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kichanzo · 5 years ago

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Infinix Zero 8 Review – The Devil is in the Details

Infinix Zero 8 DEALS

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It’s obvious to those that read my reviews that I’m not a fan of either Infinix or Tecno. But with the Infinix Zero 8, it seems that they have realised that 2020 is the year of the Camera phone.

Just in case you think I hate Infinix phones, here is a sample of what people say about them.

What people say about infinix phones

https://bit.ly/336ryKJ

Of course you can’t ignore the fact that Kenyans spend their time complaining on Facebook. Neither can you ignore the fact that one should be changing their Smartphone every 3 years and not wait until it dies.

That’s one of the reasons I got interested in the new Infinix Zero 8. It’s a competitor to the new Tecno 16 Premier. Hopefully, this review shall make it easier to make an informed choice.

What You Will Read

Things to Consider Before Buying A Mid Range Phone in Kenya

Infinix Zero 8 Specifications

Chipset /iOS and Performance

Display and Design

Battery Life and Performance

Camera and Video Capabilities

Infinix Zero 8 Price in Kenya

What Comes with the Zero 8

Alternatives to the Infinix Zero 8

Samsung Galaxy M31s

Tecno Camon 16 Premier

Nokia 5.3

Our Verdict

Things to Consider Before Buying A Mid Range Phone in Kenya

For most manufacturers, mid-range phones are their bread and butter. They have better specs than than cheap smartphones but at the same time keep costs lower. Some of the things you should consider before you buy one include:

The Processor Type – A better processor means a better performing phone for you.

RAM – You are likely to stay with a mid-range phone for some time. A minimum of 4GB RAM is what I would suggest. Unless, you want to spend your weekends cleaning old files.

Battery Size – A good mid-range phone should have the battery capacity you need to do your work. In 2020, I’d suggest you take a look at phones with quick charging features.

The Price – Price matters and at between 25k to 35k you should get a durable phone that you will take pride in.

Brand – Yes, the brand matters. Android update frequency, user interface and brand value does matter in mid-range phones.

Choose wisely as one of the main reasons you buy a mid-range phone is longevity. It is not fun buying a ksh. 25k phone that breaks after a year. Trust me, I’ve been there and it’s not fun.

Which brings us to the Infinix Zero 8

It’s coming into an already crowded mid-range phone sector. We already have the Samsung M31, Huawei Y8p and my favorite Nokia 7.2. But I have to say, this a better offering than it’s predecessors.

Infinix Zero 8 Specifications

Display: 6.85 inches 1080 x 2460 pixels | CPU: Octa-core (2×2.05 GHz Cortex-A76 + 6×2.0 GHz | RAM: 8 GB | Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB / Yes | Rear camera: 64 MP (wide) + 8 MP (ultrawide) + 2 MP (macro) + 2 MP (depth | Front camera: 48 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.0″, 0.8µm | Platform: Android 10 | Battery life: Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable

infinix zero 8 in kenya

Chipset /iOS and Performance

youtube

The Zero 8 comes with Android 10 but they have to include their custom XOS 7 skin. I don’t mind an Android 10 but the XOS 7 skin can be annoying at times. The moment you turn on the phone, you get tens of notifications from apps that you will never use.

It will take you some time to set it up the way you wish to. Every app seems to come with it’s own permissions settings. If you forget to to turn them off, you end up with more notifications. This can be great for people who want to seem busy. But it’s a put off for those who are truly busy. In my view, those extra apps and permission settings need to go. Who knows what type of data I give access to the moment I turn it on.

Having said that, I do like the parental controls features on the phone. It’s not easy controlling kids with access to phones. It allows you to setup strict gaming parameters.

It also has a clever background resource optimization scheme. This lets you select apps that you want and app that you don’t want. Very handy when you need to control access to your apps.

The Infinix Zero 8 is based on a Mediatek MT6785 Helio G90T chipset. It performs very well compared to others such as Redmi Note 8 and even the Samsung A21s. That came as a surprise.

The performance of this chipset is truly a surprise. Of course you can’t compare it to the higher end brands. However, if you need a phone with a smooth experience without the price tag, then it’s a good choice.

Display and Design

Though it’s plastic and I do hate plastic based phone, it does come with a unique design especially at the back. It’s cameras have been setup in a diamond shape that looks kinda cool. But the plastic will make you keep a wiper handy. Smudges and fingerprints are part of owning the phone.

