Today we have been lucky enough to have seen some official images of the upcoming Oneplus Nord 4 that will be officially launched in Milan on the 16th July at 2pm BST. As the invitation that I was sent for the event teased there is a focus on metal in the design which can be seen in the back panel of the phone below.

We can see that the phone will feature a dual camera design in what looks to be a glass section with a metallic panel below presumably made from stainless steel. In terms of other aspects of the design not much else has been shared with us so far but I would expect this to be around the 6.5″ sort of sizing of the previous generation Nord devices lineup.

I am very excited to see more of this phone and I will be lucky enough to be on the ground at the event in Milan when it happens. I will be bringing my first impression of the phone as soon as I can after the announcement has been made.

Here are some other images of the phone’s two colour versions by themselves.

First up Mercurial Silver

Next is the Obsidian Midnight

I do like the simplicity of the design here especially the ridged effect on the Mercurial Silver version.

That is all I have for now but more to come here on the 16th July.

The post OnePlus Nord 4 design revealed ahead of unveiling in Milan is original content from Coolsmartphone. If you see it on another news website, please let us know.

I have wanted to get my hands on the RedMagic 9 Pro since I first saw it up for release at the end of last year. During my time at MWC 24 earlier this year, I was able to get a chance to get some hands-on time with the RedMagic 9 Pro and this confirmed that I wanted to find out more. After some exchanging of emails, I now have said phone in my possession and it is time to review it. So without further delay let’s dive into the review below.

Design

Here is a brief unboxing video showcasing the phone.

This is one of the biggest things when it comes to a gaming phone and the RedMagic 9 Pro (hereafter referred to as the 9 Pro). The phone has some very specific gaming cues. Time to take the tour around the device starting from the top edge.

On the top of the device, we find one of the side-firing speakers along with an IR blaster for controlling IR-equipped devices. In addition to this is something that is a bit of a rarity these days, a 3.5mm headset jack is sitting up there on the top. We also find one of the pinhole mics and some of the many antenna line breaks.

Moving around the right-hand side we have a lot going on so let’s go from the edges in. On the edges, we have the RGB shoulder trigger buttons which can be configured within games. The RGB lighting can be set in different modes from the software which we will cover more later on. The trigger buttons support up to 520hz touch detection making them very responsive for use in games. Next, we have one end of the fan channel, I believe this is the exhaust vent but I could be wrong. Next, we have the volume rocker switch which has good feedback and is distinctive when compared to the sleep/wake/power switch. The next thing here is again a hint at the gaming focus of this phone as we have a dedicated home mode slider switch. by moving this switch towards to power key then the phone will enter into its gaming mode where you have all the toggles from various software-led functions. I will cover these more later in the gaming section of this review. The last thing of note here is the presence of another pinhole mic.

On the bottom edge of the phone is another one of the side-firing speakers another pinhole microphone and the USB 3.2, Type-C with DisplayPort functionality, for plugging into an external display. This port will also support fascharing if you use the correct charger and the phone will charge at up to 80W giving a pretty good 0 to full charge time of under 35 minutes. We also have a dual SIM card slot.

Moving around to the left-hand side of the phone apart from the usual antenna break we have got the other end for the fan channel which I think is the intake end.

On the rear, we have got a fair amount of things going on alongside some graphical exuberance In the top right-hand corner we have a reference to this being the 9th Generation of RedMagic phones with a 09 that will illuminate when the phone is in gaming mode. Coming down from his but sticking to the right-hand side we have the “Win More Games” text written on the rear panel with the Redmagic Logo at the very bottom right. On the left-hand side at the bottom edge, there is again some text outing the phone brand name REDMAGIC and then as you move up the phone there are more text references this time under the camera array we have Ice Cooling System written around the middle section. above this is where things get a bit more interesting. we have what looks to be three camera modules in a vertical stack, however, this is not the case. The bottom of the stack is a very small but powerful fan. This fan will spin at a speed of up to 22,000 RPM and is fully customisable with RGB as well fitting into the gaming phone vibe very nicely. The fan can be quite loud when it is operating at max capacity but in normal use, it is barely audible over the background noise.. I have got is set to be one most of the time. I will hear it ramp up to full speed if I have it fast charging but otherwise it will just spin away pulling cold air through the cooling chamber for me.

Above the fan, we have two camera sensors which are both 50mp sensors one being an ultra-wide and the other being the normal aspect ratio. I believe that the lower of the two cameras has also got an OIS which is a first for a camera on a RedMagic gaming phone. Both cameras feature a 7-element lens and the sensors are from Samsung manufacturer. But that is not all as we also have an additional 2MP sensor off to the side sitting below the dual LED flash. This camera is there to pick up the macro shots duties as you would expect in this sort of set-up. Above the 2MP Macro camera is a Dul LED flash light which will also pull double duty as a torch if required.

A few things to note about the back cover is that this is incredibly slippy despite there being a texture to the glass panel which means that unless this is on a flat surface it will slip off things and make its way to the ground a lot. There is a clip-on shard plastic case included in the box but this does little to negate these inevitable tumbles. You can also buy an additional case from the RedMagic store but I cannot see this helping this situation much further. I have combated this by purchasing a skin for the rear panel which provide just enough grip to stop is sliding away from me all the time.

Moving around the the front of the phone is where we have the display along with the camera but we will come back to that in a moment. The display itself is really large and the panel under the Corning Gorilla Glass 5 surface is maxed out as much as possible. The screen is a 6.8 inches FHD+ panel and it is of the AMOLED variety. It has a brightness of up to 1600nits with a colour accuracy of △E＜1. The Screen-to-body ratio is 93.7% which is one of the highest I have used recently, and it has a resolution of 2480 x 1116 with a PPI of 400. The panel has a refresh rate of up to 120 hz (this can be adjusted in software). There are a couple more gaming-specific stats as well that I need to share and these are that the Instant touch sampling rate is 2,000Hz, with an overall sampling rate of up to 960Hz multitouch. I presume that these are meant to indicate that it will pick up on detections of input a lot quicker in fast-paced games.

