Tag Archives: Android

Samsung Galaxy S24 design leak is very flat, raising concerns over ergonomics

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Design trends tend to be cyclical, especially in fashion where the old becomes new again, eventually. It might take decades or it could just be a matter of years before old designs resurface. In the fast-paced world of smartphones, it was really only a matter of time before the “classic” look became the modern aesthetic. Flat is the new black, so to speak, and proponents of the curved movements have slowly but surely moved over to the old-new trend. That, of course, includes Samsung, though its embrace of flatter sides and edges hasn’t been instant. It seems that it has finally gone all in with next year’s Galaxy S24 flagship, though there are now some questions about whether that shift is sacrificing comfort and ergonomics in exchange for a sleek and more contemporary appearance.

Designer: Steve Hemmerstoffer/OnLeaks (via SmartPrix and GizNext)

Galaxy S24 Plus

Some of the very first smartphones opted for flatter sides, as exhibited by the earliest generations of iPhones. To differentiate, some brands started challenging design and manufacturing practices and employed curved backs, curved sides, or even curved edge screens. Even Apple would start to use some curves at the sides, but it has reverted to its old iconic look to some extent. Unsurprisingly, Samsung has started to do the same and might be finally taking the last step in that direction.

According to renders based on leaked information, the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus will almost be completely flat on all sides. Compared to the Galaxy S23 this year, which had a flat back and a flat screen but with rounded edges, the Galaxy S24’s sides will be flat all throughout. The only curves you’ll see on its body are the corners, which help soften the phone’s harsher appearance just a little bit.

The rest of the Galaxy S24’s design, however, remains largely the same, if the unofficial data is to be believed. There are still only three cameras, and rumors claim they won’t get a significant upgrade next year. These cameras still live on their own, without a camera island to visually group them together. It’s admittedly a simpler and more minimalist design, a small breath of fresh air compared to the growing sizes of camera bumps on phones today.

While this design admittedly has a classic elegance to it, it may also resurrect a still ongoing discussion around the comfort of these flat edges in your hand. Some criticize its sharp corners for cutting into your skin, while others argue that curved edges then to make the phone harder to grasp confidently. Unfortunately, there is no definite answer yet, but at least for now, it seems that flat is back for a good while.

The post Samsung Galaxy S24 design leak is very flat, raising concerns over ergonomics first appeared on Yanko Design.

Onyx BOOX Palma eReader Review: Boldly Going Where No eReader Has Gone Before

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PROS:


  • Simple but distinctive design with a tactile back

  • Automatic brightness adjustment

  • Eye-friendly and pocket-sized, perfect for reading anywhere

CONS:


  • No cellular network support

  • Not ideal for PDFs and some types of documents

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The Onyx BOOX Palma is a refreshingly novel approach to letting you read anywhere, anytime, but its confusing nature might make it a hard sell even to eReader fans.

Despite all the multimedia content available today, people seem to be reading even more, whether it’s directly through eBooks or indirectly through the Web and social media. We have plenty of devices that make this activity possible and easy almost anywhere, but while phones and tablets are indeed convenient, they are ironically the worst way to enjoy this type of content, especially as far as our eyes are concerned. eBook readers or eReaders have long been known to be the better choice for reading, and these devices are undergoing an innovation phase. New technologies, such as color E Ink panels, are popping up left and right, but it seems that all these changes are also pushing eReaders to bigger sizes. Onyx BOOX, however, is taking things in another and opposite direction to bring the world’s most portable eReader, and so we take the BOOX Palma for a ride to see where it could fit in your life.

Designer: BOOX

Aesthetics

It’s almost impossible not to mistake the Onyx BOOX Palma for a smartphone, even if you have the monochrome E Ink display turned on. If you’ve been keeping tabs on news in this market segment, you might already be aware of attempts to integrate such screens on the back of smartphones or even sell a phone with an E Ink display. As they say, however, looks can be deceiving, and the BOOX Palma isn’t really a smartphone, at least not in the technical sense of a “phone.” For all intents and purposes, however, it could almost be one, and it could even be better than your handset, especially in the design department.

The BOOX Palma embraces a completely minimalist aesthetic, in contrast to the classy yet busy designs of smartphones. You wouldn’t be able to make out any of its features unless you take a closer, more scrutinizing look. Even the camera sits almost flush against the back of the phone, so there is very little wobble or visual distraction. It’s an example of a design that gets out of your way to let you enjoy the content you want, which comes in the form of the books you’ll be reading on the screen.

Minimalist, however, doesn’t mean plain or boring. The BOOX Palma employs what the company touts as a water-repellent material on the back of the phone that also gives it a rougher, almost paper-like texture. It helps give you a better grip so that the device feels more secure and comfortable in your hand. Considering it’s meant to be held a lot in your hand, that’s a very important trait. The camera comes with a flash and sits on a small black strip that adds a contrasting accent without totally distracting your eyes.

The sides of the BOOX Palma are just as bare aside from the lone speaker grille and USB port at the bottom, buttons for power and volume on the right, and a special button on the left that triggers a screen refresh. One rather unusual design detail for the buttons is that the frame itself rises around these buttons, creating lumps that may or may not suit your taste. The front of the device is similarly devoid of extraneous details, and the screen is completely flush with the bezels. Those bezels are rather wide, as is common with eReaders, but the curved corners of the screen make them look a little more stylish. All-in-all, the BOOX Palma has an understated design that derives its elegance from its simplicity.

Ergonomics

Although smartphones are naturally designed to be easy to hold in your hand, the combination of hardware and materials gives them a lot of weight. If you compare eReaders to tablets of the same size, the former category easily wins the lightweight contest. Given that backdrop, it’s no surprise that the BOOX Palma is significantly lighter than a smartphone, especially at 160g. What this means is that it won’t strain your hand when you’re reading for hours on end. That’s a win even against almost every eReader in the market today.

The phone-sized eReader is also easy and comfortable to grip thanks to the textured water-repellent material on its back. All the physical controls are on the sides within easy reach, and there are no special cases like an under-screen fingerprint scanner that will require you to shift your hand at any given point in time. That brings not only stability but also confidence, freeing you from worries while you get engrossed in your reading.

Performance

Truth be told, it’s difficult to categorize the Onyx BOOX Palma. The brand’s devices are already blurring the boundaries between tablets and eReaders, and this muddles the waters even more. This time, confusion arises between a smartphone and an eReader, especially considering how the BOOX Palma is almost a smartphone internally. That’s thanks to an octa-core Qualcomm CPU, 6GB of RAM that is generous for an eReader, 128GB of expandable storage, and, best of all, Android with Google Play Store pre-installed.

Yes, it’s pretty much an Android phone, except for the lack of one critical feature. It doesn’t have a SIM card slot, not even hardware to support cellular networks. Yes, it does have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but that’s as far as connectivity goes. In other words, this is pretty much a Wi-Fi phone, which some manufacturers have tried to offer before without much success. Given how a lot of communication today happens over the Internet, that might not be a total deal-breaker, at least as long as you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network. Then again, almost all eReaders have this limitation, so the BOOX Palma isn’t exactly an outlier, except for the fact that it looks and behaves almost like a phone, which unfortunately sets the wrong expectations.

Whatever you might think the BOOX Palma is, what isn’t arguable is that it has a top-of-the-line display as far as E Ink panels are concerned. The 6.13-inch screen has a resolution of 824×1648, giving it a high 300 ppi density, making every text look crisp and sharp. Yes, it’s not the color E Ink variant, but those have yet to become available in smaller and denser sizes. This screen shares many of the traits of the most recent BOOX devices, particularly bearing a dedicated graphics processor to really kick up performance to the next level. The result is one of the fastest E Ink screens you’ll see in the market, which makes reading even more pleasurable.

The display is also front-lit and, like its siblings, it has two kinds of light that you can tweak to your comfort. What the Onyx BOOX Palma does differently is that it has an ambient light sensor, which means it can automatically adjust the brightness or even turn off one or both front lights, depending on the environment. You can still manually control the settings, but you don’t have to worry about them every time.

