Second Opinion

Second Opinion

By The NexusTechnology
Download on the App Store

Second Opinion episodes

  • Second Opinion #108: Samsung S21 Ultra Review
    • Pricing
      • The tiny one starts at $799 but comes with reduced features and a plastic back! Oh no!
      • S21+ is $999
      • S21 Ultra is $1199 which is technically $100 cheaper than the Note 20 Ultra from August 2020
      • Display
        • First S-line phone with adaptive 120hz
        • Rounded design makes it look smaller
        • For some reason, not flat like the other S21 models
        • Physicals
          • Look and feel, build quality
            • Footprint
              • It’s a bit taller, a bit less wide than the N20U
              • It weighs a ton though
              • Battery
                • 5000 mAh
                • It lasts for two days easily, but I still charge at night, but I don’t feel bad if I don’t
                • Charging
                  • 25w charging, no more 45w option - but that’s ok
                  • The brick was NOT in the box - laughing at Apple still? No? Great!
                  • Ports
                    • Type C is all you need
                    • Speakers
                      • Not radically different than N20U
                      • Buttons
                        • No bixby button
                        • Buttons on the right
                        • Specs
                          • CPU
                            • 888
                              • 875 is for premium minus products... what is Qualcomm doing?
                              • RAM
                                • 12GB; but you could have 512GB storage with 16GB of RAM
                                • Storage
                                  • This model has 256GB of storage but we have no Micro SD now!
                                  • What’s going on here?
                                  • Software
                                    • Android 11 is nice out of the box but nothing major changed as far as I can tell
                                    • Camera
                                      • It’s a bit smarter with macro shots now, using the wide lenses to pretend to be a macro lens
                                      • Zoom is more nuanced now, with “Space Zoom” gone but present in implementation
                                        • 3x zoom and 10x zoom have their own 
                                        • Final thoughts
                                          • Did you want an S Pen? You can have one now... but without bluetooth, the best part
                                          • Did you want a real Note instead? Note 20 Ultra might be last option for you unless you like the Flip and Flop and Fold models for $1500 base prices
                                          • It’s an improvement above the S20U although it’s a side-grade from the Note 20 Ultra
                                          • Attributions
                                            • Free Music Archive: Beat Doctor - Organic (electric edit)
                                            • Connect With The Nexus
                                              • Support us on Patreon
                                              • Discuss this episode on our Subreddit
                                              • Copyright
                                                Second Opinion is released under a Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International license. Feel free to use any or all of it as long as you link back to http://thenexus.tv/so108.
                                                26 min
                                              • Second Opinion #107: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Review
                                                Ryan reviews what might be the last Samsung Note ever!