Well, that concludes our tour of the device’s exterior. But as with all phones, we also need to investigate what is under the skin of the phone, in the hardware section.

Hardware

Firstly here is a specs table as there is lot of stuff going on here.

I am going to focus on the aspects that will take this from a regular phone to begin a gaming hone as all the other hardware is very commonly seen on most high-end phones these days, there are however some exceptions to this which I will cover later on in my review.

• Cooling system

As this is a gaming phone let’s start with the cooling system as this is the real headline grabber for this phone. As you can see from the specs sheet above the 9 Pro has got quite an elaborate system in place for cooling which is a combination of both heat dissipation foils and thermal pastes and active cooling via the cooling fan itself. The fan is a very small component as it is smaller than the diameter of a 5-pence coin. That being said it is very intricately built as it has 59 0.1mm fan blades that are capable of up to 22,000rpm to pull air into the cooling duct. As you will be able to imagine this cooling duct is where the main heat dissipation happens with the components that are generating the heat being located close to the cooling duct. The image below shows the various elements in more detail.

You can see from the above image that the Snapdarogn 8 Gen 3 Chip is located on the underside of the cooling channel to give the optimum exposure to the airflow being managed by the fan. In addition to this, there is an extensive area of thermally conductive material on the midframe to help stop any heat coming through the display from the motherboard. All of this means that the *gen 3 Chip can run at higher temp fro longer meaning that it can push more calculations through. This in turn will mean faster processing of files, quicker video rendering and most importantly for buyers of this phone a better gaming experience with higher frame rates being provided in the game with more fluid motion characteristics etc. There is however one very minor downside to this and that is that when you have got the fan cranked up to max it is audible.

I have recorded this small clip to give you an idea of the difference between the fan on and off. I was using the phone plugged in whilst playing Asphalt 9 in the mode called Diablo Mode which is when everything it maxed out and the processor and GPU are both running at full power.

OnePlus has now made its second entry into the tablet market after the relative success of the OnePlus Pad released last year. This time they have decided to release a slightly cheaper variant which lacks some of the features that you would consider as “Pro” add-ons. The new tablet is called the OnePlus Pad Go, the reason for this will become more clear below.

Let’s take a look at the design of this device below.

Design

As always with a device tour we will start on the top edge of the device and to avoid confusion I am going to be  orienting the tablet in landscape mode as that is what is suggested as its normal use mode by the camera positioning.

This is where we can find the volume up and down buttons on the far left edge the next noticeable thing is the pinhole microphone that will be brought into function when the front camera is being used. on either end of the top edge, there are two antenna bands for the inbuilt connections.

Moving around to the right-hand side we will then find that there are two of the 4  speakers, nestling inside these you will find another pinhole microphone next to the USB type C port. This port does not support Display Out, unfortunately, but given the price point and target demographic, this is hardly surprising.

Moving around to the bottom of the tablet there is nothing to see here which makes holding the device in the landscape orientation comfortable.

Continuing to the right-hand side we can see that we have got the other two speakers but this time they are flanking a Nano SIM/microSD card slot. This allows the tablet to support LTE bands for full;l phone and data duties if you wish to use it as a phone! You can also expand the storage by up to 1TB via the Micro SD card slot. You can also find the sleep-wake/power button on this side. This is simply just a button there is no fingerprint reading going on here.

Around the back we have the Camera module that is mounted on the upper third of the device in a shinier section of the back cover, presumable this is where the twin Mint naming comes from. Incidentally, this colour is the only variant you can get in the UK and it matches up with a lot of the other OnePlus devices of late. The camera itself is an 8MP sensor which has EIS and will support 1080P/720P video recording at 30FPS.

Going around the front finally we got the 11.35″2.4K screen which has a pixel density of 260PPI, and a refresh rate of 90Hz. The screen is reasonably bright at 400 nits with a contrast ratio of 1500:1 and a colour gamut of 96% NTSC. As is the case on most devices these days the screen is set up for Eyecare as well meaning that it will automatically adjust in lower light settings to limit Blue light and adjust colour temperatures to suit the available lighting in your viewing environment. It is a TÜV Rheinland Certified Full Care Display. Very good to know especially if this is a purchase being considered for younger users.

Also at the very top of the display is where we find the 8MP front-facing camera.

Thickness comparison with RedMagic 9 Pro gaming phone

Overall I really do like the aesthetics of the design and the way the tablet feels in the hand. it is comfortable to hold due to the 7.5mm bezels surrounding the devices and the 7.:5 aspect ratio of the display means it is not too wide for a 11.35″ screen size. I can find that I can interact with the tablet easily enough but typing is a bit easier using the thumbs when in portrait mod. it is light enough to hold in one hand while poking at the screen with the other hand which is great if you’re doing a quick search for something to watch or listen to. It is also pretty useful for games as well as I found with a quick session of Asphalt 9. As I mentioned earlier the device has a quad-speaker setup which creates a very good sound stage. I was more than happy to have this playing music in the background as I was working on writing this review.

Hardware

The outside may be good to look at but none of that makes any difference unless the internal hardware is any good. thankfully we have got some pretty good-looking kit inside. bear in mind that this is by no means a flagship-grade tablet so the expectations need to be aligned to that. To start with we have got a MediaTek Helio G99 CPU powering the tablet. This is an octa-core CPU built on the 6 NM process it has 2x Arm Cortex-A76 up to 2.2GHz and  6x Arm Cortex-A55 up to 2.0GHz and is paired with an Arm Mali-G57 MC2. We also have 8GB of LPDDR4X and 128b GB of UFS 2.2 storage which will give a reasonably fast read and write speed but is not anything groundbreaking, more than adequate for streaming media and some light gaming. As I mentioned above the device has a SIM card slot and this is down to the CPIU being able to support 4G for both calls and data. Alongside that, you have the usual WIFI 5 and 2.4Ghz available frequencies and Bluetooth 5.2. Lastly, we have got support for GPS (L1), BEIDOU (B1I), GLONASS (G1), GALILEO (E1), and WLAN positioning. All in all, this is some pretty good spec for the price and is comparable with tablets from other players like Honor in the form of the Honor Pad 9u

We also have a standard suite of sensors that you would expect to see in an entry-level tablet; a Geomagnetic sensor, Light sensor, Acceleration sensor, Gyroscope, and Hall sensor.

