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OnePlus Nord Buds 2 review

Andrew Allen
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OnePlus Nord Buds 2 review

OnePlus has released another device this year. The company seems like it’s pumping out more great Android phones and accessories than ever before in 2023. The latest addition has been the Nord Buds 2 and I’ve been testing the new wireless earbuds for about two weeks now.

Design

The industrial build of the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 is pretty bland, to be honest. The “bullet-style” buds are plastic and have a super lightweight feel. This isn’t a knock, it’s just that these aren’t winning any window shopping design awards. The Nord Buds 2 have a short and wider stem than most which make these very compact.

I also like this wider design makes the touch sensor much easier to manipulate. No narrow, small capacitive area to find. The Nord Buds 2 have a large, silver circular sensor that makes this a breeze no matter what the situation.

Sound

The audio quality of the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 punches well above the $60 price tag. The Nord Buds 2 seal great around your ears and provide full Active Noise Cancellation even at this low cost. OnePlus has actively attempted to improve the bass performance from the previous generation.

I found the overall sound to be pretty balanced. The bass is punching with mids and highs filling in the remaining spectrum well. I would put the default audio of the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 up against any competition around this price range and maybe even other more expensive models.

The noise cancellation is also great. Even without the processed cancellation, the natural cancellation of the Nord Buds 2 design is efficient in most circumstances. Add in the hardware ANC and you have really good isolation of your surroundings.

App and software

If you’d like to tweak the sound, the HeyMelody app can move the EQ in your favor. The app allows you to choose from a few set audio profiles. If that’s not granular enough, you can also move each section of the EQ to your liking.

This app is available on the Play Store and iOS Store. Not only does it allow you to tweak the audio, but you can also alter the touch controls, and update the firmware of the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 earbuds. The HeyMelody app is well laid out and functions well with all the phones I’ve used it with these last two weeks.

Two more great things about the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 are the touch controls and the Fast Pair features. As mentioned in the design section, the controls are easy to activate and the defaults make sense. I never had to overthink or tap things multiple times to get the reaction I wanted.

OnePlus Fast Pair is also top-notch. It’s the first time outside of Pixel Buds that the pairing happens as seamlessly as Apple AirPods to an iOS device. I covered this in my OnePlus Buds Pro 2 review as well, but to have them on the budget Nord Buds 2 is just a shining win at this price.

Battery life

OnePlus estimates the Nord Buds 2 to last up to five hours. I’ve found in my testing that’s accurate. When using these under medium to moderate volume levels, I’ve tweaked out 4+ hours of casual listening. Turning on the full Active Noise Cancellation cuts into this number a little further, but I think it’s minimal.

When you do need to top off the battery capacity the travel case can give you an additional four charges away from an outlet. If you drain the combination, you have quick charge USB-C but no wireless charging. At $60 I don’t think this matters, and in true OnePlus fashion, you have a quick charge option to get back a full five hours of listening in 10 minutes and fully charge the case and Nord Buds 2 in around 90 minutes.

Conclusion

At just $60, adding ANC to the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 push them into a super attractive package in the wireless earbuds marketplace. Combine that with a lightweight design, decent audio, and great touch controls, then you have a real winner from OnePlus.

Head on over to the OnePlus.com website if you’re interested in these new Nord Buds 2 earbuds. You can choose from two colors: Lightning White and Thunder Gray. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Podcast: SoundPEATS RunFree Lite

Scott Webster
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Podcast: SoundPEATS RunFree Lite

Check out episode 426 of the AndroidGuys Podcast where we discuss the SoundPEATS RunFree Lite.

About the SoundPEATS RunFree Lite

The SoundPEATS RunFree Lite Sport Air Conduction Headphones are wireless headphones designed for sports and outdoor activities. They are lightweight, sweat-resistant, and have a unique open-ear design that allows you to hear your surroundings while still enjoying your music.

Listen below using the embedded player or click here to check out the episode using your favorite media player.

POCO F5 Pro spotted on Geekbench; Confirmed to feature Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor

Abhinav Fating
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POCO F5 Pro spotted on Geekbench; Confirmed to feature Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor

POCO is gearing up for the launch of its next POCO F5 flagship series smartphones which is expected to come into the market later this month or in May. Both the POCO F5 and F5 Pro Global version appears on the Geekbench which reveals some key specifications of the smartphone. Rumors suggest the upcoming POCO F5 Pro will be a rebranded version of the Redmi K60 that was introduced in China last year. 

 The Geekbench listings confirmed that the POCO F5 Pro will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor paired with up to 12GB of RAM, under the hood. It will run on Andriod 13 OS out of the box. POCO F5 Pro has a 23013PC75G model number and suggests the global launch is imminent. The device managed to score 4080 and 1302 points in the multi-core and single-core tests. 

