Camera Blind Test: Microsoft Lumia 950 XL vs Lumia 1020

This is the third installment of our Camera Blind Test for this week since we have ourselves a threesome of smartphones that have given their rear cameras some serious equipment. We first compared the Microsoft Lumia 950 XL against the LG V10, then the Lumia 1020 and the LG V10, now we pit the two Lumia cousins face to face to see their respective performances in the imaging department.

Nokia-Lumia-1020-vs-lumia-950xl

As a quick rundown of their shooting hardware, the Lumia 950 XL has a 20-megapixel PureView rear camera with Carl Zeiss Optics and is accompanied by a three-piece (RGB) LED flash. The Lumia 1020, on the other hand, rocks a 41-megapixel rear shooter with Carl Zeiss optics as well, but uses a Xenon flash to light its subjects.

Just like before, sample photos will be labeled with A or B so you won’t know which device took which picture. We will be revealing the results next week after tallying all your votes. 

Outdoor – Buildings and Trees

A B A/B

Outdoor – Sea and Sky

A B A/B

Outdoor – Landscape

A B A/B

Outdoor – Zoom

A B A/B

Outdoor – Flash

A B A/B

Outdoor – Contrast

A B A/B

Outdoor – Closeup

A B A/B

Indoor – Low Light

A B A/B

Indoor – Flash

A B A/B

Outdoor – Night

A B A/B

Outdoor – Night Lights and People

A B A/B

Video Quality

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Specs Comparison: Firefly Intense Desire vs MyPhone my36

Firefly Mobile just introduced its new Intense Desire smartphone that offers a decent bang for the buck value. A similar local smartphone came to mind bearing a close lineup of specifications and even a price tag that’s just a few hundred pesos away — the MyPhone my36.

We place the two in a side-by-side comparison to determine their strengths and weaknesses for those planning on buying smartphones in this price range.

firefly-intense-desire-vs-myphone-my36-hero

Firefly Intense DesireMyPhone my36
5.5-inch Tru HD IPS OGS display @ 1280 x 720 resolution5.2-inch Full HD IPS display @ 1920 x 1080 resolution
AGC Dragontrail GlassCorning Gorilla Glass 3
267ppi424ppi
1.3GHz MediaTek MT6753 64-bit octa-core CPU1.3GHz MediaTek MT6753 64-bit octa-core CPU
Mali-T720 MP3 GPUMali-T720 MP3 GPU
3GB RAM3GB RAM
32GB internal storage (expandable up to 128GB)16GB internal storage (expandable up to 64GB)
13MP Sony Exmor RS IMX214 AF BSI rear camera w/ dual-LED flash13MP rear camera w/ Samsung optics, dual-LED flash, and Phase Detect AF
8MP front BSI camera5MP front camera w/ LED flash
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/acWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.0Bluetooth 4.0
GPS with A-GPS GPS with A-GPS
USB-OTGUSB-OTG
Dual-SIM (micro)Dual-SIM (micro)
4G LTE, 3G HSPA+4G LTE, 3G HSPA+
3,550mAh non-removable battery w/ Fast Charge (1.5A Fast Charger included)2900mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery
Android 5.1 LollipopAndroid 5.1 Lollipop
Php6,499Php6,999

Summary of Advantages

Firefly Intense Desire:

  • 5.5-inch display
  • 32GB internal storage
  • Expandable up to 128GB
  • BSI sensor for the rear camera
  • 8MP front camera with BSI sensor
  • 3,550mAh battery w/ Fast Charge feature and fast charger (1.5A)
  • Cheaper (costs Php500 less)

MyPhone my36:

  • Full HD display
  • 424ppi
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
  • Phase Detection AF for rear camera
  • LED flash for front camera

Both are equal in:

  • MediaTek octa-core CPU
  • Mali-T720 GPU
  • 3GB RAM
  • 13MP rear sensor with Dual LED Flash
  • Connectivity
  • 4G LTE
  • Android 5.1 OS

In the end, there are many similarities in their specs, but the Firefly Intense Desire offers a bit more than the MyPhone my36 — for a budget-friendlier price.