                                                • Pricing
                                                  • $999 Note 20 model
                                                    • A smaller, stripped down version, essentially an S20+ with S Pen
                                                    • $1299 Note 20 Ultra model
                                                      • All the things in this review!
                                                      • You could customize it a bit further with 512gb storage for some amount more
                                                      • Display
                                                        • Size
                                                          • Slightly shorter, slightly wider than S20U
                                                          • It’s slightly larger than the previous Note 10+
                                                          • Weight-wise, it’s a similar feeling, but the center of gravity…
                                                          • Special features
                                                            • Keeping many of the same features from previous generations hardware/software wise
                                                            • The biggest differences…
                                                              • Samsung’s latest panel – these panels are better every time and this is one good too
                                                              • The screen itself is very curved as opposed to the S20U’s fairly flat edges, it kind of makes you wonder why they decided to go with such high curvature with the device that could even better utilize the flat surface… it also looks like the Note 10+ more than ever
                                                              • The screen itself is LPZO(sp?)
                                                                • This allows it to be brighter (up to 1500 nits?)
                                                                • This allows for a variable refresh rate that software controls but hardware executes
                                                                • The in-screen fingerprint scanner seems WAY faster it’s crazy
                                                                  • There’s been rumors of having a new scanner but I heard it’s not in this model this year, so… still waiting… but the difference is here in my usage so far
                                                                  • I noticed using the Note 10+ that the lack of the smooth 120hz adaptive framework (HFR)!
                                                                  • I didn’t think I could notice it but it’s really there
                                                                  • Physicals
                                                                    • Look and feel, build quality
                                                                      • Footprint
                                                                        • Stupidly large
                                                                        • It’s ever-so-slightly shorter than S20U and a tiny bit wider
                                                                        • Weight
                                                                          • It feels lighter but it also has a difference center of gravity based on how it’s thinned out from the S20U
                                                                          • Battery
                                                                            • 4500 mAh
                                                                              • 500 mAh delta from where the S20U was – kind of a shame that the Note 20 Ultra didn’t have it match – but I appreciate the weight difference
                                                                              • It’s been fine, usually end of day (work from home style) around 60% and I could push it down it to 40% if I actually left the house and took pictures somewhere
                                                                              • Charging
                                                                                • Same as usual; allegedly there were rumors of 45w ultra-mega-battery-acid rapid charging, but not this time
                                                                                • The brick was in the box
                                                                                • Ports
                                                                                  • Same as usual; no headphone jack
                                                                                  • You know, maybe I miss it occasionally?
                                                                                  • Speakers
                                                                                    • Not radically different than S20U
                                                                                    • Buttons
                                                                                      • The buttons return from the S20U and my preferred alignment leaves the Note line – previously they were on the other side (left side), now they’re back on the right
                                                                                      • Camera
                                                                                        • How is it
                                                                                        • Special modes
                                                                                        • Notable features
                                                                                        • Things to verify
                                                                                          • Zoom?
                                                                                            • Is 50X/30X zoom anything?
                                                                                            • Focus?
                                                                                              • Is the focusing better than it was on the S20U?
                                                                                              • Specs
                                                                                                • CPU
                                                                                                  • 865 Plus
                                                                                                    • They should have gotten, for an extra dollar, an Ultra SKU
                                                                                                    • RAM
                                                                                                      • 12GB; you can have no less of course, coming from the S20U
                                                                                                      • Storage
                                                                                                        • Weird – just like I mentioned with the S20U – it comes with only 128gb option and a 512gb bump
                                                                                                        • While the Note 10+ had 256gb as its base
                                                                                                        • Software
                                                                                                          • OS
                                                                                                            • Finally, we can just now begin using Android 10 gestures
                                                                                                            • Updates
                                                                                                            • Performance
                                                                                                              • Seems good to me — it looks just as buttery smooth as the S20U does on the HFR mode
                                                                                                              • Final thoughts
                                                                                                                • The Note 20 Ultra is obviously the note to buy
                                                                                                                • If you’re going to waste $1000 on a phone AND you want a stylus to do high precision work, then get the Ultra – pretend it is the only model
                                                                                                                • Note 20 Ultra or S 20 Ultra?
                                                                                                                  • Almost definitely N20U now, or wait for whatever the next S-line device and see if Samsung comes to its senses
                                                                                                                  • Attributions
                                                                                                                    • Free Music Archive: Beat Doctor – Organic (electric edit)
                                                                                                                    • Connect With The Nexus
                                                                                                                      • Support us on Patreon
                                                                                                                      • Discuss this episode on our Subreddit
                                                                                                                      • Copyright

                                                                                                                        Second Opinion is released under a Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International license. Feel free to use any or all of it as long as you link back to https://thenexus.tv/so107.

                                                                                                                        Listen to more at The Nexus and follow us on Twitter and Google+ for our latest episodes and news.