I still can’t get my head around the plastic though. The camera bump requires proper placement on a surface or at least a larger than normal phone case.

Having said that, the phone feels study and easier to handle than previous Infinix phones which were the very definition of bulky. It is heavier on the lower side but that’s OK seeing that it comes with better features at the price range.

It comes in different colors such as Silver Diamond, Black Diamond, and Green Diamond. Someone in the company was really stuck on the diamonds this time.

Battery Life and Performance

Inside, the 4500mAh large-capacity battery matches your pace through the day, and with its 33W SuperCharge speed, Zero 8’s battery recharges rapidly even when you only have 30 minutes to top up. #InfinixZERO8KE#VisionMaster pic.twitter.com/yzSR322Sei

— InfinixKenya (@InfinixKenya) September 7, 2020

Infinix has stuck to it’s original specs. They just love huge batteries. At 4500 mAh it’s not their biggest but will do very well for those who hate charging their phones. One extra cool thing is that it also has fast charging capabilities. For those who love big batteries, this is a great choice of phone.

According to GSM Arena, they weren’t very impressed with the excessive battery size versus the phone perfromance

However, the flip side of the story is that the Zero 8 is clearly leaving unused battery life on the table and outright wasting it in its 90Hz mode. That’s not a stab at the 90Hz mode, directly, though. It does what it is supposed to do – manually fix the refresh rate at 90Hz regardless of what is currently on screen, like a video player, playing our 24ish fps sample video GSM Arena.

In other words, better battery life does not equate to better performance. My pet peeve with these huge phones with huge batteries.

The saving grace is the 33W charger that allows you to fully charge in about an hour 20 minutes. For people like me who charge phones when asleep or in the office, it isn’t that great.

However, it’s a must have for those always on the go as it allows you to get to at least 50% charge in half an hour.

Camera and Video Capabilities

All their adverts are selling the camera capabilities. And unfortunately one is judged by their own words. You can’t compare this to the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra but the Zero 8 has made a major step towards creating quality phones.

The phone design is not a mistake. They wanted to show that they can compete with the big brands known for camera quality. But having tested the Samsung M and A series, the phone still has some ways to go.

The Infinix Zero 8 can capture video at up to 4K@30fps on its main camera. The video as you can see below is not that great.

But for vloggers in Kenya, the selfie camera mode is great. They have done a great job with the front camera with a lot of color and auto focus. It’s great for a starter phone without those huge bills from the Samsung brands.

youtube

Infinix Zero 8 Price in Kenya

Launched on August 28th 2020, the current price of the Infinix Zero 8 in Kenya is about ksh. 28500 to 29000. This is one of their most expensive phones based on it’s new features.

You can check out our other other reviews of the latest smartphones in Kenya

What Comes with the Zero 8

I personally like the quick charger at 33w. But as usual Infinix goes further than other brands when it comes to accessories

Free Wireless Ear Bud

Free Bluetooth Speaker Black Diamond

Charger

Ear Phone

Manual

Alternatives to the Infinix Zero 8

As stated earlier, the mid-range smartphones market in Kenya is very competitive. It’s harder for brands that are known for cheap phones try to compete in the sector. There are a few great alternatives to the phone not least being the Samsung Galaxy M and A series phones

Samsung Galaxy M31s

It’s hard to fault the M31s. If you really do need that extra battery power, then the 6000 mAh in the Galaxy M31s should satisfy you. They are priced in the same range but the M31s is a superior option.

The only problem is that you can only find a Dubai version in Kenya which doesn’t come with a warranty.

If warranties matter to you, then stick to the Zero 8

Tecno Camon 16 Premier

This was released just 2 days before the Zero 8. The phones are exactly the same in terms of specs. No wonder as they are both owned by the same Transission holdings company. If the brand name matters to you then you have a choice between the two phones.

Nokia 5.3

I am biased towards Nokia phones but this a review of the Zero 8 not a personal opinion. The Nokia 5.3 is just as good and in areas such as the camera build, 3x better. It’s a study phone and comes at a lower price point. The only difference is the battery size at 4000 mAh.

But I’m sure a difference of 15 minutes in battery life won’t deny you the pleasure of owning the better phone.

