This month has been a roller-coaster ride across the categories when it comes to reviews – be it for smartphones, speakers, headphones or speakers.
The month kicked off with our hands-on review of the new BlackBerry KEYOne.
According to Fergus Halliday, “The value of KEYOne feels like it’s ultimately going to depend on what you’re looking for. It’s not going to be the be-all-end-all smartphone for everyone. However, for the right-kind of user looking for a smartphone as professional as they are, it’s a solid new addition to the high-end of the market well worth considering. It feels like an enterprise-level device, packed with everything you’d expect that entails.”
Then came our verdict on the crown jewel of HTC’s New U series of smartphones.
David Richards wrote that “The HTC U11 is a tick the box phone.”
“Unlike several other brands HTC appears to work on the basis that evolution is better than revolution resulting in the functions on this device being taken to yet another level,” he wrote.
When it came to sound, we took the time to put both B&O’s new premium E4 earphones and Bose’s SoundLink Revolve speaker through their paces.
Fergus Halliday came away impressed by both, writing that “Bose have made a solid effort at delivering a one-size-fits-all wireless speaker here. Whether it realistically lives up to that promise is debatable but the quality of the sound being delivered isn’t.”
He held a few more caveats when it came to B&O’s latest.
“When it comes to performance, the E4 delivers a solid experience that’s easy to recommend. However, it’s definitely worth weighing up how much the B&O brand is worth to you before buying in. Whatever way you cut it, $350 is a lot of money for old-school wired earphones – even if they do hold up as some of the best sounding earbuds we’ve ever tuned our ears towards,” he wrote.
Lastly, we evaluated Hitachi’s latest play for budget-end of the home display market.
Fergus Halliday came away with plenty to say – both good and bad – about it.
According to him, “The Hitachi Series 6 is a strong contender when it comes to HDR – in spite of its issues. It’s by no means a best-case scenario but there’s still some value to be found here if you’re looking to jump into the world of HDR.”