I am pretty pleased with the hardware and especially happy to see that this device carries a battery with 8000mAh in it that is also capable of charging at 33W SUPERVOOC with the appropriate power supply unit (not included). This will allow for use for at least two days but it also supports a standby time of 514gours according to OnePlus, which works out as just under 21.5 days. This is an important metric for a tablet as you tend not to use it constantly all day long. You will use it for a quick look at something or maybe to catch a TV Show watch a film etc. Having the ability to shut the screen off and then come back to it and still have some charge a few days later is a very useful feature.

The screen is plenty bright enough for use inside but it does struggle when in direct sunlight outside due to that max brightness of 400 nits. however, at this price point, you will struggle to find a much brighter screen. As you would also expect there is a lot of reflection in very bright conditions, however, I have yet to use a tablet that doesn’t suffer from this issue so I can let it slide.

In terms of the hardware that is all I have at the moment for initial first impressions as I need to spend d a bit more time with it but I am impressed with things so far.

As I have only been using the device for a short period I have been unable to draw any conclusions about the software yet but I am happy to say that it all looks pretty good so far. There has been a lot of development on the adaptation of Oxygen Os to accommodate the larger display and the tablet is better for it. I would have appreciated it if the device was running Android 14 but it is currently still on Android, With that being said though the tablet did receive a security update a few days ago bringing it up to March 2024 for security patches which is okay. it will be interesting to see if they can get this more aligned with Android in terms of the OS platform as we are not that far away from Android 15 being launched by Google. I have an older Oneplus Nord CE 3 Lite that is running more up-to-date software than the PadGo so it should be possible for them to push through the update to keep at least near relevance regarding the the core OS.

So for the moment that is all I have got for the OnePlus Pad Go and my brief time with the device.

if you are interested in picking one of them up for yourself or a family member it is definitely worth considering it, especially as at the moment OnePlus is giving a £30 discount on its RRP which is normally £299. You can pick one up from the OnePlus website for £269.00 from this link.

I will continue to run this device and will follow this up with a full review after a bit more time with the device during which I will be trying to use it for some gaming and also more consumption of media. Check back in with me in a few weeks for some more.

The post OnePlus Pad Go – Unboxing is original content from Coolsmartphone. If you see it on another news website, please let us know.

Xiaomi Unveils the Xiaomi 14 Series: A Leap Forward in Mobile Photography and Performance
Hey tech enthusiasts! If you’ve been monitoring our coverage of MWC so far for the next big thing in smartphones, Xiaomi has just dropped some exciting news that’s sure to pique your interest. The everything and anything tech giant Xiaomi, unveiled its latest flagship series – the Xiaomi 14 Series, alongside a suite of other innovative products. Here’s everything you need to know about Xiaomi’s latest offerings.

A New Era of Mobile Imaging with Xiaomi and Leica
Xiaomi has taken its partnership with Leica to new heights with the Xiaomi 14 Series. This collaboration is pushing the boundaries of mobile photography, integrating Leica’s famed Summilux optics to deliver unparalleled imaging experiences. The Xiaomi 14 Series isn’t just about taking pictures; it’s about creating art on the go.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra: ‘A Marvel of Engineering’

The standout of the series, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, is a dream come true for photography aficionados and tech lovers alike. With its eye-catching circular camera module and a design that screams elegance, the Ultra variant doesn’t just perform – it impresses. Its robust build, featuring high-strength aluminium and vegan leather, is both durable and chic.
But what truly sets the Xiaomi 14 Ultra apart is its camera system. Sporting a professional quad-camera setup with focal lengths ranging from 12mm to 120mm, the Ultra promises exceptional image quality across all scenarios. And with support for 8K video shooting across all four cameras, the possibilities are limitless.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra comes with 1 storage variant (16+512GB) with an RRP of £1299

Those who purchase between 25th February 2024 and 18th of March 2024 will receive a free camera kit and £300 to spend on Xiaomi ecosystem products.

Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra will include 4 generations of Android OS upgrades, as well as 5 years of security patches. Users of the two devices can get 100GB of

Google One cloud storage for 6 months, 3 months of YouTube Premium with ad-free access to YouTube and the YouTube Music app.¹⁰

The Xiaomi 14: ‘Compact, Yet Powerful’

For those who prefer something a bit more compact without compromising on performance, the Xiaomi 14 is the answer. It features a triple-camera setup that promises comprehensive photography experiences, from ultra-wide shots to detailed close-ups. Plus, with its CrystalRes AMOLED display, every image looks stunningly vibrant.

Xiaomi 14 comes with 2 storage variants:

Xiaomi 14 12+256GB will go on sale with an RRP of £849.

Those who purchase between 25th February 2024 and 31st of March 2024 will receive a free Xiaomi Pad 6 and Xiaomi Band 8 Pro.

Xiaomi 14 12+512GB will go on sale with an RRP £1099.

Those who purchase between 25th February 2024 and 31st of March 2024 will receive a free Xiaomi Pad 6.

More Than Just Smartphones

Xiaomi also introduced the Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro 12.4, Xiaomi Watch S3, Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro, and Xiaomi Watch 2, expanding its ecosystem of smart devices. Each product is designed to integrate seamlessly, offering users a unified and intelligent experience across devices.

Special Offers and Availability
Xiaomi is kicking off the launch with some enticing offers for early buyers, including freebies like the Xiaomi Pad 6 and cash to spend on Xiaomi ecosystem products. And with a commitment to long-term updates and security, Xiaomi is ensuring that your investment remains future-proof.
The Xiaomi 14 Series represents a significant leap forward in mobile technology, offering something for everyone, from photography enthusiasts to performance chasers. With its innovative features, sleek design, and the promise of a connected ecosystem, Xiaomi continues to cement its place as a leader in the tech world. If you’re in the market for a new smartphone, the Xiaomi 14 Series might just be what you’ve been waiting for.

