Fast Charge

HTC's smartphone revival is here. Sort of.

The Desire 22 Pro is an Android mid-ranger that's launching in the UK and Europe, with the key hook that it's set up to stream directly to the company's Vive Flow headset and hook into its Viverse ecosystem. Is that enough to attract customers though?

Meanwhile, the Osom OV1 is no more. The first phone from the start-up was due this year, but instead the company is now working together with blockchain company Solana on the Saga, a handset built for web3. But what does that mean, why should we care, and what went wrong with the OV1?

Finally, Henry has been testing out the Fairphone 4. It's not a new device - it launched late last year - but it's the closest Fairphone has come yet to delivering on its ethical promise while also offering a handset that can keep pace with rivals.

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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Sony's 2022 flagship is finally out now and we have thoughts - plus Poco has unveiled two new phones, and Anyron explains why Windows Mobile is due a return.

The Xperia 1 IV officially went on sale here in the UK last week, and not one but two of us have gotten samples to test out. Henry and Dom have both been putting Sony's flagship through its paces over the past week, and are ready to decide if Sony has nailed it this year, or produced another flagship that only a fanboy could love.

Meanwhile Poco has been busy, unveiling both the F4 and the X4 GT today. These two affordable mid-rangers feature a few similarities but a lot more differences. The F4 is all about its upgraded camera (while it sticks with the same old chip as last year), while the X4 GT prioritises performance with a Dimensity 8100 chipset and 144Hz LCD display.

Finally, Anyron has prepared his hottest of takes: Windows Mobile is due a return. He wants to see the next Surface Duo device ditch Android and run Windows 11 instead - has he lost the plot, or is Microsoft ready for mobile?

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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The biggest news in the tech world this week was about nothing at all, as we got our first look at the Nothing Phone (1), while we've taken the excuse to give our thoughts on another pair of slightly odd phones.

The Nothing Phone (1) is the first phone from Carl Pei's new start-up, and we finally know what it looks like. Transparent plastic, a visible charging coil, and LED light strips complete the undeniably unusual aesthetic, which is already divisive - and thus apparently doing exactly what it's supposed to do.

The ZTE Axon 40 Ultra is another oddity, with the latest generation of ZTE's under-display selfie camera tech. The camera is now genuinely almost invisible, but is photo quality good enough yet?

Finally, the Astro Slide 5G is the latest device from Planet Computers. With a sliding mechanical keyboard and Linux support it's half inheritor to the BlackBerry throne and half a programmer's dream toy - but could anyone actually use it as their daily driver?

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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We're back, and just in time to spend an hour obsessing over iOS 16.

That's right, Apple has unveiled the latest version of its iPhone operating system - due to launch officially later this year - and there's a lot to like. The customisable lock screen has to be the most exciting change, though iPad owners may be more pumped for iPadOS's new multi-tasking features and - gasp - weather app.

Meanwhile both the Realme GT Neo 3 and Black Shark 5 Pro have been given global launches, and Dom and Lewis are on hand to give their reviews of the new phones. One has the fastest wired charging anywhere right now, the other is a bullish spec beast built for gaming. How do they stack up?

Finally, on a sad note, this is Toddy's final episode of Fast Charge, as he makes an escape for pastures new. So make sure to tune in to see him off.

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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Qualcomm and MediaTek have been head-to-head in the smartphone silicon war for a while, but never more so than each announcing new chips on either side of the same weekend.

Qualcomm led the way with top-tier Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and the more mid-range Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, while MediaTek followed quickly with the mmWave-enabled Dimensity 1050 alongside the more affordable Dimensity 930 & Helio G99 - its first serious salvo at the US market.

Meanwhile over in China Oppo unveiled the Reno 8 series - one of which is powered by that brand-new Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, though each of the three phones so far has a different chipset. But will the phones ever make it to the rest of the world?

Finally, Dom is ready to review the Honor Magic 4 Pro - the company's first full flagship since it got Google back. But can a post-Huawei Honor compete with the big dogs, or are there too many rough edges to be a true rival?

