Walkera QR X350 Review

Walkera QR X350 Overview

China-based Walkera is one of the first companies to compete with DJI. The company has released its own drone with hopes of dethroning the original Phantom line from being the ideal option for a ready to fly Quadcopter with Camera. Let’s see how this UAV fares in our Walkera QR X350 review.

Walkera QR X350 Drone Specs

As with all our quadcopter reviews guide, we’ll begin by checking what’s inside the QR X350.
Best Offer for Walkera QR X350 From Amazon Discount

Dimensions	11.4 x 11.1 x 7.1 inches
Weight	6.2 lbs.
Battery	25C 3S 2200 mAh 11.1v LiPo
Camera	N/A
Flight Time	12 minutes
Hover Accuracy	N/A
Flight Speed	12 m/s
Yaw Angular Velocity	N/A
Tilt Angle	N/A
Field of View	N/A

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The Pros

Where the QR X350 stands out is its use of the Devo7 controller. This RC makes navigating easier, but in the battle of ease of use, the DJI Phantom Quadcopter series would still win.
Durability is one of the X350’s core strengths. The frame is sturdy and the build is impressive. The propellers are a little too stiff compared to other drone models, but other than that, the X350 is pretty solid in this department.


Its built-in “smart” features are a definite edge against other drones, too. It has an altitude sensor that allows the drone to hold its position, depending on your specifications. The quadcopter depends on GPS as well, which gives it the feature to return home with just one key press. The LCD transmitter on the controller is a cool feature as well.
As for the battery life, the QR X350 isn’t half bad. It can fly from 10 to 15 minutes – which is the average flight time of most drones. What’s impressive is that it can stay midair this long despite its weight, which is at 6.2 lbs.
So how does the original QR X350 fare with its pro version? YouTube user tonytypes has posted a comparison video between the Walkera QR X350 and the Walkera QR X350 Pro. Check it out below:

The Cons

The first disappointment with this drone is the lack of a camera. The package never ships with a video camera, but you can buy a fairly decent mount for one. But even then, the gimbal’s not as superb as it should be. 
Now, if you do choose to mount a camera to it, the flight handling comes smoothly. As long as you’re within range, you can hover this quadcopter flawlessly to frame the video right.
Although the drone is ready to fly right out of the box, not everyone can fly it. The Devo7 allows you to control it, but the learning curve for its controls is rather steep. Beginners will have a hard time finding out how to effectively maneuver the machine, especially in tricky areas. Based on this, the manufacturer’s aim is clear: this drone is for intermediate and advanced users.
It falls slightly short in terms of overall support, but that’s negligible.

The Verdict

Nearly all QR X350 reviews give this drone mixed ratings – and for good reason, too. To put it bluntly, this UAV is neither for the newbie flying enthusiast nor the aerial photography fan. Its features, while decent, lack a few things here and there to be solid at a certain niche. 
Nonetheless, the Walkera QR X350 RTF Drone Quadcopter w/ Devo7 is exceptional at flying. If you have experience in flying a drone and if that’s the only thing you want to do with this GPS quadcopter, this is a good choice for you. Although, if you have the extra money, the better choice is to go for the pro version.

Nikon D500 Review

Nikon D500 features 20MP DX format imaging sensor with 10fps shooting capacity and ability to shoot 4K videos. It weighs only 30.4 oz./860g with battery and XQD card. Its body can be bought from Amazon for a price tag of  $1,999. However, the camera is available with 16 – 80mm ED VR lens for a price tag of 3,066.

 

New features of Nikon D500

• 10 FPS with AE and AF tracking
• 79-frame buffer at 10FPS, even in 14-bit uncompressed raw
• 153 AF points that are rated down to LV -4
• Tilting Touch Screen
• ISOs to 51,200 as regular ISOs, expandable to ISO 1,638,400 as “HI +5”
• 4K video recording ability
• Can shoot stills during video
• “SnapBridge” Bluetooth scheme share your images automatically
• Wi-Fi

Missing features

• No built-in flash
• No lock on power switch; so that the camera can easily knocked on or off by accident
• Exposure MODE button is moved off to the left side of the camera away from shutter release while the ISO Button is now placed close to shutter release
• Only 20.5 MP (5,568 x 3,712 pixels native); even a Nikon D3200 has slightly higher resolution
• No auto brightness control for the LCD in Nikon D500
• Second CF slot replaced with an XQD slot, so there is only one SD slot

Lens Compatibility of Nikon D500

There is a new focus motor introduced in Nikon D500 that will work with any AF lens made after 1986.

Specifications of Nikon D500

Frame Rates

Continuous High 10 FPS with full AF and AE.
Continuous Low selectable 1 to 9 FPS.
Quiet Continuous 3 FPS.