Our Verdict

There is a huge improvement in the Infinix Zero 8 in Kenya over previous versions of their phones. But one can’t escape that nagging feeling that there’s always something left on the table by Infinix and Tecno phones.

Granted they serve a huge market for those who cannot afford higher priced phones. This would be a good phone for someone who doesn’t care much about brand names and would prefer to have a smooth phones without gimmicks.

The Review

Infinix Zero 8

3.7 Score

The Infinix Zero 8 is surprisingly a great phone that performs as well as other higher priced models. Infinix seems to have upped their game with this new phone.

PROS

Good enough Camera

Great Videos at a Reasonable Price

CONS

It's an Infinix

Too much bloat in the XOS 7 Skin

Plastic Body

Review Breakdown

Battery

Display

Camera

Performance

Value

Infinix Zero 8 DEALS

We collect information from many stores for best price available

Best Price

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itsredminote5review-blog · 6 years ago

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Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Review: Good Smartphone

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is the newest version of the popular affordable lineup, which has gotten big updates this year. Unlike previous models, not only the innards were changed (new processor and RAM), but also the overall design. Here we have the new 18:9 screen and dual camera with AI! So, is it any good? Let’s take a closer look.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 The Redmi lineup and overall the larger models like Note have always drawn my attention. They have their certain magic which grows rare in modern age of consumerism and dry marketing. It seems impossible that there is a really good smartphone that costs only $200.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

Usual pros of Redmi Note – good specs, nice screens and battery life – are all here. There has only been only one big issue – really bad cameras. But the day Xiaomi puts an end to it is here: here you have a phone that has all that was good about the predecessors plus a dual camera with AI. A camera that can compete with much more expensive flagships.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

I was stunned. I didn’t believe Xiaomi, but still I had to check if there was some truth in their words. I ordered the phone on GearBest, choosing the cheapest black model with 3 GB of RAM and 23 GB of storage. The device costed me about $200 and after a month of active use I can finally say was it worth it or not.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

What’s in the box In the bright orange cardboard box we have the phone, a microUSB cable, a 5V 2A charger, SIM eject tool and a good opaque silicone case, toned black.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5Xiaomi Redmi Note 5Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Xiaomi Redmi Note 5Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 The case is thin and won’t really protect your device if you drop it, but it makes the phone less slippery and improves the grip.

Design and materials The design is ordinary, and the phone looks a lot like the previous Redmi Note devices. But at the same time, the appearance is a lot different. First, of course, is the new 18:9 screen. There is no notch here, but there are large enough bezels on top and bottom. Side bezels, too, are noticeable. In any case, while maintaining the overall dimensions of the classic 5.5-inch smartphone, Xiaomi increased the screen size to to 5.99", thus expanding the work area. This is very good news.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

Also in Redmi Note 5 the manufacturer moved away from the central location of the camera above the fingerprint scanner and opted for a protruding vertical block of the dual camera on the left. We know all too well who inspired them. I can only say that lots of companies did exactly the same.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

The front panel is made of glass, the back panel is metal with plastic frame and edges on top and bottom. Very similar to Note 3, except that the height of plastic parts is not so large, and the metal is predominant.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5Xiaomi Redmi Note 5Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Redmi Note 5 looks nice and feels good in hand. The metal is slippery, so thank the maker for the case.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

I tested the black model. You can also buy gold, rose, blue and red variations

Key Features:

Dimensions: 158.6 x 75.4 x 8.1 mm Weight: 181 g Elements’ Configuration and Ergonomics On a large area above the display we have all the traditional elements – an earpiece speaker, front camera, flash (!) and light and proximity sensors. There��s nothing below the screen.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5Xiaomi Redmi Note 5Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Power buttons and volume control are on the right. On the left there’s a hybrid slot for two SIMs (nano) or one SIM card and memory card.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5Xiaomi Redmi Note 5Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 On the bottom are a speaker, a microUSB port, a microphone and a 3.5 mm jack. On top is the second microphone and the infrared port. A dual camera unit with a dual flash and a round fingerprint reader are located at the back.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Due to streamlined shape and slight curvature at the edges of the back, the smartphone comfortably lies in the hand. The buttons and the scanner are conveniently located under the fingers. It's difficult to use the smartphone with one hand, but it's possible if you have long fingers.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

Matte back surface is hardly a fingerprint magnet – especially if your hands are dry.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

Corning Gorilla Glass (version unknown) is installed on the front part and boasts excellent oleophobic coating – even some flagships have it worse. The prints are wiped off easily.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

In general, the ergonomics of the smartphone is all right. If you are used to the 5.5-inch classics, then Redmi Note 5 will feel familiar.

