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Based in the UK - Phone: OnePlus 10 Pro - Tablet: Samsung Tab S8 - Watch: Scurfa Treasure Seeker in white

OnePlus Joins the Fold with the Open

smartphone, ,

OnePlus LogoOnePlus has confirmed that their new folding smartphone is the long-rumoured OnePlus Open and it will be announced on Thursday 19th October with a launch event coming from Mumbai, India.

Co-developed by OnePlus and Oppo, the device looks to open out into a tablet-style device. Although it’s not shown, the expectation would be that there’s an additional outer screen in the way as the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Google Pixel Fold, but with OnePlus, who knows?

The classic alert slider is clearly shown (off) in the invite, so it’s definitely a OnePlus phone: the OPPO version will only be available in China. OPPO already has folding screen technology so both companies have brought experience to the table. There’s no sign of the rear cameras in these shots but some detail was revealed by an Indian movie star, showing a large disk, not terribly dissimilar to the OnePlus 11.

“The OnePlus Open is the dream smartphone, set to break the compromise between display technology, imaging performance, and weight that has become the status quo for existing foldable devices,” said by Kinder Liu, President and COO of OnePlus. “Inheriting OnePlus’s signature fast and smooth experience, plus its elegant, lightweight, and slim design, alongside an imperceptible screen crease, unprecedented imaging performance, efficient software, and premium quality, the OnePlus Open will redefine the concept of foldable smartphones by delivering all-round flagship-level experiences that push the limits of current foldable smartphones and take the standard of foldables to the next level.”

There are some pre-order benefits which vary by region. In the UK, it’s a £99 deposit to get £250 off OnePlus Open plus free OnePlus Buds Pro 2. The full list price hasn’t been announced but given the price of the competitors, it’s going to be the most expensive OnePlus phone ever.

Set your alarms for 10:00 EDT / 15:00 BST / 19:30 IST next Thursday. More info here.

OnePlus and OPPO Set to Launch Same Smartphone

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OnePlus LogoOnePlus has been teasing a foldable smartphone since MWC back in February, and as Pete Lau holds senior roles at both OnePlus and OPPO, it’s not entirely unsurprising that OnePlus and Oppo are going to launch the same foldable smartphone. Both companies are part of the BBK empire and I think we can assume that the different brands will play to their strengths and sell in separate territories.

OPPO already has two foldable smartphones, the pocket-sized Find N2 Flip and the larger China-only Find N2, though OnePlus touts its lineage on the new device with the presence of the much-loved alert slider. I think it would be fair to see this as co-development rather than simply rebadging, as each company brings its strengths and experience to the new phone. OPPO with the hardware, OnePlus with the software?

An image has been released and you can see the slider on the side of the phone in the top right. It’s pretty hard to see much else in the photo – maybe volume and power on the other side?

Foldable devices are new and I think everyone worries about the hinge and screen, so OnePlus and OPPO have been at pains to explain all the work, technology and patents that have gone into perfecting the experience. It’s entirely gapless when the phone is closed and 35 patents arose from the development of the hinge mechanism, which built on the foundation of the Find N2’s hinge.

As to a name, the money’s on OnePlus Open and perhaps the OPPO Find N3. No details on price at this time but for comparison, the smaller N2 Flip sold for UK£849. I think we can look forward a folding flagship in the not-too-distant future.

UK’s Ofcom Charts Demise of Broadcast TV

Information

The UK’s Ofcom has delivered its latest Media Nations report and it is full of interesting detail on the watching and listening behaviours of the British public over the past decade. It’s great reading for streaming services but the future’s pretty grim for broadcast TV.

As a bit of background for non-UK residents, Ofcom is the regulation and competition authority in UK for all communication services, including TV, radio, telephony, broadband, post and so on. It’s an abbreviation of “Office of Communications” and is roughly equivalent to US FCC. The main terrestrial broadcasters are BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5. Sky provides satellite services and channels, with Virgin and BT providing cable-based services. Radio is provided by BBC, Bauer and Global plus many smaller stations.

