Fast Charge

We spoke about the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra a couple of weeks ago, but it's back with a vengeance after Dom's been testing the phone and is surprised to discover it might be one of his favourites of the year so far.

Launched alongside the cheaper Edge 30 Fusion and Neo, the Ultra is a high-specced phone that can match almost any flagship out there, while undercutting them all on price. It may be headlined bya 200Mp main rear camera, but to be honest that's not even the real draw: this is simply a well-balanced, slick flagship phone with few flaws at an excellent price.

That's especially true when we see its latest competition, as Huawei launches the Mate 50 Pro in Europe - though not the regular Mate 50. Like most Huawei phones the hardware here looks excellent, and the variable aperture camera in particular has our attention. But is €1,399 simply too much for a 4G phone with no Google services?

Finally, the cloud gaming market is finally heating up, as Logitech unveiled its G Cloud handset, only to be followed days later by the first official tease of the Razer Edge 5G - almost certain to be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 chip, as seen in the Razer dev kit device shown off last year. How do these two handsets differ, and should the Switch and Steam Deck be worried?

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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Is the iPhone 14 Pro the best iPhone you can buy right now? And can the Oppo Reno 8 Pro compete in a very competitive mid-range market?

First up on Fast Charge this week, Lewis gives his thoughts on the iPhone 14 Pro after a week of use. Is the Dynamic Island all it's cracked up to be? Is the new 48Mp camera as revolutionary as Apple suggests? And most importantly, is it an iPhone that can last all day? The crew discuss.

Next up, the Fast Charge team discuss the rising prices of tech. No matter where you look, the price of tech is on the up-and-up. Henry, Lewis and Hannah discuss the best time to buy tech to bag yourself a bargain, and give tips on the most affordable smartphones right now.

Finally, Hannah has been testing out the Oppo Reno 8 Pro, the company's latest competitive mid-ranger. Hear what she thinks about Oppo's stylish smartphone, from its impressive performance to Oppo's flaky upgrade promise.

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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Is Motorola finally on the edge of flagship phone success with the new additions to the Edge 30 range? And is iOS 16 the enormous update we were promised?

First up on Fast Charge this week, we talk about the new Motorola Edge 30 phones, launched last week. This is headline by the Edge 30 Ultra, an all-singing, all-dancing flagship with a 200Mp camera, super-fast charging, and Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, all for an unexpectedly affordable price tag. The Edge 30 Fusion and Neo have taken our fancy a little too, a pair of capable mid-rangers with surprisingly sleek design. After years in the wilderness, is Motorola finally back?

Meanwhile, iOS 16 is officially out – and while we’re still waiting for our new iPhones, Henry and Lewis have been busy testing out the new software on existing hardware. So if you’re an iPhone owner, should you upgrade? And should Android users feel like they’re missing out?

Finally, Lewis has been testing out the Vivo V25 Pro, and has his review ready just in time for its smaller sibling’s launch in India. Hear what he thinks of Vivo’s colour-changing mid-ranger, and what the one thing still holding Vivo back is.

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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Coming hot off the heels of IFA 2022, Apple has revealed a slew of new smartphones and wearables - including an entirely new model of Apple Watch.

Lewis, Henry and Anyron will dive into chat about the iPhone 14 and new big-screen iPhone 14 Plus along with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.

The team will then move on to the Apple Watch Series 8, an updated Apple Watch SE and Apple's new ultra-rugged Apple Watch Ultra, designed for triathletes, divers and other extreme sports fans. 

We then round off the episode with Apple's AirPods Pro 2. Are they really 'pro' without lossless audio support? The guys discuss.

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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We’re back, and ready to review Samsung’s latest two foldables, along with the Buds 2 Pro and both new Galaxy Watch 5 models. Just in time to then look forward at what we’re expecting from Apple’s just-confirmed iPhone 14 launch.

Lewis, Dom, and Henry have all spent the last two weeks testing various bits of Samsung kit, and we have our hot takes at the ready as we review the Z Flip 4, Z Fold 4, both Galaxy Watch 5 models, and the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. Is this a bumper year for Samsung, or so-so sameness?

Not to be outdone, Apple took the opportunity yesterday to confirm its next event, officially scheduled for 7 September. With the iPhone 14 almost certain to appear, what are we expecting from the new phones – and what other hardware will Apple announce alongside them.

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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We are well and truly into smartphone summer silly season with software releases, beta tracks, rumour mills, and flagship phones galore all vying for our and your collective tech attention.