Sensor

• 23.5 x 15.7 mm DX CMOS
• Ultrasonic cleaner

Image Sizes

• DX (16 x 24mm)
• 5,568 x 3,712 (L), 4,176 x 2,784 (M), 2,784 x 1,856 (S)
• 1.3x crop (12 x 18mm)
• 4,272 x 2,848 (L), 3,200 x 2,136 (M), 2,128 x 1,424 (S)
• Stills shot during video
  3,840 x 2,160 in 4K video recording
• You get full – still resolution stills, cropped to 16:9 (5,568 x 3,128 (L), 4,176 x 2,344 (M) or 2,784 x 1,560 (S)) when shooting 1080 or 720 video
• If shooting 1.3x crop you get a slightly lower resolution 16:9 stills: 4,272 x 2,400 (L), 3,200 x 1,800 (M) or 2,128 x 1,192 (S)

ISO

• ISO 100 to 51,200, expandable from ISO 50 (“LO -1”) to ISO 1,638,400 (“HI + 5”)
• Auto ISO

White Balance

All with individual fine-tuning:

• Auto (3 types)
• Direct sunlight
• Flash
• Cloudy
• Shade
• Fluorescent (7 types)
• Incandescent
• Preset manual
•    6 stored presets
•    Spot white balance also with live view
• Kelvin (2,500 K to 10,000 K)

Color Spaces
Adobe RGB and sRGB
File Formats

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• NEF (Raw): 12 or 14 bit (lossless compressed, compressed or uncompressed); large, medium, and small pixel sizes (medium and small images are recorded at a bit depth of 12 bits using lossless compression)
• JPG: Fine (approx. 1:4), Normal (approx. 1:8) or Basic (approx. 1:16) compression. Usual optimal quality or fixed size options
• RAW+JPG
• RGB TIFF

Video Frame Rates and Sizes

• 3,840 x 2,160 (4K): 29.97p, 25p or 23.976p.
• 1,920 x 1,080: 59.94p, 50p, 29.97p, 25p, 23.976p.
• 1,280 x 720; 59.94p, 50p.
• You can select high or normal quality at all these, except only normal at 4K.
• H.264/MPEG-4
• .MOV

Audio

• Stereo microphone built-in
• Linear PCM recording

Autofocus

All the same as the Nikon D5:

• Face-Priority AF; should automatically find faces and focus on them
• 153 AF points
• Work down to LV -4, which is full moonlight on sand
• Only 99 of these AF points are cross-type
• Only 15 sensors work with f/8 lenses
• You can’t select all these manually; you only can select 55 of them. Of these selectable 55; 35 are cross-type sensors and only 9 work at f/8
• Multi-CAM 20K AF sensor module

View Finder

• 100 % coverage. (only 98% in 1.3x crop)
• 0.7x magnification with 35 mm lens. (1.0x magnification with 50mm telephoto lens)
• 16mm eyepoint
• -2 to +1 diopters

Shutter

• 30s to 1/8,000, Bulb

Flash

Flash Sync

• 1/250 sync speed
• PC (Prontor-Compur) socket

Flash Control

• Nikon’s usual i-TTL

Light Meter

• TTL RGB
• 180k pixels
• 3D Color Matrix
• 13mm, 10mm, 8mm or 6mm diameter center-weighted. (only the 8mm circle works with old manual-focus AI lenses)
• 3.5mm spot at the selected focus point (only the center point with old manual-focus AI lenses)
• Meter Range
• LV -3 ~ +20
• Spot meter: LV 2 ~ 20

Live View

• Yip, for stills and movies with the usual options

LCD Monitor

• 3.2″ (8cm) TFT
• Tilts
• Touch sensitive
• 2,359,000 dot (XGA)
• 170° viewing angle
• 100% frame coverage
• NO AUTO BRIGHTNESS CONTROL

Storage

• One SD card slot and one XQD slot
• UHS-II SDHC and SDXC cards can be used in SD card slot
• It has the usual options for the two cards: dual (backup), sequential (overflow), RAW/JPG, etc

Connectors

• USB 3.0 Micro-B
• Type C HDMI
• 3.5mm audio input stereo with plug-in power
• 3.5mm audio output stereo type
• 10-pin Nikon remote: for things like optional WR-R10 (requires WR-A10 WR Adapter) or WR-1 Wireless Remote Controller, GP-1/GP-1A GPS Unit, or GPS device compliant with NMEA0183 version 2.01 or 3.01 (requires optional MC-35 GPS Adapter Cord and cable with D-sub nine-pin connector)

Bluetooth

• Nikon SnapBridge can be used to automatically upload data to your phone via bluetooth
• Bluetooth Specification Version 4.1

