Apple iPhone 15 Pro - The Defence Rests

I never thought I'd end up publicly defending the iPhone.

In fact, for a long time, I never thought I'd even use an iPhone.

But eventually, I had to concede I wouldn't be much of a tech reviewer if I was ignoring over 40% of the market out of hand.

What's more, once I actually tried a few iPhones out, I had to concede some of them were pretty damn good.

I'm not denying there are still things about the Apple ecosystem that frustrate the hell out of me but I'm no longer one of those people who hate on Apple as a matter of principle. When I write these reviews and trial these products my opinions are based on honest experience with each device.

That's why I've found the latest furore around the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max so confounding.

First things first; you know those frustrations about Apple products I just mentioned I still have? This year's Pro-model iPhones are significant upgrades if for no other reason than they address some of my personal pet peeves head-on.

Perhaps most well-publicised is the move to a USB-C charging port for the first time. While Apple's MacBooks and iPads have been using the same USB-C standard as everyone else for some time, the iPhone range has been mysteriously holding out, their old-school lightning ports stubbornly incompatible with any convenient USB-C cables lying around the place and also depriving users of the opportunity of shorter charging times and much faster data transfer speeds.

Who knows if the EU regulations to standardise charging formats were the catalyst or if Apple would have made the change of its own accord? I don't care. I'm just happy one cable now charges anything. Although... While all four iPhone 15 models now sport USB-C ports, only the Pro and Pro Max are capable of USB 3.0 speeds. And yet the very nice braided cable included in the box is only USB 2.0. A faster cable will cost you extra. Oh well.

Another feature I've been missing on iPhone over the years is a proper telephoto lens. Again, this year Apple has well and truly stepped up with a 5 X zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and 3 X on the Pro I'm reviewing. This seems to be a matter of simple physics; the Pro Max is just plain bigger, so it can accommodate a larger telephoto sensor. Either way, it now means an extra quick setting in the camera app; .5 for Ultra Wide shots, 1 X, 2 X and now 3 X (or presumably 5 X on the Max? Not sure). This is fantastic news and makes a massive difference for both video and stills - crisp clear shots from distance and also, a new macro setting for extreme close-ups. 

Technically, for you pro shooters out there, the rear camera array has had quite the overhaul, now boasting the equivalent of seven pro lenses depending on which focal length, zoom setting and resolution you opt for. While you can manually choose to capture large 48MP HEIF or ProRAW images (perhaps better for post-production editing) when you let the camera do its thing automatically, it will combine a the best of several different shots to bring you the ultimate pic. I've certainly been impressed by how "real" the photos are and I particularly appreciate the uniform colour and quality across all lens options.

You don't even need to be in Portrait mode to shoot portraits either - you can manually select your focus point and blur the background, even after you've taken the shot. Yes, you read that right; it's now possible you've taken the perfect portrait without even meaning to. This works with the selfie camera too - you can change the depth-of-field effect after you've taken the photo.

Another fun trick is the ability to copy your edits from one photo to a selection of others in your library simultaneously. For example, if you want to change every photo you took today to black-and-white, you don't have to filter each one separately, you can do a bulk edit within the Photos app.

This kind of wizardry works seamlessly thanks to the almighty power of the A17 Pro chip and the significantly revamped iOS 17.

We'll get back to that chip shortly but first, a few fun things about the new operating system - starting with knocking off yet another of my historical peeves; proper widgets. At long last iOS 17 means instead of a handful of lame, static tiles on your home screen, app developers can now make their widgets much more interactive; like being able to play and pause podcasts directly from the widget without having to open the app. Hey Apple users, just so you know, this is not new - not by a long shot - but it's certainly welcome.

Another nifty iOS 17 trick you may have seen publicised is the new StandBy mode. This kicks in automatically when you're charging your iPhone positioned on its side, typically on a MagSafe charging stand. Not only will this convert your screen into an always-on bedside clock and calendar, it can also show other apps and notifications in landscape mode. When I'm driving, I keep my phone on a MagSafe charging cradle and now it shows me the podcast I'm listening to complete with episode art and a progress bar.

In further major upgrade news, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro have replaced the traditional mute switch on the side with the new Action Button. This is a customisable way to fire off actions like Focus Mode or Torch, open the Camera app or access an action you've already set up in the Shortcuts app. And yes, you can mute the phone with it if you like. Unfortunately, not all apps are compatible with Apple Shortcuts but happily for me, I can resume playing my preferred podcast app with a long press.

Now... about this overheating thing. If indeed it is a thing. From the day the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max started shipping to consumers (and reviewers) it was widely reported the new handsets were prone to running hot when put under stress. Apparently playing games with demanding graphics settings or other high-resource tasks like video editing or continuous HD streaming were causing some devices to become uncomfortably hot in the hand.

I read several articles about this phenomenon, from sources I trust and yet, try as I might, I've been unable to replicate the problem or anything close to it. I've tried to push the iPhone 15 Pro to its limits in a number of ways and not once have I detected even a mild rise in temperature.

As I publish this, there has been another iOS 17 update overnight, which is partly supposed to address these issues. All I can tell you is I haven't experienced any overheating whatsoever - either before or after the update. Unfortunately, I believe Apple has fallen victim to an out-of-proportion social media response to a few isolated cases.

