When large, not to mention expensive, foldables didn’t seem to be appealing to people, manufacturers tried a different angle and sent a different message. Taking lessons from the somewhat inexplicable popularity of clamshell flip phones from the 80s and 90s, brands found the perfect opportunity to market a foldable phone that seemed hip, classy, and a bit more relatable. Thus, the flip-style foldable phones were born, straddling the fine line between compactness and usability, and we’ve been witnessing big changes in design and features in every iteration. But like their larger foldable siblings, these stylish phones have traditionally been held back by space constraints, especially when it comes to squeezing advanced cameras inside cramped bodies. With the Find N3 Flip, OPPO is trying to change the formula once and for all, so we put it through the wringer to see whether that large bump on its back is worth its presence.

Designer: OPPO

Aesthetics

There’s no denying the fact that two things will immediately catch your attention when you behold the OPPO Find N3 Flip. First is the large rectangular external display, formally called the Cover Screen, which has been the signature design of the OPPO Find N Flip. It’s admittedly smaller than ones from Samsung and Motorola, but its shape more closely resembles a phone screen and doesn’t force the cameras to be stuck with a particular design only. As we’ll soon see, OPPO added some new features for the Cover Screen, but it really only takes a second seat to the other most obvious design feature of its new flip foldable.

There is a distinct camera bump on the Find N3 Flip, and it isn’t some discreet bump either. It’s a large raised circle that houses no less than three sensors arranged in a symmetrical triangular pattern. It takes inspiration from the OPPO Find X6’s “Cosmos Ring” design, with an added “Starlight Track” that aims to mimic the control ring on camera lenses. On a wide area on a large phone like the Find X6, this design element is striking and quite pleasant. Squeezed into a very small space, the raised structure looks more pronounced and visually distracting. Some will love the luxurious style and materials of the ring, but there will also be some who will criticize its almost obnoxious presence, especially when the rest of the smartphone can stand up as an elegant accessory that you can proudly show off at a gala.

This isn’t surprising since the Find N2 Flip before it already flaunted stunningly good looks, and OPPO wisely preferred not to change that winning formula. The glass back panel’s edges gently curve toward the metal frame to produce a pleasing aesthetic that also increases comfort when holding it in your hand. It’s a departure from the predominantly flat trend of smartphones these days, but one that still works in the Find N3 Flip’s favor. The color options are just as gorgeous, with Cream Gold and Misty Pink offering soft hues and Sleek Black carrying a classic character. The phone has a minimalist charm to it as well, broken only by that large circle whose presence can, fortunately, be justified by its performance.

Ergonomics

Unlike with the larger book-style foldable, holding the OPPO Find N3 Flip is less of a hassle and risk because it can be easily held in one hand. In fact, you can even open it up with a single hand, if you’re not afraid of digging your finger in between the two halves. The phone folds completely flap with no gap in between, though there’s still a bit of space created by the raised edges of the foldable screen where you can slip your finger in. Some might still be a bit too wary of tempting fate, but opening and closing the foldable is quite easy and can even be quite addictive to be perfectly honest.

Holding the phone in your hand is just as pleasurable, thanks to both the texture of the materials used as well as their forms. The curved edges of the back panel contrast and complement the flat sides of the frame, providing both comfort as well as grip. It’s taller than most flat smartphones, of course, so you might still find yourself reaching elements higher on the screen with your free hand. Compared to other flip-style foldable phones, however, it has a wider main display and a wider body. This means the aspect ratio of the screen is more standard and that your hands won’t feel cramped when tapping away on it.

The improved Flexion Hinge also plays an important role in enhancing the usability of the foldable phone, especially when taking photos. Since it can stay open at almost any angle, you can take shots from difficult angles that would normally require a tripod or monopod and still have the confidence in being able to hold the phone firmly. Considering how this kind of foldable is being marketed primarily at Gen Z customers who love to take selfies or record videos, that kind of stability and ergonomics goes a long way in appealing to that consumer base.

Performance

The OPPO Find N3 Flip is quite the looker, but it thankfully isn’t just a pretty face. It boasts some of the best specs in the smartphone market today, like the latest LPDDR5x memory and fast UFS 4.0 storage technology. The one oddity in that hardware list is perhaps the choice of processor, a MediaTek Dimensity 9200. It’s definitely no Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, as synthetic benchmarks will show, and there will be some areas where the Dimensity 9200 might fall behind in terms of numbers. That said, the gap isn’t that wide, especially in practice, and you can expect premium performance from this foldable, no matter what task you throw at it.

The foldable display inside helps support those use cases, providing a vibrant and bright display when you need it but folding out of the way when you don’t. It’s the exact same screen as the OPPO Find N2 Flip, which means a 6.8-inch 120Hz foldable display with a resolution of 2520×1080, a few pixels shy of the standard ultra-wide format. Thanks to the aforementioned Flexion Hinge, the screen has no visible crease in the middle, not unless you intentionally search for or feel it. It presents a traditional user experience, the same you’d find on regular smartphones, just that you can fold it halfway to enable some extra features, especially with the camera.

Ironically, it’s the secondary display outside that’s more interesting than the foldable panel. The Cover Screen, after all, allows you to use the phone without opening it up as well as easily take high-quality selfies using the more powerful cameras on its back. It’s the same 3.26-inch 720×382 screen, though, with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection for this year’s model instead. The traditional rectangular shape might seem almost old-fashioned given these year’s flip phone designs, but its straightforward implementation actually makes it more flexible in features, at least in theory. It also frees up more space for bigger camera sensors, which is the true star of OPPO’s 2023 flip foldable phone.

The OPPO Find N3 Flip boasts the world’s first triple camera system on a clamshell foldable, which explains the decisions that the company had to make. It wouldn’t have been efficient to just have three dots lined up on the side of the phone, especially given the sensors’ sizes, so they had to resort to a more familiar design of having a large camera bump instead. Just having three cameras wouldn’t have been enough to justify such a large enclosure and, thankfully, OPPO didn’t stop there either.

Portrait Mode

The 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor makes its return from last year, but this time it comes with Optical Image Stabilization or OIS. The ultra-wide shooter has been upgraded with a whopping 48MP camera so you won’t have to sacrifice quality for field of view. The biggest change, however, is the dedicated telephoto camera with a 32MP sensor that’s useful not only for 2x optical zoom but also for taking stunning portrait photos, with some help from Hasselblad tuning. The results are simply impressive, with images containing lush colors and high levels of detail, no matter which of the three cameras you use. And thanks to that multi-angle Flexion Hinge, you can use these powerful cameras in more ways, taking breath-taking shots or videos without having to use sticks and stands.

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The Find N3 Flip runs the latest OPPO ColorOS 13.2 based on Android 13. This flavor of Android has all the bells and whistles you’ve come to expect from the brand, including the dizzying amount of options and several pre-installed apps. Unlike with the larger foldable, the focus on this flip phone is not exactly multi-tasking but on “mini-tasking,” that is, the mini apps that can run on the small Cover Screen. OPPO has expanded that experience to include a few more Google apps and social networks, but the limitations are still the same. You can’t use it for anything other than OPPO’s sanctioned set of apps and experiences, which now includes having a furry pal on your lock screen. It’s a double-edged that keeps the experience simple and streamlined but also misses out on big opportunities. It gets the job done, which focuses mostly on basic tasks you can do without flipping the phone open, but that’s all there is to it.

Normal Mode

Night Mode

Powering this whole ensemble is a 4,300mAh battery that is quite generous for a flip foldable. It’s more than enough to last you a full day, though your mileage will depend on what you’re using it for, and it also charges up quickly thanks to SuperVOOC 44W technology. There’s still no wireless charging, which is a bit of a shame in this day and age, especially when you consider the premium price that OPPO is asking for.

Sustainability

Despite its rapid growth, OPPO has thankfully been mindful of the role it plays in keeping the planet alive for future generations of customers. It has a strong and detailed strategy for reducing its impact, at least as far as operations and production go. There’s definitely plenty of room for improvement, especially when talking about the use of recycled materials, but that will probably require a bigger investment and more partnerships than OPPO can muster at the moment.

Fortunately, the OPPO Find N3 Flip is built to last, and not just because of its improved hinge. Earlier generations of foldable phones have been notoriously vulnerable to the slightest accidents, especially when it comes to dust and liquid. The Find N3 Flip’s IPX4 rating still doesn’t hit the mark, especially when it comes to protection from small particles, but the waterproofing goes a long way in inspiring confidence in such a pricey investment.

Value

It was quite easy to impress crowds with foldable phones, but they turned out to sell in practice. Durability and usability have always been concerns, but there’s also the question of practicality vis-a-vis their expensive price tags. Modern flip phones are an attempt to make the idea of foldable phones more approachable while also pushing down the price just a bit. Unfortunately, many of these devices failed to match expectations when compared to flagships on the same price tier, especially when it comes to the photography experience that many users consider to be critical to their smartphone use.

That’s where the OPPO Find N3 Flip comes to the scene with guns blazing. A glance at the specs sheet suggests an incremental upgrade from last year’s model, but you can immediately see there’s something different once you behold that large camera ring on its back. It is perhaps the closest that flip phones have gotten to matching the power of traditional flagships, both in the overall experience as well as in photography. It’s still a bit pricey, but that price finally makes sense considering you’re finally getting what you’re paying for.

Verdict

Foldable are here to stay and the market will only get noisier in the coming years. There’s plenty of room for improvement, especially as they try to catch up with features that have become standard in buyers’ eyes. Durability and reliability are always top priorities, but matching the photography prowess of flagships without giving up thin and light designs is something that has eluded even the biggest smartphone brands.

The OPPO Find N3 and the Find N3 Flip raise a challenge to the status quo, proving that, yes, you can put great cameras on foldable phones, too. While much of the Find N3 Flip hasn’t changed, it steps up its game with a team of imaging sensors that empowers any user to become a content creator. Yes, the large camera ring looks a little awkward, but we’ve seen worse designs on regular smartphones. It’s one of the prices that OPPO and users have to pay to achieve this level of performance, and it’s definitely worth that design cost. Fortunately, the rest of the phone looks as elegant as ever, so if you’re in the market for a stylish phone that has both a “Wow!” factor and impressive cameras, the OPPO Find N3 Flip deserves a spot on your list.

Aki Ukita contributed to this review.

The post OPPO Find N3 Flip Foldable Phone Review: Refinement with a Big Twist first appeared on Yanko Design.

Phone makers have been trying to really make foldables a more common presence in people’s hands, and they have been trying to do so by assuring them of their durability. But while they have been successful on that front to some extent, some people still doubt the practical use of such devices. What makes matters worse is that foldable phones have always been a step behind flagship models in the one area that matters most to users: the cameras. OPPO, however, is now saying that it doesn’t have to be the case, especially with advancements not only in technology but also in design. The new OPPO Find N3 foldable phone is poised to showcase how far foldable phone cameras can go, so we give it a good spin to see if it is the true trailblazer that the brand is touting it to be.

Designer: OPPO

Aesthetics

You might think that once you’ve seen one foldable phone, you’ve seen them all, but there’s definitely plenty of room for improvement and innovation. There are the parts that you can’t see, like the all-important hinge that can make or break the device almost literally. And then there are aspects that you can see, like the materials used to make the phone, the flexible screen that actually gives it its unique functionality and the camera bump that puts an accent on the phone’s back. The OPPO Find N3 definitely touches on these and then some, to create a rather beautiful package that you’ll proudly flaunt wherever you can.

