I provide honest ratings and reviews on tech, toys, and consumer home goods that I've purchased and used. Reviews are based on hands-on testing and personal observations. All opinions and comments are my own.
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Takeaway: Bright/balanced audio, good isolation, stay in place, but occasional connection issues and lack bass, charging case. You'll receive the true wireless earbuds with a semi-rigid clamshell carrying case, a split microUSB charging cable, two additional sets of silicone eartips and wing stabilizers, a pair of plastic earhooks and a quickstart guide. The earbuds are compact and lightweight and measure about 1" long and 1" wide. The earbuds come pre-installed with the medium size silicone eartips and stabilizing wings, but there are small and large sets included so you can find the right fit. The plastic ear hooks are optional if you're having trouble getting these to stay in your ears during physical activity like running, but I didn't have a problem with them falling out of my ears and the wing stabilizers seemed to do a decent job keeping them in place.
The earbuds don't charge wirelessly in a battery case like many other true wireless headphones. You'll still have to charge via a microUSB cable, although with the split bale you can charge both using a single USB port. A fully charge will last about 3 hours of listening time depending on playback volume. When you power on the right earpiece and then the left, they'll pair to each other automatically. Then you can pair the right earpiece to your phone. However, either earpiece can be used independently too; to place one of the ear buds into paring mode, hold down the power button for a few extra seconds when powering on until the unit beeps, then let go and it will be in individual paring mode. In general, the earbuds paired with each other automatically every time, though on a few occasions I have had them disconnect from each other so that sound was only coming out of one earpiece. Powering them off and on again helped reset them and correct the problem.
The sound from the earbuds is decent. It's mostly balanced though skews a bit bright so cymbals can sound harsh and female vocals may carry extra sibilance. The bass and mid bass ranges are clear and present but without very heavy low bass. Passive noise isolation also is pretty good when you're listening at moderate volumes, but at low volumes and quiet passages, there was a lot of static and white noise. The power button also doubles as the play/pause, with a single press, and next track, with a double press, for music playback control. You can also answer and hang up calls with a single press when paired with a mobile phone. However, there's no volume control on the earbuds. These earbuds are sweatproof but don't have an advertised IPX rating. That said, I have rinsed them off under the tap and they still seem to work fine.
Overall, these are a decent sounding pair of true wireless earbuds. They don't have all the bells and whistles like wireless charging or a battery case so you'll have to find a way to charge them every 3 hours or so, but so the convenience of not having to deal with a tangled neck cable, these aren't too bad.
Takeaway: Clear picture, compact and portable, use w/BT speaker for better audio, avg battery life. The mini DLP projector comes with a USB power cable, a wall adapter power cable, a mini tripod, remote control, and an instruction manual. I also received a 1GB microSD card shipped separately which contained a software update.
The projector has a glossy black finish on top and measures 6"W x 3"L x 3/4"H. The outer frame is aluminum and the bottom has a really cool pixel pattern as well as the fan exhaust and 1/4"-20 thread hole for mounting to a tripod. You can use any standard tripod and not just the mini one that's included. On the front, the projector lens is on the long side, then to its left is the focus wheel for adjusting the image focus. On the back is the external speaker, power button, HDMI in, headphone audio out, DC power port, USB input, pinhole reset, and microSD card slot. There are no physical playback controls on the body of the unit, so be sure not to lose the remote control. When you plug the unit it, it will start charging the internal battery and the LED indicator on the top just below the logo will flash red. On a full charge the player can last about 2 hours of playback, so make sure to plug it in or use a portable battery pack if you're watching a long movie where you won't have access to an outlet. The length of the wall adapter cable is 6.5' but the USB cable is about 40". It's just a shame it uses a barrel style plug rather than a more standard microUSB connector for the power.
The projector is quick to boot up and comes pre-loaded Android OS 4.4.4, and the interface is similar to a tablet or smartphone. It has built-in WiFi that you can use to connect to your home WiFi network and Bluetooth capability as well so you can stream the audio to a speaker or headphones. Using the remote to navigate the interface is fairly easy, though sometimes when you can't find your position, you have to bring up the cursor on the screen by pressing the 'mouse' button on the remote. Using a wireless keyboard/mouse make things much easier and the single USB port is expandable with a USB hub (not included) for adding multiple devices. The remote also lets you change the volume and adjust the screen keystone if to square up the image, but you can do this from the settings menu as well. It also has a pretty good auto-keystone calibration that detects the tilt of the projector and adjusts keystone automatically.
