This year’s (2024) Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra not only has built-in AI unlike anyother smartphone, ever, it is also the best travel companion you can own.

On a trip to Kenya, East Africa I left with a Galaxy S24 Ultra in my pocket, thanks to Samsung NZ.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra has some killer camera specs. I wont go over in detail, as we reviewed the phone a few months back, but to summarise you’ve got 200 MP wide as your main lens, a 10 MP telephoto, 50MP periscope telephoto), and 12 MP and super steady video recording up to 8K with the rear camera array.

Not too mention x100 zoom.

So I knew that I was set for a professional quality series of snaps as I travel about.

But also, I wondered how the Galaxy S24 Ultra would endure between charges. The smartphone has a 5000mAh battery and when I reviewed the device I was able to get one to two days without needing a charge. But the adventure I was about to set off on I knew there would be moments where I may have to go a few days without charging.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and me headed out in to the heart of Kenya, where the wildlife roam and own the lands… and you are prey.

From the base of Mount Kenya to the reserves, the journeys were long but well worth it.

From close-up snaps to using the x100 zoom the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra performed and really showed why this device is the king of all mobile photography.

The sheer performance never let me down and surprisingly, given that I was I snap-happy tourist, neither did the battery with me squeezing two days from a single full charge (yep I did take a battery pack everywhere incase, but only needed to use it once).

Catching extreme detail in non-zoom photo’s, the ones where I had to use the zoom function still turned out, even to my surprise, fully rich with striking vividness.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra honestly blew away my expectations on all fronts, especially the camera and while there were other tourists taking pics with giant digital cameras and some seriously looking professional large lenses, I was there with a professional grade camera that I could put in my pocket.

Another feature of the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the live translation.

Being in a country where English is not the first language, and being remote most of the time where English is not spoken at all, using the translation function from Swahili to English and vice versa helped. It wasn’t perfect to be honest, but a very helpful tool to have on hand. I managed to get by without embarrassing myself.

Whether you’re about to set off on a wild adventure, or just looking for a smartphone that to use back at home that is going to give you the highest quality pictures to the likes of a professional studio, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is definitely the smartphone to have.

It will keep up with you, whether you’re traveling internationally, locally… or somewhere as far off as East Africa, it’s the perfect all-rounder and most definitely ensures that your holiday memories are captured as they happened, as you remember them in crystal clarity and utmost detail.

No phone right now has the camera chops that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has.

The post East Africa w. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Samsung’s new, powerful and fancy S22 Series has launched and if you didn’t do a pre-order and keen to enter in to a new Galaxy then read on.

I have had the honor of being able to try out both the S22+ 5G, Samsung’s mid-range, and the S22 Ultra 5G, their flagship.

Asides from the most obvious comparison between the two, size, what are they really like side by side and which one is going to get you beyond A to B?

The S22+ 5G may be the middle child but it still packs a fierce punch and shares some of the grunt of its bigger sibling.

They both have the same processor – a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.

This processor is maximised for performance while minimising battery consumption.

Being able to handle the best of your content creations, media streams and those all important snaps and selfies.

If you’re a multi-tasker, or someone who doesn’t close apps the 8GB RAM on the S22+ 5G should be enough. But if you’re a super multi-tasker and need that extra kick to edit video, film in 8K and have some hardcore gaming sessions then likely the 12GB RAM on the S22 Ultra 5G is going to be for you (the 128GB S22 Ultra 5G model has 8GB RAM).

The S22+ 5G has a 6.6 inch Dynamic AMOLED display (2,340 x 1,080 pixels) that has near to zero side bezel. Whereas the S22 Ultra 5G is 6.8 inch Dynamic AMOLED display (3088 x 1440 px) with curved glass edges.

Both boast a 120Hz refresh rate.Storage options between the two S22’s is similar, with one difference. 128 or 256GB for either model with the S22 Ultra 5G proving it’s the biggest boy on the block going up to 512GB.