Here are a few hands on shots of the Xiaomi 14 anf the Xiaomi 14 Pro. I have also included some shots of the New Wear Os powered watch that was launched as well.

The post MWC – Xiaomi 14 Series and More Announced is original content from Coolsmartphone. If you see it on another news website, please let us know.

So the glitz and glamour of a Live launch event have now finished. We have had some time to give the devices a look over on the stand in all the glory. Now however is the time to get up close and personal with the new Honor Magic6 Pro, in a more comfortable environment (my hotel room). So let’s have a look at what is in store with the unboxing.

As you can see we have got what looks like a pretty special device, I have to say I am so chuffed that Honor provided me with the Epi Green version as the colour just makes it stand out a little bit more from the crowd.

Let’s have a quick run around the device in closer details

Starting as always at the top, we find the top-mounted speaks, an IR blaster and a microphone pinhole

Around on the right-hand side is where we can see the power switch which pulls double duty as an assistant prompt on a long press. Then we have the volume Rocker both are nicely positioned and nicely damped as well as giving solid feedback when pressed.

Continuing around to the bottom we have the USB Type C 3.2 port that is flanked by the bottom speaker and the dual sim slot, we also have another mic port here as well.

On the left-hand side, there is nothing to see apart from alone of the many antenna break lines which are spread about the phone.

Moving around the back is where we can find the bit that is going to interest a lot of people and this is the giant camera array that is housed on a bump, which to be fair is not that large in terms of depth and it doesn’t protrude from the back of the phone anywhere near as much as the ones that I have seen from competitors. Inside this camera array we have got 3 cameras;

• 50MP (wide, f/1.4 – f/2.0, OIS, PDAF)
• 50MP (ultrawide, f/2.0 AF)
• 180MP (telephoto, f/2.6, 2.5x optical zoom)

On either side of the top sensor, we have the Dual tone flash to the left and the laser and sensor for the laser-assisted autofocus. For added measure the is also one more microphone port as well.

If we continue around the front hen we have a dual camera cut-out at the top of the display that houses a 50MP camera and a Time of flight sensor for depth-sensing and biometrics. What is cool is also works as the Magic Capsule area which will show an actionable area for enhanced functionality when using certain apps i.e. media players as shown below.

This is the first time I have seen this on an Android device but iPhone users will be right at home here.

As for the main screen, this is a glorious 6.8-inch All-range Low-power LTPO Eye Comfort Display, that is coated with Honor NanoCrystal Sheild for protection. This coating will give up to 10 times the protection of regular nanocrystal glass when dropped and should offer a more scratch-resistant coating as well. This is all of course hidden under a pre-applied plastic screen protector. The screen will also be able to offer up to 5000 nits brightness when using HDR Content but it will use an average brightness in normal max condition of 1600 Nits which is still plenty bright enough as you saw from the video where I turned it up to the maximum settings. I have not had any issues seeing the screen in the sunshine that we have got poking through the clouds here in Barcelona

So that about finishes things off for the hands-on tour of the phone as for the rest of the specs check out the specs list below for some more details.

As I had one lying around I thought I would also share some comparison shots of the phone next to an S23 Ultra which whilst not its direct competitor is a good representation of the size of the device etc.

As always I will be using the phone as my daily driver for the next few weeks to allow me to get a real grip on the phone and all of its features. Once I have got some time under its belt a full review will of course be posted on Coolsmartphone for your viewing pleasure.

If you can’t wait that long and want to buy one right away you can pre-order today from Honor’s store for a full RRP of £1099.99 for the spec I have here.

If you are preordering then please take advantage of the discount code AM6PP250 to get £250 off the device once you have subscribed to HiHonor, you will also get 12 months of screen protection cover included when buying directly from HiHonor.  You will also have the option to add the recently announced Pad 9 for £149.99 (down from £299.99 RRP) if you fancy going all in on Honor kit

The Honor MagicI6 Pro is also available to pre-order from the 1^st March with sales from the 8^th March with a complimentary launch bundle worth £359 including HONOR Earbuds X6, HONOR 100W SuperCharger and HONOR Pad 8 from Amazon, Very and Currys.

The post #MWC24 – Honor Magic6 Pro – Unboxing is original content from Coolsmartphone. If you see it on another news website, please let us know.

It has been a long time since I have been able to use the title above for an article but we have arranged for me to attend Mobile World Congress in the beautiful city of Barcelona!

I am currently sitting in Stanstead Airport overlooking the runway awaiting to get my flight to Spain for the mobile tech feast that is MWC 2024.

I want to take this opportunity to thank our generous host for the trip Honor UK who allowed this trip to happen. As they are graciously hosting us I will be of course attending their event tomorrow to kick things off for the next few days.

In addition to this, I will be running around the venue halls to capture as much as I can in the short time that I am there!

If you want to keep track of my antics I will be posting some quick news on our X account @coolsmartphone and more in-depth coverage will of course be done right here on the site

The post We are heading to MWC 2024!! is original content from Coolsmartphone. If you see it on another news website, please let us know.

So the day has come when I can share the unboxing of the new to the UK market, Honor Magic V2 5G. I have a little spoiler for you though, I am impressed by this foldable’s hardware very impressed!

So let’s get into the video for you then.

