How about this for a rebound after a rather quiet second half of last
year? A massive change of game plan sees HTC focus on a few special
products instead of trying to create a smartphone for every taste. An
outstanding result of this effort, the HTC One X brings so many firsts
for both company and industry, that a climb to the top of the food chain
may be a walk in the park.
Just look at some of the things the One X has put on its resume. The
4-PLUS-1 Tegra 3 makes its smartphone debut here, the awesome
polycarbonate body adds that extra solid feel and grip, while the 4.7"
second-generation S-LCD of HD resolution on the front is a crystal-clear
view to the world of Sense 4.0 and Android 4.0 ICS.
And that's just the HTC One X getting started, check out the complete list below.
Key features
Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
21 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
4.7" 16M-color Super LCD 2 capacitive touchscreen of HD resolution (720 x 1280 pixels); Gorilla glass
Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich with latest HTC Sense 4.0
8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash; face detection and geotagging
1080p and 720p video recording @ 24fps with stereo sound
720p front-facing camera for video-chat
Wi-Fi b/g/n and DLNA
GPS with A-GPS
Stereo FM radio with RDS
Accelerometer, proximity sensor and auto-brightness sensor
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v4.0
MHL TV-out (requires MHL-to-HDMI adapter)
Smart dialing, voice dialing
DivX/XviD video support
HTC Locations app
HTCSense.com integration
HTC Portable Hotspot
Office document editor
Beats audio enhancements
Main disadvantages
No microSD card slot, no alternative options in terms of storage
MicroSIM support only
Incapable of 3G video calls without a 3rd party app
No dedicated camera key
Non-user-accessible battery
Uninspiring image and video quality, video framing is tricky
Previous HTC flagships were often criticized for lacking identity and
bringing little improvement in terms of both features and design. This
time critics should have little to fret about - the One X is as bold a
step forward as it gets. Not only is the processing power more than
doubled, but the screen and body of the smartphone itself are immensely
better than what the Sensation and Sensation XE had to offer. And let's
not forget the camera, which HTC say is the best they have ever made.
Of course, LG is widely expected to announce the LG G5
in the next couple of weeks, as this year's Mobile World Congress show
is just round the corner. While it's not yet certain whether we'll see
another leather-backed phone from LG, the G5 is widely expected to come
with two screens, much like LG's newly-announced V10.
We're also expecting a larger 20-megapixel camera sensor and Qualcomm's
brand-new Snapdragon 820 chip to make an appearance as well.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't stop reading and wait for the G5,
though, as the G4 is still an excellent phone in its own right. What's
more, you can currently pick one up for just £300 SIM-free, or
£27.50-per-month on contract, making it much cheaper than the likely
launch price of the G5, which is likely to be around £500. It's also a
great alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo and Nexus 5X, particularly if you're looking for a smartphone that stands out from the crowd. And it's not just me who's a fan with Know Your Mobile also giving the handset a glowing review.
Design
The leather is certainly an intriguing choice of design, but I was
pleasantly surprised by just how comfortable it felt. The stitching down
the centre is a particularly classy touch, and the smooth tan leather
option provided just as much grip as the stippled black version.
^ The tan leather has a much smoother texture compared to the grainier black model
Measuring 149x75x8.9mm thick, it's not the slimmest of phones, but LG
said that its customers were more than willing to sacrifice a few extra
millimetres for a more ergonomic design – and I'd be inclined to
agree. However, the leather cladding does add a considerable premium
onto the handset. If leather isn't quite your bag, it's also available
in cheaper 'ceramic and metallic' versions (both of which are really
plastic).
They're still decent alternatives, as the ceramic model I had in for
testing has a very subtle diamond-shaped pattern on the back of the
handset. This adds a bit of visual flair to the phone when it catches
the light, but in the hand it feels almost exactly the same as the
plastic LG G3,
making it a bit dull and tacky compared to the attention-grabbing
leather versions. Having tested both models, I personally prefer the
G4's curved leather rear.
^ The diamond pattern on the back of the ceramic model is very subtle but you barely notice it once it's in your hand
The curve extends to the front of the screen as well, but the arc is
so infinitesimally small that you'll barely even notice it unless you
put the phone face down on the table. It's certainly nowhere near as
curvy as the LG G Flex 2, but at least it should still help protect the screen if it happens to fall face down on the floor.
Display
The 5.5in 2,560x1,440 display was one of the stand-out features on
the LG G3, so it's no surprise that LG has reprised this resolution for
the G4. The resolution isn't quite as special as it once was, though, as
both the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge now have 2,560x1,440 resolution displays
as well. What's more, they both have higher pixel densities of 576
pixels-per-inch (PPI) thanks to their smaller 5.1in screens, beating the
G4's pixel density of 534PPI by quite some margin.
LG may not have the sharpest screen in the business any more, but its
secret weapon is undoubtedly its brand new IPS Quantum panel. Not to be
confused with LG's Quantum Dot technology
used inside its TVs, the G4's screen uses a new type of liquid crystal
that's meant to enhance brightness and overall colour accuracy.
