Oneplus 6 launched but should you upgrade?

OnePlus 6 was launched in India yesterday, is it worth an upgrade? Here, I take a look at how the OnePlus 6 comparing it with OnPlus 5T being the last flagship in the company's stable. Of course, the latest flagship is more expensive than the last, with the company continuing its upward trend. The phones have several similarities, with both the OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 5T bearing bezel-less displays, hoIver, the neIst flagship features an even taller display that's been offset with the use of an iPhone X-style notch. Both the smartphones also feature dual rear cameras, full-screen gestures, displays that support both the sRGB and DCI-P3 colour gamuts, apart from having similar base model configurations - 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. Of course, this article is about what's new and different on the OnePlus 6, compared with the OnePlus 5T and is it worth an upgrade?

OnePlus 6 vs OnePlus 5T: Price in India differences

The OnePlus 6 price in India is Rs. 34,999 for the base 6GB RAM/ 64GB storage variant and Rs. 39,999 for the 8GB RAM/ 128GB storage option. The standard 8GB RAM/ 256GB storage variant is not being launched in India, but those who want the top-end variant can go for the OnePlus 6 Marvel Avengers Limited Edition model. Priced in India at Rs. 44,999, it comes with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, sports a custom design inspired by the hit Marvel franchise, and will be available in limited quantities only.

OnePlus 6 price starts at $529 (roughly Rs. 35,800) for the 6GB RAM/ 64GB storage variant, $579 (roughly Rs. 39,200) for the 8GB RAM/ 128GB storage variant, and $629 (roughly Rs. 42,600) for the 8GB RAM/ 256GB storage variant. 

In contrast, the OnePlus 5T price in India starts at Rs. 32,999 for the 6GB RAM/ 64GB inbuilt storage variant, and goes up to Rs. 37,999 for the 8GB RAM/ 128GB inbuilt storage variant. In the US, the OnePlus 5T 6GB RAM/ 64GB storage variant is priced at $499 (roughly Rs. 32,600), while the 8GB RAM/ 128GB storage variant is priced at $559 (roughly Rs. 36,500).

 OnePlus 6 vs OnePlus 5T: Design differences

The biggest differences betIen the OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 5T can be seen in the design department. While the company boasts the OnePlus 6 fits a bigger screen in a form factor that's roughly equivalent to the OnePlus 5T, there are some differences in dimensions and Iight. The OnePlus measures 155.7x75.4x7.75mm and Iighs 177 grams, while the OnePlus 5T measures 156.1x75x7.3mm and weighs 162 grams. This means the OnePlus 6 is shorter, wider, and thicker than the OnePlus 5T, whilst also being 15 grams heavier.

While the OnePlus 6 sports an all-glass body, featuring Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on both sides of the smartphone, the OnePlus 5T sports a metal unibody design, built with anodised aluminium - it only bears the Gorilla Glass 5 protection on the front. Despite the use of glass, OnePlus claims the OnePlus 6 has been tested to be as durable in terms of falls and shocks compared to previous generations of the company's smartphones.

Of course, I'd be remiss not to mention another major design difference - the use of the iPhone X-like notch on the OnePlus 6. The company has squeezed the front camera, proximity sensor, and earpiece into the notch, whereas on the OnePlus 5T these components Ire present on an upper lip above the bezel-less display. This, as you would imagine, helps maximise visual real estate on the smartphone, with less space taken up on the front panel for things apart from the display. Both smartphones feature fingerprint sensors on the rear panel, at the centre of the smartphone. Along this line, I also have to mention that the OnePlus 6 has a vertical dual rear camera setup, once again in the centre of the rear panel, whereas the OnePlus 5T bears a horizontal dual rear camera setup, placed on the top left of the smartphone.

The last major design difference I'd like to talk about is the colour variants available. The OnePlus 5T was launched in Midnight Black, but made available in special edition variants such as the Lava Red and Star Wars (White). The OnePlus 6 on the other hand, has been launched in Midnight Black and Mirror Black colour variants, with a Silk White special edition variant announced for release next month.

