Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Review: The Only Android Flagship

Posted on by Jamison Cush

The Galaxy Note is Samsung’s true flagship. It’s big and powerful, with unique features that set it apart from the smartphone pack. The S Pen brings added utility and productivity potential, which goes a long way in justifying its high price.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

That’s great for Samsung. Because high-quality smartphones from Motorola, Huawei, ZTE, and others cost less than half as much. Why pay $800 plus for a Note when the Honor 5X offers quality Android on the cheap?

But the Honor 5X can’t do what the new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 does. For that matter, nor can the iPhone 6S, LG G5, or HTC 10.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 costs at least $850 at launch, depending on the carrier. In a market awash in smartphones low in cost and high in quality, is it worth it?

Build & Design

No surprise here as Samsung smartphone hardware is arguably the best, the Galaxy Note 7 is an impeccably-crafted device. Samsung ditched the standard flat-screen and bezel smartphone, going instead with the sloped curves of the Galaxy edge series.

The curve effect is slighter on the Note 7 than the Galaxy S7 edge, resulting in more flat display space, which plays its part in keeping the device as narrow as possible. Despite having the same 5.7-inch display, the Galaxy Note 7 is .1 inches narrower than the Galaxy Note 5.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has a slick glass back.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has a slick glass back.

The back panel mirrors the front with an identical curve. It’s completely symmetrical, with a rounded strip running across around the edges.

All this makes the Note 7 easier to hold in one hand than the Galaxy Note 5. It’s a very big smartphone, or phablet, just less unwieldy. Too bad it’s literally slick, then. While the glass back panel looks great, it doesn’t provide any grip. It’s also smudge and fingerprint magnet. Both sides are Gorilla Glass 5 coated, so they should survive the occasional drop. We still strongly recommend Note 7 owners invest in a case.

Slick grip aside, the Note 7 feels great in hand. It’s very solid and well balanced. Samsung obviously wasted no space inside. It measures 6 x 2.9 x .3 inches, and weighs .37 pounds. It’s IP68 rated for dust and water resistance. This means that while it will easily survive a rainstorm or spill, don’t take it swimming. It’s available in blue coral, silver titanium, and black onyx.

It bears all the familiar Samsung elements and placements, with a power button on the right side, and a two-piece volume rocker on the left. The bottom edge features the 3.5mm audio jack, USB Type-C input for charging and data, pinhole mic, speaker, and S Pen slot. The top houses another pinhole mic next to a microSD and SIM card slot (pin release).

The familiar and oblong Samsung home button, which doubles as a fingerprint reader, rests centered under the display, flanked by the capacitive all-apps and back keys. The 5-megapixel selfie camera, iris scanner, and light sensor line the top, surrounding the ear piece. The flash, pulse reader, and 12-megapixel rear shooter sit on the rear panel, middle upper half.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 side

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has a symmetrical curve.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has a symmetrical curve.

MicroSD card support is worth mentioning simply because it was absent on the Note 5, though present on the S7 and S7 edge. It’s a welcomed addition to any smartphone. Also, the Note 7 is the first Samsung smartphone with USB Type-C instead of microUSB. This change was a long time coming. USB Type-C is superior, with potentially quicker data transfers and charging times. It’s also reversible, and easier to manage. In addition, Samsung wisely bundles two USB Type-C adapters with the Note 7, one for full-sized USB and another for microUSB, meaning you can hold onto your old chargers and accessories.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has a microSD card slot.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has a microSD card slot.

The Note 7 also has USB Type-C.

The Note 7 also has USB Type-C.

Display & Speakers

Samsung screens are routinely excellent, largely due to the Samsung’s Super AMOLED display technology. AMOLED displays pump out the deepest blacks and most severe contrast, along with very vibrant colors. Traditional LED and LCD displays are very close behind, especially with notebooks and tablets, but AMOLED is still the tech to beat in the smartphone space.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display.

That’s why we’re not too disappointed Samsung stuck with the same 2560 x 1440 resolution as the Note 5. On the 5.7-inch display (also the same), that results in an impressive 518 pixels per inch, which is overkill for everyday use.

Virtual reality and the new Samsung Gear VR is the only case to be made for more pixels. That’s only because the Gear VR headset secures the display mere inches from the face, where individual pixels are discernable.

Samsung wisely put effort elsewhere, pushing contrast, refining sharpness, reducing glare, and pumping brightness. The Note 7 display excels in all these areas, and it the best we’ve we tested outdoors. It cuts right through overhead sun glare, and is perfectly usable on the brightest days. Samsung also improved color interpretation and temperature, and it’s noticeably more pleasant in these areas than the Note 5 and S7 edge.

Compared directly against those devices, cooler tones are more apparent, especially in whites. In addition, Samsung added a blue light filter in the settings. This brings the warm yellow and red tones front and center, which Samsung claims “helps you sleep better.” The effect opacity is adjustable, and can be scheduled for sunset to sunrise, or any other time.

We’re no experts, but those with sleep troubles should probably avoid looking at any smartphone display before bedtime, blue light or not. Still, it’s nice to have the added control, along with carry-over options, Adaptive display, AMOLED cinema, AMOLED photo, and Basic.

At NotebookReview, we’ve longed maintained smartphone displays range from good to great. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 display raises that bar to extraordinary. Once again, Samsung has the best display on the market.

Grading on the severe curve for smartphone speakers, the Note 7’s have decent output. They are fine for personal use, with clear-enough sound and just enough oomph. We found the S7 edge speakers to have a slightly more crisp output compared head to head. That’s hardly a deal breaker if deciding between the two Galaxy smartphones.

Either way, audio over headphones or an external speaker is much better.

S Pen

The new S Pen is waterproof.

The new S Pen is waterproof.

New Note means new S Pen. It still the same Wacom-based technology, with Samsung redesigning the physical stick. It now measures 4.25 x .22 inches and weighs 3 grams (just .0066 pounds), with a tiny .7mm magnetic tip (down from 1.6mm). Samsung moved the solitary button further up the shaft, helping to prevent accidental presses (a problem too common with previous S Pens), and made it impossible to dock into the Note 7 backwards (a problem with early Note 5 units).

Performance-wise, it has a few new tricks and refinements. It supports up to 4,096 points of pressure (double the previous Note), and is also IP68 rated. This is a big deal because it means the S Pen works underwater.

Practically speaking, no one should be jotting notes in the shower, but think about field workers out in a rainstorm, or caterer in a chaotic kitchen where spills are common. Wet touchscreens don’t work, and taps from wet fingers don’t register (ever try using a smartphone after running?). A wet Note 7 will always work with the S Pen, and there is much practical utility there.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 S Pen works underwater.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 S Pen works underwater.

Perhaps the most salient improvement for everyday use is in how the pen feels on the display. Samsung added friction to make it feel more natural, like a real ink pen on paper. It even feels better than the recent pen-toting Windows 10 tablets we’ve tested, the Surface Pro 4 and Huawei MateBook. Those upgrading from a previous Note will definitely notice the difference.

In the Box

The Samsung Note 7 ships with a device, USB Type-C-to-full-USB Samsung fast charger, SIM tray ejector pin, earbuds with media controls, S Pen clip (for removing S Pen tips), additional S Pen tips, and the USB Type-C adapters previously mentioned.

That’s a good haul. Kudos to Samsung for including the adapters. Other device makers nickel and dime when it comes to this sort of thing (cough cough, Apple). Buyers should still expect extras like that when buying a premium product.

Performance

A glance at the spec sheet reveals there is not much difference between the Note 7 and the S7 and S7 edge that launched in the spring. Our review unit sported a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (2.15GHz dual + 1.6GHz dual) and 4GB RAM (LPDDR4), while international versions could see a Samsung Exynos 8890 with similar performance.