Neither phone has microSD expansion.

Cameras and camera housing are completely different. From the back the two phones look like two completely different Series.

The S22+ 5G has three, Rear: 50MP (wide) + 12MP (ultra-wide) + 10MP (telephoto) and a 10MP Selfie camera all housed in a raised rectangular housing.

S22 Ultra 5G does not have the raised housing and of course has more cameras. Rear: 108MP (wide), 12MP (ultra-wide), 10MP (periscope telephoto), 10MP (telephoto) and a generous 40MP selfie.

Samsung Galaxy S Series ‘Nightography’

Both record video in 4K or 8K. If you do record in 8K I’d advise you invest in the larger storage model.

Camera modes are the same for both models also.

As for life longevity, Samsung went all out on the S22 Ultra 5G.

A mega 5,000 mAh battery got me through a full 22 hours during my review time with the S22 Ultra 5G. I’m not exactly a light user.

The S22+ 5G is a smaller power cell coming in at 4500 mAh. This was still enough for me to get through a full day.

If you’re not a heavy phone user the Ultra will likely last you a few days from a full charge, the S22+ 5G possibly a day and a half.

Both have quick charge feature with a 45 watt charger – but neither phone actually come with a A/C charger.

But this is not where the comparisons end. The S22 Ultra 5G has one more trick up its sleeve that sets it aside, makes it completely different from the other models.

The S Pen.

Being a more squared edge form factor the S22 Ultra 5G has a bluetooth connected S Pen that inserts and releases from the left bottom of the phone.

If you do a lot of note taking, presentations or just like the ability of being able to use a stylus to operate your phone then there’s no comparison – the S22 Ultra 5G is a winner there.

Having had both handsets to test out I found that when side by side the differences in both appearance and performance are obvious.

The S22 Ultra 5G loads apps and games way faster and the S22 Ultra 5G also boasts a 100x digital zoom. Their night shots, called ‘Nightrography’ are of the same quality.

The S22+ loses battery life quicker when both phones are used in a similar fashion (i.e. same apps open and running, same games open and played for 1 hour each, media streamed for same length of time and video recording of same duration, both 4K and 8K).

Both Samsung Galaxy S22’s, S22+ 5G and S22 Ultra 5G are forward thinking future proofed smartphones in their own right.

Personal preference always comes in to play of course, some (like me) prefer larger screens for media and gaming, others want something that’s going to fit in to a pocket or bag easier and not always going to require two hands to operate it.

Pricing also plays a factor and will depend on your budget – the cost comparison between the two base models (128GB) is around $300 – $400 (NZD).

If you’re in need of the grunt without the girth the S22+ 5G is going to see you right. However if you want to wield the super power of a smartphone and enact wizardry with a stylus then get the S22 Ultra 5G.

The post S22+ 5G or S22 Ultra 5G? appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

OPPO has just introduced its cutting-edge new flagship Find X5 Series, raising the bar on smartphone imaging and premium design.

The new series is packed with industry-leading features to empower consumers to be their true selves and express their individuality on their terms.

The Find X5 Series boasts a futuristic aesthetic that achieves clean, modern sophistication and world-first imaging experiences, including a dedicated imaging Neural Processing Unit developed by OPPO, MariSilicon X, which overcomes smartphones’ greatest challenge with video capturing: night-time recording.

Complemented with an incomparable dual flagship Sony IMX766 camera system, unrivalled performance, ultra-fast 5G connectivity, and incredible SUPERVOOC TM Flash Charging technology.

“Find X5 Series elevates the Find X series to a whole new level of beauty – both aesthetic and in terms of capabilities, redrawing the boundaries of the mobile experience across design, imaging, battery technology and performance. It builds on the core DNA that made the Find X3 Series a hit with consumers and critics alike,” said Morgan Halim, Managing Director at OPPO New Zealand.

