AndroidGuys

New Redmi 5G Phone has triple camera setup, in-display fingerprint and more

News

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May 15, 2020

A new entry in the Redmi series, a sub-brand of Xiaomi has surfaced on TENAA. The phone is said to have a 5G processor, but also has a neat triple camera setup, an in-display fingerprint sensor, an OLED display, and even a beefy 4420 mAh battery. Whether or not this will be cheaper than the Redmi K30 Pro series is still a glaring question.

Mystery Redmi 5G Phone has a lot going for it

A new Redmi 5G Phone has surfaced for certification on TENAA. The phone looks very impressive and even has a square camera block similar to that of the recently released Redmi Note 9 series.

Coming to some of the hardware on the phone, here is a rundown of what the phone has to offer:

A mystery CPU – The quoted clock speed on TENAA doesn’t match any Snapdragon 7 series 5G Capable chips, or Mediateks 800 series chips. A Weibo leaker has stated that the phone could be powered by the unannounced Mediatek Dimesnity 820 chip.
The phone has a 6.57″ FHD (~1080p) OLED display, that will bear a waterdrop notch
In-display fingerprint sensor
will come in varying ROM and RAM sizes, starting at 64GB to 256GB and 4GB to 8GB respectively
A 4420 mAh battery but no details on fast charging or similar tech
Triple-camera setup: 48MP main camera with the other 2 lacking details
Front camera: 16MP
3.5mm headphone port
IR Blaster
Will ship with Android 10

The new phone has only made a brief appearance and we are still not sure about the SoC used by the phone, or the other 2 cameras used by the device. Considering how much effort Redmi has put into their K series line recently with 5G, many people are speculating that this could be the first Redmi Note series with a 5G capable SoC in it.

The phone is indeed very impressive, but with all of the specs we have seen so far, it will be difficult for this phone to retail less than the Redmi K30 5G. Let’s see if the phone surfaces in the future and what other hidden details it might hold.

What are your thoughts on the mystery Redmi 5G Phone? Let us know in the comments section below!

US deals another blow to Huawei, moving to cut off chip supplies

News

Josiah Ward

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May 15, 2020

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To put it kindly, Huawei has had a complicated relationship with the United States government, culminating in their addition to the Entity List after the company had dealings with Iran, which is sanctioned by the US government.The US extended the Huawei ban earlier this week, but now the restrictions have been expanded.

Now, the US Department of commerce has moved to further restrict “Products Designed and Produced with U.S. Technologies”. Since Huawei has been added to the Entity List, they have undermined those restrictions by continuing to use US technology in its production of semiconductors which go into their chipsets. Any silicon produced today is exempted from the new restrictions as long as they are delivered within the next 4 months.

You can read the full announcement from the Department of Commerce here.

This comes after Huawei has had to ship smartphones without Google apps such as Gmail, YouTube, or the Play Store.

As a reaction to this news, China has said they will retaliate by increasing scrutiny on US companies such as Apple, Boeing, Cisco, and Boeing. This includes imposing restrictions and launching investigations, and in the case of Boeing, completely suspending airplane purchases.

New Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20+ leaks confirm RAM, battery and more

News

Rizwan Anwer

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May 14, 2020

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The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20+ had their display details leaked by Ross Young a few days ago. This was an opportunity for people to find out more about the coming flagships from Samsung and other plans the company could have in the future.

New Leaks for the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20+

Greggles TV, a YouTube channel conducted a 2-part interview with Ross Young. The videos talk about the upcoming note phones, the new Galaxy Fold, and other spicy tidbits about what could happen in the future of smartphones.

If you aren’t one for watching the videos, here is the basic breakdown of what was talked about regarding Samsung’s upcoming Note series.

