Should you buy Galaxy F23 5G - Key Things To Know

Introduction:

The latest offering from Samsung India is the Galaxy F Series lineup of smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy F23 5G comes with many first-ever features like the Snapdragon 750G SoC, Voice Focus feature, Power Cool Tech, 120Hz Gorilla Glass 5 display, RAM plus, 50-megapixel triple rear camera with 123-degree ultra-wide lens, and many more. However, the big question is with so many 5G Android phones available in the market, should you buy one? Check it out.

Key Specifications: 

Processor: The Samsung Galaxy F23 5G sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chipset making the Galaxy F23 5G the first-ever Galaxy F Series smartphone to come with a Snapdragon processor. This powerful chipset onboard ups the game by performing enhanced on-device AI functions and HDR gaming.

Voice Focus feature:  This feature is super useful in a noisy environments, such as traffic, crowded markets, train/bus stations, etc. It filters the ambient noise at the caller's end so the receiver can hear loud and clear. This feature also bolsters the decibel level of the receiver’s voice so that the caller can also hear clearly in the noisy environment. This feature will appear once you pick up a voice phone call and you just need to do is tap the icon.

Heat Management: Galaxy F23 5G manages the heat dissipation using Power Cool Tech that keeps the operating temperature well under control especially when you are gaming on your smartphone. 

Display: Galaxy F23 5G comes with an Infinity-U 6.5 inch  FHD+ 120Hz display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 making the viewing experience one of the best in its segment. To top it up, the brilliant 120Hz display will let you breeze through any content.  Corning Gorilla Glass 5 comes to the rescue & protects the display to help the screen from being damaged due to an accidental fall.

RAM & Performance: Samsung Galaxy F23 5G offers the RAM Plus feature, wherein a 6GB RAM variant Galaxy F23 5G smartphone can easily expand up to 12GB RAM. The RAM Plus feature uses additional RAM from the internal storage & double the existing RAM, effectively boosting your everyday performance of the smartphone. 

Connectivity & 5G:  Samsung Galaxy F23 5G unveiled the first-ever Auto Data Switching mode that lets you connect on the internet or make & receive phone calls from your secondary SIM DATA when your primary SIM has no network. This feature comes in super handy when you are traveling to remote areas or low signal zones. 

Also read: Samsung Launches Galaxy M11, Galaxy M01 Smartphone: Should you buy it?

Camera: The Galaxy F23 5G sweetens the video & photography enthusiasts with an impressive 50MP triple camera with an 8MP 123-degree ultra-wide lens & a 2MP macro lens. The sensors provide vivid, bright, and rich-looking photos & videos. 

Pricing: Galaxy F23 5G then you can bring home the 4GB+128GB variant at Rs. 14,999 & 6GB+128GB version at Rs.15,999 and is available at both Samsung-eStore & Flipkart. 

Verdict: Should you buy one and our recommendation is a strong yes. Over the years, Samsung has really progressed in the Android 5G space with a lot less clutter in their OS. Also, if you are looking for a Chinese Brand alternative, this phone perfectly fits the bill. 

Do share your thoughts & views. Very soon we shall be launching our podcasts on new gadgets, so stay tuned on ReviewsToday.

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iPhone XS vs. Note 9: Which $1,000 phone should you buy

The new iPhone of 2018 is out. And with it’s launch, the comparison to other maker especially with Samsung is out in open. This happens each year and users always want to know who takes the crown this year. For many of us a $1,000 phone may not be as flabbergasting when iPhone first broke the barrier with 2017's iPhone X. But one would wonder, if it is worth spending so much of money when all you need phone in 80% of cases to make calls (voice/video), take picture and surf internet & associated apps. The newly announced iPhone XS and Galaxy Note 9 both start at niche price range but do these phones have to justify the $1,000 price tag? Let’s spill some beans around it.

Key Things To Know About iPhone XS vs Samsung Note 9

a) Display: Note 9 has the larger OLED screen is a clear winner. The iPhone XS and even larger iPhone XS Max are Apple's second and third phones sports OLED display (the iPhone XR still uses an LCD screen). OLED technology known for delivering vibrant contrast and color, which gives phones using the display some premium cache. Note 9’s offers larger curved 6.4-inch display rather than the iPhone XS' 5.8-inch screen. 

Also Read: World's first ChromeOS based 10" tablet

b) Camera: Surprisingly iPhone XS camera look the same as the iPhone X on paper, but Apple says it's enhanced the phone's dual 12-megapixel setup with software smarts that can automatically fix red-eye and pump up shadows and detail for improved HDR that Apple calls Smart HDR. In addition to that Apple has also supplemented more portrait lighting effects to the iPhone XS, and thus portrait selfies gives a greater depth. In addition a new slider adjustment that lets you edit the amount of blur you put on a Bokeh selfie after it's taken, a similar feature which Samsung already had for the last two years.

