Nyrius Songo Portable Review

Despite society’s gripes about functionality, technology exists because we desire a simpler, easier existence. Nyrius aims to do that with their Songo Portable device, which turns an auxiliary into a Bluetooth setup, all in an easy, simple package. Let’s see if the Nyrius Songo Portable is worth getting.

The Nyrius is easy enough to set up. If you have it plugged in the AUX port, you’ll actually hear voice prompts to help you know what to do next. Once you have it paired to your phone, it should automatically connect every time with no problem.

So, its easy and it works. Well. Glad we got through that.

The cool thing about the Nyrius is that its super small, and theoretically you can charge it, and then use its battery. The battery seemed to last a few days of usage when I tried using it unplugged. Combine those two things and you can tuck the Nyrius away easily. It comes with an adapter to allow you to use a longer AUX cord in the event that is what you want to do. Otherwise, it also comes with a little sticky that uses Velcro, so you can attach it to your dash, and remove it with no problem. Unfortunately, I live in Phoenix, so the heat made it never stay stuck.

Anyways, since pairing is easy, usage is easy is well. The Nyrius is meant to simplify your stereo, and it accomplishes exactly that. I love the design on it, as its cord can be tucked away, making it easy to carry in the event you want to use it in multiple places.

So, its easy and it works. Not sure what else I need to say. And that’s a good thing.

The Nyrius’ sound quality is good. I couldn’t tell a difference between using it and using an AUX cord, or even the radio. Which means that the Bluetooth has a good connection and doesn’t get in the way of the sound.

So, its easy and… I think you get the idea.

Nyrius Songo Portable

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I know this review isn’t super in-depth, but that’s because there isn’t a need for it to be. The Nyrius Songo Portable exists to make your life simpler, and it accomplishes that beautifully. The best part it, its $25. So if you’re looking for a Bluetooth adapter for that car stereo, speaker, or even earphones, the Nyrius Songo Portable is the device for the job.

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Two weeks with the Motorola Moto X Play

Mid-range devices are becoming as feature-rich as flagship devices and Motorola is no different, updating its Moto X series with two new devices in a bid to offer everything for everyone. Ahead of our full review, I spent a couple of weeks with Motorola’s new handset to figure out whether it delivers the performance and standards that past generations have.

Does the Moto X Play deliver, and is it worthy of your money?

Hardware

As you might expect, the Moto X Play looks just like any other Motorola device and although it does have a few cool new tweaks, it’s very much a Moto at its core.

One change that makes the handset so appealing to would-be customers is the ability to customise the handset colours using Moto Maker. From changing the colour of the front, back or the accent to engraving and ordering additional accessories, Moto Maker lets you make the Moto X Play truly personal to you.

The Moto X Play also comes with interchangeable back covers, which lets you personalise the experience even further. If you’re someone who likes to visually express your feelings, ordering different colour rear covers can let you do just this.

Changing covers is as easy as removing one and popping the other on, but before you get excited, you can change the back covers but you can’t access the battery. It’s also worth noting that if you do intend to change the back cover, you need to make sure it’s firmly pressed into place as otherwise, the handset will no longer be waterproof.

The front of the Moto X Play is dominated by the large 5.5-inch Full HD LCD display and if there’s something I found somewhat lacking in Moto’s new handset, it was the screen. Compared to other devices at the price point, the display seems to be lacking in overall brightness and is very reflective, but in spite of this, it’s more than manageable; just don’t expect the best viewing experience.

Moving to the back, this is where Motorola’s Moto Maker really shines; although we’ve got a black handset here, the options are great and, as we showed you in our Moto G 2015 review, you can have a really cool end result.

The Moto X Play measures 7.9mm thick and although it’s not the easiest smartphone to hold it the hand, a rear curved back makes the handset a lot friendlier. The build is sturdy and doesn’t show any visible signs of stress when you’re using it (or even if you try to bend it). The design doesn’t stand out from the crowd but it certainly gets the job done.

Software

While design certainly isn’t Motorola’s strongest suit, the company can point to its software as a crowning example of how you should make a smartphone. As we’ve seen from Motorola in previous years, the Moto X Play adopts the mantra that “less is more”.

