DooGee DG150 Titans Review

This week we got the chance to review our first rugged android mobile phone, the DooGee DG150 Titans. For those who don’t know what a rugged mobile phone is, it is a toughened up mobile that is capable of undergoing rougher treatment than a normal mobile phone. Like the DooGee  DG150, they tend to be dustproof, waterproof and resistant to screen breakage. They are designed for people who work on construction sites or sports people who do extreme type sports or watersports. You don’t have to worry so much about your phone falling from your pocket while on your bike as it is less likely to suffer damage.

DG150 Dual Sim

The DooGee DG150 is a handsome looking  phone. The majority of rugged phones have a similar look to them. Rough round the edges and a rubberised shell. This shell helps it to absorb shocks and resist breakage when dropped. The DG150 feels good in your hands, solid and as tough as old boots. The 3.5 inch screen is not the biggest, but then this is not designed as an everyday designer phone, rather as a phone to be used in certain extreme situations.

Rugged + Ready

The outer shielding is there and designed to be the first thing that hits the ground when the phone falls and therefore to absorb the majority of the impact. We tried this with our DooGee DG150 and the truth is no matter how many times we dropped it, we didnt manage to break it. It was tested being dropped from head height, to try to simulate the highest fall a phone is likely to make and it stood up to the pressure really well. It didn’t matter what angle we dropped it at, the rubberised shell always took the brunt of the fall.

DooGee Titans

That said, i wouldn’t recommend treating the phone badly on purpose. It wasn’t designed to be abused, rather to have better protection when accidents happen. I don’t think there is any screen out there that could resist a direct hammer blow or a rock being dropped on it. Let’s get this in context, it isn’t bombproof, rather it is reinforced to withstand rougher treatment. Bumps, drops and dings dont worryt it! Its muscular rubber padding helps keep it safe from falls. And the durable screen is not prone to cracks like some of the more popular, fruit-named Smartphone models.

The phone comes with an IP67 rating, which means it is waterproof, able to withstand up to an hour submerged in one metre of water. The IP67 rating also means it is dustproof and shockproof. To test this out I decided to give it the ultimate test and let my 2 year old have the phone as a toy for the whole day. We visited the beach, where the phone was burried under the sand, taken in the sea and exposed to the sun, it worked perfectly afterwards. Once we were home the phone has been dropped, chewed and dribbled on as only a 2 year old can do. Finally it was bathed with the little tyke and played with for nearly half an hour in the bath. The phone suffered no damage whatsoever and continued to work like a dream.

Ideal for construction workers

Processor power.

Now we have shown the toughness of the outside, lets have a little look on the inside, to what we can expect processor wise. The DG150 sports a MT6572W Dual core 1GHz cpu that it uses to run android 4.2. When we put it to the test it stood up really well to games, internet usage and video streaming. Obviously it isn’t as fast as some of the more modern phones, but bearing in mind the idea behind the phone, it isn’t meant to be used as an everyday device.

The 320×480 screen has a decent resolution, nothing to boast about, but enough. Thanks to running Android Jelly Bean you have access to the Google Play Store where you can download all Apps and games compatible with Jelly Bean.

Camera

The camera is there really as a bit of an add on. It only has a two megapixel back camera and a 1.3 megapixel front camera. Enough for taking the odd snap, but not nearly enough to be considered a decent camera.

At a Glance…

• DOOGEE TITANS DG150 Rugged Android Phone
• 3.5 Inch Screen
• MT6572W Dual Core 1GHz CPU
• Shockproof

Manufacturer Specifications
General

• OS Version: 4.2
• CPU: MT6572W Dual core
• Processor Speed (max): 1GHz
• RAM: 512MB
• 3G: WCDMA: 850/2100MHz
• 2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
• WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n
• GPS
• Bluetooth
• Adobe Flash
• FM Radio
• Portable WiFi Hotspot (3G Tethering)
• Google Play
• 1.3 Megapixel Front-Facing Camera + 2 Megapixel Rear Camera
• Video Resolution: 640×480 Front / 640×480 Back
• Mic and Speaker
• Battery Size: 1500mAh
• Usage Time: 3 Hours

Display

• Display Size: 3.5 Inch
• Display Resolution: 320×480
• 1 Point Capacitive Touch Display

Memory

• Internal: 4GB
• Micro SD Card up to 32GB

All in all this phone is fantastic for the price, it comes in at only 57 pounds from Android Smartphones UK and is well worth the money. In fact it makes a great phone for the kids, they can take it to the park and you don’t have to worry about giving them an expensive and more often fragile brand name phone. We enjoyed using it, and if you are looking for a decent, cheap Android rugged smartphone to take out when you are doing sport, the DooGee DG150 Titans is a real bargain.

If you have enjoyed this review, please feel free to comment and share!

The Meizu MX3 review

When we are talking about smartphones, the true mark of a top of the range smartphone isn’t necessarily its specifications, its design or the newness of its design, but more the feel of the whole experience using it. If you feel as though it is better than your previous device, then its well worth being called a top class smartphone. Let me tell you that when we got to try the Meizu MX3 we felt as though it was well worth all the hype.