Specheads may be disappointed the Note 7 doesn’t have 6GB RAM or the new Snapdragon 821 or 823, but no one can doubt the Note 7’s combination is worthy of a flagship. In the Geekbench 3 benchmark, the Note 7 scored 5426, which matches the S7 and S7 edge, and bests the nearly year-old iPhone 6S by 1000 points.

In real-world usage, it handles Android 6.0.1 with stability and speed, as well as Samsung’s TouchWiz refinements. This is no small task, given the Note 7 is loaded with the S Pen tools and also the Samsung Edge UX.

The Note 7 ships with 64GB onboard capacity, of which about 50GB is available out of the box. There’s some bloatware that can be disabled by not uninstalled, including 10 Samsung-specific apps. Fortunately, there’s nothing too egregious. Facebook, Amazon, WhatsApp, and Instagram come preinstalled, as do Google’s main apps like Gmail, Chrome, and Maps. Snag a Note 7 through a carrier and expect additional bloat.

Specs

Our Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review unit has the following specs:

  • Display: 5.7” Quad HD Dual edge Super AMOLED 2560 x 1440 (518ppi)
  • OS: Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow)
  • Network: LTE Cat.12 / LTE Cat.10 / LTE Cat.9
  • Dimensions: 5 x 73.9 x 7.9mm
  • Weight: 169g
  • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Quad Core (2.15GHz Dual + 1.6GHz Dual), 64 bit, 14 nm process
  • Memory: 4GB RAM (LPDDR4) , 64GB (UFS 2.0)
  • Cameras: Rear Dual Pixel 12MP OIS (F1.7), Front 5MP (F1.7)
  • Battery: 3,500mAh, Fast Charging on wired and wireless Wireless Charging compatible with WPC and PMA
  • Payment compatibility: NFC, MST
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), MU-MIMO(2×2) 620Mbps, Bluetooth v 4.2 LE, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC, Location (GPS, Glonass, Beidou)
  • Sensors: Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, HR Sensor, Iris Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor
  • Audio support: MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA
  • Video support: MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM
  • Price: Starting at $849.99
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 TouchWiz

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 TouchWiz

Software Features

Samsung gave its TouchWiz Android overlay a fresh coat of paint in the settings menu, going with a primarily white and open aesthetic. It’s intuitive, and you can still find what they need with minimal effort, but it’s distinct from pure Android. Those pining for a more Google-like software experience can always download and install the Google Now Launcher from the Play Store.

All the goodies from previous Galaxy smartphones are present, including the neat Always-On display, excellent Samsung Pay, Game Tools, and the Samsung Edge UX. While we’ve never been huge fans of the Edge panels, they flashed potential when Samsung refined them for the S7 edge. That’s the case here, too.

Pen Features

The S Pen software has two new tricks: magnify and translate. Magnify digitally enlarges a portion of the display up to 300%, while the other works with the Google Translate API to translate from 38 languages and to 71 (the discrepancy is based on word spacing in certain languages, which can throw off Google Translate).

Both seem handy at a glance, but fail to offer much in practice. Magnify works across the device, and can be used on images or even through the camera app. We noted its potential for PDFs in our Note 7 preview, then realized that pinch-to-zoom does the same thing.

Translate worked well in testing too; it’s quick. The drawback is that it’s limited to translating one word at a time. It would be much more useful if you could highlight blocks of text with the S Pen, then translate. Besides all that, Google Translate has its own fine app, which does more.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 magnify

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 magnify

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 translate

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 translate

S Pen fans shouldn’t fret though. All the other superb S Pen tools from the Note 5 are present, with Samsung streamlining the interface by combining redundancies.

Of the holdovers, Smart Select has a new trick. It can record the display for animated GIFs, up to 15 seconds long, which you can then draw on. It’s a bit kludgy, in that if you want an animated GIF of your dog chasing its tail, you’d have to open up the camera app and record from the display through the viewfinder. And you can now pin screen-off memos to the always-on display.

Security Features

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 iris scanner

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 iris scanner

The new iris scanner is one of those “look at what my phone can do” features, and it has an excellent sci-fi vibe. It worked on the first try about 95% of the time in our testing, often unlocking the smartphone in less than a second. It’s based on infrared LED, and works in the dark, and through regular glasses and contacts after initial setup. Samsung included two safety precautions: it only scans for 9 seconds at a time, and it won’t scan if it senses the face is too close to the camera.

So what does it accomplish? It ultimately serves as just another way to unlock the Note 7, along with the PIN, password, pattern, and fingerprint (the fingerprint sensor is much improved here). We like it, but it’s redundant.

The Secure Folder is more consequential. It’s password (or iris, or fingerprint) protected, and here you can keep sensitive info. Think of it as a completely isolated portion of the phone, complete with apps, files, pictures, and accounts.

For example, the Secure Folder portion has its own gallery and camera apps. Pictures taken with that camera app are only visible in the Secure Folder gallery app. They functionally don’t exist outside the folder. It works great for balancing separate accounts too. The Secure Folder can have its own Gmail app, tied to a private account, different from any other on the Note 7.

Samsung Secure Folder

Samsung Secure Folder

This is the kind of thing we’d like to see Google adopt (steal) for a future Android version. It’s where we’d keep banking apps and financial documents. It ultimately provides an extra level of security in the case of phone theft or loss, and who couldn’t use that?

Not to mention, it’s really cool using iris unlock to open up the Secure Folder. It feels like Mission Impossible.

Battery

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has a 3,500mAh battery, supporting fast charge on wired and wireless, compatible with WPC and PMA wireless standards. It lasted 9 hours and 12 minutes in our torture test, streaming Netflix over Wi-Fi with the display brightness set to max.

This is about the bare minimum you can expect from the Note 7 in a real-world situation, and it’s an excellent result. Anything over 8 hours is good.

Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charging, based on the Qualcomm Quick Charge, is one of our favorite smartphone features. Plugged in and charging, it pumps the Note 7 battery to about 43% capacity after just 30 minutes.

Camera

We claimed the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge had the best smartphone camera, so we’re happy to see the same shooters on the Note 7. Those are a 12-megapixel rear Dual Pixel camera, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Dual Pixel technology first launched with the previous S7s, where each photo pixel doubles as a focus pixel. This results in whip fast focus. On top of that, each of the individual image pixels are larger than those on the Note 5 photo sensor, making the Note 7 much better in low light (bigger pixels, more surface space to capture light). Bigger photo pixels also means there are less of them, which is why the Note 5 has a 16-megapixel rear camera, and the Note 7’s is 12 megapixels.

Trading megapixels for quick focus and low-light performance? We’ll take that deal.

High dynamic range (HDR) video capture is the only new addition to the Note 7. HDR video support is the next great leap in home entertainment, along with 4K high-def. Simply put, HDR video combines footage from various exposure levels into a clip, resulting in a wider and more realistic color range, brighter whites, and deeper blacks. Most smartphones can already take HDR photos.

As with anything smartphone video related, the effect is limited and tough to discern. Both HDR and standard video look great on the Note 7’s AMOLED display, but a large-screen TV exposes limitations. In other words, it’s great for capturing life’s little and big moments, just don’t expect to shoot the next great nature documentary on the Note 7.

Sample Photos

20160814_194758 20160815_092759 20160815_093315 20160815_094132

Value

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 costs between $850 to $880, based on the carrier. Each is also running promotions at launch, with Samsung offering up a 256GB microSD card or a Gear Fit 2 with perorders. That’s a lot of money for a smartphone, even if it’s in line with other 64GB phablets and flagships, like the iPhone 6s Plus.

Mid-range and budget smartphones are getting closer to flagship levels with each generation. If you can tolerate a little compromise, the Huawei Honor 5X, OnePlus X, ZTE Zmax Pro, and Motorola Moto G4 are great devices that cost less than $300 and work just as well as the Note 7 for apps, email, messaging, and general smartphone activities.