Night video presents a major challenge for smartphones, so OPPO has designed a dedicated imaging NPU, MariSilicon X, to bring the night to life, without sacrificing colour.

Based on a 6-nanometer process crafted for top-tier imaging performance, the MariSilicon X packs the most powerful AI computing power available today.

The result is a four times improvement in perceived night video resolution, less grain and superior colour reproduction, making 4K Ultra Night Video possible for the first time on an Android smartphone, with each frame as clean as a still photo.

OPPO’s MariSilicon X is just one key element of Find X5 Pro’s advanced imaging system. The wide and ultra-wide-angle cameras both feature Sony’s advanced 50MP IMX766 flagship sensors, with a sensor size of 1/1.56”, 2um large pixel size after binning.

The wide-angle camera also features a first-of-its-kind Five-axis OIS system, which improves with every use to counter handshake, reduce noise and sharpen scenes.

With superior 4K Ultra Night Video capturing across wide and ultra-wide cameras, the Find X5 Series boasts the best wide and ultra-wide imaging quality across both stills and videos in the industry.

What’s more, Find X5 Pro comes with an upgraded front camera, which is an intelligent 32MP shooter that captures details in brilliant clarity also thanks to the MariSilicon X Imaging NPU. This allows boosted dynamic range and true-to-life textures that will make selfies pop.

To help further realise OPPO’s vision of professional camera experiences, Find X5 series is the first OPPO smartphone series to incorporate the best of Hasselblad software – Hasselblad Camera for Mobile – to enhance and finetune the beautiful and natural colours of your photography.

Building on the design innovations of the Find X series, the expertly curated Find X5 Pro features a spacecraft-inspired curved body using only the most high-end materials. The ultra-hard, true ceramic back of Find X5 Pro is available in Ceramic White and Glaze Black to reflect clean, modern sophistication at its finest. This seamless ceramic back panel blends beauty and durability, takes over 168 hours to create and is of course splash, water and dust resistant with a IP68 rating.

Find X5 Pro’s display is just as impressive, featuring a 6.7-inch ultra-clear curved AMOLED screen. With a WQHD+ resolution, and 100% P3 colour gamut coverage, Find X5 Pro’s 10-bit screen displays more than 1 billion colours, creating smooth tonal and colour gradations, displaying the full depth and range of even the most subtle shifts in colour.

Find X5 Pro also boosts display performance with the first multi-brightness colour calibration of its kind, creating colours that are consistent, whether you’re looking at the screen under dim artificial light or under a bright summer sky.

Powered by the latest-generation, multicore Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, Find X5 Pro is supercharged to handle even the most demanding games and applications.

OPPO has doubled down on efforts to boost battery life on Find X5 Pro and level-up power management. The large, 5000mAh dual-cell battery reflects a capacity increase of more than 11 per cent over Find X3 Pro, so you can relax knowing your phone will be ready to go when you need it.

With the support of enhanced 80W SUPERVOOC TM Flash-charging technology, Find X5 Pro can be charged from close to empty to 50 per cent in just 12 minutes, and with 50W AIRVOOC TM, it powers up to 100 per cent wirelessly in just 47 minutes.

OPPO’s human-centric interface, ColorOS 12.1 is its most beautiful, intuitive and personal experience ever. Combining with Google’s Android 12 operating system, it delivers incredible experiences and class-leading privacy features, while maintaining full access to the Google Play Store and its 3 million+ apps.

The post OPPO Announce the Find X5 Series appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Global smart device brand, OPPO, today unveiled its next-generation under-screen camera (USC) technology for smartphones.

By combining the best in hardware innovation and OPPO’s proprietary AI algorithms, the new under-screen camera solution discreetly places the front-facing camera under the smartphone display in a way that maintains the integrity and consistency of the entire screen, both during use and while in standby.

Offering the perfect balance between consistent screen quality and camera image quality, it is an under-screen camera solution with no compromises.