Wi-Fi

• IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
• Open system, WPA2-PSK

NFC

• NFC Forum Type 3 Tag

Power

• EN-EL 15 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, same as D810
• Rated to 3,780 shots per charge
• Optional EH-5b AC Adapter, which needs an EP-5B Power Connector

Battery Grip

• Optional MB-D17 Multi-Power Battery Pack uses one EN-EL 15 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery or eight AA cells
• If you use a BL-5 Battery Chamber Cover you can use the EN-EL18a or EN-EL18 battery

Size

• 5.8 x 4.6 x 3.2 inches
• 147 x 115 x 81 millimeters

Weight

• 30.4 oz. (860 g. or 1 lb., 14.4 oz.) with battery and XQD card
• 26.9 oz. (760 g. or 1 lb., 10.9 oz.) stripped

Included in Nikon D500

• Camera
• BF-1B Body Cap
• EN-EL15 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
• MH-25a Battery Charger
• DK-17F Fluorine-Coated Finder Eyepiece
• UC-E22 USB Cable
• USB Cable Clip
• HDMI Cable Clip
• AN-DC17 Camera Strap

Environment, operating

• 0 to 40°C
• 85% or less Relative Humidity, no condensation
• It was announced on January 5 and it will be available in March 2016

Final thoughts regarding Nikon D500

If you have already invested in Nikon than Nikon digital camera D500 has a best body in the case if you are shooting sports, action and news.
However, if you are shooting nature than you don’t need frame per second and any other Nikon digital camera will work fine. In my suggestions Nikon D500 is best suited to sports only and I would use Nikon D7200 for other operations due to its better design and a programmable mode dial, as it also takes two SD cards.
However, if you are to get Nikon D500 digital camera order it now in order to get yours in March. As you are already familiar that D500 is the fastest Nikon DX cam and it would be selling like a hot cake so in order to reserve yours order now, not tomorrow.
In the mean time stay tuned in howshutterbug News and Nikon Rumors section for more information and digital camera reviews and rumors.

Canon 70D Camera 2016 Review

January 22, 2016 · by RecomHub · in Reviews

For those looking to purchase a professional-quality camera for a great price, the Canon 70D is a fantastic option. The Canon 70D is considered a DSLR, with an interchangeable-lens camera, the Canon 70 DSLR footage can look great and super high quality. The Canon 70D features a 20.2-megapixel camera with a Dual Pixel CMOS AF. What that means is that the sensor has twice as many pixels to improve focusing.

Canon spent several years making improvements to its DSLR features. The Canon 70D has great new features that make it an excellent camera to purchase. Buy it from Amazon.com for $999.00.

What Is It?
It’s a $999.00 at Amazon.com (body only) DSLR with a 20.2 megapixel APS-C sensor and some serious video auto-focus chops. You can also purchase the Deluxe Accessory Bundle for $1,379.95 at Amazon.com, saving yourself about 20%.

Who’s It For?
Great for those wanting to take a lot of high quality photos, including those shooting for a documentary, action, or home video shots.

Features
The Canon 70D features a Low-light sensitivity boost from the previous model, now with the shooting ability at ISO 100-12,800, or up to 25,600 in an expanded mode. The 3-inch, 1.04M-dot Vari-Angle display sports touch functionality. Other improvements include a Dual Pixel CMOS AF, which is fully compatible with 103 EF lenses.

Main features of the Canon 70D includes a boosted consecutive mode that has 7 fps captures, compared to just over 5 with the older model. The Canon 70D features a mic jack, but without a headphone connector. Also the Canon 70D has no uncompressed HDMI output.

Design

The Canon 70D features the classic DSLR profile as before. But there is a slight change with the button layout of the new Canon 70D. Buttons like trash, have been moved to the right side of the camera, while the menu and info buttons have moved to the left. Canon has added useful live-view/video mode toggle, inherited from the 7D. The directional pad on the Canon 70D within the rear control wheel is small and is easy to accidentally press when rotating the outer wheel. Just really bad ergonomics there.

Should I Buy It?
If you want to purchase an overall solid DSLR that is good in most areas, the 70D is a solid buy at $999.00 for the body. The Nikon D7100 ($1,046.95 body-only), is more robust with better image quality and low-light performance. The Canon T4i for $669 at Amazon.com, will give you about the same image quality as the 70D.

Pros: New sensors deliver an excellent autofocus performance and the camera itself is quite fast. Its design is reasonably streamlined and the feature set appropriately tailored to the target market as well.
Cons: The image quality doesn’t overly impress for this price class, and certain aspects of the design.
Overall: Overall, the Canon 70D is an excellent camera for the price, the only negative is the quality of the images is not the best for similar cameras in this category.