The battery size will be 4000-5000mAh for each phone. The Note 20+ will have the bigger battery
The phone could use Qualcomm’s second-gen 3D Sonic Max fingerprint reader technology, which enables two fingerprints to be read simultaneously on the display.
- The endeavor previously failed for the Samsung Galaxy S20 but the technology has made improvements since then and can be facilitated on to the Note series
Both phones will have 16GB of RAM. No idea about the ROM. However, we can say that the ROM should start at 128, 256 and 512GB
The phones will have a punch-hole display at the top-center of the display

When we talked about the displays of both phones, we found out that both models are set to receive a bump in screen size, the Note 20+ could come with 120Hz refresh rate while the Note 20 will come with 60Hz refresh rate, and the utilization of LTPO could make it possible for the Note 20+ to have a better battery, further improving the always-on-display of the premium flagship phone.

Unfortunately, a price and release date for the phones is not yet set in stone. Seeing as how the world is still recovering from the impact of COVID-19, we should expect to hear from Samsung later this year with more details regarding the Note series and any other announcements they’re set to make.

With all the new additions, what are your thought on the new Note phones and are you looking to grab one? Let us know in the comments section below.

TCL 10 Pro review

Phone Reviews

Scott Webster

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May 14, 2020

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Announced back in January, TCL Communication’s new 10 series of phones make their retail debut on May 19. And while there are three models under the umbrella, the 5G-supported version isn’t here just yet.

The TCL 10L and TCL 10 Pro arrive as unlocked phones that are compatible with a whole array of mobile service providers. Priced $250 and $450, respectively, they mark the first phones under the TCL brand.

You might be familiar with the likes of Alcatel and Blackberry, both of which are/were brands under the TCL parent. You might also be familiar with TCL as a TV manufacturer; it is the second largest TV maker in the world.

The 10L and 10 Pro are what happens when you know a thing or two about making affordable unlocked phones and then leverage your expertise in display technology.

Our team was sent a review unit for each of the two phones and we’ve done our best to use them as much as possible over the last 7-10 days.

Given the stay-at-home orders we’re not getting out in the real world as much as we normally would. As such, we weren’t able to take these with us on very many day trips or too many hours away. Nevertheless, we’re confident in our early impressions of the 10L and 10 Pro and are happy to put forth reviews of each.

What follows is our review of the TCL 10 Pro. As an editorial note, some of what you’ll read here refers to the TCL 10L as it helps to compare and contrast.

Given the two arrive at the same time and fall under the same series, you’d think they feature many of the same hardware specifications. That’s only partially the case.

There’s more than enough different to justify the costs but not so much that they might as well be two different models. Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL are mostly a case of larger screen and larger battery. TCL’s closely resemble on another, but there’s a lot more going on.

TCL 10L Main Features

Android 10 w/ TCL UI
6.53-inch LCD display (1080 x 2340 pixels)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 (2GHz) processor
6GB RAM/64GB storage
48-megapixel, 8-megapixel, 2-megapixel, and 2-megapixel rear camera
16-megapixel front-facing camera
4,000mAh battery
Face Key (unlock), rear fingerprint reader
3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5, microSD expansion card slot (up to 256GB)

TCL 10 Pro Main Features

Android 10 w/ TCL UI
6.47-inch AMOLED display (1080 x 2340 pixels)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 (2GHz) processor
6GB RAM/128GB storage
64-megapixel, 16-megapixel, 2-megapixel, and 2-megapixel rear camera
24-megapixel front-facing camera
4,500mAh battery
Face Key (unlock), rear fingerprint reader
3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5, microSD expansion card slot (up to 256GB)

If bullet-point lists are your preferred way of comparing devices, you probably already see the differences justify the costs. But to be fair to the 10 Pro, that’s only part of it.

Missing from the aforementioned specs are details like reverse charging capabilities in the 10 Pro. And while it technically has a smaller display, it is a curved AMOLED screen that draws the user in and also houses an in-display fingerprint reader. Then there’s a faster storage in UFS 2.1, a digital hybrid zoom, and Quick Charge 3.0.

Design

The TCL 10 Pro has a more premium build to it but that’s not to suggest that the 10L feels cheaply made. The rear of the 10L definitely picks up oils and fingerprints much easier than its counterpart.

The 10 Pro has a metal frame with a matte texture finish to it whereas the 10L is more of a synthetic plastic material. Interestingly enough, the more expensive phone seems to slide or glide more effortlessly in hand.

