Announced at CES 2022, Google has now launched Nearby Share for Windows as a beta app to transfer files between your Android device and PC.
The Nearby Share Beta for Windows app is available as a direct download from android.com for Windows 10 and newer (64-bit version) with “ARM devices not supported.” Bluetooth and Wi-Fi have to be enabled on your PC, with Google mentioning a 16-foot (5-meter) transfer proximity between devices.
It lets you “quickly transfer photos, videos, documents, audio files or entire folders between your Android device and Windows PCs.” Google positions it as being useful when you want to “edit your photos on a larger screen or organize your digital folders.”
After installing, you’re prompted to sign in to your Google Account to customize sharing preferences, “like only allowing your contacts to share with you.” However, there’s a “Use without account” option too.
Nearby Share Beta works with your Windows PC whether the app is open on the desktop or running in the background.
With a Material 3 design for the window (and blue accent), you can send via drag-and-drop, or right clicking on a file and selecting “Send with Nearby Share.” A blue double helix is used as the app icon.
Nearby Share on Windows features the same device visibility controls as Android: Everyone, Contacts, Your devices, and No one.
Sending files to your own devices is even faster. As long as both devices are logged into your Google account, file transfers are automatically accepted — even if your screen is off.
When you receive a transfer, you have the ability to Open or Dismiss. Google says “all Nearby Share transfers are protected by E2E encryption.”
According to Google, this beta is “rolling out in the U.S. and select regions globally.” Currently, only sharing between Android (smartphones + tablets) and Windows PCs is supported. Google says it will “expand official support to share content with other Google ecosystem devices” in the future.
Nearby Share Beta for Windows PCs is not currently supported within the following regions: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Donbass, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
We’re seeing the download live in the US, but users in Europe (or at least France) are not being offered the website option. That said, once you get the file, there are no install limitations.
Hands on: Android’s Nearby Share for Windows just works
One of the tools that I’ve always been a little envious of from Apple’s ecosystem has been AirDrop. While it’s not something I want to use constantly, being able to throw a file from my phone to my computer or vice versa is compelling. Now, that’s finally possible on Android and Windows, as Google has released Nearby Share for the Microsoft-owned platform, and it’s wonderful.
Nearby Share was announced for Windows PCs in early 2022, but Google was pretty much silent about the feature in the following months. Even at CES 2023 this year, a full year after Google had announced the feature, there was still nothing to share.
Now, Google has finally launched Nearby Share for Windows in beta. The app launched on Friday, and as our Abner Li noted, it’s limited by region but not by device. You’ll need a modern computer with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 64-bit OS (Windows 10 or 11), but that’s not exactly a high bar to clear in 2023. It’s also quite different from what was originally envisioned. When Google announced Nearby Share for Windows in 2022, the company implied it would be limited to partnerships with HP and other brands. At the time, I was quite worried my custom-built PC would never see Nearby Share, so I was certainly happy to see last week that Google is just opening the floodgates to everyone.
But how does Nearby Share for Windows actually work in practice? Really, it just works.
Installing the app is as simple as installing the executable file, and the installer will feel quite familiar if you’ve ever installed Google Chrome on Windows. From there, you’ll be prompted to link your Google account and then set up your privacy preferences. Like on Android, you can set Nearby Share to only be visible to contacts, just your other devices, or to anyone. You’ll also set a name for your computer to be seen on Android devices. (Chromebooks are not supported right now.)
At that point, you’re kind of done. Nearby Share then works just like it does on any other device.
Pick the file you want to share (either by using the upload button and File Explorer or by using drag and drop) and then the device you want to send it to. I found this to be a little slow with my Pixel 7 Pro, not in the speed of the file transfer but in the time it took for my Pixel to appear as a sharing target. Part of this boils down to Nearby Share requiring that your phone is unlocked before it can appear. This was a bit annoying for quick workflows, but it makes sense.
As for incoming files, Nearby Share for Windows defaults to the Downloads folder, but you can redirect that anywhere you’d like. That’s the only real setting, though, as the only other things you can adjust are your PC’s name seen by other Nearby Share devices and visibility settings. I don’t really see that as a problem, though, as the current setup gets the job done very well.
File transfer speeds have been, for me, quite quick.
Sending a 500 MB video from my Pixel 7 Pro to my PC took less than 30 seconds, with a transfer rate of over 60-70 MB/s. And like on Android and ChromeOS, you can send multiple files at once.
However, your results may vary here. As seen in the video below seeing transfer speeds in mere KB/s, which he found may be attributed to using a Google Workspace account.
Nearby Share for Windows also supports sending files from the right-click dialogue of the OS. This is super useful, as it saves a few clicks in opening up the app itself. You’ll also get notifications for incoming files through native Windows notifications.
What does the future hold in store for Nearby Share on Windows? Frankly, I can’t see a whole lot changing in terms of functionality. This works, and it works really well. If Google had just thrown this out the door as a final product, I’d have believed it. I can only assume this is still a beta release to give Google time to work out any quiet bugs hiding behind the scenes, as well as optimize it for other regions.
Samsung launched its Galaxy S23 series earlier this year as its first flagship in years to ditch Exynos chips and instead use Qualcomm Snapdragon on a global scale. Apparently, though, the Galaxy S23 FE will do the exact opposite, using Exynos in every region, including the United States.
The Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra are all built on top of a special version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that’s specific to Samsung. The chip is used globally, where in years past Samsung would have only used Snapdragon chips in regions such as Korea, the United States, and a few others. Elsewhere, such as in Europe, Samsung has usually left its users with Exynos chips, often leading to tons of problems with software glitches, overheating, or worse.
Samsung is largely expected to stick with this Snapdragon-only model for the foreseeable future, but that won’t apply to all devices.
it seems the former is true, according to what we’re hearing: Samsung really is planning to launch a Galaxy S23 FE, and it will arrive sometime in the fourth quarter of 2023. And it could have a surprise in store, one that may or may not make you happy.
SamMobile reports that the Galaxy S23 FE is, firstly, actually happening.
SamMobile also claims that the Galaxy S23 FE will arrive with a 50MP primary camera, 4,500 mAh battery, and a base model with 128GB of storage, with 256GB as an optional upgrade.
Apparently, the more affordable device is slated for release in Q4 of this year, which puts it ahead of schedule compared to the last “Fan Edition” release, with the Galaxy S21 FE having launched in January 2022 (mere weeks before the Galaxy S22 series). This was previously reported in February.
But, more interestingly, Samsung is apparently planning to ship the Galaxy S23 FE exclusively with an Exynos chip. Specifically, this would be the Exynos 2200 which was used in the Galaxy S22 series in some regions, and brought Samsung’s partnership with AMD to the GPU. The chip wasn’t well-received, but it can still certainly get the job done.
Using Exynos on a global scale for the Galaxy S23 FE is certainly a choice with the company having so publicly gone all-in on Qualcomm, but the decision to use the chip in the US has even more of an impact. As it stands today, the only “flagship-tier” smartphones sold in the US with Exynos chips are from Google, technically, as Tensor chips are heavily based on Exynos devices. The last time Samsung sold a flagship with Exynos in the US was with the Galaxy S6 series, which opted for the chips as Qualcomm’s designs were dealing with overheating issues at the time.
Galaxy S23 FE coming with Exynos chip worldwide
The Galaxy S23 series launched earlier this year and is exclusively powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor, but with the Fan Edition, Samsung is apparently going to flip the script: The Galaxy S23 FEwill be powered by the Exynos 2200 chip in all markets, including the USA!
the Exynos 2200, the chip that powered the Galaxy S22 series in Europe, will also power the S23 FE from what we’ve heard. The Exynos 2200 was Samsung’s first chip with an AMD GPU and was, if we’re being honest, quite a mess, which is probably why Samsung decided to go all in with Qualcomm for the S23 series.
