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.
Samsung has a fair few budget and mid-range handsets, but one of the latest upcoming devices in the form of the Samsung Galaxy A60 has leaked courtesy of a device spec sheet.
The Nokia 9 PureView was announced just over a week ago at MWC 2019, but even despite not being available on US shelves, the handset already has a ‘day one’ software update.
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The Pocophone F1 is a fantastic device in a number of ways, the combination of software and high-end hardware makes for a truly solid experience that is hard to dismiss. That said, the addition of 4K 60FPS video recording via the latest software beta is yet another massive improvement on a truly beastly budget handset.
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At MWC 2019, the Google Android Partner Walk may have been one of the side attractions for attendees in Barcelona. But it was the perfect showcase of Google’s ARCore functionality and how it could help improve our navigation systems of the future. Not only that but simply by collecting pins — both physical and digital — you could potentially earn some neat prizes.
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After a long 18-month wait, the Motorola Moto G4 is now finally getting the Android 8.1 Oreo update OTA. However, the caveat is that this update is only currently rolling out to users in Brazil at present.
Towards the tail end of 2018, Google Maps added the ability for users to find out the location of Lime scooters in a very few select cities globally. The service has now rolled out to a further 80 cities around the planet.
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If you are on the T-Mobile network, the long wait for a taste of Android Pie on your Samsung Galaxy Note 9 should hopefully be over. The One UI update is now rolling out to T-Mobile locked Galaxy Note 9 devices right now.
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The OxygenOS 9.0.4 OTA for the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T comes with the recently announced deeper integration with Google Duo for video calling.
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The Huawei P30 Pro is set to be unveiled officially in Paris on March 26th, but that hasn’t stopped the handset from appearing a little earlier than scheduled in some hands-on photos (via Slashleaks).
Often we complain about device battery life, well, the battery company Energizer listened and has answered our prayers with a literal powerbank attached to a phone in the form of the Energizer PowerMax P18K Pop.
The Sony Xperia 1, Sony Xperia 10 and Sony Xperia 10 Plus have to be considered odd devices in many regards. For starters, we weren’t really able to actually use the Xperia 1 during the official MWC 2019 launch as the software is still very much in an unfinished state, but we did get to see what the device can offer up close and in person.
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The Samsung Galaxy S10 has the ability to remap the Bixby hardware button on the side of the device. We reported last week that this feature would be heading to more Samsung devices in the coming weeks, and now the feature available for older Galaxy devices (via SamMobile).
With the Nokia 9 PureView, HMD is aiming for a seat towards the top of the camera charts alongside some of the best devices out there.
At MWC we were told that we would see the first OnePlus device to include 5G connectivity. Well, that kind of turned out to be true as we have seen a OnePlus 5G prototype device that was connected to a 5G network and streaming games from the cloud streaming service Shadow.
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At the UK iteration of Samsung’s Unpacked 2019, there were a couple of notable absentees from the lineup after the keynote ended. One of those was the massive Samsung Galaxy S10 5G.
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The LG V50 ThinQ looks to be a great handset and has all the hallmarks of an excellent device. The problem is that unlike the LG G8 ThinQ, it really doesn’t have any truly standout features unless you count the optional folding gamepad as part of the entire package.
There are very few gimmicks on phones that we haven’t already seen, but LG has brought a few new tricks to the table with the unveiling of the LG G8 ThinQ that in practice look less like gimmicks and more like glimpses into the future.
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South Korean tech giant LG unveiled two brand new handsets at a dedicated launch event at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The first being the LG V50 ThinQ.
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Let me first preface this by saying I have plenty of patience and time (pun intended) for Wear OS. The issue is that it often leaves you wanting more. Tizen on most Samsung smartwatches though is arguably miles better. Which is why when I had the opportunity to for a quick Samsung Galaxy Watch Active hands-on — emphasis on the quick — I jumped at the chance.
Yes, Android tablets still exist. The problem is that they exist in a sort of purgatory between zero support and somewhat waning demand. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e likely won’t change that, but in all honesty, it seems a nice tablet that might have a market after all.
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Just because the Samsung overload wasn’t quite done, there is more news about the sometimes infuriating Bixby button. Older Galaxy devices will receive an update to match the Galaxy S10’s ability to remap the button to a favored app in the coming weeks.
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Finally, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are getting the full stable release of Android Pie and all that One UI brings with it. The update appears to be rolling out in stages with reports via Reddit that much of Northern Europe has begun seeing the OTA appear.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ were always going to have top-tier cameras. Camera review stalwarts DxOMark have released their definitive review on just what to expect from the Samsung Galaxy S10 camera.
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During the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2019 keynote, at least at the UK launch, there was not a great deal of fanfare for the brand new Samsung Galaxy S10e. The device is set to be a slightly cheaper S10 model that includes much of the same internal specs, but with a few exclusions to help lower that entry price.