                                                                                                                        15 min
                                                                                                                      • Second Opinion #107: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Review
                                                                                                                        • Pricing
                                                                                                                          • $999 Note 20 model
                                                                                                                            • A smaller, stripped down version, essentially an S20+ with S Pen
                                                                                                                            • $1299 Note 20 Ultra model
                                                                                                                              • All the things in this review!
                                                                                                                              • You could customize it a bit further with 512gb storage for some amount more
                                                                                                                              • Display
                                                                                                                                • Size
                                                                                                                                  • Slightly shorter, slightly wider than S20U
                                                                                                                                  • It’s slightly larger than the previous Note 10+
                                                                                                                                  • Weight-wise, it's a similar feeling, but the center of gravity...
                                                                                                                                  • Special features
                                                                                                                                    • Keeping many of the same features from previous generations hardware/software wise
                                                                                                                                    • The biggest differences...
                                                                                                                                      • Samsung’s latest panel - these panels are better every time and this is one good too
                                                                                                                                      • The screen itself is very curved as opposed to the S20U’s fairly flat edges, it kind of makes you wonder why they decided to go with such high curvature with the device that could even better utilize the flat surface... it also looks like the Note 10+ more than ever
                                                                                                                                      • The screen itself is LPZO(sp?)
                                                                                                                                        • This allows it to be brighter (up to 1500 nits?)
                                                                                                                                        • This allows for a variable refresh rate that software controls but hardware executes
                                                                                                                                        • The in-screen fingerprint scanner seems WAY faster it’s crazy
                                                                                                                                          • There’s been rumors of having a new scanner but I heard it’s not in this model this year, so... still waiting... but the difference is here in my usage so far
                                                                                                                                          • I noticed using the Note 10+ that the lack of the smooth 120hz adaptive framework (HFR)!
                                                                                                                                          • I didn’t think I could notice it but it’s really there
                                                                                                                                          • Physicals
                                                                                                                                            • Look and feel, build quality
                                                                                                                                              • Footprint
                                                                                                                                                • Stupidly large
                                                                                                                                                • It’s ever-so-slightly shorter than S20U and a tiny bit wider
                                                                                                                                                • Weight
                                                                                                                                                  • It feels lighter but it also has a difference center of gravity based on how it’s thinned out from the S20U
                                                                                                                                                  • Battery
                                                                                                                                                    • 4500 mAh
                                                                                                                                                      • 500 mAh delta from where the S20U was - kind of a shame that the Note 20 Ultra didn’t have it match - but I appreciate the weight difference
                                                                                                                                                      • It’s been fine, usually end of day (work from home style) around 60% and I could push it down it to 40% if I actually left the house and took pictures somewhere
                                                                                                                                                      • Charging
                                                                                                                                                        • Same as usual; allegedly there were rumors of 45w ultra-mega-battery-acid rapid charging, but not this time
                                                                                                                                                        • The brick was in the box
                                                                                                                                                        • Ports
                                                                                                                                                          • Same as usual; no headphone jack
                                                                                                                                                          • You know, maybe I miss it occasionally?
                                                                                                                                                          • Speakers
                                                                                                                                                            • Not radically different than S20U
                                                                                                                                                            • Buttons
                                                                                                                                                              • The buttons return from the S20U and my preferred alignment leaves the Note line - previously they were on the other side (left side), now they’re back on the right
                                                                                                                                                              • Camera
                                                                                                                                                                • How is it
                                                                                                                                                                • Special modes
                                                                                                                                                                • Notable features
                                                                                                                                                                • Things to verify
                                                                                                                                                                  • Zoom?
                                                                                                                                                                    • Is 50X/30X zoom anything?
                                                                                                                                                                    • Focus?
                                                                                                                                                                      • Is the focusing better than it was on the S20U?
                                                                                                                                                                      • Specs
                                                                                                                                                                        • CPU
                                                                                                                                                                          • 865 Plus
                                                                                                                                                                            • They should have gotten, for an extra dollar, an Ultra SKU
                                                                                                                                                                            • RAM
                                                                                                                                                                              • 12GB; you can have no less of course, coming from the S20U
                                                                                                                                                                              • Storage
                                                                                                                                                                                • Weird - just like I mentioned with the S20U - it comes with only 128gb option and a 512gb bump
                                                                                                                                                                                • While the Note 10+ had 256gb as its base
                                                                                                                                                                                • Software
                                                                                                                                                                                  • OS
                                                                                                                                                                                    • Finally, we can just now begin using Android 10 gestures
                                                                                                                                                                                    • Updates
                                                                                                                                                                                    • Performance
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Seems good to me -- it looks just as buttery smooth as the S20U does on the HFR mode
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Final thoughts
                                                                                                                                                                                        • The Note 20 Ultra is obviously the note to buy
                                                                                                                                                                                        • If you’re going to waste $1000 on a phone AND you want a stylus to do high precision work, then get the Ultra - pretend it is the only model
                                                                                                                                                                                        • Note 20 Ultra or S 20 Ultra?
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Almost definitely N20U now, or wait for whatever the next S-line device and see if Samsung comes to its senses
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Attributions
                                                                                                                                                                                            • Free Music Archive: Beat Doctor - Organic (electric edit)
                                                                                                                                                                                            • Connect With The Nexus
                                                                                                                                                                                              • Support us on Patreon
                                                                                                                                                                                              • Discuss this episode on our Subreddit
                                                                                                                                                                                              • Copyright
                                                                                                                                                                                                Second Opinion is released under a Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International license. Feel free to use any or all of it as long as you link back to http://thenexus.tv/so107.
                                                                                                                                                                                                15 min
                                                                                                                                                                                              • Second Opinion #106: Android 11 Review
                                                                                                                                                                                                Episode summary
                                                                                                                                                                                                00:00 | Intro

