This month I was invited by Samsung to try
out their new A30s model. In particular the Special Edition with Cassper
Nyovest.
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| Samsung A30s | Image: Samsung |
This model comes with some added benefits
including the Cassper Nyovest Alarm. This celebrity alarm wakes you up every
morning to guide you through your day. So if you are looking for some daily
inspiration in 2020 this might be the phone for you.
Other featured benefits include wallpapers
and themes and of course Samsung Pay which allows you to make in-store
purchases with your device.
Let’s take a look at the specs:
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| The Specs | Ts and Cs Apply | Some models may differ |
The phone has a triple camera and of
course a bigger screen.
It features infinity display and a
long-lasting battery at an affordable price for all South Africans.
On the front of the device it features a
proximity sensor, front camera, speaker and touchscreen.
The volume key and power key are on the
side of the device. The power key can be used to turn on the device or to lock
it.
A multipurpose jack is at the bottom of
the device for USB interface or to charge the device. (USB Type-C)
The back of the device features a myriad
of tech from a GPS antenna to NFC antenna, a dual rear camera, flash,
fingerprint recognition sensor, main antenna, speaker, microphone and earphone
jack. You can access your SIM card / Memory card on the side of the device
through a tray.
When you turn on your device you will find
some soft buttons on the button. On the left is your recents button, in the
middle is your home button and on the right is the back button.
Battery
I charged the device out the box from a
54% charge to fully charged up in just under 1 hour which is pretty impressive.
Battery saving tips:
- Use the device care feature for optimisation
- When not using device turn off screen and use power key for that
- Activate power saving mode
- Close any unnecessary apps you are not using
- Deactivate Bluetooth if not in use
- Deactivate auto-sync of apps
- Decrease backlight time
- Decrease screen brigtness
The device also comes with a fast charging
option.
To launch this option taps Settings, tap
Device Care, tap Battery, tap Settings and then tap Fast Charging to activate
it.
You will need to use the ejection pin
which comes with your device to get your SIM tray out. The hole is next to the
SIM tray. This will allow you to put in your SIM card and Memory card if you
need it.
To restart the device press and hold the
power key and hit Restart.
If your device freezes press and hold the
Power key and Volume down key simultaneously for more than 7 seconds to restart
it.
You can also switch the device to
emergency mode to save on battery. With this option you can make an emergency
call, send your current location info to others, sound an emergency alarm and
more.
To activate emergency mode hold the power
key and tap Emergency mode. To deactivate it tap the power key and tap
Emergency mode.
With this device you can also sign up for
your Samsung account and with it get a host of goodies. To do this launch the
settings option, tap Accounts and backup, tap Accounts, tap Add account, tap
Samsung account, tap create an account.
A nice option is Smart Switch which allows
you to transfer all your info from one Samsung to another. Launch the Settings
app, tap Accounts and backup and tap Smart Switch. You can transfer the data
via Wi-Fi direct. If you do not have Smart Switch on your other device you can
download it from the Play store.
On the previous device tap Send data and
then Wireless.
On your device tap Receive.
A nifty option is that you can also set
your screen to landscape mode if you prefer a wider angle version of seeing
your device and apps. On the home screen tap and hold an empty area, tap Home
screen settings and then tap Rotate to landscape mode.
Security
This device certainly has a host of
security options for you. You can secure it in any of the following ways:
Swipe, Pattern, PIN, Password, None, Face recognition and even Fingerprint
recognition. To access these features tap Settings, then Lock screen then
Screen lock type.
The device also comes with a built in
screen capture option for when you see something you want to capture eg a job
advert. You can press the Volume Down button and Power key at the same time.
You can also swipe your hand to the left or right across the screen. Screen
captures are saved to the Gallery.
If you swipe down from the top of your
device you will find your notifications panel which gives you quick access to
options such as WiFi, Sound, Bluetooth, Flight Mode and much more.
This device also comes with Bixby which is
like your own personal assistant. To fully access it you must register a Samsung
account.
You can also block those annoying phone
calls by launching the Phone app and tap Settings and then Block numbers.
Camera
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| Through the lens of the Samsung A30s | Image: Fred Felton |
The dual camera on the back and the camera
on the front feature a multitude of options from Scene optimiser, Stickers, AR
Emoji, lens options, panorama option, creation of GIF’s, Live focus mode which
works well for portraits and yes you can now even create stories on your
device. Other highlights include a Food option for Food Bloggers, Slow Motion
and even a Watermark option which photographers will love.
Something that Samsung have also
introduced on this device is the AR Emoji. This option is only really found on
high end devices like the Samsung S10. Nice to see it on this device and I’m
sure customers will love playing around with it. For those of you that don’t
know much about it this allows you to create your own personal Emoji which
looks just like you. To create one launch the Camera App, tap AR Emoji and
Create my Emoji. Enjoy. You can also download items and accessories that can be
used with your Emoji from AR World. On the My Emoji home screen tap Store.
Enjoy playing around with the Multi window
option which will allow you to run two different apps at the same time on the
screen.
A nice option for parents is the Kids Home
option which allows you to setup a safe environment for your Kids before you
give them the device.
This device also works with Samsung
Wearables such as your Samsung Watch.
It also has Samsung Health which has a
nice step counter and monitors your health.
All of your games are now stored in the
Games Launcher.
It also works with Smart TVs and IOT
products. Launch the Smart Things App for this.
On the settings screen tap Advanced
features and tap Send SOS message/Panic Mode. Help messages are then sent if
you press the Power key three times. You can also send sound recordings along
with a message to recipients.
You can also activate Find My Mobile if
you need to find it. Visit findmymobile.samsung.com to activate it.
To avoid pocket dialling tap Display and
Accidental touch protection.
There are so many more features but I
leave those to you to discover.
Certainly the perfect Christmas Gift for
that friend or family member of yours that is a Cassper Nyovest fan.
This device is basically a slimmed down
version of a Samsung S10 at a price that fits all pockets.
Rating: 9/10
This review by Fred Felton | Twitter
@fredfelton
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