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.
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.
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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.
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
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More and more people today are participating in adrenaline fuelled sports and death defying feats as technology advances to make these types of sports safer. One of the major joys of doing these things is being able to share the amazing moments with our friends and family. Since the introduction of the sports camera everybody including novice mountain climbers, X-Games, athletes, intermediate mountain bike riders and paraglider pilots can share their extreme moments and insane stunts in point of view, HD glory.
The market for action cameras has risen dramatically over the past couple of years and thanks to the demand of these first person view cameras, many new makes of sports camera have arrived on the market. Everybody is familiar with the current market leader, GoPro, but there are many other alternatives out there, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. We have whittled down all the vast alternatives into 5 of what we consider to be the best action sports cameras on the market today.
GoPro Hero3 Black Edition
GoPro Hero 3 Black
The current market leader and benchmark for all sports cameras, the GoPro Hero 3 Black edition boasts a plethora of specs that others cameras only dream to have. With its 12MP CMOS sensor, and wide angle f/2.8 lens you can record eye popping 4K uhd footage at 12fps (frames per second) that will blow your friends away. Other video modes available are 2.7K/30 fps to 720p/120fps both of which are HD type footage. The camera comes with its own WiFi operated remote control and can be controlled with the free GoPro app for your mobile phone. It comes bundled with CineForm video editing software which had various digital filter effects and editing controls to produce eye popping, spiced up footage. This really is the best of the best at the moment but it will set you back a cool £300
The Drift HD Ghost is marketed towards outdoor athletes and is really an all rounder in the action camera scene. One advantage over the market leader is that it has a 2 inch LCD screen, toughened with Gorilla Glass so you can see the footage you are filming which helps you to set up the perfect shot. The lens on the Drift Hd Ghost can be rotated a whole 360 degrees which helps to level out any shots from awkward angles and the lens itself can take in a whole 170 degree wide angled spectrum. It offers a broad range of HD recording modes and has wind reducing software so the microphone records a much better sound quality than other action cameras. The built in WiFi allows you to transfer and edit clips on iOS devices (Android not currently available) and has a removable battery pack so you can change batteries to extend video recording time. It comes boxed with a handful of flat and curved mounts so you can attach it to a variety of surfaces.
This camera really is a beast and is built to last and endure the hardest treatment. It shares the majority of features with its two main rivals above, but it has been built to a much tougher standard and has been designed to outlive even its own operator. It has a super slim and aerodynamic design that lends itself to super fast, adrenaline filled, video filming moments and you won’t even feel that the camera is there. This camera boasts the longest battery life of all the cameras we have shown here with an estimated life of three to four hours.
This camera is also WiFi controlled and you can start it recording remotely in various modes such as 1080p 30/60fps and 720p 30/120fps. The most important factor is that the lens is a Carl Zeiss creation, renowned worldwide as one of the best lens manufacturers. All this coupled with the ability to share your videos on social media directly from the camera itself should persuaded you that its not to hefty price tag is worth it.
The SJ4000 is a budget action camera that is not shy of features. At only £60 you would be forgiven for thinking that this camera is no good. Au contraire, mon ami. Don’t let its budget price fool you. It may not be as high ion specs as the others but it has 90% of the specifications at 25% of the price. Capable of filming at a maximum of 1080p 30fps on its 12MP sensor you can film some amazing footage at amazing HD quality. It does lack a little on the battery life, filming for only 1 hour at full HD, but as spare batteries only cost £3, carry a couple extra and film all day. It comes with a 1.5 inch LCD screen on the back to be able to line up and see exactly what you are filming. The tough case lets you submerge the camera in up to 30 metres of water without worrying about it breaking and it is compatible with all GoPros accessories. If you’re unsure about what you can really achieve with an action camera, you can try this one out without taking out a second mortgage for the GoPro. Most people, once they buy the SJ4000 find it is enough for their needs and prefer to spend another £60 on a second one rather than change it for a GoPro.
This other budget camera also boasts some impressive features at a not so high price. Its 16MP CMOS sensor (better than the GoPro) is capable of filming 1080p footage at 120fps. This make for some awesome footage that rivals anything the GoPro can kick out. Submersible at up to 30 metres you really can take this camera anywhere. It comes bundled with 5 mounting accessories allowing you to place it anywhere you want to record any kind of adrenaline fuelled footage.
Android Smartphones UK 