Early this year, I confidently (and admittedly, somewhat hastily) predicted the Samsung Galaxy S9+ could well be the phone of 2018. I made that prediction after playing with one for only an hour or so and weirdly, I copped a bit of flack for it.
As it turns out, so far I've been absolutely right.
There are other handsets that are slightly stronger in certain areas... maybe a higher-spec camera... a bit more processing power... bigger storage... but none of these come close to offering the complete package the GS9+ does.
Till now...
Right off the bat I want to be quite clear in declaring the Samsung Galaxy Note9 is not my phone of the year... but only because it's a bit ugly. Call me shallow, but compared to most other flagship devices out there, the Note9 is decidedly square and brick-like. The team from Samsung tried to tell me this was a deliberate design choice to differentiate it from the S9 and S9+. Are they suggesting there's a market out there for big, heavy, block things? They're probably right. I mean, they also decided to make the S-Pen for the blue Note9 yellow, so what would I know?
The Note9 is in fact available in 3 colours, the mandatory Midnight Black, the aforementioned Ocean Blue and a very classy Metallic Bronze. Depending on the deal you choose, there seems to be the option of a lavender S-Pen floating around too. Talk about being spoilt for choice.
I think the real implication is Note users are traditionally more interested in functionality over form, with the Galaxy Note range usually being one of the biggest handsets on the market. That's not necessarily true this time round because although the screen is a whopping 6.4 inches, (Samsung's largest Infinity display to date) the device is practically bezel-free so the Note9 isn't actually that much bigger than the GS9+.
The main point of the Note9 is what's under the hood. I'm not usually one to get bogged down with tech specs, facts and figures, but you can't help but be impressed by the sheer brute force of this device. There are two variants available, the 128GB and the 512GB. What's significant here is they both have microSD expansion slots so the 512GB version can accommodate another 512GB in flash memory, effectively making this the world's first terabyte smart phone. That's literally millions of selfies you can store on there... so much for us all moving to the cloud.
The processor has been upgraded since the S9 and there's now a stunning 8GB of RAM available on the 512GB variant. I was only sent the 128GB version to review, which has a mere 6GB of RAM, but even then there was a noticeable bump in speed. Nothing causes this phone to slow down, pause or stutter. Gaming, streaming, multi-tasking, downloading and installing apps - the Note9 is easily one of the fastest phones I've used with most functions happening instantly. Whether you unlock via fingerprint or facial recognition, your homescreen now appears before you really have time to think about it.
Even if those memory numbers don't mean much to you, just compare them to your work laptop. There aren't too many people walking around with that much storage and power on their computers, let alone their phones. That's why Samsung has now taken DeX mode a step further. Previous devices required a DeX dock to create a desktop experience on a large screen. Now you can plug the Note9 into any HDMI display directly, using a single USB Type-C to HDMI cable. Then you can really use it like a full-sized PC, presenting and even creating documents, PowerPoints, slideshows or other multi-media projects. Only high-end Huawei devices offer anything approaching this kind of functionality and the Note9 takes it a step further with its new S-Pen.
The S-Pen has been the most full-featured stylus around for generations, letting you take notes, screen write, capture images, translate and create live animations. Now its bluetooth connectivity means you can also use the S-Pen as a remote control. That's right, we're no longer faced with the prospect of a projector we don't know how to use, with a clicker that doesn't work properly anyway. Just plug your Note9 in (or share the screen wirelessly) pop the S-Pen out and your presentation'll run just the way you planned it. You can also use the S-Pen as a media-controller, playing and pausing your content.
Camera-wise, we have a same-but-different situation. In terms of hardware, it's the same camera configuration as the GS9+, although the rear camera looks different because the dual lenses are now side-by-side instead of one above the other. However, because of all the extra processing grunt, there's a host of new AI capabilities and Bixby lens features available, including live object recognition and live online shopping link suggestions. Although the camera is no major leap forward, just remember, the GS9 cameras were already stunning, especially in low light.
I also continue to be impressed by the stereo sound tuned by AKG... now with the inclusion of Dolby Atmos, you can legitimately enjoy your Netflix and the like without headphones or other speakers. It's not surround sound home theatre, but it certainly packs plenty of aural punch.