OnePlus 6 vs OnePlus 5T: Hardware differences
Let's start with the cameras. As I mentioned, both the OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 5T feature dual rear camera setups, and while there are some similarities, there are some major differences. First off, OnePlus has used a vertical dual camera setup on the OnePlus 6, compared to horizontal dual camera setup on the OnePlus 5T. The OnePlus 6 has a primary 16-megapixel Sony IMX519 sensor with a 1.22-micron pixel size, f/1.7 aperture, OIS, and EIS. The secondary 20-megapixel Sony IM376K sensor has a 1-micron pixel size and an f/1.7 aperture. The rear cameras are supported by a dual-LED flash module, and the company is touting Slow Motion video recording up to 480 frames per second.

On the other hand, the OnePlus 5T has a 16-megapixel Sony IMX398 primary sensor with 1.12-micron pixels, and an aperture of f/1.7. The secondary camera has a 20-megapixel Sony IMX376K sensor and a telephoto lens, with a 1-micron pixel size and f/1.7 aperture. Its rear camera setup also has a dual-LED flash.

The OnePlus 6 sports a 16-megapixel front camera with a Sony IMX371 sensor, 1-micron pixels, f/2.0 aperture, and EIS. It also supports Portrait Mode on the front camera, with an AI algorithm offering depth-of-field effects. The front camera on the OnePlus 5T on the other hand has a 16-megapixel Sony IMX371 sensor with 1-micron pixels and an aperture of f/2.0 - it doesn't have a Portrait Mode feature.

Another major difference betIen the two smartphones are the displays. While the OnePlus 6 bears a 6.28-inch full-HD+ (1080x2280 pixels) Full Optic AMOLED display with a 19:9 aspect ratio and an 84 percent screen-to-body ratio, protected by Gorilla Glass 5, the OnePlus 5T bears a 6.01-inch full-HD+ (1080x2160 pixels) Full Optic AMOLED with an 18:9 aspect ratio, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Screen-to-body ratio for the OnePlus 5T has not been provided.

The OnePlus 6 also sports the latest, greatest silicon from Qualcomm, and is poIred by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC coupled with either 6GB or 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, apart from the Adreno 630 GPU. The OnePlus 5T on the other hand sports a Snapdragon 835 SoC, with either 6GB or 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, coupled with the Adreno 540 GPU. While both processors are 10nm based, OnePlus claims the newer processor provides an improvement in performance of up to 30 percent, and 10 percent greater efficiency. As for the GPU, OnePlus claims a 30 percent improvement in performance compared to the last generation.

The last major hardware difference between the smartphones is the inclusion of a 256GB inbuilt storage model on the OnePlus 6. The OnePlus 5T on the other hand offers a maximum of 128GB of inbuilt storage. Neither smartphone supports storage expandability via microSD card.

OnePlus 6 vs OnePlus 5T: Software differences
Both the OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 5T run OxygenOS, the smartphone maker's custom Android ROM, with several customisation (Reading Mode, Gaming Mode) and personalisation (Themes, Accents) options over and above stock Android. While the OnePlus 5T was launched with OxygenOS 4.7, it has since been upgraded to OxygenOS 5.1 - something the OnePlus 6 will launch with out-of-the-box. Both are based on Android 8.1 Oreo.

On the OnePlus 6, the company says it has further optimised the smartphone for speed, making improvements for app launch times, the caching for frequently used apps, as Ill as overdraw reduction. Separately, it has further improved Gaming Mode on the OnePlus 6. While OxygenOS 5.1 brought Gaming Mode improvements to the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T, the Gaming Mode on the OnePlus 6 will have extra features like limiting processes in the background when in the mode, giving network prioritisation to gaming apps, and giving the option to enable a 'gaming battery saver' while gaming. Lastly, the OnePlus 6 will also have a Smart Folder feature - when you drag and drop apps to create folders, OxygenOS will name the folder based on the apps it contains.

Conclusion : If you are coming from a oneplus 3 or 3T oneplus 6 would be a pleasant change i.e if you are fine with a case thanks to the glass back which makes it a love it or hate it choice. If you are coming from last year’s phone it is just an incremental upgrade which is not a compelling choice.
 

