Home » Gadget Reviews Roundup: August 2018

Gadget Reviews Roundup: August 2018

Written By Vaughn Chua
Published • September 2nd, 2018
GuidesMobile
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Brands went full throttle with their gadget releases these past few months and this means one thing for us, reviews galore! Let’s take a look at the devices that we reviewed last month, shall we?

Samsung Galaxy J8

The Galaxy J8 in itself is a very respectable device. It has a nice screen, capable cameras, clean UI, and remarkable battery life. It has its caveats though like poor low-light performance, jittery autofocus, hard to wipe-off smudge magnet back panel and underpowered speakers. Samsung may be right in flaunting the cameras of the device but it only truly shines in the right conditions.

Samsung Galaxy Note9

Samsung has brought the Galaxy Note series to the next level with the Galaxy Note 9. It comes with big improvements over its predecessor, like, the more powerful chipset, bigger RAM and storage configurations, new S Pen features, AI features, built-in Samsung DeX, and larger battery. However, it’s more like an upgraded Note 8 or an S9+ on a ton of steroids. It packs cooler features and more power but nothing revolutionary.

Linksys VELOP AC3900

The Linksys VELOP AC9300 is an interesting mesh router, indeed. It has a small frame that you can easily place in any spot and a simple setup process. Basic features are also covered and well-implemented, and the UI is fun and easy despite the lack of advanced control.

ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 (UX580GE)

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The ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE is a formidable creativity powerhouse in the ultrabook market. It’s got an amazing display, powerful internals, great sounding speakers, and a ScreenPad that totally beats out Apple’s Touch Bar in our opinion.

Xiaomi Mi A2

The Xiaomi Mi A2 is a great mid-range device that can almost match the performance of devices like the Vivo X21 and Nokia 7 Plus, which are more expensive. It’s not a pure performance standout in the mid-range market since that title now belongs to the Honor Play.

OPPO Find X

If you’re a company known for mid-range devices then decided to release a flagship, you could at least expect it to go big and offer something fresh and unique at the same time. That’s what OPPO did with the Find X.

OPPO A3s

The OPPO A3s definitely proved to be a good traveling companion and for having an above average viewing experience. OPPO did a great job with the device’s build, display, performance, and battery life but, the RAM and internal storage capacities are a big deal for us.

VIVO NEX S

The VIVO NEX has great hardware, a simple yet elegant design with a large and gorgeous display, huge battery and packed with all the bells and whistles. We really love the idea of the pop-up front-facing camera.

Honor Play

The Honor Play is that kind of smartphone that punches like a heavyweight but fights in the middleweight class. It’s got a nice display, flagship-grade Kirin 970 with GPU Turbo, large RAM and storage, decent cameras, and above average battery capacity. There are some issues like its thermals but we believe it’s something that can be fixed with a software update.

OPPO F9

The OPPO F9 feels more like a refinement of the F7 than a successor, but that is not to say that they are negligible. The new waterdrop screen, prettier design, increased RAM, updated OS, dual rear cameras, and a larger battery with VOOC Flash Charge, are very welcome improvements.

Sony BRAVIA A8F 4K OLED TV

Sony created an impressive television in the BRAVIA A8F. It has a stunning image and video quality, a superb audio system, a lot of features and customization thanks to Android, and a slim and premium body. With all these features though comes a very hefty price tag though.

Xiaomi Mi 8

Xiaomi once again proves that flagship specs and performance doesn’t have to come at a steep price. The Mi 8 is very much a flagship device by 2018 standards. It has impressive cameras, display, performance, facial recognition, and capable speakers.

Sony Sounbar HT-X9000F

The Sony Soundbar HT-X9000F is an excellent audio accessory that can be used by devices such as smartphones, laptops, and, of course, televisions. We had a quite hiccup while setting it up but it was worth the wait as it delivers great overall audio quality.

Cherry Mobile Omega Lite 4

In a sea of smartphones that rock measly hardware and optimized software, Cherry Mobile’s Omega Lite 4 stands out as a decent device that can compete with other 18:9 display phones such as the Cloudfone Thrill Boost 3 and the myPhone myX1

Motorola Moto E5 Plus

The Motorola Moto E5 Plus is a nice smartphone to have especially when you are often in a moist environment thanks to its water-repellent body coating. Might we add, it’s also a feature not normally found in this segment.

Sony EXTRA BASS SRS-XB31

The SRS-XB31 is truly a premium looking rugged speakers and we don’t have anything to complain about here except for one thing. It is a tad expensive but given all the nice things you get, we’d say it’s definitely worth it.

Sony EXTRA BASS SRS-XB21

The SRS-XB21 certainly lived up to the hype it first gave us during our initial hands-on. It truly is a premium looking rugged speakers with amazing overall audio quality, solid structure, and superb battery life. It’s also small and portable, so that’s a big plus.