Category: #Reviews

Tech Review – The Nokia X20

Nokia has a slew of devices on the market now and one thing I have noticed is we are seeing a pattern that is very familiar with them ie they look all the same now and this something Samsung have been known for hence their nickname SameSong over the years alongside Apple but seemed to have addressed that to an extent of late with their new devices and we will have our Flip 3 review in soon too so stay tuned for that. However for Nokia and HMD their devices are getting better as time goes on and hopefully we will see a true flagship offering soon as the market is super saturated right now and maybe they can pull something off in the coming weeks with smartphone season kicking off.

The USP of the Nokia X20

The USP of the Nokia X20 is battery, 5G and a big screen with a three year warranty and this may tick the box for the many folks out there who just want something with a decent sized screen and battery to consume media on but as for 5G you can forget about it now as the uptake is bad and being on it myself well lets say it is nothing to write home about, in fact my service has been terrible since I moved over to 5G but you cans say the Nokia X20 has future proofed itself as long as they dont start dropping too many phones out over the coming months and keep their portfolio tailored and have no conflicting devices which in turn makes others redundant like others seem to have a habit of doing.

Who is the Nokia X20 for

Well to be fair here it can be for anyone, if you have money to spend and want to show off with your iPhone 12 pro max off you go to your limited experience as always is with Apple and most tech journos never shut up about the iPhone, I do own one and find it good in fairness but restrictions still apply and stupid ones at that which make it hard for me to use it as a daily driver, Using two phones as my daily drivers I tend to use an Android device and a test device or my iPhone but the iPhone sits in my drawer for the most part, The X20 is mid tier and affordable ticking the key boxes for most but you have small hands look somewhere else because this is a big phone.

Nokia X20 techbuzzireland
Nokia X20 techbuzzireland

Multitasking

For daily tasks it has been fine and that means multitasking all day long with the usual 2 email accounts open and all my social media and news feeds etc and it was no problem, like who in fairness uses their phone to its full potential? Not many I bet but doing my everyday tasks as I do on any phone it has been fine with no lags or reboots during use and I get a day out of it no problem and that is a bug feat in my book.

Camera

Not going to bore you with the specs but it does a good job overall and is capable for the majority of people who will use this phone you wont get great shots like more expensive phones but well balanced overall a decent enough for a point and shoot device. You get a 64MB main camera and three other lenses and one lens like on most phones is a stick on and there is no point in it being there and video shooting maxes out at 1080P at 60fps and you can also use 30fps here if you want so no 4K here which is a letdown. The front facing camera is 32MP and being honest quite good on this front and probably one of the better ones out there especially at the price.

Build

With a 6.7 inch fhd display consuming media is nice to say despite its 60hz refresh rate but most phones in this category are the same but more leaning towards a higher refresh rate like 90hz. It still offers a decent experience for the consumer and with everyone now on their mobiles now more than ever watching films on this is a great experience with a decent enough speaker but the colours are bright and pop so overall it is great and when browsing the web you have a better screen estate to work with and makes it a more comfortable experience offering a better view rather than tall thin devices . It has a plastic build but looks like metal so do not let that fool you and many lower end mid tier phones use this approach and get away with it however some might prefer this as the phone is lighter and easy to hold in the hand.

Battery

With a 4470 mAh battery it is considered big and for what it is powering all day long it lasts a day which i said earlier which is good and for most average users you can expect a two day life with one charge but the thing is we are now on our phones more and the minority would get the two days out of it. This however is not a bad thing either as one a one day battery life for most is great and the expectation for most users these days until the battery technology improves however you do get quick charge here and again battery size will have alot to do with cost and weight and it is well balanced here.

Conclusion

With 128GB of storage, 8GB RAM Android One which has no bloatware, three year warranty a big screen and decent cameras this might be one to look at it also looks more expensive than it is and something many manufacturers can do now to give devices a better aesthetic look it is a good all rounder for the average joe soap, with the competition rife in the smartphone market you might look at imported phones but that is another issue if you run into problems with repairs etc it is a one to perhaps look into if you are on a budget..

Tech Review – Enacfire A9 ANC earbuds.

The Enacfire ANC earbuds are an affordable fair of earbuds with ANC present, As I have said before the cost to performance ratio has come down on earbuds and ANC is a feature many desire but overall how do these perform coming in at around 55 euros are they worth a punt… You can check out a shorts unboxing here

Build Quality

These are made of plastic however really light and they are compact with a smaller stem design than most out there today overall they are indeed a smaller earbud in general on the entire size for the format and look current with the design but we have seen similar designs like this before.

Comfort

These are light and fit quite well and with the right tips you will be fine and with the IPX7 rating these are fine for the gym if you wear such they do not move or wiggle when jogging so overall a decent experience and no pressure on the ears either when changing the controls.