Apple TV Review

Apple TV (4th Generation) review: A slick media player

 

Apple’s update to its Apple TV set top box is a lot of fun if you like apps.

The "new" Apple TV, or 4th generation of the Apple TV promises an exciting world of voice-activated searching, content discovery and apps covering everything from travel to games. It’s a bold gambit from Apple that brings the Apple TV experience much closer to that of the rest of Apple’s iOS devices, as well as giving it a potential foothold in the lucrative console market.
But should you buy one? Here’s the basic specifications for the fourth generation model.

Apple TV (4th Generation)	Details
Processor	64-bit Apple A8 processor
Storage	32/64GB
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11ac with MIMO*
Video Output	HDMI Support
Receiver	Integrated circuit (IC)
Wired connection	10/100 Ethernet
Remote	Glass touch controls, gyroscope and accelerometer
Remote connection	Bluetooth 4.0
Remote charging	Lightning cable (iPhone 5 and up)
Remote battery life	3 hours with full charge
Software	iOS 9 rebranded as tvOS: App store access and Siri support
Australian Price 32GB	$269.00
Australian Price 64GB	$349.00
Release date	Available now

Upsides: Why you’d want the Apple TV

• Siri Remote: You might feel a little socially awkward talking to your iPhone 6s in public, but in the confines of your own living room, being able to query Siri to find something to watch makes a surprising amount of sense. In Australia, Siri’s searches will encompass locally available iTunes and Netflix Australia content, with quick and easy launching of titles once they’re found.
• Cleaner interface: It has been a number of years since Apple updated the Apple TV experience, while it has changed the way iOS looks numerous times. The new Apple TV’s interface is bigger, bolder and generally easier to navigate for video content.
• Simple games: So far, the vast majority of available Apple TV games are ports of existing iOS titles, with only a few more in-depth titles. That will change over time, but for now if you want a quick games fix using either the supplied Siri Remote or an optional MFi game controller, it’s easy to do so. As an added bonus, developers can offer games titles on iOS that are fully universal, so buying them for your phone also means you get the Apple TV version as well.
• HDMI-CEC support: Most recent TVs and home theatre setups should support HDMI-CEC, and the new Apple TV does too. What this means is that the volume controls on the Siri Remote should seamlessly control your home audio, cutting down on remote clutter considerably. In our tests this worked flawlessly.
• App expansion: Previous model Apple TVs got new channels when Apple approved their release, which often meant you got channels you didn’t care about, or were left wanting if there was an outlet Apple wouldn’t create a channel tile for. Everything on the new Apple TV is an app, which means you can install what you want and nothing you don’t. Notably, popular media streaming app Plex is finally officially supported on the new Apple TV.

Downsides: Why you might not want the Apple TV

• You’ve already got an Apple TV, and you only want to watch TV with it: The new interface is an improvement, and voice search is neat, but the new model doesn’t change anything in terms of available content on the Apple TV. If you’re happy with the older model you’ve already got and can live without apps, there’s no great rush to upgrade, as we discuss here.
• It’s really early days for apps: At launch, the app store on Apple TV is really messy, which is uncharacteristic for Apple. Search is limited to text entry only with no Siri support, and once there’s a more solid number of apps if there isn’t significant cleanup it’s going to be very tough to navigate.
• No optical audio out: If your sound setup uses optical audio, you’re better off with the older 3rd generation Apple TV, as Apple’s omitted it from the fourth generation model.
• No 4K video support: The hardware inside the Apple TV should be powerful enough for 4K video rendering, and the HDMI 1.4 port on the back definitely supports it. But the new Apple TV is a Full HD only product. That’s not vital right now, because there’s really not much 4K content to be had, but it’s a poor future-proofing decision on Apple’s part that it will hopefully reverse via a software patch.
• Siri doesn’t know everything: Contextual search is great, but it’s limited right now in Australia only to your iTunes account and Netflix Australia. If you want to search Stan, ABC iView or any other local video content source, Siri isn’t going to help you out at all.
• Games play better with a proper controller: Apple’s edict for tvOS apps is that while they can support MFi controllers, they must also support the Siri remote for gameplay. This is a plus in that it means every games app will work out of the box, but the issue is that some games just don’t play that well without a proper controller. If that aspect of the new Apple TV seriously appeals to you, you’re going to have to budget extra for an MFi controller to make the most of your games experience.

Who is it best suited for? What are my other options?