Out of the box, I wasn't able to get the Google Play Store to work which prevented me from downloading apps through it. Thankfully, the vendor sent me the software update on an SD card and it was easy to perform. After the update, the Google Play Store seems to work fine. When installing apps, be mindful of ones that require swiping (for scrolling etc.) because you may not be able to execute all the commands with just the included remote.
The 100ANSI lumen brightness of this projector makes the image hard to see in a brightly lit room, but once the lights are dimmed or if used in complete darkness the image is of decent quality. The image brightness will decrease as you increase the projected image size by moving the projector farther away from your screen. Adjusting the focus is easy with the focus wheel although text also becomes somewhat blurry at larger display dimensions (greater than 50" diagonal) as the native output resolution for this projector is only 480p. Therefore, individual pixels may be visible at larger display sizes. It can, however, accept input resolutions of up to 1080p but steps down the quality in the projection. The color depth and contrast are better than I expected and images were clear and crisp. The onboard audio, however, is small and boxy. If you're sitting close to the projector the volume gets loud enough to drown out the fan noise but it won't be adequate for a larger crowd. You're better off wiring to a speaker/home theater system or streaming to a Bluetooth device. I was pretty impressed that there was very little noticeable lag between audio and picture when using Bluetooth headphones/speakers, even while streaming video from the internet from the YouTube and Netflix apps. There was virtually no delay/lag in the audio when playing videos via WiFi, USB, SD card, or HDMI.
If you have an Android phone you can cast your screen wirelessly to the projector too (I didn't have an iOS device to test with), but note that there may be a slight delay between what happens on your phone and the image and sound that appears on the projector screen. With two wireless transfers to consider (one to your phone and then to the projector and perhaps a third to a BT speaker) this can create a significant delay that makes video and audio choppy, out-of-sync, and garbled. Wireless screen sharing is best reserved for displaying photos or slideshows for work presentations.
Overall, I think you get the best resolution, brightness, and saturation at 50" and under, but the projector still displays a really nice image even at large dimensions of up to 120" diagonal (~13' from the screen). It works extremely well as a WiFi streaming video player and when paired with a Bluetooth home theater system makes for a pretty awesome movie night or gaming experience.
Takeaway: Sturdy, straightforward assembly, a few cosmetic defects but don't see them anyway. The bed requires assembly that took me about 40 minutes with relatively little frustration. Be sure to check to contents of the box against the parts list on the instructions to verify that you have everything you need to assemble the frame before getting started. One thing to keep in mind when putting the bed together is that there are specific orientations for the feet, and sides of the frame to make sure you can mount all the slats and bars correctly. The 20 slats were thinner and narrower than I expected, and all the pieces are hollow which keeps the frame fairly lightweight at about 50 lbs. One of things I didn't like about this frame was that some of the bars had scratches/scrapes on them where the pieces were touching in the box. One of the plastic feet was also loose/cracked but still usable. These cosmetic defects haven't affected the frame structurally and in general I don't mind because I never see the flaws as they're hidden under the bed.
During assembly the trickiest part was lining up the holes for the screws to go through when attaching pieces together. I'd say 80% of the screws fit just fine with the other 20% needing a little wiggling and a few turns from the Allen wrench to get through. For the head and foot struts, I found that the bars that go into the foot bracket sometimes fit better when I flipped them over. I think those pieces may have a "top " and "bottom" that lets them fit and have the holes line up properly. The slats for the mattress don't screw into the frame. They simply slide into holder brackets but they're secure and don't move around. This also makes the frame easy to disassemble if you need to move it. While the slats seem durable enough, but I'd be cautious of putting too much weight in the middle of a single bar during assembly because others have reported that these could bend.