At 4000mAh, the Note9 boasts the biggest battery in a Galaxy phone to date, so as you'd expect you'll coast through a whole day on a single charge with no problems, even if you're doing a lot of streaming or bluetooth connecting. The S-Pen's charge doesn't last anywhere near as long, but it charges itself every time you slot it back into the handset.
Just on charging; one of Samsung's innovative line of new accessories includes the Duo wireless charging pad - a double-sized charger with a space for your phone and an extra spot for your smart watch. There's also a nifty flip cover that folds out to a triangle shape for a surprisingly stable instant tripod. Group selfies up the mountain? No longer a problem. Plonk the Note9 on a rock, pop out the S-Pen and use it as your camera remote. Come on, that's clever.
It's that sort of functionality that warrants the Note9's $1699-$1999 price tag - it really is more than just a phone (a fantastic phone)... it's a cool camera... but most significantly of all, it's probably more powerful and has more storage than your computer. All this, and it still fits in your pocket.
Oh, and it's not actually that ugly either. I just said that so I wouldn't be wrong about the phone-of-the-year thing.
Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy Note9
Huawei makes great phones. The tri-lens camera on this year's P20 Pro is probably the finest camera ever seen on a smart phone. Combined with the awesome power of Huawei's Kirin chipset technology, it's an extremely nice device.
But the question is; why have three cameras when you can have four?... ...for less than half the price?...
Okay, the four camera thing is slightly misleading - but only slightly.
The Huawei nova 3i only has a dual lens rear-facing camera as opposed to the P20 Pro's unique tri-lens setup. I say only, but truth is, very few phones in this price range sport dual lens cameras. What even fewer phones at any price have is a dual lens forward-facing camera. This means the nova 3i offers you the same features for your selfies you can access for the rest of your pics.
The camera innovation doesn't stop there. AI object recognition has been popping up in a lot of flagship devices, now you get it in the nova 3i - both front and back. Not only does this help you take way better photos in a range of environments and lighting conditions, but it also gives you the option of shopping for things you take pictures of. If the phone can recognise it, it can link you to an online store that sells it.
Of course, the other thing you get when you combine powerful AI with cool cameras is 3D facial recognition. Not only does this mean fast and accurate face unlock functionality, but also silly live animations you can superimpose over your own face. Huawei calls these QMojis. I call them too much time on your hands.
But the nova 3i is so so much more than just pretty pictures. It's also extremely pretty itself. While it is available in black, no-one in their right mind would choose anything other than Iris Purple. Iris Purple is only partly purple, quite a lot of blue and all the colours in between. It's kind of hypnotic to look at... like a double rainbow. This is all encased in glass with a metal mid-frame. It's super light, super slim and super slippery. It feels luxurious in your hand... but only if you can actually manage to grip its near frictionless surface. It could well be the slipperiest phone I've ever encountered - at one stage it worked its way out of my pocket onto the floor, while I was sitting on the couch. The glass seems pretty tough... no damage to report.
The 6.3inch display sounds too big but because it's edge-to-edge, the phone really isn't over the top size-wise and you want maximum display real-estate for streaming and gaming - two things the nova 3i does very well again, due in large part to the built-in AI. Combined with the impressive processing power of the Kirin 710 chipset, the nova 3i even offers a dedicated Gaming Mode which commits maximum resources to graphics and sound while blocking pesky notifications.
There's a more-than-ample 128GB of built-in storage, and the 4GB of RAM once again puts this lower-mid-range device up with the big boys.
The only real sign of the budget price-tag is the microUSB connection instead of the more user-friendly USB Type-C all high-end phones now support. Still no wireless charging here either which is slightly mysterious because in other markets Huawei does have a phone available with wireless charging capability.
A slightly old fashioned plug. That's really the only thing wrong with the nova 3i. So actually, there's nothing wrong with it at all. Plus it takes incredible photos from both cameras. PLUS plus it's amazing to look at.
But here's what I don't understand... why offer a phone that's almost as good as your flagship device for less than half the price?
The nova 3i is currently available for just $499 - and that's not even including the nice bonus pressies most retailers are bundling in with it. So surely it makes no sense to pay $1200 for a P20 Pro, just to get a 3 lens rear facing camera?