                                                                                                                                                                                                If you want to hear about how Distance Learning has been going, subscribe to The Extra Dimension and keep your ears open for an episode coming soon!

                                                                                                                                                                                                02:33 | Notifications
                                                                                                                                                                                                08:55 | Media playback controls, quick settings
                                                                                                                                                                                                14:12 | App permissions
                                                                                                                                                                                                17:19 | Power button menu
                                                                                                                                                                                                20:48 | Emoji 13
                                                                                                                                                                                                • Emoji Version 13.0 List
                                                                                                                                                                                                • Emoji Version 13.1 List
                                                                                                                                                                                                • 24:28 | App switching, overview
                                                                                                                                                                                                  30:33 | Files by Google

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Files by Google: Clean up space on your phone - Apps on Google Play

                                                                                                                                                                                                  31:50 | Autofill in the keyboard
                                                                                                                                                                                                  34:39 | Screen recorder

                                                                                                                                                                                                  I tried out a new thing for this episode; for the YouTube version, I did screen recordings of some of the more visual things I talked about in the review. Go check that out to see what screen recordings look like!

                                                                                                                                                                                                  37:23 | Misc
                                                                                                                                                                                                  43:23 | Behind-the-scenes

                                                                                                                                                                                                  If you want to learn more about Estonia and their online voting system, check out The Extra Dimension #26!

                                                                                                                                                                                                  45:53 | Outro
                                                                                                                                                                                                  47:00 | Electronic Frontier Foundation: Project For Awesome
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Project For Awesome 2021
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Electronic Frontier Foundation | Defending your
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • rights in the digital world
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Charity Navigator - Rating for Electronic Frontier
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Foundation
                                                                                                                                                                                                    Attributions
                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Free Music Archive: Beat Doctor - Organic (electric edit)
                                                                                                                                                                                                    • "Odyssey" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
                                                                                                                                                                                                    • "Drum Roll with Cymbals Crash" Copyright 2013 Iwan Gabovitch, CC-BY3 license.
                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Connect With The Nexus
                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Support us on Patreon
                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Discuss this episode on our Subreddit
                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Copyright