As you can hopefully see from above I am enjoying the hardware on this folding phone it is so much sleeker than any other folding phone I have used before and I have used most of them! I currently use a Pixel Fold as my main phone (when I am not doing reviews) and this is quite a significant step on from what the Pixel Fold offers in terms of design. I still can’t wrap my head around how they have managed to get this phone so slim (more on that later) especially when you think that it has got a 5000mah Silicon Carbon battery inside! The battery isn’t the only great spec inside the Magic Fold V2, we also have a Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 8th Gen 2 as the processor and this is backed up with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of Storage and this is the only option. Of course, the phone has all the other goodies that you would expect to see on this type of phone for Connectivity specs:-

• Bluetooth 5.3, BLE, SBC, AAC, LDAC, APTX, APTX HD
• USB Type-C, USB 3.1 Gen1, DP1.2
• 2.4GHz：802.11 b/g/n/ax/be, MIMO
• 5GHz：802.11 a/n/ac/ax/be, MIM
• Support NFC, eSIM
• Wraparound antenna

Rear Camera Module

The camera array is pretty impressive with a triple header setup with the following details:-
Triple Rear Camera
• 50MP Ultra Wide Camera (f/2.0)
• 50MP Wide Camera (f/1.9) 8, OIS
• 20MP Telephoto Lens Camera (f/2.4), OIS

Around the front we have got two cameras there are two screens
• 16MP Wide Camera (f/2.2) (Interior screen)
• 16MP Wide Camera (f/2.2) (Exterior screen)

The rear cameras will support videos at 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10+
Whilst the front will support up to 4K@30fps. These front cameras will also support a basic face unlock.

Side profile, Unfolded

As for the rest of the visible hardware, we have the power keys on the right side when the phone is unfolded and the volume rocker on the left.This is quite a nice setup for both folded and unfolded use cases. When the phone is unfolded the buttons are not in your way and it is easy to develop a muscle memory to find where the buttons are. When the phone is closed the buttons are then sitting above each other but they are still easily defined by the separation from the buttons being on either half of the phone.

Power and Volume key placement

External 6.79″ Display

Coming to the screens which is what you came here for these are both very good quality screens with the outer being a 6.43″ display with a screen-to-body ratio of 91.2%. the PPI is 402 and the resolution is 2376 x 1060 which is a nice 20:9 ratio and more akin to a normal phone. The screen will go up to 2500nits in terms of brightness which is plenty to see on the dreak days of January! It is protected with Nanocrystal Glass which is good to see but would have preferred to see some G0rilla Glass Victus here. There is also factory fitted screen protector which is removable but I have kept mine in place for the time being.

Internal 7.96″ display

The inner display consists of a 7.92′ panel with a screen-to-body ratio of 90.4%. The PPI is the same 402 with a resolution of 2344x 2156 which means a near square 9.78:9 ratio. The interior screen is not quite as bright at 1600 nits, but if I am out and about I have found that I am less likely to open the display up so this lower brightness is fine on a foldable for me. There is no glass screen protector here but you do get a very well-fitted plastic screen protector covering the Ultra Thin glass underneath. This one should not be removed but if you buy one early enough then you can get at least 6 months of Honor Care included to repair the screen if needed for free!

That leads me to the hinge the real crux of the folding phone, this is very easy to describe. It is smooth with a nice flick at the end of the opening motion. there is enough tension for the phone to be kept open at a variety of angles but not quite as many as my Pixel Fold. It will stay open at angles up to about 150 degrees before the flick closes, this is an improvement over the previous Magic Vs. When closing the hinge will snap closed once you get past approx 15 degrees and it is a satisfying snap at that. When closed the two halves sit flush to each other like all good folding phones do now.

Bottom showing USB Type C 3.1 port, Speaker and Sim tray

Something I was very keen to see is how the hinges affected the screen crease and I am extremely pleased to say that this is a vast improvement over what I have become used to in the Pixel Fold and the likes of any of the Galaxy Z Fold line up. It is very near to being invisible and it is barely noticeable when you are viewing the inner display. In terms of the feel you will notice it but your finger does not feel like it drops into a canyon when crossing the crease area, which is a great feeling.

Top view showing Speaker, IR blaster and mic

Vegan Leather back view

That about wraps up the main things that make this phone what it is apart from one of the headliners the dimensions! Normally I don’t get too excited by these measurements but you can feel the difference. In terms of when the phone is folded, this phone is 156.7mm high, 74.1 mm wide and 9.9mm thin. When it is unfolded the height remains the same but the width goes out to 145.1mm and the depth becomes 4.7mm (excluding the camera bump)! To say this phone is thin is an understatement. When the phone is folded up it has about the same 3D footprint as the likes of a regular 6.5″ screen slab phone but it is still thinner than most. When you unfold it then the slimness goes to a different level and it is truly remarkable. However, the great news is even with this thinness the phone does not feel fragile which was a surprise. Honestly, if you compare this phone to the likes of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and 5 it feels like the fatter cousin! I nearly forgot the other important figure for this phone which is the weight or the lack of it. The phone in its Vegan leather version is only 231g (the glass-backed version is 237g) My Pixel Fold is the right fat boy in comparison!

So in terms of the hardware and initial unboxing experience, I have been very impressed by the Honor Magic V2 5G and it matches up to the hype I have been seeing for the last 6 months since I first saw it being released in China. However, hardware alone does not make the phone and I will be reporting back on the software in my full review once I have used it for a bit more time.

All that remains now is to let you know that if you want your own Honor Magic V2 5G then you can buy one now from Honor directly at the hihonor.com/uk website and they have got some launch offers that can reduce the price to £1199.99 via vouchers from the full RRP of £1699.99, if you act fast then you will get a bundled Bang & Olufsen Beocom Portal headset via redemption that are worth £399!

Pre-orders are open now and shipping can be as soon as the beginning of next week.

The post Honor Magic V2 5G- Unboxing is original content from Coolsmartphone. If you see it on another news website, please let us know.

OnePlus will finally enter the folding phone market very soon and in doing so will be embracing their company Tag line “Never Settle”.

The phone will be launched alongside OnePlus’s sister company OPPO which has had a presence in both the book-style foldables and clamshell style fold for a few years. During this time the now-joined companies have accumulated many patents regarding folding phones and are merging this with the fast smooth experience and burdenless design that onePlus has always been associated with.

The teams behind the phone have had a clear focus on one of the things that make a folding phone great and that is a smooth and strong hinge with as minimal a crease as possible. Over the past few years, OPPO has been fine-tuning this design in the form of the Find N devices which have never officially made it out of the eastern markets.

During this time OPPO accumulated over 600 patents specifically in hinge design. This has been identified as a key differentiator between foldable phones and OPPO has shown good form as they have been doing the no-gap hinge style design for 2 years now. One of the claims being made for the new phone is that the hinge will close tight enough to be supported by a single sheet of paper between the closed screens. I have tried this with my Pixel Fold and it didn’t go well with my phone letting the paper slip out in a matter of seconds!