 

The post Specs Comparison: Firefly Intense Desire vs MyPhone my36 appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Comparison: OPPO F1 vs ASUS Zenfone Selfie

With the recent announcement of selfie-centric phones from OPPO, the F1 and F1 Plus, it seems that the famous ASUS Zenfone Selfie is starting to have real competition in the selfie game. Let’s have a quick comparison of the two.

f1-vs-selfie

OPPO F1ASUS Zenfone Selfie
5.0-inch IPS LCD (1280 x 720 pixels), 294ppi5.5-inch IPS LCD (1920 x 1080 pixels)
1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 octa-core chipset1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core chipset
Adreno 405Adreno 405
3GB RAM3GB RAM
16GB internal storage32GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD, up to 128GB (uses SIM 2 slot)Expandable via microSD, up to 128GB
13-megapixel, f/2.2 PDAF rear camera w/ LED flash13-megapixel, f/2.0, laser autofocus rear camera w/ dual-tone LED flash
8-megapixel, f/2.0 front camera13-megapixel, f/2.2, autofocus w/ dual-tone LED flash
Dual SIM (Nano + Micro) / Dual StandbyDual SIM / Dual Standby
4G LTE4G LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11acWi-Fi 802.11ac
Bluetooth 4.0Bluetooth 4.0
GPS w/ A-GPSGPS w/ A-GPS, GLONASS
2500mAh Li-Ion, non-removable3000mAh Li-Po battery, removable
Android 5.1 Lollipop w/ Color OS 2.1Android 5.0 Lollipop w/ ZenUI
143.5 x 71 x 7.3 mm156.5 x 77.2 x 10.8 mm
134g170g

Design and Display

With a smaller display 5″ display, the OPPO F1 is thinner and lighter than the Zenfone Selfie at 7.3mm vs 10.8mm and 134g vs 170g. However, the F1 has a lower pixel count at 294ppi vs 403ppi of the 5.5″ display of Selfie. Button placements are quite different from the two since the F1 follows a more traditional approach with side buttons while the Selfie placed it on the back. Both are IPS LCD panels and should deliver well with wide viewing angles and pleasing colors. Also, both have three capacitive buttons for UI navigation.

Processor and Memory

Qualcomm provides the chipset for both. While the two basically has the same mid-range Snapdragon octa-core chipsets, the F1, being the latest, has the edge of having the newest Snapdragon 616 variant over the Snapdragon 615 of the Selfie. Although, the GPU department has not seen upgrade since it’s still the Adreno 405. There’s 3GB of RAM on both with 16GB storage for the F1 and microSD support for up to 32GB.

Camera

Since they are branded as selfie smartphones, we’re expecting better front camera experience from the two. On paper, F1 has an 8-megapixel front shooter with an f/2.0 opening and a 1/4″ sensor. With these numbers, it should perform well in bright environments, and maybe even in low-light scenarios thanks to the large aperture. On the other hand, the Selfie has a 13-megapixel front camera with autofocus and dual-tone flash. With that, the f/2.2 opening should be compensated by the flash.

Battery

OPPO opted for a non-removable Li-Ion battery for the F1 rated at 2500mAh, while ASUS has a more maintenance-friendly removable 3000mAh Li-Po battery. The 500mAh difference shouldn’t mean that the Selfie has the advantage since the F1 lights up fewer pixels on the display, but we still have to find out when we get our hands on a review unit.

Pricing

The OPPO F1 is relatively new and we’re still waiting for local availability. In Vietnam, it’s priced at 6,490,000 Vietnamese Dong or roughly around Php13,665 while the ASUS Zenfone Selfie has been on sale for months now at an affordable Php11,995.

We’ve already reviewed the ASUS Zenfone Selfie and it’s quite a charmer among consumers. You may read about it here. And, the F1 Plus, the F1’s bigger and better brother, is also in the line coming around April 2016.