Screen Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 has a usual IPS screen of medium quality. It has a good range of brightness. The maximum level slightly falls short of modern flagships. The minimum brightness is slightly overstated, but not critical. The viewing angles are fine. The color rendering of the matrix is close to natural, although is a little to “cold” for my taste.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5Xiaomi Redmi Note 5Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 In the screen settings there are simple tools for adjusting the color and contrast; you can choose the three color tone options (warm, natural, cold) and contrast (automatic - depending on the lighting, higher, standard). Fine color adjustment is nonexistent.

xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-8xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-9xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-11xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-12 There is also a reading mode (similar to the night mode with blue filter), which is activated either manually or according to a schedule, but also completely automatically - after sunset. How exactly it works is not entirely clear. There’s another neat feature: wake the smartphone with a double tap on the screen.There's no support for using the phone with gloves.

Auto brightness adjustment works correctly, but always tries to lower the current level. I never liked how it works. Fortunately, you can adjust this moment by using the slider in the notification bar and the system will gradually remember your preferences for different levels of lighting.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

Key Features:

display diagonal: 5.99 " type of matrix: IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen aspect ratio: 18:9 resolution: 1080x2160 pixel density: 403 ppi the ratio of the screen area to the frontal part: 77.4% Performance In terms of speed, everything is predictable. For the comfortable Android experience the new Snapdragon 636 is more than enough. The smartphone works quickly, but there are nuances associated with the flaws in the software shell. Namely a new way to use the smartphone with gestures (I'll talk about it later). When you activate it, the animation starts lagging. If you control with the traditional on-screen navigation buttons this does not happen. Most likely this bug will be fixed in the future.

Key Features:

Processor: Qualcomm SDM636 Snapdragon 636, 8-core, 4 × 1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Video Accelerator: Adreno 509 Memory versions: 64 GB, 4/6 GB RAM or 32 GB, 3 GB RAM, support for memory cards up to 256 GB Multitasking in Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 directly depends on the amount of RAM on board. The device with 3 GB of RAM can keep running only 3-4 simple applications, which is quite enough for the average user. If you are more demanding, then it’s better to look at the smartphone with 4 and 6 GB of RAM.

In general, opening applications and switching between them is not instant, but quick enough. You don’t feel like you’re using a cheap device. Of course, it’s not as fast as some of the flagships. But there’s no reason for such comparisons.

As for games, everything is okay here. The phone is powerful enough to run virtually any game from Google Play. Of course, some heavy titles require you have to lower the graphics intensity. In the specialized 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme test the results are not impressive. But we must understand that tests in complex synthetics have little in common with real games and rather show the potential of a graphic subsystem. There’s no real potential here. But in the "old" Ice Storm test, which corresponds to the current level of graphics of modern games, the smartphone earns the maximum result. Yes, the benchmark writes: "This test is too easy for your smartphone." Overall, you can play on Redmi Note 5 no problems, but this is clearly not flagship level.

In any case, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is at the moment the most powerful smartphone of the lineup. Before it was Redmi Note 3 Pro with Snapdragon 650. The current phone is about 1.5 times more powerful.

Cameras AI in a budget phone is a big deal, and the marketing team made sure we know it. Allegedly, AI selects the best shooting parameters that correspond to the current scene. In practice we can’t understand whether it really works it not, because the AI does not show itself in the camera software, as it happens with the other devices with similar functionality, where at least there's an icon corresponding to the currently applied preset of artificial intelligence. Actually, the user also can not influence automatic mode in any way. And yes, in the settings there is no way to disable the AI in order to see the difference, if there’s any. How good is AI and whether it’s actually there we cannot know. It’s a mysterious and magical camera, and let’s leave it at that.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

If we forget about this AI nonsense and just judge the photos for what they are, the results are great. This is arguably the best smartphone camera for this price. That’s to be expected with the module like that. This is very unlike the previous models.

Key Features:

The speed of the camera is average. There is a way to start the camera from sleep mode using the volume button. Also the volume key works as a camera shutter button.

As for the camera features, there is Auto HDR. Focusing methods are: phase and Dual Pixel. The autofocus is fast. Also there is PRO mode, although it’s not very serious since you can adjust only ISO and white balance.