POCO F5 Pro spotted on Geekbench; Confirmed to feature Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor

On the other hand, the POCO F5 Indian variant was spotted on the Geekbench with a 23049PCD8I model number. Also, the POCO India Head Himanshu Tondon teased POCO F5 availability in a cryptic tweet. According to him, the upcoming POCO F5 smartphone will come in 8GB/256GB and 12GB/256GB variant options. 

Furthermore, the Geekbench listings reveal that the POCO F5 will be equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 processor and is clocked at 1.80GHz for 4 Cores. The device is likely to boot on Android 13 OS out of the box.  

Also Read:- POCO X5 Pro Review

Other rumored specifications of the POCO F5 Pro and F5 include a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a triple rear camera setup with a 64MP primary camera with OIS support. The device will pack LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. The POCO F5 Pro will be backed by a 5,500mAh battery while the base variant POCO F5 is expected to get a 5,000mAh battery and both variants are likely to support 67W fast charging tech.

Source

Tecno Spark 10 5G new variant Introduced in India

Abhinav Fating
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Tecno Spark 10 5G new variant Introduced in India

The emerging brand Tecno unveiled the Tecno Spark 10 5G smartphone in the Indian market last month and it was launched with a sole 4/64GB variant now the firm officially added one more variant option for the phone. 

The newly announced Tecno Spark 10 5G variant comes in 8GB RAM + 128GB of internal storage and is priced at ₹14,999 ($182). The smartphone is up for sale at the nearest retail stores. In terms of specifications, Tecno hasn’t upgraded it, the smartphone follows the same specs as the base variant, except for the 8GB Virtual RAM Technology support. It comes in three color options- Meta Blue, Meta White, and Meta Black. 

Tecno Spark 10 5G sports a 6.6-inch HD LCD waterdrop notch display with a 90Hz refresh rate and up to 480 nits of peak brightness. For optics, the smartphone has a dual rear camera setup at back with a 50MP primary sensor joined by an AI lens. There’s an 8MP snapper for selfies and video chats. 

The device is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 6020 processor paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage which is also expandable via micro-SD card. The device runs on the latest Android 13 based on HiOS 12.6 out of the box. Tecno Spark 10 5G houses a massive 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging tech.

ProScreenCast 4K Wireless Adapter review

Scott Webster
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ProScreenCast 4K Wireless Adapter review

The ProScreenCast SC01 Wireless Display Receiver Adapter allows you to wirelessly stream content from your smartphone, tablet, or computer to your TV or projector. It supports both iOS and Android devices and has a range of up to 10 meters. It also supports 1080p HD video and comes with an HDMI cable for easy setup.

Read on to learn more or check out the podcast (also embedded below) to see what we thought of the ProScreenCast 4K Wireless Adapter.

Noteworthy Features

  • Wireless streaming: The adapter allows you to wirelessly stream content from your laptop, phone, or tablet to a larger display, such as a TV or monitor.
  • Miracast technology: The adapter uses Miracast technology to establish a direct Wi-Fi connection between your device and the display, enabling you to mirror or extend your screen wirelessly.
  • High-quality visuals and audio: The adapter supports Full HD resolution (1080p) and stereo sound, providing high-quality visuals and audio.
  • Compatibility: The adapter is compatible with various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
  • USB powered: The adapter can be powered through a USB port, making it easy to set up and use on the go.

Gallery

Listen to the Episode

Thoughts and Conclusion

The SC01 Wireless Display Receiver Adapter is a device that allows you to wirelessly stream content from your laptop, phone, or tablet to a larger display, such as a TV or monitor. The adapter is compact and easy to use, making it a convenient solution for presentations, meetings, or entertainment purposes.

The SC01 Wireless Display Receiver Adapter uses Miracast technology to establish a direct Wi-Fi connection between your device and the display, enabling you to mirror or extend your screen wirelessly. It supports Full HD resolution (1080p) and stereo sound, providing high-quality visuals and audio.

The adapter is compatible with various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. It also supports multiple languages and has a user-friendly interface. The SC01 Wireless Display Receiver Adapter can be powered through a USB port, making it easy to set up and use on the go.

The SC01 Wireless Display Receiver Adapter is a versatile and practical device that can enhance your viewing or presenting experience by enabling wireless streaming of content from your device to a larger display.

We love how portable it is and will be quick to pack it for any upcoming travel or business needs.

You can learn more about the ProScreenCast 4K Wireless Adapter and/or purchase yours for about $70.