Rather than aiming for the typical business-like appearance of smartphones, OPPO clad its latest large foldable with luxurious clothing that makes it as much a fashion statement as it is a technological marvel. The Classic Black, for example, is anything but standard, covering the back with rich vegan leather. Our review unit dons the Champagne Gold colorway that uses a single piece of glass for the back panel to give it an elegant character. In both models, the OPPO Find N3 sports a sand-blasted metal frame with flat sides to complete the phone’s contemporary aesthetic as well as provide a better grip.

The Cosmos Ring camera design will probably be a bit divisive, considering how large and conspicuous it is, especially on the Gold model where the lens easily stands out. At the same time, the camera’s symmetric design and gentle rise do add a bit of elegance to the composition. That said, the LED flash would have probably been better inside in the ring rather than sticking out like a sore thumb in the corner of the phone.

If there’s one thing that sets the OPPO Find N3 apart from its predecessors, it is the fact that it is noticeably taller, even if it’s only subtly larger. The aspect ratio of the screens is different and, for better or worse, changes the formula in an important way. The first two OPPO foldables were praised for their compact designs which were closer to common phone sizes when folded and were more like standard horizontal tablets when unfolded. This time around, the overall shape is taller, yielding a vertical tablet design instead, almost similar to the design that Samsung and Huawei have been carrying for years. On the one hand, this does suggest having more breathing room for content. On the other hand, it also sadly lets go of what endeared the OPPO Find N to the market and what set it apart from its peers.

Ergonomics

Comfort and confidence are important factors in any smartphone, but they’re even more critical for foldables because of the different shapes they come in and the higher risks of breaking the flexible screen and the hinge. Manufacturers have focused more on strengthening these two parts, but improving the phone’s ergonomics also goes a long way in preventing accidents from happening in the first place. In that regard, the OPPO Find N3’s textured back and flat sand-blasted frame offer a stronger grip without being too rough on the hands.

It also helps that the foldable phone is made to be just as light as a regular phone and incredibly thin whether folded or not. This isn’t just a bragging right because it helps reduce the stress that’s placed on your hand when holding the phone, which means you are less likely to accidentally drop it from fatigue. It also adds more confidence and stability to your grip, making the phone comfortable to hold and enjoyable to use.

The hinge also plays a very important role in improving the usability of the phone, particularly in opening up use cases where the user can hold the device in a different way with more stability. This is particularly useful when taking selfies with the main camera, or folding the phone halfway for difficult angles. One won’t need a tripod or selfie stick to stabilize the device, whether in your hand or on some flat surface.

The taller shape of the phone when folded might prove to be a stumbling block for some since your thumb will have to stretch out more to reach higher elements on the screen. Granted, the OPPO Find N3 is still actually shorter than, say, the latest Samsung foldable, but it’s also considerably taller than the OPPO Find N that people loved for its handy and comfortable size. Thankfully, the design doesn’t have that awkward narrow shape of other “vertical” foldables, so you won’t be clumsily pecking at the keyboard either. The size difference is, unfortunately, a compromise that has to be made to fit more stuff in, especially the cameras that will be the defining factor of OPPO’s latest foldable.

Performance

OPPO definitely pulled out all the stops in decking the OPPO Find N3 with the finest parts, both inside and outside. While the foldable phones look glamorous, they are veritable beasts when it comes to power. The latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 leads the show, followed by the fastest LPDDR5x memory and UFS 4.0 storage technologies available to mobile devices. What all these mean in practice is that you won’t be wanting when it comes to performance, whether you’re gaming, creating content, or simply taking advantage of the advanced user experience features that the phone has to offer.

Of course, the star of the show is that internal display, which now measures 7.8 inches diagonally. It bears a resolution of 2240×2268 pixels, a variable refresh rate of 1 to 120Hz, precise 1440Hz PWM dimming, and support for the latest Dolby Vision and HDR10+ standards. All of these translate to a breathtaking viewing experience, no matter the type of content. Colors are lush and vivid and peak brightness makes the phone usable under the sun. Together with the powerful silicon running inside, the vibrant screen makes the UI feel fluid, responsive, and as smooth as butter. Best of all, the screen’s crease is barely visible and won’t distract you from enjoying your content. It’s still there, of course, if you look hard for it or try to feel it with your fingers, but it might as well be invisible in most cases.

With the OPPO Find N3, however, that screen is probably upstaged by the camera system, and for good reason. Cameras have traditionally been the weak point of foldable phones, primarily because of how much space they need to take up inside these thin devices. In that regard, OPPO seems to have pulled off a miracle by including not just large sensors but even a periscope-style telephoto lens while maintaining the foldable phone’s incredibly thin profile. The result doesn’t just blow other foldables out of the water but even stands head-to-head with some of the best smartphone cameras in the market.

You might downplay the main camera’s 48MP sensor, but it’s living proof that megapixel count isn’t all that matters. The new Sony LYTIA-T808 1/1.43-inch sensor boasts an image quality close to those of the ranking 1-inch sensors without taking up as much space. Ultra-wide cameras are often neglected and left with disappointing sensors, but the OPPO Find N3 flaunts a 48MP Sony IMX581 1/2-inch sensor that complements the main wide shooter quite well. Last but definitely not least, you have an astounding 64MP telephoto camera with a 70mm equivalent focal length, capable of 3x optical zoom and 6x lossless zoom that it pulls off by cropping the full 64MP image to preserve details.

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Low Light (3x)

Needless to say, we were thoroughly impressed by the output that these cameras produced, regardless of the lighting condition or location. Colors are pleasant and lush, though probably more on the saturated side by default, and details are rich with very little noise. There is a very noticeable bit of distortion with the ultra-wide angle, but it’s all within expectations.

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Even more mind-blowing are the results from the telephoto camera, which are just as advertised. Even at 6x zoom, you can still make plenty of details, though it is also where noise starts to seep in just a little bit. The periscope lens also perfectly with portrait mode powered by Hasselblad, creating rich photos with pleasant blurring, accurate separation of the subject and the background, and rich depth. It also helps that the camera app has a friendly wheel interface that not only shows the zoom levels but also their focal lengths.

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The OPPO Find N3 runs the latest ColorOS 13.2 version based on Android 13, and some might leave it at that when it comes to regular smartphones. Of course, this is a foldable phone, so it won’t be enough to simply slap on any plain old Android skin and call it a day. Fortunately, OPPO has definitely gone out of its way to provide new experiences that take advantage of the increased screen real estate, features you might not find in other foldables to date. Yes, it has a taskbar at the bottom of the internal screen and, yes, it has an app grid it calls the “App Library.” It didn’t stop there though and added a File Pocket shortcut that presents a visual grid of your most recent files, images, and clipboard items so that you can drag and drop these into the active app. There’s also the “Boundless View” feature that puts a new spin on split-screen multi-tasking that puts two or three apps into a scrolling view so you can enjoy more screen space while still being able to quickly switch between those apps.

A 4,800mAh split battery powers all these features, which is pretty generous as far as foldable phones go. It will definitely last you a day, at least with moderate and mixed use, and you can top it off quickly with SuperVOOC 67W fast charging. The phone, like its predecessors, still doesn’t support wireless charging, which is a bit disappointing for a premium flagship in this day and age.

Sustainability

As one of the top smartphone brands in the market, OPPO has a huge weight on its shoulders to lead the charge in protecting the future of its customers and the planet they live on. The company has implemented several strategies to reduce the impact of its operations on the environment and human welfare. Those efforts, however, primarily focus on the way it does business and produce and ship phones. We have yet to see it make more significant changes in the actual composition of its products, particularly with the use of recycled materials like plastics and aluminum.

The durability and subsequent repairability of foldable phones still remain in doubt even to this day. There is no question that OPPO’s third-generation Flexion Hinge is more resilient than its predecessors, but it’s still a far cry from the guarantees of phones with no moving parts at all. The OPPO Find N3 also bears no formal dust or water resistance guarantee other than being weather-sealed to guard against accidental splashes. IP rating might be an expensive certification, but it undoubtedly adds some peace of mind that the device has met internationally recognized standards at least.

Value

Almost any smartphone user will admit to wanting a bigger screen as long as it doesn’t mean having a bigger device. Ironically, these same people find the concept of a foldable phone alien if not too risky. It’s plain to see that brands are pushing foldable phones, both large and small varieties, to the market in an attempt to make them more commonplace, but the question of the value still remains. After all, why would you risk such an expensive product that might easily break or scratch at the slightest accident?

Fortunately, real-world experience as well as improvements in engineering and design have made those worries pretty much moot. As for the value of a foldable phone, you are getting a future-ready device that can easily adapt to whatever need you might have, whether it’s playing the latest mobile games, binging on trending shows, or taking mind-blowing photos and videos from angles that would have been impossible without some selfie stick. The OPPO Find N3, specifically, makes that last use case a complete pleasure thanks to its powerful cameras, delivering a foldable phone that is finally worth its price in almost all aspects.

Verdict

There is no stopping the march of foldable phones in the market, and each year we see new models promising the sun and then the moon but arrive with plenty of compromises. The latter often revolves around the cameras, constrained by the need to make these devices extra thin, especially when unfolded. Fortunately, there is also no stopping the progress of imaging sensors that are shrinking in size but increasing in capabilities, and OPPO has leveraged those advancements to put three such high-quality cameras on its thin and lightweight foldable hero.

Whether it’s the lustrous surface of Champagne Gold or the sleek leather texture of Classic Black, the OPPO Find N3 puts before you a product that is also a piece of art. It dares to go beyond market trends to put not one, not even two, but three powerful cameras that truly change the game for foldables. And that’s on top of the already impressive combination of hardware and software that truly makes the phone a joy to use for whatever purpose you might have. Sure, we wish it retained its more compact size or that it finally got an IP certification, but at the end of the day, the OPPO Find N3 is easily the foldable to beat, especially for shutterbugs who have long been denied this staple of the smartphone experience.

Aki Ukita contributed to this review.

The post OPPO Find N3 Foldable Phone Review: A Shutterbug’s Dream Come True first appeared on Yanko Design.

Live streaming has proven to be more than just a passing fad. It has become a way of life for many, while some even make their livelihood from this form of media. While anyone with a smartphone can get started with live streaming, decent and professional-quality videos require a bit more effort and investment in the right tools. Unfortunately, many of the “pro” tools come in bulky, expensive, and complicated packages, widening the gap between famous stars and aspiring influencers. Fortunately, there are also brands that aim to empower content creators from all walks of life, delivering tools that will allow them to do more with less, such as the new OBSBOT Tail Air streaming camera that promises a ton of smart features in such a small package. Naturally, we had to check it out to see for ourselves if the 4K PTZ camera’s unassuming appearance belie the power it possesses.

Designer: OBSBOT

Aesthetics

Cameras designed for capturing action live and transmitting the video in real-time come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The boxy forms of action cameras are common these days, while the thick sticks of gimbals still look awkward in public. These small cameras, however, are engineered more for capturing fast-paced movement, both of the target and especially of the user. Cameras for live streaming, on the other hand, are often placed in a single spot and have a different set of problems to tackle, particularly that of tracking their targets. Because of their different purpose, they also tend to have different designs, most of which seem to take more after action cams and security systems.