The Exynos 2200 will be nearly two years old by the time the Galaxy S23 FE makes its debut, so it will hopefully not cause the kind of issues we saw on the Galaxy S22 lineup. In fact, Samsung better make sure that is the case if it is planning to use the chip for the US market, where customers and Samsung fans have been spoiled by Snapdragon chips on high-end Galaxy phones for many years while customers in the rest of the world have suffered the increasingly problematic Exynos chips.
Galaxy S23 FE will bring an upgraded rear camera
Anyway, let’s talk about some other Galaxy S23 FE specs that we have learned about. One of the S23 FE’s biggest upgrades could be a 50MP rear camera. The S20 FE and S21 FE used the same 12MP rear camera as the standard S20 and S21 models, and with Samsung upgrading the main camera to a 50-megapixel sensor on the (non-Ultra) Galaxy S22 and S23, we guess it’s only natural that the S23 FE get the same upgrade.
The S23 FE will come in 128GB and 256GB storage tiers, and we assume there will be 6GB or 8GB of RAM accompanying that storage. We also learned that the S23 FE will have the same 4,500 mAh battery as its predecessors, likely with 25W fast charging (though we won’t say no to Samsung doing a little charity by adding 45W charging support while keeping the price of the phone the same as the S20 FE and S21 FE).
And finally, it seems Samsung is bringing the model numbers for the Galaxy S FE series in line with what it has been using for the flagship S line since last year. The S23 FE will have model number SM-S711x – notice the 7xx series of numbers here is what Samsung also uses for the Galaxy Z Flip lineup, indicating that while these are high-end devices, they aren’t supposed to be considered proper flagships.
While we make sure we only put exclusive information out there if we trust the source, it’s always possible a few details could change by the time the new phone makes it to market. As usual, we’ll keep you updated whenever new information pops up, so stay tuned!
An update to the phone that never was, the OnePlus 10T arrives in late summer to fill a slot a notch below the 10 Pro. There was no OnePlus 10 to be succeeded, and there’s no 10T Pro now either, so the 10T is in somewhat of weird spot – superior to the 10 Pro is some ways, not quite as good in others.
The upgrades come in areas that one easily associates with OnePlus. On the one hand, is performance – the new model uses the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, the TSMC-made version coming with improved speed and efficiency. It’s coupled with the most advanced cooling system the company has made, so it can make the most out of that chip. And then there’s charging speed – the 150W charging capability of the OP10T sounds excessive on paper, but it does make it one of the fastest charging handsets we’ve seen.
Not being a Pro, the 10T does make some concessions in other areas, key among them being the camera. The rather unimpressive setup is missing a zoom camera (a 3x one present on the 10 Pro), and the ultrawide one is a midrange-grade unit (if even that). That only leaves the main camera with some proper imaging chops, but it, too, is hardly cutting edge.
A similarly not-quite-flagship bit is the display – sure, it’s a 120Hz capable OLED, but it omits the granular adaptive refresh rate we’ve come to expect from top-end models.
But framing the 10T as a flagship and pointing out ways in which it misses the mark may be unfair to its aspirations. There’s a reason why there’s no Pro in its name, and with a starting price of $650/€740 it’s fighting a different battle. Let’s see how it does.
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
OnePlus 10T unboxing
There are no surprises in the presentation – the 10T arrives in a familiar bright red cardboard box. It’s a full-size one, too – it has to be in order to fit the chunky power adapter. There’s a 160W stamp on it, but the phone will max out at just 150W, as mentioned before. In the US, the power output will be capped at 125W, too – bummer. It’s worth mentioning that the charger is also USB PowerDelivery compliant and will put out up to 45W through its USB-C port.
There’s little more in terms of accessories inside the box other than the adapter and cable to go with it. There are a couple of 1+ stickers, for what it’s worth.
There’s no bundled protective case, but OnePlus sent us a couple from their case roster that you can purchase at an extra cost. One of them is black and mimics the sandstone texture of earlier models by the company – from when they still did things to stand out from the pack. The other one is the cooling type, similar to the one we had for the Oppo Find X5 Pro. It has cutouts in a striped pattern, and with some imagination, you could see stylized lightning bolts in there.
Competition
The OnePlus 10T‘s base price of $650/€740 (for an 8GB/128GB version) makes it reasonably competitive, both in the US and Europe, while the INR 50K asking price sounds like a bargain in India.
A Galaxy S22 is nominally $800 but now runs for $700 (for the same base 8GB/128GB configuration), while it’s €750 or less in Europe. It comes with a few advantages to make up for the small premium in the US, while the level playing field in Europe makes it a fight on the merits entirely. At INR 75K, the Galaxy is in a very different price bracket in India.
The IP68 rating is among the S22’s pros in this head-to-head, as is the more versatile camera system (3x tele, higher-res ultrawide, AF-capable selfie camera). The OP counters with better battery life and way quicker charging, though the S22’s wireless charging could settle it in the opposite direction for some buyers. The 10T does have a brawnier chipset, though it goes to waste with the gaming fps caps – the Galaxy does allow high fps gaming. The S22 could be too small for some folks looking at the OP 10T, and the plus-size model can be out of budget.
If, however, small is good, there’s always the Zenfone 9, retailing for €800 in Europe. At less than 10% more expensive than the 10T, this one too has its advantages – the IP68 rating and superior camera setup (though missing a tele) aren’t surprising, but the Zenfone also has its own solid implementation of the SD8+ Gen 1, making it one better than the Galaxy. There’s no matching the 10T’s charging speed, however, and if you want big, the Asus is not it.
In a way, you might be able to get a Xiaomi 12 Pro for OnePlus 10T money in Europe – if you’re eyeing the 16GB/256GB OP at €820. A 12GB/256GB Xiaomi goes for as much and is a proper flagship – with the cameras and display of one. It also charges about as fast as the 10T, which is quite the achievement, though the OnePlus still wins for endurance. In India, even a base 8GB/256GB 12 Pro is more than 10% pricier than the top-of-the-line 10T, but it may still be worth the extra money if you’re after a more competent cameraphone.
Meanwhile in the US, Google will sell you a Pixel 6 Pro for the same $650 that OnePlus charges for the 10T – admittedly, it’s a temporary discount from the usual $900, but it’s the number we’re looking at right now. The Pixel has more and better cameras, software from the very source, wireless charging, and an IP68 rating. It matches the 10T’s battery life, though the 10T obviously takes the wind for wired charging speed. If you’re on this side of the Atlantic, the Pixel 6 (non-Pro) for €650 can be a reasonable alternative to the 10T as well.
With the close ties between the brands, can the Realme GT2 Pro count as a rival? Well, why not – it’s different enough and is priced in the same ballpark wherever the two share markets. We got significantly better battery life out of the Realme, perhaps thanks to its more advanced display, and while the OP maintains an advantage in charging speed, the Realme is no slouch either. Main cameras are similar, but the Realme’s fisheye ultrawide and microscope are infinitely more interesting than the 10T’s meh ultrawide and pointless macro.
Samsung Galaxy S22 5G • Asus Zenfone 9 • Xiaomi 12 Pro • Google Pixel 6 Pro • Realme GT2 Pro
Verdict
The OnePlus 10T is hardly an exciting release, and it makes it easy on us to pick on it for its missteps. For the most part, those were already there in the spec sheet – the so-so camera system and lack of wireless charging and IP rating weren’t exactly surprises, and the press images readily reveal the absence of the alert slider too. That last bit, coupled with the fact that OnePlus and Oppo Android overlays have been steadily converging, may also put off long-time fans of the brand.
But the 10T doesn’t have to be all things to all people quite like a ‘proper’ flagship does, and the 10 Pro is still there to cater to a more demanding audience. The 10T’s main selling points were also right there on the official product pages, and the phone does deliver top-level performance and charging speed. For its conservatively specced camera, it delivers an okay experience, the display is solid in its average-ness, battery life is similarly middle-of-the-road – all of these to be taken in a good way if that makes any sense.
