Phone for Snapdragon Insiders Review
Starting time Impressions
A spec-packed device that'south in need of a little more finesse before it's truly prepare.
Pros
- Excellent included headphones
- Broad 5G support
- Great screen
- Super-speedy
Cons
- Doesn't accept the 888 Plus
- Camera needs improving
- Slow blueprint
- No IP rating
- No wireless charging
Availability
- Uk unavailable
- USA RRP: $1499
- Europe unavailable
- Canada unavailable
- Australia unavailable
Key Features
- 5G Fantabulous support for global 5G bands
- Focus on audio Comes with support for Snapdragon Sound and included M&D ANC earbuds
- High-end specs A Snapdragon 888 chipset is supported by 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage
Introduction
The Phone for Snapdragon Insiders might not have the catchiest name around, simply it'south a decent showcase for some of Qualcomm's best tech.
I wouldn't usually kickoff a review by saying pretty clearly that y'all shouldn't purchase the telephone. But the Phone for Snapdragon Insiders (let'south only call it the Snapdragon Telephone from now on) isn't really a device that's going to sit down on shelves adjacent to the iPhone 12 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S21.
It's being targeted at 'Snapdragon Insiders', those who are the biggest fans of the Qualcomm brand. Realistically, though, this is more often than not a tech demo, showcasing features such as Snapdragon Sound and the latest version of Quick Accuse.
Editor's Annotation: I have decided against giving this phone a score, since many parts remain unfinished at this stage. The Snapdragon Sound tech and bundled earbuds aren't final versions, and the camera is running older software than buyers will actually get.
Price and release date
With a starting price of $1599 (effectually £1088/€1264), this is a pricey device.
However, for that outlay you get many more goodies than you would with a standard smartphone. Still, whichever fashion you lot await at it, this is an expensive device that probably isn't quite worth the coin.
The Phone for Snapdragon Insiders will be available later in August.
What is in the box?
While the phone is the star, there'southward plenty more to the package as well. The device is meant to be a way of showing off the Qualcomm ecosystem, of which all the included accessories are a part of.
The highlight of the box is certainly the pair of Master & Dynamic MW08S wireless earbuds. Buy these separately and you'd be looking at spending around £300/$300, so they're hands the best buds I've always found included with a telephone.
Matching the phone, the both buds come stamped with the Qualcomm logo. Is this subtle? Not really, simply then those buying this phone are likely to be huge Snapdragon fans then this is unlikely to bother.
These buds back up Snapdragon Sound for 24-bit 96kHz wireless sound. Nevertheless, the pair I was sent with the phone are pre-production, and therefore the total skill fix of Snapdragon Sound isn't withal bachelor.
A65W Quick Accuse v plug and two very high-quality braided cables – one for the telephone and 1 for the buds – is as well included in the box. Finally, at that place's a handy bumper case that adds some protection to the sides of the phone.
Screen and Design
- Very big phone
- Single blue colour
- 144Hz display
Right, that's plenty about the package – what about the phone itself?
While this device exists to highlight Qualcomm tech, information technology's really fabricated by Asus. As a event, y'all'll find numerous similarities between it and the excellent ROG Phone five.
The screen, for example, feels very much the same. It'south a apartment Samsung OLED panel measuring 6.78 inches, with an FHD+ resolution and a reported 1200 nits of brightness. Like the ROG Phone 5, information technology has a very fast 144Hz refresh rate that volition be welcome for gamers and Full HDR back up.
Information technology'south a really overnice display, offering punchy colours and excellent viewing angles. It's also one of the few panels whose flow isn't interrupted by a notch or cutout for the front photographic camera. This makes it first-class for watching videos.
I'grand less impressed with the design of the phone. Information technology's big, pretty heavy at 210g, and generally very plain. It'southward clear that the focus of the Snapdragon Phone has been the internals.
On the rear of the device yous'll find a Snapdragon logo that glows when the telephone is in use. Thankfully, this can exist turned off – but notwithstanding, it's a sizeable logo, which is a bit as well garish for me.
Only below this is the fingerprint scanner, which is actually quite a pain to use since information technology isn't recessed into the dorsum – it'due south only a shine, flat surface. Throughout my time with the telephone, I have accidentally pressed information technology on numerous occasions.
The Snapdragon Phone has a slightly rounded look, and a dark matte blue finish with red highlights on the power button and surrounding the off-centre camera bump. Information technology's eye-catching, just not in the aforementioned way many of the best phones are these days.
For a phone that costs this corporeality, I'd wait an IP68 rating; but this is lacking, just like information technology is on the ROG Telephone 5.