Sound

The performance from these overall is quite good for their price it must be said and from my usual test run they did a great job,highs lows and mids well balanced and direction yet no distortion when maxed out either, a bit brighter than other earbuds but did well even with some bass in there for the mix and loud enough volume wise. Bass fans however might want to look elsewhere unless the company gives us an EQ app in the future which would be nice.

Controls 

The controls worked really well on these and we go through these in the video below there is some lag on the volume control but all fine otherwise and you do also get access to your voice assistant to, for a cheap pair of earbuds these perform really well in comparison to some others tested and the touch sensitive area is placed well.

These also come with transparency mode and found this less effective than other earbuds but this might not bother some but something to look into, the ANC done a decent job again compared to other sub 100 euro earbuds, battery life is on par but shy of the claims by about 45 /60 mins in my testing but overall a good offering here. These also can be used individually which is a good option.

BUY HERE

See video below for more. Click here if you cant see video

Tech Review – Targus Cypress 15.6” Hero Backpack with EcoSmart.

Our next bag in from Targus is one that can do many jobs at once with multiple storage options and multiple pockets and options making it a bag that has maximum use cases. This bag was designed with the environment in mind. By using GRS-certified recycled materials, 26 plastic bottles were kept out of our waterways and landfills, shredded into small flakes, re-polymerised into plastic chips, then heated and spun into yarn that was woven, and sewn into the fabric of this EcoSmart bag.

For someone who wants pockets and zippers this is a bag to certainly look at and it very comfortable to wear too and of course has a carry strap up on top that is also padded like the straps on the back and also a curved backplate on the bag so there is no pressure on your back either and overall makes this bag nice a comfortable to wear no matter how much weight you might get into it.

With multiple pockets inside and storage compartments it is ideal for those on the go or anyone in fact and for tech heads like me the ideal bag to have at my disposal with having the ability to store things where I want and not having to look like a fool diffing my hand in looking for something as you often see people doing. Also what I like about this bag is the passthrough trolley strap that makes life easier at airports now that we can travel again..

Targus sent us this bag to review and are seeing the video the same time as you,no compensation was paid nor any input given to my review.

BUY HERE

See video below for more.. Click here if you cant see video

 

Tech Review – Targus Classic Clamshell Laptop Bag.

A couple of bags coming up for review as travel is now starting again and you need to right bags for the equipment you may be carrying and for me it has to be something solid useful and full of pockets to stow things away in order be it travelling locally abroad or for tech events the correct bag is always a priority for me.

First up to house my new chromebook is the Targus classic clamshell laptop bag which does the job for me travelling locally for work or meetings or my hotel stays, small and sturdy with great padding inside and organised compartments this is the perfect fit for such. This is an over the shoulder bag and can be carried with a nice sturdy handle that is comfortable to hold and the same applies to the padded shoulder strap.

With pockets inside you also get a compartment for your laptop/ chromebook which is secured with a velcro strap so it remains in place and then the nice part of this bag is the front compartment which is a multifuncional station that has a clever hinge on it so things will not fall out that may have come loose during your travels.

This is not an expensive purchase and can hold laptops up to 17 inches the one we have is the smaller of the range as it suits my chromebook perfectly.. The range is 13.4 to 17 inches so most people are covered here by choice and you are not tied to one bag here either and given a choice of colours and options, there is nothing worse than having a huge bag to cater for smaller items if you are an organised person.

  • Designed to protect up to 17 Inch laptops with additional internal sleeve
  • Durable Polyester material with reinforced rigid case
  • Multi-functional front zipped workstation for mobile phones, cables, earphones, business cards, and pens
  • Re-enforced adjustable padded handle for extra comfort
  • Velcro laptop security strap

This bag was purchased by techbuzzireland and Targus are seeing the review the same time as you and have had no input nor paid any compensation.

BUY HERE  

Cant see the video click here 

Tech Review – Burga iPhone 12 case Classy Marble #Burga #iPhone

BURGA is a trendsetting European fashion and lifestyle brand. Their goal is to inspire and empower people to express their personal style with our premium quality tech accessories and some really top class phone cases for your mobile phone and have kindly sent us over two cases to check out for the iPhone 12 they do have a huge range of cases for other devices Airpod cases and much more and they look like real quality goods which is nice to see.

We have two cases in to check out and the first up is the Classy Marble iPhone 12 case and it is a case that looks really premium and not some cheap tack you often find on sale on other sites that cost five euro and so on and as the saying goes “buy cheap buy twice”

There is not much to say when it comes to reviewing phone cases apart from how well they are made and the materials used and having done hundreds of case reviews here it is easy to spot quality over cheap and these cases are quality and look great on your phone, all the ports are perfect as expected and the case gives your phone real protection all round even if face down unlike some cases you might find.

Check out the video below for more on this case and check out the link below for more and see what Burga has to offer..