You won’t get the premium display or advanced S Pen tools, however. For that, you might consider a Note 5. It’s still an excellent smartphone, and it can be had refurbished for as little as $350.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is a near-perfect smartphone. It’s the best smartphone available as of this writing. It has a world-class design, knock-out display, and the best mobile productivity features. The only other smartphone that comes close on all three counts in the Samsung Galaxy Note 5.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display.

Those upgrading to the Note 7 will be immediately drawn to its symmetrical build. This thing looks great and feels great. Its IP68 water resistance is the most practical benefit, and we think all Note 7 owners will come to appreciate using the S Pen on a wet screen sooner or later. Samsung gets bonus points for bundling USB C adapters to ease the transition from microUSB to the new standard.

The new iris scanner delivers quickly and consistently. We set it as the default unlock option and never thought twice about switching to the fingerprint scanner or PIN option. And Secure Folder is a legit addition. We wish all smartphones had something similar.

The camera will also impress anyone not upgrading from an S7 or S7 edge. It still the best on mobile, with fast focus and great low-light performance.

The S Pen has never felt more natural on the display, thanks to the added friction. And while magnify and translate are lackluster additions to the S Pen toolbox, the holdovers are present and still the best for mobile inkers and note takers.

The only thing keeping the Note 7 from being a must-have device is its high price. Eight hundred and fifty dollars will snag a high-end 2-in-1, or Core-powered laptop. It’s a lot to plunk down for a smartphone.

But if you want the best of the best in late 2016, this is it.

The post Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Review: The Only Android Flagship appeared first on Brighthand.com.

How to Buy a Chinese Smartphone

Posted on by Vince Font

There are excellent smartphones coming out of China. And they’re cheap! While some, like Huawei handsets, have a small foothold in the US, most only ship to other overseas markets. So how do you get one Stateside? Read on to find out.

Why Buy Chinese?

The Honor 5X has an all-metal back panel.

Honor 5X

Low cost is the most compelling argument for anyone considering buying a Chinese-manufactured smartphone. Xiaomi is widely considered the best price to performance. Its designs brazenly rip off Apple and Samsung (which might explain why they’ve avoided the US market), but the company offers its wares at a fraction of the cost of US flagships. In addition, the Xiaomi smartphone specs are top-notch and compete well in a “Pepsi Challenge” test among casual users seeking functionality over brand recognition. For example, the Xiaomi Mi5 launched in March has a 1080p display and comes equipped with a Snapdragon 820 processor, up to 4GB of RAM, and internal storage options ranging from 32 to 128GB. The fully tricked-out version goes for less than $400. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge have higher-resolution displays, but the same internals. And those can cost up to and above $700.

But it’s not just about cosmetic ripoffs. Some, like Huawei’s Honor 5X, are uniquely inspired devices that rank high in performance and can be had for about $200.

Extended delivery wait times can be an issue if you need your phone yesterday, but if you’re shopping in advance that isn’t much of an issue. Pricey costs for overseas delivery is a potential issue with some retailers, but considering the amount of money you may save by buying Chinese, you’ll still end up significantly well ahead.

Where Can You Buy a Chinese Smartphone?

ZTE Grand X3

ZTE Grand X3

The availability of Chinese smartphones through traditional channels is one of the greatest barriers to ownership. Don’t expect to be able to pick one up from any of the big four carriers – and before you buy one from a third party, make sure the smartphone you’ve got your eyes on will work with your existing plan. This goes for smartphones manufactured by Huawei and Xiaomi, but also includes Meizu, Lenovo, Oppo, Vivo, and ZTE.

NewEgg, GearBest, Chinavasion, and GeekBuying are your best bets for getting your hands on a Chinese smartphone in the U.S., as are Amazon and eBay. Some of these sites offer free shipping, but they aren’t the only sources out there. Many manufacturers make their mobile devices available to U.S. buyers directly from their websites. This may provide a little more peace of mind than going third-party, but you may have to pay heavy shipping.

Stuff to Consider

Issues of network compatibility with stateside carriers are your chief concern when buying a Chinese smartphone. For example, the aforementioned Mi5 from Xiaomi was originally advertised to support US LTE bands, but that has since been proven not to be the case. Hence, the serious need to do your homework before you spend money on a Chinese-made smartphone.

One excellent resource that you can leverage to perform this pre-purchase resource can be found at Will My Phone Work. A quick look here reveals that the previously mentioned Honor 5X – although a good, cheap smartphone – has only a handful of sub-models that are compatible in the States for 3G and 4G connectivity. The vast majority can only be used running 2G, which will likely be a deal-killer for most tech-conscious users.

Taxes and customs can also add to your overall cost. You may be charged a duty fee on top of the device and shipping.

Finally, CYA when it comes to payment, and avoid paying direct with a credit card, debit card, or bank transfer. A PayPal account is likely your best bet. You can always channel any disputes through PayPal should things not work out.

Words of Warning

Huawei Mate 8

Huawei Mate 8

Without doubt, one of the most compelling reasons to stick with an American-made or U.S. carrier-warrantied smartphone is your easy access to service. If something goes wrong with your iPhone, getting someone to look at it is as easy as walking into the nearest Apple store. And if your Samsung takes the plunge, there are plenty of places where you can bring or send your smartphone in for repairs or—if it’s covered—replacement.

Getting quick customer service on a Chinese smartphone, on the other hand, can be a lot like negotiating a maze without the benefit of a map—and with a potential language barrier thrown in. Also, shipping costs to send your smartphone overseas for repair can be exorbitant. There’s always the option of taking your smartphone to a local repair shop if something goes wonky, but the vast majority of stateside experts specialize in readily-available brands, and you may have trouble finding someone local with the know-how to crack open and fix a Chinese-made smartphone. You’ll have even more trouble finding a resource that has access to individual replacement parts.

Security issues can also rear their ugly heads. It was reported recently that Taiwanese-manufactured MT6582 chips, which are in wide use on low-end smartphones from Huawei and Lenovo, can give root access to malicious software and hacker attacks. That said, no smartphone in the world is immune from attack, but it’s something worth considering.

Lastly, there’s the far less frightening—but equally important—issue of receiving timely operating system updates, which many adopters of Chinese-manufactured smartphones complain aren’t frequent enough.

The post How to Buy a Chinese Smartphone appeared first on Brighthand.com.

Don’t Break the Chain with Streaks – Daily Habit Tracker Android App

Posted on by Vince Font

Imagine if you had Jerry Seinfeld hanging over your shoulder all day long – not cracking jokes (which would be as awesome as it would be distracting) but pushing you to get stuff done. Believe it or not, there’s an app for that. Sort of. Streaks – Daily Habit Tracker is a new Android app that employs Seinfeld’s simple “don’t break the chain” trick as its core function to achieve improved productivity.

Screenshot_2015-07-08-14-39-55Although Seinfeld’s methodology involves making big red checkmarks on a highly visible wall calendar to remind you to keep your chain of daily accomplishments going – and presumably to fill you with self-loathing and shame for any gap in days when you were too lazy to go jogging, or walk the dogs, or write a new joke, or clear your workplace email inbox – Streaks lives on your smartphone and follows you wherever you go.

It’s a simplistic app with a straightforward interface that doesn’t waste time on superfluities. You add a task by tapping a plus icon and keying in a brief description. You can schedule timed reminders that send push notifications to your smartphone, or if you’re of a more disciplined bent you can manually refer to the app to see where you stand.

Once tasks are added, they show up on the app’s main screen in descending order of when they were added. Tapping “Complete” on any item keeps a running tally of how many days in a row you’ve gone without shirking your responsibilities, giving you a visual representation of well you’re doing.

The goal, naturally, is to keep your streak alive without letting a calendar day get past you. If you fail to complete a task, the counter resets to zero. A social sharing feature is also present, giving you the option of bragging about your accomplishments via Facebook, Twitter, email, text message, or any other platform installed to your Android. You can also use the sharing feature to publicly shame yourself when you failed to live up to your own expectations, but we don’t recommend it.

