Shadow - Cloud Gaming PC

Shadow is a high end PC in the cloud accessible from anywhere. It allows you to gain access to an incredibly powerful PC equivalent to £1,500 in cost so long as you have an internet connection. It’s equipped with a high end GPU equivalent to a GTX 1080, 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage as well as an Intel Xeon processor. These are some serious specs that enable you to play games, do intensive work such as video edit and anything else a physical computer can do but remotely using your internet connection. They work on a monthly subscription model costing £26.95/mo.

Downloading and installing shadow was a pretty simple and easy process. We decided to test it on a MacBook pro initially to see if we really could play intensive and demanding games on a Mac using Shadow. Connection and setup was super fast and we had our remote high end PC setup it a matter of minutes. One thing that is particularly awesome about Shadow is the download speeds you have access to. A 1Gbps network speed meant that we were able to download our entire steam game library consisting of Garry’s Mod, CS:GO, Left for Dead 2 and loads of other games insanely fast. There’s no waiting around for downloads to complete with shadow, if you find a game you like it’ll be downloaded and ready to play in minutes.

We connected to shadow using both a wireless 5G connection as well as a hard wired ethernet cable. Unsurprisingly, we had a far better experience using ethernet than we did over wireless. It’s not to say that you can’t use shadow over wifi, it’s just you won’t be able to max out settings unless your connection is extremely fast and reliable. Ethernet was far more stable and allowed us to fully experience everything shadow had to offer including high definition, high FPS and latency free gaming on a MacBook Pro. There was virtually no lag whatsoever. Gaming was an awesome experience with inputs being detected almost instantaneously meaning when you press R to reload in Fortnite or left click to shoot, it’ll respond instantly.

Shadow is a full fledged Windows 10 PC that you can use for virtually anything. It’s able to handle whatever you throw at it thanks to its super high specs and ultra fast performance. We were really impressed with Shadow and very glad that the input lag was negligible thereby allowing for competitive gaming and other CPU/GPU intensive workloads. Shadow is a service that removes all boundaries of productivity and fun. It has so many different uses that appeal to the gamer and workaholic in all of us. We would certainly recommend it.

Phillips OneBlade

The OneBlade is Phillips latest electric shaver marketed as an all in one blade perfect for trimming, styling and shaving. It’s suitable for men who have beards, mustaches, stubble or sideburns and pretty much any other kind of facial hair styles. We’re going to be talking about key areas of the OneBlade, ranging from design to performance, battery life to longevity and build quality to effectiveness.

Let’s start with the design. The OneBlade is definitely one of the most aesthetically pleasing designs i’ve encountered. It’s not trying to be anything it’s not; no fancy overcomplicated handle design, no cryptic blade patterns, no overcomplicated button placements. What you see is what you get. It comes in a  nice sort of lime green color and only comes with two buttons: a power toggle button and an eject button for the interchangeable blade, which Phillips claims will last you up to 4 months (based upon one full shave per week). In terms of accessories, Phillips includes 3 comb inserts for the OneBlade. On my particular model there was a 1mm, 3mm and 5mm comb included which easily click into place and work surprisingly well. You also get a small plastic blade protector to clip on over the top when you’re storing it.

Now this is a rechargeable wireless trimmer, and can be used wet or dry. It’s been designed with a long lasting battery that will take about 8 hours to charge entirely, afterwards giving you a full 45 minutes of shaving time. I found this to be largely accurate with charging times ranging between 7-9 hours and I managed to squeeze out just about the 45 minutes of shaving time they claimed. In terms of performance, the OneBlade does an excellent job not only as a trimmer, but also as a shaver. 

The included combs allow for very accurate and even trimming to the desired length and the OneBlade doesn’t slow down at all when trimming the hairs - it keeps full throttle throughout, providing an excellent trimming experience. It’s also fantastic for shaving clean, as I found it glides perfectly and gets a super close shave without causing, in my case at least, any skin irritation whatsoever. The cutter is able to move 200 times per second, which is why you’re able to get such smooth feeling shaving and trimming without any resistance or slow down. It’s designed to protect from tugs and pulls if you’re shaving off longer hairs so there won’t be any painful unexpected shaves.

