t get much simpler than this app. I honestly believe you could get a six-year-old to set this up. The best part? It’s free. Zero dollars. I can’t find any in-app purchases anywhere and there are no ads of any sort. I’m kind of surprised about it. I wouldn’t be surprised if they added more features later for a premium. If you want a layer of extra security, and don’t want to spend any money, Bear Lock is for you.

Download and install Bear Lock from the Google Play Store.

Cover-Up’s #WoodBack cases make your Nexus 6P look and feel awesome (Review)

Matt Adams
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I don’t love phone cases. I know most people are content with putting one on their phones and not really thinking about it ever again. I honestly wish that I was more like that because I’ve definitely screwed up more than one phone from not having a case on it, even though I baby my devices. The cases I do get interested in have to have a niche. They have to be interesting in some way. They have to make me want to keep them on the phone, rather than just becoming a part of it.

That’s why I absolutely love Cover-Up’s #WoodBack collection of cases. Not only do they look phenomenal, but they feel great in the hand too.

Cover-Up WoodBack family

Protection

Let’s address protection first since that’s the reason you have a case in the first place. The #WoodBack cases aren’t military certified like UAG cases and they don’t make your phone water resistant like Lifeproof cases, but what they do offer is simple scratch and drop protection. I recently dropped my phone twice in two days. Once onto a driveway without a case and once onto a sidewalk with a #WoodBack case on. Without the case, I got scratched paint and dents. This phone is my baby (I should stop dropping my baby) and it hurts to see those scratches and dents on my phone.

The second fall, this time with the #WoodBack case securely on the phone, produced no ill effects. Not even for the case.

Your phone sits inside of a TPU case, that while thin, is pretty tough. There is some give in the case which helps disperse any shocks, but not enough that your phone is going to pop out of it. There’s also a bumpy texture on the sides of the case to help you grip the phone better. I owned a previous version of these cases that had smooth sides and it could be a bit slippery, but I haven’t had any issue holding onto my (rather large) Nexus 6P.

A slight lip comes up to protect your phone’s screen, but I really don’t know if it’s going to do anything to help it out in case of falls. It’s a bit too shallow to hold back your screen if it’s falling face down, but I think it will keep your screen from touching a surface if it’s just sitting on a table- which can help with scratches. I don’t have a tempered glass screen protector on my Nexus 6P, but I’d wager to say that if you have one on yours the #WoodBack case will come almost flush with the screen protector.

Look and Feel

The great thing about Cover-Up’s cases is the huge selection of different wood you have to choose from. Currently, for the Nexus 6P you can choose from 14 different styles of wood and designs. I am personally in love with the Blackened Ash wood and the Gold Lightning Bolt logo adds an awesome little bit of flair, without going over the top. The Elm Burl, Cherry, and Black Limba cases (pictured below) are also as beautiful in person as they are on the website.

Cover-Up WoodBack cherry burl limba

One very appealing aspect of these cases is that no two are alike. The Elm Burl case I have pictured has some of the same characteristics as the press pictures on Cover-Up’s website, but it’s completely different in design. There are a ton of knots and distinctive features in my case that no-one else will duplicate on theirs. I love having a one-of-a-kind design on my phone.

Cover-Up WoodBack grain

I covered the bumpy sides earlier and that’s plays in rather heavily to how the cases feel in the hand. There’s no sliding around with this thing so my phone always feels secure in my hand. The bumps, on top of the size of the case, add almost no bulk either. The Nexus 6P is a humongous phone but the #WoodBack cases doesn’t make it feel any bigger. That’s a huge plus for me.

There are only a few minor negatives to these cases, and it’s really stretching. They are a bit deep. You can really tell how deep the case is when you’re putting your finger on the scanner on the back of the phone. I’ve not noticed any issues with getting a good read (in fact, it helps me center my finger on the scanner better) and the cutouts for the camera and flash are big enough so it doesn’t reflect back into the lens, so this is just a minor negative because it changes the feel of the phone.

