iOS 11 for iPhone Review

iOS gets updated every year, but Apple has settled into a pattern in which the iPad gets the lion’s share of the improvements one year, and the next year is for the iPhone. Sorry iPhone users, the focus is on iPad in 2017, but that doesn’t mean this new version has nothing for smartphones.

iOS 11 for iPhone:

Siri has been improved, iOS 11 offers a redesigned Control Center, and the Notification Center and Unlock Screen have been merged. A Do Not Disturb While Driving setting has been added. The new Files app is something  people have been requesting for years, while the Notes and Maps applications have many few features, and the App Store and Podcasts have been redesigned. There are also Camera improvements. To top it all off, there are many tweaks throughout the operating system, with bolder fonts and redesigned buttons.

We take a closer look at these changes, and evaluate how bug-free iOS 11 is at this point.

iOS 11 and Siri

Apple has put a lot of effort into making Siri sound more human, and as a result it’s a wee bit more expressive, and less likely to mispronounce words, whether you choose the female or male voice, with American or British accent. Even so, Siri still sounds fairly mechanical, but progress is being made.

iOS 11 for iPhone:

iOS 11 Siri Translate

There are a number of new features in iOS 11 that Apple credits to Siri that don’t immediately have a clear connection to it. For example, make several web searches for “Ukraine” and the News application will suggest you start following this country as a topic. The app will say this suggestion came from Siri, even if none of these searches were done by talking to your iPhone.  This because Apple considers Siri a personal assistant whose reach extends throughout the iOS, so anytime your phone learns something about you from your actions, that’s chalked up to Siri.

Like any assistant, Siri is always watching what you’re doing, hoping to be helpful. For example, it’s supposed to suggest adding a Calendar entry for appointments made on the Web. Or web searches for a movie title should put that title in QuickType suggestions. At this point, however, we have yet to see any of this happen on our test device.

An addition to Siri with serious potential is the ability to translate English speech into French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish. Just say “Hey Siri, translate I need a menu into Spansh” and Siri will say “Necessito un menú”, and give you the option to easily play this audio clip again the next time the waiter comes around. The limitation is that Siri currently can’t translate any of these languages back into English, so you’re on your own if the waiter says “El menú está en la pizarra.”

iOS 11 for iPhone: Control Center

iOS 11 for iPhone:

iOS 11 Control Center

The completely redesigned Control Center could have been one of the best improvements in the iPhone version of iOS 11, but Apple screwed it up instead.

Let’s start with the good part. All the major functions now appear on a single page, broken up into groups by categories. A Force Touch of some of these brings up additional options. For example, hard pressing on the group with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. opens a sub-window with controls for AirDrop and Personal Hotspot.

Go to the Settings app to add some additional buttons to the Control Center, and some previously standard ones can can taken out. Just a few of the new options include links to Apple Wallet,  Magnifier, Low Power Mode, and an Apple TV Remote.

But with iOS 11 it’s two steps forward, one step back. When Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are deactivated in the Control Center, they aren’t actually turned off. Apple thinks it knows better than you, and is sure you don’t really want to turn off these wireless features because then you can’t use AirDrop, Handoff, or communicate with an Apple Watch. So turning off Wi-Fi just sets it so it won’t connect to any hotspots, and Bluetooth is set so it won’t connect to non-Apple accessories.

As a result of this “feature”, you can’t use the Control Center to deactivate these wireless functions to save battery power. Instead, you have to go into the Settings app to actually turn them off.

iOS 11 for iPhone: Notification Center/Unlock Screen

iOS 11 for iPhone:

iOS 11 Notification Center/Unlock Screen

Previously, the Notification Center and the Unlock Screen had overlapping functions. With iOS 11, pulling down from the top of the screen now brings up the Unlock Screen, and the separate Notification Center is no more. The Unlock Screen is essentially unchanged, and stroking to the right from this screen still brings up a page of widgets.

We consider this a welcome move, as the screens did almost the same thing in slightly different ways, and that’s not good interface design.

iOS 11 and Do Not Disturb While Driving

If you just can’t resist checking incoming texts while behind the wheel, then Do Not Disturb While Driving is for you. All notifications will be held until you are no longer driving, and any incoming texts will get an auto response informing the sender that you can’t talk right now. That latter feature is one we’d like to be able to turn off or customize, but that’s not possible yet with iOS 11.

You can completely turn off this feature when you’re in the passenger seat and not driving.

iOS 11 and Files

iOS 11 for iPhone:

iOS 11 Files

Apple frequently draws complaints for not including a file system in iOS that iPhone and iPad users can access. This is a case of the company choosing simplicity over flexibility: you’ll store you’re files where Apple says they go so you can’t misplace them. Still, the company has finally created something that can take it’s place, as least partially.

The new Files application replaces the old iCloud Drive app, and it now allows users to organize the contents of iCloud Drive however they wish. Gone are the days when, for example, all the documents from Apple Pages had to be stored in one folder called Pages.

Apple Files can also access the contents of rival online storage systems, including Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive. It still can’t access anything stored directly on the iPhone (or iPad), however.

The biggest beneficiaries of this new feature will be iPad users, as they frequently use their tablet as a laptops and so need to work with more files, and more types of files.

iOS 11 for iPhone: Notes, Maps, App Store, and Podcasts

Just about all of the applications that come bundled on iPhones have been tweaked in iOS 11, but some have received more significant changes.

Apple has been slowly improving Notes for years, and the newest version gains support for inserting tables into a note. In addition, handwritten text is supposedly now recognized and searchable. This feature was not at all a success in our tests, as Spotlight and Notes’ own  search engine couldn’t find written words in our embedded sketches.

iOS 11 for iPhone:

iOS 11 App Store Home Screen

That means that probably the most important change in this particular application is the document scanner. This can embed a scanned document into a note, or export it as a PDF. This document can also be marked up. Our tests showed that this feature works well enough that it will likely take the place of nearly all third-party iOS software that uses the phone’s or tablet’s camera to scan a document.

After a rocky start a few years go, Apple Maps is getting close to parity with Google Maps and other top navigation software. The latest iteration finally gets lane advice, and it can display the current speed limit. It doesn’t warn the user when they are speeding, however.

With iOS 11, the homescreen for the App Store has become less of a collection of application icons and more of a magazine about third-party software, with articles that discuss different types of apps. At this point, it’s not clear if this is a way for Apple to highlight the best options available or if it’s just another for-pay advertising venue.

Podcasts has received a redesign that’s a bit unusual for Apple: it now offers several different ways to organize the same content. While this gives users more flexibility–do you want to see your podcasts by how recently they’ve been updated, or in a set order?– it also means you should take some time figuring out the best arrangement for you.

iOS 11 for iPhone: Camera

iOS 11 for iPhone:

iOS 11 Live Photo

Although the changes to the Camera app aren’t profound, the iPhone used used so often to  take pictures that even small changes have big results.

Fans of Live Photos will be happy to learn that they can now choose which frame of the mini-movie they’ve recorded is used as the still image. You can also crop off unwanted parts of the moving portion. Live Photos can also be set to loop, or play backward and forward.

There are also improvements for those with an iPhone camera that supports Bokeh images–ones with the foreground in focus but the background is blurred, which Apple confusingly calls Portrait images. They work better in low light now, or a flash can be used. There’s also optical image stabilization for the first time.

iOS 11 for iPhone: Should You Upgrade?

There are some nice improvements in iOS 11, so should you immediately go install it? We’ve been extensively testing the Golden Master, final official version, for week now, and it still has quite few bugs. The one that has gotten the most press prevents business users who use Microsoft’s email services from sending messages, but this isn’t alone. Admittedly, none are anywhere near as bad as that one, but they can be irritating. We’ve some display problems, quirks with personal hotspot, etc.

Apple is hard at work on iOS 11.0.1, which should fix some of the issues that slipped through this summer’s extensive beta testing. It might be better to wait until that’s released.

All of that said, If there’s a new feature described above that you find really enticing, you won’t have major problems with iOS 11 … as long as you don’t need to use email from Outlook.com, Exchange, etc. If you don’t mind a few bugs, go ahead, visit Settings > General > Software Update.

The post iOS 11 for iPhone Review appeared first on Brighthand.com.

Huawei Mate 9 Review: Dual Cameras in a Solid Smartphone

The Huawei Mate 9 has three features that could well define 2017’s smartphone crop: barely-there display bezels, AI, and a dual camera.

There’s nothing revolutionary about the implementation here. Bezels have been shrinking for years, as smartphone makers balance larger displays with small builds. Dual cameras are quickly becoming the norm, with Huawei itself having multiple devices with them. And between Google Assistant, Siri, Cortana, and Alexa, voice-powered AI is NBD.

But combined in a decent piece of hardware with high-end specs, they make for a quality smartphone. That’s what Huawei is going for with large the Mate 9, a follow-up to last year’s Mate 8.

Did Huawei succeed in creating something decent for its latest and greatest? Find out in this full Huawei Mate 9 review.

Huawei Mate 9 Build & Design

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Huawei makes great hardware, so it’s no surprise the Huawei Mate 9 is a sharp and well-built smartphone. It measures 6.2 x 3.1 x .3 inches, and weighs .42 pounds. The phone has an all-glass front, with aluminum back and slightly rounded sides.

It looks like a slightly smaller version of the Mate 8, which we praised as “excellent,” and feels just as solid. (Huawei thankfully sticking to the “if it ain’t broke…” hardware philosophy.) Aluminum and glass are the best smartphone combo going, making any device cool to the touch and resistant to smudges and fingerprints. The Mate 9 also has Gorilla Glass 3, and should survive the occasional drop. If that’s not good enough, it ships with a clear plastic rear bumper for a small bit of additional protection.

Unfortunately, it’s not waterproof or dustproof. All flagships should be, not because we want to take them swimming, but because spills happen and sometimes we get caught in the rain.

Looking at the Huawei Mate 9 head on, the front sports two thin bezels above and under the display, with the top housing an ear speaker, sensor, and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The bottom sports Huawei branding. The back sports a slight round bulge, with a pinhole mic, dual cameras (20 megapixel monochrome and 12 megapixel RGB, f/2.2 lens), flash, sensor, and round fingerprint reader.

Huawei Mate 9 audio input

Huawei Mate 9 speaker

The 3.5mm audio input and an IR blaster sit on the top, while the speakers sit on the bottom, surrounding the USB Type-C input. A single-piece volume rocker sits on the right side, just above the power button, while a dual-SIM/microSD tray sits on the right. Huawei claims the Mate 9 has four microphones, so there must be some hidden in the speakers and maybe the headphone jack.

Huawei Mate 9 side

Huawei Mate 9 button side

It’s a good layout, with the fingerprint sensor especially easy to reach in one-handed use. The only complaint is a common nitpick: having the power button and volume rocker on the same side too often results in accidental power button presses. Most devices add texture to the power button, making it easier to distinguish blindly, but Huawei didn’t do that for the Mate 9.

Huawei Mate 9 Display & Speakers

Huawei Mate 9 display

Huawei Mate 9 display

The Mate 9’s 5.9-inch LCD IPS display has a 1920 x 1080 resolution, resulting in about 373 pixels per inch. While other flagships have more pixels, and ppi counts exceeding 500, the Mate 9 has more than enough pixels for day-to-day use. VR-ready headsets benefit from the added pixels, and the Mate 9 has two smaller variants in the the Mate 9 Pro and Porsche Design Mate 9 with curved 5.5-inch AMOLED displays that each have 534 pixels per inch. These two support Google Daydream, while the standard Mate 9 does not, at least as of this writing.

Even compared to these two, the Mate 9 is no slouch. These days it’s near impossible to tell the difference between AMOLED and LCD on smartphones, and the Mate 9 has all the hallmarks of both: deep blacks and bright whites, with heavy contrasts and colors that pop. It’s bright enough to cut through glare as well as any other smartphone. Huawei sets itself apart with deep display settings, allowing users to tweak the color temperature, and it includes and “eye comfort” shortcut that cuts out the blue tones for yellow.

We’ve never bought into this feature, particularly in regards to smartphone use at night before bed, but others swear by it. Either way, we won’t knock Huawei for including added controls.

The Mate 9 has no buttons, and all controls are on the screen. In addition to the insanely-thin left and right bezels, the display glass protrudes slightly above the body. Huawei and others refer to this “floating” effect as “2.5D,” and it adds a bit of style to a strong display.

The speakers are also very good, at least grading on the smartphone curve. They are loud and produce relatively robust sound — certainly more robust than most other smartphones — with limited tin on the high end and some mud on the bottom.

Huawei Mate 9 Performance

Huawei’s Kirin 960 processor keeps the Mate 9 running. It’s the latest from the Chinese mobile maker, based on the premium ARM Cortex-A73. It’s quad-core, with four A73s running at 2.4GHz, and four A53s running at 1.8GHz for simpler tasks. It pairs with an i6 co-processor, octa-core Mali-G71 GPU, and 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM.