The negative Nancies out there have also been quick to criticise Apple's new "FineWoven" cases and MagSave wallets, replacing leather in a more carbon-neutral fashion. Again, I don't get what their problem is. I think FineWoven looks great and feels very luxurious.

All I know for sure is the handset I've been trying out for the last week or so is easily the best iPhone I've used to date. Physical upgrades like the telephoto lens and USB-C charging port combine with software tweaks like StandBy mode and interactive widgets to alleviate the few final frustrations I still harboured when switching between Android and iOS.

For once, don't believe the hype - well, not the negative hype anyway. As far as I'm concerned, this is a very cool phone.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Apple iPhone 15 Pro.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 - Very Nearly Almost There

It feels like the foldable phone market has suddenly become rather mainstream.

Just a few years back, foldables were seen as overpriced, almost experimental devices reserved only for early adopters with too much spare cash to splash around. Now the technology has been steadily refined and the market has expanded and matured.

In fact, I know people who are onto their second or even third foldable handset - they've obviously been impressed enough with the advantages and innovations to ignore any limitations or durability concerns.

Foldables are here to stay; in fact, recent trends in some markets suggest it may not be too long before phones with bendy screens overtake the more traditional models - certainly in the upper price-range anyway.

Samsung has been leading the charge from the start and of course the 2023 Z-Series devices continue to impress.

In New Zealand, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 is currently available in Mint, Graphite, Lavender and Cream, with a Blue variant as an online-only offer, stock dependant. This year's colours are not bright and zany but more subtle tints. I've been sent the Mint version to review and its glass-backed rear panel is such a pale green it's almost white. The metal rails around the edge of the device are also coloured ever-so-faintly to match.

All this will tie in nicely if you opt for a new-realease Watch6 model to go with your flip - of course, you can also match up a clock face to display on both devices if you wish.

Because you spend a lot of time unfolding and re-folding the Z Flip5, its shiny surfaces definitely collect up plenty of finger smudges - although there's a pretty natty range of cases available to help potect the phone, including options with rings and stands attached for easy gripping and more display options.

Speaking of display options, probably the most notable upgrade on this year's Flip is the preview screen or "Flex Window" - it's received a significant size bump up to 3.4-inches - now covering one half of the outside surface (camera lenses excluded).

This is a good news / bad news story - although mostly good. A screen of this size is now genuinely useful - previously, the small external display was good for glancing at a notification or two but not much else. Now we can click on those notifications to expand previews from security or doorbell footage or read messages and emails.

Swipe the other way and access any cover-screen widgets you've selected - perhaps your calendar or weather forecast.

But the biggest headline is there are now apps that function pretty much normally on the "Flex Window" as well. However, this is where the bad news comes in; frustratingly there are currently only six apps officially optimised to work on the Z Flip5's outer display; Google Maps, Google Messages, Samsung Messages, Netflix, WhatsApp and YouTube. 

I'm hoping this is merely a temporary limitation and in time all developers will have Flex Window versions of their apps. For example, being able to access the loyalty cards you have stored in your Google Wallet without opening the phone seems like a no-brainer. Surely it won't be long before we can use the outer screen in much the same way we can with the much larger and more full-featured Z Fold external display.

I keep reading about third-party apps that are supposed to bring full app access to the Flex Window and I've tried a couple but none of them work anything like as well as the native, pre-installed cover apps so I think I'll wait for more of the real deal.

At least the bigger screen on the Z Flip5 now means we can make full use of the primary camera array to shoot selfie pics and video. Thanks to the significantly larger Flex Window we can now access many more features and settings. While this rear-facing (and yes, sometimes front-facing) dual-lens setup is a significant upgrade from its preceding generations, I have to admit I was a little disappointed to discover the two lenses are both 12MP and there's still no 50MP main shooter like you'd find on other Samsung flagships.

Still, you do get a reasonable quality 10X digital zoom and I really don't have too many complaints about the quality of the photos and videos I've been shooting. One UI 5.1.1 (soon to be 6 in an impending update) is my favourite phone O.S. and it brings with it some excellent camera features on this device, like Auto Focus, Super Steady digital stabilisation and Auto Framing to keep you front and centre in every shot.

I can't really tell you much about the 10MP selfie-cam inside because I've hardly used it. There's really no need when you can opt for the main shooter in combination with the Flex Window to preview your vids and pics.

Oh yeah - that's right; there's an internal screen as well. The Z Flip5 unfolds to a very useful 6.7-inches and as you may have heard, it now folds completely flat, with no gap at all close to the hinge. This is 2023's other major development - no gap means no more pocket fluff all over the screen every time I flip it out. There's still a visible crease you can feel but as I've discovered with all foldables I've used, it's something you get used to quickly then forget all about. In fact, I have to laugh at how much I now take folding screen technology for granted.

Features like Flex Mode - which divides an optimised app into two halves - perhaps video on top and controls below - just seem like every-day operation now. This is as it should be - although the Z Flip5 is a remarkable feat of tech design, it's good to not be continuously worried about durability and limitations. These days there really aren't many limitations.

IPX8 water resistance, Corning Gorilla Glasss Victus 2 on the Flex Window and back cover and Armour Aluminium frames ironically make this phone more hard-wearing than many "normal" handsets.