The 4th generation Apple TV is a solid choice for those who want a simplified smart TV interface with the flexibility of future app expansion, especially if you’ve got a current TV with HDMI-CEC and poor (or no) Smart TV features.
If you’re heavily invested in iTunes content already, Apple’s still selling the 3rd generation Apple TV model at its original $109 price point, which could be a budget alternative.
If you want direct access to the local big three streaming content providers, Presto, Stan and Netflix and you’re a Telstra customer of some type, you could also consider the Telstra TV set top box.
At a very budget level, if you’re happy to stream video from your smartphone or laptop, Google’s Chromecast offers simple streaming at a budget price point.

Where can I get it?

Apple sells the fourth generation Apple TV in its stores and via its Apple TV app, as well as via its online shop. It’s also widely available from electronics retailers.

Apple iPad Pro review

When Apple introduced the original iPad, it was widely derided as being "just a big iPod Touch". But it managed to light up the stagnant tablet market at the time. Apple’s hoping that the same kind of consumer adoption will occur with the iPad Pro, its first tablet that sits squarely in the professional space.
Here are the specifications for the iPad Pro across all three available models:

Apple	iPad Pro 32GB	iPad Pro 128GB	iPad Pro 128GB Wi-Fi+Cellular
Screen size	12.9 inches	12.9 inches	12.9 inches
Storage	32GB	128GB	128GB
Weight	713g	713g	723g
Processor	64-bit A9X	64-bit A9X	64-bit A9X
Rear camera	8MP	8MP	8MP
Front camera	1.2MP	1.2MP	1.2MP
Battery	38.5Wh lithium-ion	38.5Wh lithium-ion	38.5Wh lithium-ion
Resolution	2732x2048	2732x2048	2732x2048
Display density	264ppi	264ppi	264ppi
Price	$1,249	$1,499	$1,699

Upsides: Why you’d want the iPad Pro

• Good for focused work: Because the iPad Pro can’t multitask beyond two apps at once, it really does make you focus on the task at hand.
• Makes sense of iOS multitasking: Relatively few iOS devices support the full range of iOS multitasking, but the iPad Pro’s larger display makes a lot more sense than, say, the smaller display on the 4th-generation iPad Mini.
• Apple Pencil is excellent: Apple has genuinely managed to make a stylus that lives up to its billing, feeling all but identical to a pencil in the hand. If you’re a graphic artist who traditionally works this way, it could be an ideal match
• Superb battery life: Apple rates the battery in the iPad Pro as good for up to 10 hours of web surfing via Wi-Fi, which would see it match most laptops. You could push it even harder than that; we experimentally ran the Geekbench 3 mobile battery test through the iPad Pro, where it recorded a genuinely excellent runtime of 16:45:40. While that’s a mobile test rather than a laptop test, it does point to its ability to run all day without any power problems.
• Good performance: We didn’t get an update to the iPad Air line this year, so if you want Apple’s most powerful tablet, the iPad Pro is most definitely it. Running off Apple’s A9X processor, the iPad Pro managed to zip through every app task we set it. The comparison isn’t absolute against what are just smartphones, but here’s how the iPad Pro stacks up against a range of premium devices in the Geekbench 3 benchmark:
  

  Handset	Geekbench 3 Single Core (higher is better)	Geekbench 3 Multi Core (higher is better)
  Apple iPad Pro	3234	5499
  Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+	1492	4893
  Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge	1324	4626
  Google Nexus 6P	1251	4597
  Samsung Galaxy S6	1347	4569
  Apple iPhone 6S	2540	4410
  Apple iPhone 6S Plus	2491	4391
  Sony Xperia Z5	1358	4134
  LG G4	1190	3313
  Google Nexus 5X	1188	3198

• Excellent speakers: A few years back, the rumour mill was ablaze with the idea that Apple would produce a flat-panel TV. Those rumours never came true, but the iPad Pro is the next best thing thanks to its embedded speakers that deliver solid sound output for video editing work, or even just for for watching movies.
• Smart keyboard is genuinely smart: There’s no lack of available tablet keyboards, although few at this stage match the precise size of the iPad Pro. Apple’s take involves a flat keyboard with surprisingly good key travel and a simple folding design that keeps the keyboard bulk to a minimum.

Downsides: Why you might not want the iPad Pro

• Size isn’t everything: Everyone who sees the iPad Pro will comment on how huge it is. It’s like a law. A large screen gives you lots of screen real estate, but it can also feel downright bulky, especially in cases where you might usually rest a tablet on your lap or use it in bed.
• Limited multitasking: The iPad Pro can run multiple apps simultaneously, as long as your definition of multiple never extends beyond two direct apps, or three if you count picture-in-picture as an additional app.
• App ecosystem needs improvement: Apple’s position in the tablet market is quite good compared to the largely Android competition. However, once you pitch an iOS device against either Mac OS or Windows alternatives in the productivity space, it quickly becomes apparent that the selection of productivity apps is limited. You can work on an iPad Pro, but it’s definitely not ideal.
• Keyboard and Pencil are pricey extras: The iPad Pro already commands a premium price, but you really need to include the Pencil and Keyboard to get the most out of it. The problem there is that you’re then looking at an additional $269 for the keyboard and $165 for the Pencil.