Unfortunately, Streaks in its present form is only able to track daily tasks. This means you don’t have the ability to program every-other-day or bi-weekly duties. It also doesn’t let you edit task names once they’ve been created, and there’s no widget support – but with the developer’s demonstrated attentiveness to feedback, it’s likely much of this will change as the app evolves into maturity.

Streaks – Daily Habit Tracker is available as a free download from Google Play and requires Android 4.0 and up. The free version limits you to five tasks at a time, where the $1.99 pay version lets you set an unlimited number. Maybe not quite worth the full cost of admission, but certainly useful if you’re looking for an easy to use reminder.

The post Don’t Break the Chain with Streaks – Daily Habit Tracker Android App appeared first on Brighthand.com.

Bounce Is the Latest Whiteboard App, One of the Best

Posted on by Vince Font

If you’ve ever taken part in a collaborative brainstorming session, you know one thing: follow-through is everything. Without it, even the greatest ideas in the world can suffer death by premature fadeout. As we’ve come to learn, there’s an app for that. There are actually lots of apps for that, but one in particular claims to assure the survival of creative momentum better than others. It’s called Bounce by IdeaPaint.

screen322x572Newly available for iOS (and promising an Android release soon), Bounce aims to be every iOS user’s go-to app for fostering continued collaboration long after the initial creative spark has dwindled and the caffeine high has worn off. It works by using your iPhone camera to capture images of things like whiteboards, flipcharts and notebooks so you can refer to them later and share them around as needed to keep projects going.

Launching the app gives you the option to snap a photo, import one from your gallery, or create a new project. If you’ve already created projects, these are populated on the app’s main screen and organized in descending order from the most recent.

Creating from scratch is done by snapping a photo, or by tapping the plus icon and following the prompts to add a title, a description, and the email addresses of your co-collaborators. Photos can be added at the start of the process or taken later on. The app includes a no-frills crop tool with basic functionality. There’s also an auto image cleanup tool that does a fairly decent job, but nothing miraculous. You can overlay handwritten text onto an image using a pencil tool that offers four colors – red, blue, green or black. There’s also an eraser tool present for backtracking.

Images can be tagged with annotations that show up as numbered circles on the image and appear as footnotes when a project is shared. To add annotation, just tap on the image and type your note. Sharing occurs via email, which sends a unique project-related URL to recipients (you can also incorporate projects with Google Drive and Dropbox).

Sharing a project will send push notifications to collaborators who have the app installed and notifications turned on. Although you’re required to create an account when installing Bounce, collaborators don’t have to do the same to receive project updates via email. They will have to have the app installed on their mobile device to contribute to the discussion, though, which is really the whole point.

By all indication, Bounce is a potentially powerful app but to this point it remains a work in progress. The interface is lean and uncluttered, and the layout of the main page is attractive – but the app itself is not as intuitive or straightforward as it may need to be for it to realize its potential with bigger audiences. Expect some of this to change as user feedback pours in.

Bounce by IdeaPaint is available now as a free download from iTunes and requires iOS 8.0 or later. It’s also compatible with iPad and iPod touch, but was optimized for iPhones 5 through 6 Plus.

The post Bounce Is the Latest Whiteboard App, One of the Best appeared first on Brighthand.com.

Apple Music Review: A Mess of Features or Just a Mess?

Posted on by Matt Elliott

apple-music-logoWe shouldn’t be surprised that the digital music pioneer that introduced the iPod and iTunes to the world found itself in a panic as more people began streaming music and downloading less of it through iTunes. After all, we’re talking about a similar transition to the one we witnessed years earlier when people stopped buying CDs and started downloading music from iTunes in the first place. Streaming music is simply another shift in music consumption habits and this time Apple was on the wrong side of it. In response, Apple quickly gobbled up Beats Music and then turned around and spun it into Apple Music.

While the overall design of Apple Music is graphically rich and inviting, the app feels cluttered. There’s an almost hurried or haphazard feel as all manner of playlists — curated, algorithmic, activity-based, popularity-based — get squeezed next to a live radio station, a social media network still in its infancy, and your purchased music in iTunes. Thankfully, it retains the best feature of Beats Music without trying to jam too many features into it. Apple is offering a free three-month trial to woo the Spotify faithful and subscribers to other music streaming services and, as we now see after using the app for a few days, to give all users a chance to figure out what’s available and where it’s all located.

AppleMusicStart-282x501After the trial, Apple Music costs $9.99 a month for individual users, the same price as Spotify and Google Play. Apple Music offers a better family deal than Spotify, however, letting you and up to five others share an account for $14.99. Apple Music is available for iOS devices and via iTunes on Macs and PCs; an Android app will be out in the fall. It should be noted that Apple Music was tested on an iPhone 6 for this review.

If you used Beats Music for any length of time, you’ll be immediately familiar with Apple Music. Like its precursor, Apple Music displays a bunch of bubbles upon startup to begin learning your music tastes. You’ll first tap on genre bubbles — one tap to like a bubble, two taps to love it. After tapping your favorite genres, Apple Music will then offer you artist bubbles. After you choose the artists you like and love, you’ll be deposited in Apple Music.

For You

The first of the five tabs along the bottom of Apple Music is labeled For You, which is nearly an exact replica of the Just For You section of Beats Music. It serves up a mix of playlists and albums based on the genre and artist bubbles you tapped during setup, your listening habits, and the music already in your iTunes library.

When not searching for a specific song, album, or artist, this reviewer spent the majority of his time in the Just For You section on Beats Music and is happy to see it live on in nearly the same form. My only complaint is that now you need to return to the top of the list and swipe down to refresh, which is the opposite of the refresh function in Beats Music that let you refresh simply by continuing to scroll down. For You offers the same mix of albums from familiar and unfamiliar artists along with playlists that hit the mark more often than not. The Intro to and Inspired by playlists, for example, are nearly always strong. If you don’t like one of the included songs, long tap on and select I Don’t Like This Suggestion.

ForYou-282x501 IDontLikeThis-282x501

You’ll also see that this is far from the only option on this menu; an indication that perhaps Apple Music is trying to do too much. You can access this same menu by tapping on the three dots to the right when you’re in an album; this brings up the More menu which offers additional choices for playlists.

Keep in mind this is only the first generation of the app! What happens when Apple gets ideas for new features? Oh, please don’t let Apple Music turn into the bloated mess that iTunes became when it went from a simple yet powerful way to organize a music library to a clearinghouse for music, movies, apps, and more.

New

NEWThe New tab essentially replaces the vaguely titled Highlights section of Beats Music, and while its focus on new music is appreciated, it’s a fairly loose focus. What starts with a logical New Music section of new albums and a Hot Tracks section of popular songs quickly turns random. The app winds its way from playlists created by Apple Music editors and curators, various activities (holdovers from Beats Music that seems stuffed in the New section for reasons that escape us) back to New Releases, Top Songs, and Hot Albums that seem to only duplicate the New Music and Hot Tracks sections we’ve just seen.

Further down you’ll encounter Connect-related discoveries — one for audio tracks and one for videos — and a New Artists section. We plan on ignoring the Connect-related lists but would argue the New Artists section deserves a spot at or near the top of the New tab.

The New tab ends in truly bizarre fashion with a list of “Alternative Essentials” … none of which are new or even can be since it requires the passage of time before an album can be deemed “essential” to a particular genre of or movement in music.

Radio

With this tab, Apple Music takes iTunes Radio and adds a live radio station with actual human DJs as the headliner. Apple Music introduces Beats 1, a 24-hour global radio station with live DJs playing songs and interviewing artists (Zane Lowe recently interviewed Eminem, for example), artists will guest-host blocks, and you can even find the occasional chart countdown show.