All these make the BOOX Palma an ideal reading device no matter where you are, especially for times and places where holding up a larger device isn’t convenient or even possible. That said, that same size is also the device’s biggest Achilles’ heel because it caters to only a specific kind of content, text that can be reflowed to fit the screen without shrinking the fonts. That applies to Kindle books, ePubs, and most web pages, but documents with fixed font sizes like PDFs, or content with lots of images like comics are a poor fit for a screen of this size. Granted, most people with eReaders probably read eBooks from Kindle or Kobo or ePubs so that might not be relevant. But as the use cases from these devices grow, so do the types of content people read from them.

As an Android device, you’re not limited to just reading books either. You can install almost any app from the Google Play Store and use them normally, though your experience will vary greatly. Even at its fastest setting, watching videos or playing games is still going to be painful, especially with the ghosting and lower quality. Reading from social media apps is definitely doable, except when it comes to photos that are best viewed in full color. You can technically do anything that you would also do on a phone, at least within some expectations, but you’ll have to remember that the device isn’t really a phone, which might be a bit difficult to do considering it looks exactly like one.

Rounding up the hardware is a 3,950mAh battery that can last for 2 or 3 days with constant use. It’s not the week-long life of most eReaders, mostly because of everything that can happen in the background, just like a regular phone. The BOOX Palma also has a 16MP camera with an LED flash that can take color photos, even if you can’t view them with color. It’s intended more as a document scanner, though it remains to be seen how useful it really is.

Sustainability

As with many of Onyx’s products, there’s not much to be said about the BOOX Palma when it comes to sustainability. Making matters a bit worse is the thorough use of plastic instead of aluminum seen in some of its larger eReaders. The decision was most likely based on making the device light to hold, not on its long-term impact on the environment. We’re still waiting for the day when Onyx makes sustainability one of the selling points of its products, embracing recycled and eco-friendly materials, both for packaging as well as for the devices themselves.

The BOOX Palma does score points in other aspects, though. Because it uses considerably less power than mobile devices, charging it becomes less frequent, reducing its carbon footprint in the long run. Its water-repellent back and overall durability means you won’t be losing the device any time soon. It has the same longevity and long-lasting use as all eReaders, just that you’re getting it in a smaller package.

Value

Simply based on its features, the Onyx BOOX Palma is definitely an impressive device. It has a sharp and crisp E Ink display made better by a dedicated graphics chip that really pushes the envelope of performance. Its small size makes it trivial to slip the device inside your bag or even your other pocket, allowing you to pick up where you left off on your favorite novel or self-help book. The fact that it runs Android with Google Play Store already installed is the icing on the cake, making it just as versatile as a regular Android phone, except it has an eye-friendly, power-efficient monochrome screen.

That, unfortunately, is also where the BOOX Palma becomes a little bit less convincing. It looks like a phone, but the lack of cellular network support doesn’t make it one. It behaves like an eReader, but its size also limits what you can comfortably read from it. It’s like sitting in a no man’s land, which is often the case for pioneering designs and products. It’s not like it doesn’t have any use, but you’ll have to really think hard about what you’ll use it for and whether you’ll be reading that much on the go in order to justify that $280 price tag.

Verdict

eBook Readers have come a long way since the days of the first Kindle. There are large, 13-inch slabs that can almost function as laptops, as well as color E Ink screens that add a bit of vibrancy to your reading. Perhaps the biggest and boldest change, however, is offering that experience on a significantly smaller scale, something that can almost be your smartphone. Almost.

The Onyx BOOX Palma is undoubtedly an intriguing device, offering nearly the same capabilities as the company’s other eReaders but in a size you can slip into your pocket. It almost sounds like heaven for those who constantly rub their eyes from strain after reading for hours on their phones. That phone size, hover, can be a bit confusing and misleading because it is definitely not a phone. But for those who want a distraction-free, strain-free, and simple reading experience anywhere and everywhere, the Onyx BOOX Palma definitely meets expectations, as long as you set those expectations right.

The post Onyx BOOX Palma eReader Review: Boldly Going Where No eReader Has Gone Before first appeared on Yanko Design.

Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition Review: In Pursuit of Speed and Excellence

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PROS:


  • Eye-catching racing-inspired design with great attention to detail

  • Premium features like wireless charging and IP53 rating

  • Includes rare microSD card slot

  • Great price value for performance and features

CONS:


  • Odd camera combination

  • Limited availability

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

Excelling in both looks and overall features, the Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition is an unexpected yet impressive surprise that is hampered by its odd camera choices and limited availability.

With so many smartphone brands and models available today, it’s not an easy task to stand out from the crowd, especially when you’re not one of the big five. Some companies employ visual gimmicks or technical buzzwords just to catch people’s attention, only for those products to fall flat once they land in users’ hands. It takes no small amount of effort and careful thought to create a design that not only looks great but also checks all the other boxes of an excellent user experience. The Infinix NOTE 30 VIP claims to be one such item, so we took its fancy Racing Edition for a spin to see if it really matches up to the expectations of a smartphone that was made to blaze a trail in the market.

Designer: Infinix

Aesthetics

As its name clearly says, the Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition’s overarching theme is one of speed, taking inspiration from heart-pounding and thrilling street races. And when it comes to race cars, who better to know the spirit and design of speedsters than BMW’s design powerhouse, Designworks. But unlike some smartphones that boast of BMW branding, Infinix goes beyond just using themed colors or stripes to make the NOTE 30 VIP epitomize the spirit of speed that these cars exhibit, both in looks as well as in feel.

Right off the bat, this racing-inspired version of the Infinix NOTE 30 VIP is nothing like any other smartphone you’ve seen before, including those that also claim spiritual camaraderie with race cars. The way it uses a special vegan leather material doesn’t simply slap on a cover on the back of the phone but fully envelopes the surface to create a unique aesthetic and tactile experience. Even the camera bump is fully covered by the organic texture, giving the phone a more unified appearance with no metal or glass awkwardly sticking out. The embossed check-flag pattern creates a subtle nod to the racing culture, demonstrating Infinix’s meticulous attention to the smallest details.

As if the vegan leather treatment wasn’t already unique enough, Infinix and BMW Designworks go a step further by adding a feature that gives a little bit of flavor to the phone. In line with the trend of bringing decorative lights to the back of phones, the Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition presents what the brand calls “3D Lighting Leather,” an innovative design that lets strips of light shine through the leather material when it is turned on. The three colors of these light strips not only represent BMW Motorsports’ iconic branding but also represent speed, performance, and power. It’s a small yet tasteful detail that adds to the phone’s character and cements its image as an extension of a street race car.

It isn’t just the phone’s back that catches one’s attention in a pleasing manner. The sharp red edges contrast beautifully with the softer black rear, lending it an elegance that you’d expect to find in more expensive designs. The flat screen, whose bezels gently curve to the sides, also complements this aesthetic, delivering a design that exudes both speed and class in a single product.

To really complete both the VIP and the Special Edition experience, Infinix ships the NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition with a ton of freebies all designed around that same theme. Small gestures like these give a product that extra level of attention that truly sets it apart from ordinary, mass-produced phones.

Ergonomics

The most beautiful phone will simply be a pretty face if it turns out to be an unusable slab of glass and metal in your hand. Fortunately, the Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition isn’t that, and it manages to look stunning while also giving you confidence when you hold the smartphone in your hand. Part of that is thanks to the textured surface of the vegan leather material that delivers a better grip, but the design also has another small yet critical detail that improves the phone’s ergonomics.

The minuscule embossed triangle in the palm grip takes inspiration from racing car steering wheels to offer the necessary traction for your hand, increasing your grip on the phone. With this anti-slip wrapping, the NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition gives you confidence that you’ll be able to hold it in a stable and safe manner, which is probably going to be necessary considering how light the phone feels in your hand at only 190g. Just like how race car designs not only give speed but also stability, the Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition embodies this duality in a beautiful and satisfying manner.