Cover-Up WoodBack fingerprint scanner

Also, the case does cover the buttons on the phone and they can feel a bit mushy to press. The buttons don’t stick out very far so it’s easy to miss them unless you’re looking for them as you’re running your finger along the side of the case. It’s not a huge turn-off, but it will bother some people.

Cover-Up WoodBack buttons

Conclusion

I think Cover-Up really hit it out of the park with the #WoodBack line. They aren’t the most protective of cases, but they’re on par with most cases out there. If you’re looking for something like an Otterbox, you probably weren’t looking at these cases anyway.

The wood backing of these phones look and feel absolutely fantastic. The fact that I will have my own unique design no matter what wood I choose is a huge selling point to me.

If you’re interested in picking up a #WoodBack case from Cover-Up, head over to its website or check out its listings on Amazon.

The Blitzwolf Bluetooth Selfie Stick is the only selfie stick you need…unless you have a Nexus

AndroidGuys
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Whether you love them or hate them, it looks like selfie sticks are here to stay. At least, for the time being. We have seen these arm extenders all over the world and even in amusement parks and museums. If you aren’t totally sold on jumping onto the selfie stick wagon, let me introduce you to the Blitzwolf selfie stick, and maybe you will change your mind.

Design

The Blitzwolf selfie stick has a fairly unassuming plastic and metal build, which also leads to a lightweight stick that is easy to hold. The compact length comes in at just under 9 inches, but fully extended, this selfie stick measures almost 3 feet. That is plenty of length for you to get all of your friends into frame. The plastic handle has a slightly matte finish which provides a nice grip so the stick won’t be slipping out of your hands while to try to capture the moment.

Blitzwolf Selfie Stick extensionThe body of the selfie stick is made of locking metal tubes that allow the selfie stick to extend and compress by simply twisting and pulling the end. The phone mount at the top of the stick can stretch to accommodate both large and small devices. I didn’t even have trouble getting my huge Nexus 6 fitted securely. The mount can also be rotated 180 degrees to fine tune your composition, and there is a thumb screw to lock the mount in place once you find the right angle.

Features

Blitzwolf Selfie Stick buttonsOn the handle of the selfie stick, you will find far more than just a shutter button. Since the selfie stick connects to your phone via Bluetooth, there is an On/Off switch on the right side for power along with a microUSB port for charging the stick. On top of the handle, there is a button for switching between front and back cameras, buttons for zooming the camera in and out, and a shutter button for snapping the final picture. All of the buttons are laid out so they can easily be reached when using the selfie stick with just one hand.

Usage

Setting up and using the Blitzwolf selfie stick is simple and straightforward. After turning on the selfie stick, you need to find and connect to it through the Bluetooth menu on your phone. I liked the fact that I did not have to connect any wires to my phone since everything was controlled over Bluetooth. Also, extending the selfie stick is quick and easy, which makes setting up for the photo much quicker.

Blitzwolf Selfie Stick feat image

In order to take full control of the selfie stick, you will need to download the Blitzwolf Shutter app. Here is where I found the biggest flaw with the selfie stick. When using the Blitzwolf app on my Nexus 6, my front facing camera always appeared upside down. Interestingly, the back camera was not upside down. Having the image flipped on your phone makes centering yourself or the subject in the frame much harder than you’d think.

Blitzwolf Selfie Stick front cameraAfter looking at reviews for the app, it appears that this is a common problem among Nexus devices. Thankfully, this should be fixable with an update to the app and hopefully Blitzwolf will update it soon. If you are not using a Nexus device, you should experience no trouble using the Blitzwolf this selfie stick.

Blitzwolf Selfie Stick back camera

Upside down picture aside, the app is fairly minimal with a zoom indicator and option to preview photos. There is also a Record button, Flash toggle, and Setting menu with a few more options. The app responds fairly quickly to each button press on the selfie stick, which is important for capturing those last second selfies. One thing that I would like to see is the ability to launch the app by simply pressing the shutter button.

If you want to use this selfie stick with a Nexus device, you can still use it to take pictures through the normal camera app; however, you will not be able to use the camera switching or zoom functions as the zoom buttons are actually what take pictures in the stock camera app. That being said, I would recommend another selfie stick for all of you Nexus users.