When making video, electronic stabilization is available. The maximum video resolution is 1080p @ 30fps. Quality is average.

The front camera has a resolution of 13 MP, f/2.0, pixel size of 1.12μm. There’s LED-flash for selfies and advanced face beautifiers. But let’s not dwell on that.

Battery life Beginning with the third generation Redmi Note smartphones started getting good batteries. The current device also has a 4000 mAh lithium-polymer battery.

In combination with an energy-efficient processor, we get an excellent result. Good battery life is the most obvious pros of the phone. More than 12 hours of continuous work with an active screen is a possibility. In real life, of course, no one will use the device for as long. Therefore, depending on your perseverance, Redmi Note 5 will work a day, two or three on one charge. 7-8 houts of active screen is pretty good. And all of that if you do not bother with the settings of energy saving and background processes. If you want, MIUI has such built-in tools to further prolong the battery’s longevity.

xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-68xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-69xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-70 Redmi Note 5 supports fast charging (Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0), although Xiaomi decided to cut costs, and bundled the usual 5В 2А charger with the global version of the device. Want fast charging - buy a compatible adapter separately. Remind you of anyone?

Nevertheless, even with this shabby charger, the smartphone charges quite quickly. Here is a listing of charging from 15%:

00:00 - 15% 00:15 - 24% 00:30 - 38% 00:45 - 55% 01:00 - 68% 01:15 - 80% 01:30 - 90% 01:45 - 95% 02:00 - 100% Sound Curiously, Redmi Note 5 sounds great. I was pleasantly surprised: too often companies completely ignore sound in affordable devices. The main speaker here is loud with wide frequency range. Be sure, you won’t miss any notifications. It’s more than enough for movies and games as well. There’s no stereo, but that’s to be expected.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

The earpiece speaker is of a flagship level; the sound is clear and very nice.

Let’s talk a bit about sound in headphones. First, there’s a 3.5 audio jack that’s located in a very convenient place on the lower edge. Second, the sound quality is very good, and it can even be better with the help of the built-in MIUI utility that allows you to choose the type of headphones. What it does is it selects presets of the equalizer and panoramas. Better find one that suits you. There's also manual adjustments of the equalizer. All of this helps archiving a very good result.

xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-59xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-61xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-60 Communications There are no issues with cellular network. Same goes for WiFi - even 5 GHz support is there. Bluetooth functions normally, just like GPS. As a bonus, there’s an infrared port for controlling household appliances.

There are two disadvantages in communication aspects: absence of NFC module and microUSB port. microUSB is annoying, but understandable, but the absence of contactless payments is a much bigger issue. If you’re not already used to it, then it’s probably not a big deal for you. Personally, I feel somehow uncomfortable without NFC. But again, I understand people who do not need it.

Key Features:

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE Location: GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS FM radio Port: microUSB 2.0 Firmware and software Here we have the traditional MIUI, which is both loved and hated by many. Personally, I am not a fan of the shell, but I know it well, I understand many aspects of architecture, accept it and can safely use it without righteous anger.

I started using the smartphone on stable version 9.5, but then installed MIUI 10 Beta - just to see what's new. I did not see much. Of the visible changes - a new notification bar (looks like something I saw 5 years ago), multitasking menu in the form of tiles and indicators of volume control.

xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-31xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-29xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-30 xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-67xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-54 xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-52xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-55xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-57 Both 9.5 and 10 work satisfactorily fast, with smooth animations. There is customization with themes and many different functions and built-in tools for setting up the system and optimizing its operation.

xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-71xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-72 The main motto of the shell at the moment is "infinity", that is, working with large screens using gestures. You can turn off the onscreen navigation buttons and use gestures from the edges of the screen; swipe from the bottom and go to the desktop and multitasking menu, if you hold your finger at the end of the gesture. Swipe on the right and left in the lower half of the screen to go back, and if used with a delay to switch to the previous application. Swipe in the upper half of the screen to call the application menu.

xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-63xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-65xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-64xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-66 In general, it is convenient, and at first I was delighted, but there are several moments. Firstly, when returning to the desktop, the animation noticeably lags. This happens only when you use gestures. Secondly, I, for example, use the Gboard keyboard with continuous input and when I want to start inputting a word that starts with the letters closest to the screen edge, the system often perceives this as a gesture "backwards". It is necessary to get used to this feature; sometimes stuff like that is bound to happen.