Performance

Of course, this special Infinix NOTE 30 VIP’s racing chops don’t stop with its looks. Infinix has stepped up its game by endowing the Racing Edition with some of the best hardware for performance, making you feel like breezing through tasks and games with aplomb. The new MediaTek Dimensity 8050 might not sound familiar compared to something that has “Snapdragon” in its name, but its performance isn’t exactly sub-par. You might find yourself adjusting settings in heavier games like Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail, but for all intents and purposes, it is able to handle most mobile tasks without breaking a sweat.

The phone comes with 12GB of RAM out of the box, but it’s possible to extend that to 21GB by borrowing some memory from the 256GB internal storage. The latter might sound a bit measly until you hear about a feature that you’ll rarely find in smartphones these days. The Infinix NOTE 30 VIP actually has a dedicated slot for a microSD card slot to expand that storage, giving it an edge over other phones in both mid and premium tiers.

Uptime with the 5,000mAh battery is decent as well, which is surprising given how powerful the phone is. Charging at 68W, however, sounds a bit disappointing considering how many of its peers are already boasting 100W speeds. Then again, few of those can also boast of supporting wireless charging and fast 50W wireless charging at that. Even better, Infinix ships with a specially themed wireless charger as part of the VIP Racing Edition box so you don’t have to go hunting for one on your own.

The Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition’s hardware selection seems almost perfect, at least until you get to the cameras, one of the things that most buyers check first. Yes, there are three cameras there led by a mighty 108MP main shooter that definitely lives up to expectations. It takes good photos with plenty of detail when there’s plenty of light around. What’s more impressive is that it can shoot 4K videos, though without OIS, something that’s still uncommon at this price point. The 32MP selfie camera is decent, but it’s made more notable thanks to dual LED flash lights that hide in the phone’s top edges, bringing much-needed lighting to your face.

Things get weird with the other two cameras on the back of the phone, a 2MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro shooter. While the asymmetry between cameras isn’t uncommon, it’s almost unheard of to have an ultra-wide camera that low these days, even on mid-tier devices. As you might expect, they don’t produce good results, so you’re better off sticking to the main camera anyway. It might not be a deal-breaker for some people, but it does show at least one area where Infinix chose to cut corners.

The Infinix NOTE 30 VIP runs the company’s custom XOS 13 Android experience that’s thankfully already based on Android 13. It’s specifically themed to match that same racing motif, especially when it comes to the tri-color combination, and has a boatload of pre-installed apps you will have to uninstall one by one. One special feature of this Android skin is the “Magic Ring”, practically Infinix’s version of Apple’s Dynamic Island that changes the UI flanking the front camera cutout, depending on the context, like which app is being used. While not exactly original, we can expect other manufacturers to implement their own version of this UI flourish to help mask the presence of the hole at the top of the screen.

Sustainability

Although it has already started building a reputation for itself, Infinix is younger and smaller compared to other smartphone brands. So if it took giants like Samsung and Apple decades to establish their sustainability efforts, it shouldn’t be a surprise that it isn’t yet a focus for the fledgling company. That said, it’s not without any attempt at reducing its negative impact on the environment, like the use of this special vegan leather material for the Racing Edition. It might not be a 100% sustainable material, but it’s still significantly better than plastics.

More importantly, however, the Vivo V29 is designed to at least delay meeting its end from accidents. It has an IP53 dust and water resistance rating, which is almost unbelievable considering its price point. That simply means that it is less likely to die from a splash of water, prolonging its life for as long as it is still in good operating condition. The longer it stays in your hands, the longer it and its non-biodegradable parts stay off landfills.

Value

The Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition comes as a completely unexpected surprise. The combination of premium features and an accessible price tag might be more than enough to get buyers considering this option, but it really changes the game with its high-quality design that you might have not expected from a phone on this price tier. The 3D Lighting Leather material is more than just a gimmick, delivering a luxurious look and feel with some colored light accents to drive home that street racing image.

It’s hardly perfect, of course, and there’s a list of quirks and flaws that leave us scratching our heads. One of those is the choice of cameras aside from the 108MP main shooter, which is just mind-boggling in this day and age. The biggest drawback, however, is its limited availability to very specific markets, which means fewer people will get to experience this surprisingly impressive package. That’s quite a shame, considering how everything else about the phone is worth more than what Infinix is asking for, especially with all the accessories that come with it.

Verdict

It’s not easy for a smartphone to stand out these days, especially when you consider just how many designs there are available in the market today. It’s even harder when you try to hit the sweet spot of aesthetics, performance, and price, something that even industry giants don’t get right all the time. So there’s definitely a good reason to be amazed at how Infinix managed to pull a rabbit out of its hat, with some help from BMW Designworks, of course.

The Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition definitely embodies the spirit of street racing with intricate design details that easily remind one of the cozy interiors of sports cars. Infinix’s attention to detail leaves no stone unturned, with every side, corner, and surface matching that overarching theme. That extends inside the phone, of course, with specs that would leave you wondering why bigger manufacturers don’t follow suit. Who would have thought, for example, that we’d meet an old microSD card slot friend here, or that it would boast fast wireless charging and an IP rating at this price point? There are, indeed, some noticeable missteps, especially with the camera, but the overall package might still make you want to get your hands on one, especially for its mouth-watering $315 price tag.

The post Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition Review: In Pursuit of Speed and Excellence first appeared on Yanko Design.

MagSafe Battery Pack with a Ring Light for Smartphone Photography might just be the Most Brilliant Idea of 2023

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Moonside’s new MagLight battery pack won’t just supercharge your smartphone… it’ll supercharge your photography game too.

I’ve honestly always wondered why nobody designed a smartphone case or a MagSafe accessory that had a built-in ring light for elevated selfies and smartphone photos. The flash on your phone is the worst possible light-source for great, natural-looking, well-lit photographs, and the idea of separately carrying a light around hasn’t particularly made sense to me either. It seems like the folks at Moonside were pretty much on the same page, leading to the genesis of the MagLight – arguably the world’s first MagSafe power bank with a built-in RGB light strip that you can remotely customize. A 4000mAh battery powers the lights as well as charges your phone, and the dynamic LED strips can be used with both your primary or front-facing camera, giving you dramatically better photos in low-light conditions. Moreover, for Android users, the MagLight comes with its own magnetic stickers that attach to any smartphone, making them MagSafe compatible.

Designer: ZK Wong

Click Here to Buy Now: $75 $119 (37% off). Hurry, only 9/50 left!

Lighting seems to be the one thing Moonside does incredibly well, although with the MagLight, they’re firmly placing themselves in the tech accessory domain too. The MagLight isn’t like any of the other lights they’ve made. The company’s had a strong focus on indoor ambient lights up until now, and as a Moonside Lighthouse owner myself (bought it two years ago), it’s easily my favorite bedside accessory ever… but with the MagLight, Moonside wants to make their vivid lighting solutions more portable.

The MagLight looks just like Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack, but houses 67 LEDs split into front and back areas for all-around lighting. Snap the battery pack on and your iPhone’s camera gets a stellar companion in the form of bright custom lighting (680 lumens) that you can use in a variety of creative ways. A primary ring light faces outwards, upgrading photos taken from your phone’s main camera, but rotate the MagLight 90° and a small LED strip on the inside faces you, letting you click well-lit selfies too. Moreover, you could just pop the MagLight off and use it as a standalone lighting unit that works remarkably better than your phone’s godawful flash.

Snaps to Any Metal Surfaces – Armed with strong N52 neodymium magnets.

Dynamic Color Zone & Effect – The 67 LEDs can be controlled in a variety of ways.

High Brightness & Color Accuracy – With customizable color temperature and brightness settings, this device puts the power of lighting control in your hands.

Front & Back Lighting – The World’s first camera light that features dual-sided lighting.

Animated Lighting Effects – Customize your own lighting effects to suit your specific needs.