T-Mobile announces Phone Freedom with its new Go5G plans, promises phone upgrades every two years

Jason England
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T-Mobile announced Phone Freedom today, which includes a new mobile plan and a limited time offer to try to tempt users into switching over to the Un-carrier. The new plan is entitled the Go5G, and T-Mobile refers to it as a “supercharged version of Magenta MAX.” That’s pretty accurate because it offers everything people love about Magenta MAX, including taxes and fees bundled into the price, Netflix and Apple TV+, 15GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico, 50GB of data for mobile hotspots, and more. There’s even a Go5G Plus for more demanding users.

How T-Mobile hopes to lure over users from other carriers is with the promise of a new phone every two years with New In Two. This is instead of locking customers into a three-year contract, forcing them to wait an additional year to upgrade. Furthermore, the plan is available for all existing customers as well as newcomers.

To sweeten the pot, T-Mobile is making it even easier to jump ship and switch to its network by paying off your phone, and will even allow you to trade-in your locked device to get a brand-new smartphone. The promo is called The Easy Unlock, and it will provide you with up to $650 via a prepaid Mastercard to pay off your current locked device before allowing you to trade it in for a new one on the T-Mobile network. It’s a limited time promotion though, so jump on it while you can if you’re interested in switching.

Along with The Easy Unlock, T-Mobile is also giving customers an easy-out option with its Go Back Guarantee. If you are unsatisfied with the service, T-Mobile will allow you to switch back within the first 30 days, and give you $50 per voice line to cover the cost of your bill.

Lastly, T-Mobile is lowering the price of its Essentials plan with prices starting as low as $25 a month per line when a family of four signs up. Otherwise, it will cost a single user $50 a month for 50GB of premium data with unlimited minutes, texts, and data.

It’s also important to note that all of these plans come with Price Lock, which guarantees new accounts with qualifying service will keep their regular monthly rate plan price excluding taxes and fees. Phone Freedom officially launches on April 23, 2023, while The Easy Unlock and Essential Savings are available for a limited time.

Epson Home Cinema 2350 4K PRO-UHD Projector Review

Jason England
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Epson Home Cinema 2350 4K PRO-UHD Projector Review

In my spare time, there’s nothing I love more than watching movies, bingeing series, and doing a little gaming. That’s why I became a big fan of projectors when we were all stuck at home during the pandemic. There’s no more significant upgrade for your home theater than a good projector with a 100-inch or larger screen. It truly takes the experience to the next level.

Plus, these days, projectors are becoming smarter and offering HDR at more affordable prices, making picking one up even more tempting. Thankfully, our friends over at Epson were nice enough to lend us one of its latest projectors, the Home Cinema 2350 for review.

Features

The Epson Home Cinema 2350 is a smart streaming projector with a 4K resolution utilizing PRO-UHD technology—which means it’s not native 4K—but instead uses pixel shifting to achieve a similar resolution.

Inside of the Home Cinema 2350 is a bright bulb capable of outputting 2,800 lumens making it possible to watch content in HDR with support for HDR10 and HLG. This is paired with 3-chip 3LCD technology that provides fantastic colors and eliminates any sort of rainbowing effect.

Additionally, the Epson Home Cinema 2350 has a vertical lens shift capability of up to 60% with a 1.6x optical zoom lens, making it easy to find a good spot for mounting.

Now, for one of our favorite features, the Home Cinema 2350 comes with an Android TV dongle hidden inside and gives you access to most of your favorite streaming apps. Since there is a separate dongle, and Android TV isn’t baked into the projector itself, that also means it can be removed and replaced if you like. That also means the projector actually provides two HDMI ports, albeit with one hidden, and there’s even a separate remote for the dongle if you choose to move it to another device.

While we’re on the topic of ports, there are two USB Type-A ports—if you count the one hidden—and a 3.5mm audio jack. Unfortunately, the exposed USB Type-A port is a service-only port. At least both of the HDMI ports are 2.0b/HDCP 2.3 compliant with CEC support though.

User experience

The Epson Home Cinema 2350 is quite large measuring at 10.8 x 13.1 x 4.8 inches and weighing 9 pounds. It includes a foot in the front to elevate it when placing it on a surface, but I found this to be a little wobbly due to the size and weight. Despite also having adjustable feet on the back, I still found it a little challenging to get the picture straight. However, at least the keystone correction worked well for fixing the offset.

Having only one HDMI port can seem a little limiting, but with the built-in Android TV dongle covering most of your streaming needs, then it won’t feel too bad. It would be tough to connect multiple consoles or a dedicated Blu-ray player along with a console though.