In saying that, there's always room for improvement and with this phone that means disappointing battery life. It's not terrible - I can get through a long, breakfast radio day on a single charge - but it certainly won't get through two. Happily, the Z Flip5 does charge wirelessly, although I've found my lower-wattage car cradle won't do the job. Only a higher powered Qi charging pad will suffice.

What you do get is the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor - this is the same super-chip that powers all Samsung's other premium handsets so this thing runs like a bullet.

That's why overall, I feel like 2023 is the year the Flip evolved into a genuine flagship. The camera experience has improved just enough to move it into that category, the high end chip is almost unrivalled and the new plus-sized Flex Window is a million times more useful than before - or at least it will be once there's a full suite of apps optimised to run on it.

I've always found the Flip fun to use - right from the first generation. Now with this year's upgrades, it's not just fun, it's a fully-fledged work tool too.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5.

Oppo Reno10 Pro - Looks Great but Ultimately Unremarkable

I still remember the first time I tried an Oppo phone. I'd gone from hardly having heard of one to setting one up and using it in a matter of minutes. That's not even an exaggeration - one thing Oppo has always prided itself on is making the switch from other phones as seamless as possible, then offering some of the fastest charging times around to get you going pretty much straight away.

Above all else, Oppo has always emphasised its camera capabilities ahead of all other features. The first time I encountered a periscope lens, it was on an Oppo. The first time I took a professional-looking group selfie (complete with Bokeh effect) was with an Oppo. For a long time Oppo referred to its own handsets as "Camera Phones" rather than "Smart Phones" - that gives you some indication of where the design priorities tend to be focussed. Pun intended.

Although there will be no "flagship" Oppo handset this year in New Zealand from the top-of-the-line Find X series, if the previously released Find N2 Flip wasn't quite what you were looking for, Oppo now has something else for you to try.

In recent years, Oppo's premium Find X handsets have been standouts for me in terms of physical design so I was most relieved to discover the 2023 Oppo Reno10 Pro has continued the trend. While other manufacturers seem content with flat displays, sharp, thick edges and smudge-prone glossy glass backs, the Reno10 Pro sets itself apart in almost every aspect of its physical design. 

Oppo calls this look the 3D Curve - both rear panel and front display meeting together at the sides to form the narrowest of bezels. (Just 1.57mm in fact) The handset is light, yet easy to hold, thanks in no small part to the matte finish of the back cover - a totally unique, almost sparkley effect that catches the light from every angle yet resists fingerprints and other gross greasiness.

The rear camera module is also eye-catchingly unusual with its three lenses contrasting with a CD-like metallic finish. This is a phone unashamed to set itself apart on the meeting table.

Flip it over and you reveal a 6.7-inch curved OLED display encompassing 93 percent of the available surface with a centrally located punch-hole for the selfie-cam.

Historically Oppo ships its handsets with factory-fitted screen protectors and that's the case here too - although I don't understand the benefit of applying a screen protector that isn't anything like as hard-wearing as the screen it's supposed to be protecting. Within just a few days of normal use, this extra layer was littered with small scratches - something I just haven't seen on any other handset for ages. The Reno10 Pro's display is covered by AGC Dragontrail Star 2 glass as opposed to the Corning Gorrilla Glass we see more often on other phones. I don't know much about the Dragontrail product so for now I'm keeping the protector in place.

Durability aside, the screen is bright and clear with a 120Hz refresh rate that can be dialled back either manually or automatically to save on power consumption.

Speaking of which, as usual, the Reno10 Pro ships with its own SuperVOOC charging brick - 80W fast charging and I do mean fast; Oppo claims just 28 minutes for a full charge and from what I've seen that seems about right. Unfortunately - and this is typical for Oppo - they seem to think super-fast charging speeds are a substitute for wireless charging which is a philosophy I've never agreed with. I hate having to plug and unplug my phone - especially recently as I've been recovering from a broken shoulder and a lot of these sorts of actions have to happen one handed. I don't know if you've ever tried to remove a tiny USB-C plug from its port with one hand but it's a challenge. Oppo has often made wireless charging the first "premium" feature to go when stepping down in price from its high-end offerings and this annoys me. It may be of no consequence to you though, so read on.

In terms of real-world battery life, I've been somewhat underwhelmed. The 4,600mAh battery is large enough and I've certainly had no issues getting though a whole day - usually with 50-60 percent charge intact. However, this still isn't as good as other mid-to-upper range devices I've used recently.

This may be partly due to the chip running everything, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G. While it provides a solid, reliable user experience, this is not the latest or greatest Snapdragon SoC out there. This is another area where the Reno10 Pro proves to be not quite as "Pro" as some of 2023's genuine flagships. Bear in mind I'm pretty fussy about phone performance - I usually get to try out the very best of them. As a result I've found using the Reno10 Pro is smooth and fast - but not glaringly so. There's still plenty of oomph for most games and functions, thanks partly to Oppo's RAM expansion technology which can utilise unused ROM storage to beef up the already pretty beefy 12GB of physical RAM. Oppo also has plenty to say about the Reno10 Pro's cooling system and I certainly never felt it warm up while I was using it.