Group Lighting Effects – Synchronize multiple MagLights to create captivating group lighting effects.

The 67 LEDs can be controlled in a variety of ways. Moonside’s app allows you to individually address each LED, adjusting the overall brightness and choosing from 16 million colors, or from the different themes and patterns available on the app. Traditionally, the lights can be used in warm and cool white settings for better selfies (i.e. like a flash, but more natural and soft), or in vibrant colors for more artistic vivid photos. You can use the lights for long-exposure light painting if you’re a more advanced photographer, or even have the lights blinking/changing to music for a concert-like feeling wherever you are. And you can still charge your phone on the side. Moreover, the MagLight has an identity beyond being a phone accessory too. It can be used as a torch or ambient light at home, and Moonside even offers smart-home integrations that let you use your MagLight as a smart lamp whenever you need.

Wireless Charger Power Bank – This wireless charger of MagLight is compatible with both MagSafe and Qi2 and can output a reliable 15W of power.

Ultimately, the MagLight is also a really good power bank. Measuring just 14mm (0.5 inches) and armed with strong N52 neodymium magnets, the MagLight snaps onto the back of your MagSafe iPhone (or any other phone with a magnetic ring attachment) and instantly begins wirelessly charging it. The Qi2-compatible charger outputs a solid 15W of power, while a 4000mAh Li-ion battery gives your smartphone battery a full charge… or gives the LED lamps a stunning 6 hours of use even at 80% LED brightness.

MagFlip – Not only does it serve as a phone stand, but it also transforms your MagLight into a smart lamp.

As a bedside smart lamp.

MagPod – A sleek aluminum MagSafe-compatible adapter that comes with an adjustable tripod designed for your MagLight and MagSafe phone.

The idea of a MagLight is just a winner by virtue of the fact that it’s a product with a very strong need that nobody really fulfilled. The power bank is great, but adding a light to it is just *chef’s kiss*. Moonside also sells a bunch of accessories for the MagLight, like the MagFlip, a fold-out stand that you can sandwich between your phone and the MagLight and use as a kickstand for your device (or even use with just the MagLight as a stand for the light). For the more creatively inclined, the MagPod is a tripod that attaches between the MagLight and your iPhone, giving you the perfect stable setup for photos, videos, and livestreams. The MagLight starts at a sizeably discounted HK$610 ($78 USD) for limited early bird buyers, or you could grab the creative bundle for HK$810 ($103 USD) which also includes the MagPod and MagFlip accessories. The MagLight ships globally starting in October, and comes with a 1-year warranty.

Click Here to Buy Now: $75 $119 (37% off). Hurry, only 9/50 left!

The post MagSafe Battery Pack with a Ring Light for Smartphone Photography might just be the Most Brilliant Idea of 2023 first appeared on Yanko Design.

OPPO Reno 10 Pro+ Review: A Pretty Shutterbug with Some Muscle to Flex

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PROS:


  • Simple but memorable design

  • Impressive telephoto camera

  • Excellent battery life and charging speed

  • Accessible price tag

CONS:


  • Large and conspicuous camera bump

  • A bit slippery to hold

  • No water resistance rating

  • Still has some bloatware

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

Eye-catching in both good and bad ways, the OPPO Reno 10 Pro+ delivers on its promise of power and camera excellence but fails to take the final steps that will truly set it apart from the crowd.

OPPO has been making quite a name for itself, especially with its premium Find line that now includes two kinds of foldable phones. The attention to its flagship series, however, has raised questions about the purpose and future of its other family, the Reno. Launched as the brand’s mid-range offering, the lines between tiers have been blurring the past years, and OPPO has been taking the Reno series higher and higher while still trying to keep to its camera-focused theme. With the OPPO Reno 10 Pro+, it seems ready to pull out all of the stops, but is it enough to qualify as a premium flagship? We take the “Portrait Expert” for a few turns to bring you that answer.

Designer: OPPO

Aesthetics

The OPPO Reno was initially advertised as a more affordable option for mobile shutterbugs, so naturally its designs lean towards emphasizing its cameras. Over the years, this line of smartphones has adopted less than inspiring aesthetics, despite that focus, simply content to use the trending style of each model’s period. The OPPO Reno 10 Pro+ walks off the beaten path with a design that could prove to be a little bit controversial, giving the phone a unique visual identity that also makes its key feature a bit too pronounced.

The most prominent part of the phone’s design is, of course, its camera bump. It’s a large protrusion of glass and aluminum that makes it impossible to ignore its presence, especially with a capsule shape that is rarely seen on the backs of phones. The design is admittedly tasteful, even stylish, though it might not sit well with people who profile subtler profiles. It will at least get the OPPO Reno 10 Pro+ easily noticed and distinguished among a sea of rectangles and bulging circles.

The rest of the phone, fortunately, looks less conspicuous. In fact, one could say it’s pretty simple, with a nod to classic designs. That particularly refers to curved edges, both back and front, like the premium flagship phones of old. The back of the phone is clean and unblemished, save for the obligatory OPPO branding. The Glossy Purple option comes with a very reflective rear, while the Silver Gray that we received for this review has a bit of a glazed matte surface. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help reduce the lack of friction and resistance that this phone offers in your hand.

The OPPO Reno 10 Pro+ exhibits two faces, both of them notable and memorable. On the one hand, its camera bump is a real attention grabber. On the other hand, the simplicity of the rest of the phone’s design presents a sharp contrast. It’s a combination of opposites that seems to work well in OPPO’s favor, resulting in a Reno phone that can finally stand out and stand proud from the crowd.

Ergonomics

At only 194g, the Reno 10 Pro+ is incredibly light to hold, especially when you consider its 6.74-inch screen and somewhat sizable battery. Then again, the use of a polycarbonate mid-frame helps lighten the load, though you might not be able to tell it given how premium it looks and feels. That lightness, however, serves to only reduce your confidence even more, fearing how the phone might easily slip from your hand.

That’s mostly because of how slippery the phone feels, even with the matte surface of the Silver Gray colorway. The curved sides also become too smooth for the palm, comfortable yet also precarious. Fortunately, OPPO does ship with a clear gel case, but you’ll be sacrificing the phone’s pristine beauty in exchange for a better grip.

That camera bump, distinctive as it might be, also adds to the OPPO Reno 10 Pro+’s troubles. When on a fat surface, it makes the phone a little unbalanced since it raises only a corner of the device. When held in hand, the phone feels a little top-heavy, adding to the worries of accidentally dropping the phone. Almost ironically, that thick camera protrusion could actually serve as a place to rest your finger to keep it from sliding off.

Performance

The OPPO Reno 10 Pro+ has the makings of a premium flagship, that is if it was launched last year. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is one generation behind the current titleholder, and the base 12GB RAM and 256GB storage feels a little behind as well. Fortunately, these don’t matter much in practice, even for gamers, with the phone performing admirably no matter what you throw at it. It doesn’t get unbearably hot, but it does get noticeably warm after long periods of extensive use where heavy graphics and processing are involved. The phone runs OPPO Color OS 13.1, which is based on the latest Android 13 release. For all the customization options that this OPPO experience brings, it also unloads a dozen apps that most users never asked for and maybe never even use. Fortunately, you can uninstall almost all of them.

The 4,700 mAh battery might also feel like a holdover, but the phone manages to hold its own quite well. After a day of normal, mixed-use, it still has plenty of juice left to make you not worry about having to charge it overnight. You will eventually need to plug it in, of course, but that that won’t take you more than 30 minutes to go from zero to full. It should be noted, however, that the super-fast 100W charging slows down a bit around the 75% mark in order to help preserve battery life. The OPPO Reno 10 Pro+, despite its premium facade, offers no wireless charging, a feature that is becoming more common even among mid-range phones.