Operation and Battery Specs
- Not quite the latest internal specs
- Bombardment a piffling on the small size
- No Qi charging
Even though this is a phone that's supposed to highlight the best of Qualcomm, it'south actually powered by the now superseded Snapdragon 888 chipset. With the 888 Plus at present present in a few phones, such every bit the Award Magic three, it's a footling surprising to non run across information technology here.
Nonetheless, the 888 is a very capable chipset that makes for a fast phone that's capable of hands playing the biggest and best games on Android. There's also excellent 5G support across multiple bands and super-stable Wi-Fi connectivity.
As standard, yous become 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. There's no SD slot, but there are two SIM trays, both of which will back up a 5G SIM.
Similar the ROG Phone 5, the Snapdragon Phone is excellent for gaming. The big, 144Hz display is flat, making information technology like shooting fish in a barrel to agree, and the speakers pump out excellent sound.
One spec that stands out is the 4000mAh battery. This is a fairly modest prison cell when compared to many of the all-time Android phones, and I was concerned that with the 144Hz display running, it would drain very quickly. For the most role, my worries were proved correct. I oftentimes struggled to make information technology through a full solar day without reaching for the (admittedly, super-fast) charger. In particular, bouts of gaming consumed bombardment life more quickly, even more than so if you had that logo glowing.
In addition, the device would consistently get quite hot when I was pushing it – something I have noticed with quite a few Snapdragon 888 devices recently.
Every bit I mentioned earlier, Snapdragon Sound will be fully supported on this telephone by the time information technology's set for release, and it will be 1 of the commencement devices to offer this feature. This tech supports loftier-res 24-bit 96kHz streaming, low latency and more. Since the earbuds provided aren't fully updated to support this tech, I'll salve my thoughts for the full review.
In terms of software, it'south a simple build of Android 11 that could accept been plucked directly from any other recent Asus telephone. In that location are a couple of installed apps, including one to manage and tweak the earbuds, and a nice Asus launcher that provides quick access to the Google Feed.
Camera
- Triple camera array
- 24MP sensor shooter on the front
- Up to 8K video recording
There is a trio of cameras on the back of the Snapdragon Phone. A principal 64-megapixel unit with an f/1.8 aperture, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide, and an 8-megapixel telephoto. That zoom telephoto camera doesn't have any fancy periscope lenses, with it instead offer 3x optical and upwards to 12x digital.
As with the Snapdragon Sound tech, I was told that an update will be incoming before the camera is truly ready to go, then my opinions could well alter once that update arrives.
Hopefully, the update addresses many of the issues, since the photos I've taken so far are best described as "bland" – especially when y'all consider the cost. You'll become decent snaps exterior in good lite, with HDR turned on, but in bars and restaurants, the results are grainy and far beneath all the competition at £grand/$1000.
The ultra-wide is handy for landscapes – simply, again, the results are fine in good calorie-free and barely acceptable elsewhere. This very much feels like a lower-terminate phone when it comes to the camera performance, at least in its current state.
The zoom camera is there if you desire to get a picayune closer to a discipline, and while the digital zoom removes just about all detail, the 3x optical is e'er welcome. It would have been nice for Qualcomm (as Asus) to lucifer up the colours a little more beyond the iii sensors, though.
I experience like a broken record here, but the 24-megapixel front camera again struggles in annihilation other than perfect lighting.
Information technology's a slightly amend story when it comes to video, which can be shot in upward to 8K resolution. In that location'due south some clever focusing tech that tracks a subject, and this is particularly handy for filming fast-moving pets. It doesn't also keep a lock on, only mostly it works well.
Whether the incoming software update improves matters remains to be seen. In its current form, however, the Snapdragon Phone'southward camera isn't a very proficient camera unless yous're shooting in well-lit, outdoor environments.
Early Verdict
I'm yet to be fully convinced that making this telephone was a great thought for Qualcomm – and, in its current state, it feels a trivial unfinished. Hopefully, the promised updates to the photographic camera will assistance improve the telephone'southward weakest indicate.
Qualcomm says this is a phone for its biggest fans, but actually, glowing logo aside, information technology simply feels like a high-end Asus with a box of added accessories.
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FAQs
Is this phone 5G?
Yes, there's splendid global 5G support.
Who makes the Snapdragon Phone?
Asus makes this telephone.
Does the Telephone for Snapdragon Insiders accept an IP rating?
There's no IP rating here.
Full specs
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A 'hands on review' is our kickoff impression of a production only - it is not a full examination and verdict. Our writer must take spent some time with the product to describe an early sense of what information technology's like to use. We telephone call these 'hands on reviews' to brand them visible in search. However these are e'er unscored and don't give recommendations. Read more about our reviews policy.
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