This new under-screen camera solution solves many technical and manufacturing-related challenges that have plagued under-screen camera technology since the beginning of its development.

Breakthroughs include resolving issues such as inconsistent display quality in the screen area above the under-screen camera, poor image quality caused by obstruction of the camera by the screen, as well as issues with product reliability and lifespan.

Thanks to advancements in these areas, OPPO has been able to deliver an upgraded under-screen camera solution that takes end-to-end, full-screen experience to new levels.

On the display, OPPO’s next-generation under-screen camera solution introduces several new innovations in structure design and AI algorithms:

• Innovative pixel geometry: the new solution shrinks the size of each pixel without decreasing the number of pixels to ensure a 400-PPI high-quality display even in the camera area.
• Transparent wiring and new design: OPPO has replaced the traditional screen wiring with an innovative transparent wiring material. Combined with a high-precision manufacturing process that reduces the width of the wiring by 50%, this results in much finer display quality with a smoother visual experience.
• Improved control of screen accuracy, colour, and brightness: in contrast to the current industry standard of using 1 pixel circuit to drive 2 pixels (“1-to-2”) in the screen area above the camera, OPPO has introduced a new solution using proprietary screen technology, with each pixel circuit driving only 1 pixel (“1-to-1”). When combined with OPPO’s precise algorithmic compensation technology, this allows the chromaticity and brightness of the entire screen to be precisely controlled with a deviation of about 2%. For uses such as reading e-books, browsing the news, or navigating with maps, OPPO’s next generation under-screen camera technology allows for the accurate display of smaller fonts and better preservation and representation of textural details and colours, resulting in a more consistent and immersive experience.
• Improved reliability and lifespan: with the introduction of the “1-to-1” pixel circuit and dedicated optimisation algorithm, OPPO’s next-generation under-screen camera solution is able to provide display compensation in the under-screen camera area of screen, improving the screen’s lifespan by up to 50%.

With regards to the camera, OPPO’s U.S. Research Institutes has developed a series of imaging AI algorithms – including diffraction reduction, HDR and AWB – to reduce some of the negative side effects typically found in under-screen cameras, such as blurry images and image glare.

OPPO has also trained its AI diffraction reduction model using tens of thousands of images to control problems caused by diffraction at the light source, allowing users to capture clearer, more natural-looking images.

As consumer demand for larger screen-to-body ratios and novel smartphone form factors has grown, OPPO has invested heavily into research and development in these areas. OPPO has released three generations of under-screen camera solutions to date since it began its development of the technology in 2018, applying for over 200 related patents in the process. In 2020, OPPO also made further contributions to the development of the technology with the submission of its first proposed standards for under-screen camera technology to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Included in the submitted proposal were recommendations for 7 key technical metrics including display transmittance, reflectance, uniformity, Gamma correction, colour shift, and brightness decay.

OPPO will continue its research and development into hardware design and algorithmic processing capabilities to further optimise its under-screen camera technology, with the end goal of bringing a more immersive, true full-screen under-screen camera system to users worldwide.

The post OPPO Unveils Next-Generation Under-Screen Camera appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Nokia, the pioneers of mobile phones, have placed mobile photography prowess in the hands of everyone with their Nokia G20.

Giving a full unskinned and un-bloated Android 11 and Android One experience the smartphone comes with an impressive 48MP rear camera.

STG received one of the newly released smartdevices to give it a run through.

Bearing in mind that while this does have decent camera specs, it is still a low to mid-range device.

A mere 64GB of internal storage may not get some users too far, but you can add a microSD.

Being that it is pure Google, your snaps and other media are likely to save in the cloud anyway.

The Nokia G20 could’ve done with a RAM boost though.

The installed 4GB seems to be enough to run the device, but not much more. There was repeated lag when using the phone which was also experienced when using the camera.

Nokia G20 – Portrait mode

Now, for the full camera specs.