Conclusion

As long as you do not have a Nexus device, I would definitely recommend the Blitzwolf Bluetooth selfie stick if you have not yet gotten into the selfie craze. The build is sturdy and the zoom and camera switch features are great additions to have. Its compact size, lightweight construction, and quick deployment mean that you can take it pretty much anywhere and have it ready in a moment’s notice. Get yourself a Blitzwolf Bluetooth selfie stick for only $17 here!

Lumsing 8000mAh ultrathin power bank: Reliable, right-sized and perfectly priced at $10 (review)

Derrick Miyao
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No matter how hard we beg manufacturers for better battery life, they don’t want to listen. Granted they’re also listening to us ask for faster speed, higher resolution displays, better cameras, more powerful software, and everything else under the sun, which means they need to find a balance as to what “most” customers will be happy with.

You could be a power user, or you could have poor reception, which makes your phone work harder thus draining your battery. Luckily, for those of us who need more power we have portable power banks.

Today’s review is about the Lumsing 8000mAh ultrathin power bank.

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Design and Usage

Lumsing is a company that focuses on keeping things simple. Technology is complicated and requires an immense amount of effort to keep up with all of the changes. I work a M-F, 8-5pm job and write about tech for fun. As much as I love technology, I actually dislike tech that brings about more complication and appreciate Lumsing for taking a stance on simplicity.

The approach that Lumsing takes with simplicity is very apparent in the 8000mAh ultrathin power bank. It’s so simple that it doesn’t even have a name.

Yet it is designed to give you what you need most, the right amount of power while staying extremely thin for pocketability. 8000mAh is enough power to get two full charges for my Samsung Galaxy S7 edge which has a 3600mAh internal battery. The iPhone 6 has an 1810mAh internal battery, which means the Lumsing power bank can easily provide four full recharge cycles.

What’s nice is that 8000mAh could be squeezed into a very small package. The casing is made from one piece of metal, and as you can see in the images above that mine is a bright blue. The bright color makes it much easier to spot in my laptop bag, and it stands out amongst all of the portable gadgets I have in my office.

–Capacity: 8000mAh
–Input: Micro USB 5V / 1.5A
–Output: USB 5V / 2.1A
–Dimensions: 5.08×2.83×0.3 inches
–Weight: 5.96 oz

It can output power at 2.1amps, which is fast for iPhone users, but not quite fast enough to qualify for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge. On the front of the battery pack is where you will find a small flashlight that is activated by double tapping the power button. You will also find the battery indicator, output USB port, and microUSB input.

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The Lumsing 8000mAh ultrathin power bank is easy to use. All you have to do is plug in the supplied coiled cable into the battery, then plug the other end into your smartphone, tablet, wireless headphones or speaker and let it recharge your device.

lumsing battery

I like this battery because it is extremely reliable where it consistently gets me two full recharges on my S7 edge. The best part though, is its fantastic price point at just $9.99 with free shipping included.

Conclusion

Lumsing prides itself on keeping technology free from complications. It does that with the 8000mAh ultrathin power bank that I have been using. Lumsing also made the battery extremely affordable at just $9.99. With enough power to get at least two full charges on my S7 edge, $9.99 is quite justifiable on this purchase.

I highly recommend this battery based on its price, form factor, and reliability. They’re great to have if you ever experience power outages, or just need more power when you’re on the go. I leave one in my glove box, and one in my emergency kit as Lumsing batteries hold their charge quite well.

Get the Lumsing 8000mAh ultrathin power bank at Amazon or at Lumsing for just $9.99.

T-Mobile’s Uncarrier 11 brings a whole lotta love to its customers

AndroidGuys
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In another groundbreaking event, John Legere announced “Stock Up” at Uncarrier 11 to thank its customers for referring new customers to its service. Stock Up will allow users to become owners in T-Mobile through earning up to 100 stock of TMUS per year. Each referral will earn one stock, which is currently valued at $43.14.

“Get ready for a gratitude adjustment, America! This Un-carrier move is all about giving you a good thanking! No strings. No gotchas. Just ‘thank you for being a customer!’” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile.