The full report, Media Nations UK 2023, runs to 72 pages and it’s a goldmine of information on the changing habits of the nation with loads of good graphics. It’s definitely worth a read but here are a few highlights

  • Broadcast, scheduled or linear TV is in significant decline. Viewing fell by 12% year on year and is 16% lower than pre-pandemic. Programmes that attract more than four million viewers have halved since 2014. In 2012, under 25s watched around 150 minutes of TV per day. In 2022, it was about 40 minutes.
  • Two-thirds of UK households have at least one video streaming service on demand, such as Netflix or Disney+. It’s a slight fall over the previous year which suggests video streaming has reached maturity. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ are the top 3 subscription services, with BBC’s iPlayer and YouTube taking the top spots for the free services.
  • TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat consume nearly an hour per day for those aged 15-24. Facebook stays busy with older age groups.
  • Radio remains consistently popular with 88% of adults listening for an average of 20 hours per week, though under-35s are more likely to stream music. BBC2 is the top radio station with 26% of adults listening in.
  • Spotify is the easy winner in the music streaming business taking over 70% of the adult market. Apple Music comes in 2nd with a paltry 8%.
  • For podcasts, 11 million adults (nearly 20% of the audience) listen to podcasts with 68% listening to five podcasts or less per week. While podcast listening is on the rise in nearly all age groups, those aged 15-24 have seen a decline in the last year.
  • Smart speakers are in 42% of homes, with Amazon’s Echo the easy market leader at 79%. Google Home is next at 15%.
  • The report also notes the use of AI DJs and synthetic voices as an incoming trend, highlighting Switch Radio using Chat GPT to create weather bulletins.

 

Nord 3 Crosses the Channel

Android, smartphone, ,

OnePlus LogoGNC readers may remember that when the OnePlus Nord 3 launched in early July, the mid-range smartphone wasn’t available in UK. No official explanation was given, but the good news is that the phone has now crossed the channel and is available for pre-order now at UK£499 for delivery on 18th August, if you pay for express delivery. To sweeten the deal, pre-orders come with a free pair of Nord Buds 2, which are worth £69.

As a quick reminder, the Nord 3 is OnePlus’ mid-range phone for Europe and India, sitting below the OnePlus 11 in the line-up. A MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset powers the phone and the UK variant comes with 16 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. On the screen front, the Nord 3 sports a 120 Hz Super Fluid AMOLED display measuring 6.74″ with a resolution of 2772 x 1240 pixels (450 ppi). All this is powered by a 5000 mAh battery, charged using 80 W SuperVOOC, which will restore the battery level from 0% to 60% in 15 mins.

The main camera is a 50 MP Sony IMX890 sensor with OIS (and that’s the same camera sensor as used in the 11). In addition, there’s a 112° ultra-wide camera and a 2 MP macro lens for close-up detail. On the front, the selfie cam is a 16 MP sensor.

Although two colours were announced in July – Tempest Gray and Misty Green – disappointingly it appears that only the Gray is currently available for pre-order. There’s no explanation why at the moment or if the Green will arrive at a later date. Let’s hope it does because the OnePlus greens always look great on the phone.

So, if you are in UK, and you’re looking for a mid-range phone, take a good look at the Nord 3. I haven’t had a chance to go hands-on with this one but I was impressed with the Nord 2 (which my wife currently uses as her daily phone).

OnePlus ups the mid-range game with Nord 3

Android, smartphone, ,

OnePlus LogoSurprisingly, it’s been nearly two years since OnePlus launched the Nord 2 back in the pandemic, and while Covid 19 has now waned, OnePlus has gone on stronger with the continued success of the Nord series plus the introduction of entirely new products such as the Pad tablet. Keeping pace with progress, OnePlus today launched the Nord 3 5G smartphone, conveniently providing an upgrade path for the phone’s fans who are beginning to think about a new device.

As is OnePlus’ style, the phone’s been comprehensively teased for several weeks, continuing with the tagline, “Pretty much everything you could ask for” and, to be honest, they’re not wrong: my wife has been using a Nord 2 and she’s very happy with it. If the Nord 3 upholds this level of price, performance and materials, OnePlus will continue to have a winner on its hands.

As before, the Nord 3 sits atop OnePlus’ mid-range devices, below the OnePlus 11 but above the Nord CE 3 and N-series of phones, so I think we should be expecting a well-specified device with quality materials that most smartphone users will be pleased to use. For people new to OnePlus’ products, the Nord series tends to be for European and Indian markets, whereas the N-series goes to the Americas.

Moving onto the specs, the Nord 3 continues with MediaTek as silicon supplier and specifically the Dimensity 9000 chipset. For those unfamiliar with MediaTek, it’s a Taiwanese firm and is the third-largest fabless IC designer in the world with chips in thousands of products round the world. The Dimensity 9000 is their flagship ARM chipset and is very much on a par with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 in terms of performance (which is in the OnePlus 10T).