Who is it best suited for? What are my other options?

With both Pencil and Smart Keyboard, those who work in artistic fields would be the best productivity match for the iPad Pro. For everyone else, it’s an adequate productivity tool, but one that’s limited when compared to a regular laptop, no matter if you sit on the PC or Mac side of the fence. At the iPad Pro's asking price, you have a lot of choices in the laptop space.
In tablet terms, the closest comparable device is Apple’s own iPad Air 2, although it’s running an older and slower processor than the iPad Pro. In laptop terms, consider the stylish MacBook or Microsoft’s excellent Surface Pro 4.

Where can I get it?

Apple sells the iPad Pro through its own stores, online and through numerous other retailers.
The iPad Pro is also available on contract if you don’t fancy laying down the asking price upfront from both Telstra and Optus.

Apple’s iPhone SE Review

Specifications

Device	Apple iPhone SE
Screen size	4in
Storage	16/64GB
Weight	113g
Processor	Apple A9
Rear camera	12MP
Front camera	1.2MP
Battery	1624mAh
Resolution	1136x640
Display density	326ppi
Pricing	$679/$829

Upsides: Why you’d want the iPhone SE

• Older design is still very good
  The iPhone SE is undeniably based on the iPhone 5/5s design, down to the point where if you have older 5/5s accessories such as cases, they will work perfectly on the newer phone. It’s a design that’s now effectively 3 years old, but it’s a testament to Apple’s strong industrial design chops that the iPhone SE is still a great looking phone. If you’re not a fan of "phablet" style handsets, the style and general hand feel of the iPhone SE could be a major selling point.
• Good performance for a small phone
  The iPhone SE shares the A9 processor found in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, so it should be a capable performer. While it’s not top of the tier, it’s impressive in a small body phone, because for the most part this is a segment of the market where vendors tend to throw lower power processors and memory into. It’s not shocking then, that it scored essentially identically to its larger cousins while putting a smaller dent in your pocket.Here is how the iPhone SE stacks up in the cross-platform Geekbench 3 test:

  Handset	Geekbench 3 Single Core (higher is better)	Geekbench 3 Multi Core (higher is better)
  Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	2169	6446
  Samsung Galaxy S7	2156	6240
  Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+	1492	4893
  Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge	1324	4626
  Google Nexus 6P	1251	4597
  Samsung Galaxy S6	1347	4569
  Apple iPhone SE	2538	4455
  Apple iPhone 6S	2540	4410
  Apple iPhone 6S Plus	2491	4391
  Sony Xperia Z5	1358	4134
  Samsung Galaxy Note 5	1111	3686
  BlackBerry PRIV	1196	3396
  LG G4	1190	3313
  Google Nexus 5X	1188	3198

  In 3DMark’s IceStorm Unlimited test, this is how the iPhone SE compares:
  

  Handset	3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited Result
  Apple iPhone SE	29276
  Samsung Galaxy S7	28903
  Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	28402
  Apple iPhone 6s	28171
  Google Nexus 6P	24703
  Sony Xperia Z5	19197
  Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus	17981

• iOS still scales well to the smaller screen
  Some smaller phone screens struggle with scaling issues, but because the iPhone’s history is in 4 inch displays, there’s really not that much of an issue here, with apps displaying cleanly, albeit small.
• Decent rear camera The iPhone 6s’ camera -- which is the module in the back of the iPhone SE -- is a 12MP camera with larger individual pixel sites for improved low light performance. It’s since been somewhat eclipsed by phones such as the Microsoft Lumia 950XL and the Samsung Galaxy S7 in photographic terms, but this is still a solid and capable shooter. We found in testing that the smaller screen size was something of a boon when stabilising the phone for shots as well. It’s 4K capable if that floats your boat, although of course you can’t actually watch 4K content on the iPhone SE’s display screen.
• Adds NFC for Apple Pay
  At launch, only American Express has offered Apple Pay facilities in Australia, though ANZ has recently enabled the contactless payment platform. If you want to enjoy the service, but fancy carrying around something that’s far more credit card sized than the iPhone 6S, the iPhone SE should fit the bill nicely.