While Note 9's comes with a dual 12-megapixel camera setup and has an automatic scene recognition tool that utilizes AI to automatically select the "best" settings for your photos. The main camera's dual-aperture lens automatically changes to bring you better, brighter low-light shots, but the nature of the technology means that if subjects move, the picture may blur.

Hence camera wise, iPhone still leads the way. 

In terms of video shooting, the Note 9 is loaded with super-slow motion video as well as slow motion (the latter is higher quality), while the iPhone XS has slow-motion video only -- this is a minor feature for most.

Also Read: AI powered Mi Mix 2S

c) Hardware & Built: Apple's new A12 Bionic chip offers stiff competition to the Galaxy Note 9's Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. The chipset is the phone's powerhouse and is made up of range of processors -- including the CPU, GPU for graphics and coprocessors such as the image signal processor for photography thus everything from loading apps and running daily tasks, to photo processing and power efficiency is handled with such an ease. 

Apple promises apps will load up to 30 percent faster than they did on the iPhone X and that the entire phone will be 15 percent faster. Thus the iPhone is going to be more battery efficient and AR capabilities are top notch. Apple's new A12 chip uses a 7-nanometer manufacturing process, which helps in reducing space inside the phone to make place for a larger battery. 

On other hand, the Snapdragon 845 processor performed extremely well since this chip is also made with the same 7nm process, and will also be ready to support 5G data connection speeds, something that Apple never mentioned in its presentation. We still feel, iPhone with its hardware offers better package in performance. 

d) Battery: Note 9 is clear winner here.  Apple doesn't share battery capacity figures like the rest of the industry instead states that iPhone XS is expected to last 30 minutes per day longer than the iPhone X  i.e. about 11.5 hours, a work day. The Galaxy Note 9, meanwhile, run over 19 hours on a single charge with it’s 4,000mAh battery with so much ease. 

e) Storage: Note 9 offer mores storage for the price. For $1,000, you get 64GB of iPhone XS storage and 128GB of storage on the Galaxy Note 9. That's double the space for photos and videos on Samsung's phone. 

Also Read: Tata Tiago NRG - India's first most affordable & safest cross-over car

f) OS & Security updates, aka Android versus iOS 12: iPhones have always beaten Android in security updates and software upgrades in general. Apple updates all it phones at the same time. For example, iPhones receive their iOS 12 upgrade on Sept. 17. Google  makes its software available for new phones or its nexus series only. The Note 9 shipped with Android 8.1 Oreo and its upgrade to Android Pie may take a while. 

General Observation & Verdict:

The tussle between loyalists of iPhone and Note devices is always on. Since iPhone comes with a brand value it is still perceived as rich man’s phone where as Android is perceived for masses. Most of the corporates & firms prefers iOS ecosystem over Android (after Blackberry disappeared). So Android still has to catch-up. At the end, its your pocket & utility what should determine a choice. 

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Xiaomi 's Most Powerful Smartphone Launched- Mi Mix 2S with dual AI-powered cameras: A Preview

Xiaomi's has launched all new smartphone Mi Mix 2S on Tuesday which is an inception to new generation smartphone. This model is a revamp of last year's Mi Mix 2. The phone boasts of new dual 12-megapixel rear cameras at the back, featuring an AI-powered wide angle and a telephoto lens combo. So what is AI-powered lens all about? Lets get to know more about this smartphone.

First Look - Xiaomi Mix 2S

Know 10 Key Things About Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S:

a) Camera - The major USP of this smartphone is it's dual 12-megapixel rear cameras at the back, featuring an AI-powered wide angle and a telephoto lens combo. In addition to same, phone also includes a front 5-megapixel selfie camera at the bottom right corner of the phone.

b) Lens -Mix 2sS sports Sony's new IMX636 sensor, featuring larger 1.4um pixels and dual-pixel technology, which allows for better low-light shots.

Also Read - All new foldable iPhone set to launch in 2020: A report

c) Display - Mix 2S comes in all-screen 5.99-inch Full-HD+ display (2,160x1,080 pixels).