This is a potent combo, and our Huawei Mate 9 review unit rivals the Google Pixel XL as the best performing smartphone we’ve tested to date. It ships with Android 7.0, and runs it extremely well, with no hiccups, stuttering, bugs, or crashes. The Mali-G71 handles 3D gaming especially well, including the demanding Riptide, Modern Combat, and Asphalt titles.

In addition, Huawei claims the Mate 9 has a “cutting-edge Machine Learning algorithm,” which “delivers consistent performance by automatically prioritising CPU, RAM and ROM resources based on user habits.” Basically, it learns user habits and prioritizes accordingly, all within the device, and not through remote servers on the cloud.

The benefit should be zippy performance through the Mate 9’s lifespan, and it’s unfortunately impossible to test based on the few weeks we used our Huawei Mate 9 review unit.

This feature extends to storage, with the addition of UFS 2.1 flash memory, which Huawei claims has “data transfer speeds that are 100% faster than eMMC 5.1.” The Mate 9 ships with 64GB storage, of which about 48GB is available out of the box. The Mate 9 comes with plenty of bloatware (News Republic, Booking.com, TripAdvisor), along with some useful tools (Smart Controller, Sound Recorder, Phone Manager). Just as it is with previous Huawei smartphones, all of it can be uninstalled.

All this is backed up in the benchmarks. Our Huawei Mate 9 review unit either outperforms every other smartphone on the market, or closely matches. We ran into an issue with Geekbench 4’s GPU test, with the Mate 9 crashing during every attempt to run it. This is likely due to conflicts with Mate 9’s very new chipset.

Geekbench 4 is a cross-platform benchmark that measures overall performance. Higher score is better.

AnTuTu is a cross-platform benchmark that measures overall system performance. Higher score is better.

AnTuTu 3D is a cross-platform benchmark that measures graphical performance. Higher score is better.

AnTuTu CPU is a cross-platform benchmark that measures complex app and multitasking performance. Higher score is better.

AnTuTu RAM is a cross-platform benchmark that measures system speed. Higher score is better.

AnTuTu UX is a cross-platform benchmark that measures experience. Higher score is better.

As with general performance, storage performance is lightning fast. Apps open and close very quickly. The fingerprint sensor is also very quick and reliable. Huawei continues to have best overall on any device.

Huawei Mate 9 Battery

The Mate 9 has a 4000mAh battery, and our Huawei Mate 9 review unit lasted 8 hours and 38 minutes streaming Netflix over Wi-Fi with the display brightness set to max. This is about the bare minimum one can expect from a Mate 9, and it’s an average result. Eight hours is the cutoff, anything less than that is bad. The best devices hit 20.

Huawei packs many battery management features in the Mate 9’s settings. So take advantage, and it should easily hit 10 to 12 hours on a single charge with normal use.

Our Huawei Mate 9 review unit charged quickly, hitting 28% with 15 minutes of charging, and 78% with 45 minutes.

Huawei Mate 9 Features

Huawei once took a heavy hand with its Android implementation. Dubbed EMUI, its Android skin “borrowed” elements from iOS in the past, combining them with traditional Android and Huawei’s own branding, creating a garish aesthetic. It never bothered us as much as other reviewers, mainly because it didn’t bog down Huawei’s hardware. But, we’re still happy to see Huawei scale things back with its latest version, EMUI 5.

Huawei finally added an app drawer, and took a more standard approach to notifications, ditching the two-screen alerts/settings setup. Stock apps are less severe, with a brighter color scheme, while EMUI “feels” more like an official Android device rather than an Android-based device, like the Amazon Fire tablets and smartphone.

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Huawei kept its deep settings options, allowing users to tweak the theme, background apps, power settings, button layout, and notifications, to name a few. A new “app twin” feature is a standout, as it enables users to run two instances of the same app with different accounts. As of this writing, it only works with WhatsApp and Facebook, though we’d love to see it expand to other apps like Chrome, Twitter, Hangouts, and any number of cloud services (and ultimately Android to “borrow” it for future updates). Finally, Huawei’s odd knuckle gestures are still present.

Ultimately, even the most ardent stock Android fan shouldn’t be turned off by EMUI, given it’s easy enough to download the Google Now launcher and set it as the default.

In addition to the clear plastic bumper, the Huawei Mate 9 ships with a USB Type-C charger and cable, headphones, and a USB Type-C-to-microUSB adapter. That’s a good haul. We’re suckers for extras, and the bumper and USB adapter are extremely useful, especially since USB Type-C is not entirely ubiquitous yet.

At its CES 2017 event, Huawei made a big deal of the Mate 9 being “the first smartphone with Alexa, Amazon’s cloud-based voice service.” That functionality is slated to arrive in February, and wasn’t ready at the time of this review. We’re interested to see how this is implemented, as an Alexa app is widely available in the Google Play Store. Will it just be a preloaded app? Will Alexa be baked in? What about Android Assistant?

We’ll update this review once it goes live.

Huawei Mate 9 Connectivity

In addition to the standard dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi support, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2 BLE, and GPS/Glonass/Galileo/BDS, the Huawei Mate 9 is a GSM unlocked smartphone. It’s dual-SIM with plenty of support for worldwide 2G/3G/4G networks, including Cat12 LTE.

In the US, it’s typical of a Huawei unlocked smartphone. AT&T and T-Mobile customers will have no trouble connecting, while Verizon and Sprint customers are out of luck. The Mate 9 actually supports CDMA similar to Sprint and Verizon, though it’s limited to China Telecom.

Huawei Mate 9 Camera

Apple popularized dual lenses with the iPhone 7 Plus, but HTC, LG, and Huawei itself all shipped devices with them beforehand, going back all the way to the gimmicky 3D smartphones from 2011.

These days, the dual lens mainly serves to create a shallow-focus effect in pics — the blurry background kind. It used to be shallow focus, or bokeh, was limited to expensive interchangeable-lens cameras. Through a combination of two lenses and some software trickery, smartphones like the Huawei Mate 9 can do the same.

Huawei differentiates itself in that it has two image sensors: a 12-megapixel RGB sensor for capturing colors, and a 20-megapixel sensor for capturing black and white. Both are backed by optical image stabilization and f2.2 lenses.

Huawei Mate 9 camera

Huawei Mate 9 camera

It’s “co-engineered with Leica,” and includes Leica Summarit lenses. The Huawei Mate 9 has the second-generation of this particular setup, as versions of it have already appeared on the Huawei P9, Honor 8, and Honor 6X.

We’ve lauded it on those devices, and we’ll laud it here too. The Huawei Mate 9 has one of the best smartphone cameras on the market. A dual-camera setup and the Huawei camera app offer granular image controls that rival consumer-level DSLRs, along with fun and pleasing image filters.

The shallow-focus effect has real potential, and the software/chipset combo does a great job creating an authentic-looking image. It’s still not perfect, however, and some shooting situations will create wonky results with blur bleeding into the subject. Smartphones aren’t replacing DSLRs just yet.

One other issue, which isn’t unique to the Mate 9: a touchscreen is poor for deep camera controls. Adjusting the exposure value and shutter speed with a display slider is awkward. It’s much easier and quicker with a physical dial.

To be fair, it’s a double-edged sword. We like having the control; it’s always frustrating on a touchscreen.

This shouldn’t bother most users, besides. The Mate 9 camera is great in dummy mode, producing clear pictures with accurate, vibrant colors; and it’s fast to focus, too. It’s the best at black-and-white photography thanks to the monochrome sensor. A double tap of the volume rocker launches it from sleep, enabling very quick snapshots.

Low-light performance is also impressive, though not the best. We were disappointed to learn the Mate 9 had f/2.2 lenses, when flagships are going as wide as f/1.7 (smaller number equals wider aperture equals more light hitting the image sensor, as we explained in our Google Pixel XL review). Our Huawei Mate 9 review unit surprised us by matching the current best low-light shooters on the market, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and S7 (both have the same camera hardware) in a moderately challenging low-light situation (see example below compared against the S7 edge and a poor low-light performer, the otherwise solid Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows 10). Much of the credit has to go to the software and chipset for cleaning up these photos.

Huawei Mate 9 low-light photo

Huawei Mate 9 low-light photo

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge low-light photo

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge low-light photo

Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows 10 low-light photo

Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows 10 low-light photo

Dim the lights, and that changes. Noise creeps in and colors fade on the Mate 9’s pics, while the S7 and S7 edge pump out relatively excellent output. Just as with the bokeh effect, software can only match physical optics to a certain point.

The Mate 9 also has an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with an f./1.9 lens. Huawei’s “beauty” mode returns, as does an automated “perfect selfie” mode. Both are still weird.

Huawei Mate 9 Sample Pics

Huawei Mate 9 review unit sample pic

Huawei Mate 9 review unit sample pic

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Huawei Mate 9 Value

As reviewed, the Huawei Mate 9 costs $600, available at Best Buy, Amazon, B&H, and New Egg.

$600 is a good price for the Mate 9. It’s a flagship-level smartphone, coming out just ahead of new high-end handsets from Samsung, HTC, and LG. Those may have a spec bump over the Mate 9, or have more features, but they won’t perform much better where it counts. And they likely will cost more.

Huawei Mate 9 Review Conclusion

Huawei Mate 9

The common knock on Huawei smartphones: great hardware, poor software. Huawei took big steps to correcting that with the Huawei Mate 9. It’s EMUI is still heavy enough to retain distinction from stock Android, though much closer to the real thing than previous versions. Those familiar with Android will get used to it quickly.

On top of that, Huawei checks all the right marks. The Mate 9 is well-built and designed, features excellent display and speakers, and performs extremely well. The camera is also worthy of the current crop of flagships. It’s one of the best.

The biggest knock against it is the lack of water and dust proofing. Those should be standard on all high-end smartphones. The battery life is only a little better than average without turning to Huawei’s battery management software, and that’s another biggest issue. Both are far from a deal-breakers, but it stand out as a flaws given how well the Mate 9 compares in other areas. We’re also disappointed it doesn’t support Verizon or Sprint.

All that makes the Huawei Mate 9 one of the best smartphones of early 2017, with features we expect to see in competing smartphones set for release in the near future.

 

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HTC U Ultra & Play Bring AI and Audio: Hands On

HTC marked a new year with a new smartphone series, simply called “U,” and its design deviates from just about everything else we’ve seen from HTC.

The HTC U comes in two varieties. The more powerful, larger (and more interesting) HTC U Ultra has a 5.7-inch display and many flagship features, although HTC was reluctant to call it as such (suggesting HTC has something else lined up for Mobile World Congress in Barcelona).

HTC U Ultra

HTC U Ultra

The HTC U Ultra itself has three distinguishing features: an exceptionally credible finish and rounded glass unibody; a secondary display set above the main screen, which combines HTC Sense Companion with a form of AI; and U Sonic sound, which provides personalized sound output.

HTC smartphones have long had impressive builds, interesting software, and high-level sound reproduction. By improving them, it seems HTC is moving slightly beyond the evolutionary updates that have marked its recent spate of flagships.

The smaller device, HTC U Play, is a typical upper mid-range smartphone. Think of it as a compact version of the HTC U Ultra. But interestingly, its 5.2-inch display is about the same size as 2016’s flagship, the HTC 10.

HTC U Ultra Build

The HTC U Ultra’s finish rivals the best in the market, and its glass build feels impressive in hand. It is slightly, with a curvature increasing towards the sides (like on a car windshield). This unique curve provides greater resistance to drops, according to HTC as does the Gorilla Glass 5 surface (64GB) and Sapphire glass (128GB version). Also according to HTC, the phone’s unibody features five glass layers, with colors that flow over from one nuance to another, depending on the angle. HTC’s dubs this aesthetic Liquid Surface, and it’s available in blue, pink, white and black.

HTC U Ultra Liquid Surface

HTC U Ultra Liquid Surface

The only flaws we noticed in our hands-on time were the all-glass build is fingerprint magnet, and both smudges and dust are easy to spot. Fortunately, they are easy to wipe off without leaving streaks. HTC representatives claim it took two years to develop this finish. In that time, they also came up with a beautifully pretentious name: Optical Spectrum Hybrid Deposition.

The physical Home key sits under the display, next to the capacitive Back and Menu keys. The bottom sports the USB Type-C connector, and there is no 3.5mm audio input. Just like the iPhone 7, the device comes with a set of headphones that connect via USB Type-C, along with a short USB Type-C-to-3.5mm adapter.

HTC U Ultra Display and AI

HTC U Ultra has a 5.7-inch QHD Super LCD 5 display (1440 x 2560), resulting in a density of 513 pixels per inch. This is a little less than the smaller HTC 10, which has the same resolution. That said, no objections can be made about the imaging sharpness, color interpretation, saturation, contrast sustainability or display.

The secondary display is an important novelty, even if it’s suspiciously similar to the LG V10 and V20’s second-screen implementation. At 2.05 inches, it has a 16 x 1040-pixel resolution, which displays various shortcuts and functions, depending on the context or current smartphone task.