As I mentioned previously, the OneBlade has a replaceable blade designed to last for up to 4 months. This is super convenient and allows for you to get maximum value for money from your shaver. It comes included with 2 blades which means you should be set for 8 months after buying the OneBlade, and when you require a replacement blade you can just jump on Amazon and order one next day. 

Now the longevity of the blade will vary from person to person according to usage, but I find that after just over a month using it it’s holding up very well and I fully expect it to last the stated 4 months without any issue. In terms of build quality the OneBlade is really well designed and built. It’s got a nice weight to it without being overly heavy and uncomfortable to hold. It’s very ergonomic and feels like a premium product that’ll get the job done without a hassle.

Overall I find the OneBlade to be one of the best shavers i’ve ever used. It’s fairly priced and you get incredible value for money. With 2 blades included for 8 months of shaving right out of the box, it’s a no brainer. The premium feel, excellent performance and overall pleasant shaving experience means the OneBlade is one of the best shavers you can buy if you’re looking for a no nonsense, effective and reliable shaver and trimmer. Great job Phillips!

SteelSeries Arctis 3 Review

The Arctis 3 is SteelSeries’ entry model in their new range of gaming headsets. It features a subtle and sleek design as well as virtual 7.1 surround sound, and a microphone claimed to be one of the best in any gaming headset.

The design of the Arctis 3 is unquestionably the best part of it (that is until you hear it, but we’ll get to that later). It features a build made up by mostly matte-plastic, but it definitely feels quality and well made. The ear cups have the ability to swivel inwards towards your chest, which is great as this allows you to casually rest it on your neck when you’re not gaming. One of the things i’m always hesitant about when considering a new headset is whether or not it’ll have a good fit. SteelSeries engineered a pretty interesting way of adjusting fit on the Arctis 3, and the entire Arctis line. A ski google-style strap rests on your head, thereby supporting the weight of the headset in a surprisingly comfortable manner. It’s one of the most comfortable headsets i’ve ever worn, period. The ear cups are constructed of a breathable mesh cushion which feels great and doesn’t put too much pressure on the sides of your head. Furthermore they don’t really become very hot when you’re wearing them, unlike a lot of headsets i’ve used in the past. This is awesome because it means you won’t get uncomfortable and have to take breaks from wearing it during long gaming sessions.

The microphone on the Arctis 3 is what SteelSeries claims to be one of the best on any gaming headset currently on the market. In terms of functionality, you’re able to retract it fully into the headset with just the end hanging slightly outside, however this actually adds to the aesthetic of the headset and makes it stand out. The arm of the microphone is fully adjustable, so you can put it in a position that works best for you which is great. The left ear cup is also home to a volume rocker and microphone mute button. I’m definitely a huge fan of this because not all voice chat softwares such as Skype can offer key binds to mute your microphone, meaning if you’re in a game you’ve got to tab out and navigate to the mute button on Skype. The Arctis 3 makes it super easy to bypass this, you skip all the hassle and just press a button on your headset in 3 seconds and you’re done. Wonderful!

An important thing to mention here is that if you’re actually wanting to take advantage of the 7.1 virtual surround sound, you’re going to need to create an account on SteelSeries website and enter your product key to activate said benefits. Admittedly this is a bit of a pain, but hey, it means SteelSeries can offer you better support now that your product is registered and you can take full advantage of your headset! Another thing you should keep in mind is the proprietary connector SteelSeries uses for the cable meaning if you lose it you’re gonna have to get one from them!

On to audio quality, which I suppose is technically the most important part. I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised with the audio quality from the Arctis 3. There’s excellent bass without sort of overdoing it like i’ve found with many other headsets. But oh my god is it excellent for first person shooters. As an avid CS:GO player myself, I can’t stress enough how important it is to be able to have excellent sound quality and precise surround sound. Pinpointing players footsteps is an essential part of the game, and boy does the Arctis 3 deliver. It manages to almost completely isolate any sound from the outside, meaning you can hear every single footstep and reload that your enemies make. This is perfect for gamers who are serious about their gameplay, and whats more there is minimal sound leakage from the headset.

Through tests largely involving too many hours of voice chatting on Teamspeak 3 with friends there’s a clear consensus that the microphone sounds crystal clear, and also is pretty darn good at ignoring random background noises so that only your voice is transmitted. This is great and means that your friends won’t hear your noisy neighbors dog barking in the background every five minutes. 