In terms of RAM and storage, there will be two variants with some variations between territories – 8 GB+128 GB, 16 GB+256 GB. On the screen front, the Nord 3 sports a 120 Hz Super Fluid AMOLED display measuring 6.74″ with a resolution of 2772 x 1240 pixels (450 ppi). That’s a bigger, faster and more detailed screen than the Nord 2, and it’s further improved by the removal of the bezel giving a seamless flat display. That’s a good upgrade.

Taking in the camera array round the back, it appears from the twin black circles that there are only two cameras, but further inspection reveals that there are two lenses embedded in the lower disc, similar to the CE 3. The main camera is a 50 MP Sony IMX890 sensor with OIS and that’s the same camera sensor as used in the 11, so it’s a top notch unit. In addition, there’s a 112° ultra wide camera and a 2 MP macro lens for close up detail. On the front, the selfie cam is a 16 MP sensor, which is a drop from the Nord 2’s 32 MP. For video, the Nord 3 will do up to 4K video at 60 fps. The OnePlus camera app supports the usual plethora of camera modes and filters – HDR, Nightscape, Portrait Mode, Video Portrait, Pano, Macro, Slo-mo, Time-lapse, etc. And for adventurous people, there’s dual-view video which will record from both the front and rear cameras simultaneously.

Powering the Nord 3 is a pair of 2,500 mAh batteries for a total of 5,000 mAh. The twin batteries  which takes advantage of 80 W SuperVOOC and will charge 0 to 60% in 15 mins – that’s quick. Both battery size and charging speed are a step up from the Nord 2: back then it was Warp charging! As expected, it’s a USB C port on the bottom, but while there’s no 3.5 mm audio jack, there are stereo speakers. Somewhat surprisingly, it looks like the IR-blaster is making a return. Cool. Size-wise, the Nord 3 is 163 x 73 mm x 8.1mm which is pretty much the same size as the previous Nord 2. It weighs in at 193g, give or take.

There are only two different phone colours this time  – Tempest Gray and Misty Green and from the the pictures, both look pretty good.

As would be expected, the Nord 3 supports 5G offering nearly 3 Gb/s in perfect conditions and there’s the usual dual-SIM tray for those looking to have, say, separate personal and business SIMs. Of course, there’s still OnePlus’ signature alert slider.

The Nord 3 comes with OxygenOS 13.1 which is based on Android 13 and OnePlus is now committing to three major Android updates and 4 years of security updates. I think that’s great to hear and in an increasingly resource-aware world, it means that you could be using the Nord for three years without worry. Being OxygenOS 13, the Nord 3 comes with many of the same software features as its siblings, the 11 and CE 3.

Let’s talk pricing….

OnePlus Nord 3
8 GB + 128 GB: 449 €
16 GB + 256 GB: 549 € (with a 499 € July special)

The Nord 3 is available to pre-order now from OnePlus for 16 EU countries plus India and Middle East. It’s not yet coming to the UK for “logistical challenges” which I expect is code for “problems caused by Brexit, the stupidest thing any country has done in modern history”. The unconfirmed UK price is £499 which I think is for the 16 GB version.

So far, what I’ve seen looks good…if you can get your hands on one. The Nord 3 is a step up from the original and continues to slot in neatly below the OnePlus 11 but above the Nord CE 2. With the 11 priced from 849 €, there’s clear water between the two in pricing and I’m struggling to think of the differences between the 11 and the Nord 3: Snapdragon Gen 2 chipset, better second lenses, Hasselblad camera tweaking…there’s not much really. Is it a “flagship killer”? Not in the sense of having unbeatable specs, but definitely in terms of thinking about what’s really relevant in your phone and what it’s worth.

Here’s the launch video.

 

Prepare for Long Flights with Ugreen’s 25,000 mAh Power Bank

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With the holiday season fast approaching and the pandemic over, international travel is back on the agenda once again. However, those long flights across the world’s oceans will inevitably have your phone, tablet, laptop or Nintendo Switch running low on power well before the wheels touch the tarmac once again. And if you have children on the journey with you, it’s going to be even worse. Daddy!!!!

To rescue you from parental distress, you might want to check out Ugreen’s 25,000 mAh power bank. This is about as big a battery as you can take on a plane (do check your specific airline’s requirements) and this power bank has enough juice to recharge multiple devices several times. Most smartphones have batteries around 4,500 mAh and the Nintendo Switch is 4,200 mAh so there’s capacity in the power bank for around five recharges of single device. That’s a long flight taken care of.