Android 13 is officially rolling out to Pixel 6 phones around the world. It's a little earlier in the year than usual, but will many people notice many differences given Android 12 was such a huge visual change? The new version appears to be an iterative update to 2021's big step into Material You and colour scheming, but there a few important changes worth highlighting. When your phone will get the update is another matter.

One such phone slated to get Android 13 later this year is the OnePlus 10T. It's a curious phone from the company that used to outright replace its flagship phone for the year with the 'T' model six months later, but this time it's something different altogether. On paper some parts are better than the older OnePlus 10 Pro, but it's at the expense of a few key features - like the absence of the fan favourite alert slider - that drive the price down. We've reviewed the phone and will delve into its curious proposition. 

Vivo is a Chinese brand that like OnePlus is owned by BBK Group, but has gone a different route with its latest phones the V25 and V25 Pro. They've caught headlines thanks to colour changing tech of the back panels that will surely see copycats elsewhere in the industry, and remarkably high-spec selfie cameras for the asking price. The mid-range phone market is incredibly competitive of late, and these phones are further proof of that. 

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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This week has been a foldable fest, with not one, not two, not even three, but four new foldable phones announced in quick succession - in fact, they all debuted within 24 hours of one another.

First up, Samsung gave a global launch to the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4. After transformative updates to last year's models, this year is more about iteration, but there's still a lot to like here. The Flip 4 in particular has been re-designed to fix its predecessor's biggest flaws, while the Fold 4 benefits from improved proportions and a serious camera upgrade.

Not to be outdone, Motorola held its delayed launch for the Razr 2022 in China. With a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 inside this is a match for Samsung's Flip 4 on specs, and may trump its Korean rival on camera performance too, with a 50Mp rear shooter. Throw in a larger cover display, a 144Hz internal display, and a sleek design, and Samsung may have real competition when the Razr gets a global launch later this year.

Finally, Xiaomi held a Chinese launch of its own, revealing its second foldable: the Mix Fold 2. This book-style folding phone is a Z Fold 4 rival with an astonishingly thin design - just 5.4mm thick when open - along with strong specs and another Leica-branded camera.

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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The smallest flagship of the year is here: the Asus Zenfone 9.

Dom has been testing the dinky Android phone for the last week or two, and he's a little bit in love with the portable powerhouse, which packs in an 8+ Gen 1 and gimbal-stabilised camera. But can the chassis contain that much power, and are there problems lurking in the unique new polymer finish?

Anyron has been testing out another 8+ Gen 1 phone, the Red Magic 7S Pro. It's a compelling gaming phone if you don't mind the under-display selfie camera, but there's not much new compared to the 7 Pro - which only launched a few months back.

Finally, Huawei unveiled a new MatePad Pro tablet, along with launching its HarmonyOS 3.0 software in China. So what's new, and will it ever arrive in the West?

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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It's a battle of the mid-rangers as we review both the Google Pixel 6a and the Nothing Phone (1), and in the process pit these two similarly priced phones up against one another.

The Pixel 6a was announced a whole two months ago but we finally have the phone, just as pre-orders start, and Henry is ready to explain why he thinks this is the new best mid-ranger on the market after two weeks of putting it through its paces.

Dom has in turn been testing out the Nothing Phone (1), which sits at the same price but looks very different, and balances its specs in whole other way. Does it survive its own hype campaign, and can it dethrone the Pixel 6a already - not to mention the OnePlus Nord 2T, iPhone SE, and Samsung Galaxy A53, all at about the same price.

Finally, Samsung has confirmed its next Galaxy Unpacked event in August. We run through everything we're expecting to see on the day, including the Flip 4, Fold 4, Watch 5, and Buds 2 Pro.

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is finally here, arriving in five phones from two manufacturers this week - with plenty more to come.

Xiaomi got there first, equipping its entire Xiaomi 12S line with the new flagship Qualcomm chip. The trio of phones may be exclusive to China, but the Leica-branded, camera-centric 12S Ultra is a phenomenal powerhouse that any phone fan will want to know about.

Asus may have launched second, but it's the first to bring the 8+ Gen 1 global in its ROG Phone 6 gaming phones. There are regular and Pro models, but only differentiated by RAM and the inclusion of a rear display or not - Anyron has reviewed the 6 Pro, and thinks this is the best a gaming phone gets right now.

Finally, we decided to revisit the year so far, and look at the phones we loved - and didn't love - from the first half of 2022, before looking ahead to what's got us excited over the next six months.

Note: Apologies this episode is so late, and that last week's never happened - blame summer holidays! Expect 122 any day now though.

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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