Downsides: Why you might not want the Apple iPhone SE

• Woeful battery life
  Apple promotes the iPhone SE as having "improved" battery life, but all of its comparisons are against the iPhone 5s, a device that is more than two and a half years old at this point. Frankly, we’d hope that a comparison with a phone from more than two years ago would automatically be favourable! Where the iPhone SE stumbles badly is when you compare it against just about any other current handset in battery terms. We frequently found ourselves reaching for a charger before the end of a day of normal usage. This was strongly borne out in more formal battery benchmarking using Geekbench 3’s battery test with screen dimming enabled:

  Handset	Geekbench 3 Battery Test Duration	Geekbench 3 Battery Score
  Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	11:55:00	7150
  Samsung Galaxy S7	10:01:20	6013
  Samsung Galaxy Note 5	9:18:00	5580
  Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+	8:24:10	5041
  Apple iPhone 6S Plus	7:48:10	4681
  Google Nexus 5X	7:14:20	4062
  Samsung Galaxy S6	6:51:30	4115
  Google Nexus 6P	6:39:20	3754
  Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3	5:42:00	2276
  Sony Xperia Z5	5:41:30	3414
  LG G4	5:27:50	3224
  BlackBerry PRIV	5:25:40	3256
  Huawei P8 Lite	4:39:40	2768
  Apple iPhone SE	4:27:10	2671
  Apple iPhone 6s	3:52:10	2321

  The only phone that performs worse in this test than the SE is the 6s, and it has a larger screen to power. It is perhaps notable that the iPhone SE does as much as it does given its very small battery overall, but still, it can’t even redeem itself with a good Geekbench battery score, which shows the relationship between power usage and actual processing power. Any way you cut it, with phones at a fraction of the iPhone SE's price outdoing it in battery life, it’s not good.
• Not quite the full iPhone 6s experience
  Apple very much wants the iPhone 6s/6s Plus to remain the "premium" device in its range, and that means that while there’s a lot of internal similarity between the SE and 6s/Plus ranges, you do have to do without a few key premium goodies.There’s no 3D Touch capability on the iPhone SE’s smaller screen. The front camera module is the original one from the iPhone 5s at 1.2MP rather than the 5MP module found in the newer phone. You do get the retina flash ability of the newer phones, but at a lower resolution overall. Finally, for whatever reason Apple’s opted to use the older and slower TouchID sensor from the 5s in the iPhone SE rather than the faster module in the 6s/6s Plus. If you’ve used an iPhone 6s and its TouchID facility, the lag in the older module is quite noticeable.
• Tricky pricing model
  The iPhone SE is Apple’s "affordable" iPhone relative to the outright cost of the iPhone 6s, with the 16GB model costing $679 compared to the $1079 outright price of the 16GB 6s. Still, $679 is high mid-range pricing, and the $829 for the 64GB model is even higher relative to what you’d pay for a mid-range Android device. This marks the iPhone SE as arguably a better buy on contract than for outright purchase.

Who is it best suited for? What are my other options?

If you’re an old school iPhone fan who never got on board with the larger size of the iPhone following the reveal of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, then the iPhone SE has some obvious retro throwback appeal, although we’d strongly argue that if you are keen, then a contract rather than outright buy makes more sense. Generally speaking, the 16GB iPhone models aren’t worth considering as you’ll rather easily fill that space even if you’re only a moderate user.
Taking Telstra’s plans as an example, you’ll pay around $10 more per month for the 16GB iPhone 6s compared to the 64GB iPhone SE with the same data and calling inclusions. That’s a deal that makes sense to us as long as you’re happy with the iPhone SE’s compromises -- especially that poor battery life.
In the smaller phone space, you’ve got plenty of choices, but very few indeed with the same kind of processing power as the iPhone SE, save perhaps for the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact.

Where can I get it?

Apple sells the iPhone SE directly online, or through its stores. It’s also available from a variety of carriers as shown below on contract. You can adjust any variables you’d like or compare it to other devices by clicking on "modify results":

Huawei P8 Lite Review

15 January 2015: Aside from a few insignificant set-backs (like the outdated Android OS) there is no doubt that the Huawei P8 Lite is an exceptional handset considering its $300 price-tag. It is one of many increasingly impressive mid-tier handsets, such as the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3.
The Huawei P8 Lite and similar handsets do prove one thing, and that's that mid-range handsets have come a long way in 2015.
Check below for a rundown of specs and find out exactly what features you miss out on when opting for the lite variation on the P8.