In its essence, the OnePlus 10T is an upper-midrange phone with a top-tier chipset and class-leading charging capability. We’d say it’s priced accordingly and is worth what OnePlus is asking – perhaps you can read that as sort of a recommendation.
Pros
Bright 120Hz display.
Competent main camera for both stills and video, in good light and at night alike.
Some of the fastest charging in the business, solid battery life.
Nice sounding stereo speakers.
Fastest Android chipset on the market, great sustained performance.
We’ve grown to appreciate Oppo‘s relentless drive for breaking the mold and introducing unorthodox innovations – be it a swivel or a pop-up camera, geometry-inspired panels, the VOOC fast charging, or even soccer-themed phones.
The latest Find X3 Pro flagship doesn’t shy away from innovation either – in addition to the cutting-edge specs and design, the new Find also bets big on 10-bit color by pushing 10-bit cameras and a 10-bit screen to make sure you are viewing what you’ve captured in its full glory.
Indeed, the Oppo Find X3 Pro was presented under the Awaken Color slogan, meaning you can capture and see 1 billion colors with the hit of a button – something you can’t do anywhere else, not that easily, at least.
There is a curved 6.7″ 10-bit OLED screen of high resolution and high refresh rate, while on the back, you’ll find a quartet of snappers that can capture the world around you with 10-bit color.
The whole Find X3 Pro was thoughtfully designed to envelope these two key features into one extraordinary-shaped and waterproofed body. Everything looks so well designed, and the organic curves around the rear camera are something we haven’t seen so far, so kudos for that!
The quad-camera on the back is also bringing surprises – while it looks like your typical quartet of wide/ultrawide/tele/macro, it is, in fact, more than meets the eye. The two wide snappers use identical 50MP Sony IMX 766 sensors, with different optics, of course, then we have a 13MP 2x tele, and a 3MP microscope camera with 60x magnification and a LED ring flash around the whole things. The micro camera will let you to see details that are invisible to the naked eye and sounds really cool on paper. We just can’t wait to test it. Is it another gimmick? Maybe! But color us intrigued as we haven’t seen such type of shooter on any phone.
The Oppo Find X3 Pro offers the current best Snapdragon 888 chipset with a 5G modem and support for thirteen 5G bands.
The phone is sold in a single configuration, but it is more than fitting for a flagship – 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM with 256GB of UFS3.1 storage.
You also get Dolby Atmos-certified stereo speakers and a large 4,500mAh battery with the latest 65W VOOC fast charging. It can even do fast wireless and reverse wireless charging if that’s your thing.
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
A quick look through these specs, and we are already intrigued by the 10-bit promises and the microscope camera. We appreciate Oppo throwing in official IP68 certification, and it seems Xiaomi is the last one of the major makers that still stubbornly refuses to get that for its phones.
The Find X3 Pro will be sold in many international markets, and Oppo is offering a free global warranty to go with it, one similar to what Apple is promising for its iPhones and Macbooks. It is one of the concerns when buying a Chinese phone, and we like that Oppo is stepping up its game.
And now, without further ado, let’s unbox our Gloss Black Oppo Find X3 Pro.
Unboxing the Oppo Find X3 Pro
Unlike them Galaxies and iPhones, the Oppo Find X3 Pro arrives in a big fat retail box jam-packed with stuff. In addition to your new Find X, inside, you’ll also find a 65W VOOC 2.0 power adapter and a 6.5A-rated USB-A-to-C cable that you’ll need to reach the max wattage.
The retail bundle also contains a USB-C EarPods-like headset and a black protective case made of rubber with a nice matte finish.
The Oppo Find X3 Pro comes with a thin plastic film applied on the screen, but this can hardly pass for a screen protector. There is a Gorilla Glass 5 shielding the screen, so you are well covered. This cheap film gets smudgy in seconds, so we’d suggest peeling it off immediately and opting for a proper protector, if you decide you need one, that is.
The competition
The Find X3 Pro seems like a meaningful upgrade over the X2 Pro, even if it doesn’t look as major as some might have hoped. We can see a point there – after all, the 6.7″ AMOLED is great, but the old one wasn’t shabby either. The jump to the next-gen Snapdragon is great, but it doesn’t bring breath-taking performance benefits.
But, the camera, on the other hand, has seen a lot of improvements, including new high-end sensors and this unique 3MP microscope snapper. The larger battery and the fast wireless charging complete the list of the major upgrades.
Find X3 Pro and Find X2 Pro
Oppo will be selling the Find X3 Pro globally with an international warranty not unlike Apple’s. Purchasing it won’t be as easy as opening, say, Amazon, and clicking Buy, as not all countries will have a regional seller. But we do hope Oppo will be able to expand its market reach even more with the Find X3 Pro. And while we are on the topic of availability, for now, only the Find X3 Pro will be available outside China, and you won’t see the other Find X3 options as alternatives in this section.
So, the first phone that comes to mind as a viable alternative to this €1150 Find X3 Pro is the €750 Xiaomi Mi 11, which we reviewed just recently. The Mi 11 matches the screen and the chipset of the Oppo, as well as the speaker quality, the battery capacity, and the charging speed. It runs on MIUI, which is a lot more popular and gets regular updates for years. But there is no zoom camera on the Mi 11, no micro snapper, and no official water-protection. It makes up for those deficiencies with a price tag that’s some €400 cheaper than the Find X3 Pro, and we can easily forgive the missing zoom in and zoom out cameras.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra costs as much as the Find X3 Pro, and while it has a similar screen, chipset, and speakers, it impresses with zooming capabilities. The Ultra features a 3x and a 10x telephoto camera, both with OIS. Its 40MP selfies camera with PDAF and 4K capturing is superior, too. Finally, the Galaxy has much better battery life, and unless you need the microscopic camera, the Ultra might be your better choice.
Huawei P40 Pro costs only €640, and it is quite the treat if you can live without Google services and stereo speakers. The water-resistant P40 Pro packs a great 1200p 90Hz AMOLED, a powerful Kirin 990 5G chip. Still, its camera prowess is what makes it such an attractive offer – all four snappers – the 50MP main, the 40MP ultrawide, the 12MP 5x tele, and the 32MP AF selfie excel in photo and video quality. Zooming across these cameras while shooting video is quite smooth, too.
Finally, we want to mention the upcoming vivo X60 Pro+, which might be a niche smartphone, but what a phone it is. The X60 Pro+ is expected to cost the same as the Oppo on the international markets, and it will match its screen, processor, main camera, and battery specs. But the vivo will offer a more versatile imaging setup by accompanying the 50MP primary with a 48MP ultrawide shooter with a second-generation gimbal stabilization and two zoom cameras – 32MP 2x portrait one and 8MP 5x OIS telephoto. That’s something we’d like to try for sure.
Finally, the OnePlus 9 series announcement is just around the corner, and the Pro model should be a close match to the Find X3 Pro. The OnePlus phones enjoy a wider availability, they run the fan-favorite Oxygen OS, and they are usually more reasonably priced, so they may be worth looking into.
Xiaomi Mi 11 • Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G • Huawei P40 Pro • vivo X60 Pro Plus
The verdict
We liked the Oppo Find X3 Pro and the time we spent together. It has a marvelous screen and design, powerful hardware, and a multi-camera setup that delivers on every promise. The fast battery charging is something many will appreciate, too.
The Find X3 Pro is not without competition; in fact, it’s an all-out war. And while the Find X3 Pro delivers on its promises, it’s not a perfect phone either. The Mi 11 is cheaper, the Galaxy – heavier but better spec’d, the P40 Pro – quite attractive but Google-less, while the vivo X60 Pro+ and the OnePlus 9 are yet to hit the shelves.
But that’s the great thing about the market and the rich competition – you are free to buy the phone that suits you best.
Pros
Remarkable 1440p OLED HDR10+ display with 120Hz refresh.
Exquisite, water-resistant design.
Fast wired and wireless charging.
Loud stereo speakers, equally balanced.