So, should you buy the SteelSeries Arctis 3? It really depends on what you’re looking for, what features matter to you and what your budget is. If you’re looking for a high quality headset with a great mic and comfortable fit, and you’re willing to drop £80 on it then the Arctis 3 is definitely for you. It’s an overall solid gaming headset with more perks then drawbacks, and even better is the brand that backs it, SteelSeries. It’s been an absolute pleasure to be able to use this headset for the past few months and I certainly love it to bits.

Coolreall Ultra Portable 6000mAh Mini Power Bank

Let me start off by saying I really love the design of this power bank. At a 6,000 mAh capacity, its extremely light and really slim. In terms of my first impressions of the product, one thing I can say for certain is that Coolreall really hasn't compromised on the build quality of the unit. It's really well built and although light, still feels like a quality and durable product. So, what do you get in the box?

- The power bank itself
- A white micro USB cable
- An instruction booklet

As I said before, the design and build quality has to be one of my favorite things about this power bank. The matt black finish not only looks stylish, but also has a premium feel to it. The USB cable provided is nothing to write home about, but it gets the job done. 


The unit charges really fast, mine came 75% charged and once drained it took just over 4 hours to return to full power. It's high capacity of 6,000 mAh means it has no trouble charging my iPhone 6s Plus and delivers ample power at impressive speeds. It's great for carrying around with you on your daily commute which makes it great for people only needing an extra charge on their phones to get them through the day. 

However, if you're more of a power intensive user i'd recommend getting the higher capacity power banks offered by Coolreall. The power bank has 2 USB ports on it and 4 LED indicators letting you know how much charge you've got left and enabling you to charge 2 devices at once, which is a big plus as i'm yet to find other companies offering the same capacity with 2 ports as most only have a single port.

Overall this is a great choice for people looking to get a high quality, durable, well built and great feeling power bank to take with them to work or school and keep them powered the whole day.

Syncwire's MFi certified car charger

This is my first Syncwire product, and I’m impressed. I wasn’t expecting much, however the quality and sleekness of this Dual USB car charger caught me off guard. It looks very modern and sleek, with a high quality Lightning cable stemming from the base along with one USB port for other device output charging.

To start, let’s talk about the packaging. This is actually something I care about, after all, what is a product if it has terrible and scruffy packaging? Thankfully, thats not the case here. Syncwire have packaged it in a nice and neat cardboard box with a large sticker overlaid containing a product image and details. Although it is a cardboard box, it actually looks and feels very high quality and professional. Inside is a neatly organized car charger as well as a card offering a lifetime warranty. Yup, that’s right, Syncwire has got you covered with a warranty that lasts a lifetime. Kudos to Syncwire for confidence in their product line!

On to design and performance. This is actually one of the best car chargers for money i’ve been able to find. It’s designed perfectly, fitting in my car no problem and the included Lightning cable is a huge plus as I don’t have to carry around a separate one and risk losing it. It’s great that there’s also an included USB port as well to allow for any other output of power to a USB device, which gives you freedom and peace of mind. In terms of performance, I found that it managed to get through my tests without breaking a sweat. I charged my iPhone 6s Plus from 30% to ~80% in just the 25 minute drive I have to work. It’s great. I don’t have to worry about waking up and plugging my phone in to charge anymore, I can just jump in the car, plug in, and go. Whats more, I don’t even need to remember the lightning cable because Syncwire has got me covered with a built in one! During operation it runs cool, not really getting very warm and delivering a constant flow of power to my device. I tested it with my iPad Mini which it managed no problem.

Overall i’m very impressed with this Car charger from Syncwire. It’s build quality, packaging and performance are truly excellent, and to back it all up they’re offering a lifetime warranty on the product. At this price, it’s a no brainer. Easily one of the best car chargers for money i’ve ever had the privilege of reviewing. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a well build, reliable and high performance car charger from a company as reputable as Syncwire.

5 Reasons to invest in good quality headphones.

We have all done it - bought a £10 pair of headphones which lasted 2 weeks and the gone back and bought another pair, and so on. However, I've take it one step further and invested in a higher quality pair from the brand Skulcandy. These, however are only £25 and broke within 6 weeks. There is definitely an alternative; Think long term.