Even MIUI 10 has a bug that just refuses to go away. This is a problem with displaying Cyrillic in the curtain when using standard font. There is a workaround - to install a custom font in the system through the theme manager, but to be honest, I did not find anything normal. In addition, in many cases it becomes even worse and the letter "И" turns into an "N". So if you’re using Cyrillic font, be prepared for some nastiness.

xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-4xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-58xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-2 In general, I recommend to stay on MIUI 9.5 and not rush to upgrade to 10, especially to a weekly beta. In addition, there can also be problems with rollback. There are rumors that when you roll back from MIUI 10 to 9, the device turns into a brick. I have not completely figured out whether it will happen in the transition between stable and development branches. So I did not take risks.

A bit about the fingerprint scanner. It works flawlessly. It is quick, and in addition to unlocking the screen the scanner is used for authorization in applications and password-protected partitions of the file system. There is no other type of biometric unlocking in the smartphone. There’s no trendy face recognition onboard.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

In general, the firmware is alright, especially the stable MIUI 9.5. Bugs of version 10, of course, should not be taken into account. The firmware is stable, performs all its functions fast.

But there is a moment that I do not understand at all. I am talking about the non-removable leftmost desktop screen with a limited set of widgets. This peculiar clone of Google Now is some kind of a half-assed dashboard, which nobody needs, but cannot deactivate. Be prepared to just never go there. I recommend that you turn off all the widgets so that they do not burn the battery. Or adapt and use this "tool". Still, this is very lame and something Xiaomi needs to work on.

xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-32xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-33xiaomi-redmi-note-5-screen-38 Verdict I see no real reason to not recommend Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. With this price, it’d be a great purchase for anyone. You can easily use it on a daily basis. It’s a massive upgrade for anyone who uses cheaper or older devices. 2-3 year old flagships aren’t really better that this.

In fact, the more I was using it, the more I though that modern flagships aren’t really worth the price and are quite overrated. Sure, when the euphoria is gone, you see lots of differences, but for usual buyer this smartphone is a rare find. A real hit from Xiaomi. Only another Redmi device can beat it.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

Among the pros: sturdy plastic/metallic body, good build quality, decent 18:9 display, fantastic battery life, all communications, infrared port and stable firmware. And the main thing is a camera with AI. There’s no better camera for that kind of money.

And cons: no NFC, no face recognition software, old-fashioned microUSB and, well, firmware, which is also a pros. MIUI is great for most of the users, but it’s not for everyone. The phone’s also not dust- and water-resistant, and doesn’t support wireless charging, although that’s not really a minus – even flagships don’t always have that.

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sailorrrvenus · 7 years ago

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I Bought the New iPad Pro So You Don’t Have To

I’m no stranger to the iPad. In fact, it once caused me not to get a job at an Apple store shortly after college. I was asked in an interview, “What do you think of the new iPad,” and I answered honestly (mistake number one in a job interview I would learn).

“I’m not sure how I feel about it, it doesn’t really do what I would want it to do.”

I didn’t get a call back for a second interview. Little did I know this would be the start of my rocky relationships with tablets.

In 2012, I bought refurbished a 32GB “New iPad.” With its retina screen, I told myself it would be the perfect portfolio alternative, and I could make myself look so cool by bringing a digital device to a client meeting, instead of a printed book.

“Who prints photos anymore? Clients will see me as cutting edge!”

That device currently is sitting on the floor next to my bed, unable to be updated past iOS 9, with a dead battery. I rarely use it anymore because of how slow it has become. And it certainly didn’t win me any clients. I think I may have used it professionally once or twice to have someone digitally sign a contract or a model release.

When the first iPad Pro was released I found myself holding it and thinking, “Well…it sure is big,” before using the newly launched apple pencil to crudely draw a penis on it and handing it back to my friend. I still didn’t see a good use for what was essentially a laptop without a keyboard.

Flash forward to 2017, where I found myself standing at the counter at my local Apple store looking at the three size options in front of me for “Pro” level iPads. I was sold (or so I told myself). I just needed to know what size fits me best. After a few hours of going back and forth with the demo models, I eventually decided to walk away. It just didn’t hold up to the experience I was getting from my laptop.

