iMovie 3.0 makes it easier than ever for anyone to share their stories with video
Apple today introduced a new version of iMovie with features that make it easier than ever to create beautiful edited videos on iPhone and iPad. Storyboards helps aspiring content creators and moviemakers learn to edit and improve their video storytelling skills with pre-made templates for popular types of videos shared on social, with colleagues, or with classmates — videos like DIYs, cooking tutorials, product reviews, science experiments, and more. Storyboards makes it easy to get started with flexible shot lists and step-by-step guidance on which clips to capture for each video type. For those who want to create a video even faster, Magic Movie instantly creates a polished video from the clips and photos a user selects, automatically adding transitions, effects, and music to the edit. Both new features include a range of styles to help personalize the final look and feel of a video, including titles, filters, transitions, color palettes, and music, all designed to work together.
“iMovie has empowered millions of people around the world to create and share their stories through video,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “This latest version of iMovie, featuring Storyboards and Magic Movie, simplifies video creation even further, and we think it will continue to inspire the next wave of video creators to dive in and get started.”
iMovie 3.0 introduces Storyboards and Magic Movie to make it even easier to create polished videos.
Learn and Improve Video Storytelling with Storyboards
Storyboards gives users a major head start in the video creation process, helping beginners learn to edit and improve their storytelling skills. Instead of starting with a blank timeline, creators can choose from 20 different storyboards featuring a variety of popular video types, including cooking tutorials, Q&As, product reviews, news reports, and more. Each storyboard has a shot list that organizes clips to tell a specific narrative. Each placeholder also includes an illustrative thumbnail, along with a tip that asks a question or makes a suggestion for how to shoot that clip to make it more interesting. For added customization, shots can be added, reordered, and deleted from a storyboard as needed.
Creators can choose from 20 different storyboard types based on popular video genres to get started.
Unique pre-made video styles can be added to mix up the look and feel of a project.
Creators can experiment by applying different video styles that include titles and transitions, as well as options for title layouts, fonts, filters, and color palettes. Music tracks dynamically adjust to fit the length of a project, and users can refine each clip with intuitive editing tools like trim, split, clip speed, and clip volume.
Completed Storyboard videos are easily shared from iMovie through Messages, Mail, and across social media platforms.
Create Videos Instantly with Magic Movie
Magic Movie brings photos and videos to life in just a few taps.
Magic Movie helps create beautiful custom videos — complete with titles, transitions, and music — in just a few taps. To create a Magic Movie, a user simply selects an album, or any group of photos or images from their library, and Magic Movie instantly identifies the best parts of the footage and creates the project. Creators can easily put their own spin on a Magic Movie by rearranging or deleting clips in the simplified Magic Movie shot list, or by editing the project further. Styles can be added to change up the look and feel of the entire video. Like Storyboard videos, Magic Movies can be shared from iMovie via Messages, Mail, and on social media.
Users can create a beautiful video from their Photo albums automatically with Magic Movie.
Availability
iMovie 3.0, including the new Storyboards and Magic Movie features, is available today as a free update on the App Store for devices running iOS 15.2 or later and iPadOS 15.2 or later.
Will it ever end? Xiaomi‘s Mi 11 lineup numbers as many as 8 devices at the time of writing this review, spanning a wide range of feature sets and price points. It’s the Mi 11i we have for you this time, following a couple of Lites, an Ultra, and the Mi 11 proper, which we all reviewed recently.
A few more words on naming and market positioning are needed for the sake of clarity, though ‘clarity’ might be an unattainable goal. We’ll be referring to the phone as Mi 11i because that’s what it says on the box we have here, but essentially the same device goes by Mi 11X Pro in India, and the two are in turn nearly identical to the Redmi K40 Pro+ sold in China. Here’s how they compare specs-wise.
Looking at the specs of the Mi 11i, we’re pegging it as a member of the ‘flagship killer’ breed if we assume that’s still a thing. It’s got the top-end Snapdragon 888 chip to justify being mentioned in the same sentence as the big boys, but that’s coupled with little downgrades throughout to be able to fit the killer budget.
Little being the operative word. The display isn’t 1440p as on the higher-specced Mi 11s, but it’s still a 120Hz-capable Super AMOLED with HDR support and sky-high brightness. The camera system is almost the same as on the Mi 11 proper – an 108MP main unit (albeit a different, smaller sensor), an ultrawide (lower-res, but with equally fixed focus) and the same 5MP sort-of-tele macro that’s better than most. A few dozen milliamp-hours in the battery capacity and 33W charging instead of 55W or 67W, meanwhile, are the definition of little downgrades as is the GG5 protection instead of Victus.
Xiaomi Mi 11i specs at a glance:
Body: 163.7×76.4×7.8mm, 196g; IP53 dust and splash protection.
The Mi 11i ships in the same white box with copper lettering we got on the Mi 11 proper. That’s in contrast to the black box we got the Mi 11 Ultra in.
That said, the India-bound Mi 11X Pro comes in a black box with a different design that includes a likeness of the phone on the lid.
The box contents, on the other hand, are identical for the Mi 11i and the Mi 11X Pro (well, minus the charger prongs, which vary by region). You get the 33W charger and a USB-A-to-C cable, a headphone dongle, and a clear silicone protective case.
Competition
The Mi 11i is facing some serious competition in Europe, where its €650 put it up against rivals within the Mi lineup, a few Galaxies (relatively new or slightly older), maybe a OnePlus too. The Mi 11X Pro alter ego is placed in a different context in India, where the INR40K price tag can get you a different OnePlus, or maybe a vivo, while Galaxies are harder to come by within the budget. Let’s go over the options.
For starters, the Mi 11 proper. For €50 to €100 extra, the series’ namesake will get you a more premium build (aluminum frame, Victus on the front), a higher-res display (1440p vs. 1080p) with a fingerprint reader in it and a couple of rear camera upgrades (bigger sensors on the main and ultrawide units). The Mi 11i, on the other hand, snatches a win for endurance, and that’s about it. We’re leaning heavily towards spending the extra money and getting the Mi 11 here.
The OnePlus 9 retails for €700, so another slightly pricier alternative to the Mi 11i. It has a superior set of main and ultra wide cameras but the Mi 11i counters with a more useful macro shooter. You’ll likely get slightly better battery life on the Mi while the OP is quicker to charge and features wireless charging. OxygenOS vs. MIUI is an entirely personal choice and feels like the only deciding difference between the two.
The Galaxy S20 FE can be had for anywhere between €500 and €700 depending on chipset version, storage level and retailer, and it’s not a bad idea to give it a shot if you’re eyeing the Mi 11i. The Galaxy has an IP68 rating and a tele camera, plus goodies like a microSD slot, wireless charging, and an under-display fingerprint sensor. The Mi 11i wins hands-down for performance thanks to its latest chip, but the Galaxy feels like a more well-rounded package.
Come to think of it, €700 buys you a Galaxy S21, the small one. Perhaps it wouldn’t be your first thought if you’re contemplating a Mi 11i, simply because of the size difference, but the S21 has virtues of its own. It uses a current-gen chipset, so the Mi’s performance advantage isn’t as pronounced. Victus on the front, wireless charging, IP68 rating, arguably better cameras overall – perhaps going small may not be such a bad idea.