When used with a memory foam mattress, like the one I have, there's very little stress, motion, and movement transfer to the frame itself. Even when jumping on the bed, trying to shake it, and moving it around the room, the frame remained silent and structurally sound. With a traditional innerspring mattress things may be a little more dicey especially if you don't use a box spring or plywood over the slats to even out the pressure on individual bars.
My mattress weighs about 150 lbs and I weigh about 125 lbs; I typically sleep on one side of the bed (not in the middle), and I haven't had any issues with the bedframe so far (been using it for a month). Overall it seems pretty solid. I like the construction quality, although it took a little longer to assemble than expected. Cosmetic defects aside, I didn't have any major issues with mine. I expect it to last with my mattress, but I'll update this review if the frame starts to fail or if I have other issues.
Takeaway: Compact, non-stick cookware safe, works well, easy to clean. This stainless steel steamer basket has a 7" diameter when folded up and a 3.5" height. The plastic handle on top is extendable an additional 1.5". The leaves of the basket open up to a width of 11" and have small perforations. On the bottom are three fold out legs that allow up to 1.5" of water underneath the basket. The feet on them have silicone rubber pads on them so they won't scratch your non-stick cookware. The plastic piece in the middle is hard plastic though, like the handle. The steamer basket is lightweight and the handle lets you remove it from your pots and pans easily. Let's try it out in my non-stick flat bottomed wok. After adding a little water, I can place the steamer into the pan and add some pork buns to be steamed. So there they are steaming away; the perforations allow the food to be steamed on all sides. Although the handle is plastic, you'll still want to use gloves when lifting it out of the hot pan as the surfaces may be hot and the steam itself could burn you. After a minute of cooling down it's safe to touch the handle and remove your food. None of the plastic seems to have been affected by the heat, although your food only comes in contact with the steel parts of the basket. The food also releases easily and doesn't stick to the metal. The steamer basket stores compactly, is easy and convenient to use, and works well.
Takeaway: Good reception in my area, plenty of channels when placed near a window. You'll receive the antenna with 10' integrated coaxial cable, instruction manual, and a wall adapter. The anntena cable has an integrated 'smart pass amplifier' that enables this receiver to receive signals at a farther distance of up to 40-50 miles from the source, but it needs to be plugged into a wall and switched on to operate. When the filter is off, the LED light will be yellow indicating normal reception and when it's on the indicator will be green indicating boosted reception. The antenna itself has a plastic body that's curved and measures 4.5" x 9". There are two telescoping rabbit ears that extend up to 20.5" and are rotatable 180 degrees. The antenna also features a built-in 3G and 4G filter to reduce or eliminate interference from cellular phones. I used the antenna with a mini TV tuner on my tablet and computer and I was able to get about 40-45 channels depending on the location in my house. The best reception came from the second floor near a north facing window (towards the NY metro area). The video and audio quality are decent depending on the signal strength of each channel though things like the weather and other electrical devices can cause interference. Occasionally, there is some digital distortion/noise in the image and/or audio. The antenna also worked fine on my HDTV when set to antenna as the source and running the auto-scan. Overall, the HDTV antenna was easy to set up and basically plug-and-play. It performed well in my area which is close to two metro areas with plenty of broadcast towers and while not as reliable a solution for cord cutting as streaming content over the internet, these broadcasts are free and will work even if your internet goes out or the connection is slow.
Takeaway: Works well w/Alexa, control from anywhere w/internet connection, a bit large, shows power usage. You'll receive the WiFi outlet and a brief instruction manual. The outlet has a plastic housing and measures 2-3/8" square and 1-1/4" thick. It has a three prong grounded plug and a single power button on the left hand side with an embedded status LED. The outlet can handle up to 2200 W and 10A draw. The unit is a bit large and plugging it into a two outlet panel will block the second outlet. The trade-off is that you get power usage monitoring, which the smaller smart outlets generally don't support. If you use this outlet in the "bottom" outlet of a dual outlet panel it only blocks the ground pin, so potentially you could still use the upper socket with a two-prong plug.