^ On first glance, you could almost mistake the G4's IPS Quantum display for an OLED panel
In practice, the screen really does pop out at you when you first
turn it on, showing lovely rich, vibrant colours and eye-searingly
bright whites. Subjectively, it's almost comparable to the OLED display I
saw on the G Flex 2 in terms of sheer colour intensity, but the G4
higher brightness level of 505.66cd/m2 really helps to keep those
colours looking just as punchy both inside and out, particularly if
you're out in the sun.
Blacks were deep at 0.27cd/m2 and we were suitably impressed with the
G4's contrast levels, which LG says are supposedly 50% higher than
those on the G3. This would certainly seem to be the case according to
my own tests, as I measured a huge contrast ratio of 1,715:1, which
beats the G3's measly 741:1 by quite some margin. Again, when I compared
the G4 side by side with the G Flex 2, I could barely tell the
difference in terms of image detail, which is good news for anyone still
debating whether to go for this or a Galaxy S6, and the G4's viewing
angles were just as wide as its curvier brother.
However, LG's boldest claim about the G4's display relates to its
colour reproduction, and sadly that's not one I could back up during my
calibration tests. According to LG, it's the only smartphone display
that can reach 98% of the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) colour gamut,
which covers a much wider range of colours than the traditional sRGB
gamut, particularly when it comes to the number of shades of red.
To please the budget smartphone lovers,
Samsung has launched all new Samsung Galaxy J8. If rumours come
true Samsung Galaxy J8 will launch in Q2 will be priced approx. Rs
12,999. It will take on Letv Le 1s, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, Lenovo K4 Note. It’s predecessors Samsung Galaxy J7 and Samsung Galaxy J5 is available in India priced at Rs 14,999 and Rs 11,999.According
to latest rumours and leaks, upcoming Samsung Galaxy J8 will support
Finger Print scanner, 4G LTE, Dual-SIM, Micro Sim with 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11
b/g/n, Micro-USB, A-GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, 3.5mm audio jack, GPS, Glonass,
and FM radio comes with a bigger 5.5”- Full HD IPS display with
resolution (1080×1920 pixels) and 401PPi with Gorilla Glass 4.
Samsung Galaxy J8 will run on Android
6.0 Marshmallow OS powered by a 64-Bit octa-core Snapdragon 615 with 2GB
will be available 16GB internal memory including a 128GB Micro SD
card slot.
Samsung Galaxy J8 will sport a 13-MP
Primary autofocus camera with LED flash and CMOS Sensor and for clicking
selfies and video calling it offers you a 5-MP front-facing camera with
120 degree viewing lance. It will be packed with a 3500mAh battery
with Quick Charge. However no offcial confirmation from Samsung so far.
Samsung also planning to launch Samsung Galaxy J9 with 3GB RAM, Finger print scanner in Q2 will be priced approx. Rs 14,999.
Samsung Galaxy J8 Expected FEATURES:-
Dual-SIM support with 4GLTE
5.5”-Inch Full HD display with Gorilla Glass 4 protection
Encore tout récent, le Samsung Galaxy A3 bénéficie de
90 euros de réduction sur son tarif de lancement. On le trouve à moins
de 220 euros au lieu de 309 euros, dans sa version dorée.
Testé il y a peu par nos soins,
le Samsung Galaxy A3 dispose d’un écran HD de 4,7 pouces, d’un SoC
Exynos 7578 et de 1,5 Go de RAM. Un smartphone de milieu de gamme aux
performances correctes et au design réussi, dans un format compact.
Excellent sur le Galaxy A5, l'écran l'est tout autant sur ce Galaxy A3.
La dalle Super Amoled de 4,7 pouces affiche 1280 x 720 px, soit une
résolution de 312 ppp, suffisante pour conserver un affichage fin. Par
ailleurs, la technologie Amoled apporte un contraste presque infini qui,
avec une luminosité maximale de 400 cd/m², permet de profiter de
l'affichage en plein soleil. Le traitement antireflet est également
performant puisque le taux de réflexion lumineuse n'est ici que de 11 %.
Le Galaxy A3 est paré d'un capteur de 13 Mpx à l'arrière. À la
différence de celui du Galaxy A5, il n'est pas aidé par une
stabilisation optique. En termes de qualité d'image, on retrouve quelque
chose de similaire, avec un niveau de détails correct et une bonne
gestion de la balance des blancs. Les clichés en pleine lumière n'ont
pas grand-chose à envier à un iPhone 6 ou un Honor 7.
Lorsque la lumière se fait plus rare, la perte de détails est notable
et les clichés sont moins exploitables. Vous pouvez retrouver le Galaxy A3 et ses concurrents dans notre face-à-face.
LG has launched a new tablet. Dubbed G Pad III 8.0, the device is
powered by an octa-core processor, and sports an 8-inch (1920 x 1200
pixel resolution) display. It offers 16GB of storage (expandable up to
2TB), and features a 5MP rear camera.
Measuring 210.7 x 124.1 x 7.9mm and weighing in at 309g, the tablet
runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. The LG G Pad III 8.0 is available for
purchase in Canada, where Rogers and Fido are currently offering it for
CAD 240, or around $185.
As per Rogers, the tablet is targeted towards "youth and young adults
looking for the best value device that encompasses the latest
productivity."