Save for their SIM card slots, the pair largely employ the same overall layout of buttons and ports. The right side of the screen has power and volume buttons while the left has a dedicated smart key. USB Type-C ports are at the bottom while a 3.5mm headphone jack is located at the top.

The rear of the phones have a strip of camera sensors that run horizontally near the top. The 10L’s module juts out and is considerably pronounced while the 10 Pro is all but flush. The 10L houses a centered rear fingerprint reader that’s about 3/4 the way up the middle.

The 10L looks nice and feels good in hand but it’s not overly remarkable. Contrast that with the 10 Pro and we see a more modern design that’s curved and fun to hold.

All of this is a long way of saying that design-wise, the TCL 10 Pro punches above its weight.

Software

The TCL 10 Pro runs Android 10 and is expected to pick up at least one major software update as well as regular maintenance releases. The TCL UI looks a lot like stock Android, but it brings quite a few sensible extras to the table. And I kinda like it.

One feature I came to appreciate early on is the Edge Bar, which is more or less quick access to your favorite apps/games/settings. I found it helpful for quickly pulling up Google Authenticator and password managers. There’s also a strip dedicated to contacts and one that has a built-in ruler in both centimeters and inches.

While I don’t care for the default way of organizing apps in the drawer, you might like having them grouped by category. Other options include usage, date of installation, name, and even icon color.

This is a TCL phone with a TCL display so there is plenty of emphasis on adjusting the visual settings. You can tweak screen colors, use a visual enhancement to tune contrast, sharpness, and saturation, and toggle a setting for outdoor reading. I invite you to find the right setting under the NXTVISION app as it’s entirely up to you as to what feels right… or natural.

There are quite a few other settings you can adjust under the advanced features section, including the ability to clone apps for multiple simultaneous logins, driving mode settings, gestures, and how you interact with the phone. Do prefer the soft keys or do you want gestures and swipes? Play around with it.

The same goes for the Smart Key setting. With single, double, and long-press options available, you can do all sorts of fun stuff like launching a selfie camera, take a note, clear notifications, and much more.

Finally, one last thing noteworthy feature is the ability to connect up to four Bluetooth speakers at one time. Called “Super Bluetooth” it’s as cool as you’d hope.

Performance

Despite its flagship-like appearance, the TCL 10 Pro is more akin to a mid-range phone. Fortunately for us, a mid-range handset in 2020 is one hell of an experience.

The display is bright, colorful, and looks excellent when viewing HDR content. As indicated above, some may like to dial down the color profile as it tends to be a smidge over-saturated. With that said, it’s generally impressive.

The optical in-display fingerprint sensor is as reliable and accurate as I’ve seen in previous phones and wakes the phone up quickly. Every so often you might have to lift the finger or thumb for a second reading but we’re talking maybe once a day. Keep your screen clean, people.

I’ve come to appreciate swiping gestures and navigation in my phones and switched the 10 Pro to allow for that. With that in mind, its curved edges are prone to accidental touches and swipes/half-swipes. It’s not singular to the 10 Pro; it affects many phones with such a design.

In terms of general performance, I’ve found the phone to handle tasks, apps, and games with ease. It doesn’t feel super-fast or seem to have explosive speeds, but it’s plenty snappy.

You can likely have more than ten apps up and running before you see any sort of visual changes. And even then it’s not like you’re sitting around, waiting.

Having used the Google Pixel 3a for almost a full year now, I am reminded of how that phone feels. Yes, there are faster things around, but they’re more expensive. And really, I’m more than happy with it. I don’t imagine my needs changing in the coming year so I don’t anticipate this phone feeling “slow” anytime soon.

Battery life is great and routinely gets me through more than one day of usage. As far as charging goes, it supports Quick Charge 3.0 and comes with a 9V adapter in the box. I’ve yet to mess with any power settings but there are a few adjustments which can be made in favor of getting more from the battery.

