Samsung Galaxy A23 5G Review

admin February 02, 2023 Edit

Introduction

The smartphones from the Galaxy A series have been known for their 4G/5G segmentation. We thought 2022 would bring the end of this, and indeed it was for the A33, the A53 and the A73. The entry-level Galaxy A13 and Galaxy A23, though, are still subjected to this treatment, and today we will be reviewing the 5G version of the Samsung Galaxy A23.

The Galaxy A23 5G is the same smartphone as its LTE counterpart, something that's not often the case with these versions. Samsung has used the Snapdragon 695 5G chipset instead of the Snapdragon 680, which in addition to the 5G modem, has allowed the GPU to draw the interface with up to 120fps for some extra smooth action on the 6.6-inch PLS LCD 1080p screen.

We appreciate the 120Hz upgrade as it can make things feel smoother, especially with the new One UI 5 (with Android 13) update that's already available on this phone. The panel still has the same old-school droplet-shaped notch, which may seem dated but is not a huge blunder in our books.

The phone shares an identical no-nonsense design with the rest of the Galaxy A phones with a flat Gorilla Glass front, a plastic frame and a matte plastic back that's reminiscent of the high-end Galaxy S22 series. There is no water protection on the Galaxy A23 5G model, something that's reserved for the AMOLED-packing Galaxy A33 and upwards.

Even though the Galaxy A23 5G is aimed at the entry-level market, we appreciate its camera gear - it has four cameras on its back, starting with a 50MP OIS primary, then come a 5MP ultrawide, a 2MP macro camera and finally, there is a 2MP depth sensor. The 8MP selfie camera is a rather basic piece of kit, though.

Other notable specs are the tri-card slot with a microSD tray, the 3.5mm audio jack, NFC, and the large 5,000 mAh with 25W wired charging support.

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G specs at a glance:

Body: 165.4x76.9x8.4mm, 197g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame, plastic back.
Display: 6.60" PLS LCD, 120Hz, 1080x2408px resolution, 20.07:9 aspect ratio, 400ppi.
Chipset: Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver); Adreno 619.
Memory: 64GB 4GB RAM, 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
OS/Software: Android 12, One UI 4, Android 13 with One UI 5 update now live.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 5 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 1/5", 1.12µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
Front camera: Wide (main): 8 MP, f/2.0 - USA; Wide (main): 8 MP, f/2.2 - International.
Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
Battery: 5000mAh; 25W wired.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); NFC; 3.5mm jack; Virtual proximity sensing.

The most notable omissions, if you've followed the recent Galaxy A phones, that is, are the OLED panel and the ingress protection. There are some other odd bits, too - the virtual proximity sensing remains as controversial as ever, and the lack of a real ambient light sensor is baffling. On top of that, there is no charger in the box.

Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G

The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G ships in a small paper box, which contains the phone itself and a white USB-C cable. That's it.

There is no charger, or screen protector, or headphones.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 hands-on Review

admin February 02, 2023 Edit

Introduction

The Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 is the sequel to the 2020 flagship tablet from Lenovo. The Gen 2 is a bit of a mixed bag, as it upgrades a few features over the previous model but then also leaves several others on the chopping board.

For starters, the Gen 2 has a newer and faster MediaTek Kompanio 1300T chipset that replaces the previous Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G, a 120Hz display, and you can now configure the memory up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. On the other hand, the new model has plastic construction instead of aluminum, lacks the ultra-wide camera on the back and the fingerprint sensor, has a battery that's 400mAh smaller, and a display that's also a tiny bit smaller with a slightly lower resolution.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 specs at a glance:

Body: 263.7x166.7x6.8mm, 480g; Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame; Stylus support (magnetic).
Display: 11.20" OLED, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 120Hz, 420 nits (typ), 600 nits (peak), 1536x2560px resolution, 15:9 aspect ratio, 267ppi.
Chipset: MediaTek Kompanio 1300T (6 nm): Octa-core (4x2.6 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G77 MC9.
Memory: 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 3.1; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
OS/Software: Android 12.
Rear camera: 13 MP, f/2.4, (wide), AF.
Front camera: 8 MP.
Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
Battery: 8200mAh; 20W wired, QC3.
Misc: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass; stereo speakers (4 speakers).

The model we have for review today is the top-of-the-line model with 8/256GB memory and comes with the 2-in-1 keyboard and Precision Pen 3 stylus in the box. This promises to turn the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 into a full-fledged work machine on the go.

Let's see how it performs.