So when the OnePlus foldable was being developed they didn’t rest on their laurels and they have added another 35 patents to the already very large list specifically for the hinges. These patents are being used to allow a reduction in both the size and weight of the hinge components whilst also making them stronger. The OnePlus hinge is purportedly 37% smaller than the previous device the Find N2. All this work on the hinge and reworking it has allowed the new foldable to be slimmer and lighter which is great news for the segment of the market and potential buyers.

There have historically been two styles of screen format for the folded outer display the “remote control” style which has been used by all the Samsung Z Fold devices. and the more traditional wider style “phone” screen that can be found on pretty much any other folding phone such as the Honor Magic Vs and the Google Pixel Fold. I am definitely a fan of the latter as it allows the phone to be used for normal phone tasks when folded and then when you need some more space you have that more tablet-style form factor. The OnePlus seems to be leaning towards the latter but maybe not to the same extent as being seen by the likes of the Pixel Fold which some people have found to be too wide when unfolded.

In addition to this large format screen, OnePlus has also included a Camera that is meant to be class-leading no specs have been defined for this yet but we expect it to be of similar levels to the likes of the Hasselblad shooter found on the OnePlus 11.  We also see that OnePlus has kept a fan favourite in the form of the Alert slider on the phone which is really nice to see as this is a feature more phones need to have them! The design brief for the team was to hit all the flagship phone top specs and OnePlus is pulling out all the stops to ensure that they meet these targets.

There is one more aspect that will break a foldable phone and that is software. OnePlus may be a little late to the foldable phone market but this may actually be to their benefit especially as the phone looks like it will come out after Google host their Pixel Event where we expect to see Android 14 launch. Having used the Android 14 beta on a Pixel Fold I can see that Google has been working on software tweaks to make the Folding phone experience the best it can be. One of the changes that is especially relevant is the option to have the app scale to the larger screen instead of letterboxing it like we initially saw on the Pixel Fold when it was first released. This was a feature that was highly requested by the early adopters. On top of this, I would expect that the Oneplus foldable will have some other multitasking tricks up its sleeve.

I am looking forward to seeing this phone in the flesh as I think this will be one of the foldable that Samsung may be justifiably concerned about and that can only be a food thing as their designs have become somewhat stagnant. The OnePlus And Oppo partnership and simultaneous release will allow them to get the maximum market exposure in a short amount of time. 

Editor note. Images are credited to Unbox Therapy who got a hands on an early prototype during an interview with Pete Lau, Founder of OnePlus and Senior Vice President and Chief Product Officer of OPPO.

The post OnePlus and Oppo to release new Folding phone at the same time is original content from Coolsmartphone. If you see it on another news website, please let us know.

The Strong 1200 4G+ Router ensures a high-speed, cable-free, secure internet experience for anywhere without an internet connection.

Features of the Strong 1200 4G+ Router include:

• Up to 300 Mbps download speeds
• Dual-band Wi-Fi
• Four Gigabit Ethernet ports
• Two detachable external 4G+ LTE antennas
• WPS button for easy setup
• Full PIN code management for 4G+ LTE connection
• Works with any size of SIM card
• WPA/WPA2 for the highest level of Wi-Fi security

Strong, a leading provider of networking and connectivity solutions, is excited to announce the release of the Strong 1200 4G+ Router. This versatile and high-performance router delivers seamless internet access using 3G or 4G SIM cards, making it ideal for locations where traditional ADSL broadband is unavailable.

The Strong 1200 4G+ Router ensures a reliable and high-speed internet experience for a wide range of applications, including streaming video, gaming, and online work. It can be used almost anywhere, from homes and offices to RVs and boats.

The Strong 1200 4G+ Router is ideal for those that struggle with a low-speed or interrupted Internet connection at home, or simply require internet in other locations such as garden offices, holiday homes, campervans, caravans or anywhere to work remotely. Essentially anywhere where power is available, and with good network coverage. Users can simply insert a SIM card from any operator and once connected to its Wi-Fi, immediately enjoy a fast Internet connection at speeds up to 300 Mbit/s (network dependent.) Thanks to a couple of SIM card adapters included in the package, users can fit any SIM size, ensuring compatibility with their preferred mobile network provider.

The Strong 1200 4G+ router also offers fantastic flexibility with dual-band wireless connectivity from both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, providing faster speeds and reduced interference for smoother online activities. The device’s Wi-Fi can also be connected to via any Wi-Fi device, at speeds up to 300 Mbit/s and any wired devices such as a computer, Smart TV, game console or set-top-box can be connected via one of the 4 available Ethernet ports in the back of the router.

Robust security is also a strong point of this router, as it provides advanced encryption options, including WPA/WPA2 and WPA/WPA2-PSK, to keep the user’s network and data secure.

Hopefully we will get a device in for a full review.

The Strong 1200 4G+ Router is available from Currys for £79.99

The post Strong Introduces its 1200 4G+ Router: Unleash the Power of Mobile Broadband with AC 1200 Dual-Band Connectivity is original content from Coolsmartphone. If you see it on another news website, please let us know.

Time for me to get stuck into the review of the CAT S75 phone from Bullitt. I have been using the phone for the past few weeks as my daily driver and I have been able to put it through its paces as my daily use device This has allowed me to get a good grip on the capabilities of the phone whilst also allowing to test the camera and what it is actually like to live with.

I want to get this out of the way first and foremost this is not a phone that is going to be high on people’s wish list along with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy lineup, the iPhone range or Google’s Pixel devices. this is a phone that is built for a reason, and that reason is to be tough and durable. It is unashamedly butch but under that tough exterior is it any good. In a word yes. it is good but good and great have a big space between them and this is where I feel his phone sits in between good and great. I come into this phone off the back of the review for the ONeplus Nord 3 CE Lite, which given the bang for your buck is a great phone for the right buyer the CAT S75 will also be great for the right buyer but not for the mainstream masses. 