Camera

The four cameras on the rear of the 10 Pro consist of a 64-megapixel primary sensor, a 16-megapixel super-wide sensor, a 5-megapixel macro sensor, and a 2-megapixel super-low-light sensor. The front-facing selfie camera is 24-megapixels.

The rear cameras, and the app, work pretty well and certainly fall in line with expectations. To be fair, I need to take more low-light and night shots. Once I do I will update this gallery with a few samples.

As you see in the embedded gallery there is a watermark on the images. That’s a simple thing to remove in the camera settings app but do know it’s on by default. Also, the images presented here are unedited and only resized to 1920px wide.

All of our test shots so far were in decent daylight and indoors with moderate lighting. We’ve played with both the 64-megapixel and 16-megapixel sensors and find they both exhibit terrific color accuracy and impressive depth of field.

We had fun playing with the macro lens, too. It does a much better job than I figured it would for a company’s first effort.

There’s loss of finer details when you view at full resolution, of course, but nearly everything we view in 2020 is compressed, edited, filtered, cropped, and shared online. To that end, you will be very pleased with the end results.

Conclusion

For a first-generation release there is a lot to admire in the TCL 10 Pro. It has a generously sized display that’s easy on the eyes, and the overall design is rather modern and flagship-like. Adding to this, it’s unlocked and supports nearly every band in the US – save for 71 which is essentially rural T-Mobile spots.

I’m a big fan of the software experience being largely untouched Android and the extras presented don’t cause clutter or distract. And best of all, it’s user-defined and opt-in. We’ll have to wait to find out how it handles software updates and whether they’re timely.

I’m interested in seeing what happens next with TCL-branded phones, including how it plans to sell them. That could be a difference maker; will consumers know they exist or do they have to discover them? Availability is key.

I don’t expect that the TCL 10 Pro will be a major hit but it’s not because of what it does or doesn’t do. It has more to do with brand recognition and competition at this price.

Apple just introduced a phone in the same space and Google looks to have a Pixel 4a ready to go any day. Then there’s also Samsung, Motorola, and Blu playing in the sandbox. All of them are more well-known or have established track records.

One thing that reviewers tend to do when looking at phones is point out what’s missing, so let’s do that. There’s no wireless charging or IP rating against water. Does that matter to you? It didn’t seem to hurt OnePlus in its first few years and it positioned itself as a generally more robust experience.

TCL has a great record and reputation in the TV space where it has established itself as a solid brand. It might take some time for it to crack the phone market but I hope it tries. I like what’s offered here and have no reservations about recommending it for the right user.

Availability

You can purchase the TCL 10 Pro for $450 from Amazon starting from May 19 and later through Best Buy and Walmart.

EDITOR NOTE: Updated to remove mention of “no NFC” as that is actually included in the phone. Derp.

Nokia 6.3 could get improved CPU and quad-cameras

News

Rizwan Anwer

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May 14, 2020

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The first details of the Nokia 6.3 have surfaced at NokiaPowerUser, and while the phone has only had its camera and processor revealed, the other aspects of the phone are still a looming mystery.

Coming to the Nokia 6.3, NPU’s tipsters have reported that the phone will either come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 or 675, but another tipster which is the highlight of their coverage, has reported that the processor is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730.

In addition to a slightly stronger processor, the part of the leak that NPU does trust is the camera details shared with them. The leaker claims that the Nokia 6.3 comes with a quad-camera setup.

The phone is said to have a 24MP main sensor, 12MP ultra-wide lens, 2MP Depth, and an unspecified macro sensor.

For security, it’s said that the phone will have a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, on the power button. Making it optimal for single-hand usage.

From the looks of things, the Nokia 6.3 offers a mid-range processor with the camera setup of an entry-level phone. It’s going to be difficult to decide the market the phone is for unless we find out the ROM, RAM, screen size, and other pertinent details regarding Nokia’s handset.

Nokia is also working on the Nokia 7.3 and Nokia 9.3 PureView 5G. The 7.3 is expected to have a 5G and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 variant which could be the prototype the leaker has talked about.