Xiaomi Mi 11 • OnePlus 9 • Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G • Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
From the standpoint of the Mi 11X Pro, the competition looks different. OnePlus sells the 9R for the same price in India, and it’s got small advantages like a more premium aluminum frame, an under-display fingerprint reader, and NFC. The 9R’s SD870 chip isn’t as brawny as the Mi 11X Pro’s, however, so if performance is key, get the Mi.
The vivo X60 is in a similar position. With SD870 under the hood, it can’t quite match the Mi’s performance but offers a tele camera, NFC, and an under-display fingerprint sensor, though it has a single speaker. The vivo is the lightest of the three, which could be a consideration too.
OnePlus 9R • vivo X60
Verdict
The Mi 11i is a tough sell in Europe, pitted against marginally more expensive offerings from within or from the competition. While it has its strong points, it doesn’t really stand out in any particular way, and we’d pick one of the alternatives above.
As for the Mi 11X Pro, in its own local context, we’d say it makes more sense. It’s the best-priced entry into the world of SD888 performance, which can be reason enough for some buyers. And even if it’s missing NFC and a dedicated tele camera, it’s got enough merits in key areas to deserve your attention.
Pros
Excellent display – bright, accurate, HRR.
Top-tier chipset at a reasonable price.
Battery life around the top of the class.
Very good photo quality from the main camera in daylight and at night, okay ultrawide shots in good light.
Great video quality from the main camera, excellent video stabilization from both.
Cons
Plastic frame isn’t quite as premium, rear panel is a fingerprint magnet.
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor may not be to everyone’s liking.
IP53 rating isn’t quite like proper IP68-grade water resistance.
Apple has officially announced the dates for its annual WWDC event and keynote. This year, the event will take place entirely virtually from June 6 through June 10. This year at WWDC, we expect Apple to announce the future of its operating systems including iOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS 13. Head below for all of the details on WWDC 2022.
WWDC 2022 is official!
Here’s what Apple says we can look forward to at WWDC 2022:
Apple today announced it will host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in an online format from June 6 through 10, free for all developers to attend. Building on the success of the past two years of virtual events, WWDC22 will showcase the latest innovations in iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, while giving developers access to Apple engineers and technologies to learn how to create groundbreaking apps and interactive experiences.
Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations and Enterprise and Education Marketing, added:
“At its heart, WWDC has always been a forum to create connection and build community. In that spirit, WWDC22 invites developers from around the world to come together to explore how to bring their best ideas to life and push the envelope of what’s possible. We love connecting with our developers, and we hope all of our participants come away feeling energized by their experience.”
Despite Apple’s “all-online” headline, Apple also says WWDC 2022 will include a small in-person component:
In addition to the online conference, Apple will host a special day for developers and students at Apple Park on June 6 to watch the keynote and State of the Union videos together, along with the online community.
Apple adds that space will be limited, and details about how to apply to attend will be provided on the Apple Developer site and app soon.
Compared to the past two years of virtual WWDC events, Apple adds that this year it will offer “more information sessions, more cutting-edge learning labs, more digital lounges to engage with attendees, and more localized content to make WWDC22 a truly global event.”
What to expect
WWDC 2022 will include Apple’s State of the Union and Apple Design Award events, online sessions, one on one labs for developers, and numerous ways for developers to interact with Apple engineers and designers.
As usual, we expect Apple to focus heavily on its software platforms at WWDC this year. This will likely include the announcement of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, macOS 13, and tvOS 16. The company will also likely release developer betas of these new operating systems then as well.
This year, it’s also possible that WWDC includes new hardware announcements targeted at developers. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that Apple could announce its next round of Apple Silicon-powered Macs for May or June. It certainly seems plausible that these new Macs are announced during WWDC in June.
Apple says that it will share additional program information in advance of WWDC22 through the Apple Developer app, on theApple Developer website, and via email. We’ll be sure to share the latest details right here on 9to5Mac as they become available.
Now that we’ve covered the Galaxy S22 Plus, as well as the S22 Ultra in their own respective in-depth reviews, it’s time we take a closer look at the vanilla Galaxy S22 as well.
Most of you are likely already familiar with the Galaxy S22 lineup in at least some extent, but we still feel like we need to preface the review by saying that expectations towards the trio should be moderated. Not regarding the quality of the products. That is still excellent, but rather regarding any major generational changes or innovations. Those are few and far between on the S22 line. Well, perhaps sans for the reincarnation of the Galaxy Note line in the S22 Ultra, but without the legendary “Note” branding.
While arguably getting increasingly boring (or tamer for lack of better words) over the last few years, Samsung‘s flagship offers are nothing if not consistent. That has a lot of merit in itself. Apple proved that much time and time again with its incremental year-over-year strategy. So, what’s new with the S22 this year? Well, summing things up before we dive into the nitty-gritty – you get a new camera setup, new chipsets and slightly less battery that Samsung promises it will offset through better chipset and display efficiency. The displays on the vanilla and plus are now slightly shorter but do promise certain technological improvements.
The vanilla S22, which is the subject of this particular review, has shrunken down in overall size considerably compared to its Galaxy S21 predecessor. So much so, in fact, it can now be considered part of a rare breed of “compact” flagship devices. All in relative terms, of course.
The phone measures 146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm and it tips the scale at 167 grams (168 for the mmWave version). Compare that to the S21 and its 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm, 170g, or so, body. The new 6.1-inch display on the S22 has gotten shorter, which is a trend across the entire S22 line. Unfortunately, a smaller body has also mandated a smaller 3,700 mAh battery back. Down from 4,000 mAh last year.
Aside from the obvious move to the latest flagship chipset generation – the Exynos 2200 in Europe and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 pretty much everywhere else, the S22 also has a new main 50MP camera, with a 23% larger sensor than last year’s 12MP model. Also, a new 10MP telephoto with optical rather than hybrid 3x zoom. The ultrawide and selfie cams are carried over from the S21.
Samsung Galaxy S22 5G specs at a glance:
Body: 146.0×70.6×7.6mm, 167g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins), Armour aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised).
Another thing Samsung has been doing exceptionally well over the past few Galaxy S generations is segmentation. Obviously, the Ultra is in a feature league of its own this year, even if it’s lacking a “Note” moniker. Comparing the vanilla S22 to the S22+, though only reveals a few significant differences. The S22+ is obviously bigger, with a larger 4,500 mAh battery and advertised 45W fast charging support instead of the 25W that the S22 carries forward from older Samsung devices. We’ll get into more detail in the charging section, but, spoiler alert, the 45W omission is hardly significant. The omission of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) support on the vanilla S22 is hardly a deal-breaker too. The difference in display panels between the two is a bit more complex and goes beyond size. We’ll dive into that as well, but the vanilla S22 does miss out on the small yet nifty generational OLED brightness improvements of the S22+ and S22 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S22 • S22 Plus • S22 Ultra
None of these “omissions” in the vanilla S22 are that important and hardly take away from its undisputed and well-rounded flagship nature. That’s what we mean by great segmentation – for most prospective buyers, the choice between an S22 and S22+ will come down to size and, of course, price.