If the hardware specs looked a little disappointing, OPPO pulled no punches when it comes to the Reno line’s key feature. Leading the trio of cameras on its back is the 50MP Sony IMX890 with OIS, resulting in vivid, vibrant, and very detailed images, both in bright outdoor light as well as moody indoor rooms. The camera is so good that it doesn’t even need the dedicated Night Mode to produce pleasing night shots as long as there’s just enough illumination to bring out the details. There is some loss in the richness of details, but the same is true even with Night Mode enabled.

Even more impressive, however, is the 64MP Telephoto shooter with 3x optical zoom, a rare treat for smartphones. Although the main camera is capable of zooming in just as much, it holds no candle to the quality that the dedicated telephoto is able to produce. This camera really shines in portrait mode, which is where the OPPO Reno 10 Pro+ gets its self-professed moniker. But like any camera, quality drops off sharply once you get past that lossless zoom level.

1x

2x

3x

Ultrawide

Given these two heavyweights, the 8MP ultra-wide camera almost feels like a massive letdown. It gets the job done, and a bit nicely with its 112-degree field of view, but it’s definitely nothing to write home about. There are telltale signs of distortion and details are unsurprisingly low. The 32MP front camera is at least great for selfies and video calls, offsetting whatever disappointment the ultra-wide camera might have brought to the team.

Sustainability

OPPO is no longer a neophyte in this industry, and it is thankfully taking concrete actions when it comes to its role in safeguarding the environment. It has a clear vision and strategy for meeting its sustainability goals, which can’t be said of other brands in the market, even the older and bigger players.

Unfortunately, that isn’t clearly visible on the OPPO Reno 10 Pro+. Any sustainability boon this phone brings is mostly a side effect of OPPO’s larger program, like the use of recycled materials for packaging. The phone’s SuperVOOC fast-charging technology even mandates shipping a compatible charger in each and every box, including other models with that same feature. The use of a plastic frame also adds to the phone’s environmental transgressions. It will take some time before OPPO can boast of using recycled plastics and components in its phones, but the planet won’t be waiting for it to get its act together. It also doesn’t have definite dust and water protection, putting its durability and longevity into question.

Value

It’s hard to argue that the OPPO Reno 10 Pro+ is an impressive smartphone. You might debate the beauty of its design, but its raw performance, battery life and charging, and camera output will hardly disappoint. That’s especially considering its price tag, which is around $600 to $700, depending on where you’re buying it. It’s admittedly higher than what most would consider a “mid-tier” phone, but you do get what you pay for, in a very good sense of the phrase.

The problem, however, is that it isn’t alone, even on this tier. Brands like OnePlus, vivo, and even iQOO have all stepped up with models that either offer better specs here and there or the same set of features at a more affordable price. Adding to the phone’s woes is its selective availability in some markets, leaving many major markets opting for more accessible brands or making a huge gamble on retailers. Although it does stand out aesthetically, the OPPO Reno 10 Pro+ might have a tougher time competing with its peers, making it a bit of a brand battle in the final analysis.

Verdict

It is becoming more difficult to draw lines between smartphones, especially when manufacturers themselves blur those distinctions. Once just a mid-range phone, the OPPO Reno has grown up to rival even the company’s own Find line, at least in terms of offering premium features, and the OPPO Reno 10 Pro+ sits at the top of the pile.

It’s one step short of being considered a 2023 premium flagship, but the corners that OPPO might have cut do little to ruin the experience. Bearing a design that you might equally love or hate, the OPPO Reno 10 Pro+ establishes its visual presence with confidence, though that confidence might not extend to your grip. It shines the most with its cameras, especially that 64MP telephoto shooter, which remains the Reno brand’s bread and butter. It’s hardly perfect, but for fans of the brand looking for the next mobile photography fix, the OPPO Reno 10 Pro+ offers a more wallet-friendly option to consider.

The post OPPO Reno 10 Pro+ Review: A Pretty Shutterbug with Some Muscle to Flex first appeared on Yanko Design.

Onyx BOOX Tab Mini C: Color, Productivity, and Fun in a More Convenient Package

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PROS:


  • More comfortable and portable size

  • Excellent color E Ink display

  • Google Play Store pre-installed

  • Impressive performance and battery life

CONS:


  • A bit pricey

  • Design looks a little bland

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The Onyx BOOX Tab Mini C is a coming-of-age for E INK tablets, combining the best features in a more ergonomic and convenient size.

If you thought that eBook readers have gone the way of the dodo because of smartphones and tablets, you probably haven’t been paying attention to the tech market in the past two or so years. As people become more weary of the harmful effects of screens on their eyes and bodies, especially at night, the desire for E Ink devices has started to grow stronger. And just in time, these devices have started growing out of their humble roots, blurring the lines between extremely simple eReaders and powerful tablets. Leading this new wave of innovation is Onyx BOOX, which has been pushing the boundaries of what these devices are capable of in terms of power and size. Its latest BOOX Tab Mini C tries to distill all these new features down to a more manageable size, so we take a deep dive to see whether it successfully pulls off this hat trick or if it cuts too many corners along the way.

Designer: BOOX

Aesthetics

It’s hard not to compare the BOOX Tab Mini C with its older, larger sibling, the BOOX Tab Ultra C. Just by the name alone, you can already tell they’re related and you might easily write off the Tab Mini C as the smaller version and nothing more. There’s some truth to that, of course, but you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you stop there because you could be missing out on a device with a lot of potential. The two E Ink readers do have notable differences and, fortunately, most of them work in the Tab Mini C’s favor. Most, but not all.

The biggest difference is, of course, the size, with the BOOX Tab Mini C’s 7.8-inch display coming in a more familiar size for eBook readers. Of course, that’s just the display size, because the actual size of the device is a lot larger. That’s thanks to the substantial bezels around the E Ink screen, which sadly makes the device look more like an unappealing blast from the past. The AG glass cover does lie flat across the front, making it look a little modern, but it’s nothing compared to the sleeker look of the BOOX Tab Ultra C or, closer to its size, the new BOOX Page.

The back of the device is also very different from some of the more current selection of BOOX devices, sporting a somewhat old-school design where the edges are inclined and curved rather than completely flat. This makes the device look and feel thicker, though it also has the benefit of giving your hand a bit more comfort, as we’ll see later. Unfortunately, this along with the wide bezels make the BOOX Tab Mini C look a bit unflattering and uninteresting, if not for the E INK display that, by default, shows its colors even when the device is locked or powered off.

Ergonomics

Size does matter, especially when it comes to portable devices like phones and tablets. It defines what you can and can’t do with the product, at least on a comfortable level, and it dictates how portable and convenient it really is. That’s definitely the case with the BOOX Tab Mini C, which addresses one of the biggest pain points of the BOOX Tab Ultra C, no pun intended.

Weighing only 310g, the BOOX Tab Mini C makes the device easier to hold for longer periods of time, especially with just one hand. It’s a little over the size of an iPad mini, but significantly lighter than its Ultra sibling. The curved edges of the tablet’s back help with that comfort, too, letting it settle into your hand with fewer sharp edges to cut into your skin. In short, this is the ultimate color E Ink reader in terms of comfort and portability, ensuring that you’ll want to have it in your hand all the time.

When it comes to comfort, its selling point is, of course, that 7.8-inch Kaleido 3 E ink display. It doesn’t strain the eyes as a regular LCD or OLED screen would because it doesn’t shine light in the direction of your eyes. It doesn’t even have backlighting but instead employs front lights that let you pick not only the brightness but also the temperature warmth, mixing it up to your comfort depending on what you’re reading. And since it supports 4,096 colors rather than shades of gray only, this eye-friendly benefit applies not only to ebooks but to every piece of digital content as well, from comics to PDFs to webpages and, if you’re really up to it, social media. It’s the ultimate reader’s dream, now in a more convenient package.

Performance

What sets Onyx BOOX’s devices apart from the older generation of eBook readers is the fact that they’re really Android devices, both in terms of hardware and software. Nowhere is that more evident than in the BOOX Tab series, including this newest arrival. You could even call them Android tablets with E Ink displays and you wouldn’t be off the mark.