As an owner, you are entitled to your share of the company’s earnings as well as any voting rights attached to the stock. What makes this deal incredibly smart is that John Legere wants his customers to be invested in T-Mobile.

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“For me, there’s no higher praise than hearing a customer say they recommend T-Mobile to family and friends, so we wanted to get this right,” said Legere. “And, what better way to thank you than sharing in the future of our company?! Now, T-Mobile customers own the place!”

How to earn free stock

Primary account holders will automatically qualify one free share of T-Mobile stock, as well as any new sign ups starting tomorrow. For every new customer you refer to T-Mobile, you earn exactly one share. T-Mobile is thanking its most loyal customers by doubling their rewards. For T-Mobile customers who have been with the company for more than five years, they will get two shares for every new customer they refer through 2017.

It’s a win-win situation

T-Mobile will be paying out shares to its customers, but in turn it will gain sign-ups for Loyal3 and it will also add new customers. New customers are worth far more than one share of stock, and one share of stock can go a long way if T-Mobile adds more customers. More customers will make the large investors happy and draw more interest in T-Mobile shares which will in turn drive the price up.

Existing customers can claim their T-Mobile stock starting tomorrow, June 7, through June 21 in the T-Mobile Tuesdays app, and customers can learn more about growing their ownership when they recommend T-Mobile at www.t-mobile.com/StockUp.

Wait, there’s more!

In addition to “Stock Up”, John Legere also announced T-Mobile Tuesdays, a new app that thanks T-Mobile customers with free stuff and epic prizes, every Tuesday.

Here’s how T-Mobile thanks you with T-Mobile Tuesdays:
• Get free stuff to use every week
• Play for top-shelf prizes and epic experiences from the coolest brands around
• Tell everyone how great being thanked feels with built-in social sharing
• And the best part? It’s all for free, for real, for you every Tuesday

T-Mobile has partnered with some of the best and coolest brands to thank its customers every single week, including Gilt, Domino’s, StubHub, Wendy’s, VUDU, Fandango, Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures, Lyft and more.

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Every week, you’ll have a chance to win something truly mind-blowing. Here are just a few examples of upcoming prizes:

  • a trip for two to Vegas to stay at Mandalay Bay with tickets to see UB40 at the Mandalay Bay Beach and roll VIP style at Luxor’s LAX Nightclub. Plus $100 in Lyft credits to get around town.
  • a trip to MLB All-Star week in San Diego for you and a lucky guest, including exclusive access to the Home Run Derby press conference and batting practice to see the top players up close and personal.
  • a once-in-a-lifetime expedition for you and your hiking buddy up the legendary Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru, complete with accommodations, meals, and tours from The Clymb.
  • a trip to New York City to refresh your wardrobe with a $10,000 shopping spree with the help of an in-house stylist in the private Gilt showroom.

T-Mobile’s also thanking customers with a full free hour of Gogo Wi-Fi on your smartphone on EVERY Gogo-equipped domestic flight—for all T-Mobile customers.

 

[Review] The ZTE Nubia Z9 Max is a phone of contradictions

Andrew Orr
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One of our AndroidGuys writers recently sent me the Nubia Z9 Max to review. It’s interesting to use Android again after having switched to iPhone about a year ago. There are some annoyances about the phone, but also some features I like as well.

First Impressions

First of all, I’m going to say that one of the biggest annoyances about Android are the skins and bloatware that some companies and carriers slap onto their phones. For those that don’t know, bloatware is typically defined as sh*tty pre-installed apps that are basically native advertisements.

This phone came with five bloatware apps. I’m not going to give them credit by mentioning their names, but there they were. I promise this won’t be yet another article from an Apple user, endlessly comparing the two platforms. However, bloatware is a terrible experience for users, and manufacturer skins are barely any better.

Pre-installed adware
Pre-installed adware

 

As you can see above, this phone needs a serious rooting and flashing of a custom ROM. Without root, you cannot remove the preinstalled malware.