HTC U Ultra secondary display

HTC U Ultra secondary display

In stand-by, it serves as a UI for HTC’s personal AI assistant, dubbed the HTC Sense Companion. AI is a trend, one of those new technologies device makers are aggressively insisting upon, so it’s no surprise to see HTC jump on board. According to HTC, this “personal assistant,” which gets smarter with use thanks to the so-called deep learning technology built into the HTC Sense Companion, briefs users on the important information at the right time, similar to Google. How useful is it? We’ll have to wait for a full review to find out.

HTC equipped the U Ultra with four microphones, which are always active. Users can address the phone with a question or a task without have to shout, or hold the phone up to their face. It’s very similar to Amazon Alexa, and HTC confirms it will support multiple languages in the near future.

HTC U Ultra Audio

The HTC U Ultra’s third key feature is USonic. This audio technology adjusts the sound playback mode to the individual’s hearing. The packaged headphones feature a so-called ultrasonic beam that scans the user’s unique ear architecture, creating a personalized profile based on the readings. This, all according to HTC reps, and it justifies the 3.5mm audio port omission. The standard headphone input isn’t capable of forwarding ultrasonic beam information.

As far as the sound playback sans headphones, the HTC U Ultra is similar to the HTC 10, with lower frequencies coming out through the bottom speaker, and higher frequencies through the call speaker.

The rear-facing camera is also similar to the HTC 10’s, at least according to specifications. It too has a 12-megapixel resolution, 1.55-micrometer pixel size, phase/laser autofocus, optical image stabilization, and an f/1.8 lens. Unfortunately, both the camera hardware and software weren’t functional on our demo unit, so we can’t comment on picture quality.

Other HTC U Ultra specs include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, 4GB of RAM, and a 3000 mAh battery. This seems slightly unworthy of a flagship model at a time when the competition is announcing models with the recently-revealed Snapdragon 835. The price is flagship level, however, costing $749 when it hits the market in March.

HTC U Play

HTC U Play looks like a smaller HTC U Ultra. It has the same materials, and it’s even available in the same colors. Still, this is a 5.2-inch phone with a Full HD display, resulting in a pixel density of 428 ppi. It’s equipped with Mediatek’s octa-core Helio P10 processor and 3GB of RAM (32GB capacity), or 4GB RAM (64GB capacity). The microSD card slot can be used for another SIM, while the device has a 2500mAh battery. The rear-facing camera has 16 megapixels, f/2.0 lens, OIS, and a phase autofocus.

HTC U Play

HTC U Play

HTC U Play also comes with four microphones and HTC Sense Companion support, but it lacks the secondary display. It’s also equipped with USonic technology and it also does not have a 3.5-mm audio input.

HTC U Play back panel

HTC U Play back panel

The post HTC U Ultra & Play Bring AI and Audio: Hands On appeared first on Brighthand.com.

Lenovo Phab2 Pro Review: Tango Cool, Phone OK

The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is big, but that’s not the only reason it’s different. It’s the first Android smartphone with Tango, a computer vision technology that uses the Pro’s camera and specialized processing to detect space and positioning.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro

Think of it as a hyper local and more detail-driven GPS, which recognizes you’re standing three feet from a wall rather than 2.3 miles from the nearest Starbucks. Google hopes Tango will enable better augmented reality (AR) apps, 3D mapping, indoor navigation, all with a better sense of environmental awareness.

We took a Lenovo Phab 2 Pro review unit for a spin to find out if this 6.4-inch Android phablet is good enough to justify its $500 asking price, and to see Tango on a consumer device.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro Build & Design

The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is a supersized smartphone. It measures 7.1 x 3.5 x 0.4 inches, and weighs .57 pounds. It has a 6.4-inch display, and is closer to a small tablet in size than a smartphone.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro back panel

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro back panel

There’s a reason there are so few smartphones with displays beyond 5.7 inches. Even with thin bezels, anything larger it’s just too big a screen to fit on a compact device. One-handed operation is impossible, even gripping it with one hand is tough. Using it as a real phone is also extremely awkward. And forget about carrying it in your pocket. This is a backpack or purse kind of device.

The flipside is that the big screen is better for multimedia, productivity, and all the AR goodies Tango offers. This is arguably more important than being able to use a phone with one hand.

Either way, the point is the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is BIG, and you’ll want to test it out in person before committing.

Otherwise, it looks like a standard smartphone. The display has slightly raised glass with standard Android capacitive soft keys on the bottom and an ear speaker and front-facing camera on the top. The back panel is a single piece of gunmetal gray aluminum that extends and flattens around the sides.

The cool aluminum provides a quality impression, and shrugs off fingerprints and smudges very well. Such a big smartphone probably won’t survive many drops, so a case is highly recommended.

A volume rocker and textured power button sit on the right, and the microSD/SIM tray sits on the left. A 3.5mm audio port sits on the top (where it should be), while two speakers sit on the bottom, with a microUSB input in between. Once again, we’re disappointed by another new smartphone shipping without USB Type-C

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro volume rocker and power button

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro volume rocker and power button

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro SIM tray

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro SIM tray

The back panel has a slight curve, and houses two antenna stripes, along with the back-facing cameras, sensors, flash, and fingerprint sensor. There are three cameras in total, but only one functions as a traditional shooter. The other two enable Tango’s tricks. The bottom camera is circular, just like the fingerprint sensor directly underneath it. These feel similar and are easy to confuse by touch alone. Too many times we blindly pressed the camera trying to unlock our  Lenovo Phab 2 Pro review unit.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro top

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro top

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro bottom

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro bottom

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro Display & Speakers

The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro’s 6.4-inch display has a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution, resulting a dense 459 pixels per inch. That’s very sharp for a display this size. It’s an LCD IPS, and with it come all the strengths and weaknesses of the technology. Whites are particularly bright, blacks could be deeper. Overall, it lacks the pop and saturation of today’s high-end AMOLED displays, but the difference is slight enough that it’s only apparent in a direct comparison.

The display is also plenty bright at max setting, and while glare is persistent, it’s easy enough to see outdoors as to not be rendered useless.

Here’s the standard smartphone boilerplate: smartphone displays range from good to great. The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is a small step below the market’s best (iPhones and Galaxies).

We had high hopes for the speakers, given the device’s size. They prove adequate, which is perhaps the best thing we can say about smartphone speakers (they are generally awful across devices). The sound is pleasant and balanced, though flat overall. Sound volume is appropriate for personal use.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro Performance

The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro has an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor (1.8 GHz), along with 4GB RAM and 64GB capacity. This is a midrange chipset that sits below the Snapdragon 820 found on the late 2015 and early 2016 flagships, and closer to the 810. It also has Adreno 510 graphics, which is even slower compared against the 820’s Adreno 530.

In real-world usage, it performs well. It’s stable, at least when running non-Tango apps (more on that below). Our  Lenovo Phab 2 Pro review unit handled everything we threw at it, including demanding games like Modern Combat 5. It’s 4GB RAM goes a long way when dealing with open browser tabs and switching between apps. The fingerprint sensor was reliable in testing as well.

Comparing it against more powerful smartphones reveals the chipset’s limitations. The Google Pixel XL, with its Snapdragon 821, is a far smoother smartphone, which is most evident moving from the lock screen to the home screen. In fact, our Lenovo Phab 2 Pro review unit would reboot to the startup screen after unlocking, following a power cycle. It happened too consistently to be a bug, and proved annoying.

Other than that, there’s little functional difference between the 652 and more powerful chips outside of the fluid aesthetic. It’s an acceptable trade off given the price difference between the two devices.

Geekbench 4 is a cross-platform benchmark that measures overall performance. Higher score is better.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro Geekbench 4

Geekbench 4 Compute is a cross-platform benchmark that measures graphical performance. Higher score is better.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro Geekbench 4 Compute

AnTuTu is a cross platform benchmark that measures overall system performance. Higher score is better.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro AnTuTu

AnTuTu 3D is a cross-platform benchmark that measures graphical performance. Higher score is better.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro AnTuTu 3D

AnTuTu CPU is a cross-platform benchmark that measures complex app and multitasking performance. Higher score is better.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro AnTuTu CPU

AnTuTu RAM is a cross-platform benchmark that measures system speed. Higher score is better.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro AnTuTu RAM

AnTuTu UX is a cross-platform benchmark that measures user experience. Higher score is better.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro AnTuTu UX

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro Software, Storage & Communications

The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro ships with 64GB storage, with about 7GB taken up out of the box. Most other Android smartphone have 8GB or 9GB taken up, so we’re pleased with Lenovo. In fact, we’ll even let the useless bloatware slide (McAfee Security, SYNCit, Accuweather), also because it can be uninstalled. If 64GB isn’t enough, it also supports microSD expansion.

The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro OS is very close to stock Android. We were hard-pressed to find any major tweaks or changes. It ships with Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow), and as of this writing (December 2016), it has the August 1 Android security patch level. Marshmallow is a fine Android version, but we’re getting antsy waiting for Nougat to become the default for new smartphones. It also should have a more recent security patch.

This is a GSM unlocked smartphone, meaning it will work on T-Mobile and AT&T in the US, and should have no trouble connecting overseas. Sprint and Verizon customers are out of luck.

It supports 802.11 b/g/n/ac dual-band Wi-Fi, along with Bluetooth 4.0. There’s no NFC, which should be standard on all Android smartphones, so no tap-to-pay.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro Battery

With a large 4050 mAh battery, you would think the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro has all-day battery life. Unfortunately, it’s below average. Streaming Netflix over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness set to max, our Lenovo Phab 2 Pro lasted 6 hours 40 minutes. The cutoff for this test is eight hours. Anything better is good (with some topping 20 hours), anything worse is bad.

It supports Qualcomm Quick Charge, fortunately. We were able to get 45% from a dead battery after charging for 30 minutes.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro Tango

Tango is impressive, and AR technology is extremely versatile. Pokemon Go showed AR’s potential as a basis for gaming, Tango can take that steps further.

Imagine popping the hood of your car and holding your phone over it to reveal a digital overlay with directions on how to change spark plugs. Or maybe looking at a city block from the street, with restaurant and shop info hovering over respective locations. Theme parks could use it for the same, or hospitals and shopping centers for indoor mapping. In the home, it could be used for home improvement projects, or rearrange furniture.

Some of the new Tango apps do just that. Lowe’s Vision is a surprisingly robust standout, and Google Measure and MagicPlan offer similar utility. There are numerous home apps, with the selection almost doubling in the two weeks we tested our Lenovo Phab 2 Pro review unit.

Tango, Lowe's Vision

Tango, Lowe’s Vision

Gaming is more limited on Tango, with simple AR overlay games dominating, along with a few more immersive offerings. Hot Wheels Track Builder appeals to the five-year kid in all of us, while Domino World is arguably the best. It’s a sandbox game with multiple options for setting up and knocking over dominoes. It’s easy to use, but deep enough for extremely creative domino setups. Plus, listening to the dominoes fall is very satisfying.

Tango, Domino World

Tango, Domino World

Other apps center around AR sandboxes, AR pets, and silly AR demos. The 3D scanning app Scenes shows Tango’s use outside AR, as does Signal Mapper (for visualizing Wi-Fi signal strength in a given area). We also liked Wally Virtual Notes’ potential. It enables users to leave AR notes for users in specific locations. We can see a workplace using it to help new employees get acclimated to the office.

Silly Tango app with AR Gorilla and Santa Claus

Silly Tango Holo app with AR Gorilla and Santa Claus

As with any new platform, Tango on the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro has plenty of bugs and limitations. We experienced frequent freezes and slowdowns with some apps, and infrequent crashes with others. The AR can also get wonky. Though it works great in open room with four walls, clutter throws it off, resulting in some odd clipping effects.

Tango, Dinosaurs Among Us

Tango, Dinosaurs Among Us

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro Camera

Given Tango’s potential, it’s too bad the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro has such a mediocre camera. It’s a 16-megapixel rear shooter, with and f/2.2 aperture. While that’s decent resolution, the aperture is not wide enough for acceptable low-light performance. Anything less than f/2 on non-budget cameras is disappointing (smaller aperture is represented by a larger number). See our Google Pixel XL review for an explainer on this particular spec.

The sample pics from our Lenovo Phab 2 Pro review unit aren’t so bad in adequate lighting. Details are present, and colors pop. Contrast could be deeper, but we’ve seen much worse from other recent smartphones. We also liked the simple AR options in the camera app, like the kitty in the bottom picture.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro review unit sample pic

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro review unit sample pic

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro review unit sample pic

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro review unit sample pic with AR kitty

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro sample pic with AR kitty

Low-light without a flash kills any quality, however. Compare the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro to the current low-light king, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. Both pictures were taken at the same time in the same low-light situation. You can’t even see the dog In the Phab 2 Pro’s pic, while the S7 edge barely makes her out.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro low-light pic

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro low-light pic

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge low-light pic

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge low-light pic

Again, the S7 edge is the best in low light by a mile. Still, it’s eight months old, and it’s not unreasonable to expect new smartphones to approach its performance level.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro Review Conclusion

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro

The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is $500, which is appropriate given flagships hover north of $700. It’s also different from the pack, with its large size and Tango camera.