But as I pointed out right at the top, more often than not an Oppo phone is more camera than phone and the Reno10 Pro is a classic example. The rear-facing array features a 50MP main shooter, a 32MP telephoto portrait camera and an Ultra-Wide lens - these all combine for some very detailed, true-colour shooting. Special mention has to made of that telephoto lens - a first for any Reno-series device. Not only does this mean genuine 2 X optical zoom but it brings other benefits to your shots like higher light intake and more noise reduction.

Personally, I like a phone camera I can just point and shoot with - without having to fiddle with too many settings. This is what the Reno10 Pro provides - although those expert pro settings are there if you want them.

Things like low-light photos just work - quickly too. Check out these two shots - one using Night Mode, one just clicked without any adjustments. Good luck if you can pick which one is which - I think they both look great.

However, it's the 32MP selfie-cam that probably steals the show - Oppo phones always take great selfies (and shoot great selfie vids too) but the options here in terms of effects and filters are at a whole new level. Thanks to the front-facer's auto-focus abilities, that split-focus Bokeh effect is now effortless. I've never looked so good on a phone screen... and that's saying something.

If photo and video performance is a priority for you, the Reno10 Pro should definitely be on your shopping list - at NZ$1,099.00 this is a handset that comes in hundreds of dollars under other phones with similar premium camera arrays. It won't match some of those high-end options in terms of sheer power or battery life and it doesn't charge wirelessly - but it does charge in mere minutes and in my opinion, it's probably the best-looking and best-feeling phone I've used so far this year. Excellent value and pretty too.

Click here for more information on the Oppo Reno10 5G.

OPPO Find N2 Flip - Welcome to the Folding Party

As New Zealanders, there's nothing worse than feeling like we're missing out on cool stuff the rest of the world can get its hands on. To be fair, we probably punch above our weight when it comes to our reputation as being a nation of "early adopters."

And yet, until now we've only had access to one brand of foldable phone.

Admittedly, even globally, the smartphone market isn't exactly flooded with foldables, although if you live in China, you've been able to choose from a few different options for a couple of years.

Now one of those options has made its way here and it looks pretty impressive.

The Find N2 Flip is not OPPO's first attempt at a folding flagship - the Find N series launched in December 2021 with its larger, "book-style" handset - but we didn't get that one.

Then, when OPPO embraced the more pocketable "clamshell" form factor, it became apparent it was getting pretty serious about foldables. So serious in fact, this year OPPO is marketing the Find N2 Flip as its New Zealand flagship - if you were hoping for a local release of the Find X6 and Fnd X6 Pro this year, you're out of luck. This makes the Find N2 Flip Oppo's only premium offering for 2023, so it had better deliver. No pressure.

There's no avoiding the similarities between this device and a certain other Flip from a successful Korean manufacturer - that one's been around for about three years now and yes, I've tried each generation and I thought they were surprisingly useful.

But the Find N2 Flip differs in several subtle, yet significant ways - starting with its magical Flexion hinge. This allows the Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) screen to unfold with what OPPO describes as "an almost invisible crease." In reality, this is somewhat of an overstatement; depending on the light you can just make out the crease and you can just feel it - but only just. I never notice it at all when using the phone on a day-to-day basis. It's certainly the most crease-free experience I've enjoyed on any foldable device I've tried so far.

OPPO's unique Flexion hinge also means the phone folds together without any gap. This may sound like a small thing but one thing that's really peeved me with other foldable phones I've kept in my pocket is when I get them out and open them, invariably the internal screen is covered in dust and other pocket lint. That simply doesn't happen with the Find N2 Flip as there's no gap for such detritus to penetrate.

Another major win for the OPPO device is its external screen; a 60Hz display that measures in at 3.26-inches - big enough to be genuinely useful - not just a tiny notification window but an auto-rotating AMOLED display that gives you access to large, readable widgets (weather, calendar etc) and most importantly, lets you frame photos and videos at the same orientation you're shooting them in.

This is the big advantage of a foldable like this, of course; the ability to use the primary shooter as a selfie camera, thanks to that external screen. The Find N2 Flip lets you open the camera from that outer screen - you can shoot in Photo, Portrait or Video mode without even opening the phone.

Once you do "Flip" you'll have a full 6.8-inch, FHD+ display at your disposal, featuring a variable refresh rate from 120Hz right down to 1Hz to help preserve battery life. ColorOS 13.0 built on top of Android 13 gives you access to all the options and customisations available on any other OPPO flagship, including special features like Split Screen for multi-tasking, Flexible (floating) windows, Smart sidebar and Kid Space.

Interestingly (well, for me anyway) the Find N2 Flip is powered by the Dimensity 9000+ octa-core chip from MediaTek - not a Snapdragon as other recent OPPO flagships have contained. Although not quite the highest-specced phone brain available in 2023, it's not far behind and I've certainly had no complaints while using the Find N2 Flip. Everything is as fast and fluid as I would expect from any flagship - even when performing unique, foldable actions like swapping apps from an external widget to the full version inside.

The Find N2 Flip has a nice, big battery too; 4300mAh and you're not going to believe this, there's even a fast charger included in the box! How crazy is that? Just as well because there's no wireless charging option here which is a major mark down for me. I've seen this in the past from OPPO - they've always prioritised fast charging over wireless charging and although the last few Find X series handsets have offered my preferred wireless capability, for some reason they've taken a step backwards with the Flip. Boo.

Regardless, battery life is good and I've never had to worry about making it through a long, breakfast radio day.