These are my top 5 reasons to invest in high quality headphones;

1: The most expensive headphones come with warranties.
Yes, cars have warranties. Did you know, you can get warranties with headphones as well? If your headphones break during the course of normal usage, you can claim on your warranty and get a replacement pair for no extra cost, so even if they DO break, then you won't have to buy another pair of headphones with your hard earned cash - imagine breaking your headphones and not having a warranty? They are broken, you need to buy new ones. The warranty means that a headphone broken is a headphone replaced.

2: They will not be poorly made.
We all know that cheap headphones are made from low-grade plastics, use the cheapest metals in wires and spend as little time on the design as possible to make the most profit. This is not true for high quality headphones. Beats, for example, use metals in the design, to make the headphones LOOK good. They cost a lot, but they have sat down and worked hard on the design, they use premium materials and they offer warranties, so that they have to pay for any that break - it is inn their interest to use high grade materials, so they don't miss out on the sales that broken headphones lose them. You'll be changing your headphones once every 3 years, not every 3 weeks.

3: They look great.
How many times have you seen somebody walking about with cheap headphones and thought; "Wow, they are awesome, I have to get me some of those!" - I'll answer for you. Never. When you buy a reputable, named brand, like Beats, Audio Technica or Bose and you will catch jealous eyes, and return their gaze with a sickly sweet smile as you walk on by. These designs are specifically made to look great and catch they eye, especially in bright colours.

4. They sound great.
From experience I can tell you that you are not hearing the whole song from cheap headphones. You hear a tinny bass, perhaps some fuzzy highs and variable mids. With quality headphones, you hear the deep, booming baseline, you hear the highest highs and the smooth mids. You can hear every instrument. You can feel the music. You will hear rhythms and beats in songs you never knew existed until you listened to it with high quality headphones. Trust me.

5. Wirelessness.
I myself, have invested in some wireless headphones and I can tell you that there is nothing more freeing than not having to deal with a wire dangling from your head to your waist, you can move your head without pulling your audio cable out.. You don't have to deal with TANGLES in the cables. It is so much easier and comes standard in many high quality headphones, or is a more expensive model - it is well worth it. Also, if you use bluetooth headphones, your phone won't have to power them, meaning your phone's battery will last longer!

So, now it's down to you. Will you be purchasing some high quality headphones? Do you already have some and agree -- or disagree with me? Let us know, in the comments, below!

Lumsing Harmonica 16,000 mAh Power Bank Review

When you’re away form the office or your house for extended periods of time, it’s often useful to have a portable battery handy. As a consumer who carries both an iPhone 6s Plus as well as an iPad Air with me, it’s essential that I’ve got a battery with enough juice to charge up both my devices in case I find myself short of power. Enter the Lumsing Harmonica series power bank. This is actually one the most unique designs I’ve seen for a power bank, and for a lot of reasons.

Design and features

One of the main things you’ll be concerned with when dealing with an external battery is its ability to simply get the job done, but since I usually carry mine along with me daily, design and feel is critical. Was quite impressed with this power bank, as it manages to boast a large 16,000 mAh capacity whilst still remaining very small and not at all too thick. It’s no bigger than my iPhone 6s Plus and thanks to the curved edges and glossy finish, it feels smooth and comfortable to hold; unlike those brick shaped, sharp edged ones that you find all the time on amazon. The Harmonica looks like just that, it’s a long rectangular box that curves on one long end and is tapered on the other. The Lumsing power bank is about 5.5 inches long and about 2.5 inches deep and 0.8 inches high. As I said before, the curved design means its comfortable to hold in the hand for extensive periods of time, should you need to.

It’s not too heavy at all, weighing in at around 8 oz, which is hardly noticeable when you’re throwing it in your backpack of briefcase, but if you’re putting it in your pocket you’ll definitely notice it there. The longer side of the Lumsing Harmonica power bank is where you’ll find your micro USB input to charge the unit as well as a button and 4 LED cut outs. This is what you’ll press to check the charge of the device quickly and to activate the charging functions. There are 2 USB output ports on the shorter side of the device, stacked on top of each other. They’re not labeled with amps but instead simply “OUT”. Now, in terms of charging the unit up, since its 16,000 mAh its going to take a while. I found that leaving it overnight is the best option as it does take several hours to fully charge from 0-100%, but when its there it’ll last you all day and even weeks if you only charge your phone on it. This brings me swiftly on to the second section of this review, capacity and charging.