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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Did you think OnePlus might have run out of phones to launch? Think again.

The company has just unveiled the Nord 2T, a new mid-ranger for Europe and India - alongside a European launch of the Nord CE 2 Lite and budget Nord Buds. Our new phones editor Henry has been busy testing out the 2T, and has his first impressions ready to go.

Meanwhile Toddy has been on a jaunt to Milan to go hands-on with the Huawei Mate Xs 2 foldable as it too gets a global launch, along with the Watch GT 3 Pro and a slew of other wearables.

And finally, Henry has also been reviewing the Poco F4 GT and is ready to review the gaming phone that doesn't look like one.

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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Well, this has been a busy week.

Google has obviously drawn the most attention. At a bumper Google I/O event the search giant not only showed off Android 13 and its new Wear OS, but also (deep breath) the Pixel 6a, Pixel Watch, Pixel Buds Pro, Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, and an entirely new Pixel tablet.

Only hours early Sony held its own livestream, revealing the new Xperia 1 IV flagship and more affordable Xperia 10 IV - though there's no sign of the expected compact Xperia 5 IV. But with a familiar design and only minor spec tweaks, are these destined to be yet more Sony also-rans?

Finally, ZTE also unveiled its new flagship line-up, the Axon 40 series. As expected this includes the company's third-gen under-display selfie camera - but what else do the Axons have to offer?

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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Welcome to the eye of the storm. Last week was full of launches, next week will be full of launches. This week is a (perhaps welcome) lull.

We're taking advantage of the breather to talk about the Samsung Galaxy A53, a mid-ranger that looks on paper to be an impressive entry in the space - and to wipe the floor with the iPhone SE. But is it all it's hyped up to be?

Then we're turning to arguably next week's biggest launch: Google I/O. We've chatted about it a bit before, but with Android 13 now out in beta form we want to re-assess what we expect to see from Google, including the latest hardware rumours around the Pixel 6a and Pixel Watch.

Speaking of: one of those rumours is that we'll get a glimpse of the Pixel Fold. This week has seen a spate of new rumours surrounding not only that phone but also the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4, a new Oppo clamshell foldable, the next Xiaomi foldable, and more. Let's break down everything we know so far about the next generation of folding phones.

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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After a few slow weeks, phone season is in full swing again, with more launches this week than we have time to talk about on the show - so we're focussing on the big ones.

First up, Vivo unveiled its flagship X80 series in China, and confirmed plans to bring them worldwide next month too. The X80 and X80 Pro (no Pro+ yet, but it's coming later in the year) both feature serious camera specs and use the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset - with an extra 8 Gen 1 option for the Pro. The X70 series won the camera battle last year, so can the X80 repeat the trick?

Meanwhile Huawei is unveiling its fourth book-style foldable today: the Mate Xs 2. At the time of writing we know nothing about it, but by the time of the show we'll have all the info from the Chinese launch to chat through on the show.

Finally, Poco unveiled the F4 GT - the first flagship-level phone it's bringing to the global market. With a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 120Hz AMOLED display, and 120W charging this is no slouch - but can it meet Poco's aim to deliver a gaming phone that's not just for gamers?

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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As OnePlus unveils two more phones, we review the Oppo Find N and ask what Netflix has to do to save itself.

First up, while the OnePlus Ace launches in China (which we discussed last week) the cheap Nord N20 is arriving in the US. With basic specs and T-Mobile exclusivity this is a far cry from the flagship 10 Pro, but the Nord line has been tearing it up in the US so far - can the N20 do the same?

Meanwhile we've finally gotten our hands on the China-only Oppo Find N foldable, and Lewis has been busy putting it to use. Find out what he thinks of of BBK's first foldable - does Samsung finally have some real competition?

Finally, it's been a bad weak for Netflix. With dwindling subscribers and plummeting stock prices, what does the streaming giant have to do to turn things around - and will it involve ads? Or will it all blow over when Stranger Things 4 rolls around?

This podcast is produced by Foundry.

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