Meizu MX3

Meizu MX3 Review – Specifications

The new Meizu MX3 come in four different flavours, the cheapest one is the 16 GB version, and as you move up the price scale they come in 32 GB, 64GB and 128GB varieties. The only one that misses out on NFC is the 16GB model. All four of them share the same Exynos octa core processor, F2.0 8MP camera, and 2GB of RAM.

Manufacturer	Meizu
Model	MX3
Release Date	2nd September 2013
Display
Size	5.1-inch
Resolution	1800 x 1080
Protection	Gorilla Glass
Other	SHARP, FULLHD, Aspect Ratio 15:9, 415ppi, Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
Features
OS	Android 4.2 with 3.0 interface Flyme
Chipset	Samsung Exynos 5410 1.6GHz 5
CPU	Exynos 5 Octa-core, 28nm, LP HKMG Tech
GPU	PowerVR SGX544MP3 533 Mhz
RAM	2GB DDR3 (12.8GB / s bandwidth)
Battery	2400mAh Sony
Other	NFC, OTG, WiFi5G, Bluetooth 4.0, Wolfson audio processor,
Cameras
Rear camera	8 mega-pixel
Features	Sony IMX179 Sensor Chip, F2.0, HDR
Video	1080p
Front camera	2.0 mega-pixel CMOS Sony
Memory
Internal	16GB to 128GB
SD card	No,
Network support
Dual-sim	No,
WCDMA
GSM
Body
Dimensions (mm)	71.9 x 139.9 x 9.1 mm
Weight (g)	143 grams
Colours	Black face white rear

Meizu MX3 Review – Design

In terms of colours you can choose from white or black. Pretty bog standard stuff. The white version i have to say is very good looking and rivals any other brand named phone out there. Meizu have always based their designs around the iPhone (or so it seems) and this one is no exception. While i enjoyed the first fell of this phone, some of my friends commented that the phone felt a little thin to them.

The similarities to the iPhone really are only in the design form however. The Meizu MX3 has a whopping 5.1 inch FHD touch-screen that dwarfs the iPhone completely. On the front there is a Halo button. This multi function button can wake the phone up from sleeping, lock it when not in use and acts a as a notification light.

The whole front of the telephone is glass and leads to a nice machine tapered edge that is nice to hold. The metal band around the outside acts as the antenna and does a really good job. No position that i held it in seemed to affect signal reception.

Although the version we have reviewed is the white one, the back panel is removable and can be replaced with panels in varying colours that a re sold separately. The only slight nag about the back cover is that it needs a special tool to remove it, a little like the iPad needs a special tool to remove the sim card. The tool is, of course, included, but its a little tricky to remove all the same.

Once you get the cover off you can see where you can put the sim card. What is rather unusual for this phone is that it only has one SIM card slot, strange for Chinese phones, which tend to have two as standard. The battery is a 2400mAh one, that is not removable. This is not the first phone I have seen with a non removable battery, but i still dont understand the need for doing it. Most of us nowadays are used to our smartphones guzzling amps at an alarming rate and most of us carry a spare. With the Meizu MX3 you will find yourself hunting a plug socket when you reach the dreaded 15% battery mark.

With the rear removed we can see space for the single micro SIM card, and the 2400mAh Sony battery which, strangely cannot be removed! I think this is the first phone I have ever reviewed which has a non removable battery despite a removable panel! Meizu say the reason for the design is to allow customer to change the colour of the rear panel easily. But why not allow us to easily change the battery too?

On the back is the camera, the Meizu logo, rear speaker and flash. The lens on the camera is quite big and prone to smudgy finger marks, so bear in mind it might need a clean before you snap a few photos.

On the bottom is the micro usb socket and on the top the power button and on the left the volume button.

Overall i think design wise, the Meizu MX3 is up there with the latest offerings form Samsung.

Meizu MX3 Review – Screen

The screen was a little bit of a surprise when we read the specs. Being a flagship phone, we expected at least a 1920×1080 display but this phone only got a 1800 x 1080 one. A little strange perhaps, and does make the phone seem a little chubbier, but it is good to use none the less, and is great for watching videos and surfing the net.

In terms of sharpness and vivid colours it’s up there with the best of them, offering fantastic viewing angles and sharp, bright colours in all lighting conditions.

Meizu MX3 Review – Performance

We can talk about benchmark tests all day long, but really i don’t find much difference in the usage of one phone from another. Maybe if you are giving your phone some real stick, you could see how the powerful Mediatek phones perform a little better but in daily usage of the Meizu MX3 i found it to perform splendidly and it could handle everything my Note 3 does.

The Samsung Exynos 5 Octacore processor works a treat and doesn’t let the phone down in any way. The camera is super fast to respond making those speacial moments easier to catch.