While I am a big fan of Android TV, I did come across an issue. The Apple TV app is not compatible with the dongle on the Home Cinema 2350. That’s a shame, because the Apple TV app is one of the apps with the highest streaming quality and Apple has some great original programming.

Another issue that popped up was the error message I received when connecting my PlayStation 5. Regardless of using a compatible HDMI cable, the Epson Home Cinema 2350 cannot display the PS5 in 4K with HDR. Instead, you are given the choice of 1080p with HDR or 4K in SDR. That was a bummer, because I was looking forward to playing games in 4K HDR blown up at over 100 inches. It also meant I couldn’t watch the Apple TV app from my PS5 in 4K HDR.

On the bright side, I never noticed any input lag that affected my gaming performance, and games still looked nice at 1080p in HDR.

Even though the Epson Home Cinema 2350 has a bright 2,800-lumen bulb, it still wasn’t enough to enjoy content on a sunny day. You’ll definitely need a dark room to fully enjoy the Home Cinema 2350, and be warned that the fan is quite loud and this projector generates a lot of heat. Not so bad in the winter, but it’ll be a different story in the summer.

Video quality

While it’s true the Epson Home Cinema 2350 lacks native 4K support, I was still quite impressed with the sharpness while watching 4K and 1080p content with it. I tested several movies and shows from various streaming services over the past few weeks, and not only was I satisfied with the sharpness, but also by the lack of rainbowing.

If you’ve ever experienced rainbowing, then you know just how distracting it can be. It was such a relief to not have to worry about that with the Home Cinema 2350.

One area I wasn’t that impressed with was the dynamic range. However, after some tweaking with the brightness levels, I was able to get much better results. I found the blacks to be on point, providing spectacular contrast in dark scenes and some great brightness in the highlights.

While gaming on the Home Cinema 2350, I was more than satisfied with the video quality, even though it was running at 1080p so I could take advantage of HDR. I would have thought it was 4K if I hadn’t known any better, and this was even blown up at over 100 inches on the wall sitting around 10 feet back from the picture.

I did try running games at 4K a couple of times but the increased resolution didn’t make as big of an impact as HDR, so I quickly changed back.

Audio quality

There is a 10W speaker inside of the Epson Home Cinema 2350 projector that left me underwhelmed. It has plenty of volume to override the considerable fan noise, but it lacked depth and bass. It works fine, but it doesn’t live up to the picture quality, and hopefully, if you purchase this projector you’ll have a better audio system to go with it.

Bluetooth is built into the included Android TV dongle making that an option for external audio, however, it won’t work with any other HDMI devices you connect to the Home Cinema 2350.

Final thoughts

The Epson Home Cinema 2350 has a lot going for it. It offers a sharp faux 4K picture, uses a bright 2,800-lumen bulb with support for HDR, and features a 3-chip LCD system that prevents rainbowing.

Regardless, it does have a few flaws, such as the lack of 4K with HDR support on the PlayStation 5, the speaker is mediocre, and the incompatibility with the Apple TV app when using the built-in Android TV stick. Depending on your needs, some of these might be a dealbreaker, while some might be easy to work around.

If you only plan to watch movies and add your own streaming dongle, then the Home Cinema 2350 would make a fantastic addition to your home theater. It is even great for gaming with the PS5, as long as you’re ok with running them at 4K without HDR or 1080p with HDR. The Epson Home Cinema 2350 is currently available from Amazon for $1,090 or $1,300 from Epson’s website.

Buy from Amazon Buy from Epson

vivo launches X Fold2 and X Flip, its first ever clamshell foldable phone

Jason England
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vivo launches X Fold2 and X Flip, its first ever clamshell foldable phone

The next foldable phones from vivo are here and it’s clear they are challenging Samsung with the release of its latest smartphones. The X Fold2 and X Flip not only sound surprisingly similar to the Korean juggernaut’s flagship foldable phones, but vivo is also offering competition in the clamshell foldable market now.

X Fold2

The vivo X Fold2 is the follow-up to last year’s model and includes a reworked hinge mechanism, new cameras, 120W wired charging, and the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. The new droplet-style hinge has slimmed down the X Fold2 shaving off 1.5mm while also being lighter and more durable than last year’s X Fold and X Fold Plus. In fact, the X Fold2 has lost over 30 grams compared to its predecessor.

As for displays, the X Fold2 sports an 8.03-inch E6 AMOLED display with a 2160 x 1916 resolution running at 120Hz when opened. When folded, the X Fold2 makes use of a 6.53-inch AMOLED panel with a 2520 x 1080 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate. Speaking of the displays, both feature a 16MP front-facing camera for selfies and ultrasonic fingerprint sensors for unlocking the device.

