April 28, 2020

TCL – taking the world by storm

Filed under: News — csadm @ 9:40 am

TCL hasn’t been around for quite as long as some of the players in the TV market, but in recent years has grown to one of the larger TV manufacturers in the world.

Based on the number of TVs shipped globally it is up there with LG, but behind market-leader Samsung – so it definitely making an impact.

While its biggest audience is unsurprisingly in its homeland of China, TCL now ships televisions all over the world, with a strong presence in the US, Europe, Australia, and SE Asia.

TCL’s main advantage in the TV market is its aggressive pricing and marketing strategy. It manufactures televisions at a large scale and has passed on a lot of those savings to consumers in a bid to win over consumers worldwide.

There is also plenty of market visibility of the TCL brand these days. Check the next South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL game. You will see TCL as a major sponsor.

So it comes down to value for money, which is important in the local PNG market and equally important if you are buying your first, second, third or fourth TV.

If you do opt for a TCL television, though, you can be sure you’re getting a good value TV with a range of options from high definition (HD), to ultra-high definition (UHD), to TCL’s top of the range QUHD.

Check our full range of TCL HD, UHD and QUHD TVs on our Audio/Visual page.

Audio/Video Archives | Cool Stuf Papua New Guinea Cool Stuf Papua New Guinea

 

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Mi NOTE 10 PRO – LIVING UP TO THE HYPE

Filed under: News — csadm @ 9:24 am

Dream big, shoot epic with the world’s first 108MP penta camera.

Xiaomi are promoting the Mi Note 10 Pro as a breakthrough in mobile photography – and they are not wrong.

The headline feature is its camera: the 108MP main sensor is the first of its kind on a smartphone in the world, and it’s such an important part of the phone’s identity, and Xiaomi’s sales pitch, that ‘108MP’ is stamped on the phone’s rear.

This main rear camera is joined by a 12MP sensor with a 2x telephoto lens for portrait mode; a second telephoto snapper, this one with 5x zoom and 5MP sensor, for zoomed shots; a 20MP ultra-wide camera; and finally a 2MP macro snapper.

The 108MP main camera takes absolutely incredible shots. In fact it is just about as good as a DSLR camera and it definitely produces some of the best-looking pictures you’ll get from a smartphone.

Apart from the break-through camera, Mi Note 10 Pro has many other advantages – price being one of them.

The Note 10 Pro has most of the trappings of a top-end phone without the price tag. So if you want a cutting-edge camera, curved-edge screen, and snappy charging, without paying top dollar (or top kina), this is a great phone for you.

The device follows the ‘standard’ Android look and improves on it in a few ways.

The phone measures 157.8 x 74.2 x 9.7mm, so it’s one of the thickest smartphones on the market – something you will get used to pretty easily. The front and back of the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 are made of Gorilla Glass 5, sandwiching an aluminium frame, so the phone feels reassuringly sturdy and is solid for PNG conditions.

The edges of the screen are curved which makes the phone easier and more comfortable to hold.

The Note 10 Pro has 8G RAM with 256GB of storage, with dual SIM.

Another impressive feature is the speaker, which delivers good quality audio with sufficient volume. The inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack means people who use wired headphones will also be happy.

SPECIFICATIONS

Design

Display

Hardware

Software

Camera

Network

Connectivity

Battery

Media

Data

Price

PGK 2699 with FREE Mi Smart Band 4

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April 13, 2020

iPHONE 11 – DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Filed under: News — csadm @ 10:18 am

As always with the release of a new phone, we are faced with the tough decision to either stay with the base model or spend a little more for a bigger phone and display with better features such as camera quality. The iPhone 11 is no different. Your decision will obviously be determined by your budget and intended use of your new investment.

There are three choices – the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and the top-end iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Here’s how they stack up:

Design

Despite the differences in size, the three phones all share the same aesthetics, with a notched display and an all-glass back with a new square camera array. The 11 Pros, however, features stainless steel sides while the iPhone 11 has aluminium sides. The cheaper iPhone 11 also has slightly thicker bezels, but all in all, they’re very similar in appearance—the iPhone 11 even has the same square camera bump as the Pro, despite only having two lenses.