Samsung last year in December launched its metal-clad Galaxy A9
aka Galaxy A9 (2016), soon after which rumours and leaks for the more
powerful Galaxy A9 Pro started brewing up. The handset passed
certification websites and went through benchmarking websites as well.
However, the South Korean tech giant has reportedly finally made the
device official by launching it in China.
The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro
aka Galaxy A9 Pro (2016) is available to purchase from an e-commerce
website in China at CNY 3,499 (roughly Rs. 35,700). Samsung is yet to
reveal the availability details of the device outside the region, or
even list the smartphone variant on its China-specific website. The
China launch was first reported by MyDrivers. To recall, the Galaxy A9 was launched in China at CNY 3,199 (roughly Rs. 32,600).
The dual-SIM (Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM) Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (SM-A9100),
as compared to the Galaxy A9, features a better rear camera, more RAM,
and a larger battery. Rest of the specifications remain the same. While
the Galaxy A9 comes with a 13-megapixel rear autofocus camera with LED
flash, f/1.9 aperture, and optical image stabilisation (OIS), the Galaxy
A9 Pro features a 16-megapixel camera with the same specifications. The
'Pro' version also houses 4GB of RAM with 5000mAh battery as compared
to Galaxy A9's 3GB RAM and 4000mAh battery.
(Also see:Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy A9)
The Android 5.1 Lollipop-based handset sports the same metal frame
and glass body design as seen in other premium Galaxy handsets such as Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6,
and more. It features a 6-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) resolution
Super Amoled display with 2.5D curved glass and is powered by a 64-bit
octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 SoC, formerly known as Qualcomm
Snapdragon 620 clocked at 1.8GHz, clubbed with Adreno 510 GPU.
Also included is an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with few specific
modes such as wide selfie mode, self-portrait mode, palm selfie mode
and others. As seen in majority of the Galaxy devices, the Galaxy A9
(2016) Pro camera app can be fired by double pressing the home button,
which also houses a fingerprint sensor with Samsung Pay support.
Connectivity features housed inside the smartphone are Bluetooth v4.1,
GPS, Beidou, NFC, Wi-Fi, and USB 2.0. it is available in White and Gold colour variants.
The iPhone SE is a perfect fit for a time-saver review, it seems, as
Apple didn't come up with a new design or new internals. Instead, the
innards come from an iPhone 6s, while the design is a direct copy of the
iPhone 5s. While on paper this sounds like a great combination, it's
not exactly breaking news, is it?
One way to interpret this move is to conclude Apple is taking the
easy road and is merely recycling an existing chassis design to produce a
lower-cost iPhone without hurting margins. Another possible
interpretation is that they are reviving the iconic iPhone 5/5s design
in an attempt to cater to a group of users who not only want a cheaper
iPhone but would also prefer the smaller form factor.
The iPhone SE has this nice nostalgic feeling of the good old iPhones
when they were always shaking the market, and its compact size and
powerful hardware will be appreciated by many. It will hardly attract
any new users to Apple's platform, but will allow those who are stuck in
the past to level up.
Design and build quality
The Apple's iPhone SE design is on the catwalk for a third time in a
row, and there are no surprises here. After the dawn of the glass
iPhones, the new metal chassis introduced by the iPhone 5 quickly became
a fan-favorite. It was in fact so popular that in the aftermath of the
iPhone 6 premiere the new exterior was considered as a disappointment
because of the departure from the old looks.
Sure, Apple could have shrunk the iPhone 6 chassis for the iPhone SE
instead, but we suspect they've intentionally decided to keep the iconic
chassis. Plus, nobody can't argue it was easier for development and
production - faster, and, of course, cheaper.
There's a shift of command in the house of Xperia. The Sony Xperia X
and its two siblings are taking over from the Xperia Z. A dynasty has
come to an end. We hear the C and M families are being put out to
pasture as well, soon it will be all X top to bottom.
So, what's the new face of Sony like? The Xperia X, which will likely
form the backbone of the new lineup, persists with the angular
aesthetics that debuted with the original Xperia Z back in 2013. It has a
metal back, but no more waterproofing (that's exclusive to the Xperia X
Performance). Sony's trademark sonic experience however lives on with
the on-board stereo speakers and High-Res audio. Another Sony staple,
the camera, is more than robust but has an uncomfortable question to
answer.
Key features
5" 1,080 x 1,920px LCD display with 441ppi, X-Reality for Mobile,
Triluminos technology and Dynamic Contrast Enhancer; scratch-resistant
glass, oleophobic coating
Android OS v6.0 Marshmallow with Xperia launcher
Hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 650, a dual-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A72 and quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53; Adreno 510 GPU; 3GB RAM
23 MP camera with 1080p@60fps video recording and tracking autofocus; 13 MP front-facing camera with 1080p@30fps video
32GB of built-in storage and a microSD card slot
Single and dual-SIM variants
LTE Cat.6 (300Mbps); Dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; A-GPS/GLONASS receiver, Bluetooth v4.1, FM radio with RDS
Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic; 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res audio
2,620mAh non-removable battery
Fingerprint sensor
Main disadvantages
No 4K video recording
No waterproofing
Chipset and RAM not impressive for the price
We need to re-draw the Xperia family tree. If we agree that the
Xperia X Performance replaces the Z5, then which one is X's predecessor?
