Android Magazine 58 - 2015 UK

Buyer’s Guide

djay 2

» Price^ £2.99/$2.99

Oscilab–Step

Sequencer

»PriceFree + IAPs

Audio Evolution

Mobile Studio

» Price £4.49/$6.99 + IAPs

Stagelight: MIDI

and Audio DAW

»PriceFree + IAPs Algoriddim’s djay 2 app

lets you mix tunes on

twin turntables,

including Spotify tracks

(for premium subscribers). The app

has extensive DJ tools including

samples, effects, key lock and a

waveform view to make it one of the

best music makers out there.

This virtual music

studio offers

multi-track recording

with some cool sounds

and effects, including time stretch

and pitch shift. As well as virtual

instruments, it supports over 250

USB and MIDI interfaces.

If standard studio apps

befuddle you, give this

‘groovebox’ a try.

Fiddle about with the

waveforms, effects and drum/note

patterns until you like what you hear.

A Pro version (£7.63/$9.99) offers

some extra features.

In case you missed it... Music making apps Read more in issue 57

IF YOU’RE SHOPPING FOR A SMARTPHONE ON A SHOESTRING, CHECK

TOP10BUDGETBUYSOUTTHESELOW-COSTMOBILEMUST-HAVES

1

Vodafone Smart ultra 6

Ournewlycrownedbestbudgetphoneintheworldmarriesexcellentspecsandasmoothuser

experience to topple the ZTE Blade S6 back into second place. We love this phone’s octa-core

processor,1080pscreenand2GBRAM–specsyou’dexpecttoseeinapremiumhandset.Throwin

the fact it looks good and the cameras work brilliantly, and you’ve got a serious bargain.

£115

See issue 56

2

ZTE Blade S6

Whileitspriceputsitatthetopendofwhatwewouldcallabudgetphone,theBladeS6isthebest

ZTE Blade in years. It runs Android Lollipop, has a 64-bit Snapdragon processor, 2GB RAM and the

exactsameIMX214cameraastheSonyXperiaZ3–whichcostsaroundthreetimesasmuch!

£149.95

See issue 50

3

Xiaomi Redmi Note 2

If you’re willing to import your device then you can save a lot of money – as Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 2

proves.Forastunningpriceyouwillgetanocta-coreprocessor,2GBRAMandalovely5.5-inch,401

ppiscreen.It’sanincrediblephone,butitisheavilyskinnedandhardtogetholdoff.

£115

See issue 57

4

Wileyfox Swift

TheWileyfoxSwiftisexcellentvalueformoneyandgoodfuntoo.Itmatchesitsrivalsinthemarket

witha5-inchHDscreen,2GBRAMandafive-lenscameraenclosure,perfectfortakingphotosinlow

light.Cyanogen12.1provestobeanauthenticalternativetostockAndroid.

£129

See issue 56

5

Moto G (2015)

The newly updated third-gen Moto G (2015) model doesn’t offer the same metallic finish as the ZTE

BladeS6orAlcatelOneTouchIdol3,butyoucanpersonaliseitsdesignbeforeyoubuy,likeyoucan

themuchmoreexpensiveMotoX.Itisalsowaterproof,offers4Gandhasadual-flash13MPcamera.

£159

See issue 55

6

Moto G 4G (2015)

NowthattheregularMotoGandMotoEhavebeenupdatedandbothofferLTE,thishandsetdoesn’t

offer much except that it’s slightly cheaper than the Moto G (2015). It also looks very similar with a

5-inchscreen,boomingdualspeakersandvanillaAndroid5.0.2,butitonlyoffersan8MPcamera.

£139.99

See issue 51

7

Moto E (2015)

Thesecond-genMotoEisnippingattheheelsoftheMotoGforthetitleofMotorola’sultimate

no-strings-attached smartphone. It also offers 4G and has Android Lollipop built in, with the added

promise of an all-day battery. But its 5MP camera, bulky size and poor display reflect its budget price.

£109

See issue 54

8

Asus ZenFone 5

Whileitisoneofthemostexpensivephonesinourbudgetbuyschart,theZenFone5offersanawful

lot for less than most mid-range phones. A stylish metal design is available in a range of colours, it has

asharp5-inchscreen,powerfulIntelAtomprocessorandan8MPshooterwitharangeofmodes.

£149.99

See issue 48

9

Honor 4X

The biggest and best of the mid-range Honor phones, the 5.5-inch Honor 4X has a lot going for it,

including a 13MP camera, off-brand octa-core processor and 4G connectivity. However, you pay for the

highspecsatalowcostinotherareas:itonlyrunsAndroid4.4KitKatandhasamediocrescreen.

£148.86

See issue 53

10

Sony Xperia M2 Aqua

Just like Sony’s fl agship Xperia Z5, this mid-range marvel is waterproof up to at least 1.5 metres.

Sony’s other top feature is here as well with an 8MP rear camera and a suite of photography tools.

The only downside is that after you factor in all the preloaded apps, it only has 4GB of storage.

£150

See issue 48

Interactive tutorials

make this

sophisticated

music-making studio extremely easy

to use. Its extensive features include

a DJ-style loop builder, a traditional

timeline, a drum machine, a key lock

and automation of track effects.

WINNER