Radio_Beats1-282x501Beats 1 feels like a throwback for the very nature of radio being live and having humans talking in between songs. We have grown accustomed, however, to skipping back if we miss a song because we’re working or otherwise distracted or skipping ahead if we don’t like the current song playing, and neither move is available with Beats 1. It’s an honest-to-goodness terrestrial radio station but one without a format and that plays inside your iPhone.

The Beats 1 broadcast DJ roster goes three deep. Zane Lowe in Los Angeles, Ebro Darden in New York City, and Julie Adenuga in London each broadcast a two-hour show Monday through Thursday. Beats 1 is always on but isn’t always live; the shows from our gang above are rebroadcast 12 hours later each day.

In addition to the three main Beats 1 DJs, the Radio tab features shows hosted by guest artists. Although you can’t skip tracks when listening to Beats 1 radio, you can go back and find the songs played during some previously aired shows, neatly organized into playlists for your listening pleasure and ease. That option lets you get just the songs and none of the DJ chatter.

We aren’t sure how Beats 1 will attract regular listeners after the excitement surrounding the launch of this admittedly unique feature for a streaming music service begins to wear off. Granted, we have been using Apple Music and listening to Beats 1 for less than a week, but song selection is all over the place (Elton John and Jaden Smith are hosting shows in the same week, for example; name another radio station where that could or should happen). One of the DJs will need to grow on us to make it habit forming, although we plan to mine the playlists from the previously aired shows to uncover new discoveries and find old favorites.

In addition to Beats 1, the Radio tab features the old stations from iTunes Radio, which has otherwise gone the way of the dodo and Beats Music.

Connect

Connect-282x501In its fervor to distinguish itself among streaming music services, Apple also added a social network to the mix. Connect is a spot where artists and fans can interact. Artists can post updates, photos, videos and more, and fans can like, comment on, and share their posts.

You are set up by default to follow the artist whose bubbles you tapped when setting up Apple Music but you can follow and unfollow to more or less fine tune your Connect feed.

As with any social network that is in its infancy, it’s difficult to pass judgement on Connect until this network of artists and fans becomes more fully formed. And if you aren’t connecting with Connect, you can replace this tab with a Playlists tab. (To do so, go to Settings > General > Restrictions and turn the slider off for Apple Music Connect.)

My Music

The fifth tab acts as an escape hatch from the dizzying world of streaming music and to the familiar comfort of your iTunes library and playlists. Apple Music lets you add music you find in the app to the My Music tab via the cluttered More menu. You will have access to the My Music tab without paying for a subscription, along with the Connect network and Beats 1 and Apple’s other radio stations.

Conclusion

MyMusic-282x501Apple Music brings a lot to the streaming music table — including a library of more than 30 million songs, which is on par with Spotify and Rdio — but it feels like Apple just dumped the contents of its bag of streaming music tricks on the kitchen table and walked away. There’s a ton to sift through. On that note, Apple Music lets you use Siri to demand that a song or artist be played; which helps you cut through the clutter.

We are happy to see that the For You streaming of recommended spot-on playlists and albums survived from Beats Music, and we are curious to check out Beats 1. We are less sure if the Connect network will connect with us, but we say this as someone who has a mortgage and dependents rather than as a teenager with a new found passion for music and lot of free time to indulge in such pursuits.

It is our hope that the next update to Apple Music brings a more logical structure to its many features rather than simply more features. Really, we just want the New tab to be straightened out to ease music discovery. Many of its lists feel redundant and not all of the music contained within is “new.” It feels like it should be split into two tabs: one for New music and another for various Charts, with older playlists moved to the Playlist tab.

With the contents of the New tab better organized combined with the already rock-solid For You tab, we would give serious consideration to switching from Spotify to Apple Music at the end of the three-month trial … even if we never find a show on Beats 1 that resonates.

 

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50 Million Downloads Later, Google Keep is the Best Note Taking App

Posted on by Vince Font

It’s a rare occasion that we review productivity apps which have been around for two years, but the fact is that some apps are like wine. They get better with age. The fact that Google Keep has topped 50 million downloads in the two years since its launch gives credence to the fact that it runs circles around other apps that claim the same capabilities. Here’s what we have (re)discovered.

In case you aren’t already familiar, Google Keep is a free note taking and reminder app available for Android devices that works a lot like Evernote – only in our opinion, it’s a lot simpler to use. If you’re already dialed in to the Google/Android ecosystem, it’s practically automatic and comes with a learning curve equivalent to taking baby steps.

Google Keep on a smartphone

Google Keep on a smartphone

To get started, all you do is tap the intuitive “plus” icon on your mobile device. From there, you’ve given four choices: microphone dictation, camera view, bulleted list and document entry. Tapping the microphone icon launches Google’s speech recognition, which automatically translates your spoken words into text and also saves the audio, albeit in poor quality. Speech entry also works for creating bulleted lists or documents, which can alternately be created manually using your smartphone’s keyboard. The camera icon lets you snap a picture or import an existing one from your gallery, after which you can tag it with a related note.

All of these note taking options enable you to set timed reminders – but it’s the location reminder option that really rocks a bit. When you set a location reminder, you’re basically programming your mobile device to pop up with a notification once you’ve reached a certain destination. Like the grocery store. Or work. Or home. Or anywhere else that can be recognized by your GPS. It’s like telling Keep, “Remind me when I get there and not a moment sooner.” Reminders can also appear just about anywhere you have Google, including your browser, Google Now, and your Android smartphone.

Saved notes can be color-coordinated, all the better to separate your professional to-dos from your personal ones. Notes can also be labeled for easier categorization, or searched by keyword. As if keyword searchability weren’t enough, finding your notes is further simplified by the ability to filter by list category, assigned color, recorded audio files, or photos. You can also filter your search by notes that have had reminders attached to them, and notes you’ve shared with others.

Which brings us to what just might be the app’s greatest perk: sharing and collaboration. It probably comes as little surprise that any note, document, audio recording or snapshot you take in Keep can be easily synced to your Google Drive account. Tapping the “send” option in your preferences also lets you forward a note via email or any other installed platform on your mobile device. But beyond that, Keep is also capable of facilitating real-time sharing and collaboration with anyone on your contacts list. Simultaneous note editing is possible – and the best part is, you can unshare at any time or remove yourself as a collaborator.

Google Keep on a browser

Google Keep on a browser

Another selling point of Google Keep is its cross-functionality with other platforms and devices. Like the other popular note-taking services, Google Keep gives you the freedom to add and access your reminders from practically any location.

Say you’re on your computer and you suddenly remember that you need to pick up a bag of dog food before sundown so the pups don’t starve. All you do is navigate to keep.google.com and create a reminder. That note will then automatically sync across all of your Android devices with Keep installed. It will also sync across to any computer on any browser – the only catch is that you have to be logged in to your Google account. If you’re already a Google Chrome user, you can add the Keep app to make note taking even easier when you’re browsing the web.

In testing, we discovered that syncing occurs in real-time and were able to watch the words we typed into our laptop magically appear on the mobile app interface. The reverse also worked, with notes added on an Android mobile device immediately appearing on the browser-supported portal. The only drawback is that you can’t add audio or photo notes using the online portal.

Other cool features include a feature called “grab image text” which uses OCR to digitize text from images, and homescreen and lockscreen Android’s widgets to make the app faster to access. Google Keep’s appeal is aided by a minimalistic design and ridiculously simple ease-of-use. Although it’s available only for Android mobile devices, there are third-party apps available to iOS users who prefer coexistence over disharmony. Apps like GoKeep and TurboNote help bridge the gap, and you can also access Google Keep through your Safari browser. If you’re an Android user, pick up Google Keep for free at Google Play and let us know what you think.

 

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Microsoft Office Lens: Great for Productivity, New for iOS and Android

Posted on by Vince Font

Here’s one to add to your growing list of must-have productivity apps. Microsoft Office Lens, newly available for Android and iOS after a year of exclusivity on the Windows Phone market, uses OCR to turn snapshots of whiteboards and other documents into searchable and editable Word, PowerPoint or PDF files. This isn’t a new trick, but in typical fashion Microsoft has come up with a couple of interesting features that make it an app worth introducing to the workplace.