Meizu MX3 Review – Camera

Again we were a little surprised with the camera, it’s only 8MP when most phones nowadays rock a 13MP version. That said it produces nice images and is super fast. The F2.0 make for some interesting possibilities that could rival any DSLR on the market. The camera is really fun to use, I enjoyed it a lot.

The Flyme camera app has all the features yov would expect such as HDR, filters and manual controls such as white balance and exposure control.

Meizu MX3 Review – Flyme

The MX3 ships with Flyme Version 3.0, and for the majority of the review I used the phone with Flyme 3.4.1, the latest build (at the time). Flyme 3.0 has a very flat look and is often compared to iOS7 on the iPhone, in reality Meizu had Flyme 3.0 in the works before iOS7 so anyone saying Meizu is copying UI styles might want to look at launch dates.

My biggest fear with the Meizu would be that Flyme 3.0 would let the hardware down, and was not at all surprised when I booted up the camera to capture a photo only to have the MX3 freeze. Fortunately this was on the earlier ROM and since updating system stability has been much much better.

There are a few issues still though for example the gallery sometimes crashes when shooting video, but this is rare and everything else works flawlessly.

One of the features of Flyme is what Meizu calls the ’Smart Bar’, to you and me these are the onscreen navigation controls the MX3 has in place of the regular controls found on most Android phones.

Depending on which app you are in the Smart Bar will show a back arrow on the left and 3 dots on the right for the options menu. The Smart Bar actually takes up part of the display in portrait view, but will disappear in landscape mode. This is fine but means turning the phone to the side when wanting to move back in an application.

Swiping down from the top of the display brings a small notification bar with a few toggles which can be customised to your preferences. The notification bar will only use the amount of space it needs so as the notifications fill up the bar can be pulled further down.

A swipe from the base of the display (to either the left or right of the home button) brings up the multitasking bar. Apps can be cleared by flicking them away, or locked so that they can keep running in the background. Swiping to the right on the multitasking bar will bring you to a screen brightness toggle and settings shortcut, there is also space for you to add your own shortcuts here also.

Meizu MX3 Review – Conclusion

Meizu seem to be advancing with evey new phone that they produce and with the Meizu MX3 they haven’t disappointed. It certainly handles its own against its top brand name rivals. If you get this phone out of your pocket in front of your work colleagues you can still hold your head high.

All in all, design wise, performance wise and ease of use wise this phone is wonderful. I know i am partial to Chinese phones, mainly because i’m a bit of a scrooge money wise. I don’t see the need to pay through the nose for Apple or Samsung phones when there are so many cheaper alternatives out there that are just as good.

Price wise, the 16GB version will set you back around 250 pounds, shipping included, which when you compare it to the Samsung S4 its almost half the price. You can’t complain about that.

If you are interested you can buy the Meizu MX3 on the China Electronics website.

If you have liked this review, please comment and share.

Techmoan, The Best Electronics Blog

If you are like me, you probably spend a lot of time investigation things before you make a decision, sad I know, but it’s how I am. This applies to all aspects of my life, probably except in my choice of women, but that’s another story.

Why do I feel the need to share that little titbit? I came across an excellent blog the other day, while searching for reviews about the SJ4000 sports camera, called Techmoan. A British electronics items reviewer who gives refreshingly unbiased reviews. His comical manner and fresh approach make his reviews accurate and unbiased, he calls a spade a spade in a good northern manner.

He doesn’t only review sports cameras, he also reviews computers, smartwatches and publishes repair videos. Check it out, especially if you are looking to buy any of the items he has reviewed. You will find his opinions really useful.

The DooGee DG800 Valencia Review

If you do a search on the interent for white label mobile phones from China, you will find that DooGee is a brand that pops up very often on various websites. In China they are a well known company producing high quality, budget, android mobile phones. We have had our hands on two DooGee phones recently, the DooGee turbo and the DooGee Pixels, but this time we are reviewing the DooGee DG800 Valencia.

Valencia

It gets its name from the hot southern town of Valencia in Spain. I don’t know if they are trying to give some kind of Latin heat to the phone, but the name is cool. I like it. On of the main reasons we were thrilled to review this phone is because of the high specifications it offers, at an extreme budget price. Coming in at only £73 it offers a big punch for its money, especially when you consider things like its rear 13MP camera, something you only see on phones the likes of the Sansung Note 3. Another major factor is that it comes running Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box. WOW.

That said, we tried not to be overcome too much, because, really, what can you expect from a Sim Free phone at only £73?? Let’s take a look at the specifications:

DG800

Specification

Processor     1.3GHz MT6582 Quad Core

RAM               1GB

Storage          8GB, microSD card slot, up to 32GB

Camera          13 Megapixel Rear Camera & 8 Megapixel Front-Facing Camera

Battery            2000 mAh

Connectivity    GPS, microUSB 2.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth

Networks         3G/WCDMA: 850/2100 MHz

Software         Android 4.4 with Google Play

Dimensions    138 x 67 x 9 mm

Weight 138 grams

Colors White

SIM slots 1x Normal SIM, 1x Micro SIM

For the price, the DooGee DG 800 Valencia offers a lot more in terms of specifications than it should in all fairness. To spend £73 on a sim free phone on the uk you wouldn’t get even a quarter of the specs this phone offers.

