GadgetXpert.co.uk

Welcome to the re-opening of my blog!

When I initially set-up GadgetXpert.co.uk back in late 2011, I really wanted to compete with other tech sites producing tons of content a day, but I have recently found myself in a place where I’ve been very stressed, finding blogging somewhat time consuming.

This was really upsetting, because I generally love to write - but I was doing too much, and that’s why I’ve decided to re-launch the site, but as a personal blog, providing my readers with my own thoughts about technology.

From now on, I will be writing less daily, but producing more and more personal, stronger content a week - this will include technology reviews and  opinionated editorials - so stay tuned, because this is pretty exciting! 

Vodafone Smart III review

The Smart III by Vodafone, is a cheap and cheerful Android smartphone, that certainly knows its place amongst today’s consumers – and whilst it is a budget smartphone, it still offers up a decent array of impressive features, and all for just £90.

Building on the success of the Vodafone Smart II, the Vodafone Smart III brings a great value package, offering-up a relatively premium looking design, made from a mixture of solid and more flimsy, cheaper looking plastic. However, in saying that, the handset still feels nice and solid to hold in the hand, plus it’s not too heavy either, which is pretty good to see, in my opinion.

Vodafone’s new Smart III out performs its predecessor, with a large 4- inch capacitive touchscreen display, although colours aren’t the best in direct sunlight. Still, the handset is powered by a speedy 1GHz processor, providing some decent speeds. Plus, you also get Android Jelly Bean and an impressive 5- megapixel camera, capable of some decent photos and videos.

The Vodafone Smart III is pre-loaded Google Now, which learns your internet habits keeping you one step ahead and providing you with handy tips on everything from the weather to the best route to work – an awesome feature that Android Jelly Bean offers – you also get access to the Play Store, where you can download a ton of games and apps. And thankfully, you get 4GB of internal storage.

Wrap-up

If you’re looking for a decent smartphone, yet you don’t want to splash hundreds of pounds out on one, then the Smart III could be the perfect device for you. As well as a decent build quality and an array of impressive features, the handset is overall a very likeable smartphone, although the screen did disappoint me a little. Still, I like the handset, and totally recommend it – so well done Vodafone!

You can pick-up the handset for £90 on pay-as-you-go from Vodafone.co.uk – totally worth checking out! You can also get the handset on a range of pay-monthly plans from just £13 per month, offering a range of extras, such as Vodafone Media Manager for easy sharing of music and photos, Vodafone Battery and Memory Manager applications that’ll help to provide the best possible performance.

HTC One review

HTC’s One is currently one of the best smartphones out there at the moment, currently causing a stir between Samsung and Apple – and it’s fair to say that it’s possibly the best Android smartphone of all time – mainly because it offers so much more than the Galaxy S4.

In terms of design, the HTC One is pretty incredible. And when compared to Samsung’s Galaxy S4, it feels so much better in the hand – only because it’s made from metal – as opposed to plastic, unlike Samsung and companies such as Nokia and Huawei.

To hold, it’s absolutely stunning. However, it does feel quite slippery, but on the other hand, it’s not a fingerprint magnet, so that’s a really good point to the design. It also looks amazing in white, but the black is also pretty nice, depending on what type of person you are.

The screen is amazing – and its 1080p resolution really compliments its design. And at 4.7- inches, images look stunning. There’s also a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 2.

In terms of power, HTC’s One is very fast, thanks to its incredible quad-core 1.7GHz processor. And there’s no stopping there, because it’s available in both 32GB and 64GB options, which is going to be ample for most people; very impressive!

As for software, HTC’s brand-new version of Sense has you covered. It offers a very intuitive user experience - and thanks to the fast processor powering the handset, it’s very sleek and fast – something that’s very important on a high-end smartphone.

Underneath HTC’s stunning Sense user interface, the HTC One is powered by Android Jelly Bean – giving you full access to the Google Play Store. There’s a few other amazing features that the software offers, like an easy-to-use keyboard and stunning wallpapers.

One of the best features on the handset, has to be its camera – but don’t be put off by its resolution of 4- megapixels, as HTC’s new Ultrapixel technology has you covered. There’s also full 1080p video recording to get your teeth stuck into.

Wrap-up

If you’re due to upgrade, then the HTC One is certainly worth thinking about, mainly because it offers-up a package that you won’t get with other smartphones – and it’s truly a stunning device in its own right, thanks to HTC’s amazingly built design.

You can currently get the handset from Vodafone UK, so go check it out! If you do end up purchasing the handset, then you’re going to want to protect it with a nice case – luckily, MobileFun sells a great variety of HTC One accessories and cases.

Samsung Galaxy S4 review

The most anticipated smartphone of the year, the Galaxy S4, has been in the GadgetXpert office for over a week – and in that time, I’ve been running various tests on it to see if it’s worth your time and money.