Hey, it doesn't have a top notch.

d) Processor - Phone is powered by Snapdragon 845 processor, and has dual nano-SIM card slots. 

e) Memory- 6GB RAM with 64GB storage, 6GB RAM with 128GB storage, 8GB RAM with 256GB storage.

f) Battery - 3,400mAh, wireless charging.

g) Colors -  The phone will come in two colors variants, black or white.  

h) Pricing - The base model will be available for 3,299 Chinese yuan ($530, £370 or AU$680) , mid-variant costs about 3,599 yuan (about $575, £405 or AU$745) and top end model will cost about 3,999 yuan (about $640, £450 or AU$830).

Rear-View

i) USP: With inbuilt AI (machine learning), the Mix 2S has a camera with an ability to detect stray hair or accessories to ensure they don't get blurred when taking portrait-mode pictures. In addition to same, phone can proficiently take five different shots and combine them together to reduce noise in low-light photos.

j) Other Features - This phone also showcases feature called optical character recognition (OCR). It can detect when you're taking a picture of a presentation and use OCR to transcribe Mandarin or English text, so when you zoom into the picture, the text remains clear.

Caveat - Only top-end model supports all global LTE bands.

Hope you liked out post. Please share your thoughts and feedback. Stay tuned to ReviewsToday for more updates on upcoming gadgets/auto launches.

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Review: Moto G5S, Moto G5S Plus With Android 7.1 | Truly Smart

Introduction

Moto G5S and Moto G5S Plus has been officially unveiled.  'S' in the product names stands for special edition, and starts from EUR 249 ((roughly Rs. 18,900) for G5S and from EUR 299 (roughly Rs. 22,700) for G5S Plus variant. The two smartphones will become available across most countries this month.

Getting to Know More About Moto G5S & G5S Plus

The major USP of new Moto smartphones lies in the camera which sports a 16-megapixel primary rear sensor with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and a 5-megapixel camera at front with wide-angle lens and LED flash support. Moto G5S Plus comes with a dual camera setup at the back, with two 13-megapixel sensors, and an 8-megapixel front camera with wide-angle lens and LED flash support.

Also Read: InFocus Turbo 5 - Quick Review in 60 Seconds

Build And Quality:

1) Processor & RAM: G5S comes with a octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC clocked at up to 1.4GHz and coupled with 3GB of RAM offered coupled with 32 GB Storage, while G5S Plus is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC clocked at up to 2.0GHz and is offered in 3GB RAM/32GB storage and 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant. Both variants are explandable upto 128 GB with SD card.

2) Display: G5S comes with a 5.2-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) display while Plus variant comes with a bigger 5.5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) display.

3) Connectivity: G5S offers options including 4G LTE connectivity, Micro-USB, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, and 3.5mm headphone jack while G5S Plus come simliar specs too.

4) Battery: Both phones comes with 3000mAh battery and however G5S Plus sports a TurboPower feature that provides users with 5 hours of power with just 15 minutes of charging.

5) Scanner: Only Plus variants come with Fingerprint scanner embedded in the front-mounted oval-shaped home button.

6) OS: Both the phones runs on Android 7.1 Nougat out-of-the-box.

7) Camera:  G5S  features a 16-megapixel primary rear sensor with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and a 5-megapixel camera at front with wide-angle lens and LED flash support. G5S Plus features a dual camera setup at the back, with two 13-megapixel sensors, and an 8-megapixel front camera with wide-angle lens and LED flash support.

8) SIM: Both the phones will be made available with dual-SIM configuration in select markets.

9) Body: The Moto G5S will be made available in Lunar Grey and Fine Gold colours.

General Observation & Verdict:

Moto Phones are sturdy and powerful. They have always impressed us. However, we will have to wait for their official India launch. Pricing needs to be more competitive now on since there is a stiff competition will likes of Lenovo, Nokia, Samsung, Oppo and Vivo.

Stay tuned to ReviewsToday for more upcoming gadget launches and news...

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Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Pro Variant Leaked: 10 Key Things To Know

While Xiaomi is about to launch its one of the most ambitious smartphone Mi 5s at an event scheduled on September 27 at the China National Convention Centre in Beijing, a new leak has surfaced about Mi Note 2 Pro. This came to light via a screenshot posted on Weibo website recently. Will this phone will be a game changer for Xiaomi again? Let’s check out what you can expect out of Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Pro. 

Also Read: Complete Review about Redmi Note 2

10 Key Things To Know About Redmi Note 2 Pro:

1)    Processor, RAM & Display: Redmi Note 2 Pro will be a power packed phablet and will potentially feature a whopping 8GB of RAM with a quad-core 2.6GHz CPU. Phone will also feature 5.7-inch QHD (2560×1440) super AMOLED dual-edge curved display.

2)    Chipset: Note 2 Pro will come with new Snapdragon 821 chipset.

3)    OS: This phablet will sport latest Android 7.0 Nougat with MIUI 8 on top.

