INSIDE: ANDROID 14 TIPS & TRICKS

ADVISOR
ISSUE

117

REVIEW:
PIXEL
8 PRO
GOOGLE
DOES IT
AGAIN

PLUS:
WHY THE PIXEL
8 CHANGES
EVERYTHING
FOR ANDROID
CONTENTS

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO 18

4 Review: Google Pixel 8
18 Review: Google Pixel 8 Pro
31 How the Pixel 8 changes
everything for Android

REVIEWS
37 OnePlus Open
55 Motorola Edge 40 Neo

BUYING GUIDE
66 Best mid-range phones
ANDROID 14
AUDIO 91 Got a Google Pixel? Check
75 Review: Bose QuietComfort out these awesome Android
Ultra Headphones 14 gems
83 Review: Bose QuietComfort 97 7 buried Android 14 treasures
Ultra Earbuds for your Google Pixel phone

2 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 Credit: Getty Images/Eva-Katalin

37

91
55

97
66

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 3

Credit: Getty Images/Portra Credit: Getty Images/sturti
GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

Review: Google Pixel 8

Price: £699 from fave.co/48UY2sD

I
f 2023 is the year of AI, the Pixel 8 camera, but you’ll also have to make
and 8 Pro showcase it more than any `œ ÜˆÌ >ܜÀÃi`ˆÃ«>Þ]}œÃÃÞw˜ˆÃ ]
œÌ iÀ« œ˜iðƂÀ̈wVˆ>ˆ˜Ìiˆ}i˜Vi no temperature sensor and some
is used to optimise performance, missing software features.
take and edit photos, summarize web Are those compromises worth it in
pages, screen calls and even create order to save £300? Ultimately, that
personalized wallpapers. depends on what you’re looking for.
The regular Pixel 8 gets all those
features, but plenty more are exclusive DESIGN
to the more expensive Pixel 8 Pro. It’s After years of experimenting with the
no surprise to see the 5x telephoto design of its phones, Google handsets
lens missing and an inferior ultrawide now have a very clear identity. And

4 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

aside from more
rounded corners,
not much has
changed on
the Pixel 8.
It means the
striking camera
visor still extends
all the way across
the top of the
phone. I’m not a
huge fan of the
way it looks, and
but you can’t argue The camera visor still extends all the way across the top of the phone.
it’s not distinctive.
Camera modules continue to be one of are plenty of third-party alternatives.
the main ways a phone stands out from However, even without it, I wouldn’t
the competition, though you will have be too concerned on the durability
to put up with dirt accumulating above front. Both the front and back of the
and below the visor. phone are equipped with Gorilla
While both the Pixel 8 phones have Glass Victus, which has been tested
glass backs, the regular model has a to survive drops of up to 2m and be
}œÃÃÞw˜ˆÃ À>Ì iÀÌ >˜Ì i“>ÌÌiœ˜ resistant to scratches (though our Pixel
the 8 Pro. Even on the Hazel model I 7 did crack a little on the corner when
ÌiÃÌi`]ˆÌLi}>˜à œÜˆ˜}w˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜Ì falling out of a car).
smudges and other dirt within a And the Pixel 8’s IP68 rating is in line
couple of minutes of use. I’d expect ÜˆÌ “œÃÌy>}à ˆ«« œ˜iðÌ“i>˜ÃÌ i
the situation to be even worse on device is fully protected against dust
the Obsidian (black) and Rose (pink) and can handle submersion in up to
versions, your only other choices. 1.5m of water for 30 minutes.
As a result, I’d recommend a case. Maintaining great durability in
/ iœvwVˆ>œœ}iÛiÀȜ˜>``ëi˜ÌÞ such a lightweight, compact phone
of grip and a nice splash of colour, but is impressive. The Pixel 8 weighs just
costs an extra £34.99. As usual, there 187g – a refreshing change compared

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 5

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

The premium haptic feedback in a variety of scenarios,

look and feel including while typing.
extends to
the aluminium DISPLAY
sides.
The Pixel 8 can’t be considered a small
phone, but it is relatively compact by
modern standards. Google has actually
shrunk the display slightly to 6.2-inch
(from 6.3-inch), making the difference
between it and the 6.7-inch Pixel 8 Pro
“œÀiVi>ÀÞ`iw˜i`°
On paper, the screen itself doesn’t
sound remarkable. We’ve seen
2,400x1,080 OLED panels many times
to the huge Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra before, but it still looks great on the
(234g) that I usually use. It’s still not Pixel 8, delivering rich, vibrant colours
quite a one-handed phone, but very in the default ‘Adaptive’ mode. You
few smartphones are these days and it’s can easily swap this for the ‘Natural’
more compact than the Pixel 7.
The premium look and feel
extends to the aluminium sides,
but it took me a couple of days to
get used to the placement of the
physical buttons. On the Pixel 8, the
power button is above the volume
controls, the opposite of what we
see on most Android phones.
It means the power button is
awkwardly high on the right side,
but you need to press and hold
both it and volume up to turn the
phone off anyway. When you do,
you’ll notice just how good the The display delivers rich, vibrant colours in the
vibration motor is, enabling great default ‘Adaptive’ mode.

6 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

setting that’s easier on the eyes,
though – both look good.
Whichever you choose, the
excellent deep blacks we’ve come
to associate with OLED are evident,
especially with a systemwide dark
mode applied by default. A higher
resolution could be nice, but I didn’t
miss it; the Pixel 8’s screen offers
plenty of detail, with all content
looking clear and crisp.
The 120Hz refresh rate is the main
display upgrade compared to the
Pixel 7 at 90Hz, bringing it in line with
“œÃÌy>}à ˆ«« œ˜ið̽Ã>Ài>̈ÛiÞ 7ˆÌ ˆ˜Ì i`ˆÃ«>ÞˆÃ>˜œ«ÌˆV>w˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜ÌÃi˜ÃœÀ]
subtle change in the grand scheme of which is simple to set up.
things, but makes everything feel that
LˆÌ“œÀiyՈ`>˜`Ài뜘ÈÛi° direct sunlight. And as someone who’s
However, you miss out on the Pixel 8 not a fan of curved displays, I’m really
Pro’s LTPO tech, which allows the refresh }>`œœ}iÜi˜ÌvœÀ>y>ÌÛiÀȜ˜ iÀi°
rate to dynamically adjust down to 1Hz Within the display is an optical
depending on what you’re doing and w˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜ÌÃi˜ÃœÀ]Ü ˆV ˆÃȓ«i̜
helps to conserve battery life. set up but annoyingly temperamental.
Instead, the ‘Smooth display’ toggle i˜Àœi`Ì iÃ>“iw˜}iÀvœÕÀ̈“iÃ̜
on the Pixel 8 only switches between improve the chances of a fast unlock,
60- and 120Hz, with the only manual but it still often took several tries.
option 60Hz. As nice as it is to have a I’d recommend using the upgraded
120Hz display, Google could’ve done a v>Vi՘œVŽˆ˜ÃÌi>`°œÀÌ iwÀÃÌ̈“iˆ˜
better job with its implementation here. a Pixel phone, it’s secure enough to be
But one thing I can have no used for the likes of Google Wallet and
complaints about is brightness. I mobile banking apps, with the Tensor
recorded a maximum of 950 nits using G3 chip supposedly the driving force.
a SpyderX calibration tool, and visibility While not quite as seamless as
is great in all environments including Ƃ««i½Ã>Vi ]>ŽiÞLi˜iẅÃÌ >Ì

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 7

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

concerned that only 8GB

of RAM might make it feel
sluggish, especially when
the 8 Pro has 12GB, but I
needn’t have worried.
Performance isn’t quite
The Pixel 8 supports stereo audio, with sound emitted from class-leading, but the
Ìܜ`œÜ˜Ü>À`‡wÀˆ˜}ëi>ŽiÀð Pixel 8 still offers more
than enough power for
you don’t need a notch or big pill- the vast majority of people. My typical
shaped cutout, just the usual punch- day involves lots of messaging, web
œiÃiwiV>“iÀ>°Ƃ>˜`­“>V ˆ˜i browsing, navigation, taking photos and
learning) are doing a lot of the work in watching the occasional video. The Pixel
the background, and the extra second 8 handled all that without even getting
or two it takes is well worth it for the noticeably warm, even when quickly
extra security. switching between them.
The Pixel 8 supports stereo audio, I was also surprised by how well it
with sound emitted from two downward- handled demanding mobile games, with
wÀˆ˜}ëi>ŽiÀÃ>˜`Ì ii>À«ˆiVi°̽à the likes of Asphalt 9 and Call of Duty:
surprisingly punchy for such a small Mobile running without any noticeable
phone, with a decent amount of detail stuttering or dropped frames. However,
and solid mid-range frequencies. I’d still recommend a dedicated gaming
But as expected, bass and treble phone if you’re really serious about it.
are both lacking, so you’ll need to Combining the Tensor G3 with that
connect headphones for anything 120Hz refresh rate means everything
more than casual listening. feels very slick and responsive, albeit
not quite as rapid as Snapdragon
PERFORMANCE ni˜Ó« œ˜ið/ >̽ÃÀiyiVÌi`ˆ˜
Google’s Tensor G3 chip is one of the the benchmarks below, but it’s not a
main upgrades on the Pixel 8 line, and cause for concern.
it’s available on both phones. New AI
capabilities are its main selling point, Geekbench 6 (multi-core)
but performance is also crucial. Google Pixel 8: 2,842
Before testing the Pixel 8, I was Google Pixel 8 Pro: 3,962

8 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

Samsung Galaxy S23: 4,994
OnePlus 11: 5,209
Xiaomi 13: 5,203

GFX Manhattan 3.1

Google Pixel 8: 99fps
Google Pixel 7: 82fps
Google Pixel 8 Pro: 61fps
Samsung Galaxy S23: 120fps
OnePlus 11: 60fps
Xiaomi 13: 121fps

Battery life The Pixel 8 offers more than enough power for
Google Pixel 8: 10 hours, 49 minutes the vast majority of people.
Google Pixel 7: 10 hours, 57 minutes
Google Pixel 8 Pro: 9 hours, 33 minutes in the UK, and just in the US.
Xiaomi 13: 11 hours, 40 minutes There are some small upgrades
to connectivity, though, and Wi-Fi 7
Charge in 30 minutes and Bluetooth 5.3 are more about
Google Pixel 8: 44% vÕÌÕÀi‡«Àœœw˜}Ì >˜ÕÃiˆ˜ÓäÓΰƂ˜`]
Google Pixel 7: 48% of course, there’s 5G support.
Google Pixel 8 Pro: 24%
Samsung Galaxy S23: 41% PHOTOGRAPHY
OnePlus 11: 100% Cameras have always been the main
Xiaomi 13: 87% reason to buy a Pixel phone, and that’s
even more true on the Pixel 8.
Disappointingly, there are only two The 50Mp main sensor is the primary
options for internal storage: 128- or reason for this – it’s identical to the Pixel
256GB. With no option for microSD 8 Pro, and a slightly tweaked version of
expansion and around 18GB taken up 50Mp found on the Pixel 7. Alongside
ÜˆÌ ÃÞÃÌi“wiÃ]ˆÌ½ÃܜÀÌ «>ވ˜}Ì i Google’s superb (arguably unmatched)
£60 premium for 256GB if you’re at all software processing, the Pixel 8 can’t
unsure. It’s a shame the 512GB and 1TB be beaten when it comes to point-and-
options from the 8 Pro aren’t available shoot smartphone photography.

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 9

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

I tested the camera in a variety Night Sight is available on both the

of scenarios, and there were no main and ultrawide lenses, and it does
weaknesses. Detail, dynamic range and a very good job of brightening low-light
exposure are all consistently excellent, shots while still maintaining key details.
whether you’re capturing an expansive It’s one of the most impressive night
landscape or building up close. modes I’ve used.
The image processing isn’t true to But with the 48Mp telephoto lens
life, but I think the subtle boosts to totally missing here, there’s no optical
saturation and contrast match how most zoom at all, so you’ll have to rely on
people would want to edit them. And the digital version instead. Of course,
if you don’t like what Google is doing this isn’t quite as good, but it does a
here, you can always shoot in RAW and remarkable job of preserving details,
make manual changes yourself. even at the maximum 8x.
Unfortunately, the 12Mp ultrawide There are no downgrades when it
i˜ÃˆÃ>È}˜ˆwV>˜Ì`œÜ˜}À>`iVœ“«>Ài` comes to the front camera, though.
to the equivalent 48Mp sensor on the Despite a seemingly low res 10.5Mp
Pixel 8 Pro. Images are noticeably less sensor, the Pixel 8 is capable of
detailed as a result, but the powerful taking excellent regular and ultrawide
software processing means they’re still shots. Detail and dynamic range are
very usable unless you zoom in. Colours also excellent here, and it handles
and exposure are still very impressive. exposure very well.
The software also
enables excellent portrait
shots, both from the
“>ˆ˜>˜`ÃiwiV>“iÀ>ð
Subjects are crisp and
well-lit, while edge
detection is the best I’ve
seen on any smartphone.
The image of my dog in
on page 12 was a real
‘wow’ moment.
The Pixel 8 can’t be beaten when it comes to point-and-shoot But there are also a
smartphone photography. host of powerful editing

10 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 We’ll start
off our
series of
test shots
with the
same
subject
taken with
the main
lens…

…and the
ultrawide
camera.

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 11

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

As you can
see from
the next
two images,
subjects are
crisp and
well-lit.

12 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 7i½w˜ˆÃ 
off with a
Ãiwio

…and a
portrait
Ãiwi°

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 13

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

features for after you’ve taken a is impressive, reducing distracting

photo or video. The most noteworthy background sounds very effectively.
addition is Best take, which lets you But the Video Boost feature is
swap people’s actual faces in a group exclusive to the Pixel 8 Pro, so you
shot for one from another image taken won’t get the improved quality and
around the same time. I agree with Night Sight support it enables. The
my colleague Hannah that it feels footage you get from the Pixel 8 (up to
dystopian, but can’t deny how well it {>ÌÈäv«Ã®ˆÃ`iVi˜Ì]LÕÌÈ}˜ˆwV>˜ÌÞ
actually works and could be a book if worse than the iPhone.
you struggle to get family shots where
everyone is smiling at the same time. SOFTWARE
Then there’s Magic Editor, which / i*ˆÝin>˜`n*Àœ>ÀiÌ iwÀÃÌ
allows you to seamlessly change the phones to run Android 14 out of the
size and position of some subjects in box. Plenty more will get the update
a photo, or get rid of them entirely. over time, but only Google handsets
This is more hit-and-miss, with the get the so-called ‘stock’ version. And
new background often looking very from using it extensively, I totally
unrealistic. But Magic Audio Eraser understand why Android on the Pixel is
held in such high regard.
In my opinion, the user
experience on the Pixel 8 is
Ì iLiÃÌޜսw˜`œ˜>˜Þ
smartphone. It’s slick, clean
and intuitive, and feels like
everything has a clear place.
That includes the always-on
display, which is simple and
easy to see at a glance.
I also prefer the rounded
app icons and quick settings
buttons, and you can add a
nice splash of colour via themes
Magic Editor lets you change the size and position of and wallpapers. The latter even
some subjects in a photo, or get rid of them entirely. supports generative AI, meaning

14 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

you can create a wallpaper that’s
completely unique to you.
Call screening remains a Pixel-
exclusive feature, and it’s a nice way
̜wÌiÀœÕÌë>“V>ÃœÀµÕˆVŽÞ
receive a message (such as a package
arriving) without needing to answer.
I also particularly enjoy the Now
Playing feature, which automatically
ˆ`i˜ÌˆwiÃܘ}ÃÌ >Ì>Ài«>ވ˜}
>ÀœÕ˜`ޜÕqiÛi˜Ü i˜œvyˆ˜i°
Android 14 doesn’t introduce any
huge changes, but new accessibility
features, an updated share sheet In my opinion, the user experience on the Pixel 8
>˜`Ì iœ«Ìˆœ˜̜ÕÃiÌ iy>à >Ã> ˆÃÌ iLiÃÌޜսw˜`œ˜>˜ÞÓ>ÀÌ« œ˜i
˜œÌˆwV>̈œ˜ˆ} Ì>Ài>ÜiVœ“i°
But Google’s commitment 8. That speaks volumes about the
to software support is extremely quality of the phone, as it won’t be a
impressive. The company says the Pixel dealbreaker for many people, but I was
8 will get seven years of both Android expecting better.
and security updates, taking it all the Google has equipped the phone
way up to Android 21 in 2030. with a 4,575mAh cell, which is larger
That’s the best of any Android than the Pixel 7 (4,355mAh) but
phone maker, and a huge improvement È}˜ˆwV>˜ÌÞÓ>iÀÌ >˜Ì i*ˆÝin
on the Pixel 7’s three years of Android Pro (5,050mAh). You can get a full day
Õ«`>ÌiÃ>˜`wÛiÞi>ÀÃœvÃiVÕÀˆÌÞ of battery life on a single charge, but
updates and Samsung’s previously only if you’re willing to tolerate battery
leading operating system upgrade anxiety or turn on battery saver mode
promise of four years – we just sincerely towards the end of the day.
hope Google keeps its promise. On those heavy usage days, with
mobile data, location services and high
BATTERY LIFE screen brightness for several hours,
Battery life is undoubtedly the most ޜս˜ii`̜w˜`>«œÜiÀÜÕÀVi>Ã
disappointing thing about the Pixel evening approaches. A score of 10