A quad core processor? Really? 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage? You’re pulling my leg! Seems to good to be true? Well it’s not. Theses really are the specifications of the DooGee DG800. That said, it’s not all bells and roses. Some cut backs have been made. The screen, for example is only a QHD 960×540 offering, but to be honest, on its 4.5 inch screen, it doesn’t look bat at all.

DooGee DG800 Valencia

 

But what about the design? Does it stand up to its major competitors in the mobile phone race?

Design

The design of this phone is simple, nothing over the top or exciting. Everything you would expect to find is there, no surprises, but no nasty surprises either. If I was pushed to make a comparison, I would say that it resembles a little the iPhone 3GS, but not as sexily curvy. From the front the phone is black, and on the back it is white. Very Harlequin. On the front at the bottom is a bar that houses the captive touch keys. On the top you can find the front facing camera, and speaker. The usb port and headphone socket are on the top, the power button on the right and the volume buttons on the left. Pretty normal stuff.

The DooGee DG800 really sets itself apart once we concentrate on its backside (no puns). The back cover contains a touch panel which you can use to control the phone without usinf the touchscreen, impressive. I think it’s something that will take a little getting used to, but once you’re used to it, it could come in realy handy.

It isn’t the most stylish of phones, it certainly won’t win any design awards, but is by no means ugly. It is simple, effective and is something to be proud of taking out of your pocket.

DooGee, looks like an iPhone 3GS

 

Performance

The DooGee Valencia shares the same processor as its brothers mentioned above, which means it scores the same on An Tu Tu, with a very respectful 17,645. Maybe that doesn’t mean much to you, but to put it in comparison with phones that you will have heard of and know, it puts the Valencia marginally behind the Samsung Galaxy S3. Not bad when you compare the Valencias £73 price tag to the £250 price tag of the Samsung. Thephone really does very well under test conditons and we found no lags or snags to write about.

We played a couple of 3D games and the DooGee performed like a well oiled machine. Because the screen doesn’t have such a dense pixel count, it isn’t as sharp on paper as the premium phones, but you need a very keen eye to be able to distinguish between them and we certainly couldn’t.

Battery

The battery of the DooGee DG800 is possibly its weak point. Rated at only 2000mAh, it is small, and seemed even smaller when we pushed it to the test. While we ran a 3D game, after one and a half hours, it was crying out for juice. YouTube streaming zapped it after only two and a half hours and a locally stored MP4 viewing session halted after three and a half hours. We would like to think that we were unlucky and we got a phone with a duff battery, but until we get chance to get hold of another we won’t know. We’ll keep you posted.

Camera

The DoGees 13MP camera is classed as wide angle, with a supposed 88 degrees shooting angle. It does get a lot more in than your average mobile camera, and the quality is superb. We were really impressed with the cameras capabilities, something that can be seen in the example photos.

Connectivity

When it comes to connecting with your DooGee DG800 it has eveything that you would need. It has 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, bluetooth, 2G and 3G, as well as havind dual sim card slots (something very typical to Chinese phones) so you can work on two mobile phone operators at the same time. Or have a works line and personal line on the same phone. The 3G is completely complatible with the uk, so you dont have to worry about slow connectivity.

It’s a beautiful phone

 

As we have commented earlier, this phone comes running Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box. Something mind blowing for a budget Android smartphone. It doesn’t run stock android, but a third party launcher, not a problem to replace with a different launcher from the play store should you not like the one it ships with.

Conclusion

It really is difficult to find fault with the DooGee DG800 Valencia. Even though there are better phones out there, better designed with even higher specs, you can’t deny that, because of its price, it’s really hard to talk badly about it. Come on, its cheaper than a sim free clamshell phone, and you have android 4.4 and an HD touch screen. I think even if I wanted to slate the phone, I couldn’t. If you are interested in the DooGee DG800 Valencia you can buy it on China Electronics.

Have you enjoyed this review? Please feel free to share it or comment below.

Android L versus iOS8

So it’s that time of year again, where we look at what is in store for us from the two major mobile operating system giants, Android and Apple. Both companies are looking soon to release the latest iterations of their respective operating systems. But which will be better? Android L or iOS8. Lets take a little look at what each manufacturer has revealed to us so far, to see if we can find anything out.

Android L

Let’s first start by saying that we aren’t going to get into the old Apple stole feature X from Android, and Android stole feature Y from Apple. That has happened since the beginning of time, and is quite normal, and in my opinion, healthy. It pushes the market along, speeds up development, and forces companies to make radical and new progress. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to point out similarities, we’re just not going to get into a playground name calling fight.