Capacity and charging
 

The Lumsing power bank has a 16,000 mAh capacity. To give a little context to this, the iPhone 5s has a 1,560 mAh battery and the iPad Air uses an 8,827 mAh battery. This means that, in theory, it could charge the iPhone 5s over 8 times and the iPad Air once with capacity to spare however there are factors which will increase inefficiencies and result in variations in experience and results (heat primarily).

In my tests I found that when charged to 100%, the Lumsing Harmonica was able to power an iPad Air from 5% battery all the way up to 100% capacity in approximately 4 hours. When testing with my iPhone 6s Plus I found that from 5% it was able to charge all the way up to 60% in just over an hour, and in about 2 hours it was back to 100%. There’s also the ability to charge 2 devices simultaneously, thanks to the dual USB output ports, however keep in mind this does result in slower charging times.

Conclusion

Overall the Lumsing Harmonica power bank is a large capacity, well designed, lightweight and stylish solution to power. It’ll get you through your day and make sure you’re never without charge. The power bank market is a saturated one, but Lumsing has done an excellent job of standing out with designs and performance like this. What’s best is, it’s only £18.99 on Amazon! Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2bZMWre

Beats - Do they really beat the competition?

In 2011 Dr. Dre partnered with Monster Cable Co. to produce what would become the worldwide phenomenon; Beats Headphones. These headphones were around the first to feature flat - 'tangle free' cables which had "ControlTalk" meaning you can control your music from the panel on the cable, if you're using iOS of course - otherwise, the pause and play feature will function, but the volume controls will not.

These headphones have become 'THE' fashionable brand on the market, due to their colourful, understated design and the prominent 'Beats b' logo. The headphones come in various designs, from wireless In-ear earbuds to huge over-ear headphones, all claiming to allow you to hear music 'How the artists wanted you to hear it', according to Dr. Dre himself.

However, having owned the costly PowerBeats 2 Wireless Sports earbuds for some time now, I have grown used to this high level of sound quality boasted about by the manufacturers and I am truly impressed. I thought that the brand name was all people bought the headphones for, but after using these headphones for almost a year I can't go back to stock headphones, or even cheaper designer headphones - they simply are not nearly good enough.

If you want incredible sound clarity and quality, this is not the place to look. Manufacturers like Audeze or Audio Technica have produced far better sounding headphones with open backs, sound isolation and noise-cancellation. However, in my opinion, they don't look as good as Beats br Dr. Dre. This, obviously, is very subjective, I will not have the same eye for fashion as you, however, the headphones come in many colours, from white to designer colours, such as snarticulture designed pure white.

If you are an audiophile, choose a different brand, perhaps, but if you want a great sound quality and a great looking pair of headphones, this IS the way to go.

Perspec-Tech Returns with the Hunt for the King of Flagships!

The Hunt for the King of Flagships (2015)

The market at the moment is full of exciting and interesting new devices. We have seen the release of an incredible 4K smartphone, in the Sony Xperia Z5, a smartphone with curved edges in the Galaxy S6 Edge and even a smartphone with a USB-C port in the OnePlus 2. But this only makes everything more confusing. If you are looking to buy a flagship device, you are not looking to buy second best, correct?

The Galaxy S6 Edge with it's sexy curves...

That is why we at Perspec-Tech have set our new goal - to make sure you are getting the most for your money. We plan to find the best smartphone of 2015, the best budget smartphone of 2015 and a list of honourable mentions for 2015. 

The True Flagship killer? We'll See!

So, what now? CTRL+D this Blog! Follow our RSS feed! Follow our Facebook page! Follow our Twitter! Support our quest, and along the way, maybe we'll get to know each other! 

We hope you enjoy your time with us at Perspec-Tech!

Das Keyboard 4 Professional Review

The Das Keyboard 4 Professional is a mechanical high quality keyboard made by the experienced folks over at Das, and they were kind enough to send us one out for a couple of weeks so we could review it. I have to say i'm incredibly impressed by it.

You're probably wondering why this keyboard is so special compared to a keyboard you could pick up at Walmart for $20. The Das Keyboard 4 Professional is a mechanical keyboard and mechanical keyboards were the original keyboards, the infamous IBM model M is essentially what this keyboard is designed to be like; but its not, its way better. For those of you who don't know or who aren't familiar with what exactly mechanical keyboards are, they have mechanical switches which are very tactile and also give crazily satisfying audio feedback when you press each key; basically, they click a lot, and its great.

