Fast Charge

Foundry

Fast Charge is a weekly show from the Tech Advisor team on all things phones (and sometimes other stuff too). Dom, Toddy, and the rest of the team will be here every week to run through the latest news and rumours for all things Android and iPhone, along with reviews, rants, and more.

  1. 17/01/2023

    What's the S23 going to be?

    Samsung has announced when it will launch its next flagship phones, and we think we know a lot about what to expect – plus Nothing has finally released the Phone (1) in the US (sort of) and Dom has gone hands-on with the Razer Edge handheld. First up, we’re previewing the three Galaxy S23 phones, now confirmed to debut on 1 February. Extensive leaks have given us a pretty good idea of what to expect, with minimalist designs, camera upgrades, and a custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside. Meanwhile, Nothing has begun selling the Phone (1) in the US half a year after it launched in the rest of the world. Well, kinda – this is officially a ‘beta membership’ to test the phone’s version of Android 13, but you have to pay $299 and they give you a phone, so it sounds a lot like putting it on sale to us. But is this something special or a raw deal for consumers? And finally, Dom has had the chance to try out the Snapdragon-powered, Android-running Razer Edge gaming handheld, and has his thoughts on the hardware ready ahead of the official US launch, which is now just a couple weeks away. And then a bit of sad news: this will be the final Fast Charge – for now at least. After 140 episodes it felt like the right time to retire the show, but we’ll be sticking around on YouTube and making great videos as often as we can, so stay subscribed and keep an eye out for what’s next. This podcast is produced by Foundry. Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCrL1ZLeIgENlS1nEZzSiueFAiV1Cujvx Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/techadvisorhq  Twitter: https://twitter.com/TechAdvisorHQ  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techadvisorhq  Read more: https://www.techadvisor.com

    1h 5m
  2. 25/11/2022

    Honor's 2nd foldable and Vivo's flagship chip debut

    Welcome to our Black Friday safe space: you won't find any deals discussion here this week. Instead, we're focussed on a trio of major launches from Vivo, Honor, and Oppo. First up, Vivo unveiled its X90 series, including the debuts of both the MediaTek Dimensity 9200 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 - a dual debut we've not seen happen before. Beyond the chips the big upgrades are to the camera, with the top Pro+ model using the same 1in IMX989 camera sensor we saw on the Xiaomi 12S Ultra. If Vivo's track record is anything to go by, this might just be the new best camera in any phone right now. Honor had a big week too, revealing its second-gen Magic Vs foldable alongside the more traditional Honor 80 range. The Vs (pronounced vee-ess, not the way you want to say it) is confirmed to get a global launch next year, and boasts a super-slim design that closes completely flat - still not a given in foldable phones. It only runs the slightly older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 rather than the latest 8 Gen 2, but powerful cameras and a sleek design could make this Samsung's first real competition worldwide. Finally, Oppo has also taken advantage of what it probably thought would be a quiet week for phone launches to reveal the Oppo Reno 9 range. The Reno 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro+ look pretty similar to the Reno 8 phones, but boast upgrades going up to a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 in the Pro+ model. Big batteries, up to 80W fast charging, and high-res main cameras complete the spec sheet - but will we ever see these models outside of China? This podcast is produced by Foundry. Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCrL1ZLeIgENlS1nEZzSiueFAiV1Cujvx Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/techadvisorhq  Twitter: https://twitter.com/TechAdvisorHQ  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techadvisorhq  Read more: https://www.techadvisor.com

    1h 2m
  3. 18/11/2022

    Qualcomm chips in with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

    Qualcomm has announced its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset hot on the heels of MediaTek, whose Dimensity 9200 chip we discussed last week. There are many similarities between the two high-end mobile platforms but Qualcomm’s brand power means it is a few steps ahead of its rival, promising the 8 Gen 2 will appear in phones from most of the major Android players. This week on Fast Charge Anyron, Lewis and Henry Iook into the specs of the 8 Gen 2 to discuss whether you would notice the difference between it and the 8+ Gen 1 we’ve seen in phones like the OnePlus 10T. How much power do you really need? We’ll also touch on the Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 chip designed for augmented reality and our hopes for WearOS smartwatches now an Oppo watch has the new Snapdragon W5 chip. After that, the team discuss the latest Pixel Fold leaks and a device that looks an awful lot like the Pixel 7, as you might expect. If accurate, will Google bring anything new to the form factor, or is it more of the same on the bandwagon train? Is software more important than hardware in the long run? Finally, it’s the best time of year to grab a tech bargain – that’s right, Black Friday is nearly upon us, so impending that we may not even be able to record a show next week as we will be so busy. That’s why we round off today’s episode by highlighting some of the best deals we’ve seen so far (yes, they have already started) and give you our best buying advice tips for the buying time of year we all hate to love (or is that love to hate?). This podcast is produced by Foundry. Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCrL1ZLeIgENlS1nEZzSiueFAiV1Cujvx Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/techadvisorhq  Twitter: https://twitter.com/TechAdvisorHQ  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techadvisorhq  Read more: https://www.techadvisor.com

    1h 1m

About

Fast Charge is a weekly show from the Tech Advisor team on all things phones (and sometimes other stuff too). Dom, Toddy, and the rest of the team will be here every week to run through the latest news and rumours for all things Android and iPhone, along with reviews, rants, and more.