When the 2018 Apple announcement of the new iPad Pro came through, I once again found myself enamored with the idea of getting a laptop replacement. I studied the keynote, watched every review video, and made an appointment with myself to visit the apple store as soon as possible to play with one myself.

The idea that now this tablet was “more powerful than most PC laptops” and (would be) capable of running a “full” version of Photoshop really intrigued me.

The Tech Specs

To be fair, a lot of this section is pulled directly from Apple’s sales literature on the new iPad, and I will try my best to keep things brief here. This isn’t anything you can’t find for yourself with a quick Google search.

Liquid Retina display

11 or 12.9-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Multi‑Touch display with IPS technology

2732-by-2048-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi)

ProMotion technology

Wide color display (P3)

True Tone display

A12X Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture

Neural Engine

Embedded M12 coprocessor

USB-C

10 hour battery life

New Apple Pencil with magnetic charging

I sent this photo to several people who knew how much I was dreading this purchase.

After another agonizing hour going back and forth with price and specs, I decided to pull the trigger on the 12.9” model with 256GB of storage, with the new Apple Pencil. $1,380.24 retail after estimated Atlanta taxes.

To be fair, I had a friend hook me up with an Apple Friends and Family discount, which brought my price down to a little under $1200 after tax. Even with the discount, this is a pretty large chunk of change to throw down on something that I didn’t even know if it would fit into my workflow properly.

Once the device was delivered to me an hour later, I rushed home and completed the setup process and began playing with my new toy. I was determined to make it work for me.

Pros

Just about everything with the design of the device

The 12.9” screen is gorgeous and, combined with the True Tone Technology and night shift, I found it very easy to use in a variety of lighting conditions. Never did it blow out my eyes when used in the dark.

The new Apple Pencil is very responsive and feels great in hand. The new magnetic charging system makes it a great way to store and charge.

Battery life is pretty good. Apple rates it at 10 hours, and with moderate usage, I was able to only drop down to around 50% before it was time for bed.

The refresh rate still makes me very happy. It feels snappy when I swipe between pages on the home screen, or between pages in a book or magazine. I am impressed at how smooth everything is.

All of this packed into a device that is a great size that fits comfortably in my hands.

And I’ll be the first person to say I have tiny hands.

iOS 12

For the most part, I am very happy with the latest version of iOS. When used on the iPad Pro it does a great job at coming VERY close to a desktop-class OS. For the average user who is looking for a laptop replacement or substitute, it makes for a pretty good argument against competing products.

USB-C (Kinda)

Apple choosing to move to a standardized charging/syncing solution is super smart. No more proprietary cables (for the most part), and if you are ok with dongles of varying sorts you can basically connect this device to just about anything (even if that connection can’t exactly do anything…more on this later). Even though I didn’t get a chance to try it, the ability to mirror to a 5K display was an impressive demo.

Cons

Price

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room straight away. This thing is not cheap. And for a similar price point, you are already into 13” Macbook territory. This makes the decision much harder when comparing side by side. Yes, technically you get more storage with the iPad, and that new processor supposedly is nothing to laugh at. But what you lose is RAM, and a FULL operating system (And at least for me, Capture One).

USB-C

For all the great things that the iPad pro can do with its new port, there is one HUGE thing that it can’t do. At the time of this writing, the USB-C port cannot be used to interface directly with an external hard drive. This is a huge bummer because, in order to be competitive with a traditional laptop, I can’t really get around needing expandable storage.

But, you say, “The cloud! Can’t you use the cloud?” And my response to this is a decided “Yes and No.”

I downloaded the WD MyCloud app onto the iPad. It’s the same app that I use to manage my personal cloud from the go on my phone. And while I was able to eventually download a file into the iPad for editing, it was far from an elegant experience.

Wait…where are my thumbnails?

While iOS 12 can support plenty of different RAW files, it can only read them while in the Photos app, unless specifically coded into each individual app. Even in the Files app, you can’t see any thumbnails by default.

I sure do hope I remember that SPECIFIC file name for the file I want to edit.

Now, once you download the file to your device, you can see a thumbnail just fine.

Too bad I’d have to import all of these into my camera roll first before I can see them.

Now I suppose this could be solved by a product like a Gnarbox or the Lacie DJI Co-Pilot since they have a computer of sorts built in for processing (RAW previews), and generally can interface with other apps nicely. But by that point, you are spending ANOTHER $299-$499 on top of the storage you already spent which further makes the argument for a traditional laptop.