Design and Hardware

What Bullitt has done here is create a good phone with some extra heavy-duty padding to toughen things up. in doing so they have created a phone that is chunky and solid which I do like despite my feeling like I need a weapons licence to carry it in public! Not once have dealt even the slightest bit concerned about throwing this in my pocket while I have been out mountain biking with my son or capturing photos of historic places with the rest of my family. I even felt comfortable handing the phone over to my 10-year-old to take some pictures while we had a look around some old palaces.

The build quality gives a reassurance that if you were to drop this then it would be fine and you can just dust it off and crack on with the rest of your day. I had the opportunity to use the CAT S75 in the rain as well where it performed perfectly thanks to the incredibly high IP68 and IP69K rating which stems from the tough soft-touch rear body which envelops the internal structure of the phone like an antimicrobial security blanket. When it gets dirty it goes in the sink and I wash it as if I was washing a plate or glass!

If you haven’t taken the time to go over my unboxing article on the phone I would strongly encourage you to do so as it gives my thoughts on the hardware and a tour of the device.

There is of course one other big selling point of this phone and that is the integration of  MediaTek’s state-of-the-art NTN (non-terrestrial network) chip that enables direct connectivity to geostationary satellites above the earth making it possible to send a message or make an SOS assistance request. Thi is different tot he system that Apple use as they have to use propriety satellites where as the CAT S75 should in theory use any satellite that can be found by the phone. I have spent some time trying to test this out I have had mixed results, which you can see in more detail below. I was only trying to use the satellite messaging service as I didn’t need the tracking ability or the SOS function during my time with the phone. This seems as good a time as any to remind you that these services are extras and they will require that you use the specialised sim that is provided with the phone in one of the sim card slots.

Another little gem that I discovered during my testing was that the phone does actually have built-in Wireless charging which I had missed during my unboxing which is a nice feature to have as I do use this function a lot. However, I have to say that I had mixed results actually getting the phone to share wirelessly. I was unable to use the Wireless charger built into my desk which works for pretty much any other wireless charge-enabled device that I have ever tried on it. I was also unable to get it to work on my Pixel Stand 2 charger as the coil on the charge and the one in the rear of the phone just would line up. I was however able to get it to work on my old Samsung fast wireless charger and an unbranded pad that I have next to my bed. You may find that mileage will vary using this feature.

That concludes the design and hardware part let’s look into how this chunky boy performs now.

Performance

The performance of the CAT S75 is perfectly adequate for a phone that is being used as a daily driver and I have not found much in the way of things that will trip it up it is pretty swift at moving through apps and loading up games and streaming services. I have not had problems with having multiple apps running in the background and the phone stays cool.

This is not going to be an out-and-out gaming beast and the likes of Shenjen Impact will not be the smoothest experience on the higher settings however given that is not my type of gaming I went ahead and fired up F1 Mobile Racing instead. On my Pixel 7 Pro this game runs fluidly with minimal frame dropping or stuttering. when I loaded it up on the CAT S75 it felt a bit more sluggish and I am quite certain that the graphics detail was not as good in terms of the track textures and details. I did try and check what level of graphics it was running at and I was unable to see this information. I did also try running another of my favourite games Grand Mountain Adventure and this ran smoothly for the most part apart from when you switched between the game and the Mini Map the were some distinct slowdowns. I can only put this down to the level of detail that is shown on the mini-map and then the phone needs to catch up on the rendering which would explain the short lag. Again this is not something I have ever noticed on my Pixel 7 Pro.

In terms of the longevity of the battery on the phone, the large 5000 mAH battery presented no problem in my daily use which consists of checking emails, mixed messaging across various channels including social media, some light camera use and approx an hour o sat nav and media streaming via Bluetooth when driving to and from work. On top of this, I am also using it a lot for web browsing as I am currently planning a trip abroad next week. I have been able to get through a normal day like this with no need to worry about when my battery will run out as the phone will gently sip power during the day and by the time I call it a night I will easily have double figures in the battery percentage icon. I have on some days been able to stretch the phone out to last up to two days but by the end of the second day, it is normally screaming out for a recharge. It will take a recharge fairly fast either via the wireless charging I mentioned above or via the USB Type C port which will allow the phone to pull in power at 15 watts which is not that fastest by any means but more than adequate for an overnight charge.

I have been trying to use the phone while I have been out trying to enjoy the sunshine when we have had and I have found that the screen is somewhat lacking in terms of the brightness. I prefer to use dark mode for my UI and this means that the brightness needs to be high in order for me to read text on the screen in bright conditions. Now because the backlight levels of this screen are not that high I do struggle to use the phone in any sort of sunshine when outdoors. I feel that this is a big weakness for a phone intended to be used in an outdoor environment. It had been my plan to take the phone on holiday to Turkey to test the underwater photography aspect but as I was going to be in the mids of a Europe-wide heatwave that wasn’t gonna work! I have found that the phone is great inside but under very bright outdoor conditions it just didn’t work for me.

Software

The software of the CAT S75 is where the phone has a chance to differentiate itself, however, I have to say rather thankfully they have not fiddled too much with the stock Android UI and I do like this however before you Pixel UI fans start jumping for joy there are some things that are missing here from the UI that I have found annoying in day to day use. it is also on a version of Android that is now nearly 2 years out of date.  Bullitt has stated that they will; be updating the phone to Android 14 but we don’t have any sort of time frame on when that will be I expect that it will be at some point next year, especially as the phone is running on a relatively unknown chipset (The MediaTek Dimensity D930 octa-core 2.2GHz) that will require custom coding to make it work with the updates before they can release firmware revisions. The good news is hope to see Android 13 before the winter however again this is not confirmed so only time will tell on that front.

I have grown used to some of the tweaks that have been enabled in the UI on Android 13 and these are not present on the CAT S75 which is a shame. For example, there is no ability to allow for the customisation of default icons in either the settings or the home screen menu which is a feature that I really like using as it allows me to personalise my phone a little bit more.