BUY HERE

Tech Review – Burga iPhone 12 case Satin White Marble #Burga #iPhone

Next in for review from Burga is the Satin White Marble iPhone12 case and again the same applies before as to the previous case we have reviewed from the company, All aspects remain the same here and the quality once again is throughout.  As Burga says on their website:

We take everyday boring items and – with a bit of magic and extreme imagination – turn them into lifestyle & fashion accessories you’ll be psyched to wear.

We add a pinch of sunshine to a cloudy day. Paint a sunflower on a winter canvas. Extract the purest feeling of freedom and combine it with a fierce desire for perfection. In other words, we go the extra mile to make you look & feel absolutely out of this world! Dive into the world of BURGA — a world of fashion, chique, and jaw-dropping aesthetics. Whatever your destination, we’ll help you get there in style.

This case again offers grip, gives your phone a premium look and protects it all round with a nice lip around the front of the device enabling you to leave it face down, check out the video below for more..

BUY HERE

 

 

 

Tech Review – Forté for iPhone with Magsafe from Twelve South

If you are looking for a nice cool accessory for your iPhone this is on to check out an it not only serves a charge dock for your iPhone it also can be used as stand to consume media on your phone and also charge your Airpods, in fact it will charge any wireless charging product which makes it more flexible, this however is due to the Magsafe unit which you must have and does not come with the package..

Twelve South have always made great accessories for your Apple products and this is no exception here and is super solid and the base on this is really heavy so will not budge no matter where it is sat. The phone or earbuds will sit on the top circular piece and feels like it is floating and can be adjusted to suit your needs so it is not a fixed platform but one that can be tilted to 70 degrees which also allows you to use your device in both horizontal and portrait mode.

Forté for iPhone back
Forté for iPhone front

 

 Why Forté floats to the top of iPhone 12 charging stands:

  • Pairs with MagSafe Charger for fastest wireless charging possible
  • Holds iPhone in portrait or landscape and tilts 70-degrees 
  • Use as a pedestal charger for AirPods and AirPods Pro
  • Easily insert and remove MagSafe Charger (not included) for travel 

BUY HERE

This product was sent to us by Twelve South and no compensation paid and are seeing the review the same time as you

See video for more

 

Tech Review – Apple Magsafe Charger.

I have adopted wireless charging some time now and Apple here have been slow to bring us products and third party offerings have cashed in while we waited for Apple to drop us something themselves nd even with Magsafe totalled out at 15W it is still piss poor from the company that gives us less each year omitting something from their iPhone box for example and claiming it saves the environment but when you go to buy the missing item from the box should you need it, guess what it ships in yes you guessed it another box..

The design is simple a circular puck shape if you will and well built buy the looks and feel of it so it all aint that bad and the price is arguably fair compared to other wireless chargers out there too. One thing I wonder though is how long will it stay so clean being white after months of use time will tell I guess.

Simplicity here is the key to take away from the product as it just sticks to the back of the device even with a skin on and some case but thicker phone cases can be removed now if you plan on buying one..

Forté for iPhone makes good use of the magsafe charger by twelve south

15W is the best Apple can offer here which is akin to their plugs on older iPhones which is paltry compared to the competition out there today and a bit scabby in my book plus it does not work charging from pc/laptop and you need a mains plug to actually use the thing so the likes of charge banks and so on are out of the question if you are on the go, another piss poor move here.

It is faster than older chargers and that its it, the product looks nice and there is accessories out there to make us of it and it is only for the likes of people who have such and are not to bothered by slow charging speeds and I do like the ability that it snaps on nice and easy and seems to be fairly strong enough once it is not knocked hard out of place.

There is cheaper alternatives out there and shops that sell it cheaper than Apple which is funny but their build quality is not as good as Apple here but still worth a look and you can save yourself some money if you wish to pick one up..

This product was purchased by techbuzzireland

 

Tech Review – Belkin Key Ring Holder for Apple Air Tag. #Belkin #AirTag #Apple

Quick and to the point with this one it is just a key ring holder after all and is one of the cheapest on the market for your AirTag but we have more to come and of course our Air Tag review and comparison to other offerings on the market such as Tile Chipolo and NotiOne. This is a simple solid holder for your Air Tag that comes in two pieces you simply just stick the tag in between the two bits of plastic, would have preferred a soft rubber material but it is what it is. Overall though it is solid it must be said.

This was purchased by ourselves on the Apple store and cost 13.95 which is cheap enough compared to other offerings out there and comes in several colours, it is secure and scratch resistant which will protect your tag from getting marked and for those who have theirs engraved it is a bonus how that holds up over time to being exposed to the elements and so on and moving around.. Check out the video for more below and we have a link to purchase below. Overall it is safe enough and will not fall off but there is always that possibility it can be removed like any trackers most people proudly show off..

This product was purchased by techbuzzireland

BUY HERE