Features

  • Dimensions: 154.8 x 76.6 x 7.9 mm (6.09 x 3.02 x 0.21 in)
  • Weight: 165g
  • Display: 5.5″ 1080p, 401 ppi
  • Platform: Android 5.0.2 Lollipop (Nubia 3.0 UI skin)
  • CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 810; quad-core 1.5 GHz, quad-core 2.0 GHz
  • Memory: 3GB
  • Storage: 16GB internal; microSD up to 128GB
  • Camera: 16MP, autofocus LED flash; video 2160p@30fps/8MP front, 1080p
  • Battery: 2900mAh

The phone is a little big for my preference, and somewhat awkward to hold (I’m pretty sure I pulled a muscle in my thumb). The Nubia looks like a stretched out iPhone 4, and the sharp angles of this phone combined with the red color accents give the Nubia a masculine, almost aggressive appearance. Despite the phone having a glass back, it’s actually not that slippery to hold as it’s a very light phone.

nubiaz9max04

 

Buttons

On the bottom we find capacitive buttons that are software-based. I’m personally not a fan of phones that have these, but you can customize them in settings. Specifically, the Back button doesn’t pull up the list of recently used apps like other Android phones do. Instead, that’s all it is – it brings you back one app at a time. Aside from the home button, there is an Options button on the left that acts to pull up the menu in whatever app you’re in.

As for the hardware buttons, you’ll find a volume rocker and power button on the right side. The volume up button works as a camera shutter, so you can hold your phone a little more naturally when taking a photo.

Camera

As for the camera, I was pleasantly surprised. The Nubia’s camera produces crisp, albeit over-saturated images that give your environment a vivid look. It has several specialized features, including a Star Mode that works great for long-exposure shots of the night sky. For the creative crowd, there is also a mode for working with “light trails” created from points of light such as flashlights or car headlights.

Battery

Despite the 2900mAh battery, it didn’t seem to last very long even when I wasn’t using it. I found myself charging it almost twice a day, and it takes a couple of hours to charge. This might have to do with the poor battery management of Android Lollipop. Speaking of Lollipop, I did some research but I was unable to find a time frame for upgrading the system to Marshmallow.

nubiaz9max03

Speaker

The phone only has one speaker on the bottom right side. It didn’t sound tinny like other phones with one speaker, although it doesn’t seem to handle bass very well.

Other

I was unable to press the “System Upgrade” button, and I think this is more of the sneaky-handed tactics used by Nubia. Similarly, I couldn’t install any APKs. The phone simply would not let me press that “install” button, and my guess was that it automatically put some kind of block on it. Installing APKs is a security risk and not recommended for the majority of users anyway, but after the built-in adware that I had to experience, this just angered me even more.

The phone has a dual-SIM tray, and despite the fact that it’s a Chinese phone, it seems to work fine on U.S-based phone networks. I have an unlocked SIM card, so your experience may vary.

Conclusion

The hardware of the phone is good, and gives the off a premium look and feel. The software experience was incredibly frustrating though. To be fair, that’s not entirely Android’s fault, that is the fault of the manufacturer. The open nature of Android is both a blessing and a curse. If you have the knowledge and tinkering skills necessary to flash the ROM and install something like CyanogenMod, then I recommend the phone.

You can pick up the phone over at Banggood for $355.99.

Urban Armor Gear LG G4 case review: Where beauty meets precision

Jason Botha
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Urban Armor Gear is arguably the case maker for all devices. They claim to make quality, military grade cases for most of the popular devices, along with equally good screen protectors. I recently purchased one for my iPad Air 2 and was totally blown away by what it had to offer.

I also have the LG G4, and inevitably grew curious at what else UAG had up on offer. While the LG G5 has already been out for some time, I nevertheless thought it a good idea to test out what all the UAG hype is all about. So, here is our LG G4 Urban Armor Gear Case and tempered screen protector review.

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A big thanks to UAG for sending out these review samples.

In the Box

For the case, the box is relatively simple. There’s a small paper slip thrown in with basic step-by-step application instructions. There is, as a nice benefit, a screen protector that comes with the case. It’s a plastic film that will give you some protection against scratches. It’s something that’s not advertised as part of the package, but it is not something I’d use for a long term period either.