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 15

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

hours and 49 minutes

in PCMark’s battery
test is respectable, but
ˆÌ`œiؽÌÀiyiVÌ“Þ
real-world experience.
I think there are
a few factors at play
iÀi°/ iwÀÃ̈Ã>
battery capacity that
probably isn’t large
enough to support
such a powerful, bright
phone. Another is
the high refresh rate The Pixel 8 is a very good smartphone that has a lot going for it.
display and possibly
the Tensor G3 chip, too. VERDICT
And given Android 14 has only just Whether you buy the Pixel 8 depends
been released at the time of writing, it on what you’re looking for. It’s a very
may be a while before the software is good smartphone, but it’s certainly not
optimized to deliver the best battery life. right for everyone.
Sadly, charging isn’t much better. -Õ«iÀL“>ˆ˜>˜`ÃiwiV>“iÀ>Ã
The Pixel 8 is limited to speeds of Vi“i˜ÌˆÌëœÃˆÌˆœ˜>Ãœ˜iœvÌ iw˜iÃÌ
just 27 watts, and there’s no charger camera phones you can buy, especially
included in the box, just a cable. when combined with Google’s advanced
Using a 65-watt one I already had, software. However, you miss out on the
the phone reached 23 percent in 15 Pixel 8 Pro’s 5x telephoto lens, and the
minutes and 44 percent after half an ultrawide is a clear step down.
hour, with a full charge taking around 85 Google’s Tensor G3 chip is a
minutes. Some modern phones charge pleasant surprise, delivering excellent
almost three times as fast. performance in nearly every situation.
You do at least get 18-watt Qi But it’s not quite as fast as Qualcomm’s
wireless charging, plus slower reverse y>}à ˆ«-˜>«`À>}œ˜ni˜Ó°
wireless charging for any other phone There are no caveats to software,
which supports the Qi standard. with the excellent Android 14 and

16 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

an incredible seven years of OS and • NFC
security updates. But the combination • GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1),
of disappointing battery life and slow GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5)
charging holds it back a little. • USB Type-C 3.2
And with so many features now • Fingerprint scanner (under display,
exclusive to the Pixel 8 Pro, the regular optical)
model is much less appealing. It’s • Non-removable 4,575mAh lithium-ion
`iw˜ˆÌiÞÃ̈ܜÀÌ Vœ˜Ãˆ`iÀˆ˜}]LÕÌ battery
only if a compact design and great • 150.5x70.8x8.9mm
software are most important to you. • 187g
Anyron Copeman

SPECIFICATIONS
• 6.2-inch (2,400x1,080; 428ppi) OLED,
120Hz, HDR10+ display
• Android 14
• Google Tensor G3 (4nm) processor
• Nona-core (1x 3GHz Cortex-X3, 4x
2.45GHz Cortex-A715, 4x 2.15GHz
Cortex-A510) CPU
• Immortalis-G715s MC10 GPU
• 8GB RAM
• 128GB/256GB storage
• Two rear-facing cameras: 50Mp, f/1.7,
25mm (wide), 1/1.31-inch, 1.2μm,
multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS;
12Mp, f/2.2, 126-degree (ultrawide),
1/2.9-inch, 1.25μm
• -iwiV>“iÀ>\£ä°x«]vÉÓ°Ó]Ó䓓
(ultrawide), 1/3.1-inch, 1.22μm, PDAF
• Stereo speakers
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-
band, Wi-Fi Direct
• Bluetooth 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 17

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

Review: Google Pixel 8 Pro

Price: £999 from fave.co/3Q4OzXX

G
oogle has released some of the I’ve spent some time with this high-
most impressive features yet for end phone to help you decide whether
its new 2023 Pixel smartphones, it’s the next Android device for you.
though those improvements do come
with a price increase compared to the DESIGN
previous generation. Unless you’re a fellow tech journalist or
/ iy>}à ˆ«*ˆÝin*ÀœVœ“iÃÜˆÌ > a super Google fan, you’d be forgiven
host of AI camera features thanks to the for not being able to tell the Pixel 7 Pro
all-new Tensor G3 processor, and tweaks and Pixel 8 Pro apart.
to the design compared to the previous Once again, there is a metal camera
generation. But are these changes worth bar on the rear which houses the
the price hike? lenses, though this iteration now has

18 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

The chassis is made from polished aluminium, which is 100 percent recycled.

a temperature sensor located beneath While many will be comparing

Ì iy>à °/ iV>“iÀ>Ã>Ài>Ãœ> hardware specs between the 8 and
housed together in one long pill shape, 8 Pro, you should consider the size.
which has a more cohesive ‘visor’ look This is a larger device, measuring
compared to the previous generation. 162.6x76.5x8.8mm and weighing
The rest of the phone is made from 213g. It’s great for watching videos on,
matte glass, which has a ceramic-like but it’s not ideal if you have smaller
look and feel (the regular 8 is glossy). hands and pockets (I’m looking at
It’s very premium, though it does make you, women’s jeans).
me nervous to use without a case The chassis is made from polished
compared to those with more durable aluminium, which is 100 percent
materials (note that a Google-branded recycled – mine had a pleasing
case will cost you an extra £29). That V >“«>}˜i}œ`w˜ˆÃ Ì >Ì>``i`̜
said, it does come with Gorilla Glass that luxury feel.
Victus 2 and an IP68 rating for dust and To sum up, it feels high-end and is a
water resistance. pleasure to look at, but it may be bigger
The design is quite polarizing and heavier than what you’re used to.
among the Android Advisor team. I’m
personally a fan – the phone looks DISPLAY
its price and has a distinctive design Google has produced a knockout on
language that sets it apart from rivals. Ì i `ˆÃ«>ÞœvˆÌÃy>}à ˆ«« œ˜i°/ i
It comes in three shades: Obsidian, wÀÃÌLˆ}`ˆvviÀi˜ViˆÃÌ >̈ÌVœ“iÃÜˆÌ 
Bay and Porcelain – black, blue and > y>Ì`ˆÃ«>Þ]À>Ì iÀÌ >˜>VÕÀÛi`œ˜i
VÀi>“vœÀ>˜Þœ˜iVœ˜vÕÃi`LÞyÕvvÞ like on the 7 Pro. It is a 6.7-inch LPTO
marketing lingo. OLED Super Actua display, with a

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 19

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

resolution of 2,992x1,344 at
489ppi. There is the option
to turn the resolution down
to 1080p, should you want
to conserve the battery life.
In real terms, this is a
great display for watching
videos on and truly displays
the phone’s camera wares in
its full glory. It’s also bright
enough to use under direct
sunlight – I never struggled
with glare or seeing details
on the screen. It’s also got This is a great display for watching videos on and truly
Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for displays the phone’s camera wares in its full glory.
your peace of mind and an
>˜Ìˆ‡w˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜ÌVœ>̈˜}° Haptics are clipped and responsive,
According to Google, the phone and there is a sliding scale to adjust
has a VRR refresh rate that, when the level of touch feedback from your
toggled on, can change from anywhere keyboard – this is turned off by default.
from 1- to 120Hz depending on the
task. However, my phone only showed PERFORMANCE
Smooth Display as toggling between The phone comes with a generous
60Hz and 120Hz. You also can’t pick a 12GB RAM, and either 128-, 256-,
ëiVˆwVÃiÌÀivÀià À>ÌiLiޜ˜`Èäâ>à x£Ó œÀ£/ Ã̜À>}i­Ì i>ÃÌw}ÕÀiˆÃ
you can on rivals. exclusive to the US). That’s perhaps a bit
The stereo speakers on the Pixel low for a Pro smartphone at just 128GB.
8 Pro are loud and ideal for podcasts The Pixel 8 Pro comes with an
and YouTube videos. There’s even a all-new processor, the Tensor G3.
bit of thump on the bass if you like to According to Google, it’s the company’s
listen to music on your phone (though biggest machine learning model so
for the sake of everyone, please use far, and is ten times more complex the
headphones in public). No headphone Tensor G2.
jack, of course – RIP. Google has mainly focused on the

20 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

AI capabilities of this chip, which the Charge in 15 minutes
smartphone certainly delivers on. It Google Pixel 8 Pro: 12%
doesn’t focus too much on powerful Google Pixel 7 Pro: 18%
performance, and that’s because it Google Pixel 8: 23%
`œiؽÌ“>ÌV Õ«̜œÌ iÀy>}à ˆ«ÀˆÛ>Ã Samsung S23 Ultra: 21%
like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, as Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max: 22%
proven by our benchmarking tests: Xiaomi 13 Ultra: 48%
OnePlus 11: 71%
Geekbench 6 (multi-core)
Google Pixel 8 Pro: 3,962 That said, unless you’re a massive
Google Pixel 7 Pro: 3,712 mobile gamer, you shouldn’t notice
Google Pixel 8: 2,842 these differences in day-to-day use. It’s
Samsung S23 Ultra: 5,171 smooth for browsing and multitasking,
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max: 6,302 and swiping on social media is fast and
Xiaomi 13 Ultra: 5,161 responsive. I had one incident where
OnePlus 11: 5,209 Instagram took a little while to open,
but this was solved by closing the app.
GFX Manhattan 3.1 I even managed to play Genshin
Google Pixel 8 Pro: 85fps Impact on medium settings on this
Google Pixel 7 Pro: 89fps phone – though it took an age to
Google Pixel 8: 99fps install, and the handset got quite warm
Samsung S23 Ultra: 68fps during this time. Graphics had some
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max: 60fps popping and a little lag, but the fact
Xiaomi 13 Ultra: 107fps that I didn’t have to drop down to low
OnePlus 11: 60fps settings on this demanding title was a
welcome surprise.
Battery life
Google Pixel 8 Pro: 9 hours, 33 minutes PHOTOGRAPHY
Google Pixel 7 Pro: 12 hours, 46 This phone range is known for its
minutes fantastic camera set-up, and yet again,
Google Pixel 8: 10 hours, 49 minutes the Pixel 8 Pro lands a slam dunk.
Samsung S23 Ultra: 12 hours, 43 The main camera is 50Mp, with a
minutes f/1.68 aperture and a very generous
Xiaomi 13 Ultra: 9 hours, 53 minutes 1/1.31-inch image sensor size. This

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 21

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

means that the camera can let in `iÌ>ˆÃˆ˜Ì ˆ˜}ÃÃÕV >ÃyœÜiÀÃÜˆÌ 

more light, allowing for more details incredible clarity. Night sight is also
to be captured and natural tones to impressive, keeping the sky a natural
Li ÀiyiVÌi`° inky black while lifting tones just
The technology is massively enough to look authentic.
impressive. Textures such as fur, hair, The ultrawide camera has been
grass and brickwork are captured upgraded from 12- to 48Mp with
with extraordinary clarity. In dimmer autofocus and a f/1.95 aperture.
environments, the Pixel accurately While the light captured isn’t quite as
boosts shadows and colours extremely spellbinding as it is on the main camera,
closely to how they appear to the eye. lots of details are still present, and there
Even moving subjects such as birds and aren’t any washed-out colours as you’ll
water are captured dynamically, with w˜`œ˜V i>«iÀÓ>ÀÌ« œ˜ið
minimal blur in the air. The telephoto lens from the Pixel 7
Portrait photos look artistic and have Pro remains the same 48Mp lens with
just the right amount of background a f/2.8 aperture and a 5x optical zoom.
blur – though you can alter this more There’s also up to 30x digital with Super
in the editing process. Macro focus Res Zoom that counters hand shake
is also available on shots as close as during shooting.
2cm, allowing you to capture minute Images taken up to 5x zoom are
excellent on the Pixel 8 Pro.
You can see below the level of
detail is captured on the clock
and the stained glass window.
The digital zoom isn’t quite as
impressive, but if you get good
lighting conditions they aren’t
as blurry as I’ve seen on rivals.
The camera struggles more in
darker environments with this.
On the front there is a
£ä°x«ÃiwiV>“iÀ>]ÜˆÌ >
The main camera is 50Mp, with a f/1.68 aperture and a f/2.2 aperture and a 95-degree
very generous 1/1.31-inch image sensor size. ܈`iwi`œvۈiÜ“i>˜ˆ˜}

22 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 Clockwise
from left
to right are
example
of images
taken with
the main
lens, 2x
zoom and
5x zoom,
plus a wide-
angle shot.

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 23

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

Next up,
we have
examples
of photos
taken
with the
10x zoom
(left) and
30x zoom
(right).

Here are
examples of
>Ãiwi­ivÌ®
and a wide-
>˜}iÃiwi
(right).

24 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 Colours
really pop
in macro
shots.

Here are
before
(left) and
after (right)
examples of
the Magic
Editor tool
in action.

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 25

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

you have the option to get

“œÀiˆ˜À>˜}ivœÀÃiwið
was impressed by the image
processing prowess on
Ì ˆÃ]ÜˆÌ ÃiwiÃ>««i>Àˆ˜}
natural, though a few errant
strays of hair did blur into the
background. The triple mic
array also means it’s good for
video calls.
On the editing side, there
are the usual Pixel staples
such as Astrophotography, Pro
controls for manual shooting
and Face Unblur. However,
many users may be drawn to
the new AI camera tools.
The Magic Editor allows Best Take, lets you swap out different expressions of
you to change the composition people when you take multiple photos.
of photos in a myriad of ways.
You can combine things such as Magic agreed it was rather hellish). Putting that
Eraser and highlighting a person to aside, I can say that Best Take is not 100
change their size and position to suit percent foolproof.
your preferences. This can all be done It certainly works better on the main
manually, but the auto-generated tool rear camera. It’s hard to tell on some
worked well in my shot of my partner on shots that my face has changed, with
page 25. the AI wizardry moving my hair and
The other headline feature is Best neck extremely convincingly. If someone
Take (see above), which allows you to is facing completely away from the
swap out different expressions of people camera, then the tool doesn’t always
when you take multiple photos. I’ve recognise them as a subject for editing.
already expressed my moral quandaries On the front camera, some of the
with this feature (worries that were classic AI weirdness began to creep in,
shared by my friends and family who with facial features distorted in some

26 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

shots. Any rogue arms in the way also 30-watt charging brick (not supplied
sends the tool into a minor meltdown. as Google only gives you a USB-C to
Video wise, the Pixel 8 Pro is capable USB-C cable), then charging is also
of shooting both 4K and 1080p at slow. A 30-minute juice took it to just 24
60-, 30- and 24fps. One of the most percent, and it takes around two hours
impressive features on this is the Audio to get it all the way to full using a 44-
Magic Eraser, which managed to cleanly watt Vivo charger I had to hand.
“ÕvyiÀœ>`˜œˆÃi՘`iÀ˜i>Ì “Þ Google’s one should allegedly
speech, even when a massive smelly bus give better results, with the brand
pulled up next to me. It couldn’t quite claiming a 50 percent charge in 30
}iÌÀˆ`œvÌ iÌÀ>vwVˆ} ÌLii«Ã]LÕÌ minutes. Regardless, even that number
was still happy with the results. is lagging behind some rivals such as
Night Sight on video also means that Xiaomi and Oppo. The phone also
the smartphone can apply its low-light supports 23-watt wireless charging, and
«ÀœViÃȘ}>LˆˆÌˆiÃ̜w“ÀiVœÀ`ˆ˜}Ãq reverse wireless charging.
found that I was able to pick up more
accurate shades on my nighttime stroll SOFTWARE
than other smartphones I’ve used. I still mourn my smashed Pixel 3 (always
pack your phone in a backpack when
BATTERY LIFE cycling, kids), so I was excited to return
On paper, the Pixel 8 Pro has a to Google’s smooth and satisfying UI
slightly higher battery than the Pixel with the Pixel 8 Pro.
7 Pro at 5,050mAh compared to If you’ve been wanting to get your
5,000mAh. However, that increased hands on Android 14, then the Pixel 8
battery life didn’t make a marked « œ˜iÃ>ÀiÌ iwÀÃÌ« œ˜iÃ̜à ˆ«ÜˆÌ 
improvement in testing. the full version. The layout of apps is
I managed to make it last throughout clean and concise, and there is a wide
the day by turning the resolution and choice of widgets available. The At A
refresh rate down. If I didn’t, then the Glance feature shows the weather, date
Pixel 8 Pro would lose charge more and can display other information such
rapidly. In our internal tests, the 8 Pro as timers, suggested commute times
managed nine hours and 33 minutes. and more. While handy, it can’t be
For a phone of this size, it’s a shame. removed, nor can the design be altered
If you don’t have Google’s own – which may be annoying for some.