My main issue with OPPO making the Find N2 Flip New Zealand's only high-end device for 2023 is camera performance. I'm sure you've noticed from the pictures there are only two sensors on the primary array which by my count is at least two less than most other big-name flagships. I have no issue with the performance of the 50MP wide shooter or the 122-degree, 8MP ultra-wide camera - OPPO's continued collaboration with Hasselblad ensures great picture quality - sharp, bright images with true-to-life colour tones.

The problem is, without a telephoto, macro, monochromatic or Time-of-Flight sensor there are things other phones can do that this one simply can't - perhaps most noticeably, decent optical zoom. I can safely say I've never used an OPPO phone that didn't have a great camera and make no mistake, the camera experience on the Find N2 Flip is indeed great - especially with the 32MP selfie shooter; lots of filter and touch-up options - but this phone is no match for the big advances in distance and low-light photography we've seen from other brands lately.

Video is still fun though, especially when using the device half-folded like a handycam - OPPO's latest digital stabilisation efforts are pretty effective too.

Price is the Find N2 Flip's other big selling point. Although at NZ$1679.00 it's only a few dollars cheaper than the entry-level version of "the other Flip," the OPPO has twice the storage, making it a bit of a bargain by comparison.

It comes in a fingerprint-free matte black (Astral Black to be precise) or you can opt for the glass-backed Moonlit Purple and there's even a clear, hard, two-piece cover included in the box. A cover and a charger included? It's like Christmas.

Without a full-featured camera and options like wireless charging, I'm not convinced this is a genuine, high-end flagship but it has most things people want in a phone and what's more, it'll fit in any pocket or purse. Just when you thought there was only one name in foldables in town, OPPO has definitely joined the party.

    

Click here for more information on the OPPO Find N2 Flip.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra - Another Year, Another Best Android Phone Ever

If there's one thing Samsung knows how to do, it's producing the ultimate flagship phone.

For years now, the top-of-the-line Galaxy S-Series handset has set the benchmark for all other manufacturers to match throughout the rest of the year. Not only do they seldom beat Samsung's standard, very few find themselves capable of even meeting it.

The Ultra is the Galaxy with ALL the features; if you can put it in a phone, this is the phone that will have it.

Trouble is, if you already have all the features... And there aren't really any new features coming along... What's actually new about your new phone?

There's no denying it; even when placed side-by-side, it's extremely difficult to tell the difference between last year's and this year's Ultras - not physically, anyway. I even tried putting the S23 into the S22's case and it fit - except for a slight bulge in the bottom left hand corner.

To be precise, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the tiniest bit longer and wider - I'm talking a mere millimetre or two - and the only real discernable difference is the sides of the 2023 version are ever so slightly squarer, making this large, heavy, slippery device just a tad easier to hold.

The colour choices have been tweaked too - don't worry, Phantom Black is still an option (albeit a boring one) but this year's green is much more subtle and all three S23s now come in Lavender and Cream as well.

Obviously, the display is still the same large size - 6.8 inches - although Samsung now refers to this superbly bright and colourful screen as an "Edge" Quad HD+ display - presumably alluding to the fact that although the new, even tougher, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 still curves over at the edges, it doesn't do it as much. This is an ongoing aesthetics-vs-usability battle many phone makers seem to have been fighting with themselves for years now; a curvy display is so sexy. Yet a flat-screen eliminates the numerous false touches you often make when holding a curved screen along its edges. By landing somewhere in between, the slightly boxier S23 Ultra goes a long way to solving this issue.

I mentioned the Victus 2 glass - very tough - as are the Armor Aluminium rails running around the edge of the handset. I'm not just taking Sumsung's word for it, either. I've dropped this large, heavy, slippery phone out of my pocket and onto my hardwood floors several times now - not in the interest of a comprehensive review, I'm just a klutz. However, I'm pleased to report there's been no discernable damage. So no need to tell Samsung - let's just keep this between us.

Especially given how outrageously expensive this thing is. The S23 Ultra starts at NZ$2,299.00. That's a lot of money in anybody's book. Luckily, it might even be worth it.

Like I said at the top; the Ultra is the phone with ALL the features. When you choose Ultra, things like industry-leading water and dust resistance, large storage, big RAM and fast charging - USB-C or wireless - are just minimum expectations. You want a built-in stylus? No worries. Just like the S22 Ultra, this year's model keeps the S-Pen and in doing so, keeps all those power-using, note-taking, sketching and editing-on-the-fly customers happy.

Speaking of charging, although the battery hasn't actually got any bigger, with the right charger (wireless or not) the S23 Ultra not only juices up mighty quick, the battery life is off the charts too. Most nights when I pop it on to charge there's still 70% if not 80% left in the tank. In my experience, this is unheard of when it comes to the high-performance Ultra models of the past.

The credit for this golden new age of power preservation goes mostly to the chip; the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy. At the risk of geeking out a bit, it's only in the last two years we've seen New Zealand S-Series phones ship with Snapdragon chips rather than Samsung's own Exynos versions. The Snapdragons have always been widely considered to be superior to their Exynos counterparts so that's good news for us.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is effectively the most advanced phone chip available today and the fact this version of it seems to have been customised specifically to Samsung's new S23 range suggests even an even further bump in performance. As I keep saying, premium performance should be a minimum expectation from a $2K+ handset but the S23 Ultra doesn't just meet the benchmarks, it blazes past them.