Flagship-grade performance, 5G.
Outstanding photo and video quality, day and night.
Intriguing one of a kind microscope camera, gimmick or not.
Fluid ColorOS on top of Android 11, rich customization options.
Reviewing the OnePlus 9R feels like a deja vu. Except it’s not just a fleeting feeling. We have reviewed this phone before. Back then it was known as the OnePlus 8T.
It’s not often that we see a manufacturer launch pretty much the same phone twice in a row, but that appears to be the case here. Calling the OnePlus 9R similar to the OnePlus 8T would be an understatement. For all intents and purposes, they are almost exactly the same phone.
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
Okay, there are a few differences. Perhaps the most important one is the fact that the OnePlus 9R is currently exclusive to India, with no announced plans to release it elsewhere. Also, the OnePlus 9R is launching at a lower price than the OnePlus 8T did, starting at INR 39,999 versus the INR 43,999 of the OnePlus 8T.
The other differences are less meaningful. The OnePlus 9R runs on the new Snapdragon 870 instead of the 865. Calling it “new” is greatly exaggerating the situation, as it is essentially the same part as the 865 but with an overclock on the CPU and GPU. And finally, the OnePlus 9R has also received a slight facelift and comes in two new color options.
Is that enough for the OnePlus 9R to be a separate phone? We’ll just have to find out.
Unboxing
The OnePlus 9R comes with a fairly standard OnePlus packaging, consisting of the phone, charger, cable, and a clear silicone case. The packaging is identical to the OnePlus 8T, except for one major difference.
Both the OnePlus 9R and 8T claim to come with the Warp Charge 65 charger, but they are not the same models. The OnePlus 8T comes with WC065A21GB in India, while the OnePlus 9R comes with WC065B22GB. The difference is that while both can send 65W of power to a compatible OnePlus device, the OnePlus 8T charger can also send up to 45W to a USB-Power Delivery (PD) and Programmable Power Supply (PPS) compatible devices.
OnePlus 8T charger on the left and OnePlus 9R charger on the right
On the other hand, the OnePlus 9R charger will fall back to standard 10W charging when connected to a non-OnePlus device. It also has a standard USB-A port, unlike the USB-C port on the 8T charger, which is necessary to support USB PD. This doesn’t change anything for charging the OnePlus 9R itself. Still, if you also intend to use the charger for other devices around you, especially USB PD devices, then the OnePlus 9R charger isn’t going to be anywhere as good as the OnePlus 8T’s charger.
Competition
The OnePlus 9R faces some pretty severe competition, including some from other BBK brands.
The toughest competition comes from the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro. This phone has a 108MP camera, Snapdragon 865, 144Hz LCD, and a 5000mAh battery and costs less than the OnePlus 9R in India. Then there’s the Mi 10T, which swaps out the 108MP camera with a still fairly impressive 64MP one and costs even less.
Next is the Samsung Galaxy A72. Samsung doesn’t try as hard in the specs department, with a relatively tame 90Hz display and Snapdragon 720G but it does have a 64MP main camera, a proper telephoto camera, and a 5000mAh battery. It’s also a fair bit cheaper than the 9R.
The older Galaxy S20 FE 5G is still quite a good option. It’s a bit more expensive than the OnePlus 9R but it does have all the bells and whistles, including a 120Hz AMOLED display, an impressive triple camera system, Snapdragon 865, and a 4500mAh battery.
Finally, there’s the Realme X7 Pro 5G. This phone is a lot cheaper than the OnePlus 9R but has a surprisingly similar spec sheet, including a 120Hz AMOLED display, MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ chipset that is fairly close in performance to the Snapdragon 870, 64MP main rear camera, and 65W fast charging.
Conclusion
The OnePlus 9R is an unusually lazy product, so much so that we are left wondering why OnePlus didn’t just drop the price on the 8T and continue selling it. It’s like showing up to the class with the same homework two days in a row and expecting the teacher to not notice.
It’s not that the OnePlus 9R is a bad product; we thought the 8T was quite good overall and being largely the same phone, the OnePlus 9R is also a good smartphone for most users. However, it doesn’t exactly push the needle forward in terms of innovation, technology, or even value.
Yes, the 9R is cheaper now than what the 8T launched for in India but after six months, that is to be expected. In the meantime, the competition has gotten much more aggressive and many of them are now better value.
Of course, OnePlus still holds an advantage in terms of the software experience over its rivals. It’s something that one can only experience first-hand and not something that can be quantified on a spec sheet. However, the company has continued to push the limits of what the users might find annoying in terms of promotional content by masquerading it as value-added services. The whole host of features that were added over the course of a couple of years also tend to be quite nagging and attention-hungry. These may seem like small things, especially if you are coming from other manufacturers but when your entire brand is built on a reputation for clean and distraction-free software, it will always be the little thing that breaks the camel’s back.
As lazy as it is, we do still recommend the OnePlus 9R for buyers in India as it is still a more robust complete package compared to some of its rivals. However, there’s some good competition out there right now and you can’t really go wrong with any of it.
OPPO presented the new one in March Find X3 series, where especially that Promodel with the extremely good equipment and the high recommended retail price of 1.149 euros. It’s without a doubt one of the best smartphones out there, but the MSRP seems a bit high, especially when you compare it to the cheaper OnePlus 9 Pro compares, which has hardly any disadvantages. So it seems like the X3 Pro hardly a chance in this country and that becomes even more apparent when we take a closer look at the normal OPPO Find X3.
Compared to Promodel, there are hardly any significant differences. Under the hood is “only” the Snapdragon 870 instead of the 888, which is also “only” supported by 8 GB RAM and it is not officially protected against the ingress of water and dust according to IP68. Otherwise it offers the same hardware as the X3 Pro and does not cost more than 650 euros in Chinese shops, which sounds good, but customers must remember that this is a Chinese smartphone without Google apps ex works, because the regular X3 is unfortunately not available in Europe. Whether the X3 due to the significantly lower price compared to the Promodel is perhaps even the better option or whether a Chinese smartphone is not worthwhile in this country, you will find out in the following lines.
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
Haptics, design and processing
Comparing the OPPO Find X3 with the Find X2 Pro from last year, you will quickly notice the minimally more compact form factor, which is not only suggested by the numbers on the paper of 163,6 mm in height and 74 mm in width, but is also noticeable in everyday life. Due to the slightly rounded edges on the front and back, the smartphone looks even a tad narrower in the hand, which definitely facilitates one-handed operation. Nevertheless, the X3 is anything but small and those who have not been able to make friends with larger smartphones in the past, the X3 is not the right choice either. Nevertheless, I would like to praise OPPO for making the device relatively compact despite the huge 6,7 inch display. The weight of 193 grams is absolutely okay and the thickness of 8,26 mm also fits perfectly with the rest of the design.
The frame is made of high-gloss metal and feels extremely high quality. However, the transition to the back is not perfect, which gives a minimally sharp-edged feel in the hand, but that is really grumbling on a very high level. Due to the high-gloss finish, the frame is also very susceptible to fingerprints and should probably have minor scratches over time.
Both the front and the back are made of glass. The color I tested, white, is even matt and therefore extremely immune to fingerprints. Even after days without cleaning, you can hardly see any annoying fingerprints. OPPO has managed that as well as hardly any other manufacturer. The blue color is very similar, whereas the black model is the complete opposite. The surface is shiny and extremely reflective. As long as the back is not smeared with fingerprints, which is almost inevitable with this color, the smartphone can be used as a mirror.
In summary, I can say that the OPPO Find X3 – due to the choice of materials of glass and metal – feels very high quality, which is unfortunately no longer too understandable nowadays, even in this price range.
Standalone camera design or iPhone copy?