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 27

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

Generative AI wallpapers mean that ‘read this article’, which is great for
you can create something completely accessibility – it can even translate them
unique by combining a range of into other languages.
phrases. For example, I asked for an The thermometer (not available
impressionist style background involving on the regular 8) on the phone can
volcanoes and ice cream cones and got currently only be used for objects. You
some bonkers results. Some prompts can choose from different materials,
only produce one suggestion, meaning such as food, beverages and cast iron,
that this is a feature that will likely for allegedly more accurate readings.
develop over time. You then should hold the phone 2cm
AI extends into other areas, too. away from the surface and tap the
Google claims that dictation on button for a reading.
messages now supports more natural Despite the IP68 reading, I did have
language. The phone was able to minor palpitations clutching this £1,000
translate my pauses into commas, and phone tantalising close to my piping hot
even pick up on some slang. It’s not mocha, plus I’m not the sort of person
completely accurate, but it’s certainly who cares about the exact temperature
better than what I’ve seen in the past. of my food and drink. There may be
Google Assistant can now read aloud people who get use out of this feature,
web pages using commands such as but it feels a little niche and gimmicky.
If the sensor could
take a user’s temperature,
then that would be much
more game-changing.
The good news is that this
is on the way, but Google
is just waiting for FDA
approval before releasing
it to the wider public. I’m
glad to see the company
is going through the
proper due process, it’s
One of the biggest reasons to buy the Pixel 8 Pro is Google’s just a shame that it’s not
monster promise of seven years of OS updates. available at launch.

28 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 Undoubtedly one
of the biggest reasons
to buy the Pixel 8 Pro
is Google’s monster
promise of seven years
of OS updates, feature
drops and security
updates – meaning that
the phone is covered
all the way to 2030.
This is a slap in the face
to rivals like Samsung,
which offers four years The Pixel 8 Pro looks and feels luxurious, has some of the most
of OS updates and intuitive features on a Pixel yet, and the cameras are sublime.
wÛiÞi>ÀÃœvÃiVÕÀˆÌÞ
updates, though that was previously the are just plain creepy. All that said, the
leading promise. seven-year OS support means that this
Phones should be built to last, and smartphone should last longer any rival,
it’s good to see Google providing an which could make the steep price tag
ˆ˜`ÕÃÌÀޏi>`ˆ˜}w}ÕÀiˆ˜Ì ˆÃ>Ài>° worthwhile if similarly-priced rivals don’t
catch your eye more. Hannah Cowton
VERDICT
The Google Pixel 8 Pro has a lot of what SPECIFICATIONS
ޜս`iÝ«iVÌvÀœ“>«Ài“ˆÕ“y>}à ˆ« • 6.7-inch (2,992x1,344; 489ppi) LTPO
phone. It looks and feels luxurious, has OLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ display
some of the most intuitive features on a • Android 14
Pixel yet, and the cameras are sublime. • Google Tensor G3 (4nm) processor
For such a big phone though, the • Nona-core (1x 3GHz Cortex-X3, 4x
battery life isn’t great. It will get you 2.45GHz Cortex-A715, 4x 2.15GHz
through the day, but not if you’re a Cortex-A510) CPU
super user. Charging is also painfully • Immortalis-G715s MC10 GPU
slow compared to many phones (often • 12GB RAM
cheaper ones) on the market. Plus, • 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB storage
some AI features such as Best Take • Three rear-facing cameras: 50Mp,

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 29

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31-inch,

1.2μm, multi-directional PDAF, multi-
zone Laser AF, OIS; 48Mp, f/2.8,
113mm (telephoto), 1/2.55-inch,
0.7μm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x
optical zoom; 48Mp, f/2.0, 126-degree
(ultrawide), 0.8μm, dual pixel PDAF
• -iwiV>“iÀ>\£ä°x«]vÉÓ°Ó]Ó䓓
(ultrawide), 1/3.1-inch, 1.22μm, PDAF
• Stereo speakers
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-
band, Wi-Fi Direct
• Bluetooth 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
• NFC
• GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1),
GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5)
• USB Type-C 3.2
• Fingerprint scanner (under display,
optical)
• Non-removable 5,050mAh lithium-ion
battery
• 162.6x76.5x8.8mm
• 213g

30 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

How the Pixel 8 changes
everything for Android
Think Google’s new Pixel 8 is ‘just another Android phone’? Think again.
JR RAPHAEL reports

G
oogle’s latest Pixel phones have over all the other alternative. But what
plenty of good things going makes Google’s latest Pixel phones
for them, but don’t let all the «>À̈VՏ>ÀÞÈ}˜ˆwV>˜ÌˆÃܓiÌ ˆ˜}ޜÕ
shiny surfaces, camera smarts and AI can’t see on the surface. It’s something
additions fool you. a typical human strolling into a store
/ >ÌÃÌÕvv½Ã>w˜i>˜``>˜`Þ]>˜` probably won’t be in the least bit aware
it will convince some to pick a Pixel of. And yet, it’s the part of the Pixel

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 31

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

8 and Pixel 8 Pro that’s

without a doubt the most
important – and the most
consequential from a
platform-wide and even
industry-wide perspective.
It’s the fact that these
two phones come with
an unprecedented post-
sales software support
promise. It may not seem
like earth-shattering news,
especially in the context Google’s Pixel 8 and 8 Pro phones will receive an
of all the far more eye- unprecedented seven years of Android updates.
catching, advertising-
friendly elements the devices offer. Õ«`>ÌiÃ]>œ˜}ÜˆÌ wÛiÞi>ÀÃœvÃiVÕÀˆÌÞ
But make no mistake about it, it’s the patches. Google has more than doubled
“œÃÌÈ}˜ˆwV>˜ÌV >˜}iÜi½ÛiÃii˜ˆ˜ the maximum advisable lifespan of its
Android this decade. And it could have y>}à ˆ«« œ˜iÃ]ˆ˜œÌ iÀܜÀ`Ã]Ü ˆi
a major effect on your phone-buying continuing to sell them for less than the
future – whether you use a Google leading competition.
Pixel device or not. Now, for context: Google’s Pixels
were already in a league of their own
GOOGLE’S PIXEL 8 PROMISE when it comes to upgrade reliability on
The news, in case you haven’t heard, is Android. Google gets every Android
that Google is guaranteeing a whopping operating system update into the hands
seven years of operating system of its Pixel owners within a matter of
updates for its new Pixel 8 and 8 Pro days, often even hours, of the software’s
phones, along with seven full years of release – regardless of whether the
security updates, feature drops and device in question is the most recent
overall support. model, a second-generation version,
For comparison, as it currently or even a three-year-old Pixel – while
stands, Pixel phones have been getting literally every other Android phone-
three years of operating system “>ŽiÀy>ˆÃ>˜`v>ˆÃÜˆÌ `i>ÞÃ

32 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

stretching anywhere from a few months Pixel phone has traditionally stopped
to sometimes well over a year. receiving operating system updates.
So Google has always been ahead And despite all the emphasis around
of the game when it comes to software security patches and Play-Store-
support timeliness. But it’s been stuck provided rollouts, Android operating
on this three-year window for longevity system updates absolutely do matter
for far too long – a liability that creates – as all interface enhancing and feature
a perception of Android phones not w˜iÃȘ}>È`i]"-Õ«`>ÌiÃœvÌi˜
holding up to iPhones when it comes ˆ˜VÕ`iÈ}˜ˆwV>˜Ì՘`iÀ‡Ì i‡ œœ`
to support life. Even Samsung started improvements, along with important
providing four years of OS upgrades to security and privacy advancements.
many of its Galaxy models last year, and They also introduce both expansions
while it’s far less speedy and reliable and restrictions to APIs, which are what
with those deliveries (and switches to a permit third-party apps to interact with
quarterly model for its security patches your phone and personal data and
starting in a phone’s third year, on top perform a variety of advanced functions.
of that), that contrast isn’t exactly a Those updates are so important,
good look for Google as the platform’s in fact, that I would never suggest
primary keeper. anyone keep using a phone that isn’t
The Apple comparison is misleading, actively receiving them in a reasonably
too, truth be told – as what constitutes timely manner.
an OS update on Android is wildly And that gets at the heart of why this
`ˆvviÀi˜ÌÌ >˜Ü >ÌޜÕw˜`œ˜ˆ"-° Pixel support life change is so critically
Long story short, Apple bundles in consequential. But to understand what
all sorts of stuff into its updates while practical impact it could have across all
Google breaks numerous system-level of Android – and potentially beyond –
pieces out into standalone apps and we need to dig in a little deeper.
updates them numerous times a month
in a way that reaches all devices more SMARTPHONE MATHS
œÀiÃȘÃÌ>˜ÌÞ>˜`ˆ˜`iw˜ˆÌiÞ°-œ When we think about the actual value of
it’s not exactly an apples-to-apples a modern mobile device, I like to lean
juxtaposition, to say the least. on something I call smartphone maths.
But even so, the reality remains The idea, as we hinted at a moment
that after three years, a Google-made ago, is that in order for a phone to

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 33

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

maintain an optimal level of privacy, updates – so, with a bit of basic number-
security and performance, it needs crunching, we can see that it’d cost
to receive both timely and reliable you roughly £100 per year of advisable
operating system updates, and timely ownership or around 27p per day over
and reliable security patches. Whether the course of that seven-year window.
every single phone-owner realizes it
œÀ˜œÌ]Ì ivœÀ“iÀ«ÀœÛˆ`iÃÈ}˜ˆwV>˜Ì • Samsung’s latest top-of-the-line
under-the-hood improvements related Galaxy gizmo, the Galaxy S23, costs
to all three aforementioned areas £849 and receives four years of OS
qÜ ˆiÌ i>ÌÌiÀ]œvVœÕÀÃi]wÃˆ˜ update deliveries. That comes out to
the gaps and addresses a variety of £212.25 per year of advisable ownership
vulnerabilities along the way. or around 58p a day – basically twice
And so with that in mind, you can what you’d pay for the Pixel 8, provided
think of a phone’s maximum advisable you intend to use it on some level for
lifespan as being the number of that entire time.
years it’s guaranteed to receive both
operating system updates and the • And on the other side of the mobile-
smaller security patches between tech spectrum, Apple will charge you
them – two equally important £799 for its iPhone 15. And while
parts of an optimal mobile
device puzzle.
Having that framework
in mind empowers you to
calculate exactly how much
any given phone actually
costs you for every single
year or even day that you’d
be able to advisably use it.
For example:

• Google’s new Pixel 8

costs £699, and it’ll get
those seven years of both Improving the lifespan of the Pixel 8 makes it a much more
OS updates and security affordable and attractive phone.

34 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

the iCrew doesn’t make any explicit relatively meagre – around 4 percent or
guarantees about its software support, so of the total in the US, for instance.
it tends to provides OS updates for six -œÜ ˆiÌ iÀi½ÃViÀÌ>ˆ˜ÞÈ}˜ˆwV>˜Ì
years, according to recent analyses. momentum, those numbers still need to
So with our handy maths, that means expand considerably if the Pixel is going
an iPhone 15 will likely cost you about ̜ œ`>˜ÞÀi>ˆ˜yÕi˜ViœÛiÀÌ iÃÌ>Ìi
£133 a year or around 36p per day over of smartphone development.
the entire period of its fully supported, And that’s where Google growing
advisable ownership period. its share of the market as a result of the
Pixel 8’s added value could count. No
It’s a differentiator Google would be matter which kind of platform or phone
wise to emphasize in its presentation y>ۜÕÀޜÕ«ÀiviÀ]>vÌiÀ>]Vœ“«ï̈œ˜
of the Pixel 8, but all immediate cost- can only be a good thing – and yes,
related value aside, the real impact of I realize the irony of talking about
this could hit in two far more broadly Google being the one who might break
meaningful ways: through an established arena to create
competition. Without true competition,
1. It could help Google grab though, the market leaders can rest
more of the mobile market on their laurels and not be motivated
As it stands now, the mobile market to push forward with changes and
is dominated largely by Apple and ˆ“«ÀœÛi“i˜ÌÃÌ >̽Տ̈“>ÌiÞLi˜iwÌ
Samsung. Everyone else represents a us, as users.
single-digit slice of the pie. And that leads us directly into the
To be clear, Google’s position is ÃiVœ˜`]“œÀiÌ>˜}ˆLiLi˜iwÌÌ >Ì
growing. In fact, Pixel sales have been could come from this...
exploding with double- or sometimes
even triple-digit growth in most recent 2. It could force
quarters while smartphones sales and others to follow suit
Ã>iÃëiVˆwV̜“œÃÌœÌ iÀ`iۈVi‡ Sure, the immediate impact of the Pixel
makers have been falling. 8 offering seven full years of support
But with the exception of Japan, is that anyone buying the Pixel 8 reaps
where Pixels are now taking the top Ì iLi˜iwÌœvÌ >ÌV >˜}i° ÕÌ“œÀi
spot on the sales chart, the position broadly, what’s likely to happen is that
of Pixels in the bigger picture remains other device-makers will eventually be

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 35

GOOGLE PIXEL 8/8 PRO

moved to match that same promise in Mark my words: everything else

order to remain competitive and avoid about these new Pixel phones may be
being seen as falling behind in what interesting, but this software support
they offer. change is truly transformative – and
We’ve seen it happen before – its effects almost certainly won’t be
numerous times. Back at the start of the limited to any single phone model or
Pixel journey, Google’s phones and all type of device.
other Android devices came with only a
two-year OS upgrade promise.
Back in 2016, I called for Google to
step up its promise and provide Pixel
owners with three years of operating
system updates – an above-average
guarantee that’d give its devices an
above-average Android experience
wÌ̈˜}ÜˆÌ Ì iÀiÃÌœvÌ iˆÀ«œÃˆÌˆœ˜ˆ˜}°
Google listened, and three years
soon became the standard upgrade
window for Pixels near and far. And
guess what happened next? Other
Android phone-makers followed suit
and started offering three years of
support for their devices, too. And
then soon after, Samsung decided to
one-up Google and offer four years for
its Galaxy smartphones. See how that
played out?
If that same cycle continues – and
history suggests it will – the next
step will be Samsung and other
manufacturers scrambling to catch up
to Google’s new guarantee. It’s a ripple
ivviVÌÌ >ÌLi˜iwÌÃÕÃ>]˜œ“>ÌÌiÀ
Ü >Ìy>ۜÕÀœv« œ˜iÜi«ÀiviÀ°

36 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

OnePlus Open
Price: £1,599 from fave.co/3sqA4Vo

W
e’ve had to wait a while for time as the OnePlus Open with near-
it, but the OnePlus Open identical hardware and software. And
stands out among foldables then there’s the simple fact that it’s
vœÀ>Û>ÀˆiÌÞœvÀi>ܘð/ iwÀÃ̈ÈÌà taken until 2023 for OnePlus to release
name: rather than opting for the tried- a folding phone, making it one of the
and-tested ‘Fold’ branding, OnePlus late comers to the party.
wants the device to be ‘Open for However, none of that matters if
Everything’, hinting at its versatility the OnePlus Open performs well in the
as phone-tablet hybrid. But the same real world. While that’s certainly the
can be said of parent company Oppo’s V>Ãi]ˆÌˆÃ˜½ÌµÕˆÌiÌ i}i˜Ài‡`iw˜ˆ˜}
Find N3, which launched at the same device you might be hoping for.

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 37

REVIEWS

DESIGN onto steel, a force of 25kg and

If you’ve tried a book-style foldable È}˜ˆwV>˜Ì Li˜`ˆ˜}°ÌÃÕÀۈÛi`>
before, the OnePlus Open will be of these unscathed.
familiar to you. Its design is in keeping However, it’s not clear if that
with rivals such as the Galaxy Z Fold 5, included scratch resistance. Despite
with a regular phone-sized cover display using the Open like I would any other
(6.31-inch) that opens to reveal a small phone, the cover screen picked up a
tablet (7.82-inch). VœÕ«iœvÈ}˜ˆwV>˜ÌÃVÀ>ÌV iÃÜˆÌ ˆ˜
Like Samsung’s latest, the Open a couple of days. This can easily be
vœ`ÃVœ“«iÌiÞy>Ì]“i>˜ˆ˜}ˆÌœœŽÃ ÀiV̈wi`LÞÀi“œÛˆ˜}Ì i«Ài‡>««ˆi`
great while open or closed. And while screen protector, but I wouldn’t
you will see and feel the crease on the recommend it.
inner screen, it doesn’t affect usability in Despite potential for some cosmetic
>˜ÞÈ}˜ˆwV>˜ÌÜ>Þ° damage, nothing else about the Open
But durability will always be the top feels cheap or fragile. Most people
priority on a folding phone. OnePlus shouldn’t have a problem using it for
claims the Open can last for over Ì ivՏwÛi‡Þi>À`ÕÀ>̈œ˜œvÃiVÕÀˆÌÞ
1,000,000 open and close cycles, updates, but it’s worth applying a case.
equivalent to more than 100 folds The Open also has an IPX4 rating,
every day for over 10 years. Of course, meaning it’s not protected against
I have no way of verifying that after a dust and can only survive exposure to
week of use, but the hinge certainly splashes of water. It’s not the full 1.5m
feels very tough and robust. submersion for 30 minutes of IP68/
OnePlus has carried out a variety *8n°/ ˆÃˆÃÛiÀÞ`ˆvwVՏÌ̜>V ˆiÛiœ˜
of other testing to verify durability, a foldable but Samsung has managed it
including exposure to 1m drops on the IPX8 Galaxy Z Fold 5.