To set up the socket on your home WiFi network and control it, you'll need to download and install the Smart Life app to a mobile device. Set up for the outlet took only a few minutes and is painless. In the app you can name the plug to its "call out" name for Alexa which also makes it easy to identify which outlet you are controlling. The app can turn the outlet on/off, set a schedule, or start a countdown timer for on and off. The usage statistics show current voltage, current draw and Watt consumption which you can track over time.
With an Alexa enabled device, like the Echo Dot, you can use Alexa voice commands to turn on and off the power to the outlet. Just make sure you have the Smart Life skill enabled in your Alexa app and run discovery mode to add the outlet to your list of devices. The outlet works just fine and lets me control the outlet from anywhere with an internet connection using the app. Or when I'm at home, I can use Alexa voice commands to turn it on or off. If they can make these a little smaller (or a different shape) so two can fit an dual outlet panel together that would be ideal.
Takeaway: Compact/portable, easy gravity controls, stable hovering, but short battery life. You'll receive the drone in a rigid clamshell case. Inside you'll find the drone, a remote controller, a USB charging cable, and two re-chargeable batteries. You'll also receive an instruction manual. The drone is small and lightweight measuring 5.5"L x 2.75"W x 1"H when folded up. The fan blades fold out from the sides and the footprint is 8"W x 7"L. On top is a single power button for turning the drone on and off. On the bottom is the battery bay which simply gets seated in the compartment and slid up until it locks. There's also a 720p camera on the front that is adjustable up to 90 degrees.
The remote control requires 2 AAA batteries which are not included. The controls are interesting because they are gravity sensing and you control the panning of the drone by tilting your hand forward, back, left or right. Starting up the drone was a bit tricky, though once you get the sequence down is quick. Pressing up/down on the joystick will cause the drone to rise/descend and left and right rotates the drone. The bottom button on the remote is the emergency stop which kills the rotors. Be careful when doing this as the drone will drop out of the sky like a stone. The left button toggles on and off the front and back lights. The trigger button in the front changes the speed/power mode level from low to medium to high. The top button enters the drone into headless mode and the remote will beep while the lights on the drone flash to let you know when you're in this mode. Although it took a little getting used to, I actually like it a lot better than the traditional two joystick remote control as it's a bit more intuitive.
The other way you can control the drone is using the GoolRC mobile app. After turning on the drone, go into the phone's WiFi settings and connect to the UAV wireless network. Then launch the app and click connect. The drone's camera feed should show on your phone's screen. The virtual joysticks work just like a regular dual joystick remote. The camera and video buttons in the app activate the camera shutter for taking photos and movies and you can also perform 360 flips in the app, features that are not on the gravity remote. If you want to get all the features out of the drone, you'll have to use the mobile app but even without the camera features and 360 flip, flying with the gravity remote is pretty fun too. I also really like that it folds up compactly, is very stable during flight, and easy to get a hang of.
Takeaway: Works with Sony a6300, last 30-45 mins each when recording 4K, charge quickly. You'll receive the dual battery charger, two batteries, and a cleaning cloth. The charger is made of plastic and has two charging bays. They are labeled CH1 and CH2 which correspond to the left and right sides of the LCD display. On the back of the charger is a built-in USB cable to power the unit that stows neatly in the bottom; it measures about 7" long. At the top of the charger is a microUSB input port for use with a longer cable or backup in case the built-in cable fails. It takes a couple hours to charge two batteries fully from completely dead.
Compared with the NP-FW50 battery that came with my Sony a6300, these batteries are physically identical, but the capacity is supposedly higher at 1500 mAh versus the OEM 1020 mAh capacity. However, I didn't find that they last much longer than the OEM battery; I get about 30-45 mins of continuous 4K recording time from each battery. I've been using them daily for a little over a month. For charging, just remember to press the battery all the way into the bay until it clicks. While charging, the LCD lights up and there will be an animation for each battery's progress. When charging is complete, the LED shuts off and the batteries show all four bars. Both the batteries work fine in my Sony a6300 as replacements. These batteries have been really helpful in extending my shooting sessions, and I can charge two batteries (including my OEM one) while shooting with the third.
