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Google Wallet Review 2024

Hello! And welcome back to another tech review. Our mobile phone has been integral to our lives since the 20th century. As the years have passed, more technological advancement has been added. 

Ever since Apple Pay launched in the UAE way back in 2017. It changed my perspective when it comes to handling my expenses, whether from purchasing online or just buying a cola at the convenience store. In fact, I still have my wallet with Me as I have to carry my important IDs. 

Living in a first-world country like the UAE means it offers such convenience to its People. And one thing is the usage of wireless payment. Whenever buying any products, goods, or services, using your NFC-enabled device is pretty handy. And with this content, I am reviewing my real-world usage experience of Google Wallet. 

Google Wallet or Google Pay?

Google Wallet, formerly Google Pay, is a mobile payment service developed by Google. Its initial release date was September 19, 2011. Eventually, it spread to other countries, and one country that adopted this kind of payment technology is the UAE. 

I recently made a review of Apple Pay and Samsung Pay so if you're interested to know more, kindly check this link. Without further ado, let's start this review.

My home screen with Google Wallet

Customisability? 

One thing that I noticed using the Google Wallet (upon writing this review) - there is no customizable button to trigger the wallet app. Compared to Apple Pay where you usually press the side button to activate it, or same goes with Samsung Pay. Google Wallet doesn't have the option to do it instead you have to create a shortcut in the home screen or hover your phone directly on the merchant card machine to trigger the wallet. Though I find that it's for personal preference, in my opinion, it's better to have that trigger button rather than unlocking your phone and constantly checking where your Google Wallet is. 

Adding other passes

Additional Passes- for the win!

Additionally, Google Wallet enables you to add other digital cards such as transit passes, loyalty cards, and gift cards, and lately, they added an additional feature for photos. Where you can create a digital pass from a photo of a barcode or QR code. 

Apple Cash Alternative?

Apple Pay in the U.S. offers the ability to send money via Apple Cash. And I need help finding it working in Google Wallet (for now). Let's say you want to share the tip while eating at the restaurant. Apple Cash has this feature to send any amounts otherwise Venmo is the only alternative. Apple Pay uses tokenization and touch ID for its security while Google Wallet has PIN security. Either of them, security features are top-notch knowing that nobody is nibling throughout your transaction. 

So, Do I recommend it?

So, the verdict. Do I recommend using Google Wallet? Yes! Give it a try.  Some consumers are still worried and prefer cash payment instead of storing their hard-earned money over digital wallet apps. But picture this, We live in a society that making a leap forward for convenience. This is the future and as this technology goes on, its security layer is far advanced. But considering that at the moment, some merchants prefer the traditional cash payment. But after some time, there is no harm in trying this technology at your convenience. 

Again, that's your preferred choice. 

Once again, thanks for reading my review. And I'll see you in my next review.

-Ceddy

Real World Review - Motorola Edge 50

I told myself once not to move to any Android devices, as I am a long-time devotee of Apple, from MacBook, iPad, and Airpods, I, having one of these devices is also meant for long-term investment and if you wish to sell this in the future, the value will be much better.  Without that being said, I have tested various Android devices since purchasing the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Which I recently wrote a review of it. 

Which Android smartphone should I choose for the long term? There are a lot of mid-range Android smartphones that won't break your bank, and before purchasing one, I carefully researched and went with either Samsung or Motorola. 

We already know that Motorola has a reputation and well-known brand for its mobile devices. Founded on September 28, 1928, in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Motorola started from humble beginnings by selling cellular transmissions and signal amplifiers. Later, on January 4, 2011, Motorola Mobility was formed after a split from Motorola Inc.

I started with Motorola Edge 50 Fusion, which was my first Motorola Android this year. I used it for several months and decided to send it to the Philippines. Since I was busy and had no time to write a review, I was not able to make a full review of it. But let's skip that part as I am thrilled to review my recent purchase.

Motorola Edge 50

This is Motorola Edge 50. I am very particular about battery usage and to my surprise, this phone never disappoints me at all. It comes with a 5000 Mah battery which can last up to a day and a half. And that includes my gameplay of Mobile Legends, a game that consumes a lot of power. This kind of mid-range has a lot to offer. And by the way, I am reviewing this as my personal experience and if you may expect that I will share with you the geekbench scores and all, well you may not find it here. I'm reviewing the real-world usage of this device.