Display

While the phones may all look the same, they each have different display sizes, and just like last year, it’s a little confusing. The cheaper iPhone 11 actually has a larger display than the iPhone 11 Pro, but it is lower quality:

The iPhone 11 uses LCD tech, while the two Pro models use superior OLED tech. That suggests that the Pro models will bring deeper blacks and more brilliant colours, and simply look stunning.

 iPhone 11 vs iPhone 11 Pros: Performance

All the new phones feature Apple’s new A13 Bionic processor that puts an emphasis on machine learning. Apple says it’s both the fastest CPU and GPU in a smartphone, with an advanced neural engine, machine learning accelerators, and Core ML3, all of which add up to an incredibly powerful chip that should be powering a laptop, not a phone.

The upshot is we should expect pretty much the same excellent performance from all three phones (notwithstanding any small differences resulting from the A13 driving different display resolutions).

iPhone 11 vs iPhone 11 Pros: Front camera

All three models once again feature Apple’s TruDepth Camera with Face ID, with an upgrade over the 7MP lens in last year’s phones. The iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models all have the same 12MP, f/2.2 aperture camera, and Apple has added a brand new feature: “slofies,” which records your selfie vids at 120fps.

iPhone 11 vs iPhone 11 Pros: Rear cameras

The rear camera system is where Apple truly differentiates its two classes of iPhone. Apple is making a big deal out of the new triple-camera array on the iPhone 11 Pro models. If you’re a photo professional, an enthusiast, or you simply want the best photo tech possible, then there’s no contest. You should go for the iPhone 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max

iPhone 11

iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max

The obvious difference is the addition of the telephoto camera on the iPhone 11 Pros. So while the iPhone 11 can go from 0.5x (ultra-wide) to 1x (wide), the iPhone 11 Pros go from 0.5x to 2x (telephoto), for a total of 4x optical zoom.

The triple-camera system in the iPhone 11 Pro is more than just an extra lens, however. Apple says its engineers “precisely calibrate each camera individually for things like white balance and exposure. Then they push it even further, pairing the three cameras and calibrating them again for module to module alignment.”

There’s a new Night Mode for taking useable shots in extreme low light; portrait mode and portrait lighting; next-generation Smart HDR; and advanced red‑eye correction and auto image stabilization. And both the iPhone 11 and more expensive 11 Pros snap simultaneous wide and ultra-wide pics each time you shoot, so you can decide later which one to keep.

As far as video, all three phones record in 4K at up to 60fps, and feature audio zoom (which focuses the microphone on your subject as you zoom), brighter True Tone flash, and the new QuıckTake video that lets you hold the shutter to quickly switch to video mode.

iPhone 11 vs iPhone 11 Pros: Battery/Charging

Last year’s iPhone XR actually had better battery life than the more expensive XS models, but Apple has fixed that with this year’s models. While all three have received a capacity boost, the iPhone 11 Pros are particularly better. Here’s how Apple describes battery life:

iPhone 11 vs iPhone 11 Pros: Sound

Last year’s iPhones had great sound thanks to a new stereo speaker system, but Apple has taken audio ever further with the iPhone 11. All models feature spatial audio, a 3D sound model made possible by a new sound visualizer. And with that comes Dolby Atmos support, which should sound crisper, clearer, and more immersive on all of the new iPhones.

iPhone 11 vs iPhone 11 Pros: Biometrics

All have Face ID for 3D facial recognition. Apple says it’s 30 percent faster and has improved performance and better recognition from longer distances.

iPhone 11 vs iPhone 11 Pro: Water resistance

While all three phones are rated for the highest IP68 water resistance—meaning they can be dunked in 2 meters of water (6.5 feet) for up to 30 minutes with no ill effects—the iPhone Pros up the ante. With the more expensive phones, Apple says you can dive into 4 meters of water to get great photos while scuba diving.