The Nokia 9.3 PureView 5G is looking to refresh the Nokia 808 PureView, one of Nokia’s better-known phones released in 2012. The phone is best remembered for its magnificent camera, it seems Nokia is looking to bring the PureView back but with a 5G capable processor in the mix.

While COVID-19 is still affecting companies all over the world and impeding their launch schedules, NPU hopes that Nokia holds an event in Q3 of 2020 to launch the phones and shed some light on the official specs of all 3 phones.

What are your thoughts on the rumors? Let us know in the comments section below!

19 new Game Ready titles added to the list for GeForce Now

News

Rizwan Anwer

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May 14, 2020

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GeForce Now is Nvidia’s answer to many cloud gaming services. What makes GeForce Now stand out is the ability to play games on the highest settings and enable ray tracing (RTX) on applicable games. All of this is done with the help of the cloud. You don’t need to own the powerhouse PC to play the games, just pay for the games and you’re good to go!

GeForce Now adds to its growing Game Ready library

GeForce Now is steadily growing its library of games offered by the program. Under the Game Ready banner, Nvidia constantly adds new games to the mix that players can buy and immediately play with the help of the cloud on Nvidia’s computers.

Nvidia did expand its library last week, and they have added more games to their collection.

ATOM RPG Trudograd (released Monday, May 11)
Super Mega Baseball 3 (releasing Wednesday, May 13)
Aven Colony
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock
Bomber Crew
Children of Morta
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
Dead Island: Riptide Definitive Edition
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC
Europa Universalis III Complete
Fate/EXTELLA
Goat Simulator
The King of Fighters XIV
Kingdom: New Lands
Men of War: Assault Squad
Party Hard
Risen 2: Dark Waters
Surgeon Simulator
The Wild Eight

The new games make up a lot of older and newer games, with classics like Surgeon Simulator and Goat Simulator making the cut as well.

Nvidia’s GeForce Now is a great way to play games while saving money and more. The physical space is otherwise taken by a desktop PC and will also consume power if the hardware in it is especially beefy.

With the power of cloud gaming, you can enjoy all of the perks of a high-end PC without the need of buying the hardware, assembling a PC or troubleshooting any of the problems of a normal PC.

If you haven’t already, you should definitely give GeForce Now a shot. It is well worth your money if you’re looking into a good alternative for Google Stadia. Albeit the library might not be the size of Stadia’s yet, but you have way more options in terms of performance.

What do you think of this week’s additions to Nvidia’s Game Ready series? Let us know in the comments section below!

5 great alternatives to Google’s Pixel Buds 2

Accessory Reviews

Andrew Allen

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May 14, 2020

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We are all excited by the newly announced wireless earbuds from Google with the Pixel Bud 2. The previous generation was received by just OK critical reactions and Google had some ground to catch up with another iteration.

Perhaps the $180 price tag is just outside your reach? Or, maybe you just don’t like the Pixel Buds 2?

Here we offer up some of our favorite alternatives to Google’s new earbuds.

Soundcore Liberty Pro 2 from Anker

Anker’s audio sub-brand, Soundcore, has been making amazing products for the price a few years now. We recently reviewed the Liberty Pro 2 from the company and came away very impressed. Honestly, they match up with most of the bullet points of Google’s Bud 2 with as good or sometimes better options.

The Soundcore Liberty Pro 2 comes with Grammy award-winning audio optimization, USB-C quick charge, Qi charging, 11mm drivers with aptX, Bluetooth 5.0, and soft-touch earloops for a comfortable fit. You’ll also need that comfort for the 8 hours of extended listening per usage. Top that with 3 extra charges from the case and you have 32 hours of total playback.

The Liberty Pro 2 also has IPX4 water and dust resistance. This should shield your earbuds from most elements while outside. Either on a job or at the worksite, you have added assurance to know you’re covered.

Anker’s Soundcore Liberty Pro 2 earbuds offer great value too. For $50 less than Google’s offering, you can have a very comparable experience by heading over to Amazon and choose between the black or white models.

iFrogz Airtime

iFrogz is another sub-brand of a popular name you may recognize: Zagg. The audio subsidiary makes good, budget-minded options for those looking to not break the bank. The Airtime wireless earbuds definitely fall into this category and had to make this list.