Microsoft Office Lens digitized text

Microsoft Office Lens digitized text

To its great credit, Microsoft Office Lens is remarkably simplistic in both aesthetic design and operation. Launching the app takes you immediately to camera mode, where you’re shown four action buttons. There’s a button to turn flash on or off. Another button lets you choose between document, whiteboard and standard photo mode. A third button opens up a drop-down list of options where you can import photos, access your recent history, and set photo resolution. The fourth button is the shutter, appropriately represented by a camera icon.

Because of its intuitive design, the app is simple to use. Aiming your camera at your intended target launches a feature that automatically identifies text and draws a border around it for ideal framing. One of the more impressive capabilities of Microsoft Office Lens is that shots can be framed from literally any angle and the app will automatically crop, clean and straighten the text, placing it evenly into a straight-on, two-dimensional view.

After an image has been captured to your liking, you’re given the option to perform manual cropping before final processing. Choosing whiteboard mode produces the cleanest and crispest outcome. You can then save images to your connected OneNote or OneDrive account in Word, PowerPoint or PDF format. You can also save images to your local smartphone memory if you don’t have a Microsoft account. Images converted to Word can be edited and images converted to PDF are searchable.

Another selling point of Microsoft Office Lens is its ability to take a snapshot of a business card and transfer the information to your smartphone’s list of contacts. In testing, results were hit and miss on business cards with more complex designs, leading us to the conclusion there’s still work to be done in this area. The ability to import existing snapshots into the app is helpful, but unfortunately OCR and image straightening doesn’t work with imported images.

Marketed as an app to save teams time capturing meeting notes and putting them into easily sharable and searchable digital format, the functionality of Microsoft Office Lens doesn’t begin and end in the office environment. It’s also an app that can be used to capture and store permanent digital copies of important documents and receipts that may degrade over time. If you want to try it out, it’s available now as a free download for Android and iOS. The app requires Android 4.1 and up, or iOS 8.0 and later.

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Acer Bringing Budget Windows Phone to US: Hands On

Posted on by Jamison Cush

You wouldn’t find an Acer smartphone in this country. The Taiwanese device maker, best known for Windows laptops and low-cost tablets, simply didn’t offer them here.

Overseas, it’s different. Acer had its Liquid series of budget and mid-range Android smartphones and phablets, in addition to its Leap wearable.

Acer’s absence was likely due to the ultra-competitive US smartphone market, and the large marketing budgets required to compete with Samsung and Apple, not mention the capital required to negotiate and tussle with the carriers that still act as the primary gatekeepers between smartphone buyers and sellers.

US Bound

Acer Liquid M220

Acer Liquid M220 is an $80 Windows Phone, coming to the US.

Well that’s just changed. Acer is finally entering the US market with perhaps the lowest of low-profile of devices: the budget Windows Phone smartphone.

The Acer Liquid M220 Windows Phone, first announced at Mobile World Congress, is coming the US. It’s a 4-inch Windows Phone 8.1 (upgradeable to Windows Phone 10) device with a 480 x 800 resolution and dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 system on a chip running at 1.2 GHz. It has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage (both double from the M220 announced at MWC, thank goodness), rear 5-megapixel camera, front 2-megapixel camera, and small and replaceable 1,300mAh battery.

Other specs include a microSD slot, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 EDR. No word on cellular connectivity. It wouldn’t surprise me to see this go 3G only.

Budget Windows

At $80 off contract, it’s cheap, real cheap. It will be available through the Microsoft Store beginning in June, where it might not be alone. In March, Microsoft announced a $70 Lumia 430, which shares similar specs, but a slightly larger battery capacity and lower-resolution front-facing camera. The 430 is slated as a dual-sim phone for certain markets where that feature is popular, and there is no clear US release date.

The Acer Liquid M220 has a removable back cover.

The Acer Liquid M220 has a removable back cover.

Though it is way overdue for a new flagship, but will likely withhold releasing one until Windows 10 ships in the summer, Microsoft seems keen on targeting the low-end market. Perhaps because no other OS has emerged to rival Android in the space (Ubuntu, Firefox OS), Microsoft sees an opening.

For Acer, the same is true with the US market. If Sony can’t make a dent with excellent Android hardware, what hope does Acer have? Even on the low-end Android space, Motorola has what many consider to be a budget device that feels like a flagship, the $100 Moto E. Windows Phone may be third-place by a mile and has a significant app problem, but who needs another cheap Android handset?

Hands On

The Acer Liquid M220 is what you’d expect from a 2015 budget phone. It’s compact and relatively light, with glossy display and a pleasantly textured back cover. This thing is easy to hold.

The power button and volume rocker feel cheap and hard to press, but we won’t complain too loudly. It’s an $80 off-contract smartphone, and that it supports a major operating system and seems to function fluidly (at least it did during our hands-on time) is a minor miracle.

Who knows? With $80 to spare, this could make a good complimentary device for a serious Windows user, especially if Microsoft delivers on the universal Windows 10 experience its promising.

Liquid X2

Acer Liquid X2

Acer Liquid X2

It’s not just US-bound Windows Phones, Acer also took the wraps off the Liquid X2, which is notable for its massive 4,000mAh battery and three SIM card slots.

Who needs three SIM card slots? While the feature is popular in the US, globe-trotting travelers, particularly those hopping from country to country, will certainly appreciate the flexibility.

Acer was light on specific details at the launch event, other than the 5.5-inch Android phablet will have a 64-bit eight-core process and two 13-megapixel cameras. The X2 will also pair with smart slotted cover that enables a band of display of display uncovered for alerts and quick actions – sort of like the Note 4 Edge, but in the middle of the display.

There is no word on whether Acer will bring the high-end X2 to the US, but given its tri-SIM selling point, it seems unlikely.

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14 New Apps Moms, Dads, and Grads Should Download Today

Posted on by Jamison Cush

Without apps, smartphones aren’t so smart. Without productivity apps, they aren’t so useful either. The problem is that there are more than a million apps in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, and hundreds of thousands in the Windows Phone Store.

Some are great, many are good, and a lot are junk. Given the glut, how are moms, dads, and recent grads to separate the good from the bad?

They simply need to ask the team at TechnologyGuide for downloading advice.

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The apps listed here are all productivity focused, and most are either free or inexpensive, and fairly new to the scene. So even though they aren’t listed here, popular apps like Evernote and Google Maps will top any best-of list. Also, if you’re interested in great productivity apps that happen to be a bit older, check out this list 38 must-have Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps from last year.

Best iOS Apps

SuperBeam app for iOS

SuperBeam app for iOS

SuperBeam

SuperBeam speeds up the often laborious process of transferring files between your phone and PC. The popular Android app recently made its way to iOS, and it’s one of the best at what it does.

CircleBack

CircleBack is an iOS app that makes updating your contacts list a hands-free experience

TL;DR Email

TL;DR Email is a new email client for iPhones that tries to make your emails more like text messages. For those not in the know, TL;DR stands for Too Long; Didn’t Read.

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft re-branded its recently acquired Accompli app as Outlook for mobile, but emailing with it is just as functional as it’s ever been.

TL;DR Email app for iPhone

TL;DR Email app for iPhone

OU Brainwave

What time of the day do you work best? A new app called OU Brainwave answers that for you with a series of short mobile games.

Workflow

Workflow strengthens the possibilities of IFTTT-style automated commands for your iPhone but never feels difficult to grasp.

Skype Qik

Skype Qik is a group video messaging app that tries, somewhat successfully, to keep the long-standing service from being eclipsed by the Snapchats and Wickrs of the world.