Even better though, is that it can charge up to three devices at once using one USB A and two USB C ports. The total power output can’t exceed 145 W but frankly, if you are only charging your family’s portable devices, this is unlikely to be an issue. However, it does mean that if you need to charge a laptop like a MacBook or Dell XPS 13, the Ugreen power bank will still cover your needs.

There’s a small LED display on the side showing the battery level. Depend on the port, the Ugreen power bank supports a variety of charging standards up to QC3.0 and PD3.0, which is handy if you have device which will only charge when supplied with the correct standard (I’m looking at you, Microsoft). The full spec details are here.

If you get off the plane with a flat battery, charging using a 65W PD charger will take about two hours. Obviously if you have a lower powered charger, it’s going to take longer.

The Ugreen power bank isn’t cheap – it will set you back US$149.99 / UK£139.99 on Amazon US and Amazon UK – but what price peace and quiet with the little’uns on your next holiday?

Translink Brings Zero Emission Public Transport to Northern Ireland

Green Technology, Transportation, ,

On a sunny spring evening in April, Translink kindly hosted members of EVANI (Electric Vehicle Association of Northern Ireland) at their bus depot Milewater Service Centre in Belfast. Translink is the public corporation for public transport in Northern Ireland and manages a fleet of 1,400 buses, coaches and trains carrying 1.5 million passengers every week.  With key emission targets for 2030 and beyond, Translink is preparing now for a future of zero-emission public transport with electric and hydrogen-powered double-decker buses.

After an initial pilot of three hydrogen-fuelled buses in 2020, Translink started its green journey in earnest with the purchase of 80 battery buses and a further 20 hydrogen buses in 2022. Another 100 buses are expected in 2024 and Translink doesn’t expect to ever buy another diesel bus. Handily, one of the leading manufacturers of buses, Wrightbus, is based a few miles north in Ballymena. The transition to zero-emissions not only requires the vehicles but the infrastructure to support them with an equivalent number of charge points and hydrogen storage facilities on the Milewater site.

Constraints on the power supply to the charging stations mean that intelligent software is used to ensure that battery-powered bus charging is matched to departure schedules (i.e. those buses leaving next are charged first) but otherwise it’s very similar to charging an EV car overnight: the 150 kW chargers even use the same plug and socket as an ordinary car (CCS2).

When it comes to hydrogen-fuelled buses, these are electric vehicles too, only they use a fuel cell to combine stored hydrogen with atmospheric oxygen to produce electricity and water, which pours out of the rear of the vehicle. I was most surprised at the amount of water produced – it’s more than you’d think – here’s a short video. The hydrogen is shipped in at the moment, but a nearby wind farm in County Antrim is setting up a hydrogen plant which will make deliveries much more convenient.

In comparison, the range of battery v hydrogen power isn’t that different, being somewhere about 200 miles. The big difference is that charging the batteries has to occur overnight, taking several hours, whereas a hydrogen bus can be refuelled in under 10 minutes. The battery powered buses work well within the urban environments, with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles potentially taking on the role for inter-city and rural transport. The new buses aren’t cheap though, with the fuel cell ones costing twice the equivalent diesel bus. However, the expectation is that reduced maintenance costs and extended lifespan will reduce the total cost of ownership.

The transition hasn’t been easy with several challenges. Obviously, it’s new technology with unknown infrastructure issues and limitations on the overall power supply to the site. Batteries were delayed because of the pandemic, and Translink had to work closely with Chargepoint to optimise the charging software. Learning the characteristics of batteries, especially in cold weather has been important as well, but a measure of the success of the move is that no bus has ever run out of charge while in service. Dealing with hydrogen had a different set of challenges, but by applying standards carefully and diligently, the buses can be worked on safely. The drivers and passengers have taken well to the buses, enjoying the quietness, lack of exhaust fumes and absence of vibrations.

Translink aren’t only looking to road transport for zero emissions. It’s early stages now, but a detailed assessment is on track for the required infrastructure and costs to electrify the rail network in the next decade.

The population of Northern Ireland is under 2 million people and the foresight of the team in Translink is a credit to the region: the corporation has the fourth largest zero emission fleet of vehicles in the UK. When you think of the other major transport networks in the country, such as Transport for London, this is a major achievement and it’s exciting for Northern Ireland to be in the vanguard for the future of public transport.

With many thanks to William, Martin and Ian at Translink for spending their evening with us.