This makes it a phenomenal mobile gaming device, especially when you take its first-class display and finely-tuned audio system into account. I daresay the variable refresh rate - from 120Hz right down to 1Hz helps preserve battery life too.

The other major headline here is the camera setup. For the first time, Samsung has included a 200MP wide-angle sensor alongside the 12MP ultra-wide and the 10.0/10.0 telephoto shooters. The importance of that whizzy processor can't be ignored here as well of course - it takes a whole heap of brainpower to instantly compare thousands of pixels to come up with the most detailed, accurate and sharp photos ever seen on a phone camera - even in questionable lighting conditions.

Samsung calls this "Nightography," and the all-new Adaptive Pixel sensor does an unbelievable job of bringing photos shot in near-darkness to life. The selfie camera on the S23 Ultra has also lifted its game, now featuring fast auto-focus and upgrading front-facing video from 30fps to 60fps. Yes, that means you can now shoot instantly uploadable, professional-looking content from your front-facing camera.

Every year Samsung seems to boost the Ultra's digital stabilisation abilities and 2023 is no different. I'm not sure I'd recommend using such an expensive phone to film action content when running, biking or even motoring - but as you'll see from the video below, thanks to the doubled Optical Image Stabiliser, now even cyclones won't shake things up too much.

In short, if you thought the S23 Ultra looked just like the S22 Ultra, you're not wrong. If you thought there weren't significant upgrades between the two, you are. Battery life, camera performance and the sheer power and efficiency from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy are instantly impressive - but that's not even the point.

There can't be too many people who can afford to swap out a high-end performance handset like this every generation. In fact, recent data suggests most people are hanging onto their phones longer than ever before upgrading; for three or even four years. Compare this phone with an S20 Ultra 5G or perhaps even an S10+ from the year before that and you'll find they're worlds apart. In terms of durability, battery life, camera options and out and out performance, what the S23 Ultra brings to the table puts it in a whole other league - and perhaps justifiably, in a whole other price bracket too.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 - One Device for All Your Hybrid Requirements?

Since working from home and then hybrid working came into vogue, we've all been re-evaluating our tech tools and probably wondering the same thing; "There must be a better way of doing it than this..."

Hands up if you've been lugging one, some, or all of the following items between office and home...

Work phone.

Laptop.

Modem/router.

Webcam/mic.

Keyboard.

Monitor.

Surely the technology now exists to pare that list down a bit? Indeed it does. Well, technically anyway.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 is a hybrid device uniquely suited to this new hybrid world.

By now most people have seen or at least heard of the Fold and the Flip. Samsung has been heralding the foldable form-factor as the new way of doing things and four generations in, it doesn't feel quite as new to those of us who've played with every Fold to date - but that's a good thing.

When I first laid my hands on the original Fold, I nearly dropped it because I was so worried about dropping it. It seemed a precious, delicate, almost experimental thing and I am an oafish, clumsy, almost barbaric thing - not a great combination.

Times have certainly changed as far as durability goes. The Fold4 is IPX8 water-resistant which is pretty nuts, given how many moving parts are involved in making this thing work. The side rails are tougher, the glass on the external display is harder than ever and the matte finish on the rear panel keeps unsightly fingerprints to a minimum and helps this previously super-slippery device feel only really slippery instead. (My review handset is an attractive Greygreen, but there are also Phantom Black and Beige variants available)

Alas, even the 2022 version of the Fold is still not really what you'd describe as "pocketable." When closed, it's definitely narrow enough to hold in one hand but it's still basically as thick as two "normal" handsets, taller than many and pretty darn heavy. In fact, I usually just stick my phone in the pocket of my running shorts when I take the dog out for a walk. With the Fold4, I certainly have to make sure my drawstring is tied tightly otherwise the weight of the phone could easily cause my pants to fall down.

Obviously, it's 100% more pocketable than a 7.6-inch tablet would be - and that's still the main point of the exercise.

But before we unfold, let's focus on that external display for a minute. Samsung has upgraded this 6.2-inch screen again - it now stretches right to the very top, bottom and sides of the Fold4's cover. It's a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel worthy of any flagship, with a fully adaptable refresh rate - up to 120Hz but dropping down automatically when not required to preserve battery life. This "adaptive" mode seems to work well and if you enable Developer Options in the settings menu, you can even choose to display the refresh rate so you can see exactly which apps and operations use more or less.

The problem is, this cover screen is now far too good. I don't know the exact percentages but I'd suggest I use the outer screen without unfolding the Fold about ninety percent of the time. How weird is that?

It's possible this is because I'm still training myself to take full advantage of the wonders that lie within. Samsung has been working hard to optimise its UI to take full advantage of the tablet-like screen real estate available on the internal display. The experience is now much more akin to a PC or laptop desktop - when you open an app, a taskbar of recently used and favourite apps appears at the bottom, meaning you can quickly jump from one to the other. Of course, split screen for multiple apps works a treat and you can pair apps to open that way from home-screen shortcuts. 

Many apps have now been modified to display in two halves - not just the camera app which can display controls below the fold and your live preview side-by-side with your recent shots and videos above. Things like the settings menu now displays in two columns. Many Microsoft Office 360 apps work in this side-by-side mode as well. This is productivity personified. Or something.