Best Android Apps

Best Windows Phone Apps and Best Games

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How to Remove Smartphone and Tablet App Clutter

Posted on by Matt Elliott

Now that the weather’s getting warmer; it’s time for spring cleaning. But this should include some digital cleaning, specifically organizing that cluttered mess you call a phone or tablet.

Google Play Store

Google Play Store

Whether you’re on iOS or Android, we’d wager you have more apps on your mobile device than  you actually use. Some apps you may have downloaded only to find they were useless or otherwise not to your liking. Others you may have used for a specific purpose that’s now no longer relevant, such as travel organizers for that trip you took last summer. And you certainly have overlapping apps that serve the same purpose. It’s time to clean house and rid yourself of app redundancy and clutter.

We will go category by category and identify areas where you can trim the fat. Of course, a junk app to one user might be app gold to another. So if you like Microsoft Word even though we rely on Google Docs, so be it. The point is that there is no point to having both.

We’re working off an iPhone and a Samsung Android tablet for this how-to, and like many users, often bounce back and forth between iOS and Android in day-to-day dealings. The same advice applies for those with an Android handset and an iPad.

Lastly, don’t forget that deleting an app doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. You can always restore a previously purchased app very easily. On an Android device, open the Play Store app, tap the hamburger button in the upper-left corner and tap “My apps” from the menu. On the My apps page, it usually opens to the Installed view. Tap “All” to view all of your purchased apps, including those on your device and those you previously deleted.

On an iOS device, open the App Store and tap the “Updates” button in the lower-right corner. Scroll to the top of of the list and tap “Purchased.” You can then view all of your app purchases or those apps currently “Not on This Phone.”

Photography

Google Photos

Google Photos

Apple added editing tools to its Photos app, so unless another photo app has a particularly compelling set of features that you use with regularity, you can toss any other photo apps crowding your phone. On an iPhone, we have taken popular photos apps such as Afterlight, Camera+, and Faded out for a spin, but have deleted them because the editing tools in the Photos apps are enough for most mobile photo-editing needs. And because Instagram has become the preferred way to share photos with family and friends, we have long ditched Hipstamatic, a first photo-filtering love.

Assuming you don’t take a lot of photos or videos with a tablet (and you shouldn’t, given how awkward it is), stick with the stock Google Photos and Gallery apps, the latter of which cannot be deleted on the Samsung tablet.

It can be a bit confusing with Android, because Google has its own Photo app that is connected to your Google account. It displays and backs up any photos and videos tied to that particular Google account (typically a Gmail address) to Google Drive. This includes any photos taken with the device.

Android tablet makers like Samsung, HTC, and LG also include a gallery app that houses photos and videos taken with the device, as well as those backed up to third-party photo hosting and cloud services like Dropbox, Box, Flickr, and Facebook.

Bottom line, we stick with those two apps and won’t clog up the Android tablet with third-party additions not named Instagram.

Music

Google Play Music

Google Play Music

Play Music is Google’s answer to iTunes, but if you pay for another streaming service, feel free to delete it. You may want to check it out first, though – it’s not too shabby.

If you have a Samsung device, then you may have also encountered Milk Music, Samsung’s streaming music app. It boasts a slick interface, but it’s largely redundant if you’re already hooked on Pandora or Spotify. Slacker Radio falls into the same category; Milk Music is “powered by Slacker,” so there’s no need to have both, or either.

On the iOS side, if you subscribe to the Apple-owned Beats then you have probably have let your Spotify subscription lapse and can get rid of it (or vice versa). Apple’s Music app, however, is one of the stock iOS apps that cannot be deleted. Even if you stopped using iTunes months (or years) ago, you’ll have to keep the Music app around. Of course, you can hide it in a folder with other seldom used apps rather than have it taking up space in your Music app folder or on your home screen.

Mail

Most iPhone owners here use Gmail. Google’s Gmail app for the iOS is slick, but Apple’s stock Mail app is no slouch. Because you can’t delete the Mail app, most of us have sent the app packing.

As with Photos, things get redundant and confusing fast on an Android device. Manufacturers will include a good-enough stock email app that likely can’t be deleted. Google will include a Gmail app that can be deleted. Google also offers Inbox, which is a slightly different take on email that many users, particularly those with overwhelming inboxes, prefer.

Bottom line again, you don’t need more than one email app. If the stock app is good enough, then delete the others. If it’s not, stash it away and keep it off your homescreen in favor of something you actually use.

Text/Messaging

Apple Messages

Apple Messages

Like Mail, Apple’s stock Messages app has the distinct advantage of being undeletable, which is largely the reason most use it instead of a third-party app. For those with simple text app demands, it works.

Android again brings the redundancy of an official Google text app (Hangouts), along with the manufacturer’s text or messaging app. Google’s offering is generally better than anything the device makers pack as it includes video chat (meaning you can also ditch Skype), Google Voice, and messages over Wi-Fi. But guess what, you can’t delete the manufacturer app.

There are additional considerations here, especially if you are traveling abroad. Apple’s iMessage will let you text other iMessage users over Wi-Fi. Hangouts enables the same thing with other Hangouts users. This helps avoid potentially costly overseas data plans. The ever-popular WhatsApp offers the same service, but only between WhatsApp users.

Going further, Facebook recently spun off its messaging service into a separate app, Facebook Messenger. Both Android and iOS users are now required to download it if they want to send and receive Facebook messages on mobile. And then there’s Snapchat, a popular messaging app that delivers self-destructing messages.

Bottom line here is that app clutter is almost unavoidable. Best you can do is keep it all on your phone to limit it to one device.

Cloud storage

Apple has baked iCloud into iOS and OS X as a way to back up and sync your data. Just like texting, cloud storage is an area where the use of multiple apps makes sense. Some of us use iCloud to back up iPhone data, Google Drive for work (because we use Google Docs quite frequently), and Dropbox for a mix of photos and music. Because iCloud is baked into iOS and not a standalone app, one would only need two cloud storage apps on an iPhone in this particular case: Google Drive and Dropbox.

Just because a cloud service tempts you with an offer of free storage, however, doesn’t mean you need its app on your phone. Box, Amazon Photos, and OneDrive are excellent options as well that offer great deals. For example, Amazon Photos provides unlimited photo backups for Prime members. There’s no reason not to use it in addition to other services. The best advice here is to plot out how you will use each cloud service and stick to the plan, removing any extraneous cloud storage apps that don’t fit.

Productivity

Google Sheets

Google Sheets

We’re fans of iA Writer, which has been available for iOS for some time now and just recently came to Android. It’s a beautifully simple app for writing, but it’s since been usurped by Google Drive around here. Google, however, annoyingly forces the use of two apps: Google Drive for viewing files and Google Docs for editing them. And if you want to edit spreadsheets you need to install Google Sheets. Same with presentations and Slides. Google, why do you clutter us so?

On the flipside, Google Drive lets you read Microsoft Office documents, so you don’t necessarily need the new Word and Excel apps and the like on your phone. Even though many here enjoy using many of Apple’s apps, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are not among them. Thus, they aren’t in the Productivity folders on our iDevices next to Google Drive and Google Docs.

There are seemingly more to-do apps than there are things to do, and this is one area where it’s important to pick a single app and stick with it. Google Keep, Microsoft OneNote, Apple Notes, and Evernote are all great note-taking and to-do apps. Pick one that works for you and delete the rest.

As with your to-do list app, you need to find one calendar app and stick with it. Because we often bounce back and forth between iOS and Android, we have ditched the stock Calendar apps that ship with iOS and Android, tucking them away because they can’t be deleted (Once again, there are two calendar apps on most Android devices, Google Calendar, which can be deleted, and the device maker’s calendar app, which can’t). Any.do has a great cross-platform calendar app that ties in nicely with Any.do’s digital to-do app. The aforementioned Google Calendar is available for both iOS and Android, and it’s a fine option too.

Web browser

Safari is the stock browser on iOS, but it can only be hidden if you want something else. On Android, Chrome is usually the default, and manufacturers often include their own browser. Samsung devices, for example, come with a stock browser simply labeled “Internet.” Once again, those typically can’t be removed.