The homescreen setting menu

I have not been able to find a way to remove the recent apps option from the app drawer as well I really don’t like that function as it is just duplicating the existing app menu so is not needed.

App drawer with search function

The whole phone just feels like it is missing the little extras and tweaks that I have become used to when using the more flagship-grade phones that I normally use. Even when I compare it to the OnePlus Nord CE3 Lite I feel myself being left wanting on certain aspects of the software.

Dont get me wrong the phone offers all the things you need from a phone and for normal users or for those rallying on the phone as a tool this will be great as long as they keep the phone updated with all the security patches.

Old security update

At the time of writing this, the phone is on 1st May 2023 in terms of security patches hopefully they will be adding a more up-to-date one soon as this will give businesses the peace of mind to invest in getting these devices for their field workers which I feel is a target market for these phones. I know that when I used to work in the field as an engineer, I would have been much happier using one of these over the iPhone 7 that I was issued as that was not really useable in the rain at all which we have a lot of in the winter in this country and the “glove mode” would have also been very useful as well.

The difference between the sensitivity is all software driven in “glove mode” and it does seem to offer a marginal improvement when I tested it with some random woolly gloves I found but it would be fine with the typical style nitrile gloves that I used to have to wear.

So all in all the software is good but it does not come with some of the niceties that are found in more consumer-based phones which is hardly surprising. As a company phone admin, I would be more than happy rolling these out to my engineers as there is not much they can do to screw things up in terms of the settings as they are simply not there! I presume it would also be very simple to implement some sort of management tool on these devices for companies to use via an app linked to a back-end solution. Ironically this is a speciality of the sister phone to the CAT S75 the Motorola Defy 2 as that is being built for Motorola Mobility Solutions who are widely regarded as experts in this area.

I do like the fact that some of the “Pixel” features that I have grown to love are still here, for example, the location of the search widget being at the bottom as can be seen on the home screens and that this continues to be available regardless of the screen you are on.

Correct Google Search bar placement

I am also a fan of the UI scaling as the icons are not too big and the text size is a good scale even when dialled down to the lowest setting. I have been really annoyed in the past by most non-Pixel and Nexus phones for the fact that the icon and text size is too big due to the limits implemented by scaling this is a big win for me. So with that, I can happily say that I am pleased with the look of the software and the way they have implemented the look of things. So without further ado let’s look into the camera and how it performs.

Camera

This was one of the areas I was not expecting to be anything special and my expectation for the most part were met. As an experiment, I gave the phone to my son while we took some time to explore some very old buildings in London on a family trip recently. Now if the camera was kept perfectly steady and till the results were not too bad but as soon as movement is brought in things start looking a bit dodgey.

I have included some examples below the 1st batches are taken with the phone being for the most part stable

Here are some of the more blurry shots 

Finally here are some Zoom samples for you to check out

While this is by o means a bad camera it is also not a great camera, I feel that again when the target audience is considered then it works but I wouldn’t want to rely on this as my main shooter either. This is again another reason why I decided to not take this on holiday as my Pixel 7 pro was much more up to the task of taking photos that I want to keep forever.

As for the selfie camera, this is more than adequate for basic use and has the ability to shoot with adjustable Bokeh which is a nice touch that is actually executed reasonably well!

Something that I did notice when I was playing around with the camera modes is that the front camera will not allow night mode to be used which is a bit strange and something I have not seen before on other devices I have compared it to.

Now it’s time to look at night mode now first up is with night mode on and you can see that while the light levels are good as the sensor does well to capture the available light it is a bit of a grainy mess.

It is a much better result than if you shoot without night mode on as seen below,

Another feature that i would find useful for the target audience at least I would have found it useful in my previous role in the field, is of course Super Macro mode.

You can see that when Super Macro is on the detail in the foreground is a lot crisper but it drops out as you get deeper into the shot, however, it does look like there is some noise being picked up by the 2MP macro camera which is a shame but it will be fine for taking an image of stuff that you want to get that close too.

Finally, I captured this quick video of my shortlived ownership of a Pixel Fold and it is not too shabby

The camera software is in itself fairly easy to use and it does have some extra modes as well arguably the most interesting of these modes for me is the Underwater Mode, which I regrettably was unable to use in anger. There is a rather helpful tutorial that will take you through some of the controls on the UI.

So in conclusion for the camera, it is serviceable but nothing to right home about but again I draw you back to the target market piece again which is those who are using the phone as a tool. In a push, you will be able to get some good shots out of it but once you start getting close up or things get dark then it starts going sideways.

Time to wrap things up then.

Conclusion

This phone has very clearly been designed for a target-specific market and also one with a very specialist set of needs. If I am to look at both of these sectors of the mobile user markets then it keeps bringing me back to the same two groups. people who use their phones outdoors and people who use their phones as work tools. Now the neat thing is that these two market segments are actually looking for a phone that ticks quite a lot of the same boxes. It needs to be tough, it needs to last a long time, it has to do the basics well and it has to be simple to use.

The CAT S75 in my mind ticks all of these boxes and then it adds the extras that will really appeal to outdoor users as well with the enhanced tracking functions and offline SMS services. however with the see all requiring extra costs, I think the amount of users that will be buying the phone specifically for those functions is somewhat niche. Now to be fair this is not the first ruggedised phone we have seen but it is one of the better-specified ones and the fact that the software is relatively unencumbered is a nice bonus. The only other widely available ruggedised phone I was able to find while doing this review in person was a Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro  which is actually no longer available but it has much weaker specs and is a much older model. It can still be bought but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you are looking to buy a phone that is now 4 years old and will be reaching the end of its update cycle in terms of software support. The only other option is the sister phone the Motorola Defy 2 but if you are based in the UkKi don’t think you can get one yet as they are only showing as being available via preorders with no indication of pricing.

So if you want a well specced hardcore phone that will allow you to use your device outdoors or on the work site then the CAT S75 get my recommendation with some caveats regarding the screen brightness and camera quality. But at the price of £499.00 from the CAT phones website then it is well worth getting

The post Cat S75 – Review is original content from Coolsmartphone. If you see it on another news website, please let us know.