That makes is a niche device, something “geeky” for early adopters. Get past its size, and it functions fine as a daily driver, with acceptable performance. Battery life isn’t good, but it’s not crippling. And the camera is passable in most lighting situations. Low-light shooters will have to get by with the harsh flash.

At the very least, Tango is a neat party trick. “Look at what my phone can do!” While it’s still too new to offer must-have utility, it’s brimming with potential. In fact, that could take it beyond mobile VR, which could seem frivolous in comparison.

Pros:

  • Tango is fun and full of potential
  • Decent build and display
  • 64GB storage

Cons:

  • Could be way too big for some
  • Mediocre battery
  • Camera awful in low light
  • Fingerprint sensor too easily confused with Tango camera
  • No NFC

The post Lenovo Phab2 Pro Review: Tango Cool, Phone OK appeared first on Brighthand.com.

Google Daydream View Review: Ruined by the Light

Virtual reality on mobile is cake. Headsets run relatively cheap, and the smartphones that power it are good enough to justify their flagship-level prices sans VR capabilities.

Google Daydream View review unit

Google Daydream View

At launch, the Google Daydream platform continues the trend. Think of it as Google Cardboard 2.0 for high-end Android smartphones running Nougat and beyond, with better viewers and more sophisticated VR.

The Google Pixel XL and Pixel smartphones are the first to ship with Daydream (Lenovo is updating the Moto Z devices to Android Nougat with Daydream support as of this writing), and those pair with Google’s Daydream View, a $79 VR headset and controller combo — the first for Daydream.

Is this cake rich and tasty, or is it just stale and bland? We took a Google Daydream View review unit for a spin with a Google Pixel XL to find out.

Google Daydream View Build & Design

The Daydream View is a “dumb viewer” in that it’s all cloth, padding, plastic, and glass. There are no wires or sensors. The exterior is covered with a fine cloth, which Google warns should avoid contact with Velcro lest it pull and ball up. There’s plenty of padding around the eyes, with a single adjustable strap along the back, lenses in the middle, and a hinged flap in the front, used for holding the phone.

The Google Daydream View secures smartphones with a simple compartment

The Google Daydream View secures smartphones with a simple compartment.

The flap secures via a small loop and tab on the Daydream View, and it hides capacitive rubber bumpers for protecting the phone and initiating the Daydream apps, and a notch for holding the Daydream remote when not in use.

The Daydream View is pleasant to hold and touch, thanks to the cloth exterior. It’s also hand washable with removable internal padding (don’t throw it in the washing machine!), light, and Google claims it breathes well. We believe it. Other viewers we’ve tested have problems with lens fog, while we never had that problem it with our Google Daydream View review unit.

The large gap around the nose indent could be the reason the lens remain fog free, and it comes at a cost. This the Google Daydream View’s biggest design flaw. Look down while wearing it, and you can clearly see out from Daydream View. Not only is this distracting, it allows light to pour in, which reflects off the lenses. Light streams in off gaps on the sides, too. Even when tightly strapped on, there’s no way to block the Daydream View’s light leak short of pulling up a hoodie and tightening its strings.

We can’t stress enough how bad this is. Every VR headset we’ve tested has some light leak. It’s multiple degrees worse on the Daydream View.

But at least it’s comfortable to wear, right? Sure it is; no more than any other headset, however. The Samsung Gear VR, for example, is bulkier with its plastic build, and it secures with two straps. Wearing it for a half hour is no more uncomfortable than wearing the Daydream View. In fact, we prefer the Gear VR’s straps, as having one on top keeps the viewer in place. The Daydream View, with its single strap, requires frequent adjustments as it loosens and slips down.

Google Daydream View Performance & Operation

Light pours in around the Google Daydream View's sides and nose notch

Light pours in around the Google Daydream View’s sides and nose notch.

The Google Daydream View couldn’t be easier to use. Simply turn on the phone and plop it in the viewer. Securing the phone in launches Google Daydream. It won’t launch from a sleeping display or the lock screen, and at least the Pixel XL, which we used to test our Google Daydream View review unit, must be placed with the power button and volume rocker face up.

The Google Daydream platform is very stable, and runs well on the Pixel XL. Google has minimum specs for future smartphones that hope to run it, so there’s a good chance this will be case for all Google Daydream handsets. It responds appropriately enough to head movements to blunt motion sickness, even though it’s not one-to-one on the X and Y axes. Given that the smartphone is doing all the processing, this should get better with future generations of Android smartphone. At the very least, future smartphones won’t heat up as much running Daydream and VR apps as our Pixel did during testing, or consume battery — expect major battery drain while playing in VR.

At least the Google Daydream View is easy to use.

At least the Google Daydream View is easy to use.

On the plus side, Daydream is intuitive, with all navigation controlled by the wireless Daydream View remote (more on that below). Google wants to bring VR to the masses, and it succeeded in creating a pick-up-and-play viewer, controller, and platform.

With that simplicity also come limitations, however. The “dumb” Daydream View has no moving parts. To focus, you simply adjust the Daydream View up or down on your face. We had trouble finding the perfect spot with our Google Daydream View review unit, with blurry imaging particularly pronounced on the edges.

Finally, it has a limited field of view. Even with the 5.5-inch Pixel XL, it’s narrower than the 110 degree FOV of the latest Samsung Gear VR. Expect FOV to be even more limited with smaller phones, like the 5-inch Pixel.

Google Daydream View Remote

The Google Daydream View remote is excellent.

The Google Daydream View remote is excellent.

This thing is the reason to pick up a Daydream View. It’s basically a mini Wiimote, with a clickable touchpad, two buttons, and a volume rocker. It connect via Bluetooth, and charges via USB Type-C. Google included a small wrist strap for those worried about tossing it across the room during VR sessions.

It’s small, and comfortable to hold, measuring 4 x .8 x .25 inches, and weighing 1.5 ounces. In a nice design touch, it snugly slots into the Daydream View phone compartment for storage. Oddly, it doesn’t ship with a charging cable, so you’ll have to use the charger that came with the Pixel XL, or other appropriate Type-C charger. That’s lame, especially given that Google charges $35 for its USB C power adapters.

Outside of that, we love everything else about the remote. Other VR viewers rely on a viewer-mounted touchpad, external gamepads, or users simply staring at a particular area; all of these detract from the VR experience. The Daydream View remote adds to it, allowing for an additional level of interaction. Like a Wiimote, it’s versatile. You can point and click, which proves very useful for recentering Daydream and apps; swipe the touchpad to move; or turn it sideways to function as a steering wheel. One full charge was enough to keep it powered through two weeks of moderate use during testing It connected quickly to the Pixel XL, and stayed connected — no buggy Bluetooth here.

Good news lefties, buried in the settings, you can change the “handedness” from the default right handed.

Google Daydream Apps

Google Daydream launches with a few dozen apps, mostly centered around experiences and simple games. There are plenty of free offerings to show off Google Daydream, and paid apps are relatively expensive, ranging from $3 to $10.

Google Daydream

Google Daydream

Again, Daydream is powered completely by the smartphone, so apps are limited by the hardware. Most of the “experience” apps, including the WSJ VR and USA Today apps, feature grainy 360-degree video of exotic locations and events. It’s the same with YouTube VR. Most of the video packages are interesting and professionally made, but the video quality takes you out of the effect.

Google Play Movies look a lot better, with VR limited to watching flicks on a flat screen in virtual settings. Perhaps there’s appeal here for travelers stuck on an airplane as an alternative to squinting at a small display, though we can imagine two hours of Daydream VR causing major eye strain.

Most games take the form of stationary shooters, platformers, tower defense, and endless runner variants, with a few sports titles thrown in. The innovative and multiplayer Keep Talking & Nobody Explodes is the highlight, but most games lack its imagination. The selection is very limited as of this writing, too. Minecraft is sorely missing, as is Dreadhalls, Proton Pulse, Eve Gunjack, and Hitman Go: VR Edition. All of these are available for Samsung Gear VR, and some are Google Cardboard titles, so it’s only a matter of time before they come to Daydream (we hope).

Google’s own Arts & Culture app is really good. It tours famous artworks, with audio commentary and analysis. It’s a great example of VR’s educational potential. We also like the Fantastic Beasts movie tie-in. Even though it’s just a demo with about 10 minutes of content, it’s slick, immersive, and a treat for Harry Potter fans.

Google Daydream View Review Conclusion

Google Daydream View

First, the good: the Google Daydream View remote is great and adds so much to the VR experience. The Daydream apps show potential, and Daydream’s open nature portends great things in the future..

Now the bad: the Daydream View is lousy. Light leak and the limited FOV kill the VR effect. It’s a design flaw that’s severe enough to recommend avoiding the Daydream View.

Bottom line: Want good mobile VR? Go with the Samsung Gear VR. It’s way ahead as a viewer, even without a remote. Its platform is also more developed, with better apps and games. Otherwise, wait for the next-generation Daydream View. If Google fixes this viewer’s major flaws, it will be a much better piece of cake.

Pros:

  • Daydream View remote is excellent
  • Simple, easy to use

Cons:

  • Light leak a MAJOR problem
  • Limited field of view
  • Headset slips too easily when worn

The post Google Daydream View Review: Ruined by the Light appeared first on Brighthand.com.

Google Pixel XL Review: Two-Thirds Great

The Google Pixel XL is a first. It’s the first phone with Google’s Android Assistant AI feature. It’s the first with the Pixel Launcher home screen. It’s the first phone with Daydream, Google’s VR platform. And it’s the first phone “made by Google,” according to the search giant.

Google Pixel XL

Google Pixel XL

Well, technically, it’s physically made by HTC. But this smartphone is all Google where it counts. The Google Pixel XL has Google branding, and runs pure Android 7.1 (Nougat).

We took a Google Pixel XL review unit for a spin. Is this the best Android smartphone, Google’s long-awaited answer to the Apple iPhone? Read on to find out.

Google Pixel XL Build & Design

The Google Pixel XL looks a lot like the HTC A9, which looks a lot like the iPhone. Rumor has it Google quickly pulled the Pixel XL together in just 9 months with HTC. Google wanted to move away from the familiar Nexus-style co-branding for the new “made by Google” Pixel. Its original hardware partner for this endeavor, Huawei, balked at the idea of taking a backseat. So Google turned to a willing HTC with little time to spare.

It’s still not a bad-looking phone. It has an all-glass flat front, with rounded corners. The bottom edges are also rounded, with a split back panel that’s two-thirds aluminum from the bottom up, and one-third glass from the top down. It’s available in Quite Black, Very Silver, and Really Blue.

Google Pixel XL back panel

Google Pixel XL back panel

It’s buttonless, with thin bezels on the sides, and slightly thicker bezels on the top and bottom; with the top housing the 8-megapixel front facing camera, phone speaker, and a couple sensors. There’s an approximate 71% display-to-body ratio.

It measures 6.0 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches, and weighs .37 pounds, putting in range of most other smartphones with the same display size.

The fingerprint sensor, 12.3-megapixel rear camera, flash, pinhole mic, and other sensors sit flush on the back, in the glass portion, the bottom sports muted Google branding and an antenna stripe. USB Type-C input sits on the bottom, in between two speakers, while the 3.5mm audio jack and another antenna strip sit on the top.

The single-piece volume rocker and textured power button rest on the right side, while the SIM tray (pin release) sits on the left.

Google Pixel XL SIM tray

Google Pixel XL SIM tray

Google Pixel XL power button and volume rocker

Google Pixel XL power button and volume rocker

Everything is where it should be. The buttons are thumb height and easy to reach. The fingerprint sensor is also easy to access unseen and while holding the Pixel XL in one hand. The headphone jack is on the top.

The Google Pixel XL back panel is too easy to scratch.

The Google Pixel XL back panel is too easy to scratch.

So even if the design aesthetic resembles a mid-range HTC smartphone from last April, who cares? It’s practical, and you’ll probably stuff it into a case anyway.

Besides, we’re saving our complaints for what it lacks. The Google Pixel XL is not waterproof, and it does not have expandable storage. And while the Google Pixel XL has a Gorilla Glass 4 display, the back glass panel is not scratch resistant. In fact, our Google Pixel XL review unit easily scuffed and scratched after just a few trips in the backpack, as you can see in the pic.

Google Pixel XL Display & Speakers

The Pixel XL has a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with a 1440 x 2560 resolution, resulting in 534 pixels per inch. This is about the limit of most flagships, and would be overkill if not for the VR considerations. Side by side, and viewed from a normal distance, it’s near impossible to spot the difference between a phone with a 400 ppi count and one with a 500 ppi count. However, those differences are noticeable when the handset is a few inches from your face in a VR viewer.

It’s a bright display, and cuts through glare as well as any other flagship AMOLED. Contrast is superb, and the blacks are especially deep. The whites are bright as well, purer than most competing displays. And the colors are realistic, with just a touch of saturation.