 

The first major difference that we’re going to cover is one that I think is going to be a ground breaking one for Apple, and a change that I hope will mean a change in attitude in the future by the bitten fruit company. Apple, in the latest iOS8 have announced that they are going to allow people to use third party keyboards! That’s right, you heard us, something in Apple that will be third party!! Let’s hope this vein continues into the future and Apple begins to open itself up to more third party software.

iOS8

Ok, say fans of Android, big deal, that’s a feature we have had since 2009 and Android version 1.5, so what. Well as a major fan of Android for its openness, I am a major disbeliever in the closedness of Apple, so I’m glad they are choosing this step forward. Rumour has it that many popular Android keyboard companies are already migrating thir keyboards over to Apple, such as SwiftKey, Minuum, Swype and many more. It doesn’t stop there though, Apple has extended its extensibility API’s so that there can be more sharing between third party services, such as being able to share Evernote with Safari and share to VSCO Cam from the Photos app. Of course that has been a feature of Android since the year dot.

 

Siri has also received a little tweaking as she (can’t help calling it a she) can now operate hands free. As long as your device is powered on by an external source you can say “Hey Siri” and dictate to her as usual. This is a feature available in stock Android, from the home screen just say “OK Google” and Google Now will do the same thing.

Android L Material Design

On a similar note, the Android system is being equipped with the lock screen notification function. That will be nothing new to owners of Apple products, it has been around for a long time. Although the way you interact with them on Android will be slightly different, you will need to do a double screen tap to open the notifications and do a swipe to dismiss them.

 

It seems that as each operating system grows and develops, they become more and more alike. Is that necessarily a bad thing? I don’t know. I think in some ways it’s almost necessary, and I hope that it will cause a future divergence or perhaps pave the way for a third contender to bring something new to the market.

 

Android is getting a bit of a face lift with this new version. Gone are the days of a flat android that has no life or depth. With the new design language, called Material Design the user interface of Android has been redesigned quite drastically. All of the items have depth, so much so that if you suffer from vertigo you may be as well migrating to Apple right now.

iOS8 Extensibility

Android L in my opinion is an absolute stunner. It is clean, sharp and very, very cool. Eveything has been simplified. The navigation buttons are now three basic shapes. We have triangle for back, circle for home and a square for the recent apps. When you touch the screen, some vibrant, 60fps animations take over that look like ripples of water in a pond. Very nice. Also many of the usual phone notifications have been simplified and made a lot less obtrusive. When you receive a call, instead of taking over the whole screen, you get a small icon notification in the top bar of the phone. This means that if you don’t want to take the call, you can just keep on doing what you were doing without being interrupted or having to wait for the person to ring off. 

 

Regards the visual interaction of iOS8, it won’t see much changes from iOS7. After all, iOS7 already received a major visual overhaul so it is onlt getting a couple of minor tweaks.

 

Android L versus iOS8

Which is the more important update? In terms of radical changes it has to be Android. They are doing to Android visually what Apple did to iOS when they released iOS7. A major overhaul, and for the better. But to be honest, although Apple haven’t made that many changes visually the fact that they are allowing better third party integration means to me a lot. I have stayed away from Apple for many years because I don’t like their controlling nature. That I have to use their product as they tell me it has to be used. With this new openness (albeit small now), maybe they are paving the way to be a little more flexible, and that is exciting. 

What do you think? Have you had any experience with the new operating systems? Which is the most important to you? Please feel free to comment and share. 

Top Video Glasses

Self entertainment is something that is all the rage at the minute. To be able to pass the time while you are waiting, whether it be travelling on the tube, bus or in the car everyone like to do something to pass the time. Nowadays we have the choice of using video glasses to add the list of self entertainment devices. Video glasses cover your eyes and project an image that seems like you are looking at a huge cinema screen, that no-one else can see. As the technology is quite new, some devices aren’t that good, so here we have reviewed what we consider to be the best ones.

Sony HMZ-T1 Personal 3D Viewer

Sony HMZT1

The Sony HMZ-T1 Personal 3D viewer is a really amazing pair of video glasses and I would say they are probably the best one on the market at the moment. Any review that you read about these glasses is raving, both owners and sellers alike are really content with them. The video glasses users rate them highly for comfort, picture quality and for its accurate simulation of a movie theatre experience. 

The Sony Personal 3D viewer can be plugged into virtually all types of video reproduction system such as a set top box, cable box, DVD player or Blu-ray player. They are super lightweight, weighing in at only 400 grams, the weight of a normal bicycle helmet. They are supported on the ears and nose like any other pair of glasses and don’t feel heavy or any more unnatural than a normal pair of glasses.

These video glasses give the ser a real total immersion cinema style entertainment right from the comfort of where you happen to be sitting at the time, whether that be at home, in the car, or on the tube. According to Sony the effect is the same as watching a 75 inch television screen from only an arms length away, without the stress on the eyes, obviously. The screen resolution is 720p, HD and uses OLED with vivid colours and contrast to achieve a stunning picture quality. The video processor on board can translate accurately 5.1 surround sound while simulating the correct distance and position of the relative speakers.