We think it's the Xperia M5.
Here's the deal: 5" 1080p screen, 13MP selfie camera, 21.2MP main
camera with 4K video, IP68 rating. That's the Xperia M5. The Xperia X
throws in a metal back and stereo speakers, but it loses 4K and IP68.
It's an awkward trade-off to make against last year's midranger.
Meizu's Pro series has always been about the full flagship
experience. Big high-res screens, top-notch chipsets and advanced
imaging all wrapped in a fancy package with a teasing price tag.
The MX4 Pro was perhaps the pinnacle of the Pro lineup with its 1536p
display and high-end camera setup. The Pro 5 got a slight haircut,
trading the near-WQXGA screen resolution for an AMOLED panel and a
smoother user experience. The Pro 6 chose to pursue 3D Press and boasts
the latest 10-core chipset by MediaTek in an attempt to demonstrate some
muscle.
Muscle-flexing is probably the right way to go if you're mostly going
to compete against big and powerful phablets of all kinds of makes. The
Meizu Pro 6 does have the smallest screen of the last three Pro
generations but otherwise takes many cues from its Pro 5 sibling,
including the design, storage options and camera department. The big
news is the Helio X25 chip but we've yet to see how that compares
against the Exynos 7420 Octa that powers the Pro 5.
So, we are going to kick off with that - the Meizu Pro 6s is the
first mainstream flagship we meet with the latest Helio X25 chipset. The
advanced MediaTek engine employs a deca-core processor with a couple of
2.5GHz Cortex-A72 cores, four 2GHz Cortex-A53's and four 1.4GHz
Cortex-A53's. There is also a Mali-T880 MP4 GPU and 4GB of RAM. The Pro 6
is also the first popular Android smartphone to give 3D Touch a go
after Apple's attempt in iOS 9 didn't quite make a big splash out of it.
Comparing the Meizu Pro 6 to its Pro 5 sibling, the newer generation
has a smaller display leading to a higher pixel density but the battery
capacity took a hit due to the more compact body. The two camera units
are identical, but the quad-core Mali-T880 GPU might raise questions -
we're going to pay special attention comparing it to the Meizu Pro 5's
previous gen octa-core unit. On the plus side, the Pro 6 offers 3D
Press, which the predecessor doesn't and is generally hard to come by in
the Android world.
So, is there enough to draw upgraders and lure switchers? We are
going to try and find out. But first, let's check the complete feature
list.
Key features
5.2" 1080p AMOLED display of 423ppi; 3D Press
Heavily customized Flyme OS 5.6 on top of Android 6.0 Marshmallow
MediaTek Helio X25: deca-core processor with 2x 2.5GHz Cortex-A72,
4x 2.0GHz Cortex-A53, and 4x 1.4GHz Cortex-A53; Mali-T880MP4 GPU; 4GB
of RAM
21MP Sony Exmor RS IMX230 camera sensor with two-tone 10-LED ring flash, 2160p video recording @30fps
5MP front-facing camera with 1080p@30fps video recording
32GB or 64GB of built-in storage
Cat. 6 LTE (300/50Mbps); Dual SIM; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; Bluetooth 4.1; NFC; GPS/GLONASS/Beidou; USB Type-C port, USB On-The-Go
mTouch Home button with a fingerprint scanner
Active noise cancellation via a dedicated mic
2,560mAh battery with 24W mCharge 2.0 (Up to 65% charge in 30min)
Main disadvantages
Underwhelming GPU
Smaller screen compared to predecessor
Sealed battery
No memory expansion option
The sealed battery is far from unexpected coming from a company whose
designs are clearly influenced by Apple's. The cap on memory is a
downgrade of sorts compared to the preceding Pro 5. At minimum 32GB and a
64GB version as an alternative, this is something most users can
probably live with.
To us, the more interesting question is how much of a powerhouse the
Pro 6 is. We'll run the benchmarks in the dedicated chapter and analyze
the results. The 3D Press will get due attention as well.
Of course, the Pro 6 isn't going to only target upgraders - we bet
Meizu is keen to bring new customers in as well. So, let's see if their
latest phablet is really up to the task.
The Galaxy J5 (2016) is the centerpiece of the company's mid-range
portfolio for the year. With its predecessor becoming a huge hit in
developing markets, the company really needs the 2016 model to come out
good and help keep Chinese makers at bay.
A quick glance at the specs sheet shows that Samsung followed the "If
it's not broken, don't fix it" saying to the letter. With the internals
mostly unchanged, Samsung chose to focus on the design instead, hoping
that the metal body will help its offering stand out.
You also get a bigger battery and the screen grew by .2", but that's
mostly it with other changes being so minor that they mostly fall in the
adjustments category. Here's the full scoop.