4)    Storage: The phone may potentially have 256 GB storage capacity.

Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Pro reveals variant with 8GB of RAM

5)    Battery: 3600mAh should be good to meet daily requirements.

6)  SIM: Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Pro is going have dual SIM (GSM and GSM) capabilities.

7)   Other Features: Note 2 Pro will sport USB Type-C port, two speaker grilles, and a fingerprint sensor at the front.

8)   Release Date: There is a strong possibility that the Mi Note 2 Pro will not be unveiled for a few months yet.

9)   Price: The Note 2 Pro model's pricing is still not out.

10)  Verdict: Should be a good phone but pricing will be important to watch.

Stay Tuned to ReviewsToday for more updates. 

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Review: 9 Best Features of iOS 9

Introduction

One of the most anticipated launch of the year is going to be Apple's iOS 9 for its mobile devices like iPhone & iPad. Apple engineers are believed to have done a major overhaul to the new OS & is expected to take Apple loyalists by a storm. In this post we shall give you a quick summary of what are the top 9 (official) features one can expect from iOS 9.

Getting to know about iOS 9

In iOS9 while some new features are up-gradation of existing apps like Siri, Pass-book, Notes while there are some new features altogether like Gestures, App-thinning technology, Transit etc.

Lets look into its hood for broader overview of these features:

UPBEAT SIRI

Siri is going to undergo major revamp in iOS9. Its going to be more predictive i.e. it will forecast what you want to know even before asking, a feature similar to Google Now or Cortana.
Siri will display pertinent info based on ones’ location, emails, calendar, search history and habits.

NEWS

The iOS9 will also showcase Apple's new Flipboard-like personalized news reader called News app aiming to replace Newsstand store.
News will be driven by 20 publishers and 50 titles with visually rich layout of a magazine with the immediacy and customization of digital media as stated by Apple spokesperson.

TRANSIT

Public transit information was deficient in Apple Maps so far. Now Transit directions will make it’s debut to the Apple Maps app with iOS9. As a kick-off it will start in 12 cities & will expand to other cities in next few months.

WALLET

Apple's Wallet is the new app which is a re-modification of its Passbook app. In iOS 9, Wallet will hold securely the information on discover credit cards, loyalty cards & store credit cards in addition to the MasterCard, Visa and American Express cards, Apple Pay.

QUICK TYPE

Turning the keyboard into a trackpad? That’s right, the new iOS9 will introduce gestures for the iPad by using two fingers to select text and move the cursor like a mouse.

MULTITASKING

With the new iOS9, iPad users will be able to run two apps at the same time on the same screen via a split-screen function. It will also include new app switcher, picture-in-picture video and keyboard shortcuts enabling word-processing much easier.

NOTES

The new Notes app will now let you drop in photos, draw sketches, maps & links and add items from other apps.
You could also now create an instant checklists and take photos from within the app.

BETTER BATTERY LIFE

Expect an hour more battery life every day with new iOS9 by virtue of adding a low-power mode to squeeze out three extra hours by App-Thinning mechanism.

COMPATIBLE WITH MOST OF THE iPHONE/iPAD MODELS

iOS9 is compatible with all iPhone 4S and above models. This is a significant move as the penetration of this OS will be widely felt. This also exempts existing iPhone/iPad users from upgrading their phone by simply free upgrade of OS.

General Observation & Verdict

iOS 9 is definitely aimed to take on Android & Windows 10. Apple OS is well regarded in the market for very stable & subtle operating system which hardly crashes compared to Android & Windows. The display & sound quality is simply incredible in all iOS devices.

Stay tuned to RT for upcoming reviews on Apple Devices.

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Review: Lenovo P70 smartphone

Introduction

Couple of weeks ago, ReviewToday highlighted aggressive plans of Lenovo to take on Android Smartphone market by storm. The computer turned smartphone maker had launched the Lenovo P70 smartphone at a price of Rs. 15,999 (approx. $260) in India which was initially unveiled in China in February.
The major USP of this smart phone is that it comes with 4G LTE connectivity and is backed by a large 4000mAh battery churning about 46 hours of talk time and up to 696 hours of standby time on 3G networks.

Getting to know about P70

The smartphone is a dual-sim( micro sim) based which runs on Kitkat out of the box. It also powered by a Quick Charge feature that allows the smartphone to get fully charged in 3 hours while a 15-minute charge offers up to 4 hours of talk time.

Also read: Lenovo A328 , A super speciality phone at amazing price

Build & Quality

Inside the hood, the smart-phone has above average specifications except for the OS which we think could have been better.