The handset has an almost stock-like interface with a few key additions that make the handset a Motorola. Like other devices in the range, it comes with the Moto App, which acts as a central home from which to control the various smart features that Motorola have built into the handset. As with the new Moto G, you can set particular shortcuts to quickly access the front or rear cameras using motion control but one (very welcome) change is the quick flick to launch the torch is nowhere to be seen.

From configuring gestures and motion controls to setting a hotword that lets you control the Moto X Play using your voice, the Moto App is the home to all things Motorola. In previous Moto X devices, we’ve seen the company put these options in the global settings menu, and while this change may confuse past Motorola users, it’s a much better way of implementing the controls.

Other than Motorola’s very few tweaks, the Moto X Play runs on stock Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and it’s likely to be one of the first handsets to get the new Android M update when it’s eventually released (probably next week at Google’s Nexus event).

Performance

Aside from the display, my biggest disappointment with the Moto X Play was the performance, and this is not something you could really say about Motorola smartphones in the past.

Indicative of the troubles that chip-maker Qualcomm currently finds itself in, the octa-core 64-bit Snapdragon 615 processor inside the Moto X Play seems to be underpowered for the job it’s tasked with. It’s either that, the 2GB RAM or the four (somewhat slowly-clocked) 1.7GHz Cortex A53 cores, but the end result is that the software doesn’t have the refined performance of past Motorola handsets.

It’s not all bad but there are glitches and lag that wouldn’t normally be present in a Motorola smartphone of old. When it’s lag-free, the Moto X Play is certainly no slouch but we do wonder whether an extra GB of RAM, a slightly better processor or higher clocked cores would have helped the overall experience.

Battery Life

From somewhat suspect performance to battery life, and this is where the Moto X Play really shines. As we touched on earlier, the handset has a non-removable battery clocked at 3630mAh (which is one of the highest at this price point) and as you might expect, it delivers excellent battery life.

Over the course of two weeks with Motorola’s new mid-range flagship, the battery life didn’t disappoint and unless you use the handset constantly and are streaming video with the screen on full brightness, it should easily last you a full day’s usage.

From testing, the average user can expect it to last 24 to 28 hours with social networking, camera usage, apps syncing and phone calls. Heavy gaming and streaming video can reduce this considerably – it’s possibly to completely drain it in 9 hours but this pretty much involves using it constantly at full brightness – and if you’re a medium to low user, you’ll probably get 36-48 hours on a single charge.

If a long lasting battery is a necessity to you, the Moto X Play definitely delivers and you won’t be disappointed.

Camera

While the design of the Moto X Play feels very much like past Motorola handsets, the company has aimed to improve one of the features that affected past devices; the camera. Past Motorola smartphones (and even the Motorola-made Google Nexus 6) never had stand-out cameras attached on the back, but the Moto X Play comes with a new 21MP Sony-made sensor.

Unlike other devices in the price point – such as the Huawei Honor 7 – the camera doesn’t come with Optical Image Stabilisation or Phase Detection Autofocus but these are small gripes with the camera. The other thing that is very frustrating is the inability to touch to focus on a subject, as touch-to-capture is enabled by default with no way to switch it off. As such, the end product can be out of focus or focused on the wrong subject.

In good conditions, the Moto X Play camera certainly delivers but as the light reduces, so does the quality of the camera and in low-light, you might as well not bother pulling the handset out. The lack of OIS or any form of phase detection also heavily affects the camera quality, and while the sensor has certainly been improved over past Moto X devices, Motorola still have a way to go in order to rival other cameras at the price point.

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Final Thoughts

The Moto X range has never failed to deliver and the Moto X Play mostly continues this trend, but with a little less gusto than previous years. Unlike the Moto G and Moto X Style (aka the Moto X Pure Edition), the Moto X Play is only available in a handful of countries.

Motorola is offering the handset for £279 unlocked and free of contract in the UK and while this price tag would have been a smash-hit in previous years, the mid-range is a fiercely fought minefield and the Moto X Play gets a little lost in a sea of competitive devices.