čÌ££°Ç““Ü i˜vœ`i`]ˆÌ܈i>ȏÞẅ˜>«œVŽiÌ°

38 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 w˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜ÌÃ>˜`œÌ iÀۈÈLi`ˆÀÌ°
It’s a shame the ‘Voyager Black’
vegan leather version isn’t coming
to the UK and Europe, though
it is available in the US. This is
slightly lighter (239g) and thicker
(11.9mm) than the green model,
but this grippy back means you can
probably go case-free.
Regardless of colour, the
`iw˜ˆ˜}vi>ÌÕÀiœ˜Ì iL>VŽœvÌ i
phone is that huge circular camera
LՓ«°̽ÃÈ}˜ˆwV>˜ÌÞ>À}iÀÌ >˜
This device is attractive from every angle. even the OnePlus 11’s, but I quite
like it. This rounded theme extends
Crucially, the premium aluminium to the corners of the device itself, which
and glass build hasn’t come at a cost to makes the Open easier to hold when
portability. The green model weighs just open or closed.
245g, which isn’t much heavier than
the hefty 234g Galaxy S23 Ultra.
At 11.7mm when folded, it’s also
Ài>̈ÛiÞÌ ˆ˜]ÜV>˜i>ȏÞẅ˜Ì i
pocket of most men’s trousers. This
may still be an issue for women,
whose pockets tend to be much
smaller, but this is by no means
unique to the Open.
However, this is a device
that’s attractive from every angle,
especially in the dark green
¼ “iÀ>` Õνw˜ˆÃ °/ i“>ÌÌi‡
frosted glass back shimmers
attractively as it catches the light, / i`iw˜ˆ˜}vi>ÌÕÀiœ˜Ì iL>VŽœvÌ i« œ˜iˆÃ
but still does a good job of avoiding that huge circular camera bump.

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 39

REVIEWS

On the Open, it’s easy to set up

and consistently unlocks the device
quickly, so I can have no complaints.
It’s also worth highlighting the
haptics, which are the best I’ve ever
tried. OnePlus has even given them a
name – O-Haptics – and they deliver
subtle yet realistic feedback across a
variety of different scenarios. I initially
found the intensity while typing to
be too high, but this can easily be
adjusted in settings.

The Alert slider lets you move between ring, DISPLAY

vibrate and silent modes. OnePlus hasn’t spared any expense
when it comes to the Open’s displays.
I would say that the camera module The internal one – the main reason for
is unique, but parent company Oppo’s buying a book-style foldable – is a 7.82-
Find N3 looks exactly the same. In inch, 2K (2,440x2,268) OLED panel.
fact, the only real difference
between the two is OnePlus’
traditional alert slider.
As usual, this allows you to
quickly move between ring,
ۈLÀ>Ìi>˜`ȏi˜Ì“œ`iðw˜`
it genuinely useful, but it can
easily be ignored if you don’t
feel the same way.
On the opposite side (when
œ«i˜®ˆÃ>w˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜ÌÃV>˜˜iÀ
built into the power button. I
wish more companies would
go for this rather than the often The internal display looks superb, combining rich,
unreliable in-display versions. vibrant colours with plenty of detail.

40 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

And it looks simply superb,
combining rich, vibrant
colours with plenty of detail.
The best smartphones all
have excellent displays these
days, but I’m glad it’s also
possible on one that folds.
Of course, that means
there’s a crease all the way
down the middle, which you
can see and feel when you
touch it. Other foldables We were also impressed by the phone’s external display.
have done a better job of
obscuring it, but I was surprised how you’ll notice the high refresh rate of
little that mattered. I soon forgot the the screen. It’s a 120Hz LTPO panel,
crease was even there, and you can’t meaning it can automatically go all the
see it at all while videos are playing. way down to 1Hz depending on what
But sadly, the latter isn’t a strong you’re doing. As a result, everything
point for the OnePlus Open. The viiÃψVŽ>˜`yՈ`]ÜˆÌ œÕÌ̜œ“ÕV œv
unusual resolution gives it a very boxy a hit to battery life.
aspect ratio that doesn’t play nicely The 6.31-inch cover display can only
with content from the likes of YouTube, operate between 10- to 120Hz, but it’s
iÌyˆÝ>˜` ˆÃ˜iÞ³°9œÕ½ >Ûi̜“>Ži just as impressive. The 2,484x1,116
do with huge back bars above and OLED has a much more traditional 20:9
below, meaning the actual viewing area aspect ratio, mirroring what we see on
isn’t much bigger than a regular phone. many regular phones.
However, I did enjoy using the But detail and colour accuracy is
internal screen for most of my usual still top-notch, and I recorded a decent
tasks, including web browsing, maximum brightness of 579 nits. The
messaging/emails and streaming music. internal display is only slightly behind in
It’s also excellent for multitasking, that regard, and both are clearly visible
allowing you to comfortably run two (or in bright outdoor environments.
more) apps side-by-side. Another thing that really impressed
In all of the situations above, me was how small the bezels are.

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 41

REVIEWS

They’re tiny around the cover display,

and about as small as you could
expect inside when you need room
for a hinge mechanism.
The Open has four speaker grilles,
but only three are actual speakers.
OnePlus says this is because the
bottom right one is more powerful,
so one on the bottom left isn’t
necessary. I can’t verify that, but the
stereo sound they can produce is
better than you might expect. There’s
an impressive depth and detail to the
audio, whether you’re listening to Top-tier performance also makes the Open a
voices, music or other sounds. potent gaming machine.
Bass and treble are weaknesses,
but they handle mid-range frequencies fast across almost any task. OnePlus
ÛiÀÞÜi°/ iÞ½Àiw˜ivœÀLœÌ V>ÃÕ> says the RAM can be expanded up to an
use and watching movies & TV shows, additional 12GB, but it hasn’t said how.
albeit not as impressive as dedicated I used the Open for everything I’d
tablets such as the OnePlus Pad. typically use my phone for, from web
browsing and scrolling social media
PERFORMANCE to messaging and taking photos. The
The Open is powered by the only slowdown of any description was
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, Qualcomm’s a couple of slight hesitations when
latest and greatest at the time of opening apps, but I think that’s related
launch. Despite the announcement of a to software, and I haven’t experienced it
successor (the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) just since installing a recent update.
a few days later, there was no need for Multitasking, one of the key
OnePlus to wait. strengths of the Open, was also very
That’s because the 8 Gen 2 still fast and reliable. OnePlus claims
delivers all the performance you need you can run a staggering 44 apps
and then some. Alongside 16GB of the simultaneously, and from testing the
fastest LPDDR5X RAM, it’s supremely device I can see why.

42 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 The top-tier performance also makes people. I barely made a dent in this
the Open a potent gaming machine. during my testing time, though the lack
While playing demanding titles such of support for microSD expansion is
as Call of Duty: Mobile, Asphalt 9 and a shame. But the Open is well future-
Rocket League Sideswipe, gameplay proofed when it comes to connectivity.
remained smooth and lag-free Alongside 5G, you also get Bluetooth
throughout. They also handled the 5.3 and Wi-Fi 7 support. The latter is
unusual aspect ratio on the inner display yet to fully roll out, but it’s nice to know
well, so I’d argue the experience here is you’ll be able to get the fastest speeds.
even better than on dedicated gaming
phones for short gaming sessions. PHOTOGRAPHY
However, longer sessions are where / i"˜i*Õà >Ã>̜Ì>œvwÛiV>“iÀ>
you’ll miss the more advanced cooling lenses in three locations. But the triple
systems on those handsets. rear set-up, designed in collaboration
with camera company Hasselblad, is
Geekbench 6 (multi-core) undoubtedly the most important.
OnePlus Open: 4,498 It’s led by a 48Mp Sony LYT-T808
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: 5,226 main sensor, which can produce
Google Pixel Fold: 3,295 consistently great shots in good
Honor Magic Vs: 4,235

GFXManhattan 3.1
OnePlus Open: 60fps
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: 86fps
Honor Magic Vs: 60fps

Charge in 30 minutes
OnePlus Open: 83%
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: 56%
Google Pixel Fold: 42%
Honor Magic Vs: 77%

There’s only one storage option, The triple rear set-up has been designed in
but 512GB will be plenty for most collaboration with camera company Hasselblad.

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 43

REVIEWS

lighting. Detail and dynamic range from phones, the quality of images is only a
the main lens are superb, and it handles small step down compared to the main
exposure very well. i˜Ã]>˜`Ì i££{‡`i}Àiiwi`œvۈiÜ
Colours are generally true to life, often comes in handy.
rather than the highly saturated look But the 64Mp telephoto is arguably
we get on some smartphones. But the most impressive of the lot. It
I personally prefer this, as it feels supports optical zoom up to 3x, while
authentic and can easily be edited the digital version goes all the way
afterwards. It’s still a great point-and- up to 120x. It’s the hybrid of optical
shoot camera though – many photos and digital at 6x that delivers some of
don’t need anything done to them. the best zoom photos I’ve seen on a
In general, the Open fares better smartphone, though, and the way it can
when there are clear subjects in the retain so much detail is superb.
frame. I particularly enjoyed the shots The camera app can also
it took of architecture, with the 48Mp automatically detect macro shots, giving
ultrawide better suited to landscape them a lot more clarity and vibrancy
photography. Unlike many camera than you’d get ordinarily.

Here’s a
series of
photos taken
with 0.6x
lens…

44 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 …the main
lens…

…2x
zoom…

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 45

REVIEWS

…3x
zoom…

…6x
zoom…

46 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 …and 120x
zoom.

Next up,
we have an
example of
an ultrawide
shot.

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 47

REVIEWS

If you’re
a fan of
ÃiwiÃ] iÀi
we have
one taken
with the
device’s
32Mp
camera…

…and a
portrait
ÃiwiÌ>Ži˜
with the
same lens.

48 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 Here’s an
example
œv>Ãiwi
taken when
the phone
is open.

The
OnePlus
struggled
with low
light shots.

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 49

REVIEWS

7i½w˜ˆÃ 
off with an
example
of a macro
shot.

However, low-light shots are more of background. It’s a similar story for the
a struggle across all three lenses. Even 20Mp camera inside, which I’d only
with night mode enabled, shots remain recommend using for video calling.
quite dim and with a lot of noise. The Open supports video capture
But the portrait mode is very up to 4K at 30- or 60fps. But I’d
good, with subjects well exposed recommend the Ultra Steady mode,
and generally good edge detection. which is limited to 1080p at 60fps but
It’s also great that you can adjust the makes full use of OIS (optical image
amount of background blur after the stabilization) on the main lens for
photo is taken. impressively smooth footage, even with
This is my preferred way of taking lots of movement.
ÃiwiÃ]>ÃޜÕ}iÌ>œÌ“œÀi`iÌ>ˆ
than from either of the front-facing BATTERY LIFE
cameras. The cover has a 32Mp lens, The OnePlus Open has a 4,805mAh
which handles colours and exposure battery, split across two separate cells.
well but tends to omit details in the Before testing, I was concerned that

50 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

this wouldn’t be quite enough to
ensure great battery life, and so
it has proved.
Most people will still get a full
day of usage on a single charge,
most of the time. But with lots
of high brightness, GPS, mobile
data and use of the internal
display, a full day of battery life
can be a struggle. You can of
course turn on the battery saver
“œ`i]LÕÌÌ >ÌÈ}˜ˆwV>˜ÌÞ
limits performance.
՘`iÀÃÌ>˜`Ì i`ˆvwVՏÌÞœv
wÌ̈˜}>>À}iL>ÌÌiÀÞˆ˜ÌœÃÕV > The OnePlus Open supports 67-watt fast charging.
slim device with a foldable screen,
but it’s a shame to see a capacity that’s changes its look and feel compared to
smaller than many regular smartphones. the likes of a ‘vanilla’ Google Pixel.
The good news is that if you can While you retain full Google access,
make it to a power source, you won’t Ì i˜œÌˆwV>̈œ˜à >`iœœŽÃµÕˆÌi
need to be there for long. The OnePlus different and key apps such as Settings
Open supports 67-watt fast charging, and Camera have been redesigned.
and the necessary charger is included OxygenOS isn’t quite as clean or slick
in the box. I recorded 50 percent in as Android on Pixel phones, but it’s still
15 minutes, with the battery full in just very intuitive and easy to use. Even if
under 45 minutes. you’ve never used a OnePlus phone
However, you will have to make do before, it won’t take long to adjust.
without wireless charging, which is a big Visually, OxygenOS is extremely
miss for some people. similar to ColorOS, the version of
Android found on Oppo phones. But
SOFTWARE the key difference is you get much
Out of the box, the Open runs Android less bloatware. OnePlus has a handful
13. But this is with OnePlus’s OxygenOS of its own apps pre-installed, such as
Έ˜œÛiÀÌ i̜«]Ü ˆV È}˜ˆwV>˜ÌÞ the OnePlus Store and O Relax (free

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 51

REVIEWS

relaxing audio), but all can easily be moving them into view with a tap on
uninstalled. There are also a few extra Ü i˜Ì iÞ½Ài˜ii`i`°ƂvœÕÀ‡w˜}iÀ
software tricks designed for the internal pinch shows them all at once.
display. The taskbar instantly shifts to Drag-and-drop support is also here,
a tablet-style interface, with an app and means you can quickly highlight
>՘V iÀ]wiÃ>˜`ÀiVi˜Ì>««Ã>``i` wiÃvÀœ“œ˜i>««­>Ài>`Þœ«i˜œÀˆ˜
to the usual dock. the taskbar) and instantly move it to
The most obvious feature is split- another. Most relevant apps support this
screen multitasking, which is activated feature, and it works very well.
by opening one app and literally The same can be said for the
splitting the screen in half using two multitasking experience as a whole. A
w˜}iÀð9œÕV>˜Ì i˜>``>Ì ˆÀ`LÞ lot of time and effort has clearly gone
dragging it out of the taskbar, and even into the software – as it should be on
save app groups to the home screen. a foldable – and it makes the Open a
This is where you’ll see what realistic option for productivity. The
OnePlus is calling ‘Open Canvas’ in smaller screen means it still can’t
action. It allows you to display apps quite compete with tablets for most
beyond the edges of the display, people, though.
And
unfortunately,
it’s not always as
impressive with
one full-screen
app. Those from
OnePlus and
some third-party
apps (such as
WhatsApp and
Facebook) work
well, but many
from Google
and other
developers are
The Open runs Android 13 with OnePlus’s OxygenOS skin over the top. not optimized

52 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

and simply larger versions
of the smartphone
app. This makes them
quite awkward to use
at times.
It’s not yet clear when
the Open will get an
update to Android 14,
but it’s likely to be before
the end of 2023. OnePlus
promises an additional
four years of Android
ÛiÀȜ˜Õ«`>ÌiÃ>˜`wÛi
years of security updates,
taking you up to 2028. The OnePlus Open is a fantastic foldable.
This isn’t as good as
Google’s seven years, but the Open there’s still so much to like here if you
also has an A rating from TÜV SÜD `œÜ>˜Ì̜Õ“«viiÌwÀÃ̈˜ÌœÌ iܜÀ`
for 48-month Fluency. It supposedly of book-foldables.
ensures the device will still be Performance from the Snapdragon
performing at a high level after four 8 Gen 2 chip is superb, even though
years of daily usage. it’s no longer the latest and greatest,
and both the displays are fantastic to
VERDICT use in most scenarios. Then there are
The OnePlus Open is a fantastic the cameras, with the main, ultrawide
foldable in many ways, but it doesn’t and telephoto all impressive across a
quite give the book-style device range of scenarios. You also get great
mainstream appeal yet. speakers and a 67-watt fast charger in
The big barrier remains the price, the box.
unless you can get a more affordable œ˜Ãˆ`iÀˆ˜}Ì ˆÃˆÃ>wÀÃ̇}i˜`iۈVi]
contract deal once it goes on sale (not OnePlus has done an excellent job.
guaranteed). Battery life is mediocre But it remains a foldable that only tech
and some third-party apps aren’t enthusiasts should seriously consider…
optimised for the internal display, but for now. Anyron Copeman

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 53

REVIEWS

SPECIFICATIONS • USB Type-C 3.1, OTG

• 7.82-inch (2,400x2,268; 426ppi) • Fingerprint scanner (side-mounted)
œ`>Li/*"Ώi݈‡yՈ`Ƃ" ] • Non-removable 4,805mAh lithium-
Dolby Vision, 120Hz display. Cover polymer battery
display: 6.31-inch (2,484x1,116; • Unfolded: 153.4x143.1x5.8mm.
431pp1) LTPO3 Super Fluid OLED, Folded: 153.4x73.3x11.7mm
Dolby Vision, 120Hz • 245g
• Android 13, OxygenOS 13.2
• Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8
Gen 2 (4nm) processor
• Octa-core (1 x3.2GHz Cortex-X3,
2x 2.8GHz Cortex-A715, 2x 2.8GHz
Cortex-A710, 3x 2GHz Cortex-A510)
CPU
• Adreno 740 GPU
• 16GB RAM
• 512GB storage
• Three rear-facing cameras: 48Mp,
f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.43-inch,
1.12μm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS;
64Mp, f/2.6, 70mm (telephoto), 1/2-
inch, 0.7μm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical
zoom; 48Mp, f/2.2, 14mm, 114-degree
(ultrawide), 1/2-inch, 0.8μm, PDAF
• -iwiV>“iÀ>\Óä«]vÉÓ°Ó]Ó䓓
(ultrawide), 1/4-inch, 0.7μm
• Cover camera: 32Mp, f/2.4, 22mm
(ultrawide), 1/3.14-inch, 0.7μm
• Stereo speakers
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band
• Bluetooth 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
• NFC
• GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS,
GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS

54 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

Motorola Edge 40 Neo
Price: £299 from fave.co/3tPds1d

W
ith the Motorola Edge 40 but it was let down by cheap design
Neo, the manufacturer has and poor low-light camera performance,
seemingly had a bit of a among other things. Has Motorola
rethink about its ‘affordable premium’ managed to hit the ‘premium budget’
Neo line. It’s bigger and nicer-looking jackpot with this year’s revision?
than the Edge 30 Neo, with a much
larger and curvier 6.55in pOLED display. DESIGN
Despite this scaling up, however, the At last, we have an Edge Neo phone
Motorola Edge 40 Neo ends up costing worthy of the name. Previous Neo
£50 less out of the gate. phones haven’t really deserved their
We described last year’s model as “a ‘Edge’ moniker, dropping the curved
likeable handset that gets a lot right”, edges of the more premium models.