AMOLED displays often display whites with a warm, almost magenta tint; and they have a tendency to oversaturate colors. The effect is still present here, but it’s muted, making this one of the most pleasant displays on the market.

Display settings are basic, with no color calibration option, or “night mode” that filters out blue tones. We typically think of these things as superfluous or gimmicky, so no complaints here.

The speakers are also decent, grading on the smartphone curve. They are loud enough for personal use, and emit relatively robust sound.

Google Pixel XL speakers and USB Type-C

Google Pixel XL speakers and USB Type-C

Google Pixel XL Performance

The Google Pixel XL has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor (quad-core, 2.15Ghz + 1.6Ghz), and 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. That’s a powerful combo, and while some other smartphones have the more RAM, you’d be hard-pressed to notice a difference in performance.

Compared against the Snapdragon 820 found in most flagships from 2016, the 821 provides a slight performance boost, particularly on the GPU side, with a focus on quickly processing HDR pictures and potentially faster LTE connectivity.

For Pixel XL users, it results in a very polished experience. Virtually every other smartphone we’ve tested to date, including the flagships like the Galaxy S7 edge and iPhone 7 Plus, experienced some lag or stutter, particularly going from the lock screen to the start screen. The Pixel XL is very steady and smooth here.

The GPU is particularly impressive, especially with demanding 3D games. That’s a good thing, considering the VR focus. The fingerprint sensor is also noteworthy. It’s both fast and accurate, rivalling Huawei and Apple, and surpassing Samsung and the others.

Looking at the benchmarks, our Google Pixel XL review unit scored 1782 on the single-core Geekbench 4 test, and 4252 on the multi-core test.

Google Pixel XL Geekbench 4 results

Google Pixel XL Geekbench 4 results (higher score is better)

Its Adreno 530 GPU (624MHz) scored 7014 on the compute benchmark.

Google Pixel XL Geekbench 4 Compute results (higher score is better)

Google Pixel XL Geekbench 4 Compute results (higher score is better)

The GPU score blows away other recent smartphones, but its Geekbench 4 score is well below the iPhone 7 Plus and Galaxy S7. Here’s a case where the benchmark scores don’t translate to real-world performance. The Google Pixel XL runs about as well as the latest iPhone, and noticeably better than the S7.

Buy the Pixel XL direct from Google, and you’ll get no bloatware or duplicate apps. Buy it from Verizon, expect My Verizon, Message+ , and go90. Message+ is a duplicate texting app, and all three can be uninstalled.

Our 32GB Google Pixel XL review unit shipped with about 21GB capacity available with a fresh start. That’s less than some other Android smartphones, which ship with upwards of 23GB available.

Google Pixel XL Connectivity

The Google Pixel XL works on all major carriers in the US, including Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Verizon is the only carrier selling it directly, and it’s also available through the Google Store. It supports Cat 12 LTE (up to 600Mbps downloads and 15Mbps uploads).

It also features GPS, Glonass, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 4.2, and NFC. There’s no FM radio support. That’s a shame because it likely has an FM receiver, but it’s not engineered with antenna support (phones with active FM receives use the headphone input as an antenna). Or it is and the receiver has simply been deactivated.

Even though it’s low-tech, an FM receiver is an invaluable feature, especially during emergencies and power outages, as it requires very little power.

Google Pixel XL Software & Features

The Google Pixel XL ships with Android 7.1 (Nougat), with Google’s promise of OS updates for two years from launch (October 2016), and security updates for three.

Google Assistant is its key and exclusive launch feature. Think of it as Google Now 2.0, or Google’s answer to Siri and Cortana.

Google Assistant, "show me pictures of my dog."

Google Assistant, “show me pictures of my dog.”

It has a lot of neat tricks, including:

  • Calendar and reminder creation and management (“OK Google, when is my next meeting with Kimberly?”)
  • Access to Google’s Knowledge Graph, translation services, and quick math queries (“OK Google, how tall is the Eiffel Tower? How do you say ‘hello’ in French? What’s 20% of $17.98?”)
  • Photo finder (“OK Google, show me pictures of my dog.”)
  • Access to Google Maps info (“OK Google, show me the closest post office.”)
  • Personal flight flight management and finder (“OK Google, when is my next flight?”)
  • It also has personality, singing songs, telling jokes, and reciting poems on command.
  • In addition, it can open apps, send texts, make calls, and set alarms.
  • It also understands conversational queries. You can ask it, “how tall is the Eiffel tower?” And then follow up with, “Where is it?” Google Assistant will know the “it” refers to the Eiffel tower.

And that’s not everything. Because Google Assistant weaves through company’s vast offerings (messaging, Android, email, Music, Chromecast, search, etc.), and the same features also appear on the Google Home speaker, and the Allo messenger, it’s tough to layout a comprehensive list of all its capabilities.

Google Assistant, conversational queries

Google Assistant, conversational queries

Google Assistant, Google Maps data

Google Assistant, Google Maps data

So what value does it bring? Time savings, by pulling relevant info and bringing it front and center with a voice command. The problem is that every bit of that info is readily available in an app with a quick tap and a few swipes, though. The gains are minimum, and it’s not enough to encourage users to learn new workflows. That’s why Google Assistant is more impressive on a traditionally “dumb” device, like the Google Home speaker, than on a smartphone.

Google Pixel Launcher

Google Pixel Launcher

That’s not to suggest it has no utility. We used it occasionally to find takeout spots and calculate basic math problems. At the very least, it’s an impressive parlor trick, in a “look what my phone can do” sort of way.

Other Google Pixel XL features include a Quick Switch Adapter that makes moving contacts, calendar events, photos, videos, music, SMS messages, iMessages, and other personal info from an old smartphone to a Pixel simple and easy; and free unlimited photo storage.

Yes, Google Photos offers free unlimited photo storage, but that’s limited to compressed photos. Pixel owners have unlimited storage for full-resolution photos.

The Google Pixel XL is also the first smartphone with Google’s VR platform, Daydream. It only works with the Daydream View VR headset as of this writing. It also sports the aesthetically-pleasing Pixel Launcher homescreen, which offers no real benefit over the dozens of other Android homescreens.

Google Pixel XL Battery

The Google Pixel XL has a 3450mAh battery, which Google claims provides up to 14 hours of Wi-Fi web surfing. Streaming Netflix over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness set to max, our Google Pixel XL review unit lasted 8 hours and 45 minutes.

Eight hours is the standard all flagships should hit on this test, which is about the bare minimum you can reasonably expect from when using the Pixel. Some push 12, while the best hit 20. Still, that’s not a bad result and it’s more than enough to get you through a day with regular use, or powered through a long flight.

It charges fast, too. Our Google Pixel XL review unit battery went from dead to 40% after just 15 minutes charging with the included adapter.

Google Pixel XL Camera

Google boasts its Pixel camera is “the highest rated smartphone camera. Ever.”

If that’s true, it’s a testament to the software powering image production, rather than the hardware. Because on paper, it’s lacking in two key areas.

The Pixel XL has a 12.3-megapixel camera, with 1.55μm pixels, and an f/2.0 aperture. It’s missing optical image stabilization, and its f/2.0 aperture is smaller than other flagships. The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge has a  f/1.7 aperture, for example.

This is important because a wider aperture (represented by a smaller number) means a larger lens hole, which allows more light into the image sensor. With smartphone cameras in particular, this helps produce better results in low-light shooting situations.

For its part, the Pixel XL camera has large, 1.55μm pixels. Larger pixels on the image sensor mean more surface space to absorb light, which also helps produce better results in low-light shooting situations.

The Pixel XL camera also lacks optical image stabilization (OIS), which also aids low-light photography by physically compensating for any minor physical movements. Low-light shooting situations require the shutter remain open longer so more light hits the image sensor; and any hand movement, no matter how minor and imperceptible, causes blurry images because the image “moves” on the sensor. Essentially, OIS countermoves the lens to compensate for handshake, keeping the image static on the image sensor.

The OIS mechanisms also take up space. OIS on a Pixel XL likely means a protruding camera lens, which throws off its clean design.

OIS also helps with video, but not as much as you’d think. Instead, software does the trick of smoothing out jittery video, typically through digital or electronic image stabilization (EIS).

The Pixel XL’s EIS does a great job stabilizing video, and it mostly avoids the common EIS pitfall of a wobbly footage, or a jelly effect.

Looking at picture quality, the software also does a phenomenal job at producing high-dynamic range (HDR) photos. Pics taken in the proper situation have very deep blacks, with realistic colors and excellent contrast. Some shots are simply stunning, and blow away output from rival devices.

Google Pixel XL review unit sample photoGoogle Pixel XL sample shot Google Pixel XL sample shot Google Pixel XL sample shot Google Pixel XL sample shot

The Pixel XL suffers in low-light shooting situations, especially when compared against the best. Details disappear in lieu of image noise, and blue tones dominate, edging out all color. This readily apparent when compared side-by-side with the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. Both pictures of the sleeping dog were taken at the same time, in the same low-light conditions. Samsung’s output is much clearer, with much more detail, and at least some color.Again, this is the software doing the heavy lifting, and it goes a long way to validating Google’s “highest-rated” claim. The software also excels producing panoramas and lens blur. The camera app is quick to launch (two quick taps of the power buttons serves as a quick launch), and focuses quickly and efficiently.

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge low-light photo

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge low-light photo

Google Pixel XL low-light photo

Google Pixel XL low-light photo

It’s the same story with the selfie camera, which has a decent 8-megapixel sensor, with 1.4μm pixels, and an f2.4 aperture.

In the Box

The Google Pixel XL ships with a USB Type-C 18W adaptor for charging, USB A-C cable, USB C-C cable, SIM ejector pin, and a full-sized USB A-to-C Quick Switch adapter.

That’s a great haul. We’re suckers for added adapters and cables. The Quick Switch adapter can be used for accessories support as well, including USB keyboards, mice, external storage, and gamepads.

Google Pixel

The Google Pixel is the smaller of the two. It measures 5.6 x 2.7 x 0.2 inches, and weighs .31 pounds. It has a 5-inch display with lower resolution, resulting in 441 pixels per inch. It also has a smaller, 2770mAh battery, and a slightly lower advertised battery life.

Otherwise, it’s the same smartphone with a similar build, same camera, and the same features.

Google Pixel XL Review Conclusion

Google Pixel XL

The Google Pixel XL is an acceptable piece of hardware buoyed by superb software and excellent performance. It’s hard to call it the best overall Android smartphone when it lacks waterproofing, removable storage, and OIS, even though it definitely runs like the best Android smartphone, with a clean and accessible Android build.

Google Assistant is its standout feature, but it’s not that much better than Google Now or Siri to make the Pixel XL a must-have. Same is true for Daydream (review upcoming), with Samsung’s Gear VR currently leading the market.

These sentiments also apply to the camera. At its best, it produces unparalleled pictures. In low-light, others exceed it.

The Google Pixel XL starts at $769 for 32GB. The 128GB Pixel XL costs $869, while the smaller Pixel costs $649 for 32GB and $749 128GB.

That’s a lot of money, and it’s in line with other flagships. The Pixel XL needs better hardware or a lower price to be a must-have. As it stands, it’s just another good option.

Pros:

  • Great software
  • Excellent performance
  • Camera produces stunning pics in many shooting situations
  • Ships with useful adapters

Cons:

  • Not waterproof
  • No expandable storage
  • Camera’s low-light performance disappointing

The post Google Pixel XL Review: Two-Thirds Great appeared first on Brighthand.com.

Sony Xperia XZ Review: Another Solid Xperia

The Sony Xperia XZ smartphone is eye candy thanks to its credible build and recognizably square design. It’s Sony’s latest flagship, which is a touch more advanced than previous Xperias, and nearly in line with other flagships from HTC, Samsung, and Apple.

Looking at the specs, it has a Full HD 5.2-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, 3GB RAM, 2900mAh battery, nearly pure Android OS 6.0.1, and waterproof body, as well as a 23-megapixel rear camera and 13-megapixel selfie camera.

Sony Xperia XZ Build & Design

Sony Xperia XZ

Sony Xperia XZ

All Sony Xperias look the same thanks to a modern and minimalist design, characterized by very sharp edges. The Sony Xperia XZ is no exception, and this model is one of the most attractive flagship smartphones on the market, thanks also in part to its finishing materials.

The entire front surface of the Xperia XZ is covered in glass with slightly rounded edges, which naturally fuse to a frame crafted out of polycarbonate plastic. The back sports the so-called ALKALEIDO metal.

This is a very smooth aluminum created by the Japanese Kobe Steel. It provides an exceptionally pleasant feeling in hand, and an elegant reflection. Unfortunately, this metal is also a fingerprint magnet.

The last few Xperias lacked IP68 certification, but it’s fortunately back with the Sony Xperia XZ, meaning it’s both dust and water proof. It also has USB Type-C connector and a power key that contains a fingerprint reader. Interestingly, it’s not active on the US versions.