The OBSBOT Tail Air embodies the principle of simplicity and minimalism in its design, bearing no more than what’s necessary for it to function. There are no buttons other than one for power, and the connection ports are so subtle you might find yourself squinting to see them, especially in the dark. The main body is a simple and unadorned truncated cone, with a camera arm rising from one side. The design is compact and lightweight, making it easy to carry around in the provided case.

The OBSBOT Tail Air shaves a few grams off its weight by using plastic materials for its chassis, but that choice by no means makes the device look or feel cheap in any way. It actually feels solid and sturdy, and the matte texture gives it a stylish finish. All in all, the streaming camera has enough visual presence to look presentable in any environment without being distracting, allowing you to focus on the actual act of creating content rather than fussing over the device’s details.

Ergonomics

In addition to being lightweight, compact, and portable, the OBSBOT Tail Air’s usability comes from its ease of use. After the initial setup, you could almost just leave the camera running and forget about it, leaving it to the AI to follow you around and adjust the focus as needed. Of course, you’ll want to select some angles or framing, which is as easy as a single tap, but you can also just set up and go for a quick and short stream.

As mentioned earlier, there are no physical controls on the device itself, which is both a boon and a bane for its usability. Everything is controlled remotely, primarily through the OBSBOT Start mobile app, but there are also other options. On the one hand, that means you won’t be fussing over buttons and sliders on the camera when you should be focusing on recording. On the other hand, it also means you’re at the mercy of an external device or remote control, as well as wireless connectivity.

Although the app offers all the bells and whistles you can think of when recording and directing a video, you’re unlikely to be fiddling with a smartphone in the middle of a live stream. Fortunately, you won’t need another person to do that for you, at least not for basic camera controls. The OBSBOT Tail Air’s AI can recognize a few hand gestures that will make it lock on or unlock from a target, zoom in manually or dynamically, and, of course, start and stop recording. These gestures, on top of the camera’s excellent tracking, turn you into a one-man camera team, which is what most budding live streamers are.

This advanced gesture control does have a disadvantage when you have more than one OBSBOT Tail Air setup. All these cameras will be recognizing those same gestures, and you won’t have a way to remotely control one camera at a time. For multi-camera configurations, you’ll need OBSBOT’s Bluetooth remote control and, unfortunately, you’ll have to buy it separately from the cameras, or as part of a bundled offer if those are available.

Performance

With so many cameras today promising creators and streamers to take their output to the next level, it might be difficult to pick one out from the crowd. Fortunately, the OBSBOT Tail Air has a few tricks up its sleeves that easily set it apart, starting with the ability to shoot in 4K resolution at 30 fps rates, making it one of the few streaming cameras with this capability. This feature will come in handy with one of the camera’s AI features that lets you choose the framing of the scene with just a single camera.

The OBSBOT Tail Air’s headlining feature is, of course, its AI-powered tracking system. It can lock onto targets, even when those targets go out of frame for a few seconds, and follow that target at a speed of 120 degrees per second. It can do this from three axes, which is where it gets its PTZ or “Pan, Tilt, Zoom” label. That’s true not only for humans and objects but also for select animals such as cats, dogs, and, soon, horses. Tracking is fast and accurate, even for small objects like a teaspoon, which makes the camera also suitable for dramatic close-ups of objects, such as when you’re doing a product review.

AI powers many of the camera’s impressive features, including the innovative AI Director Grids available on the OBSBOT mobile app. The grid presents different frames of focus that you can select with a single tap, letting you easily switch from a close-up up facial shot to a full body shot, all with just one camera. The trick here is that OBSBOT Tail Air actually records video in 4K and then crops it up to a 1080p frame in real time. Considering most live streams are done in 1080p anyway, you aren’t really sacrificing much in terms of quality for the sake of some impressive framing.

There might come a time when you will want to actually work with multiple cameras, and the OBSBOT Tail Air has you covered as well. It supports the latest NDI or Network Device Interface technology that lets you hook up three of these cameras together and control them from a single computer that acts as mission control for the recording session. There’s a bit of initial setup involved, including buying one NDI access key per OBSBOT Tail Air camera and making sure they’re connected to the same local Ethernet network. Once those are out of the way, however, you have full control of an advanced yet easy-to-use multi-cam camera system to really take your live streams to the next level.

For most cases, especially with a single camera, you will be using the OBSBOT Start mobile app instead. It has everything you need to tweak the video recording settings, from those Director Grids to exposure and balance, pretty much like a standard digital camera. At the moment, this powerful app is available only for Android, but OBSBOT is already working on making an iOS version available soon. The one disadvantage to relying on an app for almost all of the controls is that you need a network connection with the OBSBOT Tail Air camera. That’s no problem when stable Wi-Fi is available, but you’d be forced to use a cellular connection when it’s not. That’s true even if you’re recording directly to the device’s microSD card instead of live streaming, so you’ll have to be aware of potential data charges. That’s what makes the Bluetooth remote control almost a necessity, even if it’s a separate purchase.

Aside from its excellent auto-tracking, the OBSBOT Tail Air’s video output is actually impressive as well, even when there’s little light around. That’s thanks to the 1/1.8-inch CMOS sensor with a large 2-micrometer pixel and an equally large f/1.8 lens aperture. Of course, it does its best with bright lighting, but low-light scenarios still deliver decent videos, though with some hiccups in tracking and autofocus. The camera’s gimbal performs the minimal required stabilization, but it becomes immediately clear that this isn’t an action camera. Yes, it can record and stream sports scenes and the like, but it’s best when it’s put on a stable and non-moving platform rather than in your hand. The camera’s internal battery gives you about two hours of use, shorter when doing 4K, and an hour and a half to charge, though you could continue using the camera while charging to minimize downtime.

Sustainability

Action and streaming cameras are relatively new product categories, though they have been around for a few years now. There’s quite a good number of them around, even, which makes their presence also a cause for concern when it comes to the environment. As with any fast-growing consumer electronics segment, there is bound to be plenty of waste during the product production and lifecycle, not to mention increased use of non-sustainable materials, components, and processes. However, that also means there’s plenty of room for improvement and growth, and hopefully, this young company will also set itself apart from its peers in this regard.

Unfortunately, there’s also not much that can be said about the product’s longevity and repairability. As a “static” live streaming camera, it seems that the OBSBOT Tail Air was designed with indoor use primarily in mind, which could explain the lack of any dust or water resistance guarantee. The repair policy is also pretty standard, which means it only covers a small subset under warranty and has to be shipped back to the manufacturer if they do qualify. Repairing them by yourself is pretty much out of the question.

Value

In a world of advanced smartphone cameras and action cams, does a dedicated streaming camera like the OBSBOT Tail Air still matter? The answer is a resounding “yes!” especially considering how much it offers without too much cost. It offers an excellent video recording and streaming experience that you’d be hard-pressed to find without having to buy separate products, like a gimbal, monitor, and additional sets for a multi-camera setup. In other words, the OBSBOT Tail Air crams all those desirable features in a single package, one that starts at around $478.

That price includes a 4K camera that can produce impressive videos even in low light, an excellent AI-powered target tracking system, out-of-the-box support for a multi-cam setup, and an intelligent mobile app that puts you in total control of the stream’s direction. What it doesn’t include, however, is a remote control that is honestly almost essential rather than an add-on, not unless you get it as part of the crowdfunding reward or a bundle. You’ll also need a separate NDI authorization code for each OBSBOT Tail Air device, which you need to buy for $98 if you ever want to have a multi-cam live stream. OBSBOT could have thrown these into the basic package for a slightly higher price tag, but it’s also understandable why it didn’t. Not everyone will have a multi-cam setup, so they might not want to pay for something they’ll never use. Shipping a remote control with each camera when that remote can connect to as many as three will also be wasteful. Hopefully, OBSBOT will offer bundles that include these when the product becomes available on shelves.

Verdict

Some will definitely roll their eyes, but there are definitely people who consider being a live streamer, YouTuber, or “influencer” to be their dream job. Whether it’s for earning money, sharing knowledge, or just having fun, there’s no denying that live streaming is already a major part of our culture today. It’s definitely easy to get started as long as you have a smartphone, but it’s not that easy to step up your game without devices or at least some accessories that give your streams a professional quality.

That’s the kind of assistance that the OBSBOT Tail Air 4K PTZ Streaming Camera is bringing to the table, especially for solo steamers. With reliable AI-powered tracking that accurately follows even small objects, an impressive 4K camera that performs admirably in both bright and dim environments, and a no-fuss easy-to-use mobile app, this streaming camera is basically all you need for pro-level content. And when you’re ready to graduate to a multi-camera setup, the built-in NDI support will let you easily expand and control up to three OBSBOT Tail Air cameras from a single computer to direct your best production yet, helping you on your journey to Internet stardom.

The post OBSBOT Tail Air AI-powered 4K PTZ Streaming Camera Review: It Doesn’t Get Easier Than This first appeared on Yanko Design.

The historic successes of companies such as SpaceX have put space travel and space exploration at the center of discussions once again. Along with those, however, is a resurgence of interest in the objects that we can see at night beyond just the moon. Astrophotography has become quite the trend that even smartphone companies are using that as a selling point for their cameras, like taking photos of the moon or star trails. While those might be impressive and fun for one-off shots, they can never compete with a more dedicated piece of equipment designed specifically for watching the night sky. Those, however, tend to be bulky and difficult to use, but smart telescope maker Vaonis is arguing that it shouldn’t be the case. The Vespera observation station promises a better way to see our planet’s distant neighbors, so we give it a spin to see if it can deliver.

Designer: Vaonis

Aesthetics

Vaonis doesn’t call the Vespera a telescope, and it definitely doesn’t look like one. Instead of the stereotypical long black tube, you are greeted by a sleek, ice-white shape that looks like a flattened egg or capsule. There’s a seam that goes down and the middle and to the right side, clearly indicating that this isn’t a unibody design.

Aside from that rather odd shape and seams, there aren’t many things that will catch your attention on the surface of the observation station. There is a button on the left side, but it would have been nearly invisible if not for the LED ring surrounding it. It’s a pretty minimalist design, one that has very few distractions so that you’re left to focus not on the product but on its output via the Singularity mobile app.

Whether on its own or standing on the very short desk tripod, the Vaonis Vespera looks alien yet also alluring. Its unusual shape, at least for a “telescope,” its automated movement that we’ll see later, and its glossy white surface might even remind some of the props for sci-fi flicks and games. That’s not a bad association to make, and it’s a design that leaves quite a visual impact, one that makes you even more curious to discover what it’s capable of.

Ergonomics

The Vaonis Vespera’s simple yet attractive design is matched by its usability and portability. Using the astrophotography machine couldn’t be simpler, really. Simply set it down and push the button to turn it on. It creates a wireless network that devices can connect to and then it orients itself automatically without or with very little human intervention. You’ll see the telescope arm slowly rotate into place, pointing to the part of the night sky of interest, and that’s pretty much it. All you need to do is to tell it to start taking photos, and even how long it will run the exposure is automated depending on the object, its distance, or its clarity.