                                                                                                                                                                                                        Second Opinion is released under a Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International license. Feel free to use any or all of it as long as you link back to http://thenexus.tv/so106.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        52 min
                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Second Opinion #105: The City We Became Review
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Links
                                                                                                                                                                                                        • "Valedictorian" by N.K. Jemisin - LeVar Burton
                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Reads - Omny.fm
                                                                                                                                                                                                        • "Cuisine des Mémoires" by N.K. Jemisin - LeVar
                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Burton Reads - Omny.fm
                                                                                                                                                                                                        • LIVE! in Brooklyn: "Playing Nice with God's
                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Bowling Ball" by N.K. Jemisin - LeVar Burton Reads
                                                                                                                                                                                                          - Omny.fm
                                                                                                                                                                                                        • JBC Challenge: Returning from Hiatus
                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Instagram post by Meg Griffin • Jul 5, 2020 at
                                                                                                                                                                                                        • 12:22pm UTC
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Attributions
                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Free Music Archive: Beat Doctor - Organic (electric edit)
                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Connect With The Nexus
                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Support us on Patreon
                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Discuss this episode on our Subreddit
                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Copyright

                                                                                                                                                                                                              Second Opinion is released under a Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International license. Feel free to use any or all of it as long as you link back to http://thenexus.tv/so105.

                                                                                                                                                                                                              1 hr 4 min
                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Second Opinion #104: Gone Home Review
                                                                                                                                                                                                              Ian digs deep into his well of feelings to talk about one of his favorite games of all time.