Key features
Aluminum frame around plastic body with an exchangeable back cover
5.2" Super AMOLED display of 1280 x 720px resolution; 267 ppi
The metal frame gives you a piece of mind as well as a nice feel in
the hand. We'd certainly appreciate a bit of premium feel in an
otherwise mid-range offering. However, it would mean nothing if it comes
at the expense of proper smartphone experience. And since Samsung
didn't feel the need to change the processing power from the previous
generation Galaxy J5 we'd be sure to carefully check that. Perhaps
supplying the newer Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and bumping the RAM to 2GB
is all it took to keep the J5 (2016) relevant.
I've tested, and purchased, a lot of smartwatches and even though I
wear one every day, I still believe no one really needs a smartwatch.
That said, if you are looking for a watch that stands out from the rest
then the Samsung Gear S2 3G is the one. As I mentioned in my Samsung Gear S2 first impressions, I've been on the hunt for my perfect smartwatch for a couple years. The Apple Watch
is close, but the lack of GPS and self-contained cellular service keep
it from perfection. These are both functions that are available in the Samsung Gear S2 and once again Samsung is beating Apple to the punch.
I purchased a Gear S2 3G from T-Mobile about 10 days ago and have taken it out on four runs in my attempt to figure out if it is indeed the perfect smartwatch for me.
Five ways the Gear S2 3G is better than the Apple Watch
The Apple Watch is Apple's first attempt at a smartwatch and it does a
fantastic job as a first product. The Gear S2 is Samsung's seventh smartwatch
since 2013 and is its best yet. Here are five reasons the Gear S2 3G
beats the Apple Watch Sport Edition. The 38mm Apple Watch is $349 and
the 42mm one is $399. The Gear S2 3G is priced at $359.99 from T-Mobile.
GPS:
A major limitation of my Apple Watch is the lack of GPS. This means I
either have to carry along an iPhone or give up tracking the specific
route details of my run. The Gear S2 3G includes a GPS receiver and two
apps, Nike+ and S Health, that include GPS tracking support.
Wireless carrier service:
I purchased the T-Mobile version, but Verizon and AT&T also sell
this model in stores. While I mainly purchased the 3G version for
running safety, I'm finding the ability for it to serve as a secondary
phone very useful.
Water and dust resistance:
The Gear S2 3G has an IP68 rating, meaning it prevents dust ingress at
the highest solids rating and keeps water out in 1-3 meter depth. IP68
is nearly the highest level of dust and water resistance available.
Stainless steel construction:
The 3G model is available with a silicone band, but the body is made of
stainless steel. The comparably priced Apple Watch Sport Edition is
made of aluminum The stainless steel Apple Watch starts at a price $200
more than the Gear S2 3G.
Rotating bezel:
While there are two buttons and a touchscreen on the Gear S2 3G, a
unique user interface consists of the rotating bezel. There is clear
clicks/stops in the bezel as you rotate it and it makes for quick
navigation as well.
I listed several things I wanted to check out in detail in my first impressions article and reader SMD79 asked some further questions I wanted to answer. Here are my findings after further testing with the Gear S2 3G.
Cellular service as a stand-alone smartwatch:
I was surprised by the cellular performance of the Gear S2 3G. It has
an integrated speaker that sounds great and callers stated I sounded
loud and clear on their end too. T-Mobile hasn't yet rolled out its
single number sync technology, but there is a slick auto-forwarding
setup that works for both text and calls. When my phone and watch are
not connected via Bluetooth, communications remain fully intact and
seamless.
Bluetooth headset performance: I tested the Gear S2 3G with BlueAnt Pump HD and LG Tone Active headsets and both worked very well.
Run tracking performance with Nike+ and the ability to export that data to RunKeeper:
Nike+ worked well a couple of times, but one time the app wouuld not
get past the warning screen that I needed to connect to my phone. I did
find a website that exported my Nike+ data to import into RunKeeper, but
the GPS map data was not included. I also tried the S Health app for
running and that seemed to do better, but all of that data is locked
within the S Health ecosystem. I would love to see RunKeeper launch a
Tizen version for use on the Gear S2 and if the smartwatch turns out to
be successful maybe we will see such an app.
3rd party applications:
There is definitely a lack of 3rd party apps, compared to the Apple
Watch and Android Wear. The core functionality is there and I personally
rely on core apps more than 3rd party apps for my smartwatch, but
Samsung needs to gets more apps available for the Gear S2.
Can I create a memo while running? I often have good ideas when I run and would love to record them:
There is a native Samsung voice memo application and it even supports
voice-to-text functionality. Voice memos are synced to your phone and
sound great too.
S Voice performance: I
could never get a custom voice launch phrase to work and the default
phrase only worked about 25 percent of the time. It was far easier to
just manually launch and then use S Voice. It works OK when launched
this way, but is a bit slow. You also cannot create reminders.
Daily activity tracking:
The S Health app works very well on the Gear S2 and I especially liked
that my morning and afternoon walks to and from the office were
automatically tracked as active walking sessions.
Sleep tracking: There is no sleep tracking support, which is fine since the watch needs to be charged up each night anyway.
Can I play music via a streaming service via the T-Mobile service on the watch? If so, which ones?:
I was pleasantly surprised to see that Samsung Milk Music will play via
a cellular connection directly on the watch. I didn't have the greatest
signal so it was a bit spotty at times, but it's good to know that
streaming is available if you don't have music downloaded and have a
good cellular data signal.