This ease of use might make you want to use the Vespera anywhere all the time, and its design definitely makes it possible as well. At only 11 lbs (5kg), it’s not that difficult to bring with you, whether in a car or even on your back with the optional backpack. Amateur telescopes are also meant to be portable to some extent, but the Vespera’s compact design makes it even more conducive to setting it up anywhere there’s a clear sky.

There is a bit of a caveat to that setup that does make the Vespera less ideal in some cases. The tripod it ships with is quite short and is best for using the observation station on top of a platform or, if preferred, close to the ground. If you prefer a higher perch, you’re going to have to order a separate one from Vaonis or, alternatively, look for a compatible alternative. There’s also a light pollution filter for urban astrophotographers and a solar filter for observing the sun, but these, too, are all separate purchases rather than something you can opt to buy all in one.

Performance

The reason why the Vaonis Vespera can’t be called a telescope, especially by pros and purists, is that there isn’t an eyepiece to speak of. Sure, the telescope arm does have a quadruplet apochromatic refractor with a 2-inch (50mm) f/4 aperture, but the light that it captures isn’t meant to go into your eyes but to a 2MP Sony STARVIX IMX462 CMOS camera sensor instead. In other words, the Vespera is a telescope and camera in one, a combination that has very important ramifications as far as the device’s usability and performance go.

As mentioned earlier, all you really need to do is to turn on the machine and you’re almost good to go. What happens behind the scenes is that it creates an ad hoc wireless network for your smartphone to connect to via the Singularity mobile app. Vespera then takes the GPS location from your mobile device and, using its internal maps of the night skies, orients and configures itself. All you really need to do is to tell it which nebula, galaxy, or star you want to take photos of and Vespera will automatically turn in that direction. It will even use the appropriate exposure time and settings depending on that night sky object so you don’t have to bother with the details. Of course, you still have complete manual control if you want to, but it is designed to be easy to use by default.

M13 (8 exp)

NGC7789 ()

Part of the magic of the Vaonis Vespera is that Singularity mobile app, which is pretty much your control center for the device and a gateway to learning more about the world above. It acts as the viewfinder for the observation station since there is no eyepiece, and you can see in real-time as it takes and stacks new images every 10 to 20 seconds until you get the best image for that particular celestial body. Depending on the visibility of that star, the process could take anywhere from half a minute to half an hour, so there might be times you would want to either manually set the timer or even cancel the process. If left on its own, however, Vespera is smart enough to track the object and adjust itself in order to compensate for the Earth’s movement.

The images that Vespera takes are quite impressive, though your results will naturally vary depending on atmospheric conditions. Admittedly, the 2MP 1920×1080 images won’t satisfy more discerning astrophotographers, but Vespera is pretty much marketed as a tool for beginners and casual users. If there’s one notable flaw that the observation station has is that its large field of view makes it less ideal for large and nearby space objects like planets or even the moon. For objects that are too big for the telescope, Singularity has a mosaic mode that joins exposures together to create a larger image than what is normally possible with its field of view. The disadvantage to this mode is that it can sometimes take hours to complete one panorama.

The Vaonis Vespera’s ease of use and portable design make it easy to use anywhere, though you’d most likely want to set it up away from bright lights and on a clear field. Fortunately, you can operate the observation station without having to plug it in, thanks to its built-in battery. It’s advertised for four hours of use, after which you’ll have to charge it again. Vaonis uses a proprietary magnetic connector for the charging cable, which can make it easier to connect but more difficult to find replacements when the cable goes bad. Either way, the 7,000 mAh battery is probably not going to be enough for a full night’s experience, so you might want to keep a large portable battery nearby.

Sustainability

Smart telescopes like the Vaonis Vespera are relatively young products, born from a desire to capture the heavens without having to become experts in the field. As with many young device manufacturers, creating a successful business is their topmost priority, and sustainability often takes a backseat to that. To its credit, Vaonis does recognize its responsibility to minimize the impact of its operations on the environment, but there’s not much information regarding concrete actions or the use of more sustainable materials.

In terms of the Vespera’s durability and repairability, there is that same level of uncertainty. The machine is IP43-rated, so it will survive a spray of water but not rain. Parts for this kind of device are also pretty uncommon, and the chassis design doesn’t lend itself to easy repairs. All in all, you will need to send the Vespera back to Vaonis for repairs, if you’re lucky to be in a country where such support is available.

Value

Even with the powerful cameras that smartphones now have, they can’t compare to having a telescope to really appreciate the beauty of outer space. At the same time, however, not everyone who’s interested in recording the stars in the sky might be willing to deal with the intricacies and hassles of operating professional equipment. They just want to take beautiful shots or learn more about the universe around them, working their way to becoming pros but also wishing for a gentler introduction to this almost mystical world.

The Vaonis Vespera offers this kind of experience, designed to entice beginners or casual photographers to forego the ceremony and burden and just start taking images of galaxies, nebulae, and more. That said, its $1,499 price tag might sound beginner-unfriendly, but you’d be hard-pressed to find anything that offers that much convenience and capability in the same price range. Admittedly, the image quality, while decent, is hardly at the top of its class and will probably dissatisfy more seasoned stargazers. Then again, they aren’t Vespera’s target audience, and Vaonis does have other products to cater to these astrophotographers.

Verdict

People have thankfully become more aware and appreciative of the world around them, whether it’s enjoying the great outdoors or being enchanted by the stars in the sky. For the longest time, watching heavenly bodies has been an activity reserved for more knowledgeable professionals and far out of reach of regular people. The trends are trending, fortunately, and the Vaonis Vespera is paving the way.

The observation station, a combination of telescope and camera, has a simple and elegant design that belies the power it hides inside. That power, however, is delivered in a manner of operation that is as easy as using a mobile app. Granted, the portable machine is on the pricey side, and the photos it takes won’t win awards. But if you’re the kind of celestial explorer who loves to learn and discover new things every night, the Vaonis Vespera will help you have an effortless and fun journey, each and every time.

The post Vaonis Vespera Telescope Review: A Smarter Way to Enjoy the Night Sky first appeared on Yanko Design.

Despite all the multimedia content available today, people seem to be reading even more, whether it’s directly through eBooks or indirectly through the Web and social media. We have plenty of devices that make this activity possible and easy almost anywhere, but while phones and tablets are indeed convenient, they are ironically the worst way to enjoy this type of content, especially as far as our eyes are concerned. eBook readers or eReaders have long been known to be the better choice for reading, and these devices are undergoing an innovation phase. New technologies, such as color E Ink panels, are popping up left and right, but it seems that all these changes are also pushing eReaders to bigger sizes. Onyx BOOX, however, is taking things in another and opposite direction to bring the world’s most portable eReader, and so we take the BOOX Palma for a ride to see where it could fit in your life.

Designer: BOOX

Aesthetics

It’s almost impossible not to mistake the Onyx BOOX Palma for a smartphone, even if you have the monochrome E Ink display turned on. If you’ve been keeping tabs on news in this market segment, you might already be aware of attempts to integrate such screens on the back of smartphones or even sell a phone with an E Ink display. As they say, however, looks can be deceiving, and the BOOX Palma isn’t really a smartphone, at least not in the technical sense of a “phone.” For all intents and purposes, however, it could almost be one, and it could even be better than your handset, especially in the design department.

The BOOX Palma embraces a completely minimalist aesthetic, in contrast to the classy yet busy designs of smartphones. You wouldn’t be able to make out any of its features unless you take a closer, more scrutinizing look. Even the camera sits almost flush against the back of the phone, so there is very little wobble or visual distraction. It’s an example of a design that gets out of your way to let you enjoy the content you want, which comes in the form of the books you’ll be reading on the screen.

Minimalist, however, doesn’t mean plain or boring. The BOOX Palma employs what the company touts as a water-repellent material on the back of the phone that also gives it a rougher, almost paper-like texture. It helps give you a better grip so that the device feels more secure and comfortable in your hand. Considering it’s meant to be held a lot in your hand, that’s a very important trait. The camera comes with a flash and sits on a small black strip that adds a contrasting accent without totally distracting your eyes.

The sides of the BOOX Palma are just as bare aside from the lone speaker grille and USB port at the bottom, buttons for power and volume on the right, and a special button on the left that triggers a screen refresh. One rather unusual design detail for the buttons is that the frame itself rises around these buttons, creating lumps that may or may not suit your taste. The front of the device is similarly devoid of extraneous details, and the screen is completely flush with the bezels. Those bezels are rather wide, as is common with eReaders, but the curved corners of the screen make them look a little more stylish. All-in-all, the BOOX Palma has an understated design that derives its elegance from its simplicity.

Ergonomics

Although smartphones are naturally designed to be easy to hold in your hand, the combination of hardware and materials gives them a lot of weight. If you compare eReaders to tablets of the same size, the former category easily wins the lightweight contest. Given that backdrop, it’s no surprise that the BOOX Palma is significantly lighter than a smartphone, especially at 160g. What this means is that it won’t strain your hand when you’re reading for hours on end. That’s a win even against almost every eReader in the market today.

The phone-sized eReader is also easy and comfortable to grip thanks to the textured water-repellent material on its back. All the physical controls are on the sides within easy reach, and there are no special cases like an under-screen fingerprint scanner that will require you to shift your hand at any given point in time. That brings not only stability but also confidence, freeing you from worries while you get engrossed in your reading.

Performance

Truth be told, it’s difficult to categorize the Onyx BOOX Palma. The brand’s devices are already blurring the boundaries between tablets and eReaders, and this muddles the waters even more. This time, confusion arises between a smartphone and an eReader, especially considering how the BOOX Palma is almost a smartphone internally. That’s thanks to an octa-core Qualcomm CPU, 6GB of RAM that is generous for an eReader, 128GB of expandable storage, and, best of all, Android with Google Play Store pre-installed.

Yes, it’s pretty much an Android phone, except for the lack of one critical feature. It doesn’t have a SIM card slot, not even hardware to support cellular networks. Yes, it does have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but that’s as far as connectivity goes. In other words, this is pretty much a Wi-Fi phone, which some manufacturers have tried to offer before without much success. Given how a lot of communication today happens over the Internet, that might not be a total deal-breaker, at least as long as you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network. Then again, almost all eReaders have this limitation, so the BOOX Palma isn’t exactly an outlier, except for the fact that it looks and behaves almost like a phone, which unfortunately sets the wrong expectations.

Whatever you might think the BOOX Palma is, what isn’t arguable is that it has a top-of-the-line display as far as E Ink panels are concerned. The 6.13-inch screen has a resolution of 824×1648, giving it a high 300 ppi density, making every text look crisp and sharp. Yes, it’s not the color E Ink variant, but those have yet to become available in smaller and denser sizes. This screen shares many of the traits of the most recent BOOX devices, particularly bearing a dedicated graphics processor to really kick up performance to the next level. The result is one of the fastest E Ink screens you’ll see in the market, which makes reading even more pleasurable.

The display is also front-lit and, like its siblings, it has two kinds of light that you can tweak to your comfort. What the Onyx BOOX Palma does differently is that it has an ambient light sensor, which means it can automatically adjust the brightness or even turn off one or both front lights, depending on the environment. You can still manually control the settings, but you don’t have to worry about them every time.