Weirdly, Instagram is still a bit of a fail, stubbornly refusing to reformat itself to the much wider, unphone-like display. Instead, your feed simply presents itself in the middle of the screen with huge blank spaces on either side. Meanwhile, apps like Netflix totally nail it, instantly reformatting to the big display or swapping to a wider, shorter aspect ratio if you half-fold the device for standalone viewing. I guess the app developers will all get on board eventually.

There are so many great mobile video editing apps around these days and the internal display on the Fold4 certainly provides an excellent palette for that kind of creativity. Like this year's Galaxy S22 Ultra, the Fold4 is also compatible with a specially-designed S-Pen stylus. Unlike the S22 Ultra though, the S-Pen does not yet slot inside the Fold4 itself - you'll need Samsung's purpose-built case for that. Maybe next year.

Before you get too excited, I have to report there's not much improvement on the crease front - you can still see it and feel it but as I've commented in my previous Fold reviews, you really do forget it's there after a while.

The other area of major improvement is photo performance. Until this year I'd always been confused by Samsung's reluctance to include a genuinely premium camera module in such an expensive device - doesn't the highest-end of all high-end phones deserve a high-end camera too? Well this year they've got it pretty right; a 50MP + 12MP + 10MP tri-lens configuration on the back, including 3x optical zoom. A 10MP selfie-cam at the top of the cover display and a 4MP under-display camera on the internal screen.

The external cameras are great - offering most of the same features as the other Samsung flagships; great app, good video stabilisation and vastly improved low-light or "nightography" performance. That under-display camera is still kind of quirky though. It's a major improvement on last year's effort; the 2021 pics and vids weren't really of useable quality. The 2022 effort certainly provides good enough video for your average online staff meeting. I just don't fully understand why Samsung is so married to this concept - if you haven't seen it yet, the camera works by peering out of the display through an area on the screen where the pixels have been spread out - this is more visible with some colours than others but my real question is; why is it where it is? If you're holding the Fold4 so the crease is running vertically, the under-display camera is a the top-centre of the right-hand half - so three-quarters of the way across the screen.

I get that they can't have it under the fold but this display rotates for almost every app - why wouldn't you put the camera in the middle of the long side, similar to a laptop? - especially if you have the phone half-folded to make use of the split-screen controls. This way you'd be more likely to be looking the camera right in the eye, rather than staring off to the side.

Of course, for quality selfies you can still do the classic Samsung foldable trick; use the primary shooter with your preview on the external display.

Some of my colleagues have complained about mediocre battery life with the Fold4 but my experience has been the complete opposite. I suspect they've been using the Fold for gaming a lot more than I have - something that's more appealing than ever now you can stream Xbox games via Microsoft's GamePass and cloud-gaming service. That means more screen time, pairing a Bluetooth controller and probably wireless earbuds too - all that will drain any battery. As for me, the Fold4 still shows about 70% charge most nights when I go to bed.

As you can tell, I'm generally extremely impressed with this device. The displays are a modern miracle, the cameras have been upgraded dramatically and the UI is receiving more optimisations with every update. There's only one thing stopping me from writing this review with it; even with a 7.6-inch display, I can't force myself to use an on-screen keyboard. Sure, I could pair a physical, Bluetooth set of keys but that wasn't really the point of the exercise, was it?

That said, I'm constantly amazed at many other people's ability to tap out long missives on-screen and if you're one of those talented mini-typers, it's possible the Fold4 truly will fulfil all your mobile computing needs.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro / Pro Max - Apple Makes Another Run at Smartphone Supremacy

I was asked a very interesting question the other day; "So what is the best phone right now?"

Seems like a simple thing to ask - especially of someone who spends all his time fooling around with as many of the latest handsets as he can set his hands on. But as I was about to answer I found myself pausing... there are a lot of phones out there. They all have their strengths and weaknesses and every user has different requirements.

What matters most to you? Camera performance? Durability? Battery life and charging options? Do you want lots of RAM and a super-fast processor? Or does it just need to be a cool colour?

Oh, and budget is probably the major factor, of course.

See how quickly a simple question can get complicated?

To make matters worse, Apple has four new phones in the mix...

Not that I'm complaining. I've talked about the sheer pleasure of unboxing a brand new Apple device before and that experience has not dimmed in the slightest with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Sublime is the adjective that springs to mind when you first unseal these fine examples of precision engineering.

The first feature to really catch my eye was the back glass; it has a matte, fingerprint-resistant finish and on my review units is coloured Space Black on the Pro and Apple's new colour for 2022, Deep Purple on the Pro Max. Both have a luminescence to them - an effect I was first aware of when Apple brought out its green iPhone 13's. The Deep Purple is particularly fetching - in some lights it seems almost black while its matching stainless steel rail around the edge is a little lighter. This is not an in-your-face colour choice. Instead, it exudes luxury and elegance.

That being said, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is a weighty beast indeed. Bear in mind; the two Pro models are essentially the same phone apart from screen and battery size. However, that 6.7-inch display and larger battery mean not only is the Max bigger but it also weighs in at 240 grams over the Pro's 206 grams. To call it a brick would diminish how beautiful it is although it does kind of feel like a brick when you pick it up in one hand.