There are really 3 main areas of the Das keyboard that I want to discuss and that is Function, Style and ergonomics.

Starting with Function, this keyboard is loud, and it's actually going to be too loud for some people. The mechanical key switches that give great audio feedback come at the cost of being so loud that its enough to wake people up if you type vigorously enough! However, this is only the case if you buy the model with the MX Blue switches which are the sort of super clicky and loud switches, the alternative is the Das keyboard 4 professional with MX Brown switches which are essentially the same except much much quieter. For me personally, I really love the exaggerated clickyness of the blue switches; it really makes you feel like you're getting work done and being productive. It's really well built being made up of plastic as well as aluminum which gives it this really high quality feel, it just destroys all the competition in comparable mechanical keyboards and its also made by a highly respected company, Das Keyboards. The keyboard is also equipped with full N key rollover, meaning for all you gamers out there you can press as many keys simultaneously and they will all be registered, perfect for gamers who need that kind of responsiveness and reliability. In terms of how it affects your typing speeds, I improved my words per minute by about 30 words per minute which is just insane. The mechanical cherry MX Blue switches are just a pleasure to type on and the sturdiness of the keyboard all contribute to a much nicer, pleasurable and efficient typing experience.

Let's talk about style. As far as I can see, the keys are not laser edged meaning they're painted off and can therefore be scratched off if you handle it the wrong way. This is probably one of the biggest downfalls of the keyboard in my opinion. The switches in the keyboard can each be pressed over 5 million times individually before showing any signs of wear giving a great life to the keyboard, however this is kind of ruined by the fact that over time the paint marking the keys may wear off. One thing I really like that Das did was give the keyboard a matt black finish. This is great because it means that unlike some keyboards which have glossy finishes, dust and degree won't be nearly as noticeable and most of all those pesky fingerprints won't show up. This keeps the keyboard looking really nice and clean.

On to ergonomics. I've been lucky enough not to have problems with my wrists as a result of typing at a funny angle. The Das Keyboard 4 Professional allows me to type at a very flat angle so that my hands are almost hanging just above the keys meaning they're not at that 45 degree angle they usually are when typing on keyboards with an inclination. This is great because it means that I can type more comfortably and in additional to that I get to keep my wrists healthy! For those of you who really don't care about the wrist issue like I do, Das does include a very unique way of propping the keyboard up at an inclined angle. Usually with most keyboards there are little flaps along the bottom that you flip about that serve as feet, however with the Das Keyboard 4 Professional there's a 40cm ruler. Yes, you heard me right, a ruler. It's really quite awesome actually. The ruler attaches to the bottom of they keyboard magnetically so it gives a secure base for the keyboard to incline on, and of course it also serves as an actual ruler! Way to innovate Das!

Plugging in the keyboard to your computer takes up 1 USB port however Das included a 2 port USB 3.0 hub at the front of the keyboard so you can plug any USB devices you want in there which is super awesome. One thing I wish they included was backlighting for they keys. I usually stay up late gaming and or finishing homework assignments and so having a backlight would be an awesome feature, so I hope Das includes that on their next generation of keyboard.

The Das Keyboard 4 Professional is truly in my opinion one of the best on the market currently and has honestly changed the way I type. I've become so much more productive and its simply a joy to type on. The only problem is that I have to send it back! I'll probably end up buying one and i'd encourage you to do the same, it's simply an excellent high quality keyboard from Das.

Sony Xperia Z4 - Will it be better?

It seems the Z4 will be arriving sooner than some might imagine due to the six month gap between phones that Sony has decided to adapt. Leaks have been around since January, and there has been more and more data around.

Sony have been rumoured to be focussing on the Xperia Z4’s screen. Many say it will come with a 5.4/5.5 inch display with a QHD 2560 x 1440 resolution and the same Triluminos wide colour gamut technology that’s been around with the previous Xperia Z models. Some claim that the Z4 will have 2 editions, one that has a 1080p display, and another with a 2K QHD. The 2K will likely be common in the UK and US while the other may be more widely available in developing markets in other countries.