The Xperia XZ is a bit chunkier than other flagships, measuring 5.75 x 2.83 x 0.32 inches. It weighs 5.68 ounces, which is identical to the HTC 10, and somewhat more than the Galaxy S7. Both have similarly-sized displays.

The phone sports speaker and microphone perforations above and below the display, while the logo, front-facing camera and ambient sensors are also located above. There are no capacitive keys. The rear camera lens rests perfectly flat and in line with the device’s back surface, LED flash and laser autofocus sensor.

Sony Xperia XZ top

Sony Xperia XZ top

Sony Xperia XZ bottom

Sony Xperia XZ bottom

The sides are minimalistic and the bottom includes just the USB Type-C connector, while the upper portion has the 3.5mm audio jack and the secondary ambient microphone. The left side includes the nanoSIM and microSD card case with a waterproof cover, while the right side holds the Power key at thumb’s height and the volume rocker under it, which has been placed rather unnaturally. The designated camera key is even lower.

Sony Xperia XZ side

Sony Xperia XZ side and buttons

Sony Xperia XZ SIM tray

Sony Xperia XZ SIM tray

Sony Xperia XZ Display

Sony Xperia XZ back panel

Sony Xperia XZ back panel

With a Full HD resolution (1080 x 1920 pixels), the Sony Xperia XZ has less pixels than other flagships with QHD panels, but it still manages an impressive 424 pixel-per-inch density thanks to its relatively small 5.2-inch display. That’s plenty sharp, and though the Sony Xperia XZ trails behind others on paper, it’s near impossible to spot the difference in real life.

Its best characteristic is the above-average contrast, particular in the darker portions of the spectrum. It delivers a highly credible black. This contrast is also sustainable at wide viewing angles, and combines with the display’s immaculate brightness to cut through sun glare as well as any other high-end smartphone.

A closer look at the display reveals a tiny issue with color interpretation, present in the colder portions. Blue tones seem insufficiently saturated and seep into colorlessness, meaning that light blue looks white and dark blue looks gray. It’s tough to notice at a glance, mostly because the warmer parts of the spectrum draw more attention and are used more often in games and media.

Sony Xperia XZ Performance

The Sony Xperia XZ sports the Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon 820 chipset, which has two Kyro cores running a 2.15 GHz clock and two Kyro cores running a 1.6 GHz clock, with Adreno 530 graphics.

The same can be found in the HTC 10 and Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. Unlike those, the Sony device has 3GB, not 4GB of RAM, while some newer flagships sport 6GB. It ships with a nearly pure version of Android 6.0.1.

Sony Xperia XZ Android 6.0.1

Sony Xperia XZ Android 6.0.1

It’s debatable whether all that extra RAM adds any tangible benefit at this point. For Sony’s part, the difference isn’t all that apparent in the benchmarks.

Looking at GeekBench 3, our Sony Xperia XZ review unit scored 2140 in the single-core test. This is approximately the same as Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, and a bit less than the HTC 10.

It scored 5398 on the multi-core test, which is much more than HTC 10, and less than Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. When everyday experience is considered, this chipset configuration is more than good enough.

The Sony Xperia XZ supports LTE Cat.9 standard and offers maximum download speed of 450 Mbps, and 50 Mbps for upload. The device does not come with FM radio activated, which is odd, given that most Sony Xperia models have it.

Sony Xperia XZ Battery Life

The Sony Xperia XZ has a 2900mAh battery, and tests show above average sustainability for this type of phone. At times, performance is better, and poorer at other times, compared to the competition.

For example, talk time on our Sony Xperia XZ review unit is double the iPhone 7’s. But streaming Full HD videos over Wi-Fi kills the batter in about 7 hours and 31 minutes. This is slightly less than what iPhone 7 offers. Continuous web browsing drains the battery in a little more than 9 hours.

The Xperia XZ supports Qualcomm’s latest quick-charging standard, Quick Charge 3.0, as well as Sony’s Qnovo Adoptive charging, which cleverly assesses the user’s habits and times the charging process accordingly. According to Sony, this prolongs its life for a few hundred cycles.

Sony Xperia XZ Camera

Sony Xperia XZ camera

Sony Xperia XZ camera

Sony improved certain elements in its 23-megapixel sensor, previously seen on Xperia Z5, Xperia X, and Xperia X Performance. The camera features a 24mm ultra-wide lens (in units equivalent for 24mm film) with f/2.0. Instead of optical imaging stabilization, it uses the Active SteadyShot technology, with five-axis balancing, but only when shooting in Full HD resolution. Otherwise, it has three-axis balancing.

The camera has the so-called laser autofocus, which is in fact based on infrared (not laser), and is particularly useful for quick focusing in the dark. In addition is has predictive autofocus, which fixes on subjects in motion, and the standard hybrid contrast/phase auto focus. It also has an infrared RGBC-IR sensor for environmental light color temperature, intended for precise automatic white color balance.

Our Sony Xperia XZ review unit took above-average pics. They have great detail, mostly due to the big resolution, which brings some noise with it, evident when zooming in.

Software noise reduction is automatic in night shots, and is unrealistic and/or surreal at times, again, evident when zooming in.

Ultimately, the Sony Xperia XZ takes stellar daytime images, which measure up to those by any rival flagship. Its night images are a shade poorer.

The 13-megapixel offers a speedy 22mm wide angle selfie lens with f/2.0. This alone is enough to snap some of the best output for a front-facing camera, rivaling other flagships.

Sony Xperia XZ Review Conclusion

Sony Xperia XZ

It costs between $650 and $700, unlocked, for 32GB. As we’ve noted, that’s expensive considering the excellent options available for half as much. But expect to pay the same for a 32GB Galaxy S7 and 32GB iPhone 7.

The Sony Xperia XZ doesn’t match those phones on paper, but it does in user experience. This is a fine phone with an outstanding design, as well as decent performance, battery, and imaging quality.

Pros:

  • Great design and finish
  • IP68 certificated
  • Decent battery autonomy
  • Fluid performance

Cons:

  • Low-light pics noisy
  • Fingerprint reader is not active in USA
  • No FM radio

The post Sony Xperia XZ Review: Another Solid Xperia appeared first on Brighthand.com.

Sony Xperia X Compact Review: Best Small Android Smartphone

With its compact Xperias, Sony owns the small-yet-sweet Android smartphone market.  It has a simple formula: the similar top-shelf hardware from the large flagship model, but with a display smaller than five inches. No other device maker uses the same tactic, so there’s no competition for Sony.

Sony Xperia X Compact Review

Sony Xperia X Compact

Amidst this, Sony presents its Xperia X Compact, the most powerful smartphone smaller than five inches… but with poorer specifications than the flagship Xperia, diverging from Sony’s traditional take.

With a 4.6-inch HD display, Sony Xperia X Compact sports a Qualcomm hexa-core Snapdragon 650, along with 3GB RAM, a 23-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera, Android OS 6.0.1 (Marshmallow), and a 2700mAh battery.

Compared to last year’s model, the Xperia Z5 Compact, the new Xperia X Compact no longer has the IP certificate and is not waterproof. However, its starting price is cheaper, coming in at about $400.

Find out more about this small Android smartphone in this Sony Xperia X Compact review.

Build & Design

Sony’s recognizable, strictly squared design, is the dominant aesthetic. Like all its predecessors, the Sony Xperia X Compact is a bit chunky, which is not surprising, given that it crams a lot in a smaller-screen device.

Sony Xperia X Compact back

Sony Xperia X Compact back

It measure 129 x 65 x 9.5 mm (5.08 x 2.56 x 0.37 inches) and weighs 135 grams (4.76 ounces), making it nearly identical to last year’s model. It features a policarbonic unibody, meaning it’s entirely solid plastic. Its texture mimics ceramics on one side, giving the phone a highly modern appearance, but it’s a fingerprint magnet.

It is a shame Sony Xperia X Compact is not waterproof, given that this was a differentiator. In order to cut the price, Sony clearly had to compromise. Granted, it’s smaller and easier to hold than a larger smartphone, likely reducing the risk of dropping it in water. Still, this is the first Sony compact smartphone that can’t take photos underwater, at least not without a special case.

The phone’s back is uniform and only includes the camera lens and a single LED flash, located in the upper left corner, while the front includes stereo speaker perforations above and below the display.

The upper perforation is used as a speaker for making phone calls, while the phone’s primary microphone is hidden in the bottom perforation. The front-facing camera lens is located above the display, along with the ambient light sensor, while the notifications LED is in the corner. The control keys are a part of the rather busy user interface.

Sony Xperia X Compact bottom

Sony Xperia X Compact bottom

Sony Xperia X Compact top

Sony Xperia X Compact top

The phone’s bottom houses the USB Type-C connector with USB 2.0, not 3.0 standardization, while the upper portion includes the 3.5-mm audio input and a tiny secondary microphone. The left side has a cover for the nanoSIM and microSD card drawer, while the Power key with a built-in fingerprint sensor is located at thumb’s height on the right (except for the US market version, as the fingerprint sensor is not active). The volume control rocker is located under it, in a rather unnatural place, and there’s a dedicated camera launch button even lower. This key is actually redundant, as in the past it served to launch the camera and snap underwater pics (touchscreens don’t work under water).

Sony Xperia X Compact power and camera button

Sony Xperia X Compact power and camera button

Sony Xperia X Compact SIM tray

Sony Xperia X Compact SIM tray

Display

Measuring 4.6 inches diagonally, the Xperia X Compact display has an HD resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels, resulting in a density of 319 pixels per inch. This may not seem a lot by today’s standards (high-end Android smartphones routinely top 500+ ppi); however, the imaging looks absolutely sharp. Sony has cleverly chosen ‘just’ HD resolution for this compact phone, because the display is too small for a sharper display to make much difference, while much is gained when it comes to saving processor and power resources.

The Sony Xperia X Compact’s IPS LCD features Sony’s Triluminous technology, which is another name for a Quantum dot panel. This emphasizes colors, with more saturation and a more sustainable contrast. Indeed, when it comes to color saturation, this device is not that far behind phones with AMOLED screens, as it provides very vivacious imaging, with warm accents. In a similar fashion, the device cuts through direct-sunlight glare well, faring better than the flagship Xperia X.

On the other hand, Sony’s X-reality engine, which post-processes photographs, produces odd results, with unnatural exposures and unnaturally interpreted colors. Thankfully, X-reality can be manually turned off, and Sony offers RGB sliders for tweaking the white balance. The Xperia X Compact also has ambient sensors for automatic white balance, but manual tweaks can typically produce better results.

Performance

Sony Xperia X Compact Android 6.0Xperia X Compact’s chipset is newer, but still less potent, than the one featured on last year’s Xperia Z5 Compact. It’s Qualcom’s hexa-core Snapdragon 650 with four Cortex-A53 cores, running a 1.4GHz clock and two Cortex-A72 cores, running a 1.8GHz clock (the Z5 Compact has the octa-core Snapdragon 810). Still, the Xperia X Compact is one of the most powerful compact smartphones, while the latest octa-core Snapdragon is probably overkill for such a small display and resolution, as well as the battery. It has to be small enough to fit into the compact body, remember.

With all this, the new Xperia X Compact comes with Adreno 510 graphics (not the Adreno 430 chip) and still has 3GB of RAM, along with 32GB memory storage, complete with the microSD card slot.  Looking at the benchmarks, specifically GeekBench 3, our Sony Xperia X Compact review unit scored 1512 on the single-core test, and 3820 on the multi-core. In practice, the phone offers a completely fluid experience, nearly indistinguishable from the larger Xperia flagship.

Connectivity

Regarding connectivity, it supports LTE Cat.6, meaning it can download at 300 MBps and upload at 50 Mbps. It also supports dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 and NFC. It is nice that the phone comes with built-in FM radio and if you have a PlayStation 4, you can use your phone as a mobile console, because games can be streamed on its display via PS4 Remote Play.

Battery Life

The 2700mAh battery offers more than enough juice to keep the Xperia X Compact running. Streaming HD videos with display brightness set to the max, our Sony Xperia X Compact review unit lasted a full 9 hours and 59 minutes. Anything more than 8 hours is good.

With average use, the our Sony Xperia X Compact review unit lasted about two days between charges.

In addition, the device includes the Qnovo adaptive charging technology, which automatically monitors electrochemical processes in the battery cells, adjusting charging parameters in order to extend battery life. At least in theory, this extends the overall battery life by reducing charge cycles.

The Xperia X Compact also has Battery Care technology, with spots charging patterns and adapts accordingly, again, in an effort to prolong overall battery health.

Camera

Thankfully, Sony didn’t compromise on the Xperia X Compact’s 23-megapixel rear-facing camera. The camera features a 24-mm ultra-wide lens (expressed in units equivalent for 24 mm film) with f/2.0. Instead of optical image stabilization, it uses the Active SteadyShot technology, but solely for recording Full HD videos. This is the first Sony smartphone camera with the so-called laser autofocus, which is especially useful for quick focus in the dark, as well as quick white balance adjustments. There’s also an LED flash next to the camera, as well as a prediction focus which locks on moving objects, following their movements.