In terms of specs, the BOOX Tab Mini C would be the equivalent of a mid-range Android tablet, powered by an unnamed octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Interestingly, these are the very same specs as the larger Tab Ultra C, save for half the internal storage capacity. It even has the same dedicated graphics processor that is responsible for the display’s unbelievably fast performance. You do have options of whether to prioritize speed over quality, but the Tab Mini C is able to deliver satisfactory results on every level.

The small eBook reader slash Android tablet houses a large 5,000 mAh battery, which, truth be told, isn’t that significantly lower than the 6,300 mAh on the Ultra model. Battery life is what you’d expect from an E Ink device, lasting for days or weeks rather than hours. The one caveat is that it’s actually shorter than your average eBook reader, depending on how many non-reading apps you use. It’s a powerful device that can run almost any Android app, but that comes at the cost of battery life, especially if you leave some of those running in the background.

Rounding up the specs is Bluetooth 5.0, which you will mostly use for hooking up wireless earbuds, USB-C for charging, and Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac for Internet connectivity. There’s also a gyro sensor that’s useful for automatically rotating the user interface depending on the device’s orientation. Unlike its larger sibling, there is no rear camera for document scanning. The BOOX Tab Mini C ships with a stylus, though the BOOX Pen Plus is the kind that doesn’t have an eraser on the opposite end of the tip.

The Tab Mini C runs Android 11 with Onyx BOOX’s special skin running on top. It’s not exactly the latest Android release, but that’s not surprising for the brand either. Although Onyx does support devices for about five years with regular updates, they rarely upgrade the Android version during their lifetime. The Onyx BOOX OS, as it is sometimes called, has changed a lot since the early days, and this most recent incarnation brings it closer to being a more familiar Android interface without completely removing the eReader experience. It even comes with Google Play Store already pre-installed, so you’re just a few simple steps away from installing your favorite Android apps. The device comes with Onyx’s own Neoreader, which is quite impressive for its wide support of file formats and a plethora of features. You aren’t limited to that, however, and you can install any kind of eBook app or library you want, including Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Comixology, and more.

The device’s crowning glory is really that color E Ink display, now available in a more convenient size. With a pixel density of 300 ppi for black and white and 150 ppi for color, text always comes out crisp, regardless of their color. Those colors are also vibrant, at least as far as 4,096 colors go, and they’re well-saturated and not washed out. The 7.8-inch size is perfect not just for reading books but also for comics, manga, magazines, and PDFs, hitting the sweet spot between small and large screen sizes. That said, it isn’t an ideal size for A5, much less A4, documents, which is where larger devices like the BOOX Tab Ultra C shines. It’s not that big of a sacrifice, though, especially if you’re getting convenience and comfort in return.

The BOOX Tab Mini C is more than just a reader, though, especially with that stylus it ships with. The BOOX Notes app and Neoreader’s built-in annotation capabilities transform it from a consumption device to a learning tool and more. Writing on the screen is smooth and fluid, and the matte glass surface adds a bit of toothiness and resistance that makes it almost feel like writing on paper. It only supports the most basic colors, of course, but true colors are viewable on regular screens once you export the note as a PDF or image. One important caveat, however, is that the pen’s smooth performance really only applies to BOOX’s first-party apps and a few choice ones like OneNote, Evernote, and the WPS Office Suite. There is a considerable lag when using other apps, which is something that avid note-takers might want to consider.

Sustainability

Although Onyx has been playing the eReader game for a long time, it hasn’t yet jumped on a trend that is gripping big device manufacturers. Given the ubiquity and relative affordability of these kinds of devices, it almost behooves Onyx to also have a strong sustainability commitment in place. Unfortunately, we have yet to see that happen, though it’s also reassuring that it is at least doing some minor steps in that direction, intentionally or otherwise.

Using aluminum-magnesium alloy for its casing, for example, helps reduce the amount of plastic each device uses, and keeping the packaging to a minimum also helps a bit. Onyx doesn’t ship with a charger either, so that’s another point in its favor. Long-term software support helps keep the device running smoothly and securely for years, though eReaders, even Android-based ones, aren’t as high-maintenance as their full tablet counterparts anyway. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have much going for it when it comes to repairing and servicing its products, forcing owners to send in their devices to a few authorized service providers spread in a few countries. We’re still keeping our fingers crossed that Onyx BOOX will step up soon and be a role model in this industry.

Value

The Onyx BOOX Tab Mini C is definitely a smaller version of the Tab Ultra C with very few differences, and you might ask why you would favor it over the “fuller” version at all. That said, the question works the other way around as well, where you might ask why you’d even want a larger and heavier tablet if you can have one that is lighter, more comfortable, and more convenient to carry around. It all boils down to what you’d use an E Ink device for.

The BOOX Tab Ultra C is clearly marketed more as a productivity device, one whose reading capabilities are put at the service of learning and working. It’s best for A5 or even some A4 documents, which is what most academic or scientific papers come in, not to mention magazines and periodicals. The larger screen size is also conducive for having two documents or apps side-by-side, and it supports a decent-sized keyboard for typing out notes, emails, and the like.

While it’s possible to do all those on the BOOX Tab Mini C as well, it isn’t as conducive for these use cases with its smaller display. Split screen, for example, will feel very cramped, and since there’s no official keyboard folio case, you’ll have to arrange for a separate Bluetooth keyboard for your typing needs. The hardware is very much capable of doing almost everything, but the smaller and lighter device feels best for reading and writing on the go rather than working on a desk.

As far as price goes, the Tab Mini C isn’t exactly inexpensive, though that $449.99 price tag, fortunately, includes a magnetic folio case. Compared to other E Ink devices, it’s quite pricey, but it is also in a class of its own. There are very few color E Ink readers that come in this compact size, and the closest competitors are either using older E Ink Kaleido technology or are even more expensive. At the moment, there is pretty much no contest when it comes to a pocket-book size color eReader, making the BOOX Tab Mini C one of a kind.

Verdict

There is thankfully a resurgence in consuming text content that goes beyond scrolling through social media, whether it’s reading ebooks or tons of articles on the Web. This trend, however, has also made people more aware of how common screens wreak havoc on our eyes and our health, especially at night. ePaper Displays are becoming more popular because of this, to the point that there are even computer monitors that use it on the side or in their entirety. For readers of all kinds, however, a portable E Ink device is a better choice and investment.

Of these, the Onyx BOOX Tab Mini C probably represents the culmination of all the innovations available in this segment to date. Its 7.8-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 display brings a splash of color in a more ergonomic and comfortable size, while tablet-like hardware and a Google-enabled Android platform bring all the power and functionality you need on a portable device. Yes, it’s a bit on the pricey side and its design isn’t exactly inspiring, but these thankfully tend to get out of the way once you start immersing yourself in a world of text and colors that bring joy to your life without straining your eyes.

The post Onyx BOOX Tab Mini C: Color, Productivity, and Fun in a More Convenient Package first appeared on Yanko Design.

Realme 11 Pro+ 5G Review: A mid-range stunner

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PROS:


  • Luxurious design

  • Excellent battery life and fast charging

  • Impressive main camera

  • Slim and lightweight

CONS:


  • No official IP rating

  • Uncertain display durability

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

With its stunning design, imaging capabilities, and powerful features, the Realme 11 Pro+ 5G punches above its price bracket and is a great option for budget-conscious consumers.

The mid-range smartphone segment used to be filled by dull designs, subpar build quality, and sluggish performance. Gone are the days when budget-friendly vanilla smartphones would save you money but also leave you disappointed. Today, you can find plenty of mid-range smartphones that are nearly indistinguishable from top-of-the-line devices costing twice as much, offering a satisfying user experience without breaking the bank. While they may lack some standout features such as a big camera sensor or super sharp display, these smartphones strike a favorable balance between features and affordability.