How long does the battery last?:
After the first day or two, I routinely experienced 12-15 hour days
with 3G and Bluetooth enabled and WiFi and NFC disabled. I need to try a
day or two with 3G turned off to see how much more battery life I could
get, but at this time I am getting through a full day and into the
evening with my current setup.
There are reports that the step counter is routinely low, as in 25% lower than other step counters. What's been your experience?:
The first couple of days I did see much lower step counting than what
my other wearables were showing, but over the last week the number of
steps counted has closely matched those from a Microsoft Band, Fitbit,
and Polar V800.
How well does GPS tracking work?:
I never saw any kind of visual confirmation that GPS was locked in
either Nike+ or S Health, but the results show that GPS worked well and
closely matched the output from a Polar V800. I plan to use Nike+ more
in the future because I can view all the data in a browser and export
some of the data. S Health looks great, but I want to see Google Fit
support and export functionality.
Many people will
use this as a fitness band and go running with it. How does the music
experience work when you're using the watch to play music? How does it
work when you leave your phone at home and use the 3G connectivity?:
Downloaded music played flawlessly with my BlueAnt Pump HD headset. You
have much more control over what music syncs to your watch than you do
with Android Wear as well. The Apple Watch only lets you sync one
playlist, but the Gear S2 3G lets you sync multiple playlists. I was
able to call, text, and send the quick SOS signal to my family while
running.
What are your thoughts on the ambient light sensor and always-on watch face?:
I kept the always-on watch face enabled and thus I could always see the
time, although in a more limited view when in standby mode. I plan to
test it with it off to see what the impact on battery life is, but I do
like having an available time to view at all times so saving an hour or
less may not be worth it.
Specifications
Processor: 1.0 GHz Samsung Exynos
Display: 1.19 inch 360 x 360 pixels resolution sAMOLED (s is for Super), 302 ppi, Gorilla Glass 3
Operating system: Tizen OS 2.3.1
RAM: 512MB
Water resistance: IP68 dust and water resistant rating
Storage: 4GB internal
Radios: Bluetooth 4.1 BLE, NFC, and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi
As you can see, the Gear S2 3G has specifications close to the newest
Android Wear devices, with the addition of GPS and a cellular radio.
Hardware
The Gear S2 is available in dark gray and silver. I purchased the dark
gray one and am very pleased with the form factor and construction.
It's a full round faced watch and looks like a traditional watch with a
modern twist.
The display looks stunning with vibrant colors and
clear fonts. Around the display you will find the rotating bezel that
is probably one of the coolest design features on the watch. While you
can use the touchscreen to navigate, I personally enjoy twisting the
bezel to and fro. There are two physical buttons on the right side. An
upper one serves as the back button while the lower one is the home key.
The home key will also toggle between the apps screen and watch screen.
You can setup the Gear S2 3G so that three quick presses of the home
button sends out the SOS signal I will discuss in the software section.
There is a heart rate monitor postioned on the box of the watch. The
bands are removable via a small clip, but there are customized for the
Gear S2 3G. You can buy replacement bands and I have my eye on the
Atelier Mendini black and blue band.
There is a microphone and a
speaker on the Gear S2 3G. I lost one of my earbuds the other day and
ran 2 miles back home just listening to my music play through the watch
speaker. It was quite loud and clear, enough to provide me with a bit of
a distraction from the pain of running in the cold weather.
Software
The Gear S2 3G runs the Tizen OS and I have to say I think it is a
more polished smartwatch OS when compared to the Apple Watch and Android
Wear. Notifications are easily viewable to the left of the watch face
while custom screens are positioned to the right of the watch face.
A simple swipe down from the top gives you signal status, connectivity
status, quick access to music and connectivity settings, quick toggle
for sounds and your profile, and access to manual brightness settings.
A navigation screen with four buttons to access the app launcher, S
Voice, Buddy page, and Settings is set as the first screen to the right
of the watch face, by default. You can organize the apps in the app
launcher either on your watch or on your phone. The apps appear in a
circular format.
The Buddy page lets you add contacts to the
screen so you can tap their round picture icon and then choose to call
or text them. If you choose to text, then you are given three input
options. One is for voice to text, the other is emojis, and the last is
via keyboard. Yes, you can enter text via the cool onscreen keyboard and
it actually works quite well for short messages.
There is also
the option to use a canned pre-set message and you have the power to
change those too. It's interesting to see Samsung present you with
possible replies when messages come in and sometimes I find them
perfectly appropriate and select them instead of using my own input.
There are a plethora of settings on the Gear S2 3G so you can set it
up exactly as you desire. I especially like the SOS feature that
provides serious peace of mind when I run. I can press the home button
quickly three times and then have my GPS location and a short message
sent to my designated family members, up to four people. They get the
message, along with a link to their phone navigation program. I can also
attach a voice note to this message. For just $5 per month added to my
T-Mobile account, this peace of mind alone is worth having the Gear S2
3G with me when I run.
Pricing and competition
The Gear
S2 3G is priced at $359.99 from T-Mobile, $349.99 from Verizon, and
$299.99 from AT&T. These are all no contract prices, but I believe
you must use the selected carrier for your service.
