Table of contents for Issue 27 in Android Advisor

Motorola has updated its best budget smartphone line-up for 2016 with two different models. The Plus model isn’t bigger but comes with a fingerprint scanner, extra RAM and storage, plus a higher resolution camera so the price might be worth paying for some. The firm, now owned by Lenovo (formerly Google) has been making great budget phones since 2013 and we’re informed the Moto G family is the company’s most successful range ever. This time around there are two models to choose from which is a first but the range isn’t exactly budget anymore. Price Although the Moto G range has traditionally been budget phones, the price has crept up each year. The regular model starts at £169 now and to bag yourself the Moto G4 Plus, you’ll need to…

Xiaomi’s Mi Max is a beast of a smartphone, with a hulking 6.44in screen, decent performance and a mammoth battery. Price Our review unit came from GearBest, which offers free shipping to the UK, though you will more than likely be called on to pay import duty on its arrival in the UK. As we will discuss below, you get an awful lot of phone for your money with the Mi Max, making it incredible value – especially to those of us used to paying in excess of £600 for phones of this quality. However, UK users should note there will be a few differences to the phones that are officially sold inside the UK. First, although our review sample was preinstalled with Google Play, Xiaomi phones are not usually…

Music player One of the most popular ways to recycle an old phone is to strip off all the apps and turn it into a dedicated music player. Doing this means it can then be used in a dock at home, which will also power the unit if its aging battery is struggling, or via a bluetooth speaker system. With streaming services so widely available you don’t even need that much storage as long as you have an internet connection. Fancy a small juke box in the kitchen? Now you have one. Alternatively you can use an old phone as your portable MP3 player at the gym or when you’re out running, thus avoiding damaging that expensive new handset in the rain. Alarm clock There are a wealth of alarm…

Pokémon Go fever is sweeping the world as the augmented reality app rolls out. Aside from a few basics, the game doesn’t really tell you how to play, so we’ve put together this guide to answer your answers from explaining PokéStops to finding rare Pokémon. PokéStop All over the Pokémon Go map you’ll see blue makers. These are PokéStop and each one is a landmark in real life. Almost anything can be a PokéStop from a plaque on the wall to a statue or an entire building. You’ll need them to gain resources, so when you’re near one, click on it and spin the icon. You’ll receive items such as Pokéballs, Potions and Revives. Once used, a PokéStop will turn pink but wait five minutes and you’ll be able to…

The A-series is Samsung’s mid-range smartphone line-up. Refreshed for 2016 it includes the Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7, which are differentiated by their screen size, core hardware and battery capacity. We’ve always been slightly troubled by Samsung’s Galaxy A-series. Not because they aren’t great phones, but because they aren’t as good as the previous-generation S-series flagships and yet as brand-new phones they cost more. Take the Galaxy A7 (2016) reviewed here. It’s difficult to get hold of in the UK, although our review model was supplied by Mobile Fun which charges £399. That’s £40 more expensive than the £359 Samsung Galaxy S6 which, aside from battery life, offers significantly more for your money. It’s also more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016), which is easier to get…

The Leagoo Shark 1 is all about power – battery power. With a huge (world-leading) 6300mAh battery and quick-charge technology, it could well be the phone to buy if you’re looking for a best battery life phone. You can pick up the Leagoo Shark 1 from GearBest, where it costs £121 with free delivery to the UK, but note that you may have to pay import duty. Is this the best battery phone? Yes, and no. For now, the Leagoo Shark 1 does (to our knowledge) contain the highestcapacity battery of any smartphone on the market at 6300mAh. Do note that Oukitel will shortly be launching a phone with an incredible 10,000mAh battery. Of course, having the highest-capacity battery doesn’t necessarily mean it is the longest lasting, because actual runtime…

The Samsung Galaxy Note series is returning to the UK on 2 August with the new Note 7. It appears that Samsung is skipping the Galaxy Note 6 in order to bring the naming of its flagship phablet in line with that of its flagship smartphone family, the S series. The Korean company seems to be copying more than the name, though. Having dropped the Edge+ model from its S series, it’s widely tipped to be announcing a curved-edge model. It will be a larger device than the S7 and S7 Edge, and come with Samsung’s S Pen stylus. Hardware Rumours suggest there will be several versions of the Note 7 including for the first time a ‘Lite’ model and an updated Note Edge. According to a source on Weibo,…

Famed for its longevity in the UK mobile network market, Vodafone currently sells five own-brand smartphones (three of which are in our best budget smartphone chart on page 124). While a slight generalisation, they all aim to bring the user 4G connectivity and access to the Android app world on varying budgets. The latest is the Vodafone Smart Platinum 7, and it’s aimed squarely at people who might be considering high-end flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy S7. Design As you might expect, Vodafone’s phones aren’t design marvels, taking the tried and tested ‘black rectangle’ form. Thankfully, the Platinum pushes the boat out a bit given it is at the higher end of the range. For a smartphone with a large 5.5in screen it’s the perfect weight, heavy enough to…

We’ve been looking forward to testing a Meizu phone for a while and, although the M3 Note is impressive for the money, it’s not a patch on the similar Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. We weight up the pros and cons of the Meizu M3 Note, and put it head to head against the Redmi Note 3. Our M3 Note was supplied by GearBest, which charges £142.50 with free shipping to the UK. (Note that you may have to pay import duty.) Conversely, GearBest stocks the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 for £116.76, which offers even better value still. These are both Chinese phones and, as such, you’ll find some preinstalled Chinese-language apps (all of which can be uninstalled) and in our experience you will get some notifications you can’t read. This…