Processor & RAM: The smartphone sports the 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek (MT6752) processor coupled with 2GB of RAM & Mali T760-MP2 GPU

Display: It features a 5-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) IPS display

Storage: 16GB of inbuilt storage, expandable via microSD card (up to 32GB)

Camera: 13-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED flash & a 5-megapixel fixed-focus front-facing camera

Battery: The most interesting feature of this phone, massive 4000 mAh battery extremely useful for frequent travelers & heavy users of phones

OS: Android Kitkat 4.4

Connectivity: 4G LTE, 3G, GPRS/ EDGE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS/ A-GPS, Micro-USB, and Bluetooth

Dimensions: 142x71.8x8.9mm, weighs 149 grams, and available in Midnight Blue colour.

Other features: The phone comes with advanced accelerometer, ambient light sensor, magnetometer, and proximity sensor

Also read: Guide on Quad core vs Dual core smartphones & tablets

General Observation & Verdict

Overall a good launch from Lenovo. As stated above, we would have loved to see Lollipop instead of a Kitkat and hope the phone is upgradable to higher versions of Android in future. Rest of the specs are decent for price it is being offered. We would rate this phone 3.5 out of 5.

To buy/Pre-book this phone - CLICK HERE

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Pre-launch Review : Xiaomi Mi3 - The smarter smartphone

Introduction

Xiaomi, a known electronics brand from China which is making its flutters on Indian shore by launching their much anticipated smartphone called the Mi3. It claims to have top-notch specifications that you would only find in expensive smart phones.  However, will these hardware specs be a lone factor to attract consumers to this new brand?

We spent some time doing research on this new phone before its actual launch and following is our review.

Xiaomi Mi3

Getting to know Mi3

To begin with, let’s look at the built of this smartphone. It has a very pro Nokia Lumia look. We are afraid but we didn’t find the built quality to be like that of Nokia’s Lumia’s polycarbonate plastic. Don’t panic. In fact the metal body look gave it a premium look, a very smart move this Chinese maker. We must say, we were impressed.

Let’s get into the soul of the phone – the OS and hardware. The reason for which Mi3 is in news because of the hardware specs mentioned below in the cheat sheet.

First Impressions

Cheat Sheet

GENERAL	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
	SIM	Mini-SIM
	Announced	2013, September
	Status	Available. Released 2013, December

BODY	Dimensions	144 x 73.6 x 8.1 mm (5.67 x 2.90 x 0.32 in)
	Weight	145 g (5.11 oz)

DISPLAY	Type	IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.0 inches (~441 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes

SOUND	Alert types	Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes

MEMORY	Card slot	No
	Internal	16/64 GB, 2 GB RAM

DATA	GPRS	Yes
	EDGE	Yes
	Speed	DC-HSDPA, 42 Mbps; HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot
	Bluetooth	v4.0, A2DP
	NFC	Yes
	USB	microUSB v2.0 (MHL), USB On-the-go

CAMERA	Primary	13 MP, 4128 x 3096 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED flash
	Features	Geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection, image stabilization, HDR
	Video	1080p@30fps, HDR
	Secondary	2 MP, 1080p@30fps

FEATURES	OS	Android OS, v4.3 (Jelly Bean)
	Chipset	Qualcomm MSM8274AB Snapdragon 800
	CPU	Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400
	GPU	Adreno 330
	Sensors	Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
	Messaging	SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM, RSS
	Browser	HTML5
	Radio	FM radio
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS
	Java	Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
	Colors	Various
		- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic - TV-out (via MHL A/V link) - SNS integration - MP4/DivX/XviD/WMV/H.264/H.263 player - MP3/WAV/eAAC+/FLAC player - Organizer - Photo/video editor - Document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF) - Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Picasa - Voice memo/dial/commands - Predictive text input (Swype)

BATTERY		Non-removable Li-Ion 3050 mAh battery
	Stand-by	Up to 500 h
	Talk time	Up to 25 h
	Music play	Up to 50 h

General Observations

Based on our research, we found Mi3 to be an incredibly good smart phone at the price for which it is going to be available in the Indian market (Expected range: INR 13,999)

 Apart from that 5-inch 1080p display also looks brilliant and has a very good viewing angles and color reproduction. The Xiaomi Mi3 is powered by Android 4.4.2 KitKat with its own MIUI.

To wrap-up, at Rs 13,999, the Xiaomi Mi3 looks like a smartphone we will surely recommend. We would also see how our Indian competitors like Micromax, Lava,Celkon & Spice phones are going to launch competitive phone against this one. Also Mi3 will also be looked as a phone which with either roll and dictate the future of Xiaomi in India or not.

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