XDA Full Review

A full-fledged, highly in-depth review of a mobile device.

Apple iPhone 12 review: so good, I’m tempted to switch from Android

Apple iPhone 12 review: so good, I’m tempted to switch from Android

October 26, 2020
Like all my XDA colleagues, my mobile operating system of choice is Android. But unlike most of my far tech-savvier XDA colleagues, I stumbled into Android rather late, having spent the first seven years of the smartphone era as an iPhone user. I purchased the original iPhone on day one and upgraded every year all the...
Xiaomi Mi Band 5 Review: Fixing all the quirks from the Mi Band 4, and then some

Xiaomi Mi Band 5 Review: Fixing all the quirks from the Mi Band 4, and then some

October 25, 2020
The Xiaomi Mi Band 4 was launched in June 2019, coming up as a big upgrade over the Mi Band 3 thanks to its color display and other additions. In my review of the Mi Band 4, I noted how the Mi Band lineup has evolved over the years to the point that the Mi...
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Review: A Worthy Upgrade

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Review: A Worthy Upgrade

October 19, 2020
When it comes to Android tablets, Samsung is one of the few OEMs still making products that can attempt to keep up with Apple's offerings. The Galaxy Tab S6 from last year was inarguably one of the best tablet experiences team Android had on offer. But, due to the way Android works on tablets, it...
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 4G Review: The Proof is in the Details

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 4G Review: The Proof is in the Details

October 16, 2020
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is Samsung's answer to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers aren't so interested in buying $1,399 flagships anymore. With declining economies and a drastic reduction in purchasing power, consumers are more interested in getting the most bang for the buck than ever. This is the area where companies like Apple, OnePlus, and...
Google Pixel 5 Review – A flagship chip isn’t needed for a flagship phone

Google Pixel 5 Review – A flagship chip isn’t needed for a flagship phone

October 14, 2020
Google Pixel smartphones are widely considered the iPhones of the Android world. Google controls the experience from the top down, just like Apple does. The software on Pixel smartphones showcase what Google believes Android should be, and as such, the software is often well-received by enthusiasts. The hardware, on the other hand, has always left...
OnePlus 8T Review: The T upgrade that makes sense

OnePlus 8T Review: The T upgrade that makes sense

October 14, 2020
The OnePlus 8T is here, bringing over a refresh to one of OnePlus's more popular smartphones in recent years. This year, there is no Pro to be found, so the entire task of upholding the mid-cycle refresh rests on the shoulders of the OnePlus 8T. The T series has often been an incremental upgrade over the...
OPPO Enco W51 True Wireless Earbuds Review: Active Noise Cancellation Made Affordable

OPPO Enco W51 True Wireless Earbuds Review: Active Noise Cancellation Made Affordable

October 3, 2020
OPPO jumped on the true wireless earbuds bandwagon with the launch of OPPO Enco Free back in December last year. This was shortly followed up by two more devices: the Enco W11 earbuds and the AirPods Pro-style Enco W31. Now, OPPO is back again with a new model in the Enco lineup. Meet the OPPO...
How Qualcomm is Improving the Camera Experiences on Android Phones with its Spectra ISPs

How Qualcomm is Improving the Camera Experiences on Android Phones with its Spectra ISPs

October 2, 2020
As the maker of system-on-chips (SoCs) that power much of the world's smartphones and wearables, US-based Qualcomm is undoubtedly one of the giants of the chip maker industry. The Snapdragon line of SoCs, for example, is used by nearly every major Android device maker for flagship, mid-range, and budget smartphones. Qualcomm gets plaudits every year...
Huawei MatePad Pro Review: A Premium Tablet made better with Google Apps

Huawei MatePad Pro Review: A Premium Tablet made better with Google Apps

October 2, 2020
Chinese tech giant Huawei has been caught at the center of the trade dispute between the U.S. and China. Since the trade ban went into effect, Huawei's latest offerings don't feature Google apps and services out of the box. That includes Huawei's current flagship tablet model, the Huawei MatePad Pro, which is unfortunate because it...
OPPO Enco M31 Review: A treat for the ears

OPPO Enco M31 Review: A treat for the ears

September 27, 2020
Between all the rage that TWS has been generating lately, it’s easy to forget Bluetooth neckbands are still a thing. Although the popularity of neckbands has somewhat declined since the rise of TWS, the market clearly exists for those who aren’t entirely convinced with the truly wireless form factor just yet. Neckbands are a no...
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live Review: Tasty design with room for improvement

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live Review: Tasty design with room for improvement

September 25, 2020
There are only so many ways you can do something uniquely; after a point, you're bound to make a repetition that could cause your product to start resembling some of the key characteristics for that established product segment. Smartphones are rectangular glass slabs, laptops are slabs with keyboards, and truly wireless earbuds are either circular...
Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 Review – The Smartwatch Upgrade That Wear OS Needs

Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 Review – The Smartwatch Upgrade That Wear OS Needs

September 24, 2020
It's been over 6 years since Android came to wearables, and yet smartwatches running Google's Wear OS only account for 10% of the total smartwatch market. With Google themselves declining to launch their own smartwatch, Mobvoi and Fossil have been the two standard-bearers for Wear OS smartwatches. The two brands have done everything they could...