For many of you, that digital workout might well be worth it for the extra screen real estate. Unlike some other, long and skinny large-screen handsets, the Pro Max maintains the aspect ratio of the 6.1-inch Pro, so not only is it longer, it's wider too. And this year we see Apple ditch the notch around the selfie-cams in favour of a more subtle cutout instead. This means an even more usable display on both devices which is akin to sensory overload, given the exquisite nature of these Super Retina XDR screens, with their oh-so-responsive ProMotion abilities, offering refresh rates up to 120Hz.

A big talking point with the iPhone 14 range has been Apple's decision to reserve its new A16 Bionic chip for the two Pro models, while the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are powered by 2021's A15. I touched on this in my iPhone 14 review, quick to point out the performance of this "vanilla" model still blasts most other comers out of the water. That said, you can only imagine how thrilling it is to put these Pro versions through their paces. The A16 Bionic features a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. I don't really understand what that means in much the same way as I don't really know what any of the individual components of my car's engine do. What I do know is these phones simply fly - from gaming to filming, to editing to downloading, installing and launching apps, as usual for iPhone, everything just works. With these phones though, it all works instantly.

Back to that new cutout at the top of the screen. By now if you've been following any iPhone news at all, you've probably heard about or even seen the new Dynamic Island interactive widget. This transforms the otherwise blank oval surrounding the front-facing camera and face sensor into something a lot more interesting to look at and perhaps something genuinely useful too. The list of apps and functions capable of utilising the Dynamic Island is exploding as we speak but mostly it's about giving you quick access to things that are running in the background - for example, audio playing, timers running or even active phone calls.

When these sorts of activities are happening, you'll see animated icons appear on either end of the Dynamic Island. A long tap on it will likely bring up a useful temporary control widget at top of the screen, so you can play, pause or skip - or maybe take your caller off hold. A short tap will instantly open the app involved - all without any extra swiping or other navigation. It's definitely more than just a gimmick and I've already found myself using it quite a bit - almost intuitively - especially to control my music and podcasts.

Another new feature Apple has introduced to the 14 Pro's is one we've seen on other phones and devices for years; Always On Display. Personally, I can't think of anything worse than having my screen on all the time and I've never understood why people love it so much. But then, I was a very early smartwatch adopter so I'm used to getting notifications on my wrist, without having to look at my phone at all. Apparently other (normal?) people like the ability to see what's coming and going on their phone with a quick glance at the lock screen.

Although late to the party on this one, Apple being Apple has jumped on board AOD with both feet and has decided it doesn't need to be a limited, black-and-white, simplified version of the lock-screen. AOD on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max means full-colour, fully operational, just significantly dimmed to preserve battery life. Not only that, in combination with the latest iOS, there are some fun effects you can play around with if you set a portrait photo as your wallpaper - placing it behind the clock and widgets when the phone's asleep, bringing the picture to the foreground when you wake it up.

I've read varying reports on how much the new AOD feature affects battery life and that's how it is with battery life - how long is a piece of string? All I know is the battery life on these two phones is easily the most impressive of any iPhone I've used to date and outshines quite a few flagship phones from other manufacturers too.

I highlighted Apple's latest crash-detection technology in my recent Apple Watch Series 8 review and rest assured, you get all those features here as well.

But camera performance is likely to be the main reason most users choose to spend a few hundred dollars extra for an iPhone Pro and again, these handsets a truly another step ahead. There are significant upgrades across the board - from the Ultra Wide camera with a sensor almost twice as big as last year's - to the 3x Telephoto lens that now offers a vastly improved zoom experience, especially now Apple has released an update to remedy the widely publicised issue some early customers were experiencing with third-party photo apps allegedly causing the camera module to rumble, grind and shake. 

I never experienced this, although I encountered a different frustration at my daughter's university graduation last week. As you can imagine, this is an event where photos are pretty important, so it was rather alarming when the camera app froze completely on more than one occasion. This happened when I was attempting to zoom in across the poorly lit audience at the indoor arena hosting the event. Each time I had to restart the camera app to continue shooting. Luckily, it didn't seem to affect the more well-lit pics of the action on stage. I'm also confident the next update will sort this niggle too.

Some fairly extensive online research has suggested a few other people have run into similar issues at other indoor events. It seems odd because all other aspects of the camera performance are truly remarkable - including low-light shooting thanks to what Apple calls its Photonic Engine. As I understand it, this uses all the information it can get its hands on; multiple images and even uncompressed footage to produce brighter, more colourful shots than ever.

There's also a new Action Mode which takes the iPhone 14 Pro's digital stabilisation to another level.

The front camera has been zooped up too - now capable of autofocus and also utilises the aforementioned Photonic Engine for improved low-light selfies.

I could go on and on. Weirdly, just as with the base iPhone 14, the Pro and Pro Max have also been accused of "not being that much better" than their predecessors. Again I'll point out, most users aren't professional phone critics who update their handsets every five minutes. Besides, I've just spent about 1500 words (far, far too many) discussing the many and varied ways these phones have in fact been improved.

Are they the best phones money can buy? At around the NZ$3000.00 mark for the highest spec, 1TB models, you'd certainly hope they're right up there. They're definitely the best phones Apple has ever produced and that's saying something.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.