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Battle of display technologies IPS LCD VS AMOLED

Audible

One of the many choices you have when buying a new smartphone is display type. There are two major technologies on the market, AMOLED (or Super AMOLED) and IPS LCD, and both have their advantages and disadvantages. Let me explain exactly what you need to know about them without going too far into the complex technicalities of each approach.

Right away it's worth pointing out that all the major manufacturers put a few proprietary technologies on top of the foundations laid by AMOLED or IPS LCD – technologies usually given a baffling custom name – and that's why two AMOLED smartphones may not match in terms of depth and quality even if they're of the same type. In other words the quality of a phone's display is about more than whether it uses AMOLED or IPS LCD.

While I  can talk about the differences between AMOLED and IPS LCD in broad terms, if you want to know the standard of the screen on one particular device, individual reviews are always your best port of call. Differences between these two technologies have changed over the years, and will continue to change as new upgrades appear, so keep an eye on the newest updates from the major manufacturers.

AMOLED

AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) technology is now often seen in its next-generation Super AMOLED guise. With these displays, individual pixels are lit separately (that's the active matrix bit) on top of a thin film transistor (TFT) array that passes electricity through organic compounds (that's the OLED bit). It's a newer technology than IPS LCD and improves on it in some areas while still lagging behind in others.

At its heart OLED technology uses anodes and cathodes for electron flow through a very thin film; brightness is determined by the strength of the electron current. Color is controlled by the tiny red, green and blue light-emitting diodes built into the display. The best way of understanding it is to think of each pixel as its own independently colored, miniature light bulb on the screen.

Colors are typically brighter with AMOLED and Super AMOLED, and blacks are darker because portions of the screen can be effectively turned off. This also leads to a theoretical improvement in battery life, but that depends on exactly how you're using the screen (if all the pixels are lit all the time, the inverse can be true with AMOLED being more power-hungry than IPS LCD).

Samsung is Super AMOLED's biggest fan, and you'll often find its phones being talked about in terms of the vibrancy and vividness of the colors – that's Super AMOLED at work. The technology scores highly for gorgeous-looking colors and very deep blacks.

The key difference between Super AMOLED and the standard AMOLED (often used by the likes of Motorola) is that the former integrates touch sensors in the display itself, removing the need for an extra layer and often allowing for an overall thinner device.

Generally speaking Super AMOLED also offers better brightness and battery life, though again manufacturers are working hard to minimize the difference with their own improvements.

AMOLED traditionally suffered from "burn in," where pixel quality degraded over time, though this is becoming less of a problem as the technology improves. Also in the negative column, they cost more to produce and can appear less sharp when viewed at very close range.

IPS LCD

In the other corner of the ring we have IPS LCD, or In-Plane Switching Liquid Crystal Display – as Super AMOLED is an upgrade on plain old AMOLED, so IPS LCD improves on the venerable (TFT) LCD technology. The mighty iPhone uses IPS LCD and from the manufacturers' point of view it's cheaper to produce, which is a bonus

In essence, LCD uses polarized light which is then run through a color filter. Horizontal and vertical filters on either side of the liquid crystals control the brightness and whether or not each pixel is on or off. With the backlight included, the handsets are usually thicker – though as with many of these points progress is being made to fix that (and Apple's latest iPhones are notable exceptions).

All the pixels are backlit to some extent while the device is on, however, even the black ones. This means contrast and blackness can suffer (if you're watching a movie set in deep space, for example). On the upside, pixels can give the impression of being packed more closely together, aiding sharpness and clarity (something Apple is very keen on). IPS LCD is often spoken of as offering more natural colors; AMOLED screens can sometimes look a little over-saturated.

Viewing angles often aren't quite as good on IPS LCD as they are on AMOLED, broadly speaking, and again its the backlight to blame. On the other hand whites tend to come out better – the whites on an AMOLED screen can sometimes come across as slightly yellowy. Photographers tend to opt for IPS LCD displays as they show colours more accurately.

  

As well as Apple, LG is a big fan of the IPS LCD approach, and so is HTC. These displays can usually perform better in terms of their visibility in bright sunlight even if they're not quite as good for watching movies in a darkened room (as you can see, it's a tough call to pick one over the other).