As mentioned, the rear features a large 48MP lens in a quad lens housing with an additional 5 MP ultrawide, 2 MP macro (which didn’t exactly work too well) and a 2 MP depth.

Modes to play with are Night, Portrait, Photo and Video with two additional ones; Panaroma and Timelapse.

Portrait offers up a subtle bokeh effect and Night mode, well… there’s some work to be done there to improve.

The front selfie camera weighs in at a low 8MP.

Nokia G20 – Night mode

Both front and back video is shot is 1080p at 30FPS. Decent enough and produces a real good result – but this is where the handsets storage comes in to play. Shoot a few of these and you’re Nokia G20 will become choca in no time.

The Nokia G20 is not a small form factor at 6.5 inches and has an impressively vibrant dewdrop LCD display. There is no high refresh rate, 20Hz and screen ratio is a low-range 720 x 1600 ratio. The G20 is beautifully cased.

Powering the Nokia G20 is a Octa-Core MediaTek Helio G35.

Nokia G20 – Macro mode

Again, this is enough to power the smartphone and the low resource Android One OS, aswell as optimise the battery life, but coupled with the RAM the G20 is not going to win any speed races.

Speaking of battery, the super hefty 5050mAh is going to keep you going and going and going for… well, for me on average everyday a total of five and a half days from a full charge to empty.

Sure I wasn’t able to play games on it or really do any multi-tasking whatsoever, but streaming media via Bluetooth and usual daily messaging apps and calls the G20 outperformed the life-span of any smartphone I have tested and managed to last the distance and then some.

There is no wireless charging, the G20 must be cabled in via the supplied USB-C cable.

Summing up the Nokia G20 it would be fair to say that it is an eclectic mix of specs.

Bearing in mind that this is not so much of a mid-range as it is low-range. On one hand we have the low internal hardware resource, but then it comes with a killer main camera at the rear and a battery built to last you – at a very low pricing tier.

A winner of a handset for low-level users, or as a first smartphone, gives an excellent pure Android experience and perfect for using just for photos (in Photo or Portrait mode) but not ideal if you’re wanting to do any vlogging, content creation or multi-tasking.

The post Nokia G20 Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

OPPO are on the up and up and with products like their newest flagship smartphone; Find X3 Pro 5G, it’s no wonder.

The astounding 1Billion colour 6.7 inch waterfall screen pops whether you’re snapping selfies, playing games or streaming media.

The Android 11 smartphone also has a 50MP camera that does something out of this world.

So let’s get under the hood.

Powered by a Snapdragon 888 which is designed for performance, power and optimization and 5G the onboard 12GB RAM ensures you’re never going to experience any choking as you multi-task or game like a pro.

The 256GB ROM (internal storage) should be enough for most. It will have to be actually as there is no microSD slot.

OPPO have taken a luxury sports car-like curved design for the rear lens housing (OPPO state that it is inspired by spacecraft). Where others have the quadrant sticking out like a tile the OPPO Find X3 Pro 5G slowly rises up to the camera array.

There are four cameras in total, 50MP is your main wide camera, then there’s a 13MP telephoto, a 50MP ultra wide and this is where the innovation really comes in – doing something that no one else has – a 3MP microscope lens. Taking macro a million steps closer.

OPPO Find X3 Pro 5G – Microscope lens: Microscope mode taken on a general everyday wear pair of jeans.

The microscope lens is exactly what it says – super extreme close up detail where you will need to place the lens housing on a surface or object and raise it ever so slightly to gain focus. The microscope lens has a light around it so you’re not going to get a darkened shot at extreme close range coming in at 60x zoom (you can even zoom in with the microscope).

The front camera is 32MP blasting away OPPO’s flagship competitors and both front and back cameras will record in 1080p and there is a simultaneous front and back camera recording mode similar to ‘Director Mode’ that we saw in Samsung’s S21 series.

For your general close-ups maximum zoom is 20x. Movie mode deserves a mention here too. Gain that cinematic film feel with smooth Hollywood camera actions and motions for your next home based blockbuster.