The Z4 is looking to have 4GB of RAM and a battery of 3420mAh like that of the long lasting Z3 model before it which nobody will turn their nose up at. The phone is confirmed to have the Snapdragon 810 processor as Gen Tsuchikawa (Sony Mobile VP) stated in a Qualcomm press release. The phone is set to run Android 5.0 (Lollipop) supporting the 4GB of RAM with its 64-bit kernel. Internal storage is not confirmed but tipped at 32GB.

Sony’s Xperia range has always offered a strong phone design. The Z4 is a phone that looks a lot like the previous Xperia models available. That means we can already predict a superb build quality, resistance to dust and water, and a metal case with strong glass. There are to be some changes of course, the corners of the phone are to be more rounded and as common with new phone models, the bezels at the top and bottom of the phone are to be thinner than its predecessors. The Z4 is also rumoured to have improved waterproof capabilities than that of the Z3 and will not need a cover for the USB port to do so. Lastly, the phone is also tipped to have a glossy finish on the metal frame on the phones edge.

The word on the web is that the Sony Xperia Z4 will have a 20.7MP rear-facing camera and a 4.8MP front facing camera with a wide angle lens. This is the same number of megapixels as the current Z3’s (excellent) rear camera, but Sony are improving the camera by possibly implementing their new IMX230 Exmor RS sensor. This offers a speedy 192-point autofocus and real-time HDR. It also contains 2 extra lens elements for consuming more light, which would be a fantastic upgrade.
There may also be a Z4 Ultra released alongside the regular model with gives a more phabletty side to the phone. It is tipped to have the same chipset and RAM but a larger 5.9in screen and a slightly lower resolution camera (16MP, with dual LED flash), as well as a 5.7mm frame.

What do you think about the phone? Will you be buying one? As always let us know in the comments if you have something to add or leave us a message through the contact tab of our website.

LG G Flex 2 - This one's supposed to bend

The LG G Flex 2 is yet another new and innovative phone from the company but unlike the IPhone 6, this one’s supposed to bend.  Sticking with the idea from the first G Flex, the device is based heavily on engineering aptitude rather than implementing hardware for an ideal phone. This makes it almost a big mash up of parts making a brand new phone. The G Flex 2 has improved greatly over the first, being more refined and sleeker in most ways.

What makes this phone stand out? It’s curved. Most people seem more interested in external innovation when it comes to phones rather than internal processors. This is not always the case but the public has spoken. You have to have something that another phone doesn’t in order to be noticed. The main reason people might want this phone is simply because it’s different. But the buyers will likely only have satisfaction in rubbing this phones curve in their friend’s faces.

The 5.5 inch screen (like that of the OnePlus One) makes it large for a smartphone, and the basic bold red colour makes it stand out even more. This phone is a pure extrovert, yet is a perfectly decent smartphone to boot. Its glossy finish gives it a resistance to fingerprint smudges and its cover is ‘Self-healing’ which I suppose is a neat little trick that will keep the phone looking new for longer, but having the ability to recover from surface scratches in less than 10 seconds has its limits.

The phone has a great 3GB of RAM and uses a 3000mAh battery for long lasting usage with rapid charging technology. It uses the Snapdragon 810 processor and also provides support for the new tri-band LTE. The OLED front screen has been upgraded to 1080p from 720p on the original G Flex and the 13 MP camera allows for sleek images and also carries the ability to record 4K video.
So this phone’s got the looks, the specs, and very small bezels around the display. Is there anything else? The curve is more subtle than that of the original G Flex but as for how it feels in hand I cannot say as we do not have this device for review. It seems the curve would be comfortable when making calls too as it curves with your face, potentially improving your call quality rather than slapping a brick to your ear to call someone.

So should you buy this phone? I’m not saying no. It has decent specs for a 2015 smartphone, and the curve makes it stand out from many smartphones. The curve is obviously an external addition but it allows those of you who make a phone a fashion accessory to show off, and those who want a phone for a phone can have a high end model, as long as you’re willing to pay £500 for it.
As per usual, if you’ve got any comments to make, leave us one down below or send us an email through the contact tab of our website. I hope I’ve enlightened you on the curved phone.