The newest number series from Realme is one of the best-looking mid-range smartphones we’ve seen on the market so far. The Realme 11 Pro+ 5G offers more than just the looks, though, boasting a 200MP main camera, a 6.7-inch 120Hz refresh rate curved display, and a 5,000mAh battery, among other things. We took a close look at this fashionable mid-range phone to see what other boxes it checks and if it’s worth your hard-earned money.

Designer: Realme

Design

Designed in collaboration with Matteo Menotto, a former print and textile designer for Gucci, the Realme 11 Pro+ 5G sets itself apart with its unparalleled style. Drawing inspiration from the streets of Milan at sunrise, Menotto designed the Realme 11 Pro+ with a circular camera module symbolizing the rising sun. The yellow and white vertical line running through the middle represents a road extending into the distance, according to the brand. The 3D woven texture vertical line is sealed with transparent plastic, and while it does not provide tactile satisfaction, adds a charming accent to the design of the device. The prominent circular camera module houses a 200MP main camera highlighted by a golden ring design. The main camera is accompanied by an ultrawide camera on its right, a macro camera on its left, and an LED flash on top of it.

The phone has a vegan leather material on its back with a lychee-like texture that delights the fingers, while the stitching in the middle and around the camera reminds you of luxury handbags or car interiors. These design elements are seamlessly integrated, evoking a sense of luxury and sophistication. The Realme 11 Pro+ is definitely one of the most striking mid-range phones I’ve ever come across to date.

In addition to the Sunrise Beige variant, the Realme 11 Pro+ also comes in Oasis Green and Astral Black color options. The Oasis Green variant maintains the same design as the Sunrise Beige, featuring the same distinctive elements but with a different color. On the other hand, the Astral Black variant shares only the circular camera module with the two other colorways, instead distinguishing itself in terms of overall appearance with a plain matte finish that has no vertical line running through the middle of the device, leaving a clean and unbroken surface.

Ergonomics

For a 6.7-inch smartphone, you’ll be surprised how thin and light the phone is, measuring just 8.7mm thick and weighing only 189g (or 8.2mm thick and 183g for the Astral Black variant). The phone manages to impress with its lightweight build, making it feel comfortable to hold in your hand.

The leather finish of the phone not only adds a touch of luxury but also provides a better grip, preventing the phone from easily slipping from your hand or sliding off of surfaces. Additionally, the textured back panel prevents smudges and fingerprints. You can snuggle 11 Pro+ nicely in your hand thanks to the vegan leather back and the slightly curved – 61 degrees to be precise – back panel and display.

The plastic frame has a glossy finish at the sides and accommodates the power button and volume button on the right side. In contrast, the top and bottom plastic frames have a matte finish. The top houses a speaker and a microphone while the bottom houses a speaker, microphone, USB-C port, and a dual-SIM tray.

The in-screen fingerprint scanner works flawlessly, delivering consistent and accurate performance. However, one aspect to note is its placement close to the bottom edge of the screen. While it effectively unlocks the phone, it occasionally requires you to adjust your grip afterward, which can become a somewhat bothersome experience over time.

Performance

Aside from its design, another standout feature of the Realme 11 Pro+ 5G is the 200MP main camera, the highest megapixel count for the mid-range segment, that sits in the center of the circular camera module on the back. The phone boasts a triple-camera setup on its back and a single selfie camera at the front. The main 200MP camera features a Samsung ISOCELL HP3 with a 1/1.4” sensor size, 2.24um pixel size, a f/1.69 aperture, and OIS. Realme promises lossless 2x and 4x zoom, achieved by sensor cropping the massive 200MP main sensor. This enables you to shoot telephoto-like digital images. Accompanying the 200MP main camera is an 8MP ultrawide camera with f/2.2 aperture. Finally, a 2MP macro camera with f/2.4 aperture makes up the device’s triple camera setup. On the front side, there is a 32MP selfie camera with f/2.45 aperture.

Full 200MP

By default, the main camera takes 12.5MP, 16:1 binned photos for enhanced quality. In daylight or under good lighting conditions, the Realme 11 Pro+ takes excellent photos at 1x magnification, capturing good details, contrast, and dynamic range. The colors are nicely saturated, occasionally resulting in slightly too vibrant for lighter greens, but not over-the-top at all.

12.5MP, 16:1 binned

The daylight 2x zoomed photos are great as well. Although the images taken with 4x zoom are not lossless, they capture a fair amount of details with a nice dynamic range. The main camera captures great low-light photos at 1x magnification. 2x photos, while not completely lossless, still offer enough sharpness and retain some detail with good dynamic range. When zoomed to 4x, the photos remain acceptable, although some noticeable noise may be present.

1x (AI Mode)

2x (AI Mode)

4x (AI Mode)

Ultrawide (AI Mode)

The 8MP ultrawide takes excellent images in good lighting conditions, while the low-light photos on ultrawide are satisfactory. For low-light images, there is a tendency to overexpose bright spots, and at times photos may appear somewhat undersaturated. However, overall, the results are still good. Macro photos taken with the 2MP camera are subpar, not capturing much detail. However, this will not be a dealbreaker for most people unless you have a specific interest in macro photography. The selfie camera takes good photos, but it has a tendency to render a slightly orange tone to the skin color.

1x Night Mode

2x Night Mode

4x Night Mode

Ultrawide Night Mode

You can choose HI-RES mode to shoot 200MP or 50MP photos. However, keep in mind this is achieved at the expense of loss in detail and dynamic range. There is street mode with different focal lengths. The street mode comes with a neat auto-zoom feature where you can tap on the subject that you want to zoom in on and it automatically adjusts the zoom level and try to achieve the best framing.

1x

Macro

As for the video, you can shoot 4k 30fps stabilized video with the main camera. Dropping the resolution down to 1080p will let you take 60fps video. The ultrawide and selfie cameras, however, are limited to shooting 1080p 30fps videos. The Realme 11 Pro+ does offer a pleasant video shooting experience across the main and ultrawide camera for what you paid for.

The Realme 11 Pro+ 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 5G chipset backed by 8GB or 12GB RAM and 128GB or 256GB of memory. RAM can be expanded an additional 4GB using the Dynamic RAM Expansion. It is quite capable of handling any tasks, including watching videos and light gaming. In terms of software, Realme 11 Pro+ boots Android 13 with Realme UI 4.0, which offer pretty solid customization options.

The mid-range smartphone features a 1080p 120Hz OLED display with HDR10+ capability and 950 nits local peak brightness. The flagship-grade display is smooth, vibrant, and bright enough to use under broad daylight. The stereo speakers of 11 Pro+ deliver good audio quality with a good amount of volume.

As for the battery and charging, the Realme 11 Pro+ houses a 5000mAh battery despite its slim body, and it comes with a 100W superVOOC charger. While it lacks wireless charging capabilities, its super-fast charging requires a mere 3 minutes to boost the phone’s battery up to 17%, and a full charge can be achieved in just 26 minutes. The battery life of the Realme 11 Pro+ is indeed impressive, and the phone can easily last a full day with moderate use.

Sustainability

The glass protecting the display from scratches and damages is what Realme calls double-reinforced glass. Realme does not provide any specific details regarding the durability of the double-reinforced glass, and we can only hope it is tough enough to safeguard the screen in the event of accidental drops on rough surfaces like concrete.

Another thing you have to be careful about with this sleek phone is that it comes with no official IP rating for water and dust resistance. So you want to be mindful of using the phone outside when it’s raining or at the beach.

While the vegan leather back is a nice touch, it barely steps away from the typical plastic materials used on this tier of smartphones. The plastic frame is also an unfortunate choice in terms of sustainability, though it does save up on the build costs that consumers eventually have to pay for. Unlike some of its higher-end models, the Realme 11 Pro+ doesn’t exactly make a conscious effort to be more eco-friendly, which is still something that mid-range phones like it have to grow out of.

Value

The Realme 11 Pro+ is currently available in China and India only. Its price ranges from roughly equivalent to 300 USD to 390 USD, depending on RAM and storage. Global availability doesn’t seem to be on the table, though that could still change in the near future.