Speaking of budget, Samsung has remained impressively consistent on that front as well. You can check detailed pricing on the entire S22 lineup and the Galaxy Tab S8 here, but the S22 basically starts at $800, €850 or £770, which is essentially the original S21 MSRP. Getting the same price point is not an insignificant feat given the ongoing tough situation regarding supply chain and material shortages in the tech industry as a whole.
Samsung Galaxy S22 • S22 Plus • S22 Ultra
So, that’s the S22 in a nutshell – an incremental boring upgrade for some, a consistently-solid all-around flagship with no unexpected potentially deal-breaking surprises or price hikes for others. As usual, the devil is in the details. Follow along as we dig through them and really see what makes the Galaxy S22 tick.
Unboxing
Just like its S22+ and S22 Ultra sibling, the vanilla S22 ships in a minimal retail box in every sense of the word. In case you were wondering, there is still no charger in the box. That seemingly went away for good with the Galaxy S21 generation. The S22 family ships with a relatively short, sturdy USB Type-C to Type-C cable and a SIM ejector, plus some obligatory paperwork. And that’s it. As barren of a package as conceivable, but that’s the rule of the day.
Of course, there is the ecological angle to consider. The thin and compact two-piece box is made from 100% recycled paper, and Samsung has limited the use of plastics in the packaging as much as it can too. The printing is done with soy-based ink as well, making this among the most ecological retail packages around.
Competition
The Galaxy S22 trio is not cheap by any means. Even so, pricing is mostly unchanged from last year’s models, which should be considered an achievement given the even-climbing prices of materials, scarcity, and other ongoing global economic and relater factors. Plus, the vanilla S22 is naturally the cheapest of the bunch, with an MSRP of $800/€850/£770 for the base 128GB variant and $850/€900/£820 for the 256GB one. As per our price-tracker, as of writing this review, actual retail pricing has even come down a bit in some places.
Beyond being the cheapest of the bunch, which might be alluring to certain customers, the Galaxy S22 has another potentially even bigger thing going for it, pun intended – its size. Very few devices offer a full flagship experience in quite as compact of a form factor. That, coupled with the fact that the S22+ offers almost nothing over the vanilla S22 except for size, battery, and at a notably higher price, convinced us to leave it off of the list. What is a viable option, though, is the older Galaxy S21. It is still a great, all-around flagship. You’ll have to live with the controversial plastic back panel, which is mostly us joking since the S21 still has great build quality. You do also get a bigger battery. Plus, the S21 gets to benefit retroactively from Samsung‘s new promise of extended software support.
The same is also true for the Galaxy S21 FE 5G. It is a great way to get a comparable modern Samsung experience while also saving a few bucks in the process. You do have to be ok with a notably larger device, though, and last year’s flagship chipset and Samsung camera setup, which we have already established, still hold up in 2022.
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G • Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Circling back to the topic of compact flagships, while your options are limited, there are still a few devices to consider. The Asus Zenfone 8 is an interesting device in more than a few ways. It is compact but without skipping on major flagship features, like a great 120Hz, HDR10+ Super AMOLED panel, great stereo speakers, IP68 ingress protection and a respectable 4,000 mAh battery. Asus has its priorities aligned a bit differently than most going out of its way to fit additional hardware like an FM radio, NFC, 3.5mm jack and even a notification LED into the small Zenfone 8. Its ZenUI software is also a particular mix of clean and AOSP-like and highly customizable. The Zenfone 8 does, however, come with some notable camera compromises.
Asus Zenfone 8 • Apple iPhone 13 Pro • Sony Xperia 5 III
The Sony Xperia 5 III places much more emphasis on the camera department. It is also an all-around flagship in most other aspects, with IP65/IP68 ingress protection, stereo speakers, and a Snapdragon 888 chipset. It does have a bit of a “quirky” extra tall, “skinny” aspect ratio and a matching 21:9 display that is also a bit off in its BT.2020 HDR support but still excellent all-around with 120Hz refresh rate and 10-bit colors.
A valid argument can be made that the Xperia 5 III and the Zenfone 8 are “particular” in their own way. That’s pretty much us saying that they are not what we would consider “mainstream flagships” like the Samsung Galaxy S22. Enter the Apple iPhone 13 Pro – arguably the most viable and actual competitor to the Galaxy S22. There is hardly any need to sing the praises of the iPhone 13 Pro. We’ll just remind you that not unlike the S22 and S22+, the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max are basically all-around identical in their excellent flagship features, with size and battery capacity as the sole major differences.
Our verdict
The vanilla S22 is pretty much an incremental update like the rest of the Galaxy S22 line. Samsung is playing it safe yet again – no major breakthroughs or innovation and no jarring and potentially disruptive changes. It uses a familiar formula that has proven effective in drawing in crowds of satisfied, even if often unexcited users.
It’s hard to find any significant faults with the Galaxy S22. We can keep on dreaming of microSD cards and 3.5mm jacks, but that’s clearly not happening. And sure, its battery life could have been better or at least as good as the S21, and perhaps the Exynos 2200 overpromised a bit compared to its initial delivery.
Even so, the entire S22 lineup is as solid as ever. For better or worse, it is kind of the definition of “a safe choice”. Consistency is the name of the game, and it’s arguably the most difficult game to play in the smartphone realm, particularly with flagships. While it’s cool to be disruptive and strive to tread new ground with things like amazing charging speeds or price-defying specs at the expense of other cutbacks, that’s not how you stay on top of the game. The likes of Samsung and Apple have proven time and time again that the key is relentless consistency and extremely calculated moves and incremental upgrades while always building on a solid foundation year over year. That’s how you get the new iPhone and the next Galaxy S device.
The flip side of that reality is that while the S22 is engineered to be as good as possible for as many people as possible, it is pretty boring. Once again, boring in a dependable sense, but still hardly the device that is going to tickle a smartphone enthusiast’s fancy. We definitely wish we could have a more exciting smartphone scene like years past when even titans like Nokia could afford to roll the dice and experiment. Then again, there is something to be said about having an ever-dependable choice in the latest (and greatest) Galaxy S phones. That is a significant draw for many users out there. Plus, the vanilla S22, in particular, has the size aspect going for it, potentially drawing in a crowd seeking a true flagship experience in the smallest possible form factor. And that’s on top of those users simply wanting to pick up the cheapest of the S22 trio.
If you believe you fit nicely into either category getting the Galaxy S22 is a pretty easy decision. If “default” is not your style, there is a vast sea of more interesting and exciting devices out there for anyone willing to explore them.
Pros
Industry-leading build quality with IP68 rating. Small and compact in modern terms. The new flatter and more symmetrical design is still very recognizable.
Excellent 120Hz AMOLED display with great brightness, improved sunlight legibility, superb color accuracy and a great HDR video experience.
Solid all-around hybrid stereo speaker system.
Likable no-nonsense OneUI 4.1 OS with powerful features and extended software support (four OS updates and five years of security patches).
Solid flagship camera experience both in photos and videos. Incrementally better or just as good as the S21 generation, it adds further small refinements here and there, particularly in low-light photography.