All this results in our Sony Xperia X Compact review unit snapping pics with above average quality. Thanks to the high resolution, the pics have an exceptional detail level. As an unfortunate side effect, zoomed images have excessive noise, but this can be fixed with resolution reductions.

Sony Xperia X Compact sample photo

Sony’s algorithms are great for touching up images, especially those taken in the dark. It typically results in an impressive, if unrealistic, picture. Precise color interpretation and moderate saturation help to blunt that negative effect, however.

In sum, daylight images rival anything taken by a flagship (iPhone 7 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S7 edge), while night shots are a notch below.

Sony Xperia X Compact sample photo

The front 5-mega-pixel camera offers average results, neither particularly good nor bad, while it’s interesting that it has the equivalent of a 22-mm ultra-wide lens.

In terms of video, it records up to 1080p at 60 fps. It’s the same story with quality: recordings are rich in detail. A great white balance and realistic color saturation give videos a high dynamic range. This might be one of the best smartphone for video output.

Sony Xperia X Compact Review Conclusion

Sony Xperia X Compact Review

Sony Xperia X Compact

The hardware keeps the Sony Xperia X Compact out of the flagship space, but it’s still one of the best devices smaller than five inches on the market. Its long-lasting battery deserves the most praise, and we also like its modern design, attractive display, and decent performance.

We just wish it was waterproof.

Pros:

  • Very good battery autonomy
  • Modern design
  • Display cuts through outdoor glare very well

Cons:

  • Not waterproof like Sony’s previous compact Xperias
  • Dedicated camera key is redundant
  • USB Type-C connector supports USB 2.0, but not 3.0

The post Sony Xperia X Compact Review: Best Small Android Smartphone appeared first on Brighthand.com.

The Best Cheap Smartphones for $100, $200, $300, & $400

The Apple iPhone 7 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S7 edge are the best smartphones. The Google Pixel and Pixel XL have potential to join them. They all cost north of $700.

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge

You shouldn’t pay that much for a smartphone. There are great smartphones that offer close to the same performance level and features as the flagships, for close to half the price or less.

These are the best cheap smartphones you can buy for around $100, $200, $300, and $400, as of this writing. We’ve tried to focus on relatively new phones as much as possible. But keep in mind that older, used, and refurbished flagships are available at deep discounts.

We’ve also avoided any imports. China-based companies like Xiaomi, LeEco, and Oppo produce inexpensive Android handsets and with high-end specs for overseas markets. These device have an amazing price-to-performance ratio, and most will work on the US GSM networks, AT&T and T-Mobile. But tracking down, buying, and setting up a Chinese import is difficult even for seasoned techies, and horrible customer service is a major potential liability.

A quick note on pricing: it fluctuates. We can only guarantee accurate pricing as of October 2016.

Best Cheap Smartphone for $100 or Less

ZTE Zmax Pro

ZTE Zmax Pro

Good news, there’s a decent smartphone that only costs $100: the ZTE Z Max Pro. This 6-inch phablet has a 1920 x 1080 IPS display with 367 pixels per inch, 2GB RAM, and an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 running at 1.5GHz. It ships with Android 6.0, has a large 3500mAh battery, 32GB storage with microSD expansion, and a 13-megapixel camera. It also has a fingerprint scanner.

Putting that in perspective, this would be a flagship in 2014, and even early 2015. These are phenomenal specs for a $100 device.

Bad news, it’s exclusive to MetroPCS. To be fair, MetroPCS is a solid network, and you’ll experience about the same coverage as any T-Mobile customer (T-Mobile merged with MetroPCS in 2012). It’s cheaper, too. Though, T-Mobile customers get network priority over MetroPCS in congested areas, which means potentially slower performance.

So T-Mobile customers looking to save a few bucks on both service and a smartphone should make the switch. AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon customers need to look no further than Amazon and Motorola for a good $100 handset.

Amazon offers the Moto G4 Play with ads to Prime members for $100. Yes, the ads are annoying, and it’s not as powerful as the ZTE Z Max Pro, but this is a great budget smartphone that costs $150 otherwise. Non-Prime members could sign up for free trial account to snag the discount, if necessary.

Best Cheap Smartphone for $200 or Less

The Moto G4 Play is plain, but that's OK.

The Moto G4 Play

Motorola was one of the first producing quality budget handsets, and it has a strong hold on the market. Its Moto G4 is the best cheap smartphone available for less than $200. It’s $200 unlocked, meaning it works on all the major carriers, and Amazon Prime can snag one with ads for $150.

This 5.5-inch Android smartphone (1920 x 1080, 401 ppi) ships with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, and features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor with 550MHz Adreno 405 GPU and 2GB RAM. It also has either 16 or 32GB (32GB Moto G4 costs $230) capacity, with a microSD cardslot. It’s water repellent, with a 13-megapixel camera, 3000mAh battery and fast charge. Motorola also offers a bunch of design options, some of which can add to the cost.

On paper, it’s very similar to the ZTE Z Max Pro, but that just serves as further proof the ZTE handset is a great deal.

AT&T and T-Mobile customers should also consider the Honor 5x from Huawei. This $200 smartphone has comparable specs, and a better, all-metal build. It also has a fingerprint sensor.

Best Cheap Smartphone for $300 or Less

The Moto G4 Plus is the best cheap smartphone for $300

Moto G4 Plus

Once again, it’s a Moto G4; specifically, the Moto G4 Plus; and even more specifically, the 64GB capacity Moto G4 Plus.

The 16GB Moto G4 Plus is very similar to the G4, with many of the same design options. It has a fingerprint sensor and higher resolution, 16-megapixel camera with a faster, laser autofocus. It costs $250, meaning users are paying $50 more for a slightly better camera and a fingerprint sensor, or $100 more for the same, but without the Amazon ads.

That’s not worth it. The $300 64GB Moto G4 Plus has a higher internal capacity, and double the RAM. Its 4GB RAM matches many current flagships, and the performance is top notch. It’s also compatible on all major carriers.

We considered the OnePlus X, given its impressive spec sheet, but its LTE support is limited. Like others on this list, it’s limited to T-Mobile and AT&T, and it doesn’t support all of those carriers’ LTE bands. Meaning US users might see the OnePlus X throttle down to 3G networks more than other smartphones.

It’s also sold out on the OnePlus website as of this writing. In fact, OnePlus knocked its price down to $200 beforehand, though it’s available on Amazon for $260 and up.

Best Cheap Smartphone for $400 or Less

OnePlus 3

OnePlus 3

This is the sweet spot… if you’re an AT&T or T-Mobile customer. You can snag a $400 smartphone offering about 90% of the performance of a $700 or $800 flagship.

The OnePlus 3 is the best cheap smartphone here. This $399 Android handset has a high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset with 6GB RAM, and a 16-megapixel camera. It has a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 4 an a 1920 x 1080 resolution (401 ppi). It comes with 64GB capacity, a fingerprint sensor, and USB Type-C with quick charging. This is a powerful and feature-rich device

We also liked the Honor 8, with its dual-camera setup and quality build; the Alcatel Idol 4s, with its stunning display and VR goggles; as well as the ZTE Axon 7, with its all-around excellence. These are just a notch below the OnePlus 3 and are also incredible values for T-Mobile and AT&T customers.

Verizon customers willing to spend eight extra dollars aren’t entirely out of luck. The $408 Moto Z Play Droid is a unique device, supporting modular expansion through Moto Mods. It’s a step below the OnePlus 3 in terms of processing power, but it has the best battery we’ve ever tested, lasting nearly twice as long as its closest competition. It will literally last for days between charges.

Sprint customers should avoid this price point, there’s really nothing here for them, at least in terms of Android. The $408 HTC One A9 isn’t a bad handset, but we’d go with the slightly more powerful Moto G4 Plus and save a few bucks.

Of course, $400 is also the entry point for a relatively new Apple iPhone SE. It’s smaller than an iPhone 6S, lacks 3D Touch, and has an inferior front-facing camera. But it offers the same performance level.

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Motorola Moto G4 Play Review: Cheap and Capable

Motorola has the budget phone market figured out, evident by devices like the Moto E and the Moto G iterations. These phones, while obviously nowhere near the top-of-the-line in terms of performance and features, still managed to impress thanks to their quality and reliability.

Now, Motorola is looking to continue that trend with its latest lower-tier offering, the Moto G4 Play. Thanks to Motorola’s existing reputation and an attractive price tag of only $150 unlocked, the G4 Play could be good choice for those looking for a cheap phone that isn’t a hopeless piece of trash.

Read this Motorola Moto G4 Play review to see if it’s actually worth your consideration and a small chunk of cash.

Build & Design

Motorola Moto G4 Play review unit

The Motorola Moto G4 Play is plain, but that’s OK.

The Motorola Moto G4 Play’s build is about as vanilla as it gets; this thing won’t win any prizes for innovation. That isn’t entirely a bad thing, though, because the Moto G4 Play is a manageable size and comfortable to hold. And besides, when it comes to budget devices, playing it safe and keeping it basic makes sense, since the target market is most likely looking for a smartphone that just works.

The Moto G4 Play is modestly-sized at 5.69 x 2.83 x 0.39 inches, weighing 4.83 ounces. This offers just enough heft to make it feel good in the hand without going overboard. The device sports a slightly textured, black back panel, which can be removed, offering access to the micro-SIM and microSD card slots. The one pleasant surprise: the design is splashproof, which adds a touch of ruggedness to the Android smartphone.

The only physical buttons are the textured power/standby switch and the volume rocker, which are both located on the right side of the device. The front-facing and rear facing cameras are appropriately located, with the former above and to the right of the display and the latter centered toward the top of the phone’s rear. The top edge plays host to a 3.5mm headphone jack, the microUSB charging port is located on the bottom, and the left edge is devoid of any buttons or ports.

The Moto G4 Play charges via microUSB.

The Moto G4 Play charges via microUSB.

Moto G4 Play power button and volume rocker

Moto G4 Play power button and volume rocker

Display & Speakers

The Moto G4 Play has a slightly-textured back panel.

The Motorola Moto G4 Play has a slightly-textured back panel.

The Motorola Moto G4 Play has a 5-inch IPS LCD display with a 1280 x 720 resolution, resulting in 294 pixels per inch. The flagship Android devices top 500 ppi, and the display is a Moto G4 Play weak spot. It’s not terribly bright, even on max settings, and visibility in bright light is poor. Its middling resolution doesn’t do it any favors either, as it’s readily apparent even without looking at detailed images or websites. Contrast and colors look fine though, even if the whites lean a little toward the blue side of the spectrum.

As for the speakers, there aren’t any beyond the single speaker grill located directly above the display. The sound quality of the lone speaker is exactly what you would expect: tinny and not particularly powerful. HTC BoomSound this is not. The microphone doesn’t even get its own grill, and is instead just a pinhole placed near the lower right-hand corner of the phone’s front face.

Moto G4 Line

Motorola offers three smartphones in the 2016 Moto G lineup: the $250 Moto G4 Plus, $200 Moto G4, and $150 Moto G4 Play. The G4 Plus and G4 both have larger 5.5-inch displays with full HD resolutions, more powerful eight-core processors, Turbo charging, and more design options. The G4 Plus has a 16-megapixel camera and comes with either 16GB or 64GB capacity. The G4 has a 13-megapixel camera and comes with either 16GB or 32GB capacity.

All of them offer great price-to-performance ratio, considering flagships like the iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 edge costs more than $700, and the high-end Moto Z handsets start at $400.

Performance

Underneath the hood, the Moto G4 Play is powered by a quad-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 that clocks in at 1.2 GHz. It also comes equipped with 2GB RAM.

The specs are modest (there’s a substantial gap between the Moto G4 Play’s power and those in the upper echelon), but not unreasonable for a budget device. The Moto G4 Play scored 510 and 1336 on the Geekbench 4 single-core and multi-core tests, respectively, and a 773 on the compute GPU test. To put this in perspective, Samsung’s Galaxy S7 flagships scored 1687, 3945, and 6185 on those tests, respectively.

Those are just numbers, though. In reality, the Moto G4 Play performs perfectly fine in that it offers precisely the type of OK performance you would expect of a $150 phone. We never encountered any navigation hiccups with our Motorola Moto G4 play review unit, and simple applications ran smoothly. Meanwhile, more intensive affairs occasionally ran into some hitches; games would stutter and load times were definitely on the longer side.

Battery

Considering its manageable size and price, the Moto G4 Play comes with a surprisingly beefy 2800mAh Li-Po battery that will easily last you two days with casual use, and it’s replaceable.

Moto G4 Play replaceable battery

Motorola Moto G4 Play replaceable battery

In terms of more concrete metrics, we also performed our usual test of seeing how long a full charge lasted while streaming Netflix over Wi-Fi with the display brightness set to max. Our Motorola Moto G4 Play review unit was able to stream for 8 hours and 8 minutes on a single charge. That’s an impressive length of time (anything over 8 hours is good) that’s likely owed to the not-very-bright and small display, also its lower pixel density.