While there are some great mid-range phones available on the market, the Realme 11 Pro+ has some unique features that could set it apart from the competition. With a remarkable 200MP main camera, a sizable battery, and 100W fast charging, this device undoubtedly offers exceptional value for its price. Its stylish design adds a significant bonus to its overall appeal, especially for people who want a smartphone with a personality right out of the box.

Verdict

The Realme 11 Pro+ definitely punches above its price bracket. Its stylish design, capable main camera, and excellent battery life make this mid-range phone a great choice for budget-conscious consumers. Sure, it doesn’t come with the fastest chipset, water and dust resistance rating, or wireless charging, but you cannot expect to have it all at this price point.

If you are looking for an affordable yet powerful smartphone with stunning design and imaging capabilities, the Realme 11 Pro+ 5G is a great option. With its remarkable features and competitive pricing, this smartphone offers excellent value for money. That is, if you can actually get your hands on one.

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Onyx BOOX Palma is a mobile e-Reader that you can literally slide into your pocket

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E-Book readers have become more diversified in the past few years, but there seems to be a trend of making them a lot bigger than what people are used to. Of course, there are uses for tablet-sized devices, like the Onyx BOOX Tab Ultra and Tab Ultra C that we reviewed previously, but the power and productivity they offer comes at the price of some portability and convenience. In fact, some people might even consider the typical Kindle sizes of eReaders to already be too big, especially if they can’t fit inside small handbags or pouches. Trying to cast its net even wider, Onyx BOOX has come up with a solution for this group of readers, one that can easily fit in anywhere almost like a smartphone, without being an actual smartphone.

Designer: BOOX

Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat. The BOOX Palma may look like a smartphone and may sometimes even act like a smartphone, but it is not a smartphone. At least not in the traditional sense of smartphones. You can send messages or make calls but only through Internet services like social apps and instant messaging. The smartphone look-alike is completely bereft of cellular connectivity, so you’ll have to rely on Wi-Fi for any and all online activities. To some extent, you can consider the BOOX Palma as a phone-sized tablet, albeit one with an eye-friendly and battery-friendly E Ink screen.

That 6.13-inch E Ink touch screen bears a sharp 300 PPI density, which means you get crisp letters on all your reading materials. It’s an E Ink Carta 1200, though, so you won’t be seeing colors outside shades of gray and black; standard fair for an e-Reader. It has a water-repellent design on its back, which also gives it a distinct appearance and a better grip. If you’ve ever dreamed of a literal pocket e-book, the BOOX Palma fits the bill perfectly and then some.

Just like Onyx BOOX’s other devices, the device runs the brand’s own flavor of Android 11, and this one thankfully also supports Google Play Store. With an octa-core processor and 6GB of RAM, this means you can run plenty of your favorite apps on it, whether they’re for reading, browsing the web, or even social media. The usual e-Paper caveats apply, aside from the lack of color. Refresh rates are terribly slow compared to the LCDs and OLEDs of typical smartphones, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use them for things other than reading, depending on your level of patience.

But what need would you have for an E Ink phone that isn’t a phone, especially when there are more “standard” devices from Onyx’s own fleet even? The brand is trying to sell the image of a new way of life, a distraction-free lifestyle with an eye-friendlier e-Paper device. You might be able to install almost any Android app you want, but the display technology puts limits on your use of them. It also forces you to disconnect while you read, at least when you’re not within range of a Wi-Fi access point. The Onyx BOOX Palma is an admittedly charming device with a unique proposition, but it remains to be seen if it will be worth its $279.99 price tag.

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The most sustainable smartphone is coming to the US with a very big catch

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Finally recognizing the important role they play in saving the environment, smartphone manufacturers have started to implement steps to minimize their adverse effects on the planet. But even before “sustainability” started trending in the smartphone industry, there was one startup that dared to get the ball rolling and discussions started on how sustainable smartphones ought to be made. Since 2013, Fairphone has been putting out easy-to-repair handsets, though its limited availability has made it a deal-breaker for many interested buyers. That narrative is changing a bit with the arrival of the Fairphone 4 in the US, but it comes with a very big caveat that can be just as much a deal-breaker anyway.

Designer: Fairphone, Murena

When it comes to sustainable and eco-friendly smartphones, it’s hard to deny that the Fairphone is the cream of the crop. Although it’s practically impossible for now to have a 100% sustainable phone, the Fairphone still checks the most boxes compared to any other brand. It uses recycled materials where possible and ensures they are all ethically can responsibly sourced. It has a system in place for the proper disposal of completely dead devices, but it also delays that inevitable fate by making it easy for owners to repair their own phones with replacement parts they officially sell. The latter is a practice that is thankfully now getting traction even among the likes of Apple, Google, and Samsung, though with more limited components and heart-stopping tedious processes.

The biggest problem with the Fairphone (aside from its slightly outdated specs) is its availability, limited primarily to the European region unless you’re willing to take the extra steps and risk importing one. That is changing now that the Fairphone 4 is being made available in the US, one of the largest smartphone markets. Fairphone isn’t the one selling it directly, though, and has partnered with another company named Murena not only to distribute the phone but also to put the latter’s own version of Android on it named /e/ OS.

Therein lies what might be the biggest determining factor for those who want to buy the Fairphone 4 in the US. /e/ OS is billed as a privacy-focused mobile platform, which practically means it doesn’t ship with Google apps and services. Instead, it provides its own app store, replacements for Google services, and the like. It might be possible to install Google Play Store after the fact (“sideload”), but the process might also be more involved than what consumers would be willing to put up with.

In short, the Fairphone 4 now being sold in the US is both sustainable and very private, and you can’t easily separate the two. It might be fine for those who do espouse both ideals equally, but others who simply want the most sustainable “regular” Android phone might have to continue looking elsewhere.

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Onyx BOOX Tab Mini C brings a colored E-Ink reader wrapped in a fun little package

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e-Book readers have definitely come a long way. Not only are they now capable of stylus pen input, some even come bearing a swath of colors, limited as they may be. This has opened the doors to many new use cases, from reading magazines in color to a bit of creative digital painting to even watching a few short videos. Most of these colored E-Ink screens, however, come in large sizes and solid yet heavy bodies. They pack plenty of power but come at the expense of some convenience and comfort. While there will definitely be a place for these devices, some might prefer a more leisurely reading experience that they can bring with them anywhere, which is where the new Onyx BOOX Tab Mini C comes in, bringing that same splash of color in a more compact size.

Designer: Onyx

In our recent review, we found the Onyx BOOX Tab Ultra C to be quite the heavyweight in more ways than one. It definitely had plenty of features, putting it squarely in the Android tablet market, but it came at a literal cost and with a hefty size. As its name suggests, the BOOX Tab Mini C cuts down on some of that, offering a more accessible alternative that doesn’t cut too many corners.

It’s the same E-Ink Kaleido 3 screen technology, which ultimately means sharper black and white texts alongside clearer colored images, except now it’s on a 7.8-inch device. In addition to the smaller size, the weight has nearly been halved as well, making it easier on your arms. Onyx also tweaked the general design a bit, curving the back towards the edges for a more comfortable grip. In other words, it’s meant to be a joy to hold in your hand, even for long periods of time.

That doesn’t mean that the BOOX Tab Mini C is skimping on the power, though. It still has an octa-core processor with 4GB of RAM, and the 64GB of storage is often more than enough for eBooks or even PDFs. Like its older and bigger sibling, it runs Android with Google Play Store installed, which means you’ll have access to almost any mobile app you want or need. And, yes, you can write on it with Onyx’s stylus, though you might have to buy it in a bundle or separately.

The Onyx BOOX Tab Mini C’s smaller size might make it more portable and less cumbersome to hold, but it also makes it less ideal for certain kinds of electronic documents. It fills in a need but hardly replaces the Onyx BOOX Tab Ultra C, especially when it comes to the latter’s productivity chops. At $450, it does make Kaleido 3 technology a bit more affordable, getting more people interested in coming to the Onyx fold.

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