                                                                                                                                                                                                              Episode index
                                                                                                                                                                                                              00:00 | Intro
                                                                                                                                                                                                              00:53 | The Review
                                                                                                                                                                                                              10:04 | Outro
                                                                                                                                                                                                              Links
                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Gone Home: A Story Exploration Video Game
                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Fun & Games Podcast
                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Attributions
                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Free Music Archive: Beat Doctor – Organic (electric edit)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Connect With Fun & Games
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Discuss this episode on their Discord.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Listen to more at The Nexus and follow us on Twitter and Google+ for our latest episodes and news.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    11 min
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Second Opinion #104: Gone Home Review
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Episode index
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    00:00 | Intro
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    00:53 | The Review
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    10:04 | Outro
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Links
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Gone Home: A Story Exploration Video Game
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Fun & Games Podcast
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Attributions
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Free Music Archive: Beat Doctor - Organic (electric edit)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Connect With Fun & Games
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Discuss this episode on their Discord.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • 11 min
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Second Opinion #103: Pixel 4a Review
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Ryan Rampersad reviews the Pixel 4a with Ian R Buck. The verdict: it's pretty good.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Episode summary
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Pricing
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • A radical $349 base price with no other models even available
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • A phone you might remember also was this price… the Nexus 5… let’s get back on that topic later
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • This is allegedly the new budget tier, but I agree, it does seem to be less than ideal – this is the higher end of budget
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • I think the Moto G line is still budget tier and there are $200 Moto Gs out there, but there are so models and trade offs between models that it’s increasingly difficult to keep track
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Display
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Size
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Beyond its numerical size… wow it’s tiny
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • The iPhone 7 (which is SE2 size) is likely the most comparable
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Special features
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • A notable aspect is the lack of a notch or anything weirdness
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • It has a simple hole punch front-facing camera
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • It still has the usual ambient display which is a killer feature
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Physicals
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Look and feel, build quality
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Footprint
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • It’s incredibly thin and tiny
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • It’s even more compact than the 3a
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • In comparison, the 3a looks ancient, for how much bulkier (brow and chin) it looks and feels
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • iphone 7: 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 in)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • pixel 4a: 144 x 69.4 x 8.2 mm (5.67 x 2.73 x 0.32 in)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Pixel 3: 145.6 mm x 68.2 mm x 7.9 mm (5.73 in x 2.69 in x 0.31 in)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • note 20 ultra: 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm (6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 in)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • The iPhone is thinner, less wide and shorter, but the iPhone has a brow and chin that looks ancient compared to the the full-screen of the 4a
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Weight
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Since it’s so small, it’s weight is minimal (144g)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • iPhone 7: 138g
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Pixel 3: 148g
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Note 20 Ultra: 208g
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Battery
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • TBD
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Charging
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Type-C
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Nothing special in this category
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Ports
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • I had to reach over and pick it up to recall if it did have a headphone jack — it does — and I even said while writing this “oh wow, it does”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Isn’t it amusing that the $349-phone has the thing that allegedly the courageous couldn’t include and the $999-aires mock?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Speakers
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • It might be a feature of stock android, but in my experience, unusually, the 4a offers many more volume ticks than other phones I have tried in the past
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • It sounds fine, it might be a bit tin-y
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Buttons
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • My usual button setup has been power-button in the mid-body and volume rockers on the opposing side or directly above the power-button
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • The power button on the 4a is a nice turquoise blue… for some reason?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Imagine a Moto maker-esque feature where you can pick your button color
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Sensors
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Fingerprint
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • It’s easy to forget how usable a good back-mounted fingerprint sensor is, it’s just so accurate and response all the time
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Camera
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • How is it
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • It’s fine!
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • It takes reliable shots in bright and dark conditions
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • It does do quite a bit of “HDR+” processing after each photo is taken, not sure if all Pixels do this or if it’s an internal setting for this specific chip
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Special modes
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Notable features
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Specs
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • CPU
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Snapdragon 730G
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Ok, it’s not a powerhouse and you can tell
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • It’s not getting smooth 120hz screen refresh either…
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Really, to be honest, I had such high hopes for the quality of the 700 series but after using this for two weeks, it’s laggy enough for me to notice and that’s disappointing – maybe the 765 is better?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • RAM
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • 6GB – can you believe this?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • The Nexus 5, the phone highly realized as the pinnacle of the Nexus line only had 2GB at the same price point
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Storage
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • 128GB UFS storage
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • 3a had eMMC which was slower internal NAND storage, and RAM constraints aside, you’re always going to hit disk eventually…
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • This might be loading pictures from disk
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • This might be loading updates from the store
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • This might be playing games
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • … so basically, you’re going to benefit from this more than the extra 2GB over the 3a
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Software
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • OS
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • It’s been a long time since I used stock Android
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • For me, it’s not such a big deal since I immediately apply Action Launcher and I even change its defaults to not be awful
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • No search bar, no tray, no widget things, dots instead of whatever Pixel nonsense is the fad right now
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Android 10 Review
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Updates
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Performance
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Mentioned above in the CPU section – kind of mediocre to be honest
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Try using the app switcher
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • The animation lags a lot in my opinion 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Issues
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • During the course of my weeklong test, I used this phone in my everyday life and kept it at my work desk, in my car on drives hooked up with Android auto, in stores, did all the things one does with a phone… here are some issues…
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • In my office, with the overhead light, it will see my head’s shadow and decide it’s dark now and dim the screen way more than it should
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • I had to take a crazy detour route to the MSP Airport recently and I was surprised to find that the 4a lost its GPS connection twice, and even after a restart
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Could be a fluke but it was unexpected
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Final thoughts
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Small, good value.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • I wish Google had done this from the beginning
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • The value is here, and imagine what a double price – $700 device – could offer at the same value ratio
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • It’s hard to imagine since those Samsung phones are cursed at high price points
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • The iPhone SE(2) is good if you’re already in the iOS ecosystem – don’t get this then
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • if you’re invested in Android for any reason and you won’t or can’t spend 2.5x on an Android flagship, then this is great for you
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Or consider one of the Moto G phones – why? Well, the Moto G phones have a similar value ratio but may have alternative features you might want (like the stylus model) or a larger screen
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Look we don’t need to imagine – it’s Apple’s iPhone 11 (non-pro)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • A processor that will last years
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Enough RAM (in conjunction with that ecosystem’s memory constraints and patterns) to last
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Slightly less storage but it’s livable (probably)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • The Pixel cameras are good but the iPhone cameras are also well renowned too – and it has better video support on average
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • So where is that phone, Google? Is that the Pixel 5?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • I bet I need to wait until the next round to see if that is something Google can do properly – steady, incremental, deliberate
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • I opened this up by mentioned the Nexus 5
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Ok, thanks.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Attributions
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Free Music Archive: Beat Doctor – Organic (electric edit)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Connect With The Nexus
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Support us on Patreon
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Discuss this episode on our Subreddit
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Copyright