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 55

REVIEWS

Opinions may vary on the value the level of water and dust resistance
of such a design, and we’ll go on to Ì >Ì >ÃLii˜œvwVˆ>Þ>V ˆiÛi`LÞ
discuss the drawbacks in the next Motorola, and it’s the kind of detail
section. But there’s no denying that it’s a you simply don’t see this far south
mightily effective way to make a cheap of £600, especially when Motorola
phone look and feel more expensive. has a history of only offering a
And make no mistake, the Motorola water-repellent coating.
Edge 40 Neo looks and feels great. The best thing I can say for the Neo
Besides that curved display, there’s a 40 Edge design is that I didn’t even
«i>Ș}Þ܏ˆ`]ȏŽÞ‡viiˆ˜}“>ÌÌw˜ˆÃ  check the phone’s price until I had spent
plastic rear that doesn’t feel remotely several days with the phone, and was
cheap. I also like the way that it subtly genuinely surprised when I did. This is a
curves up towards the square(ish) seriously classy customer for £300.
camera module.
The Pantone branding printed on the DISPLAY
Ài>ÀVœÛiÀÀiyiVÌÃ>ψ} ̏Þ}ˆ““ˆVŽÞ After going big with the 6.7in Edge 20
colour coding partnership. My model’s Neo and shrinking way down with the
called Black Beauty, but you can also 6.2-inch Edge 30 Neo, Motorola has
get it in Caneel Bay (marine blue) or reached a comfortable middle ground
Soothing Sea (pale green). with the 6.55-inch Full HD+ Edge 40
While it’s bigger than the Edge 30 Neo display.
Neo, this is still an agreeably compact It’s a smart move, producing a canvas
phone, with a thickness of just 7.9mm. that’s still undeniably on the large side
More impressively, it weighs a mere ÜˆÌ œÕÌ̜Ì>Þwˆ˜}ޜÕÀ >˜`ð
172g, which makes it extremely easy This is a well judged screen in
to lug around. other ways too. I’m still not sure that
*iÀ >«ÃÌ i“œÃ̈“«ÀiÃÈÛiw}ÕÀi Motorola’s obsession with an elevated
to band around here is ‘IP68’. That’s 144Hz refresh rate is entirely worthwhile

The Edge 30 is just 7.9mm think.

56 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

– it’s all a bit Spinal Tap ‘this
one goes up to 11’ – but it’s
certainly a noteworthy spec
in a £300 phone.
More importantly, this
is a vibrant pOLED display
that outputs rich, natural
colours – at least once
you’ve switched away
from the default Saturated
colour mode. It also gets
reasonably bright. There’s
a stated peak brightness of The Motorola’s pOLED display outputs rich, natural colours.
1,300 nits, though of course
this is applicable to HDR conditions and PERFORMANCE
`œiؽÌÀiyiVÌ}i˜iÀ>ÕÃÕ>°“i>ÃÕÀi` œÌœÀœ> >ÃwÌÌi`Ì i `}i{ä iœ
>ÀœÕ˜`>Ì ˆÀ`œvÌ >Ìw}ÕÀiœ˜>«>ˆ˜ with MediaTek’s Dimensity 7030 SoC.
white screen with autobrightness turned That’s not the most mainstream of chips,
off, which is still perfectly decent. but our benchmark tests suggest that
Just about the only complaint I have it’s a considerable step forward from the
about the Motorola Edge 40 Neo’s Edge 30 Neo and the Poco X5 5G with
display is its dual curved nature. While it their Snapdragon 695 chip. Indeed, it
might add a dose of class to a cheaper handily tops most sub-£300 phones in
phone, I did experience some of those the raw performance stakes.
tell-tale false palm presses as the edges As those benchmarks suggest,
of my holding hand interacted with the using the Edge 40 Neo is a largely
wrap-around touch surface. smooth experience, even with the
Motorola has supplied a set of display set to 144Hz, which is how I had
stereo speakers which are perfectly it for most of the test period. It doesn’t
decent for the money. They lack low- have the snap or fast-loading apps
end punch, as you’d expect for £300, >˜`ÜiL«>}iÃœv>ÌÀÕiy>}à ˆ«]LÕÌ
but they’re loud and clear. Connect a the vast majority of people wouldn’t
set of headphones and you’ll also get notice the difference.
Dolby Atmos support. Sure, you can spend more to get

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 57

REVIEWS

more, but the Edge 40 Neo hits that OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: 13 hours, 5
sweet spot where we’re talking marginal minutes
gains for all but the most intensive of Redmi Note 12 Pro: 11 hours, 35
power users or gamers. The benchmarks minutes
below show it’s not far off the Google Poco X5 Pro: 10 hours, 2 minutes
Pixel 7a in Geekbench 6 which costs Google Pixel 7a: 10 hours, 49 minutes
£449 and also outpaces the £349
Samsung Galaxy A34 5G. Charge in 30 minutes
It helps that here in the UK you Motorola Edge 40: 82%
also get 12GB of RAM as standard, Samsung Galaxy A34: 31%
which is a generous amount at this OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: 76%
price. You also get 256GB of storage, Redmi Note 12 Pro: 79%
which is Motorola going well and truly Poco X5 Pro: 58%
above and beyond – that’s double the Google Pixel 7a: 38%
cheapest iPhone 15 and Pixel 8.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Geekbench 6 (multi-core) The Edge 40 Neo’s camera system is led
Motorola Edge 40: 2,526 by what appears to be the same 50Mp
Samsung Galaxy A34: 2,491 1/1.5in Omnivision OV50A sensor that
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: 2,032 ޜսw˜`ˆ˜œÌœÀœ> `}iÎäÕȜ˜]
Redmi Note 12 Pro: 2,025 the Motorola Razr 2022, the Huawei P50
Google Pixel 7a: 2,588 Pro, and the Moto G84 5G. Aside from
the latter, those are all pricier phones.
GFX Manhattan 3.1 This larger sensor, backed by OIS
Motorola Edge 40: 44fps (optical image stabilization), is capable
Samsung Galaxy A34: 40fps of scooping up more light and capturing
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: 28fps detailed, bright, well-balanced shots.
Redmi Note 12 Pro: 37fps It’s a thoroughly pleasant camera to
Google Pixel 7a: 62fps shoot with in most conditions, and I was
impressed by how rich and natural the
Battery life colours looked, while dynamic range
Motorola Edge 40: 7 hours, 39 minutes was also on point.
Samsung Galaxy A34: 10 hours, 59 Moving to lesser lighting conditions,
minutes the Edge 40 Neo maintained its

58 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 We’ll start
off with the
same scene
taken with
the main
lens…

…2x
zoom…

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 59

REVIEWS

…and
ultrawide
lens.

Next up,
we have
an indoor
photo…

60 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 …a image
of some
food…

…and a low
light shot.

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 61

REVIEWS

7i½w˜ˆÃ 
off with a
Ãiwio

…and a
wide-angle
Ãiwi°

62 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

composure when shooting indoors in BATTERY LIFE
moderate lighting (see page 60), with The Motorola Edge 40 Neo comes with
some particularly tasty food shots (see a 5,000mAh battery, which is a nice size
page 61). Night mode shots display given how svelte the phone feels.
Ì iÌÀÕi}>«̜y>}à ˆ«« œ˜iÃ]LṎ̽à It enabled me to get through a full
still a very credible performance, with `>Þœv i>ÛÞÕÃ>}i­wÛi œÕÀÃœvÃVÀii˜
bright, detailed shots (see page 61). on time) with around 25 percent left in
This impressive main shooter is the tank. That’s a very solid result given
backed by a 13Mp ultra-wide camera. that I was running with the screen set to
As you’d expect, it’s not in the same the full 144Hz limit.
league as that 50Mp main shooter, It might sound worrying that the
but it’s pretty respectable. It can’t Edge 40 Neo didn’t score too highly on
even approach the detail or contrast the standard PC Mark Work 3.0 battery
captured by the main sensor, but the test, dropping more than 2 hours short
tone is broadly similar, which is an of the 10-hour mark that the Poco X5
achievement in a budget phone. 5G and the Redmi Note 12 5G reached.
There’s no telephoto camera, but Remember, though, that this score
nor are there any silly depth or macro was achieved with that 144Hz setting
Ãi˜ÃœÀÃVޘˆV>Þ`iÈ}˜i`̜wœÕÌ rather than the usual 120Hz. Dropping
the roster. You can grab 2x shots, but the refresh rate to 120Hz added another
know that they’ll be cropped in on hour to that score, while going with the
that main sensor, and so will struggle default Auto setting brought the score
vœÀ w˜i`iÌ>ˆ° up to 9 hours, 17 minutes.
Rounding up the package is a That’s still well short of the
ÎÓ« ÃiwiV>“iÀ>]Ü ˆV Ü՘`à competition, and several hours short
impressive, but doesn’t actually take of the Moto Edge 30 Neo, suggesting
particularly great shots. Detail is okay, that the Dimensity 7030 isn’t the most
but I found my skin tone to be weirdly ivwVˆi˜ÌV ˆ«œ˜Ì i“>ÀŽiÌÜ i˜ˆÌ
false looking (see opposite). Vœ“iÃ̜>ÃÕÃÌ>ˆ˜i`>À̈wVˆ>œ>`°˜
I liked the option between two focal practical mixed-use terms, however, I
lengths – one quite close up, one wider have no qualms whatsoever.
– but the former is essentially a crop of Motorola bundles a speedy 68-watt
the latter. You’re better off sticking with charger with the Edge 40 Neo, which
the wide option. is most welcome. It’ll get the battery

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 63

REVIEWS

from empty to almost half-

full in just 15 minutes, and on
to an excellent 82 percent in
half an hour.

SOFTWARE
Motorola’s super-clean take
on Android is pretty much
legendary by now, at least
among tech journo types.
̽ÃLˆÃÃvՏÞvÀiiœvy>L]ÜˆÌ 
menus and icons largely as
intended by Google. œÌœÀœ>½ÃÃÕ«iÀ‡Vi>˜Ì>Žiœ˜č˜`Àœˆ`ˆÃvÀiiœvy>L]
That’s not to say that with menus and icons largely as intended by Google.
œÌœÀœ>½Ãw˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜ÌÃ>Ài˜½Ì
on this UI. The Moto app is your window 15) and three years of security updates.
onto the company’s way of doing things, It’s not the best out there in the grand
offering access to thoughtful gesture- scheme of things, with the likes of
based shortcuts, enhanced security, and Samsung offering double that for OS
personalisation options. updates so limits the lifespan of the
Family Space, meanwhile, lets you handset which is a shame.
create a space on your phone for kids,
limiting access to apps, designing a VERDICT
bespoke home screen, setting time Motorola has offered a startlingly
limits and establishing passwords. complete premium budget phone in
We can’t let Motorola completely off the Edge 40 Neo. Its design and build
the hook for its approach to software. quality are better than pretty much
It’s not totally free from bloatware, with everything else in its weight class.
TikTok, Facebook, and Booking.com Performance is strong, the display is
all preinstalled. But it’s pretty much the LÀˆ} Ì>˜`yՈ`­Ì iÌ՘iœv£{{â®]>˜`
cleanest, most pleasant Android-based the 50Mp main camera is capable of
OS outside of Google’s stock efforts. capturing genuinely good shots. Throw
Motorola is promising full OS in solid battery life, fast charging, and
updates (so up to and including Android Motorola’s famed clean approach to

64 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

software, and you have what could very
well be the best phone you can get for
less than £300. Jon Mundy

SPECIFICATIONS
• 6.55-inch (2,400x1,080; 402ppi)
P-OLED, 144Hz, HDR10+ display
• Android 13
• Mediatek Dimensity 7030 (6nm)
processor
• Octa-core (2x 2.5GHz Cortex-A78, 6x
2GHz Cortex-A55) CPU
• Mali-G610 MC3 GPU
• 8GB/12GB RAM
• 128GB/256GB storage
• Two rear-facing cameras: 50Mp, f/1.8,
(wide), 1/1.5-inch, 1.0μm, multi-
directional PDAF, OIS; 13Mp, f/2.2,
120-degree (ultrawide), 1.12μm, PDAF
• -iwiV>“iÀ>\ÎÓ«]vÉÓ°{]­Üˆ`i®]
0.7μm
• Stereo speakers
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band,
Wi-Fi Direct
• Bluetooth 5.4, A2DP, LE
• NFC
• GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO
• Fingerprint scanner (under display,
optical)
• Non-removable 5,000mAh lithium-
polymer battery
• 159.6x72x7.9mm
• 172g

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 65

BUYING GUIDE

Credit: Getty Images/sturti

Best mid-range phones
Phones that won’t break the bank. ANYRON COPEMAN reports

F
lagship phones, with all their cool likely to notice, such as an extra camera
features and the most powerful lens or slightly more performance.
hardware, are great. But do you So, for the vast majority of people,
really need something that advanced it’s mid-range that is the sweet spot
(and expensive)? when buying a phone. You get the best
For many people, the answer is no. A of all worlds there – features, great
mid-range phone is not only much more performance, decent specs and a price
affordable, they tend to still have a lot that won’t make your eyes water.
ˆ˜Vœ““œ˜ÜˆÌ y>}à ˆ«« œ˜ið7 ˆi 7i`iw˜i>“ˆ`‡À>˜}i« œ˜i>Ã
there are some missing features, these one that costs between £250 (the
are usually in areas where you’re less higher limit of our even cheaper budget

66 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

phones round-up) and £650 on a SIM- battery life, fast charging, an AMOLED
free basis. So, perfect to pair with a display, or a powerful camera? Few mid-
SIM-only plan. range phones offer all of them, so pick
which matters most to you.
WHAT’S A MID-RANGE PHONE? One common element is that you’ll
/ iÀi½Ã˜œÌiV ˜ˆV>`iw˜ˆÌˆœ˜]LÕÌ>à likely have to give up on nice-to-haves
“i˜Ìˆœ˜i`>LœÛi]Üi`iw˜i“ˆ`‡À>˜}i like wireless charging or a waterproof
phones based on price: anything that rating – these still tend to be reserved
costs more than £250 but less than £600 for the most expensive phones on
if you buy it SIM-free. Anything cheaper the market, though a few mid-range
than that is really a budget phone, and devices do offer one or the other.
>˜ÞÌ ˆ˜}“œÀiiÝ«i˜ÃˆÛiˆÃ>y>}à ˆ«° Try to remember that it’s not
Some mid-range phones will take always about specs either. We’ve hit
the all-round good-value approach, something of a ceiling when it comes to
with capable specs in each area; smartphone tech anyway, so although
others will focus on a key trait, such these phones may not be as fast as
as the camera or display, and promise ޜÕÀ>ÛiÀ>}iy>}à ˆ«]Ì iÞ>Ài>“œÃÌ
y>}à ˆ«‡ÀˆÛ>ˆ˜}V>«>LˆˆÌˆiÈ˜Ì >Ìœ˜i certainly fast enough for most users.
aspect; others still used to be those Go for a phone that balances value,
y>}à ˆ«Ã]Ü܈œvviÀv>˜Ì>Ã̈VëiVà performance, features and design in a
at a brilliant price, but may be running way that appeals to you and your needs.
on slightly older hardware.
1. BEST MID-RANGE PHONE
WHAT SPECS DO I NEED? Google Pixel 7a
Every mid-range phone offers a Pros: Phenomenal camera for the price;
compromise, trying to deliver the best excellent Google software; wireless
œv>y>}à ˆ«ÜˆÌ œÕÌVœÃ̈˜}µÕˆÌiÜ charging; water-resistant
much. Still, there are some specs you Cons: Slow charging; average battery
don’t want to skimp on. Look for at least life; only 90Hz display
6GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 7 or 8 Price: £449 from fave.co/3MQzhEz
chipset for smooth performance, along
with at least 128GB storage. The Pixel 7a is a superb mid-range
After that, it’s about deciding on « œ˜iÌ >ÌviiÃˆŽi>y>}à ˆ«°Ƃ˜
your priorities. Are you looking for long outstanding main camera combines

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 67

BUYING GUIDE

2. CLOSE SECOND
OnePlus Nord 3
Pros: Excellent
performance; strong
main camera; great build
quality; super-fast charging
Cons: No zoom camera;
no water resistance; weak
macro camera
Price: £449 from
fave.co/3MQzhEz

1.
An outstanding follow-up
to 2022’s OnePlus Nord
ÜˆÌ Ü>ÌiÀ‡«Àœœw˜}]܈ÀiiÃÃV >À}ˆ˜}] 2T, with the same 80-watt fast charging,
excellent Google software, and 5G, OnePlus’s signature Oxygen OS
powerful performance to outclass ˆ˜ÌiÀv>Vi]>˜`>˜i>À‡y>}à ˆ«“>ˆ˜
almost every other mid-ranger around. camera.
There are compromises. The wired OnePlus Nord 3 again demonstrates
charging is sluggish, and Google that the company is brilliant at taking
doesn’t include a charger in the box. exactly what’s needed in a phone,
Battery life isn’t bad,
but it isn’t great either.
You’ll also have to put up
with a 90Hz refresh rate
display, lagging behind the
smoother 120Hz panels
found elsewhere. Those
are small negatives in an
otherwise excellent phone
though, and overall the
Pixel 7a offers the best
bang for your buck out
2.
there right now.

