Sunday 14 February 2016

Does your mobile rule your life?

Does your mobile rule your life?

It’s easy to argue that smartphone addiction has gotten out of hand. We’re using our mobile devices more than ever before, with our virtual lives becoming ever more  important when compared with our physical ones. Still, the whole argument about whether smartphone addiction is actually a real condition or something altogether less intense is definitely up for debate, as most people who use their phones on a daily basis would probably argue that the effects are different to that of a  conventional ‘addiction’. With mobile-centric apps such as Instagram and Snapchat respectively receiving roughly 400,000,000 hits per day according to Kantar, it raises the question of whether our usage increase is down to simple penetration growth or being unable to detach from our beloved candy bars.

Doro Liberto 825

Doro Liberto 825

Doro is back with another unique device that goes against traditional smartphone values. Will it stand out in this competitive market?

Now let’s get something straight, Doro isn’t your typical manufacturer. It is not your Samsung or Apple trying to reinvent the wheel, more so helping those get used to that first wheel made of rock. Doro dedicates itself to creating devices that are at the pinnacle of usability. Devices that are extremely easy to use and that you would fail to not get to grasp. The Doro Liberto 825 is a clever device with a simple interface and functions that will come in handy for those less abled.

ZTE Axon Mini Premium Edition

ZTE Axon Mini Premium Edition

ZTE has released a new Premium version of the Axon Mini which supports its own version of Force Touch. Will the force be strong with this one?

You may remember a few issues ago when we reviewed the ZTE Axon Elite and gave it a pretty glowing four-star review. Well, this time around we have its little brother, the Axon Mini Premium version, which on first appearance you could confuse for the same device. At only £229.99, it has got itself firmly placed in the lower end of the mid-range market and has a good feature-set to match. With the inclusion of unique features such as ‘Force Touch’, the Premium version stands out even further as a handset that has the potential to be a little disruptive. Trouble is, will the feature just amount to a gimmick? Let’s find out.

Huawei Mate S

Huawei Mate S

The Huawei Mate S is a sleek and well-made phone that had us falling in love with it at first sight. Does the inside match up? Let’s take a gander.

Huawei’s latest attempt at cracking the European and American market. Announced at IFA in Berlin, Huawei is looking to improve on what made the Honor 7 an excellent device. The main feature that caught our eye at IFA was the inclusion of ‘Force Touch’. Strangely the Force Touch 128GB, model of the Mate S is not slotted for release in the UK. Strange as Huawei would have capitalised on its Android rivals. So we have the 32GB version to play with but not Force Touch. Cue sad face.

Microsoft Lumia 950 & 950XL

Microsoft Lumia 950 & 950XL

The Lumia 950 and 950XL are Microsoft’s hottest new flagship handsets but will they be enough to tempt customers away from Android and iOS?

Microsoft’s Windows 10 Mobile operating system is finally finished after a long preview period, with the complete OS debuting in two flagship handsets from the company. The Lumia 950 and 950XL are supposed to represent the pinnacle of what the new software is capable of, with various new features such as Windows Hello, flagship level processors and a much improved camera. Since the handsets are quite similar overall, we’ve decided to compile both reviews into a single one. The thing is, will all of this new technology be enough to pull people away from Android and iOS?