Click here for more information and pricing on the Huawei nova 3i
At the beginning of the year, OPPO was one of the first cabs off the rank with its latest flagship device, the R11s.
It was a major progression for one of Asia's biggest phone brands, because while last year's phones took pretty great pics, especially selfies, the user experience left a little to be desired.
Well, it's only August and OPPO has taken another giant leap forward...
The R15s PRO is a thing of beauty - and not just because it comes in Ruby Red, although the way it catches the light is truly mesmerising. You can choose Cosmic Purple if that's more your style and to be frank, it looks pretty damn fine too.
Whereas previous OPPO's seemed to make a deliberate effort to imitate the latest iPhone, the R15s Pro finally seems to have its own personality and it truly is stunning to look at. The glass back and steel bezels all feel like pure luxury.
Given all this, it seems quaintly retro to find both a headphone jack and a microUSB charging port instead of the USB Type-C version pretty much every new release phone has moved to now. Apparently, OPPO's amazingly fast VOOC flash charger is only designed for microUSB, so probably worth it for the impressively quick top-up. In saying that, can't the VOOC designers just redesign it?
On the subject of headphone jacks, I'm pretty relaxed either way although I know some people think forcing customers to use bluetooth connected listening devices is some kind of crime against humanity, so having that hole there will be good news for them.
The other controversial issue for high-end phone users right now is the notch. This is where the massive 6.28 inch screen stretches past the camera and speaker at the top of the phone to make the most of the forward-facing real estate. It's great to have your notification banner up there out of the way... when you're using the phone in portrait mode. Turn the phone sideways and things get a bit screwy. Some notched phones figure out you're watching full screen content and blank out the notch bar accordingly - not so with the R15s Pro. That means if you're watching movies or TV, there'll literally be a notch out of the picture on one side. Hard to know if these issues are up to OPPO or the app developers to solve, I just hope someone does, because other than that, this phone is one of the best looking in town.
The launcher/home screen setup is still a bit of an iOS throwback - no app drawer, just pages of icons. This is always easily remedied with my favourite launcher, Nova. However, once you actually start using this device, prepare to be impressed with its speed and power. The specs compare extremely favourably with just about every other phone on the market. A more than healthy 2.2GHz octa core processor, a whopping 6GB of RAM and 128GB is plenty of storage.
While I had run into a few stuttering issues on previous models, I experienced none of that this time round. Apps opened quickly and ran reliably - especially when I figured out how to ignore battery optimisation settings for the ones I wanted to keep running in the background.
The R15s Pro introduces a new range of gesture controls, a combination of swipes from different places on the screen instead of the more traditional home and go back buttons. While quite different to other phones, these didn't take long to get used to and I actually found them pretty intuitive. The operating system, ColorOS 5.0, is a major upgrade and a real breath of fresh air, although I was often disappointed to find the app I was using didn't support split-screen use - perhaps another opportunity for OPPO and developers to sit down and improve the functionality.
In short, the R15s Pro is the first OPPO that hasn't made me feel like I'm using a phone developed for a completely different market that's forcing itself to fit with New Zealand conditions.
What I've never had an issue with is OPPO's photographic functionality. OPPO has consistently impressed me with its forward facing cameras and it was using an OPPO when I first discovered I could take a self portrait that wasn't totally hideous. the R15s Pro steps things up yet again, with lots of AI doing some hard work behind the scenes to produce extremely clear and vivid shots from both front and rear (dual lens) cameras, even in poor light.
I mean, tell me that's not the best picture of beans you've ever seen.
The 20MP selfie-cam introduces a new level of 3D facial recognition, which not only enables a damn fast face unlock feature, but also means you can do those silly live AR stickers if that's your jam. More importantly, you can now shoot selfies in HDR which makes bad light much less of an issue.
Perhaps the camera configuration on the R15s Pro isn't technically the best around, but for a pictorial numbskull like me, it's certainly the best available for the price.
At $899, it's far from the cheapest OPPO ever released, but that's probably because there's absolutely nothing cheap about it. The feel, the user experience, the power and the cameras, all genuinely first class.
Oh, and did I mention you can get it in red? Oh boy.
As for the photos, just look at the beans and get back to me.
Click here for more information on the OPPO R15s Pro