All these make the BOOX Palma an ideal reading device no matter where you are, especially for times and places where holding up a larger device isn’t convenient or even possible. That said, that same size is also the device’s biggest Achilles’ heel because it caters to only a specific kind of content, text that can be reflowed to fit the screen without shrinking the fonts. That applies to Kindle books, ePubs, and most web pages, but documents with fixed font sizes like PDFs, or content with lots of images like comics are a poor fit for a screen of this size. Granted, most people with eReaders probably read eBooks from Kindle or Kobo or ePubs so that might not be relevant. But as the use cases from these devices grow, so do the types of content people read from them.

As an Android device, you’re not limited to just reading books either. You can install almost any app from the Google Play Store and use them normally, though your experience will vary greatly. Even at its fastest setting, watching videos or playing games is still going to be painful, especially with the ghosting and lower quality. Reading from social media apps is definitely doable, except when it comes to photos that are best viewed in full color. You can technically do anything that you would also do on a phone, at least within some expectations, but you’ll have to remember that the device isn’t really a phone, which might be a bit difficult to do considering it looks exactly like one.

Rounding up the hardware is a 3,950mAh battery that can last for 2 or 3 days with constant use. It’s not the week-long life of most eReaders, mostly because of everything that can happen in the background, just like a regular phone. The BOOX Palma also has a 16MP camera with an LED flash that can take color photos, even if you can’t view them with color. It’s intended more as a document scanner, though it remains to be seen how useful it really is.

Sustainability

As with many of Onyx’s products, there’s not much to be said about the BOOX Palma when it comes to sustainability. Making matters a bit worse is the thorough use of plastic instead of aluminum seen in some of its larger eReaders. The decision was most likely based on making the device light to hold, not on its long-term impact on the environment. We’re still waiting for the day when Onyx makes sustainability one of the selling points of its products, embracing recycled and eco-friendly materials, both for packaging as well as for the devices themselves.

The BOOX Palma does score points in other aspects, though. Because it uses considerably less power than mobile devices, charging it becomes less frequent, reducing its carbon footprint in the long run. Its water-repellent back and overall durability means you won’t be losing the device any time soon. It has the same longevity and long-lasting use as all eReaders, just that you’re getting it in a smaller package.

Value

Simply based on its features, the Onyx BOOX Palma is definitely an impressive device. It has a sharp and crisp E Ink display made better by a dedicated graphics chip that really pushes the envelope of performance. Its small size makes it trivial to slip the device inside your bag or even your other pocket, allowing you to pick up where you left off on your favorite novel or self-help book. The fact that it runs Android with Google Play Store already installed is the icing on the cake, making it just as versatile as a regular Android phone, except it has an eye-friendly, power-efficient monochrome screen.

That, unfortunately, is also where the BOOX Palma becomes a little bit less convincing. It looks like a phone, but the lack of cellular network support doesn’t make it one. It behaves like an eReader, but its size also limits what you can comfortably read from it. It’s like sitting in a no man’s land, which is often the case for pioneering designs and products. It’s not like it doesn’t have any use, but you’ll have to really think hard about what you’ll use it for and whether you’ll be reading that much on the go in order to justify that $280 price tag.

Verdict

eBook Readers have come a long way since the days of the first Kindle. There are large, 13-inch slabs that can almost function as laptops, as well as color E Ink screens that add a bit of vibrancy to your reading. Perhaps the biggest and boldest change, however, is offering that experience on a significantly smaller scale, something that can almost be your smartphone. Almost.

The Onyx BOOX Palma is undoubtedly an intriguing device, offering nearly the same capabilities as the company’s other eReaders but in a size you can slip into your pocket. It almost sounds like heaven for those who constantly rub their eyes from strain after reading for hours on their phones. That phone size, hover, can be a bit confusing and misleading because it is definitely not a phone. But for those who want a distraction-free, strain-free, and simple reading experience anywhere and everywhere, the Onyx BOOX Palma definitely meets expectations, as long as you set those expectations right.

The post Onyx BOOX Palma eReader Review: Boldly Going Where No eReader Has Gone Before first appeared on Yanko Design.

Christmas in Summer? Sure, why not? Especially if you can beat the summer heat and hold a raving ‘outdoor party at night. You’ll need to set the right atmosphere, though, to help your guests forget about the sweltering temperatures. And what better way is there to set a festive mood than with brilliant lights that dance to the music? Of course, those same outdoor lights could provide not only decoration but also safety at night, any time of the year. That’s the proposition that the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights is making, replacing your Christmas lights and staying beyond the winter holidays to be used all year round. These aren’t the first outdoor fairy lights in the market, though, so we took these unique-looking LED lights outdoors, hooked them up, and lit up the house to see if it can rise to the challenge and stand proud apart from the crowd.

Designer: Govee

Click Here to Buy Now: $299.99.

Aesthetics

You’ve probably seen your fair share of outdoor lights, fairy or otherwise, but if you haven’t, suffice it to say that the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights are nowhere near what you’d expect. Instead of bulbs sticking out of a strand of cable, you get LEDs enclosed in 3cm squares with a small clear dome covering the LED itself. Each square is set about a foot apart from each other on the flat cable, forming 6 segments that total a 100ft (50m) long string of light of lights that offers some flexibility in how you install them (more on that later). What all these mean is that the lights are designed to be minimalist and almost invisible, getting out of the way to let the lights take center stage.

Those lights definitely deserve all the attention because of their impressive output. Thanks to Govee’s RGBIC technology, each light is capable of showing any color within a range of 16 million. Of course, you won’t be looking at each LED on its own, and its real appeal comes through the combination of those lights, whether as a single stream of color or in a kaleidoscopic display. At 26 lumens per LED, the Outdoor Lights will definitely be an attention grabber, no matter what color you choose. That might also be a consideration you have to take in mind if there are related regulations about night lights in your area.

All-in-all, the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights delivers a stunning visual, regardless of the holiday or occasion. They’re pretty much like super-powered Christmas lights you don’t have to take down and can use all throughout the year. You can even dim the lights a bit and use a solid swath of color to illuminate your house without making it look like you’re having a party every night. Thanks to its simple and minimalist design, there are no bulbs that stick out from roofs and eaves to steal the show. These outdoor lights are an effective and cost-effective way to make your house pop, any time of the year.

Ergonomics (Installation)

You won’t be handling these outdoor lights all the time, fortunately, but you will have to wrestle with them at least once when you install them on your house. Because they are meant to stay in their place, hence the “permanent” part of their name, you do have to take some time to properly plan out where you’ll be placing them. Fortunately, Govee is making it easy to install these strands of light, giving you plenty of flexibility to run the lights even along areas where you might not want to have any light at all.

That’s because the 100ft (30m) string of LEDs is actually divided into 6 strands, each with clearly-marked waterproof connectors so you can easily tell which end connects to which. There are also extension cables included in the box, in case you need to run the lights down from roof to wall but want to leave gaps in the lighting in those transitional areas. This also means you don’t have to force yourself to use all six segments if you don’t need to. Conversely, you can also extend the length with another 100ft set or the 3-segment 50ft (30m) set that Govee also sells.

Once all the planning is done, installing the lights is relatively painless, though still needs a bit of work to pull off. Each light square has a 3M adhesive that lets you easily stick them to any flat surface outside your house. There are also clips you can use to keep wayward clips in line. Once all the lights have been installed, the last bit is connecting the control box and the power box to finally light up your house. Connecting the lights to the Govee mobile app is just as painless and you’ll be off playing with the settings and features in no time.

Performance

The Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights are definitely one of those things that you have to see to truly appreciate their value. The bright lights can effectively illuminate your house, adding not only flavor but also safety at night. The lights might actually be too bright, so you might want to put on covers or blinds on windows if the lights are anywhere near them.

These Outdoor Lights are also smart lights, which means they’re meant to be controlled through a connected smartphone or via some smart assistants, particularly Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. This is where the lights really shine, pardon the pun, thanks to the countless ways you can change the way they look or behave. In fact, the sheer number of options available on the app might be overwhelming and confusing for new users. Fortunately, there are also plenty of presets available, including over 70 scenes that let you set the right mood for given occasions.

While there are plenty of ways to configure the Govee Outdoor Lights, one of the most interesting and most dramatic is the Music Mode, where the lights react to the music and sound it hears either through the phone or its control box, making them dance to the beat. Even better, you can harmonize multiple Govee products through DreamView mode to create a captivating synchronized Light Show. And when the party’s done, you can just ask Alexa or Google Assistant to turn the lights into a more peaceful hue to call it a night.

Due to its rather unique enclosure design, the light that the LEDs project has a rather distinctive triangular shape that’s even more visible if the lights are placed close to a wall. Unlike most fairy or string lights that wash the surroundings with a more or less even diffusion, the lights coming from the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights look more like mini spotlights with a wide-angle spread. It creates a rather unique visual effect, like sharp ridges or stairs, it’s an aesthetic that won’t appeal to everybody. That could be a deal-breaking design that potential buyers will have to consider before making this rather substantial purchase.

Sustainability

Like many outdoor lights, the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights make use of plenty of plastic and some rubber, not exactly the most environment-friendly materials. Given design and production requirements, however, this is hardly surprising, but it’s definitely a big opportunity for Govee to further take the lead in the smart lighting market. Imagine a brand that not only delivers powerful smart lighting but sustainable products as well. That could be Govee a few years down the line!

The company does make up for it by making sure that its products don’t meet their untimely demise quickly. In other words, Govee lights are built to last, and these Outdoor Lights are no different. In fact, they’re even better, boasting an IP67 dust and water resistance rating that makes them ideal for use even in inclement weather. Even the control box and adapter are IP65 rated, truly marking them safe for outdoor use. As for the LEDs themselves, they’re advertised with a lifetime of up to 50,000 hours, around 5 years if you use them 24/7 (which you won’t anyway). Govee makes these affirmations regarding the durability of the RGBIC Permanent Outdoor Lights:

• Successful operation test at 140 ℉
• Successful operation test at -40 ℉
• Passed operation test at a water depth of 49ft
• Withstood a tensile force of 11.02lb
• Endured manual pulling of over 10 pounds

Value

It’s easy to do a double-take when you see the $299.99 price tag attached to these lights, but it’s a first impression that won’t last long. Yes, it is a bit steep and pricier than other outdoor fairy lights, but few or none of those can even offer half of what Govee delivers. Some, for example, won’t even last more than two seasons of limited use during holidays only, let alone regular use both on or off-season. Few can also offer a quick and easy method of installing lights that you’ll leave in place until they die many years later. You don’t have to dread removing the lights after the festivities and can just leave them there for the next occasion or as regular night lights for the house.

The Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights also offer a level of control and customization you might only find in more expensive brands. There is, in fact, an overwhelming number of settings you can tweak to your heart’s content, making these outdoor lights not only beautiful but also versatile. Given all that, the $299.99 figure doesn’t look bad at all, especially when you consider that it’s a longer-term investment that will last you for years compared to cheaper lights where you truly get what you pay for.

Verdict

Summer isn’t just about beaches and camping (or glamping). Night pool parties and quiet times out on the porch are also common activities during this season, both of which require the right lights to set the right mood. You could get different lights for different occasions, or you could get the Govee RGBIC Permanent Outdoor Lights and have a versatile outdoor lighting solution for any occasion.

