LG’s new G7 ThinQ has a horrendous name, but the phone itself is pretty important. It’s not a stretch to call this a restart for the company. LG has said that going forward, it’s not going to rush out new phones on the same schedule as Samsung just for the sake of it. Instead, LG plans to spend more time making its new hardware really count. The G7 is the first product designed under that philosophy. It’s got a notch, good cameras, and some AI smarts, but ultimately it’s not as good as it could’ve been or needed to be to really compete. The biggest problem is price. Some US carriers are selling the G7 for as high as $750, which is even more expensive than Samsung’s Galaxy S9. The S9 is typically the default Android smartphone purchase for many consumers, so it’s genuinely perplexing that LG isn’t trying to undercut Samsung in any meaningful way. I think the G7 offers a strong enough package to cost somewhere between $600 and $650, … [Read more...] about LG G7 ThinQ review: a big price for small improvements
Headphone zone review
BlackBerry KEYone review: A tale of a decent phone full of annoyances
Article Contents1 Specs2 The Good3 The Not So Good4 Design & build quality5 Display6 Battery life7 Audio8 Call quality & connectivity9 Camera10 Software10.1 BlackBerry apps10.2 Settings & general UI10.3 Performance11 Value12 Conclusion The KEYone, the latest in the BlackBerry Ltd/TCL collaboration, is a phone that returns to the Canadian brand's iconic roots, for better or for worse. With Nougat and a strong focus on security, the KEYone is aimed at enterprise users and long-time fanatics. Overall, the spec sheet for this phone is nothing chart-topping. The SoC is over a year old at this point and the screen has been downgraded from the year-and-a-half-old Priv's, but using the KEYone was mostly a pleasant experience until after about a week with it. That was when I started experiencing rather noticeable slowdown and other problems. So what does a proverbial return to form for BlackBerry mean in the ever massive Android space? Well, there's not really a … [Read more...] about BlackBerry KEYone review: A tale of a decent phone full of annoyances
Sony A7 III review: A peerless full-frame mirrorless camera
Those extra grams are well earned, too. The A7 III has a larger, more comfortable grip and a much bigger, 2,280mAh battery than the A7 II, which has a 1,020mAh cell. It's the same one used in the professional A9 and A7R III cameras, but the A7 III is less power-hungry. As a result, you get 700 shots per charge, the most of any mirrorless camera on the market. In practice, I could shoot for several hours and still have a 70 percent charge -- a major improvement over my A7S II.Sony has finally moved the video record button to a more logical spot next to the electronic viewfinder, rather than on the right side, as before, where it's hard to find by feel. It also added a much-needed joystick, making it possible to change the focus area while looking through the electronic viewfinder (EVF).The quality and layout of other buttons have been subtly changed, with slightly larger dials for aperture, shutter speed, back jog and exposure compensation. The programmable C3 button was moved to the … [Read more...] about Sony A7 III review: A peerless full-frame mirrorless camera
Galaxy S8 Active review: A really rugged, really expensive phone
Article Contents1 The Good2 The Not So Good3 Design and materials4 Display5 Battery life6 Wireless, reception, and audio7 Camera8 Performance9 Software10 Value11 Conclusion The Galaxy S8 Active is the fifth Samsung S phone to bear the Active name, and it's easily the most refined take on the concept yet. Currently, the S8 Active is only available on AT&T, and that's the model we've received for review, but eventually, Samsung has less than subtly implied it will make its way to other carriers here in the US, as well to the unlocked market. What's new compared to the outgoing S7 Active? Frankly, everything. There are no more hardware navigation keys. The Active key is gone, too. It also doesn't look like it was styled by someone at the local army surplus, either. Like the S8, the S8 Active has software nav keys, a Snapdragon 835 CPU, USB-C port, headphone jack, iris scanner, the same cameras, and a Bixby key. It also has the same terrible rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. And while … [Read more...] about Galaxy S8 Active review: A really rugged, really expensive phone
Grab a pair of Beats Solo3 headphones for up to $90 off [Deals & Steals]
Plus you’ll find a HomeKit-compatible weather sensor at 20 percent off, a high-quality projector for $310 off, a 55-inch LED smart TV for $800 off, and an extra $70 off an already-cheap Chromebook. Cult of Mac might earn a small commission through an affiliate link. However, deals are picked strictly on their potential value to our readers. March 23, 2018 12:11 pm PDT Lewis Wallace Get an Elgato Eve Weather sensor for 20% off If you love HomeKit (who doesn’t?) and you’re a weather bug (who isn’t?), this deal is for you. We love Elgato’s great HomeKit-compatible gear. And now you can get the Elgato Eve Weather — a wireless, HomeKit-compatible outdoor sensor that tracks your weather data — at a 20 percent discount off its normal price. Just be sure to click the Amazon coupon to get the savings. Buy from: Amazon Link to this entry March 23, 2018 12:05 pm PDT Lewis Wallace Get MoviePass for just $6.95 a month You can see a free movie … [Read more...] about Grab a pair of Beats Solo3 headphones for up to $90 off [Deals & Steals]