If you’re looking for an unassuming mid-range smartphone that delivers excellent battery life and a solid experience, the Moto X Play certainly ticks the boxes. If you want something more than this however, there’s an entire range of handsets worth checking out (which you can see to the left now).

What do you think of the Moto X Play? Let us know your views in the comments below and be sure to stay tuned for our full Moto X Play review, which is coming soon.

Make cheap international calls with Roamer (app review)

This app isn’t one that everyone will use. Roamer is geared towards a very specific demographic, people that travel internationally and people who make international calls. It just so happens that I do a little of both from time to time. While I didn’t travel internationally during this review, my wife calls her mother in Mexico at least two to three times a week and I was able to use the app for just that.

Roamer overview

If you have family or friends outside of your country, you know how expensive it can be to make those international calls. It can be even more expensive if you’re roaming on an international network and making calls.

Roamer looks to make things much more affordable for those who travel and/or call internationally. Take a look at their Google Play description of app features.

• New unbeatable rates – check your favorite destinations for super cheap deals, note the exciting rate and immediately place a call – first calls are on us!

• Validate your regular number so your friends see it’s a call from you.

• Swap any working SIM – data roaming or voice, in roaming 3g or at home; or on Wi-Fi as VOIP: you’re the master of choice.

• Roamer operates on Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G (lte) for maximum savings and can be linking to local SIM card for reliable calls when you go around.

• Works in more than 200 international countries including Europe, India, US & Australia.

• Using our roaming SIM card is even simpler if you have a dual SIM card. Switch on receiving VOIP calls to your regular number while abroad wherever and whenever (for users from over 50 countries and most of the operators and plans; local rates may apply)

• Stay reachable when abroad with free voicemail to email. Return calls at your first convenience.

• Transfer a Wi-Fi call to a regular call on the fly.

• Push notifications work even without a linked SIM card to ensure you will not miss a call if Roamer is off.

• Purchase prepaid packages or top up your account

I’ll be mainly looking at the international calling aspect of the app. One thing I should point out is that while their description says that the first calls are on them, that is untrue. I was unable to make any calls without purchasing any credit. When purchasing credit, you have the option to add credit in amounts of €9.99, €19,99,€29.99, and €49.99 via your credit card or Paypal. If you’re wondering if I accidentally put the euro sign instead of the dollar sign, it was on purpose.

For some reason, you can only purchase credit using euros. Not to worry, Paypal or your credit card company will make the conversion for you. I started with their lowest package €9.99, which worked out to be about $11.42. Don’t worry too much about the euros, everything in the app will reflect your currency of choice.

That brings me to the apps settings. The first thing that you’ll have to set up is your actual cell phone number, which works as your account. When you first input your cell phone number, Roamer will send out a verification text message to confirm that the number is yours. You can also use Roamer to make all international calls, even when they are made from the phones stock dialer app.

If you are already abroad and you have purchased a local SIM card for your phone, you can link that SIM to your Roamer account. The app also enables you to easily forward your local calls to your Roamer app while you are abroad. When you call back, your local number will show on the caller ID. In my experience, the caller ID did not show up for my mother in law, but she said that international calls never do. So, that may be dependent on the local carrier.

Other settings include language selection and currency selection.

Roamer usage

Actually using the app after setting everything up is a fairly simple affair. Either manually dial or select from your contacts who you want to call. The rates are pretty cheap. My call to Mexico was 1.5¢ per minute.  Our entire 25-minute phone call cost me just 38¢.

The call quality was pretty good. For the most part, the signal was strong and there was only some very minor distortions as my kids streamed Netflix. I made the call over my WiFi mainly because the device I was using to make the call does not have a voice or data plan associated with it.

That brings me to my next point, this app can be used on tablets as well. Although I’m not sure why you would want to speak on a tablet, but it is possible.

Roamer summary

Overall this is a great app and a great service, but T-Mobile already offers free international calling to Mexico. So will I be using this app? The answer is yes, or at least until I use up the credit that I spent. If your carrier does not offer free international calling or you’re on a legacy plan with T-Mobile and you don’t have the free international calling, then this app really is ideal for you. If you’re planning a vacation outside of your country, then this may be a great app to use while overseas for cheap calls.

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