Cons
No charger in the box and no pre-applied screen protector.
Worse battery life than last year’s Galaxy S21 5G.
The new RDNA2-based Xclipse 920 AMD GPU collaboration looks promising, but is experiencing some early bugs and we feel its potential is nowhere near fully utilized in practice yet.
It’s that time of year again, and we have the new Galaxy S smartphones in our hands. We’ll start our reviewing spree with the Galaxy S22 Plus.
It’s important to approach this year’s devices with the right expectations. Maintaining the pace of innovation year after year is impossible, so as you’ll see, major changes are rather few and far between. Well, perhaps sans for the reincarnation of the Galaxy Note line in the S22 Ultra, but without the legendary “Note” branding.
While arguably getting increasingly boring (or tamer for lack of better words) over the last few years, Samsung‘s flagship offers are nothing if not consistent. That has a lot of merit in itself. Apple proved that much time and time again with its incremental year-over-year strategy. So, what’s new with the S22 this year? Well, summing things up before we dive into the nitty-gritty – you get a new camera setup, new chipsets and slightly less battery that Samsung promises it will offset through better chipset and display efficiency. The displays on the vanilla and plus are now slightly shorter but do promise certain technological improvements.
The Samsung Galaxy S22Plus 5G is the subject of this particular review. Compared to last year’s Galaxy S21 Plus 5G in a bit more detail, it has gotten a bit shorter and ever so slightly wider and just a bit thinner and at 195/196 grams, also slightly lighter. Those last two bits probably have to do with the battery capacity reduction from 4,800 mAh last year to 4,500 mAh.
This time around, the S22 Plus has 45W fast charging, up from 25W last year. The display, while slightly shorter, gets an impressive brightness boost this year, thanks to Samsung OLED development. Then there is the new camera setup – a new main 50MP camera, with a 23% larger sensor than last year’s 12MP model. Also, a new 10MP telephoto with optical rather than hybrid 3x zoom. The ultrawide and selfie cams are carried over from the S21 Plus.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus 5G specs at a glance:
Body: 157.4×75.8×7.6mm, 195g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins), Armour aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised).
Another thing Samsung has been doing exceptionally well over the past few Galaxy S generations is segmentation. This year, obviously, the Ultra is in a league of its own, even if it’s lacking a “Note” moniker. Comparing the regular Galaxy S22 to the S22 Plus, however, basically comes down to size and, of course, price. The S22 Plus has a notably bigger 6.6-inch display that does get brighter, which we will discuss at length in the display section. Its body is proportionally bigger and houses a bigger battery, now with 45W charging support, as already mentioned. Though, that hasn’t proven to offer a huge practical advantage over Samsung’s 25W tech in the past.
The S22 Plus also gets Ultra Wideband (UWB) support. Other than that, the two phones are basically identical both inside and outside. This is truly great to see since all the user needs is to pick a size and/or budget.
Speaking of budget, Samsung has remained impressively consistent on that front as well. You can check detailed pricing on the entire S22 lineup and the Galaxy Tab S8 here, but the S22 Plus basically starts at $1,000, €1,050 or £950, which is essentially the original S21 Plus MSRP. Getting the same price point is not an insignificant feat given the ongoing tough situation regarding supply chain and material shortages in the tech industry as a whole.
So, that’s the S22 Plus in a nutshell – an incremental boring upgrade for some, a consistently-solid all-around flagship with no unexpected potentially deal-breaking surprises or price hikes for others. As usual, the devil is in the details. Follow along as we dig through them and really see what makes the Galaxy S22 Plus tick.
Unboxing
Unboxing the Galaxy S22 is not much of an “experience” in the conventional sense. If you were wondering, Samsung didn’t reverse its decision to exclude a charger from the retail box. That seemingly went away for good with the Galaxy S21 generation. The S22 family ships with a relatively short, sturdy USB Type-C to Type-C cable and a SIM ejector, plus some obligatory paperwork. And that’s it. As barren of a package as conceivable, but that’s the rule of the day.
On the flip side, though, there is almost no unneeded stuff in the box. The thin and compact two-piece box is made from 100% recycled paper, and Samsung has limited the use of plastics in the packaging as much as it can too. The printing is done with soy-based ink as well, making this among the most ecological retail packages around.
Competition
If you’re considering the Galaxy S22 Plus – a device that starts at $1,000, €1,050 or £950, as the saying goes, “the world is your oyster”. There’s no point in beating about the bush, that’s a lot of money to give up for a phone, so it better be good enough to live up to pretty much any expectation. Since you are effectively shopping in the top niche of the current smartphone market, phones in this price bracket are as good as smartphones get in 2022.
Premium buyers frequently tend to have at least some degree of “brand loyalty” for any number of reasons, be in pre-existing immersion into a given device ecosystem or experience with customer support or simply fastidious and specific care for any number of very particular aspects and features offered by one manufacturer or another.
Keeping that in mind, if you are in the market for an S22 Plus, it is very likely that you know for a fact you want a Samsung and you already considered and rejected the obvious alternatives of the vanilla Galaxy S22 and the S22 Ultra for any number of potential reasons. That’s what we mean by particular. Allow us to point you in a few less-obvious directions, like the Galaxy S21 FE 5G. It’s sort of the “sensible” alternative. You will have to “settle” for a slightly smaller and not as bright display, without automatic refresh rate switching, the older flagship Snapdragon 888 5G or Exynos 2100 chipset and some slightly-older camera sensors for the otherwise very comparable camera setup. Short of a few niche features like Samsung DeX and minor compromises in connectivity, that’s honestly about the extent of the “downgrade”. All the while, the potential savings are significant.
Beyond that, we have to admit that things are currently a bit weird in the flagship Android realm, mostly since some big-ticket phones are yet to get proper international availability. The Xiaomi 12 Pro’s European release is probably right around the corner, though. It is a great all-around device that comes very close to the Galaxy S22 Plus in terms of overall specs. Its most notable omission is probably ingress protection. Then again, it has many benefits of its own too. Since the older Xiaomi 11T Pro is already widely available and not far off in terms of specs, we’re mentioning it as well.
OnePlus is in a similar boat with the new OnePlus 10 Pro. We are currently expecting its global release sometime before the end of March. It is another solid all-around flagship offer with similar specs to the S22 Plus. Notably, a bigger 5,000 mAh battery, but also no ingress protection. It gets a soft recommendation as a viable alternative, mostly since the OnePlus 9 Pro is very similar specs-wise, widely available and does offer IP68 protection. Unfortunately, with a smaller 4,500 mAh battery.
Naturally, since we are talking about a Galaxy S22 device, arguably the definition of a “mainstream flagship”, we can’t fail to mention that an Apple iPhone is always a viable choice to make. Those do tend to be quite pricy, though, so the notably physically smaller iPhone 13 is probably the best you’ll be able to get off-contract without upping your budget over $1000.