In addition to the beautiful colors, the camera design immediately catches the eye, which was already very controversial before the launch. Is it an iPhone copy or a standalone design? This is exactly the question I asked myself shortly after the performance and at first I wasn’t sure until I picked up the device for the first time. The positioning of the individual sensors is of course very much reminiscent of that of the current iPhones, which cannot be denied, but I also see OPPO‘s own ideas: not only the camera hill, but also the area around it, rises slightly from the back, what about the looks beautiful on the one hand and feels very smooth on the other. The word “sharp-edged” is absolutely out of place here.
Personally, I like the new camera design very much, because it is something newproand implemented it well. The similar positioning of the sensors as with Apple doesn’t bother me at all, but that’s a matter of taste.
Front nothing special anymore
A 6,7-inch display dominates the front, the quality of which we will take a closer look at in a moment. It is interrupted by a small punch hole in the left corner, in which there is space for the front camera, and the edges around the screen are pleasantly thin, even if hardly anything has changed here compared to last year. Most smartphones now look like this, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like the front. On the contrary, I really like it, which is also due to the slightly rounded edges that never bothered me in everyday life.
Good workmanship and positioning of the keys
I have absolutely no reason to criticize the workmanship. The Find X3 makes a high-quality impression, the keys have a good pressure point, sit bomb-proof in the case and are easy to reach.
Display – (almost) one of the best OLED panels
The screen has a diagonal of 6,7 inches, has a razor-sharp resolution of 3.216 x 1.440 pixels and supports a fluid refresh rate of 120 Hertz, which means that the image is updated up to 120 times within a second. Paired with the Snapdragon 870, the Find X3 feels extremely smooth to use.
Thanks to the OLED technology, the black level is at an extremely high level and there is also the excellent color rendering, which can be adjusted to your own taste in the settings with just a few clicks. While the colors are rendered realistically in the “Gentle” color mode, they appear a little too saturated for my taste in the “Vivid” mode. The white value is also great.
However, there are a few other smartphones with the maximum brightness, especially the Samsung Galaxy s21 ultra, OnePlus 8 Pro and even that P40 Pro+, even a little better, although of course you have to consider the significantly higher RRPs of the respective smartphones. For less than 650 euros, the maximum brightness is really good, because I didn’t have any even in direct sunlight Proproblems with readability. Last but not least, I would like to briefly report on the viewing angle stability, which I really liked. The colors only change color a little from extreme viewing angles from the side. White content in particular then appears slightly yellowish.
Software – ColorOS
The in-house user interface ColorOS in version 11, based on Android 11, is used as software. The in-house software has less to do with stock Android because it is quite colorful and sometimes confusing, especially the settings. Otherwise, I actually really like ColorOS, as there are many additional and personalization functions. For example, you can adapt the colors of the UI to your own taste or change the symbol style. There is also a good night mode and ingenious gesture control.
No Google Play Store pre-installed from the factory
Since this is a Chinese smartphone, no Google Play Store is pre-installed from the factory, although the online shop, for example TradingShenzhen this pre-installed. If you buy the Find X3 and can’t find a Google Play Store, you can easily install it:
Opens the in-house browser.
Search for “APK Pure”. APK Pure is an app store from which almost all apps can be downloaded.
After installing it, open the app and search for “Google Play Store”.
Click on “install”.
You should now be able to find the Google Play Store on the start screen or in the app drawer. Now you can open it, log in with your Google account and then delete the APK Pure Store, as we no longer need it.
Once you have successfully registered, you can start installing your apps.
No German as a system language
Unfortunately you can only choose between English, French and Chinese for the system languages. Unfortunately, the Find X3 cannot be used in German. If that bothers you, you should probably not use the OPPO Find X3.
Otherwise you don’t have to make any further compromises, not even with the reception, because luckily the Find X3 Band 20 is on board. I had very good reception in everyday life and I couldn’t see any differences to global smartphones.
Performance – the box runs despite the Snapdragon 870
Under the hood, the Snapdragon 870 from Qualcomm works with 8 GB of RAM and either 128 or 256 GB of internal storage that cannot be expanded.
The Snapdragon 870 is a slightly better Snapdragon 865+ from the previous year. So on paper it is a bit weaker than the Snapdragon 888, but in everyday life and probably also in the next few years you should probably not notice this minimal difference. The Snapdragon 870 is completely sufficient, especially for the offered price of less than 650 euros.
Apps start and close extremely quickly, stuttering and delays are virtually in vain here and the operating speed is at a very high level overall. In addition, there is the smooth refresh rate of 120 Hertz, which makes animations noticeably smoother. It’s just fun to use the Find X3 in everyday life. Even with more complex games, the smartphone never reaches its limits. With a little more intensive use it gets a little warmer, but that is completely normal. A Xiaomi Mi 11, for example, gets significantly warmer with more complex things, and now and then also in everyday use.
Only in terms of RAM management can the X3 not quite keep up with more expensive Android smartphones. Sometimes apps in the background are closed a little too early for my taste, but it doesn’t really bother me in everyday life.
Battery – full extremely quickly
OPPO has equipped the Find X3 with a 4.500 mAh battery that can be quickly charged with up to 65 watts using the included power supply. The battery is fully charged in just under 30 minutes, which is extremely impressive. Samsung and Apple can learn a slice of this from here. The Find X3 is also right at the top when it comes to wireless charging. It can be charged quickly with up to 30 watts.
The battery life then doesn’t stand out quite as positively as the extremely fast charging times. However, it is not bad either, as my measured screen-on-time values of 8 and sometimes even 9 hours show. If you use it more intensively, the screen-on-time drops to about 7 hours, which is still enough for me to get through a day without a charge. However, if that’s not enough for you, you can set the display resolution to FHD + and / or the refresh rate to 60 Hertz. That takes you about 1,5 hours more. Overall, I am satisfied with the battery life considering the capacity and the power-hungry display.
Camera – good with daylight, very good with lowlight
When it comes to cameras, the Chinese manufacturer goes with the Find X3 and X3 Pro a slightly different way than last year. They focus on the main and ultra-wide-angle cameras, neglecting the zoom camera, which doesn’t seem to matter that much to the majority. While the X2 Pro from the previous year still had a 5x optical telecamera on board, unfortunately objects can now only be optically enlarged 2x. The resolution is 13 megapixels. For the main and ultra-wide-angle cameras, OPPO uses the same 766-megapixel IMX 50 sensor. This setup is supplemented by a 3 megapixel microscope camera. The front camera has a resolution of 32 megapixels.
Starting with the main camera, which is convincing across the board in good lighting conditions. Both the dynamic range and the sharpness are very good. Occasional lens reflections do appear in direct backlight, but this is limited and is no better with other smartphones. The sharpness is very natural, so unlike some other manufacturers, there is no artificial sharpening at any time. Nevertheless, I find Huawei a little better in terms of sharpness and OnePlus can keep up very well. Unfortunately, the color reproduction is typically OPPO unnatural. The X3 tends to have very saturated colors despite disabled AI scene detection, which I don’t really like, but that’s a matter of taste. After all, you can edit the color rendering according to your own taste, so it’s not that bad. It would be much worse if the sharpness wasn’t good, because sharpness can hardly be improved with editing. The greatest strength, however, comes from Lowlight. The night mode exposes for a few seconds and creates extremely natural and sharp images. Here I even like it much better than the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and even the Huawei P40 Pro+ has to admit defeat to the Find X3 in poor light conditions.
The ultra-wide-angle camera is also absolutely amazing in low light, especially in terms of color reproduction and sharpness. Even last year’s Huawei P40 Pro+, which in my opinion had the best ultra wide-angle camera in low light, has to admit defeat to the X3. However, the tide turns in good light conditions. The sharpness is convincing here, too, but the P40 Pro+ I still think it’s a bit better here, whereas the dynamic range is almost unrivaled.
I would also like to positively highlight the good color balance between the main and ultra-wide-angle camera. It’s not perfect, but no other manufacturer is currently doing it as well as OPPO with the Find X3.
The 2x zoom shots are okay for the price, but I would have liked at least a 3x optical zoom. Up to 5x magnification, the photos are still reasonably usable, but even then the expandable sharpness and the color reproduction that is too pale are noticed negatively. However, the current iPhones and the Find X3 Pro not really be any better.