Apple iPhone 11 specifications at a glance

iPhone 11 iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 Pro Max
Display / resolution 6.1-inch LCD Liquid Retina / 1,792×828 pixels 5.8-inch OLED Super Retina XDR / 2,436×1,125 pixels 6.5-inch OLED Super Retina XDR / 2,688×1,242 pixels
Pixel density 326 ppi 458 ppi 458 ppi
Dimensions 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm 144 x 71.4 x 8.1 mm 158 x 77.8 x 8.1 mm
Mobile software iOS 13 iOS 13 iOS 13
Camera 12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide) 12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 12-megapixel (telephoto) 12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 12-megapixel (telephoto)
Front camera 12-megapixel with Face ID 12-megapixel with Face ID 12-megapixel with Face ID
Video capture 4K 4K 4K
Processor Apple A13 Bionic Apple A13 Bionic Apple A13 Bionic
Storage 128 Gb 256 Gb 256 Gb
Battery Apple claims it will last 1 hour longer than iPhone XR Apple claims it will last 4 hours longer than iPhone XS Apple claims it will last 5 hours longer than XS Max
Security Face ID Face ID Face ID
Special features Water resistant (IP68); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging Water resistant (IP68); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging Water resistant (IP68); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging
PRICE K4,390 K5,990 K6,290

 

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April 2, 2020

SAMSUNG S20 – A QUANTUM LEAP

Filed under: News — csadm @ 8:21 am

Samsung went from the S10 of 2019 to the S20 in 2020. Hey, it’s a leap year after all and in the context of what’s happening in the world now well, it’s something we can live with.

The important thing is that the S20 offers promise and more capacity at a time when we are increasingly dependent on mobile technology. It’s a massive upgrade and packs in more features than ever before with major advances in battery life and cameras.

As you can see from the specs chart below, the S20 has a 6.2 inch display, then up to 6.7 inch for the S20+ and then up to a big 6.9 inch for the S20 Ultra.

For most the basic model will be more than enough, but for those wanting to spend more the additional features are certainly worth the money.

The best example of incremental step-up is the camera.

The triple-lens cameras found on the S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra stand out as a significant upgrade for the brand that will see Samsung regain popular support against Apple and the Chinese brands, which have been eating in to Samsung’s market share.

According to Garry McGregor, Vice President for Mobile at Samsung Electronics Australia, speaking about the camera features of the S20:

“Single Take, Bright Night and much more, the Galaxy S20 will be the most compelling smartphone on the market.”

The Galaxy S20 is equipped with a 12-megapixel main (wide) lens, a 64-megapixel telephoto lens and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide lens on the back.

Samsung says this new setup is capable of not just filming in up to 8K quality at 30FPS but also offering 3x optical zoom and up to 30x digital zoom. There’s also a 10-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Galaxy S20 Ultra features a triple-lens rear camera that combines a 108-megapixel main (wide) lens, a 48-megapixel telephoto lens and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens to push these capabilities even further. Samsung claims the S20 Ultra can deliver up to 10x optical zoom and a massive 100x digital zoom.

The front-facing camera on the S20 Ultra has also been bumped up from 10-megapixels to 40-megapixels.

The other significant improvement in the S20 range is the battery life:

Galaxy S20 features a 4000mAh battery, which is an improvement on the S10’s 3400mAh battery.

Galaxy S20+ features a 4500mAh battery, which is an improvement on the S10+’s 4000mAh battery.

Galaxy S20 Ultra features a 5000mAh battery, which puts it firmly ahead of even the S10 5G’s 4500mAh battery.

Samsung Galaxy S20 specifications at a glance

Galaxy S20

Galaxy S20+

Galaxy S20 Ultra
Display 6.2-inch OLED 6.7-inch OLED 6.9-inch OLED
Resolution Quad HD Quad HD Quad HD
Rear Cameras 12MP + 64MP + 12MP 12MP + 64MP + 12MP + ToF 108MP+ 48MP + 12MP + ToF
Front Camera 10MP 10MP 40MP
Processor Exynos 990 Exynos 990 Exynos 990
RAM 8Gb – 12Gb 8GB – 12Gb 12Gb
Storage 128Gb 128Gb 128Gb
Battery 4,000mAh 4,500mAh 5,000mAh
Water-Resistance IP68 IP68 IP68
 

Cool Stuf Price

 
PGK 3,690 (8Gb)
PGK 4,090 (12Gb)
PGK 4,290 (8Gb)
PGK 4,690 (12Gb)
PGK 5,490 (12Gb)
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