The screen refresh rate makes the user experience much better as it comes with a 120hz refresh rate which is usually available on high-range devices. The sleek user interface which is almost close to Android stock operating software makes it more user-friendly. 

The case is included in the box

I love the curved design on its edge. It comes with a free case inside the box however that doesn't come with any power adapter so you may purchase it separately. A bit disappointing as some of the mid-range devices have a power brick, but this doesn't have one. Motorola, if you're reading this. At least provide a power brick.

And just so you know, I'm not sure if this is hype or even necessary but Motorola added some scent on its boxes. Literally, you will smell some scent of perfume while unboxing, I guess that adds more to the user experience of unboxing. Anyhow, I purchased the Pantone Peach Fuzz that comes with a satisfying vegan leather back and aluminum housing. 

Motorola markets it as well as this is their phone that is certified with Military International Standard (MIL) MIL-STD 810H. It is also certified IP68. I am the kind of person who always brings the phone inside the washroom, whether doing my business or taking a shower, I always bring it for listening to Spotify podcasts. (Speaking of podcasts, please visit my Ceddy's Podcast for more podcast  content 😉 )

Dazzling pOLED display

Eye catchy display

It comes with an HDR10+ screen, watching Netflix, Disney +, and Prime Video ( yes I have 3 of them) it's superb! the screen is pOLED - a type of screen primarily made by LG. P from pOled is Plastic- a substrate compared to AMOLED where A and M refer to Active Matrix- usually from Samsung display brands.

The glass that they used for this device is Corning Gorilla Glass. I'm not familiar with which type of glasses they use but in my real-world experience, I don't see any minute scratches for the first 4 days of using it without any tempered glass protection. So I can say that the glass they use is durable and resistant to scratches. 

While writing this review, I am sitting in a cozy Dunkin Donut store here in Burjuman Center Dubai. Well, the reason I shared this is that all tables of this DD branch have a wireless charging pad. A perfect way to charge my Moto Edge 50. Yes, you read it right. This device can support 15 watts of wireless charging. Very convenient and I don't have to bring my charger, as long as there is a wireless charging pad available. I can definitely put on the pad right away. And adding on it, this device supports reverse wireless charging. I charged my Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 3 and it works right away. Very convenient.

Camera quality is also great and it offers a lot of available camera features. One of my favorite features is the trail effects. However, you may need to navigate it on more features to see this feature and more. I don't like the default camera for taking photos, but I prefer to use the Ultra Res 50 which is also located in the more section of the camera app. The camera lens that they are using is the Lytia 700C. The camera pro features adding the Lytia 700C lens provide optimal and sharp images that I've ever seen in a mid-range smartphone. And just so you know, Sony has been the sole iPhone camera sensor supplier for a decade and I'm not surprised that Motorola took this opportunity to integrate a Sony lens to this device. And the result is pretty amazing! See some sample pictures taken at Al Seef, Dubai UAE.

Sample Pictures

I am not going to dive into its processor. I will keep it simple. The processor of this device is powered by Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. Multitasking on this device is much faster thanks to its 12GB of RAM.

So. If you may ask me. Do I recommend this phone? 

Yes! If you're looking at a budget-budget-friendly device but packed with features with a longer battery,  coming from a reputable US company. Go with Motorola Edge 50

Please note that this is not sponsored content. Once again, thanks for reading my blog and I'll see you around next time.

-Ceddy

Is Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Worth It?

Hello Everyone! And welcome back to another tech review.

Long Time Apple User...

I've been a long-time iPhone user and stuck in the Apple ecosystem for the past 10 years. While brainstorming and writing this article, I am using my MacBook Air M1 to write this content. 

With that being said, the migration process from iPhone to Android is a pretty difficult task. It took me a day and a half to process the migration using a USB type C cord via Samsung Switch. But needless to say, change is inevitable and change is good. (Lately this week, I found out that I can easily transfer a copy of my iCloud Photos to Google Photos and I was able to transfer all of them within 3 days' worth of 123 GB of images and videos, that being done in the cloud transfer with just an easy click)

As most of my colleagues used iPhones, I asked them why they stuck to them, and most of them answered was due to better privacy and security. 