Huawei	P8	P8 Lite
Screen size	5.2in	5.0in
Storage	16/64GB	16GB
Weight	144g	131g
Processor	HiSilicon Kirin 930/935 CPU Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A53 & quad-core 1.5 GHz	HiSilicon Kirin 620 CPU Octa-core 1.2 GHz
Rear camera	13MP	13MP
Front camera	8MP	5MP
Battery	2680mAh	2200mAh
Resolution	1920x1080	1280x720
Display density	424pppi	294ppi

Upsides: Why you’d want the Huawei P8 Lite

• Pseudo-metal design: From afar, the P8 Lite could pass from a premium handset. Its rear casing is made to look like brushed aluminium and you could be forgiven for mistaking it for just that at first glance. Its backplate is also two-toned, reminiscent of the iPhone 5. This grants the low-price handset a touch of class.
• The price is right: It's obvious by the table above what you're trading off for a $200 price cut, but $300 is manageable for those  who either aren't interested in forking out for the most powerful phone on the market, or have lost or broken their contract phone and need a cheap alternative to tide them over.

• Clean user interface (UI): Huawei's EMUI 3.0 is, in some ways, very neat. The slim lettering and opaque overlays in calls and notifications look professional, but this is at odds with the bright and bubbly app icons. In certain areas, the EMUI 3.0 looks clean cut and at others it looks like a teenager's overly-customised Android skin. Some apps, like Slack, also have a sticker-like design, which truly nails that thirteen year old's scrapbook aesthetic.
• Decent Multi core processor performance: While the Alcatel Idol 3 is an arguably better handset for a small price jump, Geekbench 3's benchmark test for Multi Core processing actually favoured the P8 Lite over the Alcatel Idol 3.

Handset	Geekbench 3 Single Core (higher is better)	Geekbench 3 Multi Core (higher is better)
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+	1492	4893
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge	1324	4626
Google Nexus 6P	1251	4597
Samsung Galaxy S6	1347	4569
Apple iPhone 6S	2540	4410
Apple iPhone 6S Plus	2491	4391
Sony Xperia Z5	1358	4134
LG G4	1190	3313
Google Nexus 5X	1188	3198
Huawei P8 Lite	582	2612
Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3	655	2461

Downsides: Why you might not want the Huawei P8 Lite

• Mediocre battery life: After the iPhone 6s, the Huawei P8 Lite has the shortest battery life out of every handset we've tested. While the Idol 3's battery lasted over an hour longer than the Huawei P8 Lite, it's worth noting the P8 Lite's battery score. Essentially, that score denotes how hard the processor was working throughout the test - the short lived battery life makes sense considering the inferior processor of the P8 Lite.
  

  Handset	Geekbench 3 Battery Test Duration	Geekbench 3 Battery Score
  Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+	8:24:10	5041
  Apple iPhone 6S Plus	7:48:10	4681
  Samsung Galaxy S6	6:51:30	4115
  Google Nexus 5X	7:14:20	4062
  Google Nexus 6P	6:39:20	3754
  Sony Xperia Z5	5:41:30	3414
  LG G4	5:27:50	3224
  Huawei P8 Lite	4:39:40	2768
  Apple iPhone 6s	3:52:10	2321
  Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3	5:42:00	2276

  We did find ourselves having to charge the P8 Lite before the work day was out, and were consistently notified about the email app consuming a large portion of power.
• Touchy volume buttons that launch the camera: The Huawei P8 Lite conveniently allows you to access the camera from the lock screen by double-tapping the volume down button. This is handy. Maybe a little too handy. The volume buttons are sensitive, and can be depressed simply by brushing the side of the handset. This resulted in far too many pocket photos.
• No central app drawer:  If you were coming to the Huawei P8 Lite from iOS you wouldn't notice this, but it could irritate Android veterans who like to keep their home screens clutter-free.
• Ordinary display: From a distance, the P8 Lite's 720p display doesn't look overly drab. However, from a normal viewing distance, the subpar resolution is noticeable. This also devalues the 13MP camera. Ultimately, this is what could drive many to the Alcatel Idol 3. For an extra $79, you get full a full 1080p display, a jump that we're sure many will be happy to make.

Who is it best suited for? What are my other options?

The Huawei P8 Lite will best suit three groups. Firstly,  teenagers who aren't quite ready to be trusted with the latest Samsung Galaxy phone or equivalent.  Secondly, someone looking for a temporary (but reliable) replacement for their lost/shattered premium phone. Finally it would suit someone looking for a handset with all the core features of an Android smartphone, but who isn't too concerned with power or battery life. Conversely, the Huawei P8 Lite's battery life makes it a bad choice for someone who is constantly on their phone.
The closest alternatives to the Huawei P8 Lite are the Oppo R5 and the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3, the latter of which is an arguably better choice.

Where can I get it?

Currently, the Huawei P8 Lite is sold in Australia exclusively on a Telstra contract. See below for a full round-up of Telstra plans that can be bundled with the P8 Lite. It's worth noting that Telstra is bundling a fitness tracking Huawei Smartband with the P* Lite and covering customers for one free screen replacement in the first 12 months of the contract (excluding water damage).
Alternatively, the Huawei P8 Lite can be purchased online through DWI.