CONCLUSION

There really is no winner when it comes to AMOLED vs IPS LCD, but it's still helpful to know what each technology involves. The quality of a screen primarily comes down to how a manufacturer applies its chosen standard, and a lot of potential problems on both sides – from battery drain to washed-out blacks – can be minimized with a high-quality production process.

Many of the issues and disadvantages we've talked about are being dealt with by Samsung, Apple and the other major players, as each one tweaks the displays in their handsets and the technology lying underneath. For that reason keep reading the reviews as they come out to see how AMOLED and IPS LCD fare in the years to come.

Ultimately, you should focus on the strengths of each technology when choosing – that's bright colors and deep blacks for AMOLED, and natural colors and sharpness for IPS LCD. It would be nice to have one technology that does everything perfectly, of course, but we're not quite there yet.

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Now get Pixel 2/2 XL's camera app on Oneplus 3/3T

If there is one thing about the Google Pixel 2/2 XL smartphone never fails to impress a user, it is its camera and the portrait mode. And fortunately, the feature is now available for Oneplus 3/3T.

 

There are few contenders for best smartphone camera of 2017, and most of us would agree that Pixel 2/2 XL has the best camera on any smartphone. Thanks in large part to the phone’s exceptional combination of camera hardware with Google’s prowess in image processing software as seen by their famous HDR+ technology.

 

The Pixel 2’s Portrait Mode is perhaps its best new feature due to how the algorithm can produce beautiful photos that focus on one or more persons. While Pixel 2 camera features such as Motion Photos, Face Retouching, and even the new AR Stickers have been ported, it was thought that Portrait Mode would remain a Pixel 2 exclusive for quite some time. Fortunately, XDA Senior Member Charles_l proved that Portrait Mode could be forced to work on other devices, starting with the first generation Google Pixel & Pixel XL, Nexus 6P, and Nexus 5X. Thanks to this preliminary work, other developers have joined in to port the Portrait Mode feature over to some non-Google devices running Android Oreo.

 

Developer Arnova8G2 of XDA essentially modifies on Chow’s work, and the NX Camera 7.3 can now be installed on other Android devices with a fully functional portrait mode. The OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T, Moto G5S Plus, and Samsung Galaxy Note 8 are among the devices that have been confirmed to work with this, and while it should be compatible with most Android phones on Oreo, you’ll need to download the app and test it out for yourself.

 

As of now, the portrait mode can only be ported for the rear cameras, however, it is believed that Arnova8G2 will release an updated for the front-cameras as well.

Do note that this isn’t an official release, and is only a support released by a developer. Mileage of the app for each user may vary. I have installed it on my Oneplus 3 and it is working fine for the rear camera however it crashes often when I use the front camera. It is a good try as you get pretty good portraits with the rear camera.

 

You can download the same using the link of XDA Developers.

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How to get the most of your Android Smartphone's battery

 

 Smartphone batteries don't last forever but there are lots of things you can do behind-the-scenes to make your Android last longer. Let's explore how to increase battery on your smartphone.

 

How does batteries work on Android

 

First, some background: most smartphones have either a lithium-ion battery or a lithium-polymer battery. Both are actually lithium-ion though, and as such, do not have a 'memory', which means you can charge them from any level – you don't have to fully discharge them before charging them up – and you don't have to charge them all the way to 100 percent.

 

In fact, these types of batteries suffer from low voltage problems, so it's actually better to partially charge them (say, from 20 percent to 90 percent) than to fully charge and fully drain them. Battery care is always open for debate though, so for every accepted tip there will be someone that says it makes no difference. Just find the ones that work for you and you can increase battery on your Android device.

 

Black wallpaper can increase battery

 

If your phone has an AMOLED screen (like most Samsung devices), use a dark-colored background. Black wallpaper can increase battery life because AMOLED screens only illuminate the colored pixels. Black pixels are unlit, so the more black pixels you have, or the more darker pixels, the less power is needed to light them up.

 

To download a completely black wallpaper, tap the link here. Now, save the picture and go into your Settings. From there tap Wallpaper hit Choose wallpaper and scroll down to Gallery. You should be able to find the black wallpaper you just saved. Hit set to wallpaper and lock screen.