Of course, Night mode, OPPO excel at this and is an improvement on what I experienced on the Find X3 Pro Lite.

OPPO have placed their ColorOS 11 over the top of Android and with every new device that they release, their own OS seems lighter trimming away anything that would likely bloat the system.

The OPPO Find X3 Pro 5G is likely to survive one to two days from a full charge for the mid to heavier users like me. The built in 4,500mAh cell is enough juice and optimization to ensure you’re not caught short.

I experienced superb performance from the Find X3 Pro 5G’s battery. Playing PUBG for 2 hours hardly chinked anything from a fully charged battery (11%), streaming Shudder and Netflix for a total of four hours over the course of a day shaved a bit though (30%).

For general use and even the 4K video recording, you’ll be able to snap and record without fear of needing to charge before the day is out.

The OPPO Find X3 Pro 5G does have wireless charging, reverse charging and SuperVOOC for a real quick charge up. From 2% to 80% it took around 20 minutes via the supplied 65W AC charger and USB-C cable.

OPPO’s Find series has always been their crowning jewel in their arsenal of top tier smartphones. From the Find X that had the hidden front camera through to last years Find X2 Pro, the Find X3 Pro 5G is many light years ahead of not only their prior phones, but of the competition aswell.

Find X3 Pro 5G takes smartphones out of this world and beyond. Pricing might be the only setback for some.

The post OPPO Find X3 Pro 5G Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

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Huawei proving they are still the smartphone manufacturers that give bang for your bucks have recently released the mid range, low priced Y6P – debuting their Petal search at the same time.

The 6.3 inch smartphone is built for those that don’t need the full on processing power of flagships but don’t want to compromise on camera specs.

The slim bezel LCD screen features a notch at the top for the 8MP selfie camera.

being an under $300 NZD smartphone I was surprised to see the range of camera modes included, such as an astounding bokeh effect with Aperture, Pro mode, Panorama, a detail rich HDR, an adjustable Beauty mode and HD video recording.

The back-flush rear triple camera array weighs in at 13 MP with a 1.8 wide, additionally there is a ultra-wide 5 MP and a 2MP depth lens. Huawei have always been at the top for their camera’s and their mid-range devices aren’t excluded.

There’s enough RAM at 4GB to stream media, record and snap photos to your hearts content. Internal storage is on the lower side of present smartphones at 64GB.

For most users of a phone at this tier it is likely to be enough – the Huawei Y6P does allow microSD expansion.

Still a favourite of mine is the fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone.

First experienced in the Mate7 years ago, I still like this placement as it feels more natural – and the recognition is instant. The front camera lens also has 3D face scanning for facial recognition if you prefer this to keep your smartphone secure.

Powering all of this is a modest mid-range quad Octa-core crunching data at 2.0 GHz.

The Y6P is fast enough and it can play a few games too. Call of Duty Mobile fared well.

Huawei’s Y6P is the first smartphone to come with their Petal Search app builtin.

Produced by Huawei – the Petal Search is a widget on the Home screen (removable) which enables instant search results for Android based apps.

It works exceedingly well producing relevant results with various vendors for an app. type it in, search, click and download.

I do recommend that you read the reviews or take note of any star ratings on the said app results as these are from third parties.

Nonetheless it is a perfect search engine to get the Android apps that you know and love, old and new back on to your Huawei device.

But that’s not all – the Y6P has one more feature that was the biggest surprise – a massive 5,000 mAh battery.

One of the largest capacity batteries to be in a smartphone you can expect that the Y6P is going to see you right for a few days without a single charge (usage dependent of course).

With moderate to light use you could likely squeeze up to 5 days life from the device.

The Y6P is a device tailored at mid-level users, students or those that just want a real good camera smartphone without having to sell a vital organ.

The post Huawei Y6P Smartphone Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The Find is back, but not as we know it.