Icuiti DV920 Video Glasses

Icuiti

The Icuiti DV920 are always among the top five in most third party review sites, and are always rated highly by customers. These video glasses are completely portable, they can be plugged into the mains, but also take AA batteries for complete portability. They are quite good looking too, coming in various colours, red, blue, white and black. Weighing in at only 100 grams, the video glasses are hardy noticed while they are worn.

Their true portability becomes noticed when you realise that the Icuiti DV920 can be used with mobile phones, smartphones, PC’s, laptops, DVD players, games consoles or ipods with video capability.

The screens on the Icuiti DV920 offer a fabulous 640×480 pixel resolution and the picture is clear and detailed. It does lack a little bit of quality compared to other video glasses however. That said, the viewing experience is pleasurable and the images are clear and free of flickering. They can also be used to view 3D movies provided you have the relevant encoding tools. When you use the Icuiti DV920 video glasses it will be like watching a 42 inch television from only 3 metres.

i-Glasses Pro Head-Mounted Display

iGlasses

These video glasses come in at only 200 grams, which makes them marginally heavily than the above mentioned glasses but lighter than the Sony ones. They offer a good sharp, clear image, large screen size and good compatibility. You can use them with you PC or tablet PC and any other video reproduction system. They give a great home theatre experience and are perfect for on the go video viewing.

The glasses have a good fit on the head, and even after long usage don’t hurt or cause tiredness. The double screens are flicker free, a very important point in video glasses, as flicker so close can really hurt your eyes. The glasses have been designed so that if you use prescription glasses, they will fit perfectly underneath. The screen give the impression of watching a 70 inch screen from only 4 metres distance.

As I said earlier in the post, videos glasses technology is still quite young so there aren’t many options on the market at the minute. I hope you have enjoyed the article, please feel free to share it and comment below.

Check out our Video Glasses on China Electronics.

What exactly is a Smartwatch?

What is a smartwatch, and what exactly can I do with one? It seems like most things now are turning smart. Our phones have long since left behind being plain old boring ans have become smart. The same thing is now happening to our watches, but what exactly is a smartwatch, and what can yu do with one? Do you really need one? With more and more on the market and on sale on electronics websites, let’s take a look at exactly what they are and what they can do for you.

The Rock

Just like the smartphone took the humble telephone and turned it from a solely call making device into a full blown life organizer and entertainment system, the smartwatch is taking the meagre time telling device and expanding it into the realms of a James Bond watch. OK, so you won’t be able to take out the enemy with some cool hidden gun, but certainly you can do more with a smartwatch than just tell the time.

The idea is that the smartwatch works hand in hand with your phone. On the watch you can receive notifications of calls, messages and emails without having to take your phone out of your pocket. Currently there are two types of smartwatch. Ones that work together with your phone, such as the Galaxy Gear 2, and ones that work independently, like the E-Ceros Nano, which actually takes a Sim card inside and make make calls and surf the net without the need for a phone.

InWatch Z

However, the smartphone market is very young, and a lot of the products aren’t fully realised yet. You will find that the majority of them will let you receive and send text messages and emails, receive and make calls, browse the web and tell the time. That said we have tested a couple out and will let you know their strengths and weaknesses, what you can actually do with them, and whether one would actually be for you.

If you fall into the following category of person, you would probably benefit from a smartwatch.

E-Ceros Nano

You want to receive notifications about calls and messages, but you don’t want to, or possibly can’t spend a lot of time on your phone. With a smartwatch, it will vibrate discretely on your wrist, and you can take a look, just like you were telling the time and see if the alert is important or not. This for me is the real important thing for a smartwatch. Nobody like to be out with friends only to have them receive a message, they whip out their phone as though it’s the most important thing in the world and ignore you for the next 5 minutes. With the smartwatch you won’t look bored in a meeting, disinterested while out with your partner and you won’t bother everyone in the cinema with your super bright AMOLED high res 7 inch mobile phone screen. You can stay connected without interrupting your life.

Another thing about the smartwatches is that they don’t actually cost more than an ordinary watch. In fact in some cases, they are cheaper, but you get a lot more functionality for your money. I stopped wearing a watch a long time ago because it only tells the time, something my smartphone can do for me. In the case of the smartwatch, at least it offers me something else to boot.

As smartwatches are electronics devices with their own operating systems they can be upgraded, so the watch you buy now can be brought up to spec in the next 6 months. As I said earlier, it is still a new technology, so advance are being made on almost a daily basis, offering more apps, and more functionality. Currently, not only can you send and receive calls and messages, you can have weather updates and even play a few simple games on them. The developer community is constantly growing and offering new apps for smartwatches. Another good thing is that the majority of smartwacthes are Android based, being they are open source and anybody can code for them.

ZGPAX S5

Despite all the things that smartwatches offer just now, you might want to wait while before buying one. The technology is still young, but it is something that is evolving very quickly. If you are the type of person that loves being in the cutting edge of technology, or if you need discrete ways to be in contact then they are for you.