 

Doze Mode

 

Doze mode has been around since Android Marshmallow, but with Nougat, it's been much improved. Before, Doze would only work when the smartphone has been stationary for a while. But now, it can also work when it's being moved around (in your bag or pocket while you're on the go, for example). The screen just needs to be off to work.

 

Doze mode essentially just shuts down things you're not using depending on how long it has been since you've touched your phone. Network connection is severed and syncing only happens during specific intervals. When you're away from your phone even longer, more things are stopped, like GPS, Wi-Fi scanning and all syncing.

 

Turn off Google hotwords

 

Stop your phone from always listening. Google's OK Google voice searching is a fantastic and often very functional feature. The problem is that it can wreak havoc with your battery. Especially if you don't actually use it or only use it occasionally.

 

Go into Google settings from your app drawer and tap Voice heading. On the next page, select OK Google detection. In this menu, the best option for battery life would be to untick all the boxes, but if you are a fan of OK Google, just tick the From the Google app box to ensure your device is only listening when you're in the Google app.

 Don't let your apps fall behind the times

 

Keep your apps updated. There's a reason developers constantly update apps, and most of the time it's for memory or battery optimization. Keeping your apps updated also means you have the best optimizations available. Likewise, delete old apps you no longer use, because these may be running background processes that chew up RAM and battery life.

 

 

Once you've ensured your apps are up-to-date you can go through them individually and check if they're optimized for battery life. This can be done quite quickly. Just go into your Settings and tap Battery. From there hit the menu button (three dots at the top right of your screen) and go to Battery optimization. From there you can see which apps are optimized and change them. You can only change the non-essential system apps.

 

Use the 'Lite' versions of apps

 

To save battery life, not to mention mobile data, you can take advantage of 'Lite' versions of popular apps. These are stripped down to their essential features and designed to be simpler and more economical than their full counterparts. Facebook and Messenger both have Lite apps available in the Play Store. Skype also has a Lite app in the Play Store, but it may be unstable as it is technically unreleased. For services like Gmail, Twitter and Instagram, there is no Lite app available to download.

 

Don't use adaptive/auto brightness

 

Don't use display auto-brightness. It may sound useful, but auto-brightness is usually way brighter than you really need. It's better to manually set the brightness to a level that is low but comfortable, and bump it up when necessary. This is one of the best ways to improve your battery life, because the screen is one of the biggest battery suckers.

 

To ensure your adaptive/auto brightness is off go into the Quick settings in many devices and you should see Auto with a box above and a checkmark in it. Uncheck this box and your auto will be off. With some devices you might need to go into the Settings then tap Display. From there you should see Brightness level and in it you'll find the auto settings.

 

Turn off vibrate and haptic feedback to save battery

 

Switch off vibrate. Unless you really need that added awareness, turn off vibration alerts for incoming calls. It actually takes more power to vibrate your phone than it does to ring it. Turn off haptic feedback too (that buzz you get from typing on the keyboard). Sure it feels cool, but it doesn't really add anything to your experience, and it's another battery drainer.

                                                                                                                                

Set your 'Do Not Disturb' or 'sleep' schedule

 

Set sleep times or blocking mode to switch off Wi-Fi and mobile data when you don't need them. If your phone is basically off limits at work, set your device to not ring, vibrate or connect to the internet while you're at work. Many phones have a Do Not Disturb setting for just this purpose.

 

Likewise, you can set your phone to airplane mode when you're asleep or use sleep or blocking modes to set up limits for what your phone does during certain times of the day, whether that's while you're asleep, at work or in a meeting. Cool apps such as IFTTT let you create rules that can help you save battery life too.

You don't need to be connected 24/7

 

Turn off GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi and mobile data whenever you don't need them. Turning off location data, or changing your location settings to use Wi-Fi or 3G data rather than GPS works perfectly well. This will increase battery on your Android device.

 

Only turn on Bluetooth and NFC as long as you need them (even though they consume very little power), and there's no need to have both Wi-Fi and mobile data turned on at all times, especially if you know exactly when you'll need one or the other.