With a modular design and easy installation process, these Govee outdoor lights offer more flexibility in where and how you want to put them up. The bright and vibrant colors of the LEDs help create the atmosphere that you want, while the powerful mobile app put an almost endless array of options at your fingertips. Whether it’s a holiday, a seasonal party, or just a dark night, the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights will make your house stand out and make you the talk of the town.

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The post Govee RGBIC Permanent Outdoor Lights Review: It’s a Holiday Everyday of the Year first appeared on Yanko Design.

Smartphones have become an integral part of our lives, allowing us to connect with each other, retrieve information, and even create and record memories. We bring our phones with us everywhere, even in some places or circumstances that would be precarious for the electronic device. Apple’s latest event played up that “wonderlust” and presented the iPhone 15 series as the perfect companion for your life’s journeys, especially when it comes time to snap up photos or record videos for posterity. Bringing along a naked iPhone to your many adventures, however, might not be the smartest and most efficient move, especially when not if accidents happen. Just in time for the release of the iPhone 15, TORRAS launched new cases designed to be just as adventurous as the new iPhones, so we take it for a bumpy ride to see if the new UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate can truly turn the iPhone 15 into your faithful companion through life’s up and, most especially, downs.

Designer: TORRAS

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Aesthetics

With so many cases for smartphones littering the market today, you might almost be tempted to give the UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate a pass. Your opinion will quickly change, however, the moment you behold the case, and especially after you’ve put it on your iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max. Depending on the color variant, the case is mostly clear or has a frosted surface that still lets the iPhone’s elegant colors shine through. The Gray case’s clear surface is perfect for the iPhone 15’s Natural or White Titanium colorways, but there are also Black and Blue options to cover the entire iPhone 15 lineup. Either way, your iPhone 15 doesn’t need to sacrifice its elegant colors just so that it can be protected.

You might, however, notice that the edges of the case have a different color and are slightly raised as if bulging a bit. This isn’t just some pointless embellishment and actually serves one of the UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate’s most important functions, which we’ll get to later. Unfortunately, its color, which is mostly light gray, easily stands out from the rest of the case’s edges because of the color contrast. Some might find it visually disconcerting while others might not mind it so much. It could become a problem, however, with other iPhone 15 color options, like RED or future variants. It would have been nice if you could swap out these bumpers for different colors, but that could also reduce the case’s durability in the process.

The other visual detail that stands out is the ring on the back of the case. Thanks to many MagSafe-compatible accessories, the presence of this ring is no longer alien, even though Apple itself doesn’t mark the area on its iPhones. Thankfully, the ring, which is formally called the O-Ring, sits flush on the surface of the case, so it doesn’t cause the phone to wobble when placed on a table, nor will it snag in your pants pocket or other things in your bag. All in all, the TORRAS UPRO Ostand SS has a rather minimalist design, both visually and physically, except for those bumpers and that ring that serve important purposes that give the case its selling points.

Ergonomics

Despite knowing the risks of dropping an expensive iPhone, many people are reluctant to put them in protective cases. These iPhones are, after all, beautiful unclothed and are meant to be slim and comfortable to hold. Most of the fears stem from making the iPhone look like it’s going to war, which is fortunately not the case with this UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate.

In addition to being visually simple and minimalist, the case is also space-efficient and lightweight. It delivers 92% protection against disastrous falls, but instead of simply wrapping the phone in thick layers of material, TORRAS employs innovative technologies that keep the case as slim as possible. The result is that it doesn’t add too much bulk to an already large iPhone 15 Pro or even bigger iPhone 15 Pro Max, nor does it add more burden to your hand when holding it.

In fact, the UPRO Ostand SS improves the iPhone 15’s ergonomics by giving your hand a non-slipper surface to grip. There’s also that O-Ring that folds out of the case, transforming into a holder for your finger to keep the phone steady, whether you’re simply watching videos or taking photos and selfies. The latter is a very important use case for both the new iPhone 15 and this UPRO Ostand SS, giving you the freedom and the confidence to shoot anywhere, knowing that the phone is secure in your hand. And unlike the typical rings that you stick to the back of your phone, the O-Ring folds flat when not in use, hiding in plain sight until it’s needed once more.

Performance

Right out of the packaging, you can already tell that the TORRAS UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate is not your average case. The contrasting color of the embossed edges immediately call your attention, but these aren’t just for show. Their unique form is actually the case’s main selling point, being air-filled bumpers that protect your phone from drops and shocks, especially when it drops on one of its corners or edges, which is the most common place for this kind of accident.

For this innovation, TORRAS took inspiration from car airbags that protect you from accidents. When the iPhone accidentally drops on its corner or side, the air-filled thermoplastic polyurethane not only absorbs the force of the impact but actually bounces it off, preventing the shock from being transferred to the rest of your phone, which is the most common cause of cracked screens. These bumpers give the phone 360-degree military-grade impact protection that can absorb up to 98% of the shock.

But while protection is its main purpose, that isn’t the only talent that the UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate has, which you can probably discern from its name. It features TORRAS’s unique O-Ring, a ring grip and stand combination that’s built right into the case and, more importantly, doesn’t stick out of it. You simply fold it out and you’re ready to go, standing the iPhone 15 on any flat surface or holding the phone in your hand with support for your finger. You can stand the iPhone vertically or horizontally depending on your use case, and the O-Ring will be able to support it. Unfortunately, the position of the ring itself is fixed in its position, unlike the Ostand R cases where the O-Ring can rotate 360 degrees. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it would have been nice to have to increase the case’s versatility.

That O-Ring has a third function in addition to grip and stand thanks to its use of a Halbach array of magnets. These strong magnets let you stick the phone to any MagSafe stand or holder, like those for cars or bedside tables. Alternatively, you can also stick the iPhone 15 to any metallic surface, from refrigerator or car doors to metal poles and walls. You no longer need to worry about not having a selfie stick or tripod when you can set up the iPhone at a distance anywhere. And, of course, the case lets you charge with MagSafe without having to remove the case. Apple may have introduced the universal USB-C connector for the iPhone 15 series, but those who have tasted MagSafe will probably never go back to cables if they can help it.

Sustainability

The UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate for the iPhone 15 Pro is stylish, durable, and versatile, but the list of its strengths doesn’t end there. When it comes to sustainability, it also has an edge over other smartphone cases. Sure, it has its fair share of plastics, rubber, and other environment-unfriendly materials, but its use of thermoplastic polyurethane for its headlining feature scores in its favor. It has also committed to nurturing one tree in the Brazil Atlantic Forest for every three cases sold. If TORRAS could start using recycled plastics or lay out a more definite sustainability strategy, it would definitely take the lead in this market.

Where the case does shine is in its durability, which is to say that it’s made to last a really long time. It is, after all, designed to protect the iPhone 15 it holds, so it is also quite resilient itself. It won’t last forever, of course, and the case’s surface might tarnish and show discoloration over time. It would have been nice if the bumpers could be replaced independently of the rest of the case or vice versa, but TORRAS probably had to prioritize the product’s structural integrity over that kind of modularity.

Value

There are countless smartphone cases in the market today, especially for something as popular as Apple iPhones. With the launch of the iPhone 15 series, there’s bound to be even more, as proven by the flood of announcements following Apple’s event last week. It’s easy to get lost in a sea of cases that promise the same things but deliver in different ways, sometimes not at all. The TORRAS UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate for the iPhone 15 Pro sets itself apart from the crowd by delivering not only protection for your precious new iPhone but also confidence and peace of mind.

The Ostand SS ShieldMate frees you from worries about accidents when bringing your iPhone 15 along for the ride in your outdoor adventures, globe-trotting, and other activities. It also allows you to hold the phone securely in your hand, whether for enjoying content or creating it, even letting you stick it to walls, poles, and surfaces to make it easier to take group selfies or do hands-free live streaming. The UPRO Ostand SS is definitely a great deal, but that only applies if you own an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max. Unfortunately, the cases aren’t available for the non-Pro models, but TORRAS has a plethora of other options that offer protection as well as the versatility of the O-Ring for a wide range of iPhones.

Verdict

Smartphones have reached a point where they’ve become more than just gadgets but also important companions in our lives. The iPhone 15, with its enhanced photography prowess and upgraded hardware, offers one of if not the best tools for making life more enjoyable and more memorable. Its stylish designs, now in titanium, give it the expected Apple elegance that you wouldn’t want to cover up with a tank-like case, regardless of how much protection it offers.

Fortunately, the TORRAS UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate is here to check all the right boxes and then some. While Apple’s absolutely dropped the ball on MagSafe, the folks at TORRAS thankfully are taking the magnetic ring to new heights. The UPRO Ostand is a unique iPhone case that doesn’t just protect your phone, it gives it superpowers. The Ostand’s air-filled bumpers protect your iPhone from every angle, and a MagSafe-compatible O-ring works as both a holder as well as a kickstand. Apple invented MagSafe. TORRAS perfected it.

Sarang Sheth contributed to this review.

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The post TORRAS UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate iPhone 15 Case Review: Versatility and Protection in One first appeared on Yanko Design.

It’s not surprising to see enormous amounts of resources being poured into marketing for big phone brands, almost to the point you might think they’re the only options available. It’s almost too easy to take for granted how you might discover unexpected treasures if you walk off the beaten path, scanning the smartphone landscape with a keen eye for detail and design. There are many brands that try to catch people’s attention with buzzwords and gimmicky aesthetics, but there’s always something to be said about beauty that rises from simple yet elegant designs. That’s the kind of experience that the Vivo V29 and its rather intriguing “3D Magnetic Particles” are aiming for, so we took a deeper look to see if its beauty is just skin deep or if this subtly stylish smartphone has more to offer

Designer: Vivo

Aesthetics

Like any other smartphone manufacturer, Vivo has a few different lines or families targeting different audiences. The Vivo X series, for example, is more focused on camera chops, no pun intended, while the V family to which this Vivo V29 belongs is aimed at a somewhat younger consumer base. This group of people, which admittedly spans a wide range of ages, is characterized by a hunger for new experiences and innovations, as well as designs that are trendy and outstanding yet also simple and unobtrusive.

For the Vivo V29, these goals were achieved by using a rather unique method the company is calling “3D Magnetic Particles.” In a nutshell, they got millions of tiny magnetic particles to create natural curving patterns using magnetic forces, resulting in gentle waves of white particles traveling across the phone’s back in a way no design has accomplished before. On the Peak Blue review unit that we got, the waves resembled mountain peaks, while Starry Purple tried to recreate the Milky Way against a night sky. It’s a visual effect that is both seemingly random yet artistically intentional, not unlike when an artist pours paints or colors, creating messy but unique patterns, which is exactly the inspiration behind this revolutionary design technique.

This gives the Vivo V29 a subtle beauty, never garish but also not plain. Even the changing colors of the Velvet Red colorway’s Flourite AG glass give a tasteful touch to what would usually be an ordinary glass back. The Noble Black variant is a bit more subdued, but its etched shimmers give it a bit of personality as well. The phone’s curved edges also give the phone a sophisticated and delicate look, something that seems to have been lost in the move toward sharp corners and flat sides.