Takeaway: Compact, durable, takes clear photos at night and during day, motion capture, long run time. I was pretty excited to try out this game trail camera as I wanted to use it as an outdoor wildlife/security camera in my backyard. Setting up the camera was easy and straightforward using the 'Setup' mode, Menu key, and menu navigation keys. There are two modes, hunting and security. Hunting only takes photos while security takes photos and video. Both are triggered by the motion sensor and do not record continuously. The unit consists of a plastic waterproof housing that has the camera and controls inside a gasket sealed chamber. You'll also need to install 12 AA batteries inside which are not included with the purchase. However, you can use either Alkaline or re-chargeable Ni-MH batteries. The unit has several mounting options including using the supplied 6 ft nylon strap, a tripod, or another standard 1/4"-20 threaded mounting system. There's a mount hole on the back and at the bottom. I also liked that you have the option to power the camera using a wired DC connection as there is a port on the bottom covered by a rubber door. The camouflage exterior makes it blend into the background when strapped to a tree and the camera triggers silently and without any lights. It accepts a full size SD card up to 32 GB and you can transfer files directly to your computer using the included miniUSB cable.
On front is the camera, a motion sensor, and infrared lights. The infrared lights allow the camera to capture photos and video at night in the darkest of conditions. The images are black and white though and if the subject is very close to the lens, it just shows up as a white shape. It photographs best when the subject is 6 or more feet away. It rained overnight during my first test run with the camera strapped to a tree outside, and the camera is still working great. Overall this camera has all the features that I wanted. It's portable, durable, waterproof, and takes good photos during the day and at night.
Takeaway: Durable metal construction, easy to set/adjust, works well for variety of projects. The angleizer comes in a microfiber drawstring carrying bag. This tool helps with measuring lengths and angles for different shapes including squares, rectangles, and triangles for a variety of projects. The construction is a little nicer than the typical cheap plastic ones since it is made entirely of metal. The tightening knobs at each juncture are made from a lightweight machined aluminum and the ruler portions are made from black painted steel with high contrast white numbers and markers so you can read the measurements easily. The nice part about that is it won't crack, snap, or rust. The two long sides of the rule can measure out to 10", but have an overall length of 12". The two shorter sides measure out 2-3/8" from center in both directions and have an overall length of 7". Centimeters are also marked on the rulers. It's simple to change the angle and positions of the rules to fit corners and different shapes making it useful for templating and cutting. I use it for wood working, masonry, and tiling, and it works exactly as described.
Takeaway: Thin, simple to install, protective and durable. You'll receive two glass screen protectors and two sets of the application accessories. In the accessories pouch you'll find a microfiber cleaning cloth, an alcohol wipe, and dust and application guide stickers. The glass screen protector is pretty thin and very clear. I wasn't able to scratch the glass surface using a pen or a set of keys which it will probably encouter in a pocket or bag at some point.
Installation is pretty quick using the included accessories. The only trouble I had was getting the guide stickers to stay on the glass when I was using them to "save" the position of the screen before sticking it down. The plastic film on the back of the protector was stuck on pretty tight and pulling it off unseated the guide stickers more than once which was a bit annoying. But, once installed the glass protector performed flawlessly. The glass looks and feels just like the original iPhone screen and fits in most cases that don't already have a built-in screen protector. Just note that it's not an edge-to-edge screen protector and it may leave a bit of a gap between the edge of the glass and the case that you're using. The 3D touch and sensitivity do not appear to be affected at all by this extra layer. There's also a cutout on top to allow interference-free use of the front camera and sensors. When combined with a case, you'll have all-over protection for your iPhone X.
Takeaway: Soft, comfy, a little stretchy, long length. In the 4-pack you'll receive 4 colors: black, navy, light grey, and dark grey. The underwear is a traditional boxer brief cut with 1.25" tall elastic waistband, flat front, and some contouring on the backside. The material is 95% cotton and 5% spandex, so it has a soft, smooth feel that is somewhat stretchy like athletic wear, but not as slippery. The front pouch has a pass-through fly and the inseam on the boxers are a generous 4.5". The seams inside the underwear are few to maximize comfort and are soft to the touch.