 

If you use Wi-Fi a lot though, say at home and at work, then it makes sense to keep set your Wi-Fi to 'Always on during sleep' as this uses less power than to have your Wi-Fi reconnecting every time you wake your phone. Most of these can be found in your Quick settings.

 

Don't get bogged down by widgets

 

Ditch widgets you don't need, especially those connected to the internet, such as weather widgets. If you have multiple widgets across several home screens, which are constantly syncing and updating (Twitter, reddit, weather, Gmail and the like), you're not doing your battery any favors. Just hit the apps when you need them.

 

If you already have a bunch of useless widgets on your device then you just need to do a couple of things and they'll be gone. Long press on a blank space on your home screen. Now drag the widget you don't need into the trash bin at the top or bottom of your screen (it depends on the brand).

 

Explore the battery saving features on your phone

 

All ROMs, whether stock Android, OEM UIs such as TouchWiz, or custom ROMs like CyanogenMod, have various settings in the menu to help conserve or optimize battery consumption.

 

HTC has Extreme Power Saving Mode, Samsung has Ultra Power Saving Mode, Sony has STAMINA mode and so on. Find these various options for your device and ROM and make them work for you.

 

Even if your phone doesn't have layers of battery saving features like some (or you simply don't want disable so many features), at least make use of the basic battery saver mode.

 

Don't fall into the auto-sync trap

 

Turn off auto-syncing for Google accounts. If you don't need every single Google account updated every 15 minutes, just go into Settings and Google account and turn off auto-sync for those apps you don't need constantly updated.

 

Some apps – like email – let you manually refresh when you launch them, rather than running multiple auto-refreshes throughout the day when you may not need them to. The same goes for Twitter, Reddit and co. Unless you need constant updates or push notifications (like for Facebook or your calendar) just sync when you actually use the app.

 

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Now get Face unlock on your Oneplus 3/3T

With the new Android Oreo-based OxygenOS 5.0 update, OnePlus 3 and 3T have received the face unlock ability, which means that same will hold true when OnePlus 5 starts getting Oreo update.

 

Notably, the feature works as flawlessly as it does in the latest flagship oneplus 5T. To enable the face-unlock feature in the OnePlus 3 and 3T devices running on the Android Oreo operating system: Go to Settings and look for ‘Security & fingerprint’ option. Under ‘security and fingerprint’, there is another ‘Smart Unlock’ tab that will take you to five options including ‘Trusted face.’

 

While this feature works under most lighting conditions and is as swift as OnePlus 5T, it doesn’t take you to home screen after unlocking your phone which means you will have to swipe up from the lock screen to get there.

OnePlus 3 and 3T have already got notifications for Android Oreo update, OnePlus 5 got its first Oreo beta on Monday, which you can grab directly from the company right now. As for the just-announced OnePlus 5T, it should get the update early next year.

 

In case you haven’t received the update you can get it done by installing a vpn like turbo vpn and preferably choose a server from Canada and check for system updates and your phone should be notifying you one.

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Razer launches its Gamer centric smartphone

                

The Razer Phone comes with a solid spec list, an emphasis on mobile gaming, an audio experience that any audiophile can appreciate, as well as what seems to be a justified price. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Razer’s acquisition of Nextbit paid off quite well in terms of this initial launch, but let’s dive into the details to see just how this device stacks up against established Android manufacturers.

 

Specs

 

Razer Phone is no chump on specs, with Razer obviously taking the “spare no expense” expression quite seriously. The device features a 5.7″ QHD IGZO LCD UltraMotion display (2560 x 1440, 120Hz refresh rate), Snapdragon 835 processor, 8GB RAM, 64GB storage (expandable supported), dual rear-facing cameras (12MP f/1.75 Wide + 13MP f/2.6), 4,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 4+, Dolby Atmos-branded dual front-facing speakers, NFC, fingerprint reader, and Android 7.1+ Nougat.

 

For a company’s first attempt at an Android smartphone, this is quite the impressive sheet. While I’m not giddy about dual camera setups (ex: Google does better with just one camera) or even 8GB RAM, Razer actually did something innovative with regard to specs, which is the LCD display capable of a 120Hz refresh rate. That’s something we’re not seeing from any other maker at the moment, so for Razer to bring it on their first attempt, well, that’s very welcomed.