With the microscope camera, you can take totally impressive pictures. It is extremely difficult to get the focus and the images could of course be a little sharper, but it is still impressive and I hope that we will see this more often in the future.
The front camera is completely sufficient for one or the other selfie, but nothing more. Despite the high resolution of 32 megapixels, there is a lack of sharpness and faces are reproduced too softly despite deactivated filters.
Others – speakers, vibration motor and more
The stereo speakers ensure a very loud and clear sound. A OnePlus 9 Pro or Mi 11 are a bit better here, but overall I was very satisfied here.
The built-in vibration motor is neither the best nor the worst in the price range from 600 to 700 euros. It gives a very high quality feeling in the hand and sounds anything but disturbing. A OnePlus 8T, for example, is a little better here, but where a Vivo X60 Pro is significantly worse. Overall, I was quite satisfied here.
The smartphone can be unlocked via the fingerprint sensor integrated into the display, which is positioned a bit too far down for my taste, but I got used to it after just a few days. It reacts extremely quickly and unlocks the device very reliably. Along with that of the OnePlus 9 Pro For me, it is currently one of the best optical in-display fingerprint sensors.
Finally, let’s look at another difference compared to the X3 Pro, namely the water resistance. during that Promodel is IP68 protected against the ingress of water and dust, the regular X3 lacks such official certification, although it is said to be just as waterproof. OPPO probably only saved the money for the certification.
Summary
The OPPO Find X3 is basically a slightly weaker Find X3 Pro, which has no major weaknesses for less than 650 euros. Especially the main and ultra wide-angle camera at low light, the unique microscope camera, the beautiful and high-quality design, the grandiose performance and the extremely fast charging are extremely positive. It convinced me across the board and I think it’s a shame that it’s not available in Europe, because it would probably have been enough for most people.
If the points just mentioned are important to you, you don’t necessarily want to spend 1.000 euros on a high-end flagship smartphone and gets by with a Chinese smartphone (no German as the system language and no Google Play Store ex works), is very happy to use the OPPO Find X3. The current surcharge of at least 80 euros to the Chinese X3 Pro and OnePlus 9 Pro wouldn’t be worth it to me.
However, if you don’t want to import a smartphone from China and/or need German as the system language, you shouldn’t use the Find X3 and rather get a global OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 9, Xiaomi Mi 11 or Samsung Galaxy S21 for a similar price take a closer look.
Samsung’s Galaxy A mid-range lineup has undergone its yearly refresh, and it’s looking really good. The new Galaxy A33 is probably one of the most interesting models this year as it has been significantly upgraded since the Galaxy A32 and makes for an excellent bang for the buck offer at the €300 mark.
The Galaxy A33 5G has been promoted to the waterproofed league, and it now features the same IP67-rated ingress protection treatment as the higher tier models. Until now, the A3x models weren’t sealed against water. But that’s not all, of course.
The Galaxy A33 is keeping the 90Hz Super AMOLED screen of the Galaxy A32, but it employs a much more powerful Exynos 1280 chipset with a newer processor and gaming-friendly graphics. And there is an integrated 5G modem, too, so now you won’t have to choose between 4G and 5G versions.
The camera has been improved, too. Now the 48MP primary features optical stabilization and supports up to 4K video capturing. The 13MP selfie camera can do 4K videos, too.
The Galaxy A33 also brings stereo speakers, something that was reserved for the A5x and higher models in the previous generations. And finally, but not of least importance, the Galaxy A33 now supports faster 25W wired charging.
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
It’s not all updates, though, as two things have changed for the worse since the Galaxy A32. The Galaxy A33 has no audio jack, and the microSD bed is now shared with the second SIM option.
Still, we have to say we are intrigued by the Galaxy A33 5G as it has been clearly promoted in rank and now can be considered as part of the premium mid-rangers like the Galaxy A53 and A73.
Unboxing the Galaxy A33 5G
The Galaxy A33 5G is packed into one of the thinnest retail boxes we’ve seen, and we thought we’d find the phone all alone in there.
Well, there is no charger in the retail bundled, but that was expected. And while we didn’t see a cable at first, it turned out there is a USB-C cable inside the thin paper compartment.
The cable is compatible with 25W fast charging, so if you purchase Samsung‘s 25W Samsung USB-C charger or similar, you should be able to use that straight away.
The competition
The Galaxy A33 5G turned out to be not only an excellent upgrade over the previous A32 model but also one thoughtful all-round mid-ranger with many attractive treats and one nicely low pricing. Indeed, there is a lot to like about the A33 5G – its water-resistent design and seamless shape, the good 90Hz OLED, the powerful hardware, the larger battery, and even all cameras on both sides as they provide some notably good photo and video quality.
The Galaxy A33 5G costs €290 for the 4GB/128GB model, and we’d say this is quite reasonable, all things considered (war, pandemic, chip shortages, production delays, inflation).
Of course, 2021 was a better year for smartphones as the overall state of the economy was not as bad. The Galaxy A52s is still available, and it costs exactly as much as the Galaxy A33 5G. The A52s has a 120Hz AMOLED, a more powerful Snapdragon 778G chipset, and a higher-res primary camera, but it’s also larger. We would recommend getting the A52s instead of the A33 if the size doesn’t bother you.
The Realme 9 Pro+ is about €40 to €80 over the Galaxy A33 5G, depending on the retailer. It offers a similar screen and performance, and even camera experience, but we had some issues with its ultrawide camera, and the Realme has no ingress protection whatsoever.
The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is about €50-€60 over the Galaxy A33 5G. It offers a faster 120Hz AMOLED screen with HDR10 support, a similar performance, and an overall good camera experience. This Redmi offers a speedy 120W charging, there is an audio jack on it, and together with the better display – we’d say this is a deal you may want to consider. You will trade the IP67 resistance for a basic IP53 splash-proofing, and there is no OIS on the main camera, though.
And, finally, you may want to consider the Poco X3 GT, which is still widely available and priced at €290. This Poco has a more traditional 120Hz LCD display, but it offers flagship-grade performance courtesy of the Dimensity 1100 5G chipset. The X3 GT offers a similar camera experience (even if there is no OIS); the stereo speakers and the battery life match the A33’s, while its charging is much faster at 67W (and there is a charger inside its box, mind you). The Poco X3 GT is an excellent choice for gaming on the go if you are on a budget, so it’s worthy of your consideration.
Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G • Realme 9 Pro Plus • Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus 5G • Xiaomi Poco X3 GT
Our verdict
The Galaxy A33 5G turned out to be a well-executed sequel to the Galaxy A32, one that leveled up the A3x models by putting an IP rating and OIS. This means the Galaxy A33 is where the premium part of the A series begins now.
So, to sum up, the Galaxy A33 has a really attractive design. The 90Hz OLED display is bright and fast, and we are happy with its color accuracy and the overall experience. The same goes for the battery life and the charging speed, though you will need to buy a 25W charger if you don’t own one already.
The Galaxy A33 did not only upgrade the design and the camera but the speakers, too. It now offers stereo speakers with good loudness and sound quality. Oh, and its performance has improved significantly since the A32, and there is now 5G by default. Nice!
Finally, we were also impressed with the photo and video quality across all cameras, even if the colors often go a bit overboard with the saturation. This often happens with Samsung phones, so it’s not entirely surprising, though.
Maybe the best part about the Galaxy A33 5G is the thoughtful pricing that starts at just under €300. Which makes it easy to forgive the missing charger and audio jack. In fact, these are probably our only beefs with this phone, which says a lot.
So, if your budget is around the €300 mark, and you can’t get a faster recent Galaxy smartphone (like the A52s), the Galaxy A33 5G will be an excellent choice, and we do recommend it for its all-round feature set.