68 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

packaging it into a nice, well-built
exterior, and topping it with a
competent Android skin.
/ i œÀ`ΓˆÃÃiÃœÕÌœ˜y>}à ˆ«
niceties like wireless charging and
Ü>ÌiÀ«Àœœw˜}]>˜`ˆÌÃ>``ˆÌˆœ˜>
cameras are nothing to write home
about. But these are really the only
compromises you have to make.
There’s also the OnePlus Nord CE
3 Lite, which deliver a stripped-back
version for a slightly lower price.
3.
3. BEST DESIGN
Nothing Phone (2) Set aside the lights, and the Nothing
Pros: Unique, eye-catching design; Phone (2) is really just a regular mid-
great Android skin; premium range device, albeit one of the better
performance; battery life is solid ones around. Battery life is stellar, but
Cons: Cameras are average at best; the trade-off is you get a display that is
screen is a bit dim; only IP54 a bit dim. You can instead make a light
Price: £579 from fave.co/49nrRSu show on the back, so there’s that.

Last year, Nothing Phone (1) made 4. BEST CAMERA

µÕˆÌi>ë>à Ü i˜ˆÌw˜>Þ>՘V i`° Google Pixel 7
It promised to shake up the phone Pros: Excellent software; astounding
market, and in some ways – especially cameras; IP68 water-resistance rating
design-wise – it really did. Cons: Only 90Hz display; divisive
This year, its predecessor continues design; slow charging
the project with much better Price: £599 from fave.co/3ZfRTm3
performance, even more lights, and an
even better (and less buggy) Android The Pixel 7 is no longer Google’s latest
y>ۜÕÀ°1˜vœÀÌ՘>ÌiÞ]ˆÌ>ÃœÃ̈VŽÃÜˆÌ  Vœ“«>VÌy>}à ˆ«]LÕÌ>«ÀˆViÀˆÃivœÀÌ i
last year’s cameras, which weren’t the Pixel 8 means it’s the only one cheap
best of the bunch back then. enough to be considered a mid-range

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 69

BUYING GUIDE

to be eligible for Android 14.

Even in 2023, there’s a lot to
like about the Pixel 7.

5. BEST BUDGET
OPTION
Motorola Edge 40 Neo
Pros: Premium yet lightweight
design; great performance;
144Hz OLED display; solid
cameras
4.
Cons: Buggy curved screen;
only three years of updates
phone. While you miss out on the Price: £299 from fave.co/3tPds1d
Tensor G3 chip and longer software
ÃÕ««œÀÌ­ÃiÛi˜Þi>ÀÃÛÃwÛi®]Ì iÀi½ÃÃ̈ Put simply, the Edge 40 Neo is the best
a lot to like about the Pixel 7., phone you can buy for under £300. A
Its cameras remain the best you’ll stunning 6.55-inch, 144Hz OLED display
w˜`œ˜>˜Þ“ˆ`‡À>˜}i« œ˜i]ÜˆÌ >˜ is the best example of this, delivering a
exceptional main lens backed up by an excellent viewing experience. If only it
iµÕ>ÞÃÌÀœ˜}ՏÌÀ>܈`i° œÌ Li˜iwÌ wasn’t curved, which does more harm
from a few clever AI tricks
delivered by Google’s second-
generation Tensor chip.
9œÕ>Ãœ}iÌy>}à ˆ«LՈ`
quality, with a toughened glass
body and a sleek, slender
design – this is thinner than
the 7a, and only a fraction
heavier despite packing a
larger display.
Android is also at its best
on the Pixel, and the Pixel 7
5.
Ü>Ãœ˜iœvÌ iwÀÃÌ« œ˜iÃ

70 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

than good. MediaTek’s Dimensity 7030
chipset might not sound like anything
special, but it ensures consistently
excellent performance.
The cameras are good, provided you
use the 50Mp main rear sensor for most
of your photos. The 13Mp ultrawide is
useful in some situations, but not nearly
as high quality. Battery life is average,
but it’s nice to get fast 68-watt charging
using the included power brick.
6.
However, while Motorola’s take on
Android is impressive, the company only
commits to two years of OS updates solid and Samsung continues to impress
and three years of security updates. It with its software upgrade guarantee.
means nothing beyond Android 15 and The key this year is that all of
2026, but the Edge 40 Neo is still easy that is backed up by stable, solid
to recommend. performance from the powerful Exynos
If you’re looking for something more 1380 processor. This isn’t the most
premium, though, consider the regular powerful mid-range phone around, but
Motorola Edge 40. it’s good enough – and excels almost
everywhere else.
6. THE DEPENDABLE CHOICE
Samsung Galaxy A54 7. EXCELLENT CAMERAS
Pros: IP67 rating; excellent screen; solid Oppo Reno 10 5G
battery life; long software support Pros: Impressive cameras; solid battery
Cons: Slow charging; charger sold life; great 120Hz screen; good value for
separately; rivals are cheaper money
Price: £449 from fave.co/3FFIKul Cons: No IP rating; extra pre-installed
apps; only two years of OS updates
The A54 delivers top-notch styling, IP67 Price: £399 from fave.co/3QENFSp
protection, one of the best screens on a
mid-range phone, and a dependable set œ“«>Ài`̜y>}à ˆ«« œ˜iÃ]V>“iÀ>Ã
of cameras. Furthermore, battery life is are often compromised on mid-range

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 71

BUYING GUIDE

handsets. But the Oppo Reno 10 5G to the experience on Pixel phones, but
proves that doesn’t have to be the case. there are lots of annoying pre-installed
An excellent 64Mp main sensor apps. And Android 15 will be the last
delivers excellent shots in a variety major version it gets, despite four years
of different environments, and it’s of security updates.
ëiVˆwV>Þ`iÈ}˜i`vœÀ}Ài>Ì«œÀÌÀ>ˆÌ‡
style photos. The telephoto and 8. ALL THE RESOLUTION
Ãiwii˜ÃiíLœÌ ÎÓ«®>Ài>Ãœ Realme 11 Pro+
impressive, though it’s probably worth Pros: 100-watt fast charging;
avoiding the 8Mp ultrawide. outstanding battery life; beautiful 120Hz
But with decent MediaTek Dimensity AMOLED screen with curved edges;
7050 performance, all-day battery life solid main camera
an impressive 6.7-inch OLED 120Hz Cons: No IP rating; no wireless
display, the Reno 10 5G has a lot charging; only 2 years of OS updates;
going for it. You’ll have to put up with the CPU is below what the competition
a lack of IP rating and extra apps you offers
don’t need, though. Price: £489 from fave.co/3Msqh8k
Whether you buy this phone might
come down to your opinions on Realme really hits the mark with its 11
ColorOS 13, Oppo’s skin over Android Pro+ model. The company is known for
13. It makes relatively subtle changes “>Žˆ˜}« œ˜iÃÜˆÌ >ëiVˆwV«ÕÀ«œÃi
in mind, and this time the goal
was to master photography.
That’s why Realme uses
a 200Mp sensor with quite a
few software tricks to end up
with impressive performance
– especially for this price. The
rest of the package is equally
impressive: the AMOLED screen
is beautiful and rich in colour,
and the battery life is long.
Unfortunately, there had to
7.
be a trade-off, and it’s the CPU.

72 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 There are two ways of looking
at Fairphone 5. If you look at its
specs alone, it really is nothing
special. Its processor is quite
slow (more so than the Realme
11 Pro+), the screen is not the
best, and the whole package is
chunky and not as sleek as the
competition.
On the other hand, you
can look at it as a cause.
8.
It’s so repairable that you
can take it apart with only a
It’s not bad, but it means the 11 Pro+ screwdriver and replace every part just
might feel slower than you’d like in a as easily, with replacements available
couple of years’ time when software is straight from Fairphone. It’s a statement
more demanding. You also get only two against all the other brands that
years of OS updates, so say goodbye to make your phone impossible – or
a long-lasting relationship. uneconomical – to repair.
Aside from that, Realme 11 Pro+ What’s more, it has other things
is undoubtedly one of the more }œˆ˜}vœÀˆÌ°/ iwÛi‡Þi>ÀÜ>ÀÀ>˜ÌÞ>˜`
interesting propositions in the mid-
range right now.

9. BEST FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Fairphone 5
Pros: As repairable as it gets; fun,
ÌÀ>˜Ã«>Ài˜ÌL>VŽÆwÛi‡Þi>ÀÜ>ÀÀ>˜ÌÞÆ
eight years of software support;
Desktop mode
Cons: It’s big, thick, and heavy;
underpowered SoC; the display is only
90Hz
9.
Price: £649 from fave.co/3Lp3KbR

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 73

BUYING GUIDE

eight-year software support are in a but that doesn’t stop it offering

class of their own. It also has some nice exceptional value.
tricks up its sleeve such as a desktop The 6.67-inch, 120Hz AMOLED
mode if you want your phone to be your `ˆÃ«>ÞˆÃiÃÃi˜Ìˆ>Þy>}à ˆ«‡iÛi>˜`
only electronic device, plus a nice, retro- it’s matched by a slick, elegant design
looking back panel. elsewhere. Even the camera impresses,
So, don’t buy Fairphone 5 if you with a surprisingly solid 108Mp sensor
want all the performance and specs you for the main shooter – though the
can get for your money. Buy it if you accompanying ultrawide and macro
support what it stands for. cameras aren’t as impressive.
It’s all made of plastic, so doesn’t
10. GOOD BUDGET OPTION feel too premium, and we don’t love the
Poco X5 Pro 5G MIUI software running on here (shared
Pros: 120Hz AMOLED display; 108Mp by all Xiaomi, Poco, and Redmi phones).
main camera; great value; thin and light But overall this is an excellent package
Cons: Plastic rear cover; sub-par for the price.
software; no OS upgrade commitment
Price: £369 from fave.co/3YfFqxH

The Poco X5 Pro 5G is at the cheaper

end of what we consider a mid-ranger,

10.

74 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

Review: Bose QuietComfort
Ultra Headphones
Price: £449 from fave.co/3tRjqP8

S
upplanting the four-year-old These comfy music makers also run
Bose Headphones 700 at the longer (up to 24 hours on a charge) and
premium end of the company’s faster (with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon
line, the pricey Bose QuietComfort Ultra Sound Technology Suite), offer
Headphones up the ante on the two advanced Bluetooth 5.3 capabilities,
most critical fronts: sound quality and support aptX streaming, and feature
active noise cancellation. Bose’s CustomTune technology for

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 75

AUDIO

personalizing the headphones’ audio to they can reside comfortably on my head

your unique ears. almost all day long.
Ƃ˜`w˜>Þ]ˆŽiÌ iˆÀˆ˜‡i>ÀVœÕȘÃ] >“«ˆ˜}«ÀiÃÃÕÀiˆÃwÀ“i˜œÕ} 
the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, the to assure stability but not so harsh as
QuietComfort Ultra Headphones to annoy. The soft-touch pleather and
deliver a homegrown spatial audio memory foam in the headband and ear
option that should please a lot of cups feels premium grade and it seals
people at least some of the time. and cushions reasonably without being
LՏŽÞ°/ iÃiV>˜Ãvœ`y>Ì>˜`ÀœÌ>Ìi
DESIGN inward for packing in their relatively
In terms of industrial design, the Bose compact case. (The ear cups on the
QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are Headphones 700 don’t rotate.)
much less controversial than the Noise The headphones’ operational
Cancelling Headphones 700 previously controls are minimalist, with no
at the top of the Bose line. The new controls at all on the left-hand ear cup
V>˜ÃœœŽiëiVˆ>ÞÏiiŽˆ˜y>ÌL>VŽ – just the USB-C port and headphone
with contrasting dark grey aluminium jack. On the right-hand cup, you’ll
ear cup suspension and extender pieces locate – by touch – just two buttons on
(White Smoke with silver accents is the inner rim and a thin thermal volume
another colour option.) And I’ve found strip on the curved outer rim.
Advanced On-Head
Detection circuitry
on the Bose QC Ultra
senses when you’ve put
them on, so I haven’t
had much use for the
bottom-right button
that handles power
on/off and Bluetooth
pairing. Wrap them
around your ears and
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (left) replace the they’ll quickly power up
more radically styled Bose Headphones 700 at the top of the and kickstart the music
company’s over-ear line-up. over your Bluetooth

76 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

connection. Those sensors
also work in reverse,
stopping the music and
shifting the headphones into
a low-power standby mode
when you pull them off.
After achieving a full
charge in less than three
hours, I left the headphones
in standby mode overnight.
When I put them back on
my head 10 hours later,
Bose’s app was still showing The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones come with a
a 100-percent charge. The hard-sided carrying case, a headphone cable, and a USB-C
manufacturer says the cans charging cable.
܈w˜>Þ>Õ̜à ÕÌœvv>vÌiÀ
24 hours of idle time (although that can only one of those shortcuts can be
be adjusted in settings). Run time is also available at any one time (you choose
quoted as 24 hours on a charge with in the Bose Music app).
Bose’s Immersive Audio circuitry turned A second button on the right-hand
off, or 18 hours with it on. ear cup performs several functions:
The slightly raised touch strip on Short taps here play/pause the music,
the right-hand ear cup is a little easier skip to the next or previous track,
to use than the thermal panel found answer or decline a call, or put a call
on the Bose Headphones 700, even if on hold to take another. A long press
ˆÌ½Ã˜œÌ>ÃÛiÀÃ>̈i°-ˆ`ˆ˜}>w˜}iÀÕ« lets you cycle through audio listening
or down the strip adjusts the volume. modes. Three modes are already
Tapping and holding the strip activates loaded – Quiet (full-strength noise
one of several shortcuts: You can hear cancelling), Aware (which allows in
the headphones’ battery level, change some outside sound), and Immersion
its Immersive Audio setting, wake your (spatial processing with optimized ANC,
phone’s onboard voice assistant, or but no headtracking.)
launch Spotify (that last one is a new You can also create and store four
trick in the QuietComfort bag). But more custom modes, to do things like

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 77

AUDIO

adjust the ANC level (from 0 to 10) drama to new sets from Drake and
and initiate ActiveSense (auto noise twang-rocking Margo Price. And at the
cancellation that adjusts itself to the other end of the frequency spectrum,
environment). I was particularly taken by I was duly impressed by a nimble high
the excellent performance of the Wind end that kept its cool with even the
Noise Suppression feature and even peakiest vocals in my torture-test library.
more by the Aware option that opens Curiously, the QC Ultra use the
the headphone’s mics for interaction same drivers as the Headphones 700,
with the outside world. On a visit to so how to explain the improvements?
Philadelphia’s historic Italian Market, Bose engineers have long been masters
I easily negotiated with the vendors of software-tweaking to ratchet up the
without removing the headset or performance of components.
pausing my music. The miking clarity And with both the QuietComfort
and levels-balancing are superb. Ultra headphones and the new
QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, Bose
AUDIO PERFORMANCE is introducing Immersive Audio, its
7ˆÌ  +ÃiÌ̈˜}Ãy>Ì>˜`œÌ iÀÜ՘`‡ homegrown take on spatial audio,
altering options off, I heard noticeably which uses complex signal processing
deeper bass excursion that added extra to create a bigger, bolder out-

Audio recordings
by Margo Price and
Drake sounded
bigger and bolder
on the Bose
QuietComfort Ultra
Headphones, but
a 2019 remastered
Abbey Road actually
sounded better
on their new and
less-expensive
stablemate, the
Bose QuietComfort
Headphones.

78 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

of-headphone (if not
out-of-body) listening
iÝ«iÀˆi˜Vi°wÀÃÌ i>À`
and reviewed it some on
the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds,
but have since concluded
that it works better with
over-ear headphones than
the in-ear type.