I got the small size and it's a tiny bit loose on my waist. For reference I have a 28" waist and weigh 125 lbs. It's secure, but not snug. They come down to a few inches above the knee and sit fairly high on my waist. These boxers are comfortable, light, and form-fitting. The fabric feels smooth against the skin and allows for plenty of movement without bunching up. While not flashy in any sense, they have a clean, classic look and are great for every day wear.
Takeaway: Great for beginners/first-timers, max weight too low for some adults, moderate speed, easy to use. You'll receive the hoverboard, AC power adapter, and an instruction manual. The manual has a lot of safety do's and don'ts so it's worth a read to familiarize yourself with how this particular unit works: the manual is illustrated and uses proper English grammar, spelling, and punctuation. The hoverboard is a single unit with a pivot joint in the middle so each half articulates independently about 10 degrees. The board measures 25"L x 6"W x 6"H. The body of the hoverboard is metal and since it has a lead-acid battery, the weight is fairly heavy at 26 lbs. The wheels on the hoverboard are solid rubber and compact. They feature brushed aluminum hub caps and are suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
On each rubberized footpad is a raised sensor switch that you have to step on for the hoverboard to detect you. In the middle is the logo printed on the metal housing. On the front edge you have the charging port, status LED, and power button. The charging port is protected by a small rubber door and uses a proprietary 2 prong connector, so if you lose the power adapter you'll have to get a replacement from the manufacturer. This board has a self-balancing feature that is 'on' by default. After you turn the unit on, it will balance itself to remain upright. If using this mode, it's best to stay on relatively flat and stable smooth surfaces during your ride. Self-balancing can be turned off by quickly pressing the power button once during startup. Out of the box, I did need to reset the balance calibration since the board appeared to be stabilizing weirdly. It's easy though and you just have to hold down the power button for a few extra seconds after balancing with a bubble level and turning the unit on.
Getting on the hoverboard for the first time wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. While I did feel a little shaky my first time, I felt reasonably safe and never once fell off the board. To move, you have to lean slightly forward/back, left, or right (for turning). In general it's not so much leaning as it is tiny shifts in your weight in any direction and after a few minutes controlling the board felt natural and straightforward. The minimum weight of the rider is 44 lbs and the max weight limit is 200 lbs, so for some adults this board may not be able to support their weight. There are also other restrictions like using it only in weather between 32°F and 104°F and avoiding overly rough terrain and sticking to relatively flat surfaces.
I've used the board indoors and outdoors and as long as you have smooth, even surfaces to ride on like concrete, cement, hardwood etc. the board performs really well and feels very smooth. On natural terrain like dirt, grass, and gravel the board had more difficulty picking up speed, navigating the uneven surfaces, and made me feel like I had less control. Uneven or wavy asphalt also gave me a bit of trouble. Although the hoverboard can go up to 7 mph, I haven't yet gotten anywhere close to that speed. While a 30 degree incline may sound like it's pretty steep, it's actually a pretty gentle slope so be aware that the hoverboard will struggle to travel up even a slight hill. On a full charge, the hoverboard has a range of about 5.5 miles, and it take 4-5 hours to charge the battery fully. Thankfully, the lead-acid battery, like those found in your car, are less likely to explode or catch fire, but you still don't want to leave the unit charging unattended or overnight.
Overall, the hoverboard is pretty fun and not at all hard to get a hang of. Since I haven't been traveling very fast on it yet, I can't vouch for it as a transportation device. Especially since it might be a little bit of a challenge to find locations where you can use it with perfectly suitable terrain but smooth paved walkways, bike trails, and parking lots seem to be good venues for having a bit of fun on one of these. The one problem with it being used for commuting though is that it's pretty heavy, so you'll need to plan for how you'll be able to park or carry it around when you're not riding it.
Takeaway: Cute nightlight, several modes, good range of brightness level/color temps, long run-time. You'll receive the light, a microUSB charging cable, a small metal carabiner, and an instruction manual. This light is cutely egg-shaped and is made of plastic with a solid white base and a translucent white top. On the front you have the Vava logo and a small indicator LED and on the back you have the charging port hidden behind a rubber door. The unit takes about 5 hours to fully charge and the LED blinks blue quickly while charging. Once fully charged can last for up to 80 hours or about 10 consecutive nights at 8 hours each. What's nice about this night light is that once it is charged, it is portable and can be placed in different rooms and doesn't need to be near an outlet. It's also IP65 water resistant rated and is able to get wet.