If you are interested in buying a smartwatch, take a look at our smartwatches on China Electronics.

If you have enjoyed this article please feel free to share it or leave a comment below.

ThL Ultrathin 4400 Review

THL is maybe an unknown phone company to many in the western side of the world, but in the far east it is well known as a producer of innovative and well built products. With the THL 4400 there is no exception. This quad-core android mobile really surprised us as its the first THL phone we have been able to review.

THL 4400

First of all let’s take a look at the accessories that come bundled in the box.

Accessories

• 1 x THL 4400 black version phone

• 1 x Built-in 4400mAh Battery

• 1 x USB Cable

• 1 x Charger

• 1*OTG Adapter

• 1 x User Manual

• 1 x Headphone

Pretty bog standard stuff really, nothing that surpised us, but at least we saw eveything we expected to see in a mobile phone box.

Design

The design of the THL 4400 is nothing to shout about, it looks pretty much like any other mobile phone. On the front we find the camera, an 8MP offering, not bad for a front camera, the call peaker and three soft buttons. One surprising thing we did find was that the usb port and the headphone jack at the top of the phone. A little different to the norm perhaps but we didn’t find it too unnerving, once we had got used to its location.

THL 4400

The side of the phone has quite a nice bevel to it. It is comfortable to hold despite its size. The feel is good. Strong and solid, how any decent electronic item should feel. The left side holds the power button and on the right you have the volume rocker.

The backside of the phone holds all the typical features you would expect, the rear camera, a pixel shattering13MP one, the LED falshlight, the THL logo and a nice Technology Happy Life slogon. Very Chinese. Once we remove the back cover we unveil the ‘built in’ battery (!!!!!) and three card slots comprised of two SIM card slots and one TF slot. At the base of the battery we have the THL 4400 speaker.

Display

THL 4400

Remeber the days when phone manufacturers tried to make their phones smaller and smaller? If you do, you’re from my generation. However, nowadays bigger is better. Bigger screens, better resolutions they’re all the rage for better video game playing and video watching. The THL 4400 doesn’t diasppoint with its 5 ich gorilla glass screen. The resolution is a dandy 1290*720 HD and gives crisp, celar and sharp images.

Processor

The THL4400 runs a 1.3GHz MTK6582 Quad-core processor along with 1G RAM and 4G ROM That doesn’t quite make it a super giant, and couldn’t possibly compete with its octa-core counterparts but still has plenty to offer to your average, daily, android smartphone user. To be able to quantify how well it works, take a look at the Anutu score benchmark. It scores a total of 17036 points, which actually puts it ahead of the Google Nexus 4!

Battery

THL 4400

The THL 4400 ships with a hefty 4400mAh battery, really quite a monster compared to many brand name phones. It is a lot larger than, for example the Galaxy Note 3 which only has a 3200mAh one.

The THL 4400 easily lasted all day without having to worry about where the nearest plug socket was.

Camera

THL 4400

The THL 4400 has an 8MP front facing camera, and a 13MP rear facing camera. Both cameras were tested extensively, and we are happy to say that they exceeded our expectations. Both still and moving video recording were well up there, even with some of the best.

Summary:

What can I say about the THL 4400 in conclusion. Is it earth shatteringly fantastic? No. Is it rubbish? No. It’s around about middle of the road. A good, solid, decent day to day camera for your average person who is looking to make calls, take a few photos or videos, publish them on the social networks and browse the internet. If you are wanting a super fast, eye shattering, bright, super densely piixelated camera capable of launchin the nex international space mission, this is not for you. But for quality/price ratio, it is perfect.

When I compare these phones, and consider wether they are worth buying or not I always liken them to what is on offer in Britain. If I had to choose between the THL 4400, or say, it’s closest rival, the Galaxy S4, I would take the THL 4400 hands down.

What lets the phone down? Only 1GB Ram, it could have more, and a non changeable battery. Good points? Its price, its looks its all round performance.

If you are intested in the THL 4400, take a look at my website, China Electronics. For a direct link, follow this link THL 4400

Have you enjoyed this review? If so, please share. Feel free to comment below.

5 Reasons You should Buy a Chinese Android Smartphone

I have been in the market selling Chinese Android smartphones for quite some time now and I have seen many changes over the years. Not surprisingly, the biggest change I have seen has been in peoples attitudes towards our far eastern brothers smartphones. When I decided to start selling Chinese Android smartphones, I did so because when I visited the far east I saw how much more technologically advanced all their electronics items were and I thought, why not sell this in Britain? At first people were reluctant to buy, and it was a struggle, but as I said above, peoples attitudes are starting to change.

Oppo N1

More and more I see people with Chinese Android smartphones, proud owners, really happy with their products, and loving the attention their cool looking phone gets. I ask everyone I see with a Chinese phone, why it is they bought it, and I have whittled their answers down to the following five reasons. If you are on the fence, then read on. I will give you 5 reasons you should buy a Chinese Android smartphone. 

