Android – The Review Studio

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I am loving the TCL 30+ Smartphone that was sent to me this week! I am usually an iPhone user and have been for about 10 years so having never tried an Android phone before, I didn’t know what to expect.

Firstly, the phone looks like a smartphone. Its screen is 16cm height and 7.5cm wide whilst less than 1cm thick, comparable to other smart phones and at 184g it’s lightweight too. The screen isn’t too big for my little hands (and they are little!) and like other smartphones, it’s touchscreen.

If, like me you don’t like reading instructions and just want to get started with setting it up, then it’s easy. You don’t need a SIM card to get started and luckily the phone is already slightly charged so you can take it out the box and start the settings straight away. It doesn’t take that long to set up either. The phone asks you which wi-fi network you want to use so I chose my home network just to get started. Using the QR reader on the phone, it set up and sync-ed with my wifi easily. Next, there was the security which included a ‘pattern’ to open the phone and then the fingerprint recognition. This takes a few minutes as the phone has to build up your profile slowly. You can choose to open the phone with a PIN or face recognition though if you prefer.

There are ample apps already installed or more you can download yourself

Other settings which you can choose are your search engine preferences, G Pay (so you can checkout with your phone for payments), other additional apps like YouTube, Google Drive etc and setting up your Gmail account. It also makes it easy for you to transfer your old apps and data (including photos) from an old device to the TCL 30+.

I particularly liked the ‘Hey Google’ voice recognition. I used this a few times when my hands were full to do things like set up an alarm (the alarm noise was surprisingly soothing!) and ask questions which I was easily able to do from a distance.

Once the phone was set up, I started using it to see how it compared. There are actually 3 cameras; the main camera (50MP), plus two more cameras on the back to give a wider field of view. There’s also a video lens with features such as Steady Snap, Portrait Mode, Movie Mode, Stop Motion and various Filters. Additionally, there’s a 13MP ultrawide camera at the front of the phone, for taking selfies and video. It has features such as Face Beautification, Auto Capture and Touch to Capture.

The cameras are great quality, and to test them, I took the same photo (below) on both the TCL 30+M and my iPhone X. There’s not much difference, you can see that the quality is similar although perhaps slightly better on the iPhone when it comes to detail. The colours are less saturated on the TCL too.

There is 128GB of memory on the phone (which is the same as the new iPhone 13 Pro) and the ability to add a MicroSD card up to 1TB. If you prefer not to use a card though, the phone can link up with your Google Drive and you can store all your photos, files and apps on the cloud so there isn’t a huge need for an SD card unless you really want one.

There are so many features that it takes a while to find your way around all the apps etc but once you do they work brilliantly. The box contains a charger and Type-C cable which are the quickest way to charge the phone. The battery life is much longer than my iPhone too, lasting days instead of just 1 day so there isn’t a big need to keep charging it. The phone also comes with a clear plastic cover, a SIM card pin and a device bag.

If I had never owned a Smartphone before, then I would be overwhelmed by all the apps and what was on offer, but I think I would get used to using it very quickly. As much as I hate to admit it though, I can see why people prefer the Android over an Apple iPhone. A lot of the work is already done for you, it’s consistent (and I think easier to use) with a PC and all the modern features you want with a phone are there. You don’t even need to buy extra accessories like a phone cover.

As with every product, there are pros and cons. This is not an exhaustive list, but just a few things I’ve noticed after using the TCL 30+ for a couple of weeks:

Pros

The battery charges quickly and lasts for days!
Easy to set up
Lots of cameras with filters already installed
Already installed with loads of apps including Google apps and social media
More in-depth apps like Weather that also features satellite images, news etc

Cons

Not 5G
Takes a while to register fingerprint security when you pick it up
Response time is slower than I would like when using apps – they take a while to load up or to load more information

At a fraction of the price of an iPhone (currently £159 on Amazon) there are few reasons not to use it, especially if you prefer Androids or aren’t already a Smartphone or Apple user. This would make a fantastic Christmas gift for a teenager, or for anyone who wants to be able to access all of the apps, features and smartphone technology we’ve all come to expect!

Disclaimer – We received this item for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Say Hello to the swipe-free emporia SUPEReasy

emporia Telecom, a leading brand in the design and development of simplified smartphones for seniors, has revealed the World’s easiest smartphone – the emporia SUPEReasy.

This simplified device removes the need to swipe to operate – combining two screens, one to make calls and the second to scroll through for apps, with two physical keys for easy operation.

The SUPEReasy is built on Android 10 and provides a full, content rich and limitless smartphone experience. It is not stripped-down in any way, just simplified to offer the easiest operation and includes useful apps like a QR code reader, magnifier function and NFC for mobile payments.

It has a 13MP camera, a 5” touch screen with three quick dial icons and two large built-in physical keys for ‘answer/send’ and ‘end’ functions.

These physical keys are located directly below the screen for intuitive use. The device comes with a flat charging cradle, interchangeable back cover and emporia’s signature tangle-free headphones – making it a beautifully simple device for the user, regardless of age.

Included:

Two battery covers (one with an emergency button and one without it)
Desktop Charger
Display: Large screen with text that is easy to read & Touchscreen
Features: HAC: compatible with M4/T4 hearing aids and IP54 splash resistance
VoLTE: 4G mobile data connectivity
NFC: for contactless and cashless payments
System: Android 10

Making a phone call with a smartphone has never been easier. With real buttons for accepting and ending a call. Green to accept, Red to hang up – no need to swipe. And of course the tools to surf the web or snap a few nice photos. Everything made simply, SE = everything super easy.

Chris Millington, UK Managing Director at emporia Telecom explains the market opportunity behind this portfolio launch: “This is the first smartphone designed with a specific focus on making and receiving voice calls. Mainstream smartphones are based on the concept of ‘swipe to answer’ – this is often physically challenging for seniors due to age-related changes to circulation and moisture loss in the fingertips. The niche audience for this product is huge. Ofcom’s figures show that only 36% of people aged over 65yrs in the UK own a smartphone – so there are clearly critical barriers for the industry to address that have not really changed in the last 10 years.”

emporia invests heavily in senior insights including an ongoing research collaboration with Cambridge University. As such the business has amassed a deep understanding of the growing ageing population – specifically within the +65yr senior segment. Research shows rising demand and appetite for smart technology, but with an increasingly tactile experience. Studies show that physical buttons and responsive operation are key especially for those users who experience circulation or dexterity issues, meaning a traditional smartphone may be harder to navigate.

Chris concludes: “The pandemic has made our reliance on smart technology far greater – for daily functions including banking, parking and purchases, plus venue check-ins, health management, prescriptions and ticketing. Yet, smartphone penetration within the senior market segment remains relatively low. Our research shows that one of the biggest barriers to adoption is that seniors like physical buttons to answer and end voice calls. We have acted upon this insight with this device, which is not just ‘easy’ – it has revolutionised the design of smartphones. It combines powerful functionality with simplicity. That’s why, with a ‘what you touch is what you get’ design, we are able to offer a unique user experience for this important group.”

Ben Branson, CEO of Fonehouse added: “We are delighted to offer the new SUPEReasy across our retail stores and online. Our success with emporia smartphones over the last year has shown us how to address the needs of this growing customer segment. We find that older users are now often moving away from featurephones, this is a revolutionary step to help make the transition much easier.”

The emporia SUPEReasy is available from http://www.fonehouse.co.uk and Amazon UK with an RRP of £200.

Tag: Android

TCL 30+ M Android Smartphone

Introducing the World’s Easiest Smartphone Ever!