Our verdict
It’s hard to find any significant faults with the Galaxy S22 Plus. We can keep on dreaming of microSD cards and 3.5mm jacks, but that’s clearly not happening. And sure, its battery life could have been better, and perhaps the Exynos 2200 overpromised a bit, compared to its initial delivery. Even so, the entire S22 lineup is as solid as ever. For better or worse, it is kind of the definition of “safe choice”. Consistency is the name of the game, and it’s arguably the most difficult game to play in the smartphone realm, particularly with flagships. While it’s cool to be disruptive, put out a “flagship killer” or go for an enticing title like “the first phone with…”, that’s not how you stay on top of the game. The likes of Samsung and Apple have proven time and time again that the key is relentless consistency and extremely calculated moves and incremental upgrades while always building on a solid foundation year over year. That’s how you get the new iPhone and the next Galaxy S device.
The flip side of that reality is that while the S22 Plus is engineered to be as good as possible for as many people as possible, it is pretty boring. Once again, boring in a dependable sense, but still hardly the device that is going to tickle a smartphone enthusiast’s fancy.
Keeping all of this in mind, the decision to get an S22 device is a simple and equally boring one – do you want and/or need the new Samsung flagship with all of the familiar positives and negatives that come with it? Nothing massive has really changed about this very same question going back at least a couple of Galaxy S flagship generations. The S22 Plus remains an ever-dependable default choice, and for a good reason. If “default” is not your style, there is a vast sea of more interesting and exciting devices out there for anyone willing to explore them.
Pros
Industry-leading build quality with IP68 rating. Perfect weight distribution. The new flatter and more symmetrical design is still very recognizable.
Excellent industry-leading 120Hz AMOLED display with major brightness improvements, improved sunlight legibility, superb color accuracy and a great HDR video experience.
Great all-around hybrid stereo speaker system.
Likable no-nonsense OneUI 4.1 OS with powerful features and extended software support (four OS updates and five years of security patches).
Solid flagship camera experience both in photos and videos. Incrementally better or just as good as the S21 generation, it adds further small refinements here and there, particularly in low-light photography.
Cons
No charger in the box and no pre-applied screen protector.
45W charging is still more wishful thinking that doesn’t translate to real-world gains and the charger situation is poorly communicated by the PR team.
The new RDNA2-based Xclipse 920 AMD GPU collaboration looks very promising, but is experiencing some early bugs and we feel its potential is nowhere near fully utilized in practice yet.
The Note that isn’t a Note, yet it may very well end up being the last Note – Samsung‘s Galaxy S22 Ultra has some big shoes to fill. Attempting to appeal to both productivity-focused stylus lovers and photography enthusiasts, the latest Ultra will either be the ultimate phone, period, or fall short for either group in some way. We’re here to find out which one is it.
The S Pen fans will have little to complain about on the face of it. The S22 Ultra has the same stylus as the Note20 Ultra and, like a true Note, it has a silo for keeping the thing inside the phone – none of that carry-it-separately-until-you-inevitably-lose-it nonsense with the S21 Ultra. The significant improvements in latency also sound promising, not that the old one was bad.
The camera crowd shouldn’t be disappointed either. You’re getting the same quad setup as the S21 Ultra (in principle, at least) and includes a couple of telephotos reaching all the way to 10x zoom, as well as an autofocusing ultrawide (that Samsung insists on keeping exclusive to the Ultra). That’s in addition to the big-sensor nona-binning 108MP main camera, of course.
The lengthy specsheet (summarized below) includes what appears to be the brightest display on a smartphone to date, latest chipsets from Qualcomm or Samsung (depending on locale, as usual), a 1TB storage option (next to a 128GB base tier not befitting the UItra’s stature), and a bump in battery capacity and rated charging power (we’ll see about that).
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G specs at a glance:
Body: 163.3×77.9×8.9mm, 228g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins), Armour aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised).
The S22 Ultra ships in a black cardboard box that’s now even smaller than before (the environment appreciates it) with a stylized number ’22’ on the lid and a sparkly ‘S’ in a color to match the actual paintjob of the phone inside.
High-end Galaxy unboxings have become simple tasks over the past couple of years since bundled chargers became a thing of the past – the flipside of the slimline box. Inside it, you’ll find the bare minimum – a USB-C cable and a SIM eject tool, and the phone itself. But what a phone it is.
Competition
If you’re eyeing up the Galaxy S22 Ultra, consider yourself lucky – obvious alternatives don’t exist and if the latest ultimate Samsung does it for you, no other phone will. Because the S22 Ultra is both the Note that didn’t happen last year, and the S Ultra that was always coming this Spring. As such, it is, indeed, everything to everyone – or, at least, most things to most people. But just telling you to pick up the Ultra without giving it much thought would be lazy reviewing and we only do that in the peak of summer, so let’s see what your options are.
The last Note by name, the 20 Ultra (rumor has it that there was also a non-Ultra Note in 2020, but nobody has seen it), is dated. It has a two-year-old chipset inside, and even when it came out, it wasn’t cutting-edge in terms of camera hardware. Sure, it does have what is essentially the same S Pen as this year’s model, but we’re not ones to condone buying a 2020 smartphone in 2022, flagship as it may have been at the time.
At 12-months-old, the S21 Ultra just barely passes the relevance test, so we might allow it. Its camera hardware may be superior in some obscure minor ways, but its output, in general, is not, so if the most capable Samsung cameraphone is needed, the S21 Ultra doesn’t cut it. Plus, it’s just a pretend-Note – it supports an S Pen, but has nowhere to store it, so what are the odds that you carry it on your person every time you need it.
You could say the same thing about the Galaxy Z Fold3 and its accessory S Pen. But if productivity is truly why the S22 Ultra is on top of your list, then maybe allowances could be made for the foldable that has 57% more screen area on just one of its screens (consider the other as a bonus), all the while being a mere 19% heavier. The Fold can’t quite compete with the Ultra for camera prowess though, so it’s looking like a classic case of ‘win some, lose some’.
You’d be winning in image quality if you go for another Ultra, the Mi 11 Ultra, even if that one isn’t exactly brand new either. Close to a year after its release, it remains our favorite cameraphone, and if that’s higher on your list than a stylus, it may be well worth tracking a Mi down (they’re not too widely available). There’s also the Mi 12 bunch that should be arriving soon, but we don’t know much about a possible next-gen Mi Ultra.
Last on this list is the iPhone 13 Pro Max, simply because the latest and best Galaxy is always going to be compared to the latest and best that Apple has put out. The Pro Max has neither the camera versatility, nor the stylus of the S22 Ultra, so that makes it somewhat of a tough sell if camera versatility and a stylus are what you’re after the Galaxy for, but iPhones can tickle people in odd and not exactly quantifiable ways.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is in such a market segment that the concept of value doesn’t necessarily apply to it and affect purchasing decisions. So the €1250/$1200 price is little more than just a number.
But the Ultra does, in fact, provide a lot of value. An upmarket phone with a stylus is essentially a Samsung-exclusive offering – competing efforts from Apple, Google, Xiaomi, Oppo, or Huawei simply do not exist. This is the latest and most powerful one and it can carry that S Pen inside it unlike the Fold or last year’s Ultra, so it’s unique even in Samsung‘s present realm too.