Design and Innovation

 

If you look at all the latest phone offerings from the major brand phone companies, such as Apple, Samsung, HTC and LG, you will soon realise that they are all very similar design wise, and incredible similar specification wise. Once you peel back each companies brand name, the phones are really quite similar. Each new phone model is basically just a slight tweak on the previous model and nothing new.

iOcean X7

If you compare them to the latest models from the best Chinese phone manufacturers such as, Nubia, Xiaomi, Oppo, JiaYu and Zopo you will see how these manufacturers really push the limits in their phone designs and specifications.

Latest Hardware

 

The devices that we receive in the European or American markets, although they are the latest technology for us, are actually last years technology in China. The Chinese, when we were still fascinated by the first colour (non touch) screen, the Chinese phones already had 4 inch touch screens. That’s the way it is. In the far east all the technical advances and manufacturing processes are done so it’s only natural that they are technologically more advanced.

iNew V3

The average Chinese android phone is already far more advanced technology wise than our ‘top of the range’ offerings. For example, Vivo, and possibly Oppo will have the worlds first 2K display phone on offer before the end of the year, nearly all Chinese phones have wireless charging, NFC, gesture controls and ETC. They also generally have better processors, cameras, sensors and lenses.

Choice

 

So it’s time to renew your smartphone, you head down to your local Vodafone store, have a look around, you will probably see the Galaxy S5, Note 3, iPhone 5, HTC One, Moto G. None of which really catch your eye because, lets face it, they’re the same as their previous models, with slightly improved specs. You’re not interested so you pop next door to the Orange shop, seee what they offer… Galaxy S5, Note 3, bla bla bla, and the story repeats in every mobile shop, the same choices, practically the same prices.

xiaomi mi3

Not so in China.

 

Have a look on my website China Electronics and any other website dedicated to the Chinese mobile market just to see the range of phones available.

Individuality

 

iPhone, Nokia, HTC and Samsung, when was the last time you saw anyone that wasn’t using one of these brands of phone. Have you seen anyone ever with a phone that you saw it and thought, what phone is that? Well any phone that you buy from China will be a head turner for sure. You will be bombarded with questions such as where did you get that? How much did that cost? Where can I get one????

Although on the inside our smartphones are very personal, our music, photos of our friends and family and our contacts, on the outside they are all very similar and bland. Make your samrtphone personal and individual on the outside, just like you with the latest offerings from china like the Oppo N1, iOcean X7, iNew V3, JiaYu G5, Gionee E7, Xiaomi Mi3 and Meizu MX3

Value for money

 

Meizu MX3

This really is the major selling factor for all Chines Android smartphones, their value for money. In the British market you would never find a 5.5inch, gorilla glass screened, 8 core quad processor for only £160 like you can in China with the Zopo ZP988. Or altenatively a Snapdragon 800 powered android smartphone for only £170 like the Xiaomi Mi3.

I have given you a couple of reasons for choosing a Chines Android smartphone, let’s see if you are willing to try it out? Do you already own a Chinese smartphone? What were your reasons for choosing it? Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? Please feel free to comment below, and if you like it, please share it!

What to Expect from New Android L Release

Android L update

The worlds most popular mobile phone operating system is without doubt the one with the little green man. The bitten fruit is going into steady decline as more and more people realise that the advantages and flexibility of android far outweigh the media hype of Apple.

 

With all the interest in the Android operating system we ask ourselves, what will the next iteration of Android have in store for us? Rumour has it that the next Android update, due in a round three months time, will be a biggie. Android L, or Lollipop as some are calling it is going to be spectacular, and we want to share with you our thoughts on what it could hold in store for us.

 

Android L round-up with features.

First of all, we’re not sure if the new version of Android will be Androis 4.5 of Android 5. It doesn’t really make much difference, but it could tell us a lot about how radically the operating system is going to change. A simple change of 0.1, from 4.4 to 4.5 would imply a small change, whereas to make the jump to 5 would hint to a radical change. Lets hope it goes to 5!! What we do know is that the new version is going to include nearly 5000 new API for developers and the default runtime is changing to ART.

 

With all these new API’s that are going to be integrated in the latest release we should see some new functionality and hopefully better battery life. A few of the new items will be Screen Capture, shown at Google I/O, burst mode for the camera, JobScheduler, low latency audio, do not disturb mode, path animations, Battery Saver mode and many, many more features. As we get closer to the release date we can expect the multicolour named search engine giant to give us more hints as to what to expect. Here at China Electronics we will keep you posted.

 

With all these added features for developers, we can expect to see much more functionality in the new Android release. Applications will be able to be more complex and achieve much more.

 

What are your expectations from the new android operating system? Is there anything you would particularly like to see? Longer battery life? Better Android user interface? A radical new design? Please feel free to let us know in the comments section below, and if you have enjoyed the article, please share it!

 

Check out all the Android Smartphones available on China Electronics.

 

Source> http://www.androidorigin.com/android-l-4-5-0-lollipop-update-google/#ixzz37c2RPi8c