Ergonomics

Smartphones are, of course, not just something to look at. To be honest, most of the time you spend with your phone is on the screen and in your hands. That’s why ergonomics and comfort are just as important, and the Vivo V29’s design brings a bit of a mixed bag in that regard. On the one hand, the curved edges of the screen and back have always been regarded to be more comfortable to hold, having no corners to bite into your skin. On the other hand, the phone’s lightweight body and glass back also make it feel precarious and slippery. Fortunately, Vivo does ship with a clear gel case, though that detracts from the phone’s elegant aesthetic a bit.

There’s no clear winner between curved and flat edges in terms of ergonomics, with both camps claiming to offer a better and more secure grip. Vivo, however, opted to use a design that some might say is outdated primarily due to their own customers’ preferences. This market prefers how those curves help make the phone look very slim, and how the lack of bezels gives a more immersive gameplay experience. A bit ironically, that’s one area where the phone falters a bit.

Performance

Despite its premium external appearance, the Vivo V29 is, at its core, a mid-tier smartphone. While the boundaries between tiers have been blurring recently, this particular model has its feet firmly planted on the ground. For some odd reason, Vivo opted to go with an older processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G, rather than something more recent from the same series. To be fair, the performance gap isn’t that huge, and the phone performs admirably for most use cases. The Snapdragon 778G, however, starts to show its age when it comes to more graphics-intensive activity, particularly when it comes to mobile gaming that taxes the chip to the point that it comes a little hot.

This is a bit of disappointment given how beautiful the Vivo V29’s 6.78-inch screen is. With a resolution of 2800×1260 pixels, you get crisp and clear images that are enhanced by the bright AMOLED panel. It’s definitely quite the sight and a pleasure to use, though you’ll also be faced with one of the biggest drawbacks of screens with curved edges. A fraction of the content falls off at the edges, which is fine for most Web content but could be an annoyance for videos and especially games.

Further demoting the phone’s ranking for multimedia is the single bottom-firing speaker. Audio output is passable but nothing noteworthy, and the earpiece at the top doesn’t function as a second speaker. It’s probably not going to be a deal-breaker for some, but it’s small paper cuts like these that keep the Vivo V29 from being at the top of its game.

The Vivo V29 carries a rather middling 4,600mAh battery, a decision made to ensure that the phone remains thin and lightweight. It’s enough to get you around 18 hours of use a day, which means you’ll definitely want to plug it in at night or sometime during the day. Vivo makes up for it by pushing the charging speed to 80W and shipping the phone with the correct charger. In practice, it’s nothing compared to those that boast 100W or higher, but it can still get it from zero to full in around 40 minutes.

Where the phone does somewhat excel is in photography, at least the kind of photography its intended audience cares about. With a 50MP main camera and a 50MP front camera, you get excellent photos and selfies, especially with the right ambient light. Vivo takes photography up a notch with an Aura Light feature on the back of the phone that can add some lighting that automatically changes its temperature based on the ambient environment. Streamers might be familiar with the concept of ring lights, and the Aura light is like a miniature version. It works quite well but, unfortunately, won’t help with selfies. The 8MP ultra-wide camera is decent under good lighting conditions, but it’s definitely nothing to boast about. The 2MP monochrome camera is even more disappointing, given how many of its peers now go with a macro camera at the very least.

Ultrawide

50MP (1x)

Sustainability

Sustainability has become an important conversation topic among tech companies these days, and smartphone manufacturers are no different. Unfortunately, with so many of these mobile device makers operating today, only a few can be said to have concrete visions and strategies to help save the planet. Fortunately, Vivo is indeed one of those by taking steps to reduce the negative impact of their operations, manufacturing, and product life cycles on the planet.

Sadly, Vivo still has ways to go, especially when it comes to the actual materials that it uses, like incorporating recycled plastics or aluminum. Vivo’s designers are hoping that their designs and experiences are able to convey their love for nature. The Vivo V29, for example, references mountains and stars, connecting users with the planet in subtle and subconscious ways. Vivo also gives the V29 an IP68 dust and water resistance rating, a rare trait for phones in this tier. Along with its durability, this helps the phone survive the most common accidents that users encounter, helping delay the device’s untimely death and its addition to the world’s growing electronic waste.

Value

The Vivo V29 is, with very little doubt, a beautiful smartphone that earmarks it for a more premium category. It is, however, a true mid-range phone, and while its performance is decent, it isn’t going to blow your mind, nor will it blow the competition out of the water. That competition, unfortunately, is where it might struggle the most, with so many options that nibble at its strengths in different ways.

At around $450, the phone is definitely on the affordable side, but there are also other phones that have some of the same perks at lower prices. These include the Samsung Galaxy A54, the Motorola Edge 40, the Nothing Phone (1), and even the Google Pixel 7a. None of these are perfect, of course, but neither is the Vivo V29. It’s always a matter of balancing the pros and the cons, but when it comes to a striking and memorable design, the Vivo V29 can stand head-to-head with the eccentric Nothing Phone (1).

Verdict

Today’s consumers have become more conscientious of the value that product design brings into their lives. Smartphones are no longer just geeky gadgets but also a reflection of their tastes or even their character. Not everyone wants an exotic design that loses its novelty quickly, nor does everyone need the latest and greatest that will burn a hole through their wallets. An elegant, reliable, and accessible smartphone is sure to win the hearts of buyers, regardless of age, and that’s the experience that the Vivo V29 5G brings to the table.

With an innovative new design technique that treats minuscule 3D magnetic particles like splashes of paint, the Vivo V29 tries to embody the company’s design philosophy of simplicity, elegance, and perfection. At least it manages to achieve the first two with a beauty that is noticeable, memorable, and not overbearing. Unfortunately, perfection is still a bit out of its reach, with some puzzling hardware choices that hold it back from that achievement. But if you’re in the market for a stylish smartphone that feels good in your hand and can keep up with most of your needs, then the Vivo V29 is definitely worth taking a second look.

The post Vivo V29 5G Review: Simplicity and Elegance for the Young and Young at Heart first appeared on Yanko Design.

With so many smartphone brands and models available today, it’s not an easy task to stand out from the crowd, especially when you’re not one of the big five. Some companies employ visual gimmicks or technical buzzwords just to catch people’s attention, only for those products to fall flat once they land in users’ hands. It takes no small amount of effort and careful thought to create a design that not only looks great but also checks all the other boxes of an excellent user experience. The Infinix NOTE 30 VIP claims to be one such item, so we took its fancy Racing Edition for a spin to see if it really matches up to the expectations of a smartphone that was made to blaze a trail in the market.

Designer: Infinix

Aesthetics

As its name clearly says, the Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition’s overarching theme is one of speed, taking inspiration from heart-pounding and thrilling street races. And when it comes to race cars, who better to know the spirit and design of speedsters than BMW’s design powerhouse, Designworks. But unlike some smartphones that boast of BMW branding, Infinix goes beyond just using themed colors or stripes to make the NOTE 30 VIP epitomize the spirit of speed that these cars exhibit, both in looks as well as in feel.

Right off the bat, this racing-inspired version of the Infinix NOTE 30 VIP is nothing like any other smartphone you’ve seen before, including those that also claim spiritual camaraderie with race cars. The way it uses a special vegan leather material doesn’t simply slap on a cover on the back of the phone but fully envelopes the surface to create a unique aesthetic and tactile experience. Even the camera bump is fully covered by the organic texture, giving the phone a more unified appearance with no metal or glass awkwardly sticking out. The embossed check-flag pattern creates a subtle nod to the racing culture, demonstrating Infinix’s meticulous attention to the smallest details.

As if the vegan leather treatment wasn’t already unique enough, Infinix and BMW Designworks go a step further by adding a feature that gives a little bit of flavor to the phone. In line with the trend of bringing decorative lights to the back of phones, the Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition presents what the brand calls “3D Lighting Leather,” an innovative design that lets strips of light shine through the leather material when it is turned on. The three colors of these light strips not only represent BMW Motorsports’ iconic branding but also represent speed, performance, and power. It’s a small yet tasteful detail that adds to the phone’s character and cements its image as an extension of a street race car.

It isn’t just the phone’s back that catches one’s attention in a pleasing manner. The sharp red edges contrast beautifully with the softer black rear, lending it an elegance that you’d expect to find in more expensive designs. The flat screen, whose bezels gently curve to the sides, also complements this aesthetic, delivering a design that exudes both speed and class in a single product.

To really complete both the VIP and the Special Edition experience, Infinix ships the NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition with a ton of freebies all designed around that same theme. Small gestures like these give a product that extra level of attention that truly sets it apart from ordinary, mass-produced phones.

Ergonomics

The most beautiful phone will simply be a pretty face if it turns out to be an unusable slab of glass and metal in your hand. Fortunately, the Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition isn’t that, and it manages to look stunning while also giving you confidence when you hold the smartphone in your hand. Part of that is thanks to the textured surface of the vegan leather material that delivers a better grip, but the design also has another small yet critical detail that improves the phone’s ergonomics.

The minuscule embossed triangle in the palm grip takes inspiration from racing car steering wheels to offer the necessary traction for your hand, increasing your grip on the phone. With this anti-slip wrapping, the NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition gives you confidence that you’ll be able to hold it in a stable and safe manner, which is probably going to be necessary considering how light the phone feels in your hand at only 190g. Just like how race car designs not only give speed but also stability, the Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition embodies this duality in a beautiful and satisfying manner.

Performance

Of course, this special Infinix NOTE 30 VIP’s racing chops don’t stop with its looks. Infinix has stepped up its game by endowing the Racing Edition with some of the best hardware for performance, making you feel like breezing through tasks and games with aplomb. The new MediaTek Dimensity 8050 might not sound familiar compared to something that has “Snapdragon” in its name, but its performance isn’t exactly sub-par. You might find yourself adjusting settings in heavier games like Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail, but for all intents and purposes, it is able to handle most mobile tasks without breaking a sweat.

The phone comes with 12GB of RAM out of the box, but it’s possible to extend that to 21GB by borrowing some memory from the 256GB internal storage. The latter might sound a bit measly until you hear about a feature that you’ll rarely find in smartphones these days. The Infinix NOTE 30 VIP actually has a dedicated slot for a microSD card slot to expand that storage, giving it an edge over other phones in both mid and premium tiers.

Uptime with the 5,000mAh battery is decent as well, which is surprising given how powerful the phone is. Charging at 68W, however, sounds a bit disappointing considering how many of its peers are already boasting 100W speeds. Then again, few of those can also boast of supporting wireless charging and fast 50W wireless charging at that. Even better, Infinix ships with a specially themed wireless charger as part of the VIP Racing Edition box so you don’t have to go hunting for one on your own.

The Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition’s hardware selection seems almost perfect, at least until you get to the cameras, one of the things that most buyers check first. Yes, there are three cameras there led by a mighty 108MP main shooter that definitely lives up to expectations. It takes good photos with plenty of detail when there’s plenty of light around. What’s more impressive is that it can shoot 4K videos, though without OIS, something that’s still uncommon at this price point. The 32MP selfie camera is decent, but it’s made more notable thanks to dual LED flash lights that hide in the phone’s top edges, bringing much-needed lighting to your face.

Things get weird with the other two cameras on the back of the phone, a 2MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro shooter. While the asymmetry between cameras isn’t uncommon, it’s almost unheard of to have an ultra-wide camera that low these days, even on mid-tier devices. As you might expect, they don’t produce good results, so you’re better off sticking to the main camera anyway. It might not be a deal-breaker for some people, but it does show at least one area where Infinix chose to cut corners.