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Second Opinion is released under a Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International license. Feel free to use any or all of it as long as you link back to https://thenexus.tv/so103.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            This episode of Second Opinion has a Fringe episode. You should really listen to The Fringe #577: SO #103 — Blabbering On The Whole Time!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Listen to more at The Nexus and follow us on Twitter and Google+ for our latest episodes and news.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            58 min
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Second Opinion #103: Pixel 4a Review
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Episode summary
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Pricing
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • A radical $349 base price with no other models even available
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • A phone you might remember also was this price... the Nexus 5... let’s get back on that topic later
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • This is allegedly the new budget tier, but I agree, it does seem to be less than ideal - this is the higher end of budget
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • I think the Moto G line is still budget tier and there are $200 Moto Gs out there, but there are so models and trade offs between models that it’s increasingly difficult to keep track
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Display
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Size
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Beyond its numerical size... wow it’s tiny
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • The iPhone 7 (which is SE2 size) is likely the most comparable
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Special features
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • A notable aspect is the lack of a notch or anything weirdness
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • It has a simple hole punch front-facing camera
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • It still has the usual ambient display which is a killer feature
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Physicals
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Look and feel, build quality
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Footprint
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • It’s incredibly thin and tiny
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • It’s even more compact than the 3a
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • In comparison, the 3a looks ancient, for how much bulkier (brow and chin) it looks and feels
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • iphone 7: 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 in)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • pixel 4a: 144 x 69.4 x 8.2 mm (5.67 x 2.73 x 0.32 in)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Pixel 3: 145.6 mm x 68.2 mm x 7.9 mm (5.73 in x 2.69 in x 0.31 in)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • note 20 ultra: 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm (6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 in)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • The iPhone is thinner, less wide and shorter, but the iPhone has a brow and chin that looks ancient compared to the the full-screen of the 4a
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Weight
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Since it’s so small, it’s weight is minimal (144g)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • iPhone 7: 138g
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Pixel 3: 148g
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Note 20 Ultra: 208g
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Battery
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • TBD
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Charging
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Type-C
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Nothing special in this category
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Ports
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • I had to reach over and pick it up to recall if it did have a headphone jack -- it does -- and I even said while writing this “oh wow, it does”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Isn’t it amusing that the $349-phone has the thing that allegedly the courageous couldn’t include and the $999-aires mock?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Speakers
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • It might be a feature of stock android, but in my experience, unusually, the 4a offers many more volume ticks than other phones I have tried in the past
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • It sounds fine, it might be a bit tin-y
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Buttons
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • My usual button setup has been power-button in the mid-body and volume rockers on the opposing side or directly above the power-button
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • The power button on the 4a is a nice turquoise blue... for some reason?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Imagine a Moto maker-esque feature where you can pick your button color
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Sensors
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Fingerprint
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • It’s easy to forget how usable a good back-mounted fingerprint sensor is, it’s just so accurate and response all the time
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Camera
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • How is it
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • It’s fine!
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • It takes reliable shots in bright and dark conditions
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • It does do quite a bit of “HDR+” processing after each photo is taken, not sure if all Pixels do this or if it’s an internal setting for this specific chip
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Special modes
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Notable features
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Specs
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • CPU
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Snapdragon 730G
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Ok, it’s not a powerhouse and you can tell
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • It’s not getting smooth 120hz screen refresh either...
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Really, to be honest, I had such high hopes for the quality of the 700 series but after using this for two weeks, it’s laggy enough for me to notice and that’s disappointing - maybe the 765 is better?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • RAM
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • 6GB - can you believe this?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • The Nexus 5, the phone highly realized as the pinnacle of the Nexus line only had 2GB at the same price point
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Storage