It’s not as clear cut when it comes to the camera, where we could come up with potential alternatives – as good, or maybe a touch superior in this or that. But there’s no denying that the S22 Ultra is a superbly capable all-rounded cameraphone, easily Samsung’s best yet.
It’s properly good when it comes to the fundamentals too, unsurprisingly. The brightest smartphone display we’ve seen excels in all other areas as well, battery life is about as solid as you can expect from a modern-day flagship, the software is refined and feature-rich, the design is understated, yet recognizable and stylish.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra may not have ‘Note’ in its name, but deep inside we know it is one, probably the last of its kind. From our Note-loving hearts and level reviewer heads alike, it’s an easy recommendation.
Pros
Traditional Note design with modern premium touches – big display, boxy shape, curved edges, unique camera styling.
S Pen has wide-ranging functionality for work and play, is virtually without competition.
Display is simply spectacular.
Battery life is pretty great, all things considered.
Ultra-grade camera system is one of the best on the market, zooming capability is hard to rival.
Cons
S Pen eats up internal volume and adds weight, which isn’t ideal if you’re in for the S Ultra and not the Note Ultra.
Poorly communicated fast charging capability (actually quite speedy in the Apple-Google-Samsung universe, but others are way faster).
Samsung is bringing 5G to the masses with the Galaxy A51 5G and the Galaxy A71 5G. We have the smaller one for review to find out what’s changed from the 4G version with the inclusion of the next-gen connectivity.
For starters, the chipset is different – it’s the Exynos 980 that is bringing that 5G capability and, along with it, a bump in performance over the modest 9611 SoC of the older model. A bigger battery is also among the new bits, a welcome upgrade to meet the increased power demand.
If you’re willing to pay the premium for 5G this early in its adoption, even on a midranger like the A51 5G, chances are you’d probably enjoy a more upmarket build and Samsung has obliged. It’s replaced the plastic midframe with an aluminum one. This remodeling, complete with the battery capacity bump and the extra antennas all means that the A51 5G is now 15g heavier – a not insignificant increase that robs it of all claims for lightness.
And that’s about everything that’s changed when going from 4G to 5G on the Galaxy A51. Here’s a quick refresher on the other key specs.
The Galaxy A51 5G comes in the same retail packaging as the 4G version, but proudly flying a 5G banner. It’s a proper cardboard box with a lid as opposed to lesser A-series models that replace the lid with a sleeve.
Inside the box there’s a full set of accessories. A 15W Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging adapter is bundled, maxing out the phone’s charging capability, and there’s a USB-A-to-C cable to go with it. A pair of earbuds with a three button remote is included and a soft silicone case will give your phone protection straight out of the box.
Competition
2020 has been the year of 5G phones going mainstream and next-gen connectivity support can now be seen not just on flagships, but on more and more handsets in the midrange. The Galaxy A51 5G, Samsung‘s most affordable entry in the field, comes in at a price point of $500/£430/€470 and there are worthy competitors on either side of that number.
The most affordable 5G handset in the western world at the time of writing, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G, retails for about €330, making it a bargain next to the Galaxy. The Xiaomi will give you 60fps video in 1080p, an IR blaster, and an HDR10+ capable display – granted, none of these are really game-changers. The camera system is similar, as is the performance of the Snapdragon 765G chip. The battery tests on Mi are ongoing, but we think the Galaxy will prevail if by a little. Going for it, the Samsung has a MicroSD slot and FM radio capability.
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G • Motorola Edge • Huawei P40 lite 5G • LG Velvet • Samsung Galaxy A71 5G
The Motorola Edge launched at €600, and that remains its MSRP, but we’ve seen it for €500, and at that price, it could make sense as a viable alternative to the Galaxy. It’s got a more versatile camera system with an extra telephoto cam, stereo speakers, and a 90Hz refresh rate OLED display. Come to think of it, these can be worth the premium to even get the Moto at full retail.
It’s harder to justify the €650 price of the LG Velvet against the Galaxy, if it’s solely for the 5G. The Velvet does offer IP68-rated dust and water resistance and stereo speakers, but unless you can get it in a bundle with the Dual Screen and have some use for said Dual Screen, LG’s posh midranger isn’t great value.
If you’d rather not splurge, but insist on the 5G support, the Huawei P40 lite 5G could be your thing – specifically the 5G version, because there’s a 4G P40 lite as well. Going the Huawei route might save you around €80/£70 but will also cost you Google Play services support and the OLED display which the A51 5G has.
In the US, the A51 5G should maybe become available at some point, but it isn’t for the time being. On the other hand, the A71 5G has been discounted to $430 (down from the $600 MSRP), and that’s not a half-bad deal, particularly in a market that’s missing affordable 5G options – the US doesn’t get the Moto Edge (just the Edge+) and LG Velvet, nor Xiaomi or Huawei altogether. The A71 5G is more or less the same phone as the A51 5G, with an extra 0.2 inches in display diagonal and larger main camera sensor.
Verdict
At a passing glance, the Galaxy A51 5G may look like a pointless addition to an already overpopulated lineup of Galaxy As. Closer inspection proves it to bring improvements in performance, battery endurance and even camera quality over the 4G version.
And that’s before you account for the fact that it’s the most affordable point of entry into 5G coming from Samsung. It’s not as good value as what Xiaomi can give you, but competing offers from other big names like LG and Motorola come at an even larger premium if they’re available at all. As such, the Galaxy A51 5G is shaping up to be an easy recommendation for early 5G adopters that would like to reap the benefits of the faster connectivity without shelling flagship money.
Pros
Upmarket build.
Excellent battery life, reasonably fast charging.
Super AMOLED display that’s plenty bright and good with colors.
Android 10 out of the box, One UI 2 has plenty going for it.
Competitive performance in the upper midrange segment.
Capable camera setup in daylight, decent low-light performance.
The ROG Phone 5 is currently the best gaming smartphone. Asus offers an additional Vision screen, more storage, and a larger scope of delivery with the Pro version. Our review clarifies for whom the upgrade is worthwhile.
The ROG Phone 5 Pro is different from the Standard variant visually and the build quality is on the same level. However, the big difference is on the back because the Pro has a so-called ROG Vision display instead of the dot RGB matrix. This can display smaller animations, also provides information about the current battery status when charging the smartphone and accompanies the connection of accessories with suitable animations.
Another difference is revealed in the scope of delivery, because the external AeroActive Cooler 5 is included in the box.
The equipment is unique for a smartphone. Besides the Pogo PINs for the connection to the fan, there is a USB 3.2 port (Gen. 2, up to 10 GBit/s, HDMI and dP support up to UHD, QC 5.0) right next to it and an additional USB 2.0 port (QC 3.0) on the bottom edge, which can be used for power supply while gaming. Furthermore, the additional ultrasonic keys AirTrigger 5 and an audio jack with High-Res Audio DAC are also on board.
The operating system Android 11 with the in-house ROG UI is used. Users who do not like this can switch, during the setup, to the standard UI, which is very similar to a pure Android.
All modern standards are used for the mobile data connection and the number of supported frequency bands for LTE and 5G has been increased again for the Pro version. Wi-Fi 6E is a fast WLAN standard that can connect to two networks simultaneously via dual WLAN and enables high and stable data rates in the test with the Netgear Nighthawk AX12.