The first Find X smartphone was a unique first of it’s kind. All screen with the selfie camera hidden inside the body of the device.

The cameras would mechanically raise to the wonderment of, well, everyone.

But moving parts inside a smart device was not to be a thing, apparently, and phone manufacturers including OPPO strayed away from the idea which leads us to their newest edition – the Find X2 Pro 5G.

A phone absolutely built for mobile photographers.

A triple lens 48MP rear camera encompassing omnidirectional shooting, laser auto focus, periscope telephoto and ultra-wide.

The rear cameras are able to record in 60fps (frames per second) and a steadied zoom of 60x.

For those awe inspiring selfies you’ve got a 32MP front pin-hole camera which can record at 1080p, though lowered to 30 fps.

Modes were a bit scarce. You do have the usual suspects including bokeh but there have been some exclusions, noticeable is the AR (augmented reality). Add stickers with the AI (artificial intelligence) increase the beauty filter but what’s the most magical of all is the Ultra Night 2.0 mode.

(OPPO Find X2 Pro 5G – 60x zoom)

(OPPO Find X2 Pro 5G Ultra Night Mode 2.0)

Pure wizardry – I cannot even guess where the Night camera pulls the extra light in from. In pitch black you get a well lit shot.

Using the Find X2 Pro outdoors day or night you’re going to end up with absolute detail, vivid colours and no fuzzy darkened moments.

The Find X2 Pro 5G is a beast of a phone. It’s the elite, top shelf model for OPPO and they have gone all out not leaving us wanting for anything.

Using Android 10 as it’s base OS (operating system) OPPO have overlaid their intuitive ColorOS7 on top with little bloatware. You’re going to be able to do anything on the Find X2 Pro 5G.

It’s internal resources see 512GB storage with 12GB RAM for multitasking or high caliber mobile gaming.

A device with mobile eSports in mind and being that it is 5G one can expect online tournaments to run seamlessly.

OPPO decided that 512GB is enough for all users – and it is to be fair. There is no microSD card expansion.

All this is powered by a Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 and even when playing hard and fast games like Fortnite or Call of Duty Mobile neither the phone nor the battery stress out.

For media watching and streaming the OLED 6.7 inch 120Hz QHD+ Ultra Vision screen with waterfall display is exquisite with 1 Billion colour ratio in total FHD (full HD). There is a finger print sensor under the glass of the screen too.

A large smartphone needs a large capacity battery and OPPO have provided once again.

The OPPO Find X2 Pro 5G comes with a 65 watt charger. A few minutes from flat and you’re almost at 70%. The  Li-Po 4260 mAh battery is going to see you right for a couple of days without a single charge. It did for me and I’m not a light user.

Constant gaming sessions however did of course reduce this a bit to around a day and a half – that’s good enough for me.

The Find X2 Pro 5G comes in two varieties; Black ceramic and a very tasty looking vegan leather orange.

OPPO have totally outdone themselves and produced a smartphone incomparable to anyother currently.

A super long battery life, spec’d up enough for anything that you’re likely to use your smartphone for – and more, audio via the device or headset which is top shelf (Dolby Digital builtin) and the most visually displaying screen to experience yet.

But, there’s a couple of things that the Find X2 Pro 5G missed out on. Wireless and reverse charging does not feature. It’s not there and the already mentioned expandable memory.

While I was a tad disappointed not to see either feature I also get that the OPPO Find X2 Pro 5G has a battery that makes use of OPPO’s VOOC 2.0 fast charge and the included 65W charger. Placing a Find X2 Pro 5G on any wireless charging base would not get you the speed of light juice that the device has been built for.

These are small when compared with what this smartphone is capable of.

If you’re looking to upgrade or to equip yourself with a powerhouse device that’s going to keep you going and going and going and going forever and a day this is the smartphone for you.

Purely OPPO-tastic.