The one thing I didn’t try was Tethering.

But unless I’m using the Lightroom app I don’t think this will work for me as intended as well. From what I have seen, connecting a camera basically just opens up the photos app and downloads files from the SD card on the camera. Not a direct tethered shooting solution that I am used to from Capture One.

I suppose you could also use the USB-C SD card reader, but then you are once again having to load every file directly onto the internal storage of the iPad itself. And then moving them back off for long-term archiving brings up a whole other conversation.

I think that the lack of USB-C mass storage support is something that Apple could (and hopefully will) fix in an upcoming version of iOS. This two-way data movement and storage would change a LOT of my feelings about the iPad Pro as it stands today.

Lack of “Desktop Strength” photo editing solutions

This is one “con” where I think things are ALMOST there. A “full” version of Adobe Photoshop will be coming next year, but Lightroom CC already has a large user-base and supposedly does a pretty good job. I’m still not sold, I don’t like Adobe’s charge per month model. It’s just not for me. And all of it adds to the overall cost ($120 a year). There are some cheaper (and single purchase) options available, however.

Affinity Photo has long been the Photoshop analog that many photographers have fallen in love with. At the time of this writing, however, Affinity Photo hasn’t been updated in over a month, and likely hasn’t been optimized for these new processors yet. I fully believe that the next version of Affinity will work just fine and will be a very speedy piece of software.

But for me, I found it to be a touch clunky and certainly when I was doing some basic retouching there were several times I had to wait 15 seconds or so while the app crunched the data.

For those who aren’t familiar with the Affinity Photo UI

Affinity isn’t a bad option at all, and I think that part of my problems with it was just in learning a new piece of software. And once I got rolling I feel that things went rather smoothly. With the exception that it took me over an hour to retouch the above file, and even then I’m not 100% happy with the results. But I’ll let you guys judge for yourselves.

Backup and Archiving Workflow

My final gripe comes after you export the files out. By default, most of the apps I have played with wanted to export everything back into the camera roll of the iPad itself. Which then, of course, leads to duplicate files and space being eaten up by final deliverables.

I found a way to move things manually back to my WD Cloud, but it wasn’t elegant and took some experimenting with to move everything over. Then I was still left with having to delete the file manually to free up space on the device itself.

Conclusion

I like the 2018 iPad Pro, I really do. But I’m not IN LOVE with it.

Ok, I’m lying. I do love it. I think it’s designed well, I think the screen and pencil are both great, I think the audio on it is some of the best I have heard across any device. I like the idea of having iOS on a larger screen, that is still light enough to carry around one-handed. I like all of the potential that comes from multitasking.

From an Apple fanboy perspective, I really do love this device.

I even used the Squarespace blog app to type some of this post!

But from a photographer standpoint, it falls short. For me. My workflow just can’t accommodate the iPad Pro as it currently stands. But it’s so close!

With a few simple changes (USB-C Mass Storage, RAW Support in the Files app, and more Pro “Desktop Level” Apps from the likes of Adobe, Capture One, etc) all of which could potentially come at a software level without the need of additional hardware.

For day to day web surfing, email, notes, and other media consumption I love what has come from this latest generation of iPad. This makes me excited for what is to come with lower-spec devices that I would likely use more frequently.

I was at a meeting today and loved using the iPad to take notes on, and I loved being able to quickly surf the Web and find info I needed. I really want to have this device in my life, but unfortunately…I’m probably going to return it.

I’m going to give it through the weekend to grow on me a little more, maybe do some more playing around to see if I can better fit things into my life. But at this moment right now, I just can’t justify paying $1200 for something that I can already do (arguably better) on my already paid for MacBook Pro. Thankfully Apple has a 14-day return period, because I would hate to have to try and re-sell this on the open market.

Maybe I’ll just wait a while and snatch up one of these once they hit the Refurbished section of the Apple store, or maybe grab one of last year’s models at a killer deal.

Or there is always next year’s model…

About the author: Blake Griffin is a photographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Griffin runs UNEXPhotography and has his Bachelors of Arts with a concentration in film and photography, from Montana State University – Bozeman. You can find more of his work on his website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This article was also published here.

source https://petapixel.com/2018/11/13/i-bought-the-new-ipad-pro-so-you-dont-have-to/

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