On the bottom is the power button and rubber ring for hanging or carrying. To change the brightness of the light, tap and hold the top of the egg. The first touch will brighten while the second darkens. When the light reaches the desired brightness, just lift your hand. To change the color temperature of the light, tap and hold the logo on the front and it will change from a bright bluish white to a warm orangey yellow. Again, let go at the desired color. For both the brightness and color temp, the changes are quick so you don't have a lot of time to decide when to lift your hand/finger. You can put the light in standby (off) by tapping the top twice. The status light will be blinking blue to let you know you can wake the light by double tapping the top. If the unit is running low on battery the LED will slowly blink red.
There are a few "flashlight" modes for this light too. After the unit is powered on, short press the power button to switch the light to full brightness. In flashlight mode, the color temperature and brightness adjustments are disabled. A second click of the power button dims it to 50% brightness, a third press goes to 10%, and a 4th press puts it in a flashing emergency mode. To exit flashlight modes, double tap the top to return to regular operation.
Overall, this nightlight is pretty versatile. You can choose a range of brightness levels and color temperatures to suit your needs, it's portable and has a long battery life, and you can use it as a flashlight in a pinch.
Takeaway: A decent budget phone for travel, doesn't have all the latest features, but it works fine. In the package, you'll receive the smartphone, tempered glass screen protector, clear silicone skin, microUSB cable, power adapter, SIM card pin, instruction manual, and optional microSD card (I purchased the version that included the extra 16 GB card). The phone is made with a brushed aluminum housing and has some pretty sharp, though beveled, edges like the older generation iPhone 5 and 6. The size is similar to an iPhone Plus. It comes with a PET plastic film protector pre-installed, so if you want to use the glass screen protector, you should remove the entire plastic film screen protector rather than install over it. This phone does not have a remove-able battery, and it measures 3"W x 6"L x just over ¼" thick. The phone weighs 5.5 oz and the SIM and SDcard are loaded in the tray on the right hand side that pops out when you insert the SIM pin tool. This phone is compatible with GSM networks like AT&T and T-mobile but not CDMA like Verizon.
On the back is a 13 MP camera, flash, and fingerprint scanner. The rear camera has better than expected quality for a budget smartphone and the front camera which is 5 MP was serviceable for video chat/calls like Facetime, Hangouts, Messenger, and Skype. The phone charges via microUSB which I found to be a bit slow and the charger that comes with the phone tends to get really hot while charging. The Android 7.0 Nougat interface appears to be custom, or at least custom skinned. The size of the view-able screen is just under 5.5" and it is nice and bright but only has a 720p resolution. While this counts as HD, it's not as crisp as current generation flagship phones with 1080p or higher resolution displays. Even so, reading text isn't difficult and watching video in 720p is suitable. The external speaker on the bottom is adequate but not amazing. It doesn't get that loud and distorts at higher volumes. For a better listening experience, I recommend headphones or an external speaker for playing music and watching video.
The phone has 12 GB of usable internal memory (out of the advertised 16GB) and about 1 GB is used by the OS out of the box. However, by installing an SD card you can add up to 32 GB more storage space. With the 2RB RAM and Quadcore 1.3 GHz processor, launching most apps, video playback, and browsing the internet is quick and responsive. Sometimes there's a bit of lag when tapping on icons before an app launches and other times soft taps go unregistered so I found that firm presses are required in most cases. Call quality is decent and callers didn't have any trouble hearing me on voice/video calls. The battery life is so-so and you'll get 5-6 hours of screen on time on a full charge which you can stretch by dropping the brightness a little. The fingerprint unlock did work fine after registering several fingers and was a nice security feature, even though it requires a less secure backup method like pin, password, or pattern.
I use this phone as a backup device for international travel because I don't like to carry around my primary phone with all my stuff on it. It works great for that because it's unlocked and not too expensive if it gets lost, stolen, or damaged. It does enough of the features I need it to without distracting me from my actual vacation.
