Sony Xperia Z3 Review: Sony makes a Splash in the United States

By Rich W Woods

As of today, the Sony Xperia Z3 will be available for T-Mobile. I have been spending quite a bit of time with the Xperia Z3 for the past two weeks and have been absolutely delighted with it. The Sony Xperia Z3 is an absolute pleasure to use. It’s super fast, the camera is amazing, it has a beautiful display, and it’s waterproof. Users will be able to play Playstation on it as soon as Sony makes the app available.

While I was spending so much time with the Sony Xperia Z3, I was reviewing the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in parallel. While using both phones at the same time, it was like night and day. While the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 was an absolute nightmare, the Sony Xperia Z3 was something out of a dream.

Treasure Tags: Another Innovation from Nokia

By Rich W Woods

Back in July, Nokia released a clever little product called the Treasure Tag. When they mailed me the Microsoft Screen Sharing Accessory to review, they threw in a Treasure Tag as well and I was so impressed with the little gadget, I wanted to do a write-up of it.

Let’s start with what a Treasure Tag is. A Treasure Tag is a little Bluetooth square that pairs with your phone. It comes with two cases: one with a strap and one without.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review: A Perversion of Innovation

By Rich W Woods

Perversion: the alteration of something from its original course, meaning, or state to a distortion or corruption of what was first intended.

Innovation: a new method, idea, product, etc.

Almost a year and a half ago, when I started For the Love of Tech, I called my reviews User Reviews. The reason for this was because the products that I was reviewing were products that I used for my day to day life. I wasn’t getting free review units, I wasn’t getting flown out to California for an iPhone event, and I wasn’t under the threat of not being invited back if I gave something a bad review.

I stopped calling the User Review in favor of Review and a title because more and more, I was getting devices for the sole reason of reviewing them. They were no longer devices that I used for personal use; however, I have always stayed true to the idea of giving honest reviews. This is why reviews at For the Love of Tech don’t come out the same day that the product launches. It comes a couple weeks later, after I’ve spent some time with the device.

That being said, this is going to be an honest review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. Some will love me for it and some will hate me for it, but there is one thing I can promise you: the facts you will read are true and the opinions you will read are honest.

Nokia Lumia 1320 Review: Best in its Class

By Rich W Woods

There are tons of different kinds of phones out there. First, there’s the operating system. There is Windows Phone, Android, and iOS. Then, there is the quality. There are low end phones, mid-range phones, and high end phones, and each one comes in each operating system. Then there are mini phones, regular sized phones, and phablets.

As far as budget Windows Phone phablets go, the Nokia Lumia 1320 is best in its class. Obviously, it’s the only one in its class; however, there are very few budget fabulist that exist overall. A lot of credit can be given to Nokia for making a sister to the Nokia Lumia 1520 that is a bit more affordable.

Moto Hint Review: The Smallest Bluetooth Headset in the Universe

By Rich W Woods

On September 4, 2014, Motorola announced four new products: the Moto X, Moto G, Moto 360, and Moto Hint. If you follow technology at all, you have heard of the Moto X, Moto G, and the Moto 360, but you might not have heard of the Moto Hint.

The Moto Hint is a Bluetooth headset. It doesn’t do a single thing that any other Bluetooth headset does. There is one difference: it is smaller than your fingertip.

Nokia Lumia 635 Review: A Whole Lot of Bang for your Buck

By Rich W Woods

The Nokia Lumia 635 was released back in June 2014 and I’ll be honest. I overlooked it. Last weekend, the Nokia Lumia 530 was released in the United States on Cricket and T-Mobile. Unfortunately, the Lumia 530 looked like something that was made for emerging markets. It has 4 GB storage, a Snapdragon 200, and a 5 MP camera that can’t focus.

The Nokia Lumia 530 really isn’t a fair successor to the Nokia Lumia 520, which had that 5 MP camera but it had the ability to focus. That’s when the Nokia Lumia 635 caught my eye.

Moto G Review: A High End Budget Phone

By Rich W Woods

On September 4, 2014, Motorola announced four new products: the Moto X, Moto G, Moto 360, and Moto Hint. The Moto X is the refresh of their flagship, the Moto 360 is an Android Wear watch, and the Moto Hint is a Bluetooth headset that is designed to sit in the user’s ear all day.

The Moto G is a refresh of Motorola’s mid-range phone. In short, it’s a Moto X without all of the bells and whistles that come with a Moto X. This phone is a really good phone and at $179, it’s a steal.

Nokia Lumia 530 Review: A Budget Phone for those on a Budget

By Rich W Woods

The best selling phone in the history of Windows Phone is the Nokia Lumia 520. The Nokia Lumia 530 is meant to be a successor to the Lumia 520. While it was released internationally in August, it wasn’t released in the United States until last week.

The Nokia Lumia 530 is a phone that is clearly designed to scrape the bottom of the barrel. This is not a negative thing. After all, if all you need is a phone that makes calls, sends messages, and you can check Facebook, Twitter, and your bank account from, the Nokia Lumia 530 might be for you.

Moto X Review: The Best Android Phone of 2014

By Rich W Woods

Calling a phone the best Android phone of 2014 is a bold statement. There have been some fantastic phones released this year. The HTC One M8 came out in the spring. It has a beautiful aluminum body and a powerful processor. The OnePlus One has top of the line specs across the board for just $349 unlocked.

The Moto X does all sorts of things that these phones just don’t. Aside from that, it’s completely customizable. Users can choose between all different color plastic backs, wood, or even leather. He has a choice between a black or a white front and then he can choose a trim.

The original Moto X had these sensors and these customization options, but it didn’t have the specs that the new Moto X offers.

iPhone 6 Plus Review: A Beautiful, and Big Phone

By Rich W Woods

On September 9, 2014, Apple announced the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and Apple Watch. It got more press than any blockbuster movie that was released all year. They sold record amounts and lines on launch day were longer than they had been in years. The iPhone 6 Plus was selling for over $1000 on eBay.

Both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus are clearly the biggest advance in iPhones since the original iPhone was introduced. Here is my review of the iPhone 6 Plus.