Not all browsers are the same. Some, like Samsung Internet, still support Flash, while others enable add-ons, and some work better than others on older/slower hardware. That said, there’s almost no point in having more than one on your homescreen.

Navigation

Apple Maps

Apple Maps

Apple’s Maps has improved since its inauspicious debut but it still pales in comparison to Google Maps. Again, as a stock iOS app, it can’t be deleted. So, Apple Maps gets tucked away while Google Maps is right up front.

Other map apps include Nokia Here, Bing Maps, VZ Navigator, Waze, Mapquest, and dozens of others. There’s no point in having more than one map app really.

Social Networking

This one is easy. Facebook, yes. Google+, no. If you created a Google+ account out of curiosity but haven’t touched it since, get rid of the Google+ app. It comes preinstalled on many Android devices, but thankfully you can delete it.

Health and fitness

There is no shortage of health apps for iOS and Android so it’s easy to get carried away with your phone’s tracking ability and find yourself with a phalanx of health apps. If you bounce from one exercise craze to the next, make sure you rid yourself of the app associated with the previous craze before you move on to the next. Also, think before putting any health apps on your tablet. There are some great Yoga and workout apps that walk you through the various poses and exercises, and those benefit from a larger screen, but are you really going to take a tablet to the gym? Or how about running or biking with you?

Don’t forget you can use your phone or tablet’s browser to look up information instead of needing a dedicated app for a specific search query. For example, one could argue that only hypochondriacs need to install the WebMD app. For everyone else with a mild ailment, you can access the WebMD website from your mobile browser of choice, but you should just go to the doctor if you’re actually sick instead of trying to diagnose yourself

Weather

The stock weather apps that come with iOS and Android are good for a quick check of the current conditions the week’s forecast. Some of us like to gain additional information some days, particularly during the winter months in the Northeast for snowfall estimates. Although Funny or Die’s Weather and its daily one-liners app were fun for a week, Yahoo Weather is the choice around here. It has a convenient 10-day forecast and gorgeous interface.

Whatever your preferred weather app, you only need two, tops.

Conclusion

App sizes in Android

App sizes in Android

There is a very good chance you found this article not because you are a Type A, hyper-organized smartphone owner (in which case, your phone would already be organized and devoid of clutter) but rather after you received a message that your phone have no more available storage when you went to snap a photo or install an app. If this describes you, then you need to figure out which apps are taking up the most space and start deleting any you don’t use. (Another good place to start would be deleting photos and videos or offloading them from your phone to your computer or the cloud, but we digress.)

Depending on which version of Android you’re using, and whatever tweaks the device maker made to the setting menu, this can be tough to find. In pure Android 5.0, this list is available by going to Settings > Device > Storage > Apps > All. From here, you can also easily uninstall.

Otherwise, you can use a third-party app such as DiskUsage or Disk Manager to get a sense of the most egregious offenders. Installing an app in order to find apps to uninstall strikes us as getting off on the wrong foot, but you can always delete your disk utility app after it serves its purpose.

No third-party app is required to identify and eradicate apps taking up more than their fair share of space on iOS. Head to Settings > General > Usage > Manage Storage to see a list of your apps, sorted by the amount of disk space they take up. You can then tap on an app from the list to see more details and access a Delete App button.

The post How to Remove Smartphone and Tablet App Clutter appeared first on Brighthand.com.

ZTE Grand X Max+ Hands-On: Bigger and Better?

Posted on by Jeff Dunn

Phablets are the new black these days, and ZTE hopes to further the big-screened craze with its Grand X Max+. The 6-inch device, which ZTE dubs the “next-generation version” of last year’s Grand X Max, is coming exclusively to US prepaid outfit Cricket Wireless on January 9, for an affordable $200 off contract. We were able to get our hands on the phone shortly after it was announced at CES this week.

Given that its name has three separate synonyms for the word “big,” it shouldn’t be surprising to hear that the Grand X Max+ is a large smartphone. Or rather, still a large smartphone, as it more or less shares the same mostly rectangular build as its predecessor. Its 6-inch screen is sizable even when compared to most other phablets, and the body that houses it is rather thick, so it’s never going to be totally usable with one hand.

The ZTE Grand X Max+

The ZTE Grand X Max+

However, we’ve said before that’s not the worst thing in the world, and the Grand X Max+’s design doesn’t feel as overwhelming as its screen size would suggest when held in the hand. That’s mostly due to how light the whole thing is. At 171.8g, it’s not petite, but it’s not as much of a burden to carry around as a Galaxy Note 4 or iPhone 6 Plus.

Part of that comes down to the cheap-feeling plastic that makes up much of the device, but for $200 it’s not overwhelmingly offensive. The look here is plain but clean, and the glass panel on the back, while something of a fingerprint magnet, lends some semblance of a higher-quality feel. We also approve of the rounded top and bottom edges, as they help the phone come off as a little less like your everyday black slab.

The Grand X Max+ has seen some upgrades on the spec sheet, though they’re mostly modest. It now runs on a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 chipset alongside 2 GB of RAM, which is fair enough for a phone of its price. We didn’t notice any major issues scrolling through the OS or opening up apps, but it’s definitely not something we’d call fast either. It’s still a $200 phone, just

Outside of that, the device now comes with 16 GB of internal storage (up from 8 GB), with up to 32 GB addable through a microSD slot, as well a 3,200 mAh battery. The latter sounds fine on paper, but ZTE’s only promised 6.5 hours of talk time, which is strangely low. The company says it’ll feature Qualcomm’s rapid charging tech as well, however.

The software setup is the same as before, with ZTE’s inoffensive but somewhat boring skin sitting over the slightly outdated Android 4.4.4 KitKat. It doesn’t mess much with the basic usability of the OS, but it doesn’t add much either, and it’s got a rather generic aesthetic. Our demo unit was also loaded up with a fair amount of bloatware, which is unfortunately common amongst carrier exclusives like this.

The 6-inch elephant in the room is still in the Grand X Max+’s display. It’s spacious, and ZTE’s done a good job surrounding it with nicely thin bezels, but it’s only 720p. That’s only good for a pixel density of 245 ppi, which is pretty rough. It’s understandable if ZTE felt it couldn’t meet that $200 price point with a 1080p panel, but there doesn’t seem to be much point in the display being 6 inches (instead of even 5.5) if the only thing that size is going to do is make the screen grainier and make the body less convenient to hold.

The back of the ZTE Grand X Max+

The back of the ZTE Grand X Max+

Inexpensive phones like the Moto G get away with this explicitly because they’re smaller; it’s a harder sell when something this big tries to make the same sacrifices. The panel looked decent enough during our demo, with serviceable contrast and solid brightness, but viewing angles were subpar, and the lack of sharpness hung over the whole experience. If we want to be positive about it, the low resolution should ensure at least decent battery life.

In any case, the “+” part of the Grand X Max+ derives from two welcome upgrades. One is that the phone now supports LTE — the previous model was HSPA+ only — which is always great to see at a price this low. The other boost comes to the cameras, which have gone from 8- and 1-megapixels on the Grand X Max to 13- and 5-megapixels here. We found both new cams to wash out bright colors a little bit, but on the whole their performance was much better than usual for a device this cheap. The front camera seemed particularly admirable, with a good eye for detail and a wide-angle lens capable of capturing lots of space in each shot.

ZTE wouldn’t confirm or deny whether the Grand X Max+’s arrival will boot the original Grand X Max from the market or lower its price tag even further, but either way, the former looks to be a respectable midrange device. It’s not premium, and it’ll be hard to justify its massive size when its display resolution only meets the minimum, but those who want the other benefits a phablet can provide and prioritize price above all else should find enough to like here.

The post ZTE Grand X Max+ Hands-On: Bigger and Better? appeared first on Brighthand.com.