 

While you won’t find a headphone jack or water resistance, the price for all of this is $699, which seems incredibly reasonable if high-end mobile gaming and audio performance is what you’re concerned about.

 

Display

 

Considering such a fuss was made about this display during Razer’s unveiling,  the 5.7″ QHD IGZO LCD display is great, offering sharp contrast, an accurate portrayal of colors, plenty of brightness whether you’re indoor or outdoor the 120Hz refresh rate ability does play a factor into the overall experience.

 

Inside of the settings menu, the user can select which refresh rate they want the display to run at. You can opt between 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz. Your typical Android display has a refresh rate of 60Hz (Galaxy S8, Pixel 2 XL, etc.), so for these options to be available, we’re talking an instant upgrade in user customization.

 

In case you aren’t familiar with refresh rate, it’s a number based on how quickly a display changes the image on screen. A lot of high-end computer monitors have a 144Hz refresh rate, while pro gamers can use monitors with up to a 240Hz refresh rate. Essentially, higher equals better (there is argument out there that anything over 100Hz isn’t necessary), but Razer is making this a new spec in the Android industry that we once never concerned ourselves with. We used to bicker about resolution (FHD vs. QHD), but refresh rate could be the next area of improvement for all mobile display makers. It plays directly into VR implementations, and with Google and Samsung battling it out in that arena, maybe we could see more emphasis placed on refresh rate.

 

As for Razer Phone, you do notice a change in the scrolling effect when toggling between 60Hz and 120Hz. When cranked up, there is less stutter and animations are very fluid. When playing mobile games, gameplay also looked and felt better, which I’ll never argue against. For those interested in overall brightness it should not be an issue when in direct sunlight with the screen cranked up to 100%.

 

Performance

 

Thanks to a Snapdragon 835, 8GB RAM, plus that 120Hz refresh rate, everything you do on this phone seems smooth. Whether you’re playing games, diving in and out of apps, or scrolling through a webpage, it’s all good. Also aiding this experience is a pretty barebones stock Android experience, but I’ll get into that shortly.

 

Topping off the experience is Razer’s Game Booster app, which comes in quite handy for those who really plan on putting in some hours of gaming. With this app, you can select customizable settings for individual game titles. The app allows you to set CPU clock speeds, refresh rates, whether you receive notifications when in fullscreen, as well as an anti-aliasing toggle. For games like Stranger Things, where it’s a pretty pixelated game, you don’t need massive performance, so throttling down your CPU and refresh rate can extend your battery life while playing. Games like Gear Club want all of your juice, though, so setting your CPU and refresh rate to the max leads to the best performance.

 

Software

 

The Razer Phone comes with Android 7.1+ out of the box, with no custom OEM skin atop it. This makes for a very familiar experience, but as a cherry on top, every phone is shipped with Nova Launcher Prime as its default launcher. Talk about really trying to make the Android fanboys happy, am I right? With Nova Launcher, you can customize basically all aspects of your home screen and beyond, complete with custom icon pack support and more. With that being said, now would be a good time to brush up on the icon packs we think are hot.

 

Going beyond just your launcher, Razer built in a theme manager for the software, which makes customizing the phone’s color scheme and even notification sounds a breeze. When a theme is applied, and there’s plenty to choose from, you’ll have a custom-colored notification pulldown, calculator, phone app, as well as ringtones and alarm sounds. It’s a snazzy effort on Razer’s part, one that I appreciate as someone who gets bored with the same ol’ white UI on most phones.

 

  While the software is pretty barebones, it doesn’t really lack anything. Inside the settings, you’ll find access to Smart Lock, Gestures (quick unlock to Camera), storage management settings, an Ambient Display mode for incoming notifications, Night Light, and other settings. It’s similar to the approach taken by OnePlus, where they give you all of the essentials, then toss in a few extras that make it a more customizable experience. For me, that’s fine, because when we start having features piled on top of features, it’s easy for many things to get lost deep inside of the Settings menu.

