Damien is 9to5Google‘s resident Video Producer and has over a decade of UK media experience. He worked within the sports industry and with numerous sports-focused publications — including golfing publication National Club Golfer — prior to joining the 9to5Google team.
After completing a BSc in Computer Science at the University of Hull with a major focus on data analytics and UX, he joined the Press Association (now PA Media), developing growing sports data products for the Barclay’s Premier League. These’s data packages included the now-defunct ACTIM Index which eventually evolved into the EA Sports Player Performance Index.
While working with the UK’s largest media agency, he attained a MA in Journalism at Sheffield Hallam University after completing his studies in 2014. This is where a love affair with all things videography surfaced after a brief stint in student TV. A major interest and constantly growing know-how of technology and videography have seen Damien lead 9to5Google’s official YouTube channel since 2018. He previously hosted the 9to5Google Daily podcast from 2019 to 2021.
Damien’s expertise and focus area lie in a number of beats including Android and OEM software updates, mobile applications, smartphone and accessory reviews, and just about anything that makes a modern mobile nerd tick. He says that he is “platform agnostic” despite primarily using Android devices and attempts to regularly test the iOS waters to better understand the nuances of the tech he covers on a day-to-day basis.
Outside of the tech space Damien is an avid supporter of his boyhood soccer team Hull City and is even a fully qualified Barista — with 3 years of experience making speciality coffee. Be sure to follow him on Threads, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and Instagram for insights and upcoming video updates and tidbits. If you are interested, you can also check out just what video gear he is currently using on his dedicated Kit.co page.
The latest OxygenOS Open Beta update for the OnePlus 5/5T, OnePlus 6/6T is now rolling out to those already enrolled on the beta program.
In recent weeks there have been a ton of rumors flying around that Huawei could be a potential modem provider for Apple’s first generation of 5G smartphones. That has now officially been addressed at the Huawei Analyst Summit, where Huawei confirmed there has been zero contact with Apple regarding 5G modems.
As Google Fiber is set to pull out of Louisville due to “fundamental network issues”, the cost to Alphabet is set to be somewhere around $4 million.
If rumors are to be believed, we could see the OnePlus 7 as soon as next month. That means we are in ripe leak territory, where any tidbit of information could be considered valuable. This new set of 5K renders of the supposed standard OnePlus 7 give us an indication of what we may see come the launch date.
Ahead of rumors and sketchy supposed leaks of the OnePlus 7, company CEO Pete Lau has spoken about potential foldable OnePlus devices and heavily rumored smart-TVs at the European Design Institute in Milan, as reported by Italian outlet Repubblica.
Honor, the affordable Huawei offshoot continues to grow in popularity, interest, and general device quality. That trend looks set to continue as the company has announced a May 21 launch date for its upcoming Honor 20 devices.
Microsoft’s brand new Chromium-based Edge browser might finally gain some ground in the battle to remain relevant in the web search space. The problem is that Microsoft seems to be cherry-picking features to remove, much to the disappointment of users.
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The ultrasonic fingerprint reader on the Samsung Galaxy S10 was said to be the most accurate and fastest version of in-display scanners on the market, but that doesn’t seem to have been the case from day one.
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As far as custom ROMs go, LineageOS is far and away one of the most popular and well-supported thanks to the active community and slimline experience. Support for Android Pie isn’t all-encompassing for every device, so the addition of nine new handsets and the Nvidia Shield Tablet will be welcome inclusions.
Skype might not be the most used or the most popular video calling service any longer, but that doesn’t mean it has dwindled in support and features. The Microsoft-owned video chat application is planning on adding screen sharing to upcoming releases and has already added support for the feature in its latest beta for Android and iOS.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4, which still packs a punch as arguably one of the most powerful Android tablets on the market is now receiving Android Pie. And although there were rumors and reports that the Samsung Galaxy S7 was set to receive Android Pie, it now looks highly unlikely.
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The Huawei P30 Pro feels like Huawei making a bold statement to the rest of the smartphone industry: “try and catch us”. In short, the handset is one of the best on the market and has arguably the most versatile camera systems out there.
Arguably one of the biggest and most frustrating aspects of Google Home devices is the constant repeating of actions it has performed when you ask it to run an Assistant routine.
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While we haven’t yet seen much of the Samsung Galaxy Fold beyond a few video snippets, the folding smartphone is heading to the US on April 26th, with the Galaxy S10 5G following sometime in May.
When one of the most used and most popular messaging apps on the planet makes changes, it’s worth taking note of. The ever-popular WhatsApp is further testing a vacation mode that we had heard little about since last year.
The Google YouTube Signature device list ensures that as viewers, we get the best possible experience when viewing online content with their approved list of handsets.
After confirmation that updates would continue monthly for the Galaxy S10, the support for the Galaxy Note 9 is powering on with a device update bringing the April 2019 security patch.
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The Samsung Galaxy A80 has just been announced managing to one-up the Oppo Reno’s shark fin sliding selfie camera by introducing a sliding and rotating camera design.
Oppo has unveiled its first true flagship device since the launch of its interesting Find X in the form of the previously leaked Oppo Reno.
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Make no mistake, we’re most definitely a partisan group at 9to5Google when it comes to the Google Pixel 3. Being able to pick up a device that’s been created as Google intended is the core reason that the Pixel line is so revered — and that industry-leading camera is most definitely a reason too.
While Microsoft finally embracing Chromium is a massive deal, it is being particularly picky about what tools and features come with Edge. The company has 51 of Google services turned off as standard in its build of Chromium.
The Honor Watch Magic smartwatch is essentially a rebrand of the Huawei Watch GT and at a slightly lower price point. That means it includes a somewhat stripped down experience to help increase battery life, but does stripping it back to basics make for a solid experience?
We’ve just seen Samsung unveil and then subsequently release the latest in their line of Galaxy devices in the form of the Galaxy S10e, S10 and S10+, but rumors about potential Galaxy Note 10 devices are now beginning to appear.
Even with brands likes Razer dropping out of the gaming phone market, ASUS looks set to introduce a ROG Phone 2 at some point in Q3 2019, according to a report from DigiTimes (via GizmoChina).
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