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The presentation is very nice and gives the impression of a premium product without actually applying the product or taking it out of its packaging.

The screen protector, on the other hand, comes with quite a bit more thrown in the box.

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Wrapped firmly in solid cardboard, it is nicely secured and should be protected against any shipping damage. With it is the application instructions, a dust remover, two microfiber wipes and a repositioning film.

All very good on the outside, but how well do they stack up when you use them?

Case

The LG G4 UAG case is downright excellent. It fits perfectly down to the micrometer and feels extremely solid and well defined. All the curves are accounted for and it snaps on without hassle.

Take the cutouts, for example. The case contours seamlessly to the outline shape of the camera and flash, while also providing a big enough charging hole and even a headphone cutout designed for odd shaped connections.

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The design makes for a case that is a pleasure to hold. It has grips on the sides for more firm handling, aided by the rubber bands running along the extreme top and bottom of it. Even the back design is aesthetically pleasing, although I’m not sure why UAG always goes with this particular signature patterned back.

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Not only does it look startlingly great, it fulfills its main function and provides a whole ton of protection. It is rated MIL STD 810G 516.6 for military drop protection which means that your device should be just fine if you happen to drop it.

In case you’re wondering, GCN.com defines the 516.6 test as the following:

This is probably the method that is cited the most by manufacturers and agencies alike. Part of this test method is sometimes referred to as the “drop” test, and it gauges how well a device holds up to impacts while falling from certain heights. The tests are designed to determine how well a device can put up with general physical abuse while in operation, but not from factors such as nearby explosions (these are covered in separate methods).

I dropped my G4 several times with the case on (I like to live dangerously) and it turned out just fine.

It’s all the small things that UAG takes notice of. For example, with my previous case, the flash would glare and be redirected through the side of the case, reducing the intensity of it. I was delighted to see that UAG had already addressed this and had advertised it on the box as “Glare-free flash” before I even opened the box.

In short, the case feels great, works great, looks great but on the whole is amazing. It will set you back $34.95, which is quite pricey. But hey, you pay for quality, right?

Tempered Glass Screen Protector

There is probably just as many things to say about the screen protector as compared to the case.

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First off, I love what was thrown in with the protector. It gives you everything you need for a proper and tidy installation. The instructions are nothing new:

  1. Clean the screen
  2. Apply protector
  3. Push out bubbles

I (obviously) started off by using the included microfiber cloth to clean the G4 screen. I’m rather accustomed to applying screen protectors to tablets, so doing it on a small screen was much easier.

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Once I had that done, I peeled back the film covering the sticky bit on the protector before proceeding to lay it down. The application was not as smooth as I wanted it to be: there are virtually no reference points to use to balance the tempered glass so that it lines up perfectly. It’s not exactly hard though, I however had to remove the protector several times until I got it seamlessly lined up with everything. It can be removed if needed, albeit with some caution.

Unfortunately there are no pictures from the application due the concentration required – I’m sure you can relate.

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Once it was on, there were no bubbles or dust particles left underneath it (but that may just be my perfection skills).

The protector is strong, bends with the phone curve and is certainly an outstanding option.

There is a tiny problem, however. The UAG logo slapped on the top corner covers the front LED light by a wee bit. It’s not a big problem, but it’s something that I feel UAG could improve upon. After all, not may people want to see another logo on their front screen, right?

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The LED gets partially blocked out by the UAG logo

Lastly, the biggest problem is perhaps the one that will prevent you from buying it: the price. At $39.95, I really begin to wonder how much engineering went into this thing that makes it more expensive than the case itself. Sure it’s a great case, but is a price like this really justifiable?

Keep in mind that the case comes with a free plastic screen protector.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for something to protect your LG G4, UAG is the place you want to go to. All of their offerings are premium, quality products that will bid you and your device well into its senior years. Granted that you can afford the price, you should not take a second look at getting these great products. I can say with almost complete certainty that this applies for the entire Urban Armor Gear range.

You can purchase this LG G4 case and tempered glass screen protector from UAG’s official website, along with related accessories.

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