The Infinix NOTE 30 VIP runs the company’s custom XOS 13 Android experience that’s thankfully already based on Android 13. It’s specifically themed to match that same racing motif, especially when it comes to the tri-color combination, and has a boatload of pre-installed apps you will have to uninstall one by one. One special feature of this Android skin is the “Magic Ring”, practically Infinix’s version of Apple’s Dynamic Island that changes the UI flanking the front camera cutout, depending on the context, like which app is being used. While not exactly original, we can expect other manufacturers to implement their own version of this UI flourish to help mask the presence of the hole at the top of the screen.

Sustainability

Although it has already started building a reputation for itself, Infinix is younger and smaller compared to other smartphone brands. So if it took giants like Samsung and Apple decades to establish their sustainability efforts, it shouldn’t be a surprise that it isn’t yet a focus for the fledgling company. That said, it’s not without any attempt at reducing its negative impact on the environment, like the use of this special vegan leather material for the Racing Edition. It might not be a 100% sustainable material, but it’s still significantly better than plastics.

More importantly, however, the Vivo V29 is designed to at least delay meeting its end from accidents. It has an IP53 dust and water resistance rating, which is almost unbelievable considering its price point. That simply means that it is less likely to die from a splash of water, prolonging its life for as long as it is still in good operating condition. The longer it stays in your hands, the longer it and its non-biodegradable parts stay off landfills.

Value

The Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition comes as a completely unexpected surprise. The combination of premium features and an accessible price tag might be more than enough to get buyers considering this option, but it really changes the game with its high-quality design that you might have not expected from a phone on this price tier. The 3D Lighting Leather material is more than just a gimmick, delivering a luxurious look and feel with some colored light accents to drive home that street racing image.

It’s hardly perfect, of course, and there’s a list of quirks and flaws that leave us scratching our heads. One of those is the choice of cameras aside from the 108MP main shooter, which is just mind-boggling in this day and age. The biggest drawback, however, is its limited availability to very specific markets, which means fewer people will get to experience this surprisingly impressive package. That’s quite a shame, considering how everything else about the phone is worth more than what Infinix is asking for, especially with all the accessories that come with it.

Verdict

It’s not easy for a smartphone to stand out these days, especially when you consider just how many designs there are available in the market today. It’s even harder when you try to hit the sweet spot of aesthetics, performance, and price, something that even industry giants don’t get right all the time. So there’s definitely a good reason to be amazed at how Infinix managed to pull a rabbit out of its hat, with some help from BMW Designworks, of course.

The Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition definitely embodies the spirit of street racing with intricate design details that easily remind one of the cozy interiors of sports cars. Infinix’s attention to detail leaves no stone unturned, with every side, corner, and surface matching that overarching theme. That extends inside the phone, of course, with specs that would leave you wondering why bigger manufacturers don’t follow suit. Who would have thought, for example, that we’d meet an old microSD card slot friend here, or that it would boast fast wireless charging and an IP rating at this price point? There are, indeed, some noticeable missteps, especially with the camera, but the overall package might still make you want to get your hands on one, especially for its mouth-watering $315 price tag.

The post Infinix NOTE 30 VIP Racing Edition Review: In Pursuit of Speed and Excellence first appeared on Yanko Design.

The latest iPhone 15 lineup for 2023 was recently introduced by Apple at their headquarters in Cupertino, California. I was surprised by this one as someone who has followed many iPhone launches. The lineup offers a variety of options, from the basic iPhone 15 at $799 to the high-end iPhone 15 Pro Max priced at $1199.

Today, I had the opportunity to get a closer look at these new iPhones. While most people might not notice the differences immediately, I was struck by one thing – the Pro and Pro Max versions were incredibly light! Cradling them in my hand left me momentarily speechless.

It’s worth noting that Apple has significantly changed its Pro series this year. The steel material has been replaced with a stunning titanium body, completely transforming the device’s feel. While this change may not be immediately obvious from a distance or in photos, holding the iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max is a completely different experience. It’s as if your trusted daily companion has undergone a rigorous workout and emerged stronger and more impressive than ever before. This revamp is truly awe-inspiring and may make you consider upgrading from your previous year’s Pro model.

We’re considering a 9% weight drop on the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro from last year’s model. Its larger variant, the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Pro Max, has also shed some weight, standing 8% lighter. Now, these percentages might seem minor in writing, but in the realm of day-to-day handling, it’s a game-changer. I mean, just consider the countless hours we spend with our phones in hand. From binging videos to texting or, let’s be honest, those endless scrolling sessions. Every gram saved is a win, especially for that ever-struggling pinky finger propping up the phone’s base.

Granted, $999 might be a tad heavy on the wallet, especially for the Pro version with a basic 128GB. But considering the comfort and the premium feel, it’s an upgrade I’m seriously contemplating. And for those of us who’ve had our pinkies working overtime these past years, this is the break they’ve been waiting for.

In essence, if you’re in the market for an upgrade, or even if you’re just a curious tech enthusiast, the iPhone 15 Pro lineup deserves a look – if not for anything else, then to give your pockets and pinky a lighter day. I’m contemplating handing my 1TB iPhone 14 Pro Max to my 13-year-old daughter. I’ve got my sights set on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. But choosing the color? Well, I’ve got until Friday to make up my mind.

Delving into the iPhone 15 Pro’s ‘Action Button’: A Multifunctional Marvel

In an era of minimalist design, where every element aims to provide multifunctionality, Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro emerges as a frontrunner, seamlessly aligning with the device’s aesthetic and delving deep into practical utility.

During my hands-on interaction, the Action Button immediately commanded attention. It’s evident Apple meticulously designed it to eliminate inadvertent triggers; a brief press enlightens you with an on-screen cue, suggesting a more intentional press-and-hold mechanism. This thoughtful addition undoubtedly enhances user experience, ensuring tasks are executed deliberately.

Venture into the settings and a vast realm of customization is unveiled. But of all the utilities the Action Button can be mapped to, the camera stands out as my personal favorite, and it’s likely to be the most frequently used by many. In an age of fleeting moments and instant captures, the ability to immediately access the camera could be game-changing.

But the versatility of the Action Button doesn’t halt there. Whether you’re looking to instantly shift the ambiance using the ‘Focus’ mode, illuminate your surroundings with the ‘flashlight,’ or swiftly capture a voice note with ‘voice memo,’ this button can do it all. The’ translate’ function promises to be invaluable for users who often find themselves in diverse linguistic landscapes. The ‘magnifier’ feature is also a boon for those seeking visual clarity, making minute details discernible.

The Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro is an impressive feature that is made even better by its integration with ‘Shortcuts.’ This feature allows for endless possibilities, even if third-party apps don’t have direct access to the Action Button. With ‘Shortcuts,’ users can create a personalized experience by accessing specific apps or features within them.

The Action Button is more than just a physical button; it represents Apple’s commitment to merging design and functionality. No matter what your preferred ‘action’ may be, whether it’s taking photos or using voice memos or translation features, the Action Button has something for everyone. This is a testament to Apple’s design philosophy and the universality of the button.

iPhone 15 Pro Series: A Photographic Evolution

The cameras on the iPhone have always been a standout feature, attracting those who appreciate attention to detail. During my brief experience with the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, it was clear that the image quality was nothing short of amazing. However, a more thorough analysis of these camera systems will be saved for a comprehensive review.

A Symphony of Lenses

At first glance, the iPhone 15 Pro promises a renewed main camera experience. Yet, it’s the iPhone 15 Pro Max, with its all-new 5x telephoto camera, that truly shines—especially for those moments when distance challenges the story you’re trying to capture. Whether it’s a majestic eagle in mid-flight, the grandeur of distant peaks, or just children lost in their playful world, the Pro Max delivers.

During the launch event, Greg “Joz” Joswiak, Apple’s dynamic marketing leader, highlighted the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max’s remarkable feature, which is like having access to seven different camera lenses. It’s fascinating to see how smartphones today can imitate traditional cameras’ zoom lenses with their various lens combinations. All of this technology is packed into a compact, handheld device. However, this level of luxury is typically only found in the highest-end smartphones.

The Lure of the Details

Both versions of the Pro model have a reliable camera setup. The main camera is a 48-megapixel wide-angle lens, and there is also a 12-megapixel ultrawide option. However, there are some differences. The main camera can adjust its focal length from 24mm to 35mm, making it flexible and versatile for photographers. On the other hand, the ultrawide lens has a focal length of 13mm and can smoothly shift into a macro mode, perfect for capturing close-up shots.

The difference between the two Pro models is most noticeable in their telephoto capabilities. The iPhone 15 Pro has a 3x telephoto lens, similar to its predecessor, while the Pro Max has a 5x lens supported by advanced image stabilization technology.

Crafting the Vision

Apple stays ahead of the game with its continuous advancements despite the competition from Android giants. The main camera, boasting 48 megapixels, is the core of the photography experience on both models. With a larger sensor and Apple’s computational expertise, the visuals are guaranteed to be breathtaking, and you have the freedom to customize your perspective when using the camera.

Even in low-light conditions or as the sun sets, the new lens offers clarity thanks to its wide f1.8 aperture. Additionally, the second-generation image stabilization ensures that the iPhone’s reputation for superior camera technology will persist.

As the iPhone 15 Pro series photographic narrative unfolds, we’ll watch every frame and every story. Keep those lenses focused and the stories flowing until the full review.

iPhone 15 Series: A USB-C switch with a Twist

The iPhone 15 and 15 Pro mark Apple’s entry into the world of USB-C, which is a long-awaited move. At first glance, it seems like a significant step forward, but there are complexities to this innovation, as is common with many advancements.

The iPhone 15 Pro promises potential data transfer rates of up to 10 Gbps. Such speeds evoke images of near-instantaneous file transfers and seamless streaming. However, in a move that might perplex some, Apple’s choice to pack in a USB 2.0 cable, despite its type-C port, means users won’t tap into those blazing speeds right out of the gate.

During their keynote, Apple clarified that to harness the potential of these “USB 3 speeds truly”, an “optional USB 3” cable would be required. This addition promises not just brisker data transfer but also extends to sublime video output capabilities – imagine 4K at a mesmerizing 60 fps HDR.

Presently, Apple offers a solution for those seeking these enhanced speeds: a Thunderbolt 4 cable, available separately at $69. This might feel like an additional investment for the savvy consumer to unlock the iPhone’s capabilities fully.

Apple’s commitment to USB-C is evident in their expanded accessory lineup. From high-wattage charging cables to a handy USB-C to a lightning dongle, the ecosystem is evolving. However, the underlying message is clear: to experience the zenith of what the iPhone 15 series USB-C offers, an additional investment seems inevitable.

Apple’s adoption of USB-C technology is a significant advancement that brings the iPhone closer to universal compatibility and faster speeds. However, it’s crucial for users to fully understand its intricacies so they can make informed decisions and fully utilize the capabilities of their devices. As with any innovation, there is a mix of excitement and reflection.

The post The iPhone 15 Pro Hands-On: Lighter, Snazzier, And A Real Pinky-Saver first appeared on Yanko Design.