The post OPPO Find X2 Pro 5G Smartphone Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Joining forces with award-winning photographer and filmmaker Michaela Skovranova and National Geographic, OPPO made an expedition to the Antarctic, capturing the wilderness on the smartphone maker’s latest flagship phone, the Find X2 Pro.

Proving just how capable its latest 5G-ready flagship smartphone is, the Find X2 Pro thrived in the extreme climatic conditions with minus degree temperatures, heavy winds and ice and snow, producing sharp and detailed footage, rival to professional cameras.

Titled ‘Uncover Antarctica’, the excursion demonstrates the latest features of the X2 Pro device to the extreme – including its Ultra Vision Camera system with an optical 10x hybrid zoom and 60x digital zoom, its Ultra Steady Mode 2.0 which combats any professional action cam, its 120Hz Ultra Vision display offering excellent image reproduction, and Ultra Night mode which ensures clear and powerful images in even the darkest settings, like underneath the starry night skies of the Antarctic.

Photo by Michaela Skovranova @mishkusk | Lost in the silence. A quiet sunset on the Antarctic Peninsula Oppo / Uncover Antarctica

Morgan Halim, OPPO New Zealand Managing Director says, “I was genuinely blown away by the footage and what the crew managed to achieve in such tough conditions. It really shows the calibre of the current most premium smartphones available, and what the future holds for photography and film.”

The adventure of extremes saw Michaela Skovranova capture the unique beauty of the white continent in breathtaking photos and film, using the X2 Pro in ice and snow, underwater, darkness and under strong wind conditions. Setting a new benchmark in the world of film and photography, the videos and photos impress with their outstanding quality – confirmed by professional photographer Michaela Skovranova.

“The camera sensors allowed me to take photos that I never thought possible with a smartphone. It’s simply spellbinding when a humpback whale takes a deep breath and dives back into the water. And thanks to the always-ready smartphone, I didn’t miss a single moment,” says Skovranova.

Photo by Michaela Skovranova @mishkusk | Iceberg is floating mass of freshwater ice that has broken from a glacier or an ice shelf. Icebergs can drift for hundreds of kilometres into warmer waters where they eventually melt. Scientists estimate the lifespan of an iceberg, from first snowfall on a glacier to final melting in the ocean, to be as long as 3,000 years. Oppo Uncover Antarctica

The pictures produced are of the best possible quality with the camera using a customised flagship sensor, the Sony IMX689 which is the largest sensor size among all 48MP mobile camera sensors. The powerful sensor combined with dual native ISO technology and f / 1.7 large aperture, brings powerful low light shooting capabilities.

“Spotting the first icebergs in the sea definitely stirred up some emotion in me. And this is why it is even more important to use the right features to capture moments like this. The 10x Hybrid Zoom can achieve a precision that I – as an experienced filmmaker and photographer – would never have thought possible. It’s simply spellbinding when you zoom in and discover details of the icy structure or birds in nosedive across the picture. Colour temperature sensing and image fusion algorithms combined with the 10x Hybrid Zoom don’t let you miss a single bit of the action,” says Skovranova.

“I really like the impressive large and clear field of view with a maximum wide angle of 120 degrees. It can capture an even wider range of scenery without any distortion – and all in high definition. The depth of field is already very high at a low f-stop. This means that the double 48-MP lenses capture images with continuous sharpness from foreground to background as with the group of gigantic ice rocks that rise majestically out of the water. I was using the ultra-wide angle every day during the trip and I believe it could be one of the most favourite features for every travel enthusiast.”

It was important to go beyond the limits, not only in a special location but also to the technical equipment. The X2 Pro made it possible to capture the true beauty of the underwater world with its IP68 rating for splash, water, and dust resistance.

The Uncover Antarctica film will play on National Geographic and Disney+ from June 9 to  August 18th 2020.

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The post Antarctic Threshold: OPPO Find X2 Pro Pushed to its Limits appeared first on Shane the Gamer.