The voice quality of the ROG Phone is really good and delivers a very good intelligibility when held to the ear, which only reaches its limits in very loud ambient noise. The speaker mode reverberates slightly, but has a good microphone range and quality. The Asus smartphone can accept two nano-SIM cards and supports VoLTE.
The ROG Phone 5 not only has a high refresh rate of up to 144 Hz, but the touch sampling rate of 300 Hz is also very high and promises a fast implementation of inputs on the touchscreen with a latency of 24.3 milliseconds. For biometric security, an optical fingerprint scanner is available in the display, which offers quite reliable recognition rates, but is not one of the fastest. Two-dimensional face recognition is also possible.
Cameras – triple optics in the ROG Phone 5 Pro
The ROG Phone 5 Pro relies on a camera setup that consists of three lenses. Besides the 64 MP main lens, an ultra-wide-angle and a macro lens are integrated. Even though the Sony sensor is still from last year, good pictures can be taken with it and the high reserves in terms of resolution allow smaller zoom levels without much loss of quality. Videos can also be recorded in 8k.
The front-facing camera also takes good pictures, but it cannot compensate backlight completely. Videos can be created in Full HD with up to 60 frames per second.
Display – Improved DC dimming
The display of the Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro is identical to that of the Standard variant. It measures 6.78 inches, works with a Full HD Plus resolution and up to 144 Hz. The OLED panel achieves up to 806 cd/m² in a pure white display and enabled ambient light sensor. With an even distribution of bright and dark areas (APL50), it is 1,088 cd/m² and 1,136 cd/m² with APL10. If you adjust the brightness manually, you have 488 cd/m² at your disposal.
It is positive that Asus has improved the DC dimming. Although this still only works with 60 Hz, it actually works now.
Performance, emissions and battery life
The Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 888 with a whopping 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM. The graphics calculations are handled by the integrated Adreno 660. Since the Qualcomm chipset is considered difficult to cool, Asus has focused exactly on this aspect and achieves a stable performance at all times in combination with the fan. Although the surface temperatures increase noticeably, they only get warm to the touch and remain absolutely harmless.
There is no game that Asus‘ smartphone cannot master in the highest detail settings, and it also offers broad support for titles with more than 60 FPS.
The two front-facing speakers can not only get very loud, but also provide a comparatively good sound image. There is also wide support for Bluetooth codecs as well as an excellent audio jack.
In terms of battery runtimes, the Pro model presents itself even more efficient than the standard variant; the manufacturer seems to have improved here as well.
Verdict – Little Pro, but more memory
Asus‘ ROG Phone 5 Pro has surprisingly little added value for its rather steep surcharge. The Vision display on the back is certainly a nice gimmick, but it does not offer any added value in everyday use. The doubling of the memory and the additional frequency bands could be more interesting, and the AeroActive Cooler 5 is included, which would otherwise also cost 60 Euros (~$70).
“The Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro is primarily aimed at memory-hungry users.”
Nevertheless, the ROG Phone 5 Pro remains the best gaming smartphone at the moment, with a strong configuration. Besides the 144 Hz AMOLED display, the performance-stable processor, additional ultrasonic sensor keys, two USB ports, and the broad support of games with 120 and 144 Hz are particularly important.
Cheaper alternatives are the Black Shark 4 or the RedMagic 6R, but they also have to make concessions in the areas of speed, features and optional accessories.
Price and availability
The ROG Phone 5 Pro is currently difficult to get hold of and at the time of this review has even disappeared from the Asus eShop and can primarily be purchased via Asian sites like AliExpress.
Just when we thought Xiaomi was ready to put the Mi 9 series to bed, the maker announced two new additions to the lineup – the affordable Mi 9CC9 and flagship Mi 9 Pro with a bleeding-edge chip. The Mi CC9 is truly the cheapest among the Mi 9 phones, but it’s anything but cheaply made.
The Mi CC9 joins the Mi 9 SE, Mi 9T, Mi 9T Pro, Mi 9, and Mi 9 Pro, and it seems the lineup is getting overcrowded and confusing. And we certainly won’t argue with that, but we won’t be ruling out the Lite as the one too many yet. At least, not before we see what it is capable of.
And the Xiaomi Mi CC9 looks quite promising with its large 6.39″ 1080p+ AMOLED, a Snapdragon 710 chipset, a triple camera on the back (wide/ultrawide/depth) and a massive 32MP selfie shooter at the front.
The Mi CC9 also impresses with a large 4,030 mAh battery, capable of fast charging; there is Android 9 with MIUI10; and we get all kinds of connectivity options including FM radio, an audio jack, IR blaster, and you can put in a microSD as well.
Xiaomi Mi CC9 is a rebranded version of the Asia-only Xiaomi Mi CC9. So, all findings in this review apply to the CC9, too.
Memory: 6GB of RAM; 64/128GB storage; hybrid microSD slot.
Battery: 4,030mAh Li-Po (sealed); 18W fast charging.
Connectivity: Dual-SIM; LTE-A, Cat.15/13 (800Mbps/150Mbps); USB-C; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; dual-band GPS; Bluetooth 5.0, FM radio, IR blaster.
Misc: Under-display fingerprint reader; single down-firing speaker; 3.5mm jack
The Xiaomi Mi CC9 looks beyond promising on paper, and we guess if it is priced right, it should be able to cement a spot in the market. Let’s get down to business, shall we?
Xiaomi Mi CC9 retail bundle
Our Mi CC9 unit arrived without a retail box, but we can still shed some light on what you will find inside. Xiaomi is shipping the phone with a USB-C cable and an 18W charger.
A soft transparent case is also part of the bundle, and some markets may even get the phone with a factory-applied screen protector.
Wrap-up
With the latest Mi 9 lineup expansion, the series is already getting a bit overcrowded, and the names are starting to get confusing, especially when you throw those Pro variants in the mix. So, was the Mi CC9 really necessary?
Well, let’s start by saying the Xiaomi Mi CC9 delivers a stellar presentation across the board – it is a beautiful smartphone, with a large OLED screen, a fast and modern chipset, one beefy battery, and of course, the cameras impress with great photos and videos.
Indeed, once again Xiaomi has lived up to its promise and the Mi CC9 is a well-executed phone with a thoughtful pick of features and competitive price. So far, so good. But…
The alternatives
The Mi CC9 is a lighter version of both the Mi 9 and Mi 9T. And that’s great and was probably a good idea on paper before you realize it costs just €50 less than the Mi 9 or Mi 9T, while on some markets the price difference is even lower. And that’s the issue – both of these Mi 9 phones offer faster chips and additional zoom cameras on their backs. Oh, and the Mi 9T screen is notch-less. It’s hard to pass on either of these for the Lite.
Then we have the Redmi Note 8 and Note 8 Pro, which are both cheaper than the Mi CC9 but offer a similar feature set. Except their screens are LCD instead of OLED. The Redmi Note 8 is half the Mi CC9 price, but even its Pro version is still at least €60 cheaper than the Lite.