Again Bluetooth 5.0 is onboard with quicker pairing and better connections. The Airtime also has silicone loops to help secure the buds in your ear while keeping you comfortable. iFrogz rates the Airtime for IPX2 water resistance which should get you through light rain or sweaty workout but I wouldn’t stand in a downpour.

You won’t get the long-lasting playback time you will with the LIberty 2 Pro, but you can achieve 3 hours of battery on each charge with 4 recharges via the case. You can get fast-charging for 50% battery with just five minutes of plug-in time. Unfortunately, you won’t find Qi wireless charging and there’s the dreaded micro-USB port.

It does come with limitations in comparison to the Pixel Buds 2 or others on this list, but iFrogz has a pretty decent package for less than $60. You can snag four different colors of black, blue, white, and peach on Amazon. Weirdly, they all have slight variations in price.

Creative Outlier Air

Many of you may not be old enough to remember, but Creative was once a hot startup back in the late 90s and early 2000s. With it’s Sound Blaster audio cards for PCs, the company really had a moment where its name was synonymous with inventive audio solutions in tech.

While Creative has seen several iterations since that time, audio is still at the heart of the company. With the Outlier Air, Creative has a truly wireless option that deserves your consideration.

Key features include 5.6mm drivers, 10-hour battery life per charge, USB-C charging case, Bluetooth 5.0, and aptX support. You’ll also get IPX5 water-resistance and 2 more charges via the case for a total of 30 hours of playback.

Our Matt Adams called them the best wireless earbuds he’s used in our official review. And for $80 on Amazon, you should strongly consider giving them a shot if Google’s Pixel Buds 2 is just too rich for the wallet.

Tronsmart Onyx Neo

Another name you may not have heard of is Tronsmart. The Chinese company is a newer player in the wireless audio market, but they have quite the lineup. Not to be outdone, the Onyx Neo truly wireless earbuds are worthy of our list.

Tronsmart’s Onyx Neo has a similar design to the Creative Outlier Air headset but has slightly less premium feel. On the inside, however, you have some recognizable specs. There’s IPX5 resistance rating for water and USB-C charging with the case.

Pair the case with the 7 hours of on-time with the earbuds and you can get up to 24 hours of full usage of the Tronsmart Onyx Neo headphones. This above average for the market segment and something that the Neo really excels at.

You’ll also find 6mm drivers, aptX, and passive noise cancellation. This makes the Onyx Neo one of the cheapest options you can find with Qualcomm’s audio chip included. Sound is nice with a perhaps a bit of a lean on the bass, but for casual listening on the go, they are a solid, budget option at just $23.

Jabra Elite 75t

All the other models on this list are of lower value than the new Google Pixel Buds 2, but we’d be a fool not include at least one true equivalent. The Jabra Elite 75t are a direct competitor in features and price to Google at $180.

As you can see, there’s a similar design with the Jabra Elite 75t with a pear-shaped earbud with comfort grip silicone inserts. Internally, you have Bluetooth 5.0, IPX5 water resistance, and four noise-canceling microphones for clear phone calls.

Endurance is also not a problem with the Jabra Elite 75t. The earbuds will survive 7.5 hours of runtime on its own. Add that to three full recharges by the included case, and you can be away from the charger for around 28 hours. When you do need an outlet Jabra quick charge USB-C onboard.

These features make the Jabra Elite 75t, while at the same price point, a compelling alternative to the Google Pixel Buds 2. You get a much better battery life, similar design, and USB-C charging for the same price of $180. The one main omission is wireless charging, but overall, Jabra has an excellent premium option with the Elite 75t.

Options are great

Whether you decide to buy the Pixel Buds 2 is completely up to each of the buyers out there. However, if you don’t decide to go that route, there are many wireless earbud options out there and we hope that this list can narrow the field for those shoppers. Have an awesome alternative already? Let us know in the comments!