Nubia Red Magic 8 Pro Review

admin February 02, 2023 Edit

Introduction

Staying on top of things in the gaming space is no easy task. You have to keep consistently churning out new models with the latest hardware to remain relevant. Hence why the new nubia Red Magic 8 Pro is coming out just five or so months after the Red Magic 7S Pro. Expectedly, the new model packs the latest and greatest chipset Qualcomm has to offer - the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. But there is more to it than a simple hardware refresh.

The Red Magic 8 Pro has a new boxy design, a new Red Magic logo and improvements in a few key areas, like the display, which is now higher resolution and brighter and a bigger 6,000 mAh battery.

ZTE nubia Red Magic 8 Pro specs at a glance:

Body: 164.0x76.4x8.9mm, 228g; Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame; Pressure sensitive zones (520Hz touch-sensing), Built-in cooling fan, Aviation aluminum middle frame.
Display: 6.80" AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 1300 nits (peak), 1116x2480px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 400ppi.
Chipset: Qualcomm SM8550 Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 740.
Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM; UFS 4.0.
OS/Software: Android 13, Redmagic OS 6.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 1/1.57", 1.0µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 120-degree, 13mm, 1/4.0", 1.12µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
Front camera: 16 MP, (wide), under display.
Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; Front camera: 1080p@30/60fps.
Battery: 6000mAh; 65W wired, PD3.0, 100% in 35 min (advertised).
Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); 3.5mm jack; stereo speakers.

Everything about the Red Magic 8 Pro is designed around a single purpose - gaming. From the revised internal cooling system to the dedicated Red Core 2 gaming chip that is meant to handle certain functions and offload them from the main chipset.

Before we get into any of that, however, we need to clarify a few things regarding the Red Magic 8 lineup. As of writing this review, there are two Red Magic 8 models in existence - the Red Magic 8 Pro and the Pro+. The main difference between the two relates to battery and charging.

The top-of-the-line Pro+ model gets a blistering 165W peak charge rate and a smaller 5,000 mAh battery to accommodate it. It is the only variant available with a transparent back cover and RGB lights on the internal fan, up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. However, the Pro+ is unlikely to be released outside China.

The Red Magic 8 Pro, which we have for review, gets a 6,000 mAh battery and a matte black finish on the back. Its charging is limited to an 80W peak on the Chinese model and a 65W peak on the international one. The unit we have for review is a matte black, 12GB, plus 256GB, 6,000 mAh and 65W charging international one.

With all that cleared up, let's start by taking a look at the phone's retail package.

Unboxing

The nubia Red Magic 8 Pro ships in your standard two-piece cardboard box. It is thick, sturdy, and has a metallic finish with nice silver accents. We really like the geometric shapes and the overall colorway. The inside of the box is splattered with all sorts of "gamer-y" graphics and drawings.

In terms of accessories, our unit came with a very compact 65W PD+PPS USB Type-C GaN charger in the box along with a thick, red Type-C to Type-C cable.

Also in the box is a transparent hard snap-on case for the phone. The case doesn't really cover most of the device's sides but is still appreciated as an add-in bonus.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, S23+, and S23 Review

admin February 02, 2023 Edit

Introduction

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is here alongside the Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 and we can finally move past the leaks and rumors and into real and official territory. We've had some quality time with all three devices and would like to share some initial thoughts - how they feel, what's new, and what isn't.

Let's start with a few similarities to last year's models. For one, the formula hasn't changed. We're still getting an Ultra, a Plus, and vanilla, and their position, relative to the other, has also remained the same.

The Ultra is the no holds barred flagship phone, the Galaxy S23/S23+ are more affordable with a few "sensible" omissions. Size is also a factor - just like last year's models, the Ultra is the biggest in more ways than one - physically, screen-wise, and battery-wise.

As before, there are some key similarities between the three models. The biggest one is the underlying chipset - all three models use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, this one a custom-tuned version for these three devices specifically. Samsung and Qualcomm call it the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, and it's basically a higher-clocked version of the familiar new chip.

The Ultra still has the upper hand in performance, thanks to the option of 12GB of RAM, while the S23/S23+ max out at 8GB.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra looks (and feels) familiar. You'd be excused for thinking it's a minimal upgrade over the Galaxy S22 Ultra. But you'd also be incorrect. If we agree that the camera, performance and battery life are the key areas where a phone can be upgraded, then the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a major upgrade over the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 brings moderate to big improvements to performance. Judging by some early benchmarks, the Cortex-X3 inside is 10% to 20% faster than the Cortex-X2 inside the Exynos 2200 in single-core tests. Multi-core scores for the new processor can be 30% to 60% better depending on the benchmark. The GPU is much faster as well. Samsung steered clear from naming percentages, but games like PUBG Mobile cap at around 60fps on the Exynos 2200-powered Galaxy S22 Ultra, while Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 devices supports gameplay at up to 120fps.