The Nokia 7 was a China-exclusive from two years ago, while the 7 plus went global and was a bit of an unsung hero back in early 2018, offering a lot of phone at a very reasonable price. The 7.1 wasn’t quite its spiritual successor, slipping instead into a slightly lower tier in the midrange. We now have the Nokia 7.2 with us and we’ll attempt to answer the question whether the 7-series is happy where the 7.1 took it, or it wants back to the plus’ level.
One thing straight off the 7 plus is the chipset and we’re not entirely certain that’s a good thing. The Snapdragon 660 is plenty powerful, sure, but is now more than two years old and more efficient options are available. At least you can spec the 7.2 with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, with the base model not coming with the .1’s measly 3/32GB but the plus’ 4/64GB.
Shared with that model are the overall dimensions too – while the 7.1 was a smaller phone, the 7.2 is back to plus size. But the build quality differs and the new phone has a composite frame that may be as tough as and lighter than aluminum, but it’s not strictly premium to the touch, which the 7 plus did manage.
Anyway, the Nokia 7.2 comes with a 6.3-inch IPS display bringing a significant increase in area over the 7.1. Helping with that is also the notch – Nokia‘s shifted some components around and now it it only holds the selfie camera, making for a smaller cutout.
What’s not small is the camera bump on the back, but it’s got a bunch of cameras to show for it – a 48MP Quad Bayer primary unit is joined by an ultra wide angle 8MP module and a 5MP depth sensor. So it does have one more meaningful camera than the 7.1, but still omits a telephoto, which the 7 plus did have.
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
The specsheet is nothing out of the ordinary, but we do mention the notification LED as it’s inside the power button, which we hadn’t seen before. We hadn’t seen a 10W charger in a while either, and that’s less exciting. What else is in the package, you ask?
Nokia 7.2 unboxing
The Nokia 7.2 comes in a compact flat box with a photo of two people shaking hands and the outline of the phone printed on it. Get it? Nokia – connecting people. Inside it, the phone sits to the right, its plastic sleeve pointing at the Google Assistant dedicated button.
To the left of the phone is a box that holds the accessories. You get a basic 5V/2A adapter, a USB-A-to-C cable, and an inexpensive-looking set of earbuds. Essentially, you have the basics covered to get started, perhaps a freebie case was too much to ask for.
Competition
The Nokia faces some stiff competition and it’s not only the Xiaomis and Realmes it needs to deal with (which it very much does), but there are also Galaxies and Motos if you’re outside of Asia and are somehow skeptical about the less prominent brands (which you shouldn’t be).
Let’s start with the Galaxy A50 – as most Samsungs today, it comes with a Super AMOLED display and it’s superior to the Nokia‘s. It’ll also comfortably outlast the 7.2 in an endurance race, while the Nokia possibly inches ahead if you have to choose between these two uninspiring camera setups.
Samsung Galaxy A50 • Motorola One Vision • Huawei P30 lite • Realme 5 Pro • Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro
The Moto One Vision would take better pictures with its primary cam than the Nokia, but it’s missing an ultra wide-angle unit, which the 7.2 does have – you need to pick between the two. Battery life is similarly bad between the two, as are their somewhat flawed displays, but the Moto comes with a punch-hole selfie cam, which sometimes gets in the way. The One Vision is a bit cheaper too, which can’t be a bad thing, can it?
Another of the more global players and one that pre-dates the whole US-China thing, the Huawei P30 lite is a viable alternative to the Nokia 7.2. The P30 lite has the vastly longer battery endurance and a more color-accurate display, plus an overall superior camera experience, save for the lack of 4K video recording. The Google support future of the Huaweis is shaky though, so it’s worth keeping in mind.
On to the 5 Pro, one of the latest Realmes to offer fantastic value for money. Once more, the Nokia 7.2 loses badly in battery life, while also trailing significantly in performance, only to be narrowly beaten in display quality. The Realme takes nicer pictures and superior videos, too (gorgeous 1080p/60fps if that’s your thing). The only minor hiccup here is that the Realme 5 Pro may not be an option to everyone looking at the Nokia 7.2, simply due to its limited regional availability.
Xiaomis have made their way to more continents through official channels, and we’re looking at the Redmi Note 8 Pro as a more capable alternative to the Nokia 7.2 for the same or even less money. The Redmi has much better battery life, offers a leap in performance over the Nokia and delivers an overall superior camera experience, save for the dismal 1080p video.
Verdict
The Nokia 7.2 looked like a promising phone on paper, and we hoped it would offer the same understated goodness that we remember the 7 plus for. That ended up not being the case though.
For the price Nokia is asking for the 7.2 you can have better camera quality, superior display, longer battery life, beefier chipset – often more than one of these on the same phone. As such, the 7.2 is hard to recommend to anyone but the die-hard brand loyalist on a budget.
Pros
Frosted glass back feels nice, is hard to find in the midrange.
Android One delivers the Pixel experience at a fraction of the price, timely updates are nice to have too.
Good video stabilization in 1080p/30fps.
Has a Nokia badge?
Cons
While decently bright, the display’s prevalent blueness is nigh impossible to get rid of, black illumination is noticeable too.
Battery life isn’t competitive, neither is charging speed.
The chipset is showing signs of age, more powerful and power-efficient options are available.
Unimpressive camera output despite promising hardware.
A year later, the Note that isn’t returns. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra brings predictably minor upgrades – camera tweaks here and new chipset there, mostly – but how much can you really improve on the S22 Ultra in just a year? We’ll attempt to answer that question and see if the new Ultra can spark excitement in ways the specsheet couldn’t.
And it’s an expansive specsheet, of course. At the Ultra’s heart is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and it’s one specifically made for the Galaxies – with higher clock rates than competitors get. The latest Qualcomm top-end chip also comes with efficiency promises, and we would never say no to some extra endurance.
The camera sees the introduction of a new 200MP sensor, up from the 108MP resolution of Ultras past. The couple of telephotos remain a staple of the lineup and a standout feature in the market where 10x optical zoom is nowhere to be found outside of the Samsung offerings. The 2023 Ultra is still the only model in the lineup with an autofocusing ultrawide – more of an ongoing rant we just had to include here about the lack of it on the lesser S23s than an actual noteworthy feature of the ultimate Galaxy.
Galaxy S22 Ultra (top) next to Galaxy S23 Ultra
The otherwise lengthy list of numbers and features below doesn’t really bring major changes from the previous generation. Battery capacity remains the same as does the charging rating; the ultrasonic fingerprint reader hasn’t gotten optical all of a sudden, proprietary features like DeX and Samsung Pay are still here, and you can count on the display being the best in the business. A small victory is the 256GB base storage – last year’s model started at an unreasonably low 128GB – so yay?
Nano-SIM and eSIM or Dual SIM (2 Nano-SIMs and eSIM, dual stand-by)
IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)
Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised)
Stylus (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro)
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
We did call the S23 Ultra a Note from the get-go, and the S Pen is indeed here to stay – despite habitual pessimists around the office writing if off after the beloved Note moniker disappeared with the S22 Ultra. Sure, you can have an S Pen (a different one) for your Fold, but no S Pen case beats the convenience of an in-body stylus like the one you get here.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra unboxing
You don’t get a lot else, though. The Ultra shows up in what has become the norm for Samsung high-end phone packages – a thin as possible black cardboard box with a likeness of the handset printed on the lid in a corresponding color to the actual unit inside.
The size of the box guarantees there’s no charger inside, but there’s still a USB-C cable – despite our continued droning how ‘this time may be the last time you’re getting a cable’, Samsung actually persists in including one – does that count as winning? There’s also a SIM eject pin, which we normally wouldn’t mention, but the unboxing section could use the extra words.
Competition
In the rarefied atmosphere the Galaxy S23 Ultra calls its home market segment, purchasing decisions are likely not necessarily driven by value for money, at least not as top priority. Perhaps more important here are factors like having the absolute best camera, or getting all the productivity, or less reasonable but still entirely understandable motivators like brand loyalty or having the latest and greatest there is.