 

  It would have been nice to see the Razer Phone launch with Android 8.0 Oreo, too, only because it’s already November and that means this device launches behind the Android update schedule, if that makes sense. On the plus, this will be a good test to see how well Razer intends to support the software on this phone. If we see Oreo come later this year or very early in 2018, that’s a good thing. If we somehow creep into February or March, though, that will be a bad sign and I wouldn’t blame anyone for being disappointed. We’ll just have to wait and see how that plays out.

 

Audio

 

On the frontside of the Razer Phone are dual Dolby Atmos speakers, both individually amplified for improved sound. Via the USB Type-C port, you can utilize the accompanied audio adapter with a THX certified DAC for your headphones.

 

To sum it up, the sound on this phone, whether it comes from the speakers or your headphones, is remarkable. The speakers get stupid loud and the sound when plugged in is rich and full. No other phone has offered this much audio goodness in a while, so it’s nice to have a player back in the game who is taking not just headphone sound quality, but external audio propulsion seriously, too. While LG has great audio via headphones with its Quad DAC, the Razer Phone takes it to another level with these external speakers, getting nearly as loud as my MacBook Pro, which is pretty impressive to me.

 

If I could make one tweak, though, it would be to have better control over the lows on the front speakers via the Dolby Atmos app. Inside this app, you can customize the EQ to suit your needs, but even in there, I can’t get quite as much bass as I’d desire coming from the speakers. They are very high and mid heavy, which is fine for the spine tingling guitar riffs I listen to, but I still want more bass.

 

Battery

 

In a world where it seems like the most we ever get from the high-end Android makers is 3,500mAh, Razer brought the heat in the Razer Phone’s battery department. The phone features a whopping 4,000mAh battery, capable of providing me with way more than a day’s worth of usage, even with heavy testing and gaming.

 

Each night, I hit the hay around 10:30-11PM. At that time, the Razer Phone would still show 40%+ of juice left, meaning I could easily leave it unplugged and pick up right where I left off without having to do my overnight charging routine. For screen on time, I’m getting my usual 4 hours, which is my typical day.

 

Now, you may also want to know if the display’s refresh rate ability has any affect on the battery. From what I can tell, that’s a “no,” and Razer specifically mentioned this during its press event. According to them and its work with Qualcomm on the UltraMotion display, users should actually see “significant battery life improvement.” While I wouldn’t go so far as to say I saw improvements, what I did see was a battery that was getting me through lots of gaming without a ton of juice being used, so at the end of the day, I’m a happy user who still has plenty of battery life left.

 

  Conclusion

The Razer Phone is an absolute tank, being one of the heaviest phones I’ve ever had in my pocket. It weighs in at nearly 200 grams, compared to the Galaxy S8+ at 173g, Pixel 2 XL at 175g, and the LG V30 at 158g. The Razer Phone is large in-hand, heavy, and frankly, kinda boring to look at. While I appreciate its tankiness at times, when it comes to leaving the house with it, it can be kinda daunting depending on the type of pants I’m wearing. I know that’s weird to read, but bear with me here.

 

Even inside of the settings menu for the camera, the only options you’ll find are for resolutions and shutter sounds. Really, I know you might be having a hard time believing this, but it’s true. In terms of shooting, the only thing you can do is toggle your flash and the HDR mode, which consistently needs to be enabled because the camera handles many lighting environments poorly.

 

 On the bright side, much of what I’m talking about can be changed via an update to Razer’s camera app. All of those modes I mentioned are done purely on the software side, so there’s no reason Razer can’t address this. As of right now, though, there’s no telling if they will.

 

The Razer Phone isn’t missing much, but there are just a few things I’d have loved to see in this $699 smartphone. For starters, water resistance would be cool. Now, I’m not docking points or anything from this phone because it doesn’t have it, I’m just saying that it would be cool if it did. Also, this phone is certainly large enough for a 3.5mm headphone jack. I don’t know why Razer decided to exclude it, but seriously, there’s plenty of room. On the other hand, I do appreciate that they included a fancy dongle with its own DAC to help me get over the fact that left out the 3.5mm port. Lastly, and I know this is nitpicking, but it would have been appreciable had it been launched with Oreo.

This phone is only for audio philes and gamers if you aren’t one give this one a skip.

 

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