I'm not biased with both ecosystems but...

Well, I am not a pro of Android or iPhone at all but from a tech perspective especially since we are emerging with these technologies, Android has continuously progressed and built a robust security framework for each device adding more security layers depending on the brand of the device. Take an example from Samsung. They have Samsung Knox - the security arm of Samsung protecting the device 24/7 from some potential data breaches and have partnered with McAfee to protect its devices from any malware or viruses that may harm the device. 

Take it from Samsung...

Change is good!

Let's take a look at Samsung. I bought a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra last month. And this is my   1 month review and is it really worth it? Well, as a tech enthusiast, I am always experimenting and trying all the ecosystems as much as I can and I took the leap of faith to try a new ecosystem- Android preferred brand - Samsung. And I did not regret switching.

I'm not gonna discuss the technicality specifications in this article rather I am sharing my productivity and usability experience with the device. 

Not a snobby screen...

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra LTPO AMOLED Screen

The device's screen is incredible! It is definitely a feast for the eyes. The enormous 6.8-inch AMOLED LTPO display is stunning and perfect for watching any content that you can throw on it. It is also bright even when I use it in broad daylight.

The Camera Department is OUTSTANDING!...

Camera Department: Pro Settings

I use its camera for productivity and creating content and I was amazed at how the camera output was. Zooming and cropping any photo or footage is brilliant, and the stabilization is almost as good as using a handheld stabilizer. I even tried to use its 100x zoom and to my surprise, it reached the moon and it is still sharp!

 I primarily use the pro video feature of the device as it is easy for me to tweak all the advanced settings and this is shocking to me as compared to the iPhone (its inbuilt camera app) which doesn't have the advanced settings unless you have to purchase an app to utilize its feature such as Filmic Pro.

Every penny is worth it!

The S24 Ultra'Beautyty Lenses

With the S24 Ultra, you get what you pay for and it's totally worth it.  

One thing that I liked about the Apple ecosystem is the Airdrop as it's easy for me to transfer wirelessly from my iPhone to my Macbook easily, but it takes time to transfer as it is needed to download first in the cloud and do the transfer. But what about Android to Macbook?

Well, it is easy, There is one software that is free to download and that software is Local Send. It is similar to Airdrop but any Android device can easily share and receive files either Windows or even my Macbook.

And I noticed that it was even faster to send a file almost the same as Airdrop. So sending a file between my devices is easy.

A battery that keeps you all day...

Battery-wise, it is boosted with 5000 mAh.  I still have enough juice by the end of the day for around 30 percent- that includes playing intense games such as Honkai Star Rail or Mobile Legends. 

It can also share some juice with another NFC-enabled device. Just toggle on the powersharing and voila, you can put the NFC-enabled device at the back of the S24 Ultra.

Note-taking is worth it!

S-Pen included in S24 Ultra

Hi! this is me- S-Pen!

One thing that boosts my productivity is the S Pen. It includes an S Pen; I always use it for note-taking and productivity brainstorming for other content.

The Ecosystem that matters...

To make my ecosystem work together, I purchased a Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 2. All of them work perfectly and harmoniously. Hear me out, I used to have an Apple Watch SE and Series 6 and my Apple AirPods Pro. Both ecosystems work great in my opinion but every time I use my AirPods Pro, the receiver of my call usually complains a lot that they don't hear me and the voice clarity is terrible except for the Galaxy Buds Pro 2. They are saying that it's clear and the voice clarity is better. 

I am going to share another review about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Airbuds Pro 2 in another blog.

Is it worth it?

Yes! Using the phone for listening to music, daily social media content usage, productivity, using the camera, and all. Anything you can throw at it. It's a wonderful device made by Samsung. 

The enhanced privacy and security layered and Samsung Cloud partnered with Google services is top-notch for me. 

I am satisfied and happy with this device and looking forward to using it the longer.

Thanks for reading my article and See you again next time.

-Ceddy