TCL 10L and 10 Pro arrive on May 19

News

AndroidGuys

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May 14, 2020

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TCL Communication, manufacturer of Alcatel and (formerly) Blackberry brands of phones, is ready to launch its first TCL-branded phones in the US.

Yes, that TCL. The guys that make some of the best budget TV’s you can find. I can’t speak for the rest of the crew here at AndroidGuys, but TCL has managed to get me excited for a smartphone release again.

Initially introduced in January at CES, the TCL 10L and TCL 10 Pro will be sold as unlocked phones. Both will be available on Amazon starting May 19th. Later in the month they will also be available at Best Buy and Walmart, though no hard date is set.

The TCL 10L will be the entry level offering with a Snapdragon 665 processor and 6GB RAM. You’ll also see a 6.53” FHD+ display, something I am looking forward to seeing considering the TCL TV’s are so good for their price point.

The display will come with what TCL is calling NXTVISION, promising greater contrast and more crisp details in what you see. The 10L will be priced at $249.99

The big dog is the 10 Pro. With the Pro we’re looking at a 6.47” HDR10 certified AMOLED panel. The 10 Pro will also feature an in-display fingerprint reader. I personally like a physical fingerprint reader better, but the in-display ones do make a device look more sleek.

Both phones feature four rear cameras, which include what I’m most excited for, a macro lens. The 10 Pro will come in at $449.99. Considering the $1,000 price tags we’ve been seeing lately it is pretty insane when you consider what all is packed in to this beast.

In addition to selling unlocked, both the TCL 10L and 10 Pro will be available on multiple major carriers in Canada this summer. Keep your eyes peeled for the our reviews of these phones.

I personally will be buying the 10L for myself. They both seem like amazing devices for their price point, but something about $250 for a smartphone these days just screams “buy me.”

What about you? Will any of you be buying either of the new TCL phones? Let us know in the comments!

OnePlus 8 Pro review

Phone Reviews

Scott Webster

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May 13, 2020

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Maybe it’s the ongoing pandemic getting to me, but I think that spring of 2020 has produced some of the most exciting phones to date. It has been a long time since I looked at so many devices, thinking, “wow, that’s really cool and/or interesting.”

The OnePlus 8 Pro, now available, is perhaps the most fun I’ve had with a phone in some time. Why? What’s so special about it? Well, you’ll just have to read on to find out.

What is the OnePlus 8 Pro?

Simply put, it’s the biggest and best phone that OnePlus has produced thus far. And with it comes its most expensive price tag. At $899.99 it’s a fair amount less than $1,000 and a few hundred cheaper than the competition; however, it’s nowhere near the half-priced “flagship killer” alternative it once was.

Based on Android 10, the phone runs OxygenOS which is more or less a stock version of Android — with a few custom tweaks and settings. And as much as I like the lean and clean Android experience, I love the extras present in the UI. More on that in a bit.

Hardware-wise, the OnePlus 8 Pro has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor with at least 8GB RAM and a minimum or 128GB storage. A 12GB/256GB variant is priced $999.99.

The screen measure 6.78 inches with a hole-punch cutout for the front-facing camera; the resolution is 3,168 x 1,440 pixels with a 19.8:9 aspect ratio and all of it is protected by Gorilla Glass. Oh, and there’s an in-display fingerprint reader, too.

There are four rear cameras (Sony IMX689 48-megapixel main, 48-megapixel ultra-wide (120 degree), a 5-megapixel color filter, and an 8-megapixel hybrid camera with digital zoom and optical image stabilization. Around front you’ll find a 16-megapixel camera with Face Unlock capabilities.

Other noteworthy features include a 4510mAh battery with wireless charging support – a first for OnePlus, an IP68 rating against water and dust, and support for a whole array of 4G and 5G bands. There’s also Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, Wi-Fi 6, and every other type of connection you can think up.

All of this is to say that the OnePlus 8 Pro has what it takes to go toe-to-toe with any other phone on the market. It’s big, it’s beautiful, and it’s as powerful as the day is long.