The lowest
priced Apple Watch is the Sport edition at $349 (38mm) and $399 (42mm).
Android Wear devices can be found from $150 to $400+ with many options
available for the consumer. With the recall of the LG Watch Urbane 2,
there are currently no Apple Watch or Android Wear watches with
integrated 3G. The only Android Wear watch with GPS is the older Sony
SmartWatch 3.
Contributor's rating
The Samsung Gear S2 is the best smartwatch that Samsung has created so far and I award it a 9.5 rating.
It has cellular data, Bluetooth, and WiFi so is fully connected at all
times, it has GPS so you can track the details of your runs or bike
rides, it lets you make and receive calls without a phone and even when
paired with a phone, and has a decent number of apps. It will be a
better device when Samsung Pay launches on it in 2016.
The ability
to quickly send out a SOS message to family is valuable to me as I run
different routes all of the time, I run in the dark during the winter
months, and I am not getting any younger. The Gear S2 3G may be a good
device for those with health concerns who may have a need to contact
someone quickly in an emergency and since the watch is always on your
wrist it is easier than trying to find a phone close at hand.
I
have been disappointed in the S Voice performance and there are still a
few bugs when you push it to the limits with multiple apps using the
wireless data at one time. I think some of these things will be fixed
with software updates and overall am extremely pleased with it. For just
$5/month for service I plan to continue using the Gear S2 and look
forward to iOS compatability and further application development.
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Xiaomi Mi 5 review: This is how you build a flagship phone
I’ve been itching to try the Mi 5 ever since Xiaomi
first unveiled its flagship for 2016 at Mobile World Congress in
Barcelona in February. When I got a chance to take a closer, but brief
look at it at the press event, it seemed to check all the boxes for what
a smartphone should have, both inside and out.
Now that it’s available in India at Rs. 24,999 ($376) – less than half of the Samsung Galaxy S7’s
asking price, the Mi 5 seems like an incredibly intriguing proposition
given its specifications and feature set. I put the phone through its
paces over the past few weeks to see if it lived to its promise of
delivering flagship-level performance at a reasonable price.
The smartphone market has been saturated with oversized 5.5-inch devices
over the past few years. Smaller options have rarely come with all the
specifications and features of flagships, and the Mi 5 is a pleasant
surprise.
The Mi 5 is not only smaller than most of its competition but also
significantly lighter, weighing in at just 129g. For comparison, the
Samsung Galaxy S7 comes in at 152g and the HTC 10
weighs 161g. The difference may not seem like much, but it certainly
counts when you’re holding the phone over an extended period of time.
Both the top and bottom bezel are fairly slim, which is notable
considering the Mi 5 features a fingerprint sensor on the front. As
seems to be the trend these days, the ultra-minimalist hardware menu and
back buttons – which are just two tiny of dots of light – are hidden
from view until activated.
The sides of the handset are fairly similar to those of the Galaxy
S7, tapering inward with beautiful lines that I frequently caught myself
gawking at.
The back of the 32GB model features what Xiaomi calls 3D glass, which
makes the colored surface and rear camera look like they’re encased in a
transparent resin. It looks gorgeous but the entirely smooth finish
lets the phone slide around on tables (and off them) rather easily.
That isn’t to say that the phone is hard to grip – its diminutive
profile and contoured sides allow it to fit comfortably in your hand.
The only design element I’m not a fan of on this device is the
reflective Mi badge on the top left corner of the front panel. It’s
glossy and draws attention away from the otherwise clean layout. I wish
Xiaomi just stuck with a single logo on the rear panel with this one.
Display and sound
The Mi 5 features a splendid 1080p full HD display that gets bright
enough for use out in the sun, and you can also turn it down to save
power.
Xiaomi says the Mi 5 features the company’s brightest-ever display,
thanks to a higher number of LED lights than other screens of the same
size. It also boasts high contrast and accurate colors, and guess what?
It delivers.
Xiaomi says it’s already baked in power-saving functionality that’s
available in Android 6.0, which means that when you’re not using your
phone, it’s in a sort of sleep mode that only lets high-priority apps
receive notifications. This certainly helps the Mi 5’s battery last
through a whole day without any fuss.
It’s also worth noting that MIUI 8 is scheduled to drop on May 10,
and is likely to come to the Mi 5, given that it’s a flagship device.
Camera and video
The Mi 5 comes with an impressive 16-megapixel Sony
camera with an f/2.0 aperture. It’s protected from scratches by
Sapphire glass and features four-axis optical image stabilization to
combat shakiness when shooting.
The camera performs well in brightly-lit conditions and delivers
sharp, colorful shots. The aperture is wide enough to allow a good
amount of depth-of-field, so as to separate subjects in the foreground from the background.
However, it doesn’t do nearly as well in low light. As with cameras
on less expensive phones, it struggles to balance colors or eke out much
detail, and photos turn out fairly noisy.
Performance
Xiaomi has made only the 32GB variant of the Mi 5 available in India,
and that’s what I’ve been testing over the past few weeks. It’s powered
by a Snapdragon 820 quad-core 1.8GHz processor paired with an Adreno
530 GPU and 3GB RAM.
It’s hard to slow this beast down – you can throw any number of apps
or graphics-intensive games at it, and it won’t skip a beat. Images, Web
pages and games all load quickly and multitasking is a breeze.
