Bucket Tech: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3

Todays Samsung Unpacked Event showcased their latest foldable mobile devices as well as their latest wearable and in ear accessories. We're just going to focus on the mobile devices in this post as it the most important one from the event. As the name suggests, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 are the 3rd  generation of Samsung folding devices, being the market leader in this technology, they continued to flex their muscles in this aspect with their latest devices. 

Here is a quick run down on the specifications for each device:

Galaxy Z Fold 3

The Z Fold 3 continues from its predecessor in offering the user the best of both worlds, in terms of having a mobile phone and a tablet. While the Z Fold 2 was impressive, the 3rd generation of the device just builds on from it, offering a matte finish body, with a new 12MP triple primary camera and a new under-screen selfie camera. The device which comes with Samsung's 1Ui3 which is tablet based and has app dock and improved multi-tasking capabilities. The device also supports Samsung S Pen, for ease of use. 

Galaxy Z Flip 3

The Z Flip has always been one for the fun and outgoing individual unlike the Fold which is more business orientated. The Z Flip 3 is great looking device which is available in three colours. The device now has a two-tone finish which adds to the appeal of the an already great looking phone. When opened, the device screen measures 6.7-inches and is an Infinity Flex Display with 120Hz refresh rate.

Both the Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SOC and are rated IPX8 for water resistance. This making them the first folding devices with an IP rating. Both devices will be available locally from 17 September 2021 and pricing are as follows:

* Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 - R37,999

* Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 - R21,999

Bucket Tech: Hisense C30 Rock Lite

Earlier this year I reviewed the Hisense C30 Rock, which is a mid range smart device which also is pretty rugged with it being  IP68 rating and IK04 shock resistant, my verdict on that particular device was that it was a great all round device for the everyday person, with standard features and it gets the job done. A few weeks ago Hisense sent me another device to review, this time the smaller brother to the C30 Rock, the C30 Rock Lite. With recent times, a lot of smart phone manufactures have been releasing Lite versions of their premium phones, with it offering slightly less in specs than the main device. Most of the times, it uses tech from the older generation devices which was replaced but of recent, the market has gotten more competitive so manufacturers had to up their game. 

STYLING

Like the C30 Rock, the design is very similar, with round edges which are rubberised, a nice metal finish on the side and a rubber back. It's got a decent weight and feels good in hand. Being under the Rock name, this phone is already Shock resistant, IP67 water resistant and dust resistant. So it's a pretty hardy phone, and if you have to look at the current offerings in the market, not many brands have a device such as this available. The phone comes with a 5.0" IPS Display which we'll chat about a little later. It has that old iPhone look to it and it's quite a decent size, not being too bulky and doesn't feel uncomfortable in your pocket. 

DURABILITY

Unlike the C30 Rock which is IP68, the Lite is IP67 rated which is still a good rating for water resistance. I wouldn't necessarily take it swimming but I won't stress over if it does happen to fall into some water. However, I did take this for a swim but unfortunately for me, I didn't save the pictures before formatting the device when I sent it back. Rookie error on the part of us! The device is also shock and dust proof, so if you're the outdoors type of person who loves going running/ hiking, this would be the perfect phone for you. 

PROCESSING

With Lite devices, this is where the main talking point comes in, processing power. While the bigger phones need faster processes to perform the tasks on demands, buyers of these devices aren't going to be using the phone for running multiple apps, editing spreadsheets etc. With the Rock Lite, it comes with still a decent chipset, having the Quad-core 1.3GHz  processor and has 2GB of RAM which is sufficient for a phone of this nature and size. For memory, it has 16GB of on board memory and a memory card slot up to 128GB Micro SD which also doubles as a dual SIM slot. The phone is primarily 4G but the secondary SIM slot is 3G. 

CAMERA

The camera on the light is also slightly downgraded from to the 8MP camera with LED flash. Still capable of taking great quality pictures in proper lighting environments. It records in 1080 @ 30 frames per second and has an auto focus feature. The front facing camera is a 5MP, perfect for all your social media needs and you don't have to worry about your battery running out quickly as the device comes with a 3900mAh battery, which gives you about a day's worth of use. 

VERDICT

When looking at this phone, while it might not win any contest against other smartphones, it boils down to pricing. This phone is available at retailers for under R2,500. That is an absolute steal compared to what you can buy from the bigger name opposition. And with Hisense great product support locally, should you have any issues, best believe it will be resolved without a fuss. Serious value for money with this device and for someone who spends most of his time on a construction site, I wouldn't mind one for myself. 

Bucket Tech: Hisense C30 Rock - First Impressions

Mobile phones are getting more and more sophisticated with bigger screens, faster processing power, improved cameras and longer lasting batteries but with all this extra tech, in a unibody that is designed to save space and make it small and light, it does leave the device vulnerable to breaking easily. The number one issue many have with their current smart phone is a cracked screen, whether you drop it from a small height or a long one, 9 out of 10 times it doesn't end well for you or your phone. Screen repairs are costly no matter what type of device you have, and most guarantee's don't cover that. Another common cause of damage to mobile phones is water damage, now whether you splashed a bit of water on it or you got submerged in a pool, nothing can save you from this and again, no cover from the manufacturers unless you go and take out additional insurance to which means paying more money. What if there was a phone that you didn't have to treat like fine China since it is quite durable but still have the same features as every other phone on the market?

Well look no further, last week saw the launch of Hisense C30 Rock, which they call it a "life-dimensional" smartphone. Ready to withstand whatever life throws at it...or you throw it at something. although this is highly not advised, that something could be seriously hurt by the phone. The highly durable Hisense C30 Rock is IK04 level shock resistant, as well as IP68 certified, safe guarding the device to be dust and water resistant, allowing it to withstand an unexpected swim underwater at a depth of 1.5 meters, for up to 30 minutes! That is some impressive ratings for a mobile phone. Even with this great level of protection, the C30 Rock still maintains a super-slim design at just 7.95mm thin, in a metal frame and soft rubber outer-casing. It's a great looking device, unlike other hardy, durable ones on sale in the market but still offers the same level of protection for the device. 

While the phone is pretty strong, there was no compromise on the performance of it, the C30 Rock has a 5.2" Full HD display that offers lavish 424 pixels per inch, it is equipped with a power engine that is driven by an efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon octa-core 64-bit processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of on-board storage. This makes multitasking on the device a breeze, it is powered by the latest Android 7 (Nougat) OS and Vision UI 4.0. The battery is a non-removable one from the looks of it and has a lot of power, 3000mAh to be exact, it also has quick-charge functionality so you don't have to wait forever to get your phone charged. The phone also has data and battery saving modes to ensure a prolonged battery life, allowing you to still use your phones fundamental features on minimum life. 

While this phone seems great, you may be expecting a big price tag, well that's where you're wrong, Hisense recommended retail price for the C30 Rock is is R4 499 which is a steal if you ask me! And its available nationwide as well as selected online retailers. While I still await my unit to test, so far this device ticks a lot of boxes for me so look forward to putting it through its paces.