IMMERSIVE AUDIO
vޜÕw˜`Ì iۈLiÃ>˜`
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (left) look
«ÀiÃi˜Viœv>“«ˆwi` posher than their only slightly more plebeian stablemate,
live music more exciting the QuietComfort Headphones, and the latter can’t deliver
than listening to discs and Bose’s new Immersive Audio tech, either.
streams at home, you’ll
want to activate Bose’s Immersive Audio effects to increase vocal oomph,
on its QC Ultra Headphones and QC while also working frequency-based
Ultra Earbuds frequently. signal isolation, time delay, and phase
Audio purists, on the other hand, changes to put more air and distance
listeners who revel in the dry, intimate, between instruments.
unvarnished sound of music captured Does it work? Yes. Does it work
ˆ˜>wÀÃ̇V>ÃÃÀiVœÀ`ˆ˜}ÃÌÕ`ˆœ­œÀ well? Sometimes.
symphony hall) with little or no signal For A/B comparisons, I let Apple
«ÀœViÃȘ}>˜`>“«ˆwV>̈œ˜>««ˆi` Music pick the test material: a playlist
will want to leave this feature turned of classic 1970s singer-songwriter fare
off – or use it sparingly. methodically recorded (in the big-
Serving the cause of extra vitality and budget album era) in primo studios. As
added spaciousness, Bose’s Immersive each track came up, I compared how
Audio performs post-production the music sounded with Immersive
processing tricks on the recordings Audio on, and then off; a change
you feed it. Bose isn’t sharing how its easily done in the Bose Music app.
secret sauce is made, but it’s obvious On the bright side, I had good
they’re adding light echo and distortion vibes with Immersive Audio applied

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 79

AUDIO

The Bose Music

app provides many
more control options
than could ever be
accomplished with
physical buttons
on the headphones
themselves.

to Billy Joel’s studio performance of music shifts. It’s literally moving and
New York State of Mind and Rickie Lee grooving more because you’re now in
Jones’ Lucky Guy. The Bose processing œ˜Ì i>VÌ] i«ˆ˜}Ì iÜ՘`wi`̜
freshened both sessions with a livelier, seem three-dimensional.
atmospheric jazz-nightclub vibe. 7ˆÌ “œÀiVœ˜ÌÀœ>Li>˜`w˜ˆÌi
Immersive Audio also lent a sharper head tracking, the parlour trick worked
edge to Ms. Jones’ often mush-mouth more effectively for me on the QC Ultra
pronunciation. Headphones than it did on the QC Ultra
Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Earbuds, which also have Immersive
Road sounded more glistening and Audio onboard.
magical with Immersive Audio engaged, On the downside, not every 1970s
especially after I also activated the y>à L>VŽ}œiÃLiÌÌiÀÜˆÌ ““iÀÈÛi
gyroscope-powered head-tracking Audio. With Van Morrison’s Have I
feature that can accompany it. Click Told You Lately and Fleetwood Mac’s
º-̈»>˜`Ì i“ÕÈVLiVœ“iÃwÝi`ˆ˜ Little Eyes, a doubling-up of the echo
ë>Vi]Ü՘`ˆ˜}>ÃÌ œÕ} ˆÌ½Ãyœ>̈˜} chamber effect (already present in the
in front of you, rather than being locked original recordings) gave me the shivers.
inside your cans. As you twist and bop It also made mess of James Taylor’s
your head, your perspective of the intimate, folk classic Fire and Rain.

80 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 Should you try enhancing podcasts Headphones (reviewed last month) and
with Immersive Audio? Please, no. QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (see page
Spare yourself. 83), I decided to compare all three.
Immersive Audio on the QC Ultra I repeatedly put on one then
Headphones and QC Ultra Earbuds also another to hear how each would deal
came up very short when I compared with the 85 decibels of imported ‘cabin
the songs processed with Immersive noise’ (thanks to Sleep Jar’s Airplane
Audio to versions remixed with Dolby Sounds) I cranked on a Sonos ERA 100
Atmos and streamed from Apple Music (I played no music on the headphones
and Amazon Music Unlimited to a pair during the tests).
of Apple AirPod Pro 2 earbuds. Then, in a second stage of torture
With Dolby Atmos – and its rival testing with that horrible noise still
Sony 360 Reality – an audio engineer blasting and the headphones on, I’d
has deliberately placed audio events in repeatedly dial my home answering
a 360-degree sphere. Bose’s Immersive machine from my smartphone and
Audio makes an effort to guess what murmur messages through the
will sound best. In one apt compare- products’ directional beam-forming
and-contrast, the lilting female voices microphones, ostensibly designed to
yވ˜}>ÀœÕ˜`«œ«}œÃ«iV œˆÀ“>ÃÌiÀ reject spurious noises.
Kirk Franklin’s album Father’s Day, The three pair placed good, better,
remastered in Dolby Atmos,
sounds heavenly, while the
gritty-voiced, Immersive
Audio-enhanced version never
leaves the ground.

ACTIVE NOISE
CANCELLATION
I went a little crazy testing
the Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Headphones’ active noise
cancelling performance. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are
Since I still have the less- comfortable for all-day listening, and they do a fabulous
expensive QuietComfort job of cancelling noise in all sorts of environments.

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 81

AUDIO

best: the QC Ultra Earbuds did a damn Immersive Audio enhances some music,
good job of blocking the cabin noise but it’s ultimately more of a gimmick
from my tender ears, but they didn’t than a truly remarkable feature. And if
wÌiÀœÕÌ“ÕV v>ŽiV>Lˆ˜`ˆ˜Ü i˜ ޜÕw˜`ޜÕ`œ˜½ÌˆŽiˆÌ]ޜÕV>˜ÕÃÌ
used their mics to make a phone call. leave it turned off. Bottom line: There’s
With the QC Headphones working their more than enough here to make the
Ƃ ]Ì i˜œÝˆœÕØœˆÃiyœœÀ`Àœ««i` Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
even further – reducing the blasting to worth buying. Jonathan Takiff
a light jiggle sound in my head. Finally,
the QC Ultra Headphones proved even
more agile. The intrusive sound was now
reduced to a mere wisp of wind.
Both over-ear models did well at
“>Έ˜}Ì iV>Lˆ˜˜œˆÃiqÈ}˜ˆwV>˜ÌÞ
better than the QC Ultra buds – during
those calls to my answering machine,
but the QC Ultra Headphone won this
match by a whisker.
Curiously, I got different results
while streaming another ambient noise
collection at 75dB: ‘Noisy Restaurant’.
The QC Ultra Buds did the best job of
masking the sound of cluttering cups,
}>ÀLi`ۜˆViÃ]>˜`à Õvyˆ˜}viiÌ° ÕÌ
none did better than just OK at hiding
those sounds when I called my own
answering machine.

VERDICT
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Headphones nail it on most fronts:
Audio performance, active noise
cancellation, call quality, industrial
design, and ergonomics. Bose’s

82 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

Review: Bose QuietComfort
Ultra Earbuds
Price: £299 from fave.co/40mMiuM

J
ust like car makers, earbud and performances and world-quieting active
headphone manufacturers feel noise cancellation. Yet, Bose went back
compelled to upgrade their to the drawing board for a refresh,
perfectly good models every year. producing the Bose QuietComfort Ultra
In my Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Earbuds reviewed here.
II review just over a year ago (see Ironically, I also said of the earlier
issue 104), I gushed how they won model that they were so full of
my heart with bliss-inducing audio innovation that those buds deserved

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 83

AUDIO

a new name. And I guess ‘Ultra’ is an More exciting and buzzworthy –

improvement over Roman numerals. ˆÌiÀ>Þ>˜`w}ÕÀ>̈ÛiÞq œÃi >Ã
In any event, you’ll need more introduced an extra-powerful audio-
than a casual glance to separate these processing enhancement called
newbies from last-year’s model. There’s ‘immersive audio’. When engaged,
just a touch of cosmetic enhancement it works all kinds of math magic on
– contrasting metal on the name plate/ ޜÕÀ“ÕÈV°ƂwÀÃÌVœÕȘ̜>À̈wVˆ>
touchpad – and a tighter locking notch intelligence, immersive audio
for the ear-hook stabilizers. analyses and tweaks elements of the
Bose’s engineers have been a lot incoming digital sound stream to make
busier under the hood. The microphone component parts separate, pop, and
system on the Ultra has been reworked sizzle; lending extra clarity, vitality, and
̜LiÌÌiÀwÌiÀœÕÌ܈˜`˜œˆÃi>˜` three-dimensionality to the music.
improve your speaking voice during How intense is Bose’s processing?
calls in locations where there’s lots of Engaging the feature with a tap on one
other noise. They did the job well on of the buds or via the Bose Music app
kitchen calls with the TV blasting four reduces battery run time from 6 hours
feet away. to 4, according to Bose (although I’ve
squeezed out almost
5 hours of play time
with it enabled.
Then again, I also
kept the volume
fairly low, peaking
at around 60dB.)
If you’re
wondering about
the difference in
run time with active
noise cancellation
(ANC) enabled and
disabled, there isn’t
Can you tell which buds are last year’s Bose QC Earbuds II and any – because Bose
which are the new QC Ultra Earbuds? The new ones are on the right. doesn’t let you turn

84 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 to use them continuously
all day long – in other
words, for 8 to 10 hours
on a charge, as some
competitors boast.

IMMERSIVE AUDIO
Immersive and spatial audio
technologies like Dolby
Atmos and Sony 360 Reality
Audio have generated
plenty of excitement in
/ i œÃiÕÈV>««œvviÀÃw˜iVœ˜ÌÀœœÛiÀ>Ì i œÃi+  the music industry. Record
Ultra Earbuds’ features and functions (except the ability to labels have been making
turn off ANC). substantial efforts to
remix their catalogues for
off ANC on the QuietComfort Ultra playback on subscription streaming
Earbuds. After decades of pioneering services like Apple Music and Amazon
>˜`Àiw˜ˆ˜}Ì i
processing, Bose
has made its ANC
ÜVi>˜]ivwVˆi˜Ì]
and neutral that
using it doesn’t
entail any trade-
offs in audio
performance, as
you’ll encounter
with some
rival buds and
headphones. Still,
there is a downside
to Bose’s decision:
You won’t be able Some music was improved by Bose’s immersive audio processing.

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 85

AUDIO

Music Unlimited,
which in turn require
subscribers to have
playback hardware
capable of decoding
those bitstreams:
Speakers and
headphones from the
likes of Apple, Sony,
Sonos and others.
The Bose
product team looked
uncomfortable
during a recent
«ÀiÃÃLÀˆiw˜}Ü i˜ But Bose’s technology didn’t improve every audio experience.
I pondered aloud
if their immersive audio processing edgy effects. “It may not render the
might somehow be compatible with tracks exactly as they were intended,
Dolby Atmos or Sony 360 Reality but we’d argue it’s still an improved,
Audio. The answer was an no. Bose more immersive listening experience,”
hasn’t reverse-engineered either of the spokesperson said.
those patented, trademarked, and Bose’s solution brings services
expensive-to-license audio-mapping like Spotify and Pandora, which don’t
technologies, so its headphones won’t support Dolby Atmos or Sony 360
decode that information. Reality Audio, to the spatial audio party.
A Bose spokesperson reached out It’s accomplished, I’m thinking, with
after this review was published to clarify such tricks as signal phasing, timing,
how its QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds frequency tweaking, and good old-
process audio encoded with Dolby fashioned volume boosts programmed
Atmos or Sony 360 Reality Audio. Bose’s into the Qualcomm Snapdragon
>À`Ü>Ài܈«>ÞÃÕV ÌÀ>VŽÃÕÃÌw˜i] QCC5181 chipset that powers the
but it will ignore that encoding. You QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. You’ll
can then turn on Bose’s own immersive w˜`Ì iÃ>“iȏˆVœ˜ˆ˜Ì i œÃi
audio processing to achieve similarly QuietComfort Ultra Headphones that

86 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

are scheduled to ship later in October. Bose delivers spatialization magic
Bose’s immersive audio efforts shockingly well most of the time, but
Li˜iwÌvÀœ“>˜ˆ˜Ìi}À>Ìi`}ÞÀœÃVœ«i it’s not foolproof. Signal dropouts throw
and accelerometer that perform off playback more than I’d like, and
onboard head-tracking, similar to I sometimes felt it made the wrong
Apple’s 2nd-gen AirPods Pro. Bobbing choice, followed the wrong players and
and weaving your head puts the stepped on the wrong toes to make
music in motion, shifting the emphasis the music sound more spacious. That’s
from the vocalist in the centre of the a problem sound buffs are less likely to
soundstage to the left-centre guitarist encounter with hardware and software
and then over to the right-side bassist that’s married to each other, a la Dolby
and piano player as you move your Atmos or Sony 360 Reality Audio.
head about. The Taylor Swift track Cruel
Confusingly, this head-tracking Summer, for example, felt too far
interaction and engagement occurs forward with Bose’s immersive audio
when immersive audio in the Bose app turned on, because the processing
is set to ‘Still’. Bose is telling you here tamped down the throbbing electronic
that the music mix will stay locked in keyboard textures. Likewise, disabling
its initial position, so your shifting head that processing made Icelandic jazz
and ear-orientation can then alter the chanteuse Laufey’s singing breathier
Ü՘`wi`«iÀëiV̈Ûi]
akin to what you’ll visually
experience when you
don augmented-reality
glasses and turn around
in a virtual room. If you’d
prefer to have the music
travel with you in a stable
fashion – in other words,
the normal experience
of wearing conventional
headphones – use the
‘Motion’ setting when you The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds provide a comfortable
are in motion. LÕÌÃiVÕÀiẅ˜ޜÕÀi>Àð

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 87

AUDIO

and more intimate – my preference its charms on, ahem, serious music:
– on her new set Bewitched. And Switching to a Saturday-afternoon opera
Fall Out Boy’s updated lyrics for their broadcast (from China) of Donizetti’s
cover of Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the The Daughter of the Regiment on
Fire were sharper and clearer without VPR Classical, the show host’s spoken
Bose’s processing. introduction sounded awful with spatial
On the other side of the aisle, I mode engaged – it sounded like she
preferred Doja Cat’s Paint the Town Red was talking in a cave. But once the
in Bose’s immersive audio, because the performance got underway, I was
processing emphasizes a memorable generally glad the immersive audio
trumpet part sampled from the Dionne option was turned on.
Warwick hit Walk On By. By the same In a back-and-forth comparison,
token, immersive audio processing I experienced a much better sense
renders the lyrics to the Lil Durk (with J. of orchestral presence, although the
Cole) track All My Life more discernible concert bassist’s notes were oddly
and vivid. And Panic! At the Disco diminished. And in my mind’s eye, I
kicked butt better with IA on I Write could visualize the vocal soloists and
Sins Not Tragedies. chorus spread over a much larger,
Immersive Audio also worked deeper soundstage. Also piling on the
you-are-there sensation,
immersive audio accentuated
the stomping of performers’
feet and even the creaking
sounds of scenery being
hauled up and down from
the rafters.
As for that gone-
missing bass, I could readily
compensate by going into
the app’s EQ settings and
creating a new frequency
If you want a wireless charging option for the Bose curve – bumping the
QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds’ case, you’ll need to spend bottom-end and mid-range
another £49 for an add-on silicone cover. frequencies up. Unfortunately,

88 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

VœÕ`˜½Ìw}ÕÀiœÕÌ œÜ̜
lock-in this new EQ as part
of a Customized Mode, for
easy-tap access on a bud
or in the app, as I can to
switch between Immersive
Audio modes (Off/Still/
Motion) and active noise-
reduction options (Quiet/
Aware/Immersion/Custom).

SOME THINGS
*#8'0o6|%*#0)'& The vast majority of the improvements over last year’s
In the ‘if it ain’t broke, QuietComfort earbuds (right) are under the hood.
`œ˜½Ìw݈vˆÌ½`i«>À̓i˜Ì]
the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds But the buds are “upgradeable if
still maximize the maker’s superior the technology wins more support”,
noise cancellation with Custom Tune said a Bose source. And the chipset
sound calibration, which triggers a does currently offer support for the
sampling tone whenever you put them lossless and hi-res, low-latency aptX
on. You can still run the show with Adaptive audio codec and Swift Pair
variable-length taps or easy volume tools available on Android devices.
slides on the earbuds’ touch-sensitive Apple users must make do with
surfaces. When you walk in the door, support for the AAC codec.
Bose’s Simple Synch technology allows The buds and carry/recharging case
you to pair these buds with select look the same as the QC II, although the
smart soundbars and speakers for new model’s White Smoke colour option
automated music handoffs. is slightly greyer compared to the earlier
The Bluetooth 5.3 radio in the Soapstone white. The black version
Qualcomm chipset hasn’t yet added remains – well, black.
support for next-gen Bluetooth tech – Bose’s case still lacks a wireless
think LE Audio, for Auracasting from charging feature, but it offers a slip-
one source to many bud wearers – or on silicone cover (£49 from fave.
Ì i“œÀi‡ivwVˆi˜Ì Î>Õ`ˆœVœ`iV° co/40mRrTA) that transfers power from

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 89

AUDIO

a Qi charging pad. Also status quo:

middling IPX4 water resistance.