Synthetic scores aside, the new chip is much more efficient and less prone to thermal issues. Per specs alone, it's some 40% more efficient than its predecessor, which in itself was more efficient than the Exynos 2200, which was predominantly featured in the Galaxy S22 series globally. That means the Galaxy S23 Ultra will likely manage to squeeze more hours from its 5,000mAh battery pack - that's your major battery improvement done.

Finally, the new 200MP main camera could prove a generational upgrade over the old 108MP. The new sensor can output both 12MP and 50MP photos, depending on the scenario. And you can get those 50MP through the Expert RAW app, bringing prosumers a richer and sharper baseline. Night photography and video have also been improved.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra specs at a glance:

Body: 163.4x78.1x8.9mm, 233g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2); IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins), Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised), Stylus, 2.8ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro).
Display: 6.80" Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak), 1440x3088px resolution, 19.3:9 aspect ratio, 501ppi; Always-on display.
Chipset: Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 740.
Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM; UFS 4.0.
OS/Software: Android 13, One UI 5.1.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 200 MP, f/1.7, 23mm, 1/1.3", 0.6µm, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS; Telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm, 1/3.52", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; Telephoto: 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm, 1/3.52", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF.
Front camera: 12 MP, f/2.2, 25mm (wide), PDAF.
Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps.
Battery: 5000mAh; 45W wired, PD3.0, 10W wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W reverse wireless.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, ultrasonic); NFC; stereo speakers; Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support), Bixby natural language commands and dictation, Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified), Ultra Wideband (UWB) support.

In comparison to the Ultra, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ are incremental updates. The biggest upgrade is the move to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which will carry with it better general performance and battery endurance. The batteries have gotten a 200mAh bump on both models, making for a total of 3,900mAh and 4,700mAh on the S23 and S23+, respectively.

Samsung Galaxy S23+ specs at a glance:

Body: 157.8x76.2x7.6mm, 195g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins), Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised).
Display: 6.60" Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 390ppi; Always-on display.
Chipset: Qualcomm SM8550 Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 740.
Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM; UFS 4.0.
OS/Software: Android 13, One UI 5.1.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm, 1/1.56", 1.0µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm, 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, 3x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚, 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video.
Front camera: 12 MP, f/2.2, 25mm (wide), PDAF.
Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps.
Battery: 4700mAh; 45W wired, PD3.0, 10W wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W reverse wireless.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, ultrasonic); NFC; stereo speakers; Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support), Bixby natural language commands and dictation, Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified).

Samsung Galaxy S23 specs at a glance:

Body: 146.3x70.9x7.6mm, 167g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins), Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised).
Display: 6.10" Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 422ppi; Always-on display.
Chipset: Qualcomm SM8550 Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 740.
Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS.
OS/Software: Android 13, One UI 5.1.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm, 1/1.56", 1.0µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm, 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, 3x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚, 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video.
Front camera: 12 MP, f/2.2, 25mm (wide), PDAF.
Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps.
Battery: 3900mAh; 25W wired, PD3.0, 10W wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W reverse wireless.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, ultrasonic); NFC; stereo speakers; Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support), Bixby natural language commands and dictation, Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified).

The rest of the Galaxy S23/S23+ specs read similarly to their predecessors. You get a mostly unchanged triple camera setup - wide, 3x, and ultrawide on the rear, and a 12MP selfie on the front, that's shared between all three models.

The 6.1-inch and 6.6-inch 1080x2340px Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz displays are also straight out of last year's Galaxy S22 and S22+.

Samsung made the decision to remove the contoured camera island on the Galaxy S23 and S23+. It brings the pair in line with the flatter, more minimalist look of the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung calls it a linear design across all models. Some might call it overly simple, even boring.

All three models come in four colors - Phantom Black, Cream, Green, and Lavender. All three are also covered in the new Gorilla Glass Victus 2 - these are the first devices to use the material.

That's it for the general outline of the new Galaxy S23 series. It paints a picture similar to 2022 - the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ aren't compelling upgrades for owners of the previous generation, while the Ultra model can be, depending on your needs. There's no addition as big as last year's inclusion of an S Pen, but sometimes refinement is just as important as innovation.

We'll look at the hardware in detail in the next couple of pages.