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • 128GB UFS storage
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • 3a had eMMC which was slower internal NAND storage, and RAM constraints aside, you’re always going to hit disk eventually...
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • This might be loading pictures from disk
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • This might be loading updates from the store
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • This might be playing games
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • ... so basically, you’re going to benefit from this more than the extra 2GB over the 3a
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Software
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • OS
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • It’s been a long time since I used stock Android
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • For me, it’s not such a big deal since I immediately apply Action Launcher and I even change its defaults to not be awful
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • No search bar, no tray, no widget things, dots instead of whatever Pixel nonsense is the fad right now
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Android 10 Review
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Updates
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Performance
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Mentioned above in the CPU section - kind of mediocre to be honest
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Try using the app switcher
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • The animation lags a lot in my opinion 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Issues
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • During the course of my weeklong test, I used this phone in my everyday life and kept it at my work desk, in my car on drives hooked up with Android auto, in stores, did all the things one does with a phone... here are some issues...
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • In my office, with the overhead light, it will see my head’s shadow and decide it’s dark now and dim the screen way more than it should
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • I had to take a crazy detour route to the MSP Airport recently and I was surprised to find that the 4a lost its GPS connection twice, and even after a restart
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Could be a fluke but it was unexpected
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Final thoughts
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Small, good value.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • I wish Google had done this from the beginning
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • The value is here, and imagine what a double price - $700 device - could offer at the same value ratio
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • It’s hard to imagine since those Samsung phones are cursed at high price points
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • The iPhone SE(2) is good if you’re already in the iOS ecosystem - don’t get this then
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • if you’re invested in Android for any reason and you won’t or can’t spend 2.5x on an Android flagship, then this is great for you
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Or consider one of the Moto G phones - why? Well, the Moto G phones have a similar value ratio but may have alternative features you might want (like the stylus model) or a larger screen
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Look we don’t need to imagine - it’s Apple’s iPhone 11 (non-pro)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • A processor that will last years
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Enough RAM (in conjunction with that ecosystem’s memory constraints and patterns) to last
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Slightly less storage but it’s livable (probably)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • The Pixel cameras are good but the iPhone cameras are also well renowned too - and it has better video support on average
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • So where is that phone, Google? Is that the Pixel 5?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • I bet I need to wait until the next round to see if that is something Google can do properly - steady, incremental, deliberate
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • I opened this up by mentioned the Nexus 5
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Ok, thanks.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Attributions
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Free Music Archive: Beat Doctor - Organic (electric edit)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Connect With The Nexus
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Support us on Patreon
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Discuss this episode on our Subreddit
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Copyright

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Second Opinion is released under a Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International license. Feel free to use any or all of it as long as you link back to http://thenexus.tv/so103.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              58 min
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Second Opinion #102: Let Go Review
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Episode summary
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              00:00:00 | Intro
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Let Go, Sci Fi Graphic Novel
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • The Extra Dimension #23: Post-Scarcity › The
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Nexus
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                00:01:49 | The authors, the environment it was written in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                00:04:33 | Book analysis
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                00:55:57 | Final thoughts
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                00:58:19 | Outro
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Attributions
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Free Music Archive: Beat Doctor - Organic (electric edit)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Connect With The Nexus
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Support us on Patreon
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Discuss this episode on our Subreddit
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Copyright

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Second Opinion is released under a Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International license. Feel free to use any or all of it as long as you link back to http://thenexus.tv/so102.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    1 hr 1 min

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  About Second Opinion

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  From the publisher's feed

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Second Opinion is a reviews show about anything and everything under the sun. If we can experience it, we can review it.