Sony Xperia Z3 - Low impact review

As a (not so) proud owner of an old school Sony Xperia mini pro so it was pleasing to see how far Sony smartphones have advanced in the past few years.
The first thing I noticed about the Z3 was the excellent camera quality, 20.7 MP makes an impressive phone camera by anyone’s standard and the camera captures excellent footage at a variety of light intensities and distances.

As far as visuals go I personally thing the Z3 is a stunning piece of work, its slender and sleek, shiny and sophisticated and basically just one sexy looking smartphone. The screen is bright and attention grabbing just as you would expect from a 1080 x 1920 IPS LCD capacitive screen.
However one major design flaw in the fact that the back of the phone is glass which is potentially the start to an unfortunate series of events. Firstly this leads to the back of the phone getting very hot after prolonged use of the phone (roughly 30 minutes), which makes that hands sweat and the phone uncomfortable to hold. Now as the glass back of the phone is already virtually frictionless this then often lead to the pone slipping out of your hand and although both the screen and back glass are shatter-resistant this doesn’t mean repeated drops won’t cause some sizeable damage.
UI lag on the Z3 is virtually non-existent thanks to the Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 central processing unit and the phone is more than capable with running countless apps and performing many tasks.
As an added bonus the Z3 comes with android version 4.4.4 (kitkat) however it can be easily upgraded to version 5.0 (lollipop) showing that sony are really pushing to keep up with its smart phone competitors.
Finally the sound quality on the Z3 is very pleasing, allowing for strong smooth audio and no irritating background crackling, of ever-present hum if you try and turn it up so the sounds are actually audible.
It's a wonder why Sony is failing to be a strong member of the smartphone market share with such excellent phones at competitive prices!
What do you think? Is the Z3 right for you? Is Sony doing the right thing in potentially closing their smartphone manufacture down? Let us know in the comments below!

LG G Flex 2 at a Glance

Phone designers are changing their techniques. Recently LG have released the new G FLEX 2, with a new fresh look on phones. As suggested by the name “FLEX,” the G FLEX is very curved. The new innovative design makes this phone not just pleasing to the eye. But to the palm of your hand, the whole phone is one long curve, so it rest easily in your hand. LG has made a very brave move in handset design. Another curved phone is the Samsung S6 Edge which I believe will be in close competition.

Display:

• A slightly smaller screen size of 5.5 Inches
• Type of Display - Curved P-OLED capacitive touchscreen with 16M colours
• 1080 x 1920p Full HD Display with 403 ppi
• Curved screen allows for better usage in bright sunlight

Memory, Storage and Processing:

• Internal phone storage – 16GB
• Optional External Memory – MicroSD Port (Up To 128GB)
• 2GB of RAM (Random Access Memory)
• CPU Name - Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810
• Number of Cores – Quad Core

Network & Connectivity:

• SIM Type – Micro Sim
• Headphones - 3.5 mm audio connector
• Charging port - Micro-USB
• Bluetooth – Blue tooth 4.1
• NFC – Sharing and Pairing
• WiFi - 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot

Camera (Rear)

• 13 MP
• 4128 x 3096 pixels
• Laser autofocus
• Optical image stabilization
• Dual-LED flash

Camera (Front)

• 2.1 MP
• 1080p at 30fps

Camera (Recording)

• 2160p@30fps
• 1080p@60fp
• HDR
• Stereo Sound

There are few extra features that are not as common in phones that you might actually want. LG have made a self-healing scratch case for the FLEX 2. It can recover from light scratches in roughly 10 seconds, due to its high density molecular shell. Also LG have removed any buttons from the frame of the FLEX 2, so there is no chance of accidently changing the volume or locking the screen whilst you hold the phone. This is good, but it can take a while to get used to the buttons not being there.

LG have created the G FLEX 2 as a trend-setter to change the way all mobile phones are created. It may inspire other manufacturers to make curved and slanted phones. Although I believe that this will take some time, as to actually make a curved phone, requires lots of time and money; screen glass will need to be freshly made to be curved, the components inside will be very hard to fit in (If it’s curved there isn’t as much space!) another factor that may slow down the “Curved Revolution” is the fact that people might not even like it. Some may prefer a flat phone to be honest!

But for me, I would not be afraid to try something new. And buy more phones and technology that have more intricate designs. I love the fact that LG are pursuing this new breed of phone, because despite its overall difficulty to produce, LG have still made another fantastic smartphone with moderately high-end specs and a very high-end design.