Table of contents for 105 in Android Advisor

REVIEWS Google Pixel phones have been released annually since 2016 and have usually had one close-to-deal-breaking issue. For the Pixel 2 XL it was a bad display, for the 3 and 3 XL it was iffy memory management, for the Pixel 4 it was dismal battery life. Last year's Pixel 6 and 6 Pro were much better fully formed products and ushered in a new era, which is probably why their successors the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro – the latter reviewed here – are iterative updates. The Pixel 7 Pro is the best Pixel yet and the one to buy if you want one of the best camera systems on a phone along with a top display and the most thoughtful interpretation of Android. Though expensive at £849…

REVIEWS Motorola's dominant days are long since over when it comes to smartphones, but the company has been building back with a series of quietly excellent phones over the past year or two. For the most part those have been limited to the mid-range or cheaper premium phones, but the Edge 30 Ultra is a true blue Android flagship, with camera specs, charging speeds, and performance to rival the best. I approached the Edge 30 Ultra with a touch of scepticism – Motorola phones don't really feel very exciting, after all, and flagships usually need a little anticipation to them to thrill – but this is easily one of the best phones I've used all year, and an excellent Android option. DESIGN The Edge 30 Ultra impresses from the outset…

AUDIO There's no doubt that massive growth in the consumer electronics market comes at a cost to the planet. Is there a way to enjoy all the benefits of modern audio while also offsetting the damage? Skullcandy wants to counteract some of those environmental costs in its new Transparency series, which includes the limited edition Skullcandy Transparency Jib True 2 Wireless Earbuds (£45 from fave.co/3UHkltV) and the Transparency Hesh Evo Wireless Headphone. We've reviewed the Transparency Hesh Evo headphone here, and it's a pair of cans that will definitely get a reaction when you wear them outside your house. GREEN CREDENTIALS Partnering with TerraPass and EcoChain, a pair of companies that aim to help businesses make their products and manufacturing chains more ecofriendly, Skullcandy promises that the Transparency Hesh Evo…

FEATURE Notifications truly are one of our smartphones’ greatest strengths – and one of their most irksome annoyances. They keep us connected to important information and yet also keep us tethered to our digital lives at the most inopportune times. Here in the land of Android, notifications are actually designed in a sensible way that makes them reasonably easy to manage and customize. But taking total advantage of Android's notification intelligence requires a bit of effort. Some of the most helpful and advanced notification options are buried in the software and need a virtual treasure map to be summoned into action. Not to worry, though: I've got your treasure map right here. And once you get things set up with this stuff once, your Android notifications will be in tip-top…

REVIEWS Although Google only sells a fraction of the phones that the likes of Samsung does, the Pixel series continues to get new models and 2022 brings with it the Pixel 7. With prices still starting at just £599 the Pixel 7 still sets the benchmark for flagship Android phones and should make for a very solid purchase for many smartphones users out there - except if you have a Pixel 6. DESIGN It's not much of a surprise that the Pixel 7 looks very similar to its predecessor, although Google has made a few tweaks here and there. It's like seeing an old friend and not quite being able to figure out if they've got a new haircut. For the regular 7 on test here, it's mostly that the…

REVIEWS Vivo's flagship phones have slowly earned a reputation for excellent camera performance, culminating in last year's X70 Pro+ being widely named one of – if not the – best camera phones on the market. With no X80 Pro+, it falls on the X80 Pro to take up the mantle. And indeed, its camera system is strikingly similar to the X70 Pro+'s, albeit with a few key tweaks – especially to the company's trademark gimbal stabilization. Factor in faster charging and an upgraded chipset and the X80 Pro is certainly a worthy successor, if not a clear-cut upgrade, and by any measure is an exceptional Android flagship. DESIGN From the front, the Vivo X80 Pro looks like any other high-end Android flagship. It's big a slab, thanks to an enormous…

FEATURE The Pixel 7 and its plus-sized Pixel 7 Pro sibling are overflowing with awesome features, but some of their best experience-enhancing possibilities require a little bit of tweaking to set up. Consider this your road map to some of the Pixel 7's best and brightest secrets. 1. A SMARTER ASSISTANT We're big fans of Google Assistant. But let's be honest: all that “Hey, Google” uttering can get irksome after a while. That's where the Pixel's Quick Phrases feature comes into play: Quick Phrases lets you activate your Assistant and grab its attention without having to say that insanity-inducing phrase over and over. The catch, though, is that it won't work until you find the option deep within your device's settings and flip its switch. So let's do that, shall…

REVIEWS If Xiaomi is a brand that's still unfamiliar – and unpronounceable – to you, then it's high time that situation changed. The Chinese giant is the world's third-biggest phone maker after Samsung and Apple, after all. It's pronounced ‘shau·mee’, and makes not only flagship phone to rival the best around, but also good-value cheap phones. The 12T Pro is a bit harder to pigeonhole. A quick look at its specifications, and you might jump to the conclusion it's a flagship. But look at its price and you'll wonder how it's possible to make a phone with those specs at such a low price. There are ways and means to do it, and if you can live with the compromises Xiaomi has made, this could well be a phone to…

AUDIO Sennheiser has engineered its flagship IE 900 in-ear monitors for comfortable long-term wear and to sound fantastic. That's it. They're wired, and there are no in-line controls. There's no active noise cancellation. There's no microphone for phone calls. The IE 900 is a headphone designed for maximum audio quality, period. And Sennheiser delivers in that department. At this price, why choose an in-ear monitor instead of on-ear or over-ear headphone? If you're on the move, the IE 900 are sufficiently well-built to use as a commuter headphone and the case will fit in your pocket. If you're in the office, your co-workers won't be commenting on your giant pair of cans. Ultimately, however, the IE 900 offer an immersive and intimate listening experience that's different than anything you'll get…

FEATURE Some of the Pixel 7's smartest and most useful features require a bit of tinkering to coax out. That's true if you're coming from another Pixel, even with all the settings Google synced over for you, and it's certainly true if you're dipping your tootsies into Pixelcoloured waters for the very first time. Here, specifically, are seven settings I've stumbled onto that are well worth your while to dig up and activate. 1. SMARTER FACE UNLOCK One of the most welcome additions to the Pixel 7 is the return of Face Unlock - a feature we saw briefly on the Pixel 4 and have been missing ever since. While the Pixel 7's facial recognitior set-up isn't quite as advanced or effective as what the Pixel 4 possessed it's still…