With those last couple of thoughts in mind, the S23 Ultra‘s standing is challenged by the Z Fold4 – isn’t a cutting-edge foldable more modern and awesome than a bar that’s, in principle, the same as any other? And the fact that it’s a Galaxy foldable helps too. The Fold can also win a productivity battle with the Ultra – easily, thanks to a way larger display and, yes, S Pen support too, even if the stylus is not quite as convenient to store as the Ultra’s. But the bendy Galaxy is merely an okay cameraphone, and that’s where the Ultra’s victory isn’t up for debate.
Cameraphones from Xiaomi are among our favorites, but it’s hard to name a Galaxy rival at this point in time. The Mi 12s Ultra is a remarkable picture-taking device, but it’s limited to the Chinese market. The Mi 11 Ultra may be international, but can’t really be found in stores, plus it’s now a full two years old. We’ll go with the 13 Pro for its specsheet – promising in many ways, but it’s zoom-challenged, not to mention we haven’t seen it in person yet.
How about a Google Pixel 7 Pro then. Once an undisputed photo taking champ, if a relatively niche one, the Pixel is no longer one-of-a-kind in its capabilities. But the 7 Pro does capture great photos, and its 5x zoom might be just what you’re missing on the Galaxy. There’s also the tiny detail that the Pixel is way less expensive than the S23 Ultra (call it a $500/€500 difference), and you may be giving a second thought to that ‘money is no object’ preamble.
Finally, a rather obvious alternative presents itself in the shape of an iPhone 14 Pro Max. The iPhone stands out as the best option for video capture, and it’s got a compelling camera system altogether, even if it can’t compete with the Galaxy for reach. Then come arguments of the non-quantifiable kind like status, brand preference, and bubble color.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 • Xiaomi 13 Pro • Google Pixel 7 Pro • Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Verdict
The ultimate Galaxy smartphone for 2023 (that doesn’t bend in the middle) doesn’t bring anything ground-breakingly new and exciting – how’s that for a single con?
Indeed, the Galaxy S23 Ultra‘s one flaw is perhaps entirely not its own – the S22 Ultra was just too good. Following up on that was always going to be little more than polishing touches that inevitably lack the wow factor. But if you can switch into managing expectations mode, rather than moan about the lack of innovation or originality, you’ll appreciate this year’s Ultra for its maturity.
A increase in battery life, faster charging (only slightly, but still quicker than Apple or Google will give you), one of the best displays in the business – that’s a strong start on the fundamentals. The camera, too, is improved, beyond just the 200MP number on the posters, cementing the Ultra as one of the top cameraphones on the market. And then there’s the S Pen – a proposition as unique in its utility in 2023 as it was last year. None of this is novel or thrilling stuff, but it all adds up.
With all of that in mind, the Galaxy S23 Ultra‘s only verdict can be ‘Highly recommended’.
Pros
Traditional Note form factor, improved handling, still premium as ever.
S Pen has wide-ranging functionality for work and play, is virtually without competition.
Wonderful display.
Excellent battery life, faster charging than big-name competitors.
Ultra-grade camera system is one of the best on the market; primary module is a genuine improvement, zooming capability is hard to rival.
Cons
Nothing is, in principle, really new or different.
Flash notifications on Pixel will let you emulate a notification LED
Android 14 Developer Preview 2 includes a “Flash notifications” function that will let Pixel owners emulate the long-lost notification LED in the upcoming build.
One of the most notable features that has been missing from many top-tier smartphones in recent years is the notification LED. Many OEMs have offered workarounds that utilize the camera LED flash to let you know when you have an unread or urgent notification waiting to be accessed.
One notable absentee has been the Pixel lineup, but this could change soon as Google has added the “Flash notifications” option within the Accessibility panel in Android 14 Developer Preview 2. This section could be useful for those with hearing impairments, as it’s an extra visual clue that you have a call, SMS, or general app notification incoming.
You can enable “Camera flash notifications” or “Screen flash notifications” independently or simultaneously by heading to Settings > Accessibility > Flash notifications. From this new menu, you can tweak and toggle the options and even get a preview of the options in action.
If you enable “Camera flash notifications” in Android 14 Developer Preview 2, when a notification is received, the LED flash on your Pixel camera system will turn on and off briefly. Google has gone a step further here too. The flashlight/torch toggle in Quick Settings will be highlighted to indicate something has been received and that you have camera flash notifications enabled.
This is similar to what is already available on iOS and some other Android devices. Sadly, Android 14 Developer Preview 2 offers no ability to tune or tweak this setting, at least at this stage. However, if you enable the “Screen flash notifications” option, you can choose a color in which your screen will flash from one of 12 options, all of which are bright neon-style hues for visibility.
These changes might not fully replace a true RGB-capable notification LED on your Pixel, but at least you’ll be able to get an extra visual representation of regular on-device notifications when Android 14 does eventually launch.
Android 14 DP2: Pixel phones gain monochrome theme, prep for custom clocks
As part of the second preview of Android 14, Pixel phones have gained a new monochrome Material You theme and are preparing to add custom lock screen clocks.
Since the launch of Material You with Android 12, Google has been steadily building upon that colorful foundation, adding things like color variations that use your wallpaper palette in new ways and preset themes that aren’t based on your wallpaper.
In the latter category, Android 14 DP2 introduces a new monochrome theme, marked by a black-and-white circle in the theme selector. As you’d expect, the theme saps all color out of Android’s menus and any Material You-compatible apps.
Besides looking kinda cool, the new monochrome Material You theme is actually added as an accessibility feature. I previously spoke with a person living with cataplexy; they noted that the colors of Google’s Material You themes would occasionally trigger seizures. For someone like that, a monochrome theme would likely go a long way toward making a Pixel phone more usable without disabling colors altogether.
Meanwhile, adding custom clocks to Pixel phones has long been a goal for Google, with work on it dating back to at least 2019. As seen in the screenshots above, it looks like the company is making another attempt at it with Android 14, as the Wallpaper & style applet includes a prominently placed option labeled “Clock Settings.”
The subheading reveals that this should allow you to “Pick a custom clock.” For now, however, this option does nothing, presumably because there aren’t any custom clocks installed from which to choose. As the custom clock option appears without needing to be forcibly enabled by our team, it’s quite possible that Google intends for the feature to launch as part of Android 14’s final release.
Another tidbit in Wallpaper & style that’s worth mentioning is a new bug related to Material You-themed icons. If you do a fresh install of Android 14 DP2 onto a device, rather than simply updating an already set up phone, the “Themed icons” toggle is not available. We’re not sure what the solution to this issue will be, though it will likely be fixed with a future DP2.1 update.
Android 14 DP2: Media player gains new animations and UI enhancements
Android 14 Developer Preview 2 is now available, and it wouldn’t be an early access build without Google making Media player tweaks.
The latest developer-focused build is the second such version of Android 14 that you can — and probably shouldn’t — flash on your eligible Google Pixel. Android 14 Developer Preview 1 didn’t tweak or tune the Media player which is used across the Quick Settings panel and lockscreen. This time, though, Google has made a number of small tweaks that will be noticeable right away.
A very minor animation tweak is visible when viewing the lockscreen media player. In Android 13, the player will slide up and expand into view into the Always-on display. Here in Android 14 Developer Preview 2, the Media player will slide down into view. It’s another minor change, but one that you’ll spot and wonder just what feels different.
That’s not all, as when interacting with the player controls you’ll see a wave glow animation effect to indicate that something has been accessed or activated. Google has also restored the glowing animation effect when audio is playing that was originally added in Android 13 QPR2 Beta 1. Both glow effects will use a complimentary color to the album art of the media being played, and this appears to work with most apps compatible with the Media player in Android 14 Developer Preview 2.
The changes continue with the media output switcher. This area will now show any nearby or available speakers and Cast-enabled devices; what’s more, the volume control slider now has a new icon to indicate that audio is muted on your device.