First of all, I’d like to start with the design, because the Galaxy S4 is absolutely stunning. Whilst it may not be made from metal like the HTC One, Samsung’s choice of plastic reflects on the lightness of the handset. Also, it makes it feel a lot nicer to hold when compared to its nemesis, the HTC One. The overall shape is pretty decent, too.

The S4′s screen is one of the best that I’ve seen in a long time – it looks amazing, thanks to its 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution. The size of the display has also been bumped up to 5.0- inches, and it’s fair to say that it’s a decent size to have on a smartphone, nowadays.

In terms of power, the S4 sports a powerful quad-core 1.6 GHz processor – so as expected, it’s pretty fast. That’s not all, because you also get 2GB of RAM and 16/32/64 GB on-board storage. The 2600mAh battery is also worth mentioning, as it lasts quite a bit.

With the Galaxy S4, you get a 13- megapixel camera, with 1080p video recording. And after a few tests, I’m adamant that it houses one of the best smartphone cameras on the market.

The user-interface has also been tweaked, providing the user with an overall better experience when compared to the Galaxy S3. Samsung’s latest version of TouchWiz also brings a few new features, including the ability to scroll around your screen using your eyes – but in our opinion, it’s nothing more than a gimmick…

I did a few tests on the call-quality, and I found that it’s pretty decent, with no problems whatsoever – plus, the QWERTY keyboard is also pretty decent.

Wrap-up

Whilst the HTC One may be the best smartphone in the world right now, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is still a device worth thinking about, after all, a few million of them have already been ordered by customers – which is pretty impressive.

If you’re still tied between the HTC One and Galaxy S4, then you should really think of the S4′s gorgeous screen – and when we say gorgeous, we mean gorgeous!

The handset can be picked up on a variety of plans from Vodafone UK.

Official Galaxy S4 flip cover review

With the official flip case for the Galaxy S4, you can protect the front of your smartphone in style – and thanks to its slimline design, it won’t add any bulk onto your phone.

This cover clips onto the back of your device, replacing the S4′s original battery-cover. You can purchase it in both white and black, meaning that it’ll suit both colour options.

Made from high quality synthetic materials, this flip cover will keep your phone’s screen looking good as new. The cover is tough enough to withstand day-to-day punishment without blemishing, so both your phone and cover will stay looking sharp for longer.

Wrap-up

This is an official Samsung product, so it’s made to the highest standards with the best quality materials – and in all fairness, they’ve done an awesome job with it.

If you’ve recently purchased Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone, then you really need to purchase this case. And you can get it for just £23.99 from LoveCases UK.

BlackBerry Q10 review

BlackBerry is starting to recover from a hard few months, and their Q10 is smartphone worth mentioning, sporting their classic, world-famous QWERTY keyboard – but that’s not all, because the handset sports BlackBerry’s BB10 software and a touchscreen display.

The overall design is reminiscent of older BlackBerry Bold models, however, the trademark trackpad is not apparent anymore, replaced with a touchscreen to navigate around the whole user interface – and in my opinion, I prefer this form navigation.

In terms of build quality, the handset is pretty solid, made from a mixture of metal and hard plastic – so it’s clearly an expensive phone – and a high-end one, too.

Whilst the 3.1- inch display is pretty small, it’s still big-enough to enjoy crisp videos and images at a 720 x 720 pixel resolution – the touchscreen is also amazing to use.

I’ve already commented on the design of the handset, but the keyboard is worth its own paragraph, as it’s one of the best features the phone has to offer. Compared to older BlackBerry models sporting the keyboard, the Q10′s keyboard is a huge overhaul: it’s very easy to use, and the overall quality is amazing… ABSOLUTELY amazing!

Compared to OS7, BlackBerry 10 is a huge improvement, offering better animations, an overall better design and a better application store – but in order to compete with other operating systems, BlackBerry really needs to get more apps into the store. But yeah, that’s not a huge issue, as it offers most features that you’d expect to find on a smartphone – including apps such as Twitter and Facebook – including a decent email facility.

The call quality is pretty decent on the BlackBerry Q10, although I did experience a few issues when I was out of a decent coverage area, but that’s pretty understandable. It’s also worth mentioning that the phone has a decent speaker system, offering an amazing, crisp sound quality… so if you’re a music lover, then this could be the phone for you!

Wrap-up

Clearly, the BlackBerry Q10 is one of the best phones to offer-up a QWERTY keyboard, perfect for those who love to email and text on the go – and that’s one of the main types of people the BlackBerry Q10 has in mind.

If you’re not necessarily looking for a phone to email on, then you may want to think of smartphones, as this phone is made for those who need access to their emails on a daily basis – but still, it’s an impressive phone, available at Vodafone UK on a range of decently priced pay-monthly deals – go check it out, now!