That being said, it isn’t significantly quicker than the $150 Redmi
Note 3 – unless you’re constantly looking for differences in speed, it’s
hard to notice that the Mi 5 is the better performer. That’s not a
knock on how it fares, but it’s worth noting that we’re fast approaching
a point where Android device specifications cease to matter a whole
lot.
Verdict
The Mi 5 is a solid performer in just about every department, looks
fantastic and comes packed with features. And at just Rs. 24,999 ($376)
it beats other flagships from LG and Samsung on price by a mile
I use a Nexus 6P as my daily driver, which has a fingerprint sensor
on the back. I also have it paired with a smartwatch to bypass my lock
screen when I’m in proximity to the phone. Between the two, I almost
never have to unlock my phone the normal way. Once I’m away from my
phone, however, my phone will lock down immediately. When I temporarily
lost my phone at an airport, this came in handy. As I came to claim it,
they asked me to unlock it. Once I walked back in range of my phone, my
watch immediately unlocked it and I was on my way. Android’s Smart Lock
proved to be the the perfect balance between security and convenience.
Here’s why you should use it too.
Smart Lock for Android works on a similar principle. Google knows
you’re not going to use a long password or complicated pattern on your
phone if it becomes an inconvenience. So Smart Lock lets you set up
trusted situations that bypass the lock screen altogether. You can
disable the lock screen based on location, when a certain Bluetooth
device is connected, when your phone recognizes your voice, or a variety of other circumstances.
Combined with a fingerprint sensor (if your phone has one), you can set
up a super-strong lock screen for your phone, yet never be
inconvenienced by it in the slightest.
First, Set Up a Strong Lock Screen
For any of this to matter, you’ll need a strong lock screen to begin
with. On Android, you have a few options that vary in complexity and
security:
PIN: A PIN lock is more convenient since it
only requires you to remember a few numbers. While many users choose a
4-digit PIN, you can actually use up to 16 digits on Android. If you’re
making a PIN you don’t plan to use often, longer is probably better.
Password: Using a password is probably going to be the most difficult way to lock your phone, but you’ll have a lot more flexibility to create something secure. Depending on how much you rely on Smart Lock, this might be a good option for some.
Keep in mind when choosing a lock screen that you’ll still
occasionally need to unlock it manually. After a reboot, for example,
Smart Lock won’t kick until you unlock the phone once normally. There
may also be gaps where your trusted Smart Lock scenarios don’t overlap
with each other. You’ll still need to give yourself a lock screen method
you can remember, but you can afford to be a little stricter since you
won’t be using it dozens of times a day.
Set Up Trusted Smart Lock Scenarios Around Your Life
Once you have a strong lock screen, you can set up Smart Lock to get
around it. You can find these options under Security in your phone’s
Settings app. While none of these are perfectly secure, some options that Google provides are less secure than others.
Trusted Devices: Trusted devices allow you to unlock your phone whenever it’s paired with a Bluetooth device like a smartwatch,
earpiece, or your car. You can also use a trusted NFC tag. Trusted
devices are probably the most secure Smart Lock options, since it only
unlocks your phone with something you have. If you’re using a
device like a Bluetooth watch or earpiece that’s always on you, then
this means your phone will only unlock as long as it’s within Bluetooth
range of you. Just be careful not to add too many devices and make sure
you always know where your trusted device is.
Trusted Places: Smart
Lock can set up geofences that will automatically unlock your device as
long as you’re within a certain area like your home or office. Trusted
locations work based on your GPS, so the “location” you choose is
actually a radius that can be up to 80 meters. So, if you can unlock
your phone at home, your neighbors might be able to as well. More
importantly, as Google points out on its support page, it’s possible (if unlikely) for someone to use specialized equipment to spoof a GPS signal and unlock your phone.
Nexus Imprint and Fingerprint Sensors: Technically,
fingerprint sensors aren’t included in the Smart Lock program, but
they’re one of the best ways to unlock your phone. On Nexus devices, the
fingerprint sensor is part of the Nexus Imprint program that can be
used to unlock your device, pay for things on the Play Store, and login
to certain apps. Other devices with fingerprint sensors can also perform
similar options, but they may vary based on your manufacturer.It’s
unlikely the average person could spoof your fingerprint, too. If you
have the option to get a phone with a fingerprint unlock, we highly
recommend it.
Most of the other options are neat gimmicks, but we don’t recommend
them from a security standpoint. You can unlock your phone with your
face which can be spoofed with a Photoshopped video, or your voice which might be spoofed with a recording of you saying the activation phrase. While neither of these is necessarily likely, they’re also too easy to really be very secure. Google’s on-body detection similarly is a neat gimmick, but even Google says it can’t reliably tell when it’s on your body vs. someone else’s.
No option for locking your phone will ever be perfectly secure, but
between all the Smart Lock options available, you can probably build a
security scheme that works for you. You should also make sure you have Android Device Manager enabled as a backup so you can remotely lock or wipe your phone in the event you ever lose it