Xiaomi Mi 9 • Xiaomi Mi 9T • Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 • Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro
Xiaomi has so many phones to offer and they pretty much suffocate the Mi CC9 and we have a hard time imagining it will win many customers over the existing offers.
Outside Xiaomi’s own series, the Realme XT is a real treat with a dual Gorilla Glass 5 body, a large OLED screen, same chip, and a similar large battery. The Realme XT is priced closely to the Mi CC9 but has a more versatile camera with its 64MP primary cam and a fourth camera for macro shooting.
The Samsung Galaxy A70 has an even larger Super AMOLED screen, packs a similar punch under the hood, and its triple-camera is more or less the same as on the Mi CC9. The A70 boasts a larger battery with faster charging, and One UI is a pleasure to work with.
Realme XT • Samsung Galaxy A70
The verdict
The Xiaomi Mi CC9 is a great smartphone which few will buy, unless you value its microSD card slot too much. Even if it were cheaper, the Redmi series would have still been the better choice. We think Xiaomi has gone too far with its Mi 9 series saturation and the Mi CC9 will be the first, and we hope the last, to fall into the oblivion because of that.
But if you happen to be among those few that discover enough reasons to buy a Lite – we’re sure it won’t disappoint you for a second.
The spirit of the first-ever Pocophone – the F1 – continues to live as part of the newly announced Poco X3 Pro and the Poco F3. These two mid-rangers reach new heights with 120Hz screens, flagship-grade chips, stereo speakers, large batteries. And today, we’ll be exploring the cheaper Poco X3 Pro – the first Snapdragon 860 carrier – and its bang for the buck features.
The Poco X3 Pro builds on top of the Poco X3 NFC, and they both look alike. The Pro version employs much better hardware, though – it is the first phone to run on the Snapdragon 860 SoC – a repackaged version of the once (and still) flagship Snapdragon 855+ chip.
Just like the Poco X3 NFC, the Poco X3 Pro is IP53-rated for dust protection and splash resistance, it packs a 6.67″ IPS LCD screen with 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate support, and the same 5,160mAh battery capable of 33W fast charging. You also get stereo speakers, a microSD slot, NFC, an IR blaster, and even a 3.5mm jack.
Oddly, the camera is a bit different and not in a good way. See, the Poco X3 Pro has a quad-camera on its back with a 48MP primary, an 8MP ultrawide, a 2MP macro, and a 2MP depth snappers. It’s not bad, it’s just that the regular X3 model offered a 64MP main and a 13MP ultra-wide shooters, and we can’t but feel the Pro as being demoted in this department.
Well, obviously the most significant upgrade since the original X3 is the much-improved SoC, which should allow for reaching beyond 60fps on many of the popular games and utilize the full potential of the 120Hz screen. This is often an issue with the HRR-capable mid-rangers, and we will gladly take the update, be it at the expense of some camera megapixels.
Let’s dig into the specs now.
Poco X3 Pro specs at a glance:
Body: 165.3×76.8×9.4mm, 215g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), plastic frame, plastic back; IP53, dust and splash protection.
We can’t think of anything missing on this €250 phone. Yes, we would have liked a telephoto camera and an AMOLED screen, but maybe that’s why we have the Poco F3 and the supposedly upcoming F3 Pro?
We can feel we are in for a treat with the Poco X3 Pro, but before we dig in, let’s first unbox this thing.
Unboxing the Poco X3 Pro
The Poco X3 Pro retail bundle brings no surprises, and it is as rich as we are used to getting with the Poco and Redmi phones. Inside the box, you’ll find the promised 33W power adapter and а 3A-rated USB-C-to-A cable.
There is also a transparent silicone case, which has a small protective cover for the USB port. The flap is a bit annoying when you need to charge your Poco X3 Pro, but we can appreciate the extra care for the port.
And for the true Poco fans, the box also contains a bunch of Poco stickers you can put on your computer, monitor, desk, car, and whatnot.
Alternatives
The Poco X3 Pro gives you a flagship-grade screen, outstanding performance, excellent battery endurance and speedy charging at the unbeatable price of €249. And when you think it can’t get better than that, you notice the little things like splash protection, stereo speakers, a capable camera, and fan-favorite connectivity options. And then you just wonder how is it possible for Xiaomi to offer this so cheaply?
We can ponder on this as long as we like, but it doesn’t really matter, does it? What you should be asking is if the competition can match this offer.
The Realme 7 Pro is a good match to the Poco X3 Pro, and it shines with an AMOLED screen, but it’s limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, and the Snapdragon 720G is no threat to the flagship Snapdragon 860. The Realme 8 Pro is just around the corner, but it seems to be focused on camera upgrades instead of screen and/or performance.
A good gaming-oriented alternative is the Samsung Galaxy A42 5G – it costs as much as the Poco X3 Pro. It packs an HD 60Hz OLED and runs on the powerful Snapdragon 750G 5G chipset. Its quad-camera is quite capable, while the battery endurance is simply remarkable. We know this Samsung cannot match the 120Hz 1080p screen, but it can offer 5G and even more battery life while keeping the gaming performance on a similarly high note.
Then there is the already cheaper Poco X3 NFC. It has a bit better main camera and offers the same 120Hz screen, but the performance isn’t as impressive due to the mid-range Snapdragon 732G chip. You can get it for €50 cheaper than the Pro, but we are not sure if it’s worth it. If your budget is €200, you better keep an eye out for the early birds Poco X3 Pro sales, which will go for exactly €200.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro also costs €250 and is an excellent alternative to the Poco X3 Pro. This Redmi has an even better 120Hz AMOLED screen and some flagship-worthy 108MP main camera on the back. It matches the stereo speakers and battery skills and the IP53-rated body. The chipset in charge of everything is the Snapdragon 732G – which isn’t as powerful as the 860. You have to decide whether a better screen and camera are worthy over 40% or so performance gap.
Realme 7 Pro • Samsung Galaxy A42 5G • Samsung Galaxy A52 • Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
Finally, if you want a phone like the Poco X3 Pro, but with an AMOLED screen, look no further than the newly announced Poco F3. It’s literally the X3 Pro with a 120Hz OLED and an even faster Snapdragon 870 SoC (a repackaged SD865 version), but sadly the microSD slot had to go. The Poco F3 will go on sale for €350, but the early adopters will be able to get it for just €299.
The verdict
We loved the Poco X3 Pro, and you can easily tell that. There is hardly a better performer at that price level. And early birds can get one for as low as €199.
The Poco X3 Pro offers unbeatable flagship bang for some entry-level buck, but it also impresses with so much more – display, speakers, battery, charging, and even camera. This achievement is something for the history books, just like the first Poco F1’s was and the X3 Pro receives our outright recommendation.
Pros
Signature design; IP53-rated for dust and splash resistance.
Large screen with 120Hz refresh and HDR10 support.
Excellent battery life, fast charging.
Balanced stereo speakers, good loudness.
Top notch performance, outstanding stability.
Dependable cameras day and night, okay selfies.
Good 4K clips, EIS works, too.
MIUI 12, Android 11, 3.5mm jack, IR blaster, microSD slot.
Intriguing launch price
Cons
Somewhat bulky.
Screen pixel response time isn’t ideal (we are nit-picking here).