The post Comparison: OPPO F1 vs ASUS Zenfone Selfie appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Camera Blind Test: Microsoft Lumia 950 XL vs. LG V10

We’re back with another article for our Camera Blind Test series and this time, we’re comparing two smartphones that highly concentrate on imaging — the LG V10 and Microsoft Lumia 950 XL. Just like before, sample photos will be labeled with A or B so you won’t know which device took which picture. We will be revealing the results next week after tallying all your votes.

lumia-950xl-vs-lg-v10-hero

Outdoor – Nature

A B A/B

Outdoor – Zoom

A B A/B

Outdoor – General Shot

A B A/B

Outdoor – Dynamic Range

A B A/B

Outdoor – Contrast

A B A/B

Outdoor – Close up

A B A/B

Outdoor – Macro

A B A/B

Indoor – Low Light

A B A/B

Indoor – Flash

A B A/B

Outdoor – Night

A A/B B

Video Recording

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Comparison: Blackview BV5000 vs Asus Zenfone Max

Two devices with large battery capacities have been out in the market, the Blackview BV5000 and the Asus Zenfone Max. Both have a whopping 5000mAh battery but they differ in other areas. How does the two fair against each other? Let’s have a look in this comparison.

bv5000-vs-zenfonemax

Blackview BV500Asus Zenfone Max
5-inch IPS LCD (1280 x 720 pixels), 294ppi5.5-inch IPS LCD (1280 x 720 pixels), 267ppi
1.0GHz MediaTek MT6735P quad-core 64-bit processor1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad-core 64-bit processor
Mali-T720 GPUAdreno 306 GPU
2GB RAM2GB RAM
16GB internal storage16GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD, up to 64GBExpandable via microSD, up to 128GB
13-megapixel rear camera w/ LED flash13-megapixel rear camera w/ laser autofocus, LED flash
5-megapixel front camera5-megapixel front camera
Dual SIM (Mini + Micro)Dual SIM (Micro)
4G LTE4G LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/nWi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0Bluetooth 4.0
GPS w/ A-GPSGPS w/ A-GPS, GLONASS
5000mAh Li-Ion battery5000mAh Li-Po battery
Waterproof, Dustproof, Shockproof
Android 5.1 LollipopAndroid 5.0 Lollipop w/ ZenUI
150.7 x 78.1 x 13.3mm156 x 77.5 x 10.6mm
229g202 grams

Display

To start off, both have an IPS LCD with a resolution of 1280 x pixels yet the BV5000 measures at 5 inches while the Max is bigger at 5.5 inches. This results to a pixel density of 294ppi and 267ppi, respectively. The smaller 5-inch benefits the BV5000 with a sharper display, almost reaching the 300ppi threshold. Blackview listed the BV500 to have a 2.5D glass on top, but there was no mention of any particular brand while the Asus slapped Gorilla Glass 4 on the Zenfone Max to keep it protected.

Performance and Memory

Underneath the displays are average processors. We’re talking a quad-core chipset from two SoC manufacturers. BV5000 has the MT6735P from MediaTek and the Max has the good-old Snapdragon 410, just like some of its Zenfone 2 cousins. The cores are clocked from 1GHz to 1.2GHz. This may not sound much, but it should be fine for everyday task and some casual gaming thanks to their respective GPUs. Both have 2GB of RAM and ample 16GB storage with support for microSD card expansion.

Camera

The two basically have the same number of megapixel count on their rear and front sensors — 13MP and 5MP. But, we are yet to see how Blackview will perform in real usage. For the Zenfone Max, it has the edge for having laser autofocus and some nifty PixelMaster enhancements.

Connectivity

Both are well connected to the world with their LTE radio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. They are also Dual SIM capable.

Battery

As mentioned, both have 5000mAh battery but they use different battery tech. The BV5000 has a Li-Ion pack but removable for swapping if you have a spare. On the other hand, the Max has a non-removable Li-Polymer battery.

Features

What really sets the BV5000 apart from the Max is the proofing. Blackview labels it as waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof. This would mean that it can withstand more than average usage. There’s no certification or whatsoever, so we’re a bit hesitant about the capabilities mentioned. Still, it’s nice to have a sturdy device for the times you need it. With this, the BV500 is slightly thicker by about 3mm.

With these differences, which one has the upper hand? The Blackview BV5000 retails for Php7,999 while the Asus Zenfone Max is at Php8,495.

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