VERDICT
If you own Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
II, you should stick with them, as their
core, top-shelf musicality and noise
reduction attributes haven’t been
improved on more than a smidgeon.
But if you’re looking to move
up from a lesser species of buds, or
you’re craving bigger, more three-
dimensional sound from otherwise
excellent streaming services that
haven’t signed up with Dolby Atmos
or Sony 360 Reality Audio – Spotify,
Pandora, TuneIn, Qobuz, Sirius/XM,
et al – you owe yourself a listen to
the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Earbuds. Jonathan Takiff

90 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 Credit: Getty Images/Eva-Katalin
Got a Google Pixel?
Check out these awesome
Android 14 gems
Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`£{“>Þ˜œÌœœŽˆŽi“ÕV >ÌwÀÃÌ}>˜Vi]LṎ̽ë>VŽˆ˜}ܓi
spectacular new possibilities for Pixel owners. JR RAPHAEL reports

I
f you’ve got one of Google’s Pixel exciting of updates, it’s packed with
phones, good news: your handset awesome new features.
will have been updated to Android Google’s latest Android version
14. And although on the surface, >ëi˜ÌÞœvÈ}˜ˆwV>˜ÌÃÌÕvv}œˆ˜}
it doesn’t appear to be the most on under the surface when it comes

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 91

ANDROID 14

to the less obvious yet incredibly With Android

important improvements in areas like 14’s hidden
privacy, security and performance. drag-and-
And beyond that, Google has subtly drop option,
you can
shifted towards a model where
transport
system-level updates show up year- text between
round on Android via decoupled apps any two apps
in the Play Store. with ease.
There are also some noteworthy new
touches that are worth checking out.
iÀi>ÀiwÛiœvœÕÀv>ۜÕÀˆÌið

1. DRAG TEXT
As of Android 14, your Pixel phone will
let you highlight text in one app, then
drag it directly into another – no cutting, • Here comes the fun part: while
pasting, or virtual witchcraft required. continuing to hold that text with your
Ì`œiÃÀiµÕˆÀi>LˆÌœvw˜iÃÃi̜“>Ži w˜}iÀ]ÕÃiޜÕÀœÌ iÀ >˜`̜iˆÌ iÀ
happen, but once you know how to do swipe up or swipe sideways on the
it, it’s simple: bottom of the screen to switch to
another recently opened app. (This
• First, open up an app with some move requires you to be using the
selectable text in it – like, for instance, current Android gesture system.
Google Keep (fave.co/3slREdj). If you’re still clinging onto the old
legacy three-button navigation set-up,
•/œÕV >˜` œ`ޜÕÀw˜}iÀ̜ you should consider switching.)
select some text, using the cursor to
ˆ} ˆ} Ì Ü >ÌiÛiÀëiVˆwVܜÀ`ÃޜÕ • Once you land in another app,
want. Then let go. drag the text into any open text space
and let go – then take a moment to
• œÜ]̜ÕV >˜` œ`ޜÕÀw˜}iÀ marvel at what just happened.
to that freshly highlighted text, and
you should see it lift up as if it’s This move is even easier and more
being moved. natural to pull off if you open up two

92 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

apps on-screen together with Android’s
split-screen mode, as you can then drag
and drop directly from one to the other
without even having to do the nav-bar
dance. (And that’s even more natural to
do on a Pixel Fold or Pixel Tablet, where
you’ve got extra space for such a set-up
and where multitasking becomes a key
part of the user experience.)
But once you get the hang of the
select-and-swipe move here, it’s an
awesome new productivity-pushing
possibility to possess.

2. THE LOCK CLOCK

With Android 14, Google is bringing Google’s Pixel phones have all sorts of new
ܓivœÀ“ˆ`>Liyi݈LˆˆÌÞˆ˜ÌœÌ i lock screen clock options in Android 14.
operating system’s native lock screen
i˜ÛˆÀœ˜“i˜Ì°Ƃ˜`Õ«wÀÃ̈Ã>Ü œi lock screen, and you’ll be able to switch
new look for your lock screen clock, among several different clock styles.
should you choose to embrace it.
One of the
more eye-
• From the lock screen, press and hold catching
on any open space, then look for the Android
Customize Lock Screen button at the 14 Pixel
bottom. Alternatively, start from your lock screen
home screen, press and hold any open options.

space there, then select ‘Wallpaper

& style’ and tap the ‘Lock screen’
selector at the top of the screen that
comes up next.

• However you get there, slide your

w˜}iÀÈ`iÜ>ÞÃ>œ˜}Ì iˆ“>}iœvޜÕÀ

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 93

ANDROID 14

You can also tap the ‘Clock colour able to move between the left and
and size’ tile directly beneath that right lock screen shortcut and select
image to adjust – your clock’s colour from a variety of available options for
and size. Notably, switching from the œ˜i‡Ì>«v՘V̈œ˜yވ˜}°
‘Small’ to ‘Dynamic’ size option will
open up some interesting new clock 4. A SECRET LINK
display options. Android 14 brings back the once-
present but long-missing shortcut to
3. SHORTCUTS jump straight from your Pixel’s Quick
With Android 14, you can take control Settings section to the Pixel Clock app.
of the built-in shortcuts on your phone’s I have no idea why Google eliminated
lock screen and make them more useful this for a while, but I’m glad it’s back.
for your own personal needs. To try it:
In the same lock screen
customization screen we were just • Swipe down twice from the top of
exploring, look for the line labelled your screen to open your full Quick
‘Shortcuts’. (Depending on your Settings panel.
ëiVˆwV *ˆÝi>˜`Ì iÈâiœvˆÌÃ
display, you might have to scroll down • Tap the clock in the upper-left
a little to see it.) Tap it and you’ll be corner of that area.

The Android
• And that’s it: in the blink of an eye,
14 lock
screen has
you’ll be zapped over from whatever
customizable you were doing to the Clock app.
shortcuts for
Pixels. 5. BETTER BACK
-«i>Žˆ˜}œvyވ˜}vÀœ“œ˜iÌ ˆ˜}̜
another, one of Android 14’s most
È}˜ˆwV>˜Ìvi>ÌÕÀiÈÃÃÌÀ>˜}iÞ>Ãœœ˜i
of its most buried. I’m talking about a
hefty new improvement for the system-
wide back gesture – the one where you
can swipe in from the left or right side
of the screen to move back a single step

94 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

in any app you’re eyeing. (Again, this Android
ˆÃëiVˆwV̜Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`½ÃVÕÀÀi˜Ì}iÃÌÕÀi 14’s new
system and doesn’t apply if you’re predictive
still sticking with the old three-button back
addition in
navigation set-up.)
action.
For context: Android’s back
command has always been a bit of a
blessing and a curse. It’s a fantastic way
to move around your Pixel, and it makes
platforms without such an option feel
like locked-in messes of confusion in
comparison. But at the same time, it
V>˜Li`ˆvwVՏÌ̜Žii«ÌÀ>VŽœviÝ>V̏Þ
what’ll happen when you swipe back
in certain apps or processes – whether
you’ll be taken back to another area of of your way to enable this and get it
that same app, for instance, or dropped working at the moment.
back out onto your home screen. In fact, you need to dig into your
With Android 14, Google is laying device’s developer settings, which isn’t
the groundwork to correct that. The something I’d typically advise most
software includes a new predictive back people to mess with because you can
set-up that lets you see a peek at where mess things up if you hit the wrong
you’re going as soon you start to swipe option in that area. But as long as you
in from the side of your screen. That carefully follow the steps here and
Ü>Þ]ޜÕV>˜`iVˆ`iœ˜Ì iyÞˆvޜÕ don’t touch anything beyond the single
want to keep swiping and land there or setting we’re seeking, there’s no reason
if you’d rather reconsider and stop. not to enable this and give yourself a
Now, here’s the catch – two of them, Ì>ÃÌiœvƂ˜`Àœˆ`½Ã}iÃÌÕÀi‡Àiw˜i`vÕÌÕÀi\
technically. First, the feature works
only in a limited subset of apps that • First, go to your Pixel’s system settings
explicitly support it, which basically and tap the About Phone section.
means a small handful of Google’s
own self-made creations, at this point. • Scroll to the bottom of that menu and
Secondly, you really need to go out w˜`Ì iˆ˜i>Lii`¼ Ո`˜Õ“LiÀ½°

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 95

ANDROID 14

• Tap that line until you see a message

about enabling Android’s developer
settings.

• Enter your PIN, password or pattern

Ü i˜«Àœ“«Ìi`̜Vœ˜wÀ“ޜÕ>VÌÕ>Þ
want to do that.

• Now, tap the search box at the top of

the settings screen and type the word
predictive into the search area.

• Tap ‘Predictive back animations’ in

the results.

• Flip the toggle directly next to

‘Predictive back animations’ when
you get taken to that line within the
`iÛiœ«iÀÃiÌ̈˜}Ã>˜`Vœ˜wÀ“ޜÕ
want to activate the associated option.

• Swipe out of that menu and don’t

touch anything else there.

Now just swipe around in your

system settings – or try a Google
app such as Google News or your
Pixel Phone app – and you’ll see
that satisfying new back peeking
preview in action.

96 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 Credit: Getty Images/Portra
7 buried Android 14
treasures for your
Google Pixel phone
Some great new features have just appeared on Pixel phones. Here are
some more of our favourites. JR RAPHAEL reports

G
oogle’s in the midst of rolling 1. FAST FONT FLIPPING
out the Android 14 update / ˆÃwÀÃÌ*ˆÝi̈«ˆÃܓiÌ ˆ˜}
for all current Pixel devices. mentioned inadvertently while talking
And while Android 14 may seem a about Pixel shortcuts a few weeks back.
uninspiring on the surface, you’d be I’d been using the Android 14 beta on
surprised how much useful stuff is my personal Pixel phone, and it didn’t
waiting to be found. even dawn on me that this feature was

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 97

ANDROID 14

connected to that and not something • Look for the Font Size tile within
available more broadly at that moment. that area, then press and hold your
Now you’ve got Android 14 in front w˜}iÀ̜ˆÌ>˜``À>}ˆÌÕ«ˆ˜ÌœÌ i
of you, though, this feature should be section of active tiles. Note that if you
there and waiting. It’s a handy new «>ViˆÌˆ˜œ˜iœvÌ iwÀÃÌvœÕÀϜÌÃ]
Quick Settings tile that lets you adjust you’ll always see it with a single swipe
the font size in any app you’re eyeing down from the top of your screen for
and make the text bigger or smaller especially easy access.
in the blink of an eye – without ever
interrupting what you’re working on. Now, anytime your eyes feel like
Here’s how: they could use some help, simply tap
that tile and adjust away.
• Open your Pixel’s Quick Settings
by swiping down twice from the top 2. MAGNIFICENT
of the screen. MAGNIFICATION
While we’re talking text, take 10
• Tap the pencil-shaped editing icon seconds to try out Android 14’s
in the lower-right corner of the panel. i˜ >˜Vi`“>}˜ˆwV>̈œ˜ÃÞÃÌi“°̽Ã
technically an accessibility feature, but
• Scroll down until you see the section Android’s accessibility options can often
of inactive tiles – with the phrase ‘Hold be useful for just about anyone in the
and drag to add tiles’ at its top. right sort of situation. So make your
way to the Accessibility section of your
Boosting
Pixel’s settings and tap the line labelled
up font
size is
¼>}˜ˆwV>̈œ˜½]Ì i˜\
easier
than •ˆ«Ì i̜}}i˜iÝÌ̜¼>}˜ˆwV>̈œ˜
ever with shortcut’ into the on position.
Android
14 on
•/>«Ì iܜÀ`ü>}˜ˆwV>̈œ˜
a Pixel
device.
shortcut’ and make sure ‘Tap
accessibility button’ is unchecked
and ‘Hold volume keys’ is checked.
(Otherwise, you’ll end up with an

98 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

annoying permanent button for this Zoom in,
function on the side of your screen.) zoom out:
Android
• Tap ‘Save’. 14’s newly
improved
“>}˜ˆwV>̈œ˜
•Ƃ˜`w˜>Þ]Ì>«¼>}˜ˆwV>̈œ˜ÌÞ«i½ mode in
and change its setting to ‘Magnify part action.
of screen’.

Now, anywhere in Android, do this:

• Press your Pixel’s physical volume-

up and volume-down buttons at the want to disable this feature entirely,
same time and hold them down for a head back to that same settings
second or so. “i˜Õ>˜`yˆ«Ì iÃ܈ÌV ˜iÝÌ̜
¼>}˜ˆwV>̈œ˜à œÀÌVÕ̜̽ÌÕÀ˜ˆÌL>VŽ
•7 i˜ޜÕÃii>«œ«‡Õ«Vœ˜wÀ“ˆ˜} off.
that you want to use the Android
>}˜ˆwV>̈œ˜vi>ÌÕÀi]Ì>«¼/ÕÀ˜œ˜½° 3. FLASHY ALERTS
­/ ˆÃà œÕ`œ˜Þ >««i˜Ì iÛiÀÞwÀÃÌ No one wants to miss an important
time you use this option.) ˜œÌˆwV>̈œ˜>˜`ÜˆÌ Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`£{ޜÕ
can make sure you always see important
• Now, when you see an orange box
Warning:
show up on your screen, touch the icon
Flashing
in its corner to move it around to any may occur.
area of the display you’d like to make
>À}iÀqÌ i˜ψ`iÌܜw˜}iÀÃ>«>ÀÌ
on the screen within it to increase the
“>}˜ˆwV>̈œ˜>˜`ψ`i¼i“L>VŽ>«>ÀÌ
to decrease it.

When you want to dismiss the

“>}˜ˆwV>̈œ˜LœÝ]«ÀiÃÃ>˜` œ`ޜÕÀ
volume keys together. And if you ever

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 99

ANDROID 14

˜œÌˆwV>̈œ˜Ã>ÃÌ iÞ>ÀÀˆÛi°̽Ã> œ˜i]iëiVˆ>ÞˆvޜÕiÛiÀw˜`ޜÕÀÃiv

ȓ«iÃ܈ÌV Ì >̽y>à ޜÕÀ« œ˜i½Ã Ü>˜Ìˆ˜}ޜÕÀ˜œÌˆwV>̈œ˜Ã̜LiœÕ`
camera light and/or screen anytime a but your ring to be a little less jarring.
˜œÌˆwV>̈œ˜Vœ“iȘœÀ>˜>>À“}œià And I’m happy to report that as of
off on the device. That way, anything Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`£{]Ì ivÀÕÃÌÀ>̈˜}y>܈ÃwÝi`°
requiring your attention will always Return to system settings, and this
catch your eye. time, open the Sound & Vibration
/ ˆÃˆÃ>˜œÌ iÀœ˜iÌ >Ìޜսw˜` section. As you can see in our
within your Pixel’s Accessibility settings screenshot (bottom left), you can
section. Just activate the toggle next to adjust the sliders here.
¼ >“iÀ>y>à ½œÀ¼-VÀii˜y>à ½]Ì i˜ ˆÌ
the Preview button to test it out. Note, 5. DAY AND TEMP FLEXIBILITY
too, that if you tap the words ‘Screen With Android 14, your Pixel now
y>à ½]ޜÕV>˜V œœÃi>˜ÞVœœÕÀvœÀÌ i permits you to select which day
screen to use in its lit-up state. you want your week to start on and
which temperature measurement you
4. NOTIFICATION NUANCE prefer – and then have those choices
This next Pixel gift is something so apply in all apps, all throughout your
simple, it’s almost shocking we haven’t Android experience.
had it up ‘til now – but oh, it be true: To make such an adjustment:
With Android versions prior to Android
14, Pixel phones have strangely lacked • Enter the System section of your
the ability to set separate volume levels Pixel’s settings.
vœÀˆ˜Vœ“ˆ˜}V>Ã>˜`˜œÌˆwV>̈œ˜Ã°
̽Ã>Ó>`iÌ>ˆLÕÌ>È}˜ˆwV>˜Ì • Tap ‘Languages’, then ‘Regional

Separate Android
ring and 14’s new
˜œÌˆwV>̈œ˜ system-wide
volume temperature
sliders in and day
Android preferences,
14. as seen on
the Pixel 8.

100 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 117

 A healthy
new way to
control your
health data
on any Pixel
device.

Actual context around a location permission.

preferences’.

6. LOCATION INFORMATION
Android has been giving us more
and more control over important
system permissions with every passing of your Pixel settings that lets you see
version for a while now, and Android >˜`Vœ˜ÌÀœ>œvޜÕÀ i>Ì >˜`w̘iÃÃ
14 continues that tradition in an data, and manage exactly which apps
interesting new way. In short, anytime an and devices are able to access it.
app requests permission to access your /œw˜`ˆÌ\
device’s location, your Pixel will now tell
you exactly why the app needs that data • Go to the Security & Privacy section of
and what it intends to do with it. your Pixel system settings.
There’s nothing you need to do on
this one; it’s just something that should • Tap ‘Privacy’.
start happening as the situation arises
(and as apps catch up with the new • Then tap ‘Health Connect’.
requirement and begin to comply).

7. HEALTH CONTROL
If you use your Pixel for any manner
of health-related purpose – including
connecting it to a watch or any sort of
health-related wearable – you’ll want
to seek out the Android 14 Health
Connect dashboard. It’s a new section

ISSUE 117 • ANDROID ADVISOR 101