There is a triple camera setup on the backside of the X Fold2, including a 50MP main shooter with OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 12MP 2x portrait lens. There’s also support for up to 20x digital zoom and the camera system is powered by vivo’s own V2 image chip for improved HDR and noise reduction in images and videos. Additionally, the X Fold2 is capable of recording videos in 8K at 30fps and offers a Zeiss Cinematic shooting mode.

The X Fold2 runs Android 13 out of the box utilizing OriginOS 3 featuring several enhancements to take advantage of the larger screen space. For example, the adaptable UI kicks in for compatible apps when the hinge is folded, there’s a taskbar for multitasking, and a remote PC control feature. Powering all of this up is a 4,800mAh battery with support for 120W wired or 50W wireless charging.

You’ll have two variants to choose from with the vivo X Fold2, the first is the 12GB/256GB model priced at CNY 8,999 ($1,308), and the second is the pricier 12GB/512GB model for CNY 9,999 ($1,453).

X Flip

The X Flip is vivo’s first crack at a clamshell foldable, and any competition in this space is welcomed. As with the X Fold 2, the X Flip utilizes the waterdrop hinge mechanism in an effort to address the dreaded screen crease issue. However, unlike the X Fold2, the fingerprint sensor is located on the side with the X Flip.

When unfolded, the X Flip’s main display is a 6.74-inch LTPO AMOLED with an FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. There is a cut-out in the display for the 32MP front-facing camera, and around the back is the same 50MP Sony sensor with OIS and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. Alongside the camera module, the X Flip sports a 3-inch AMOLED display for texting, social media, viewing maps, and more.

Furthermore, vivo says it is actively working with developers to get as many apps as possible working on the cover display, thus preventing you from needing to open the phone to accomplish most tasks.

Under the hood, the vivo X Flip is powered by a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, 12GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of storage. Keeping it powered up through the day is a 4,400mAh battery with support for 44W fast charging.

Out of the box, the X Flip runs Android 13 with vivo’s Origin OS3 skin, and the phone will be able to operate while folded for taking hands-free selfies. You can even “flip” it around to use the rear-mounted camera for better quality.

The vivo X Flip is available in three different colors and starts at CNY 5,999 ($872) for the 12GB/256GB model, or you can pick up the 12GB/512GB model for CNY 6,699 ($973).

Facer 7.0 introduces real-time 3D interactive animations for your smartwatch

Jason England
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Facer 7.0 introduces real-time 3D interactive animations for your smartwatch

If you own a smartwatch, you’ve most likely heard of Facer before. It’s easily one of the largest third-party watch face marketplaces for WearOS, and I’ve personally been using it since I first bought the Moto 360 years ago. And for those of you who have never used it before, you might want to after hearing about the latest feature.

With the release of Facer 7.0, the team has now introduced real-time 3D watch faces on the platform. Designers will now have the freedom to create 3D effects that react to touches, time of day, and more. Here’s all you can expect from the latest feature as outlined in Facer’s announcement.

  • Real-time 3D models, featuring high polygon count, high-resolution textures, and lifelike rendering.
  • 3D-based procedurally generated visual effects
  • Interactive 3D animations
  • Dynamic lighting effects
  • Particle effects

To give users and designers a preview of what’s possible, Facer Studios has released 15 watch faces along with Facer 7.0. They range from dancing 3D animals that react to touch interactions, to more minimalist faces with animated sequences or even a roaring fire.

Those first 15 watch faces are only a small taste. Facer says to expect hundreds of new faces released from designers in its Facer Creator Partner program in the coming weeks. Plus, the Facer Creator app will soon enable these features and allow even more designers to start creating 3D interactive watch faces.

To check these out for yourself, start off by downloading the Facer app from Google Play onto your WearOS smartwatch of choice. Then, you can browse the new 3D face collection and enjoy watching your smartwatch come to life on your wrist.

Podcast: ProScreenCast 4K Wireless Adapter

Scott Webster
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0
Podcast: ProScreenCast 4K Wireless Adapter

Check out episode 405 of the AndroidGuys Podcast where we discuss the ProScreenCast 4K Wireless Adapter.

About the ProScreenCast 4K Wireless Adapter

The ProScreenCast SC01 Wireless Display Receiver Adapter allows you to wirelessly stream content from your smartphone, tablet, or computer to your TV or projector. It supports both iOS and Android devices and has a range of up to 10 meters. It also supports 1080p HD video and comes with an HDMI cable for easy setup.

Listen below using the embedded player or click here to check out the episode using your favorite media player.

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