Connectivity

The Moto G4 Play works on all the major carriers, and most minor carriers as well. It takes micro-SIM, and nano-SIM with an adapter (sold separately). It supports single-channel 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi (higher-end devices support dual-channel 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi), and Bluetooth 4.1 LE. There is no wireless charging or NFC support, like you’d find on more expensive handsets.

Software

We’ve praised Motorola for its smartphones with a nearly pure Android experience, only adding features that serve to enhance the user experience rather than bogging it down. Luckily, that still holds true here.

The Moto G4 Play comes preloaded with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box, with Moto’s take virtually identical to stock Android. The only noticeable difference is the Moto G4 Play standby screen, which can be modified to show notifications “at a glance” that fade in and out while the screen is off.

One other Moto feature is the ability to shrink the screen by swiping up from the bottom of the display, allowing for more comfortable one-handed use. A tap in the black border that forms around the shrunken display returns it to its full size. Like the “glance” notifications, this is actually pretty useful and makes life much easier, especially for folk with smaller mitts.

Other Moto smartphones, like the 2015 Moto X, have more Moto enhancements, but the “glance” notifications and shrinking screen are the only two offered on the G4 Play. And you know what? That’s just fine. Better to err on the side of leanness with budget smartphones. And the best part about these Moto features is that if you’re not into them, you can always just turn them off.

Thankfully, Motorola also remained true to form with its dearth of bloatware on the Moto G4 Play. Aside from an FM radio app and its Moto app that allows users to adjust the aforementioned settings, the only software that comes preloaded on the phone is the standard suite of Google apps.

This is probably for the best given that, at most, the Moto G4 Play only comes with 16GB of onboard storage. So it’s nice that between the low-key nature of Moto and the minimal additional software, users are still left with a decent amount of free space; out of the box, our Motorola Moto G4 Play review unit had 10.4GB capacity available.

Camera

The Moto G4 Play’s 8-megapixel camera, while not a total disaster, is definitely not one of its strong suits. First and foremost, its ability to shoot in low-light is abysmal. Noise and grain abound, and that’s if your picture doesn’t just come out completely black. As evidenced in the sample photo of Tracer and some shoes in an unlit closet (but with plenty of light surrounding it), there’s a rapid decline in the ability to make out subjects the moment darkness creeps.

Moto G4 Play low-light sample photo

Motorola Moto G4 Play low-light sample photo

Meanwhile, there are other smaller issues, like the camera’s struggles to focus properly on the desired subject. Color saturation is a bit of a problem as well; in the sample photo of the shoe polish, the orange on the can comes out looking much closer to red.

 

The Moto G4 Play photos are often oversaturated

The Moto G4 Play photos are often oversaturated

The good news, however, is that the camera shoots well in both natural and artificial light. The resolution is enough to offer a respectable amount of sharpness and clarity in the right conditions.

Moto G4 Play sample photo

Moto G4 Play sample photo

Conclusion

Moto G4Motorola has budget phones down to a near-science, so we had no doubt that the Moto G4 Play would deliver as a reliable, great bang-for-your-buck device. The Moto G4 Play’s shortcomings are nothing more than what comes with the territory of affordable phones, for the most part: an exceptionally plain design, a middling camera, and decent but not terribly fast performance.

Really, the only weakness that’s an actual disappointment is the display. It’s a lower-end device, but they could have done better.

But don’t let that deter you from considering this budget device. The Moto G4 Play is a very solid bet for a mere $150.

Pros:

  • Good battery life
  • Extremely affordable
  • Streamlined Android experience
  • Splash-proof build

Cons:

  • Design is otherwise about as boring as it gets
  • Weak display
  • Camera just OK

The post Motorola Moto G4 Play Review: Cheap and Capable appeared first on Brighthand.com.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus Review: Evolutionary, But Still Great

The iPhone 7 Plus is Apple’s latest flagship, and it’s a super-size version of the iPhone 7. It has a lot in common with its immediate predecessor, the iPhone 6s Plus, but still controversial because of design decisions Apple made; namely, leaving out the headphone port.

We’ve extensively tested this high-end model. Is it any good? Read this Apple iPhone 7 Plus review to find out.

Build & Design

Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Apple iPhone 7 Plus

The Apple iPhone 7 Plus is not a significant redesign from its recent predecessors. This look premiered with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in 2014, and then was used again on the 6S series in 2015, and now here it is again. There are tweaks in the new version, but anyone looking at this new model could easily confuse it for one released two years ago. It’s a fine design with rounded corners and moderate screen bezels, but Apple is reportedly putting all its design efforts into next year’s model, and seems to be coasting a bit with this one.

To demonstrate, the iPhone 7 Plus is exactly the same size as the 6 Plus: 6.23 x 3.07 x 0.29 inches. Still, this has advantages, as some cases won’t have to be redesigned, though ones made for last year’s model will have a superfluous headphone jack (more on that later). The new device is actually just a hair lighter: 6.63 vs. 6.77 ounces, but that’s not a noticeable amount.

There are a couple of new color options: black and jet black, in addition to silver, gold, and rose gold. Space grey is no longer an option, but it’s close to black anyway.

The 5.5 inch screen is what makes this iPhone a “Plus,” but it brings drawbacks. This is undoubtedly a big phone, and makes a noticeable bulge in a front pocket. Anyone carrying one in a back pocket risks breaking it by sitting on it. It’s more hassle to carry around than most of its rivals.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus colors

The iPhone 7 Plus is available in five different colors.

It’s waterproof, and that’s a welcomed change. But don’t go overboard with it… literally. This model is IP67 standard, which means it is protected against dust and can withstand immersion in water up to one meter deep. Basically, that means there’s no worry about the iPhone 7 Plus getting rained on, and it will survive an accidental drop into the pool. However, it’s hard to use the touch screen when it’s wet, and no one should even try using this phone underwater.

Display

The Apple iPhone 7 Plus display is the same 5.5 inch size and 1080 x 1920 pixel specs as its predecessor. Apple typically keeps phone screen resolutions the same for several years so third-party application developers don’t have to modify their apps with every new model. And Apple did increase the maximum brightness by about 30%, and improved the color range. This makes it easier to see outside than any of its predecessors; we were even able to read an ebook in direct sunlight with no problems.

Although Apple didn’t increase the pixel density past 401 ppi, one could argue that it didn’t need to. While the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has an even higher pixel density topping 500 ppi, Apple’s offering already has so many pixels per inch than the human eye can’t make out individual pixels viewing it from an average distance, and therefore sees text and images displayed as smoothly and evenly as possible.

At nearly 13 square inches, the display in the iPhone 7 Plus has over 35% more screen area than the iPhone 7. We find the iPhone 7 Plus to be a better option for watching video or playing games. People who need reading glasses can turn on options that will increase font sizes without overcrowding the larger display. Those who use their phone as their only mobile computer, rather than sporting both a phone and a tablet, owe it to themselves to consider whether they need the extra room.

No phone supports the Apple Pencil; that’s reserved for the company’s iPad Pro line of tablets.

Ports, Buttons, & Speakers

Apple iPhone 7 Plus camera

The Apple iPhone 7 Plus has two rear-facing cameras.

Easily the most controversial change Apple made with the iPhone 7 series is removing the dedicated headphone port, with the Lightning port taking over. A set of Lightning earbuds comes with this phablet, as well as an adapter so older headsets can still be used. There have been some complaints about the audio quality of the adapter, but we weren’t able to discern a difference between an MP3 played on the iPhone 7 Plus and the same file played on an iPhone 6S.

The Lightning port continues to be the only charging and data port. As Apple won’t put memory card slots in its phones or tablets, users will need to turn to third-party options, like the ones from SanDisk and Lexar.

Continuing with the controversies, the Home button on this new device isn’t really a button; it’s a capacitive area on the front, so it doesn’t move when pushed. There’s a slight vibration instead. This takes a small bit of getting used to, but not much. That said, using the phone while wearing gloves just got a bit more challenging.

This “button” still functions as a fingerprint scanner for the Touch ID security system, taking the place of passwords for many functions, including unlocking the phone. This is generally quite reliable, correctly identifying proper fingerprints, and rejecting others. The exception is when the fingertip is wet; almost any amount of water severely downgrades the performance of this biometric scanner.

Apple used the extra space freed up by removing the headphone port to add a second speaker. This offers stereo playback, but the speaker separation is tiny. Still, it does mean this device is capable of putting out a lot more sound than its predecessors. We had no problems hearing a TV show in a moderately noisy area, or using the speakerphone while driving.

Camera

The Apple iPhone 7 Plus has two 12-megapixel rear cameras, while the smaller iPhone 7 does not. One of these has a wide-angle lens with an ƒ/1.8 aperture, while the second has a telephoto lens with a ƒ/2.8 aperture. The inclusion of the second camera allows for a 2x optical zoom, which results in sharper images than the digital zoom provided by just about all other smartphones.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus camera specs

Dual rear cameras on the iPhone 7 Plus

One of the best photo effects isn’t available yet. Apple demoed a portrait mode in which the person being photographed is in focus but their background is blurred out, an effect typical of more expensive DSLRs and interchangeable lens cameras. This feature has been promised in a software update coming later this year.

The rear camera supports 4K video recording at 30 fps, and there’s optical image stabilization for video and still images.

The iPhone 7 Plus’ shooter functions well in dimly-lit areas, even with the flash off. The new quad-LED flash is brighter than the ones in previous iPhones, and does a nice job of lighting up dark areas.

The front-facing camera is 7 MP with an ƒ/2.2 aperture, which is better than most main cameras from a few years ago. It supports 1080p video recording.

Sample Pics
20161002_210117098_iOS

20161001_141606255_iOS

Zoom_None Zoom_2x

Performance

The iPhone 7 Plus is built around the A10 Fusion, Apple’s first quad-core smartphone processor. This includes two 64-bit 2.34 GHz CPU cores, along with a second slower pair dedicated to less demanding software, extending battery life.

We ran the just-released Geekbench 4 test, and the score was 5590 on the multi-core test. This is the highest score of any Apple product, solidly outperforming even the 12.9-inch iPad Pro’s 4750. The iPhone 7 Plus also beat the new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and Galaxy S7 on this test.

iPhone 7 Plus benchmarks

Real world use bears up the benchmarks: the iPhone 7 Plus offers as good a performance as anyone can expect from a mobile computer.

One of the controversies surrounding this model is the reports that some iPhone 7 models have an odd hiss when performing demanding tasks. This might be emitted when the new processor when strained, but we haven’t experienced this on our test unit.

The iPhone 7 Plus has 3GB of RAM, a fairly generous amount. The smaller iPhone 7 has 2GB, and the only iOS device with more is the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Apple offers the iPhone 7 Plus with 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB of built-in storage. This is another welcome change, as it’s twice as much as its predecessor for the same prices. We feel that 32GB is plenty for people who don’t want to carry around a lot of multimedia files, but those with many MP3s or videos should choose the 128GB one at least.

Specs

  • Display:
    5.5-inch (diagonal) LED
    1920-by-1080-pixel resolution at 401 ppi1300:1 contrast ratio (typical)
    625 cd/m2 max brightness (typical)
  • Dimensions:
    6.23 x 3.07 x 0.29 inches (158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3 mm)
    6.63 ounces (188 grams)
  • Processor:
    Quad-core A10 Fusion, with dual 64-bit 2.34 GHz cores
    Embedded M10 motion coprocessor
  • Camera:
    12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras
    Optical zoom at 2x; digital zoom up to 10x
    7-megapixel front-camera
  • Wireless:
    GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (some models), LTE Advanced (up to 450 Mbps)
    802.11a/b/g/n/ac WiFi with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.2
    GPS and GLONASS
    VoLTE
    NFC
  • Battery:
    2,900 mAh
    Up to 21 hours of talk time, Up to 16 days of standby
    Up to 15 hours web browsing on WiFi, up to 13 hours on LTE, up to 13 hours on 3G
    Up to 14 hours video playback
    Up to 60 hours audio playback

Software

This device debuted with iOS 10, the latest version of Apple’s operating system for phones and tablets. An in-depth discussion of all the new features in this version is outside the scope of this hardware review, but we will say that the iPhone 7 Plus’ 5.5-inch display makes it an outstanding platform for the new iMessage features, like stickers and hand-drawn comments.

ios10

Apple bundles its iWork suite of productivity applications with all new models, as well its iLife suite.

Battery

The Apple iPhone 7 Plus includes a 2,900 mAh battery, which Apple says is good for up to 15 hours of web browsing over a Wi-Fi connection. We put this model through our own grueling battery test, asking it to continuously stream video from Hulu over Wi-Fi with the backlight on 50%. The 7 Plus lasted 7 hours 43 minutes before the battery hit 0% and the device shut down. This is a “torture test” and is close to the shortest amount of time one can expect this model to last with extremely heavy use.

In our real world use, even on the days we heavily used our Apple iPhone 7 Plus review unit during the testing period, we never once ran out of of power, or even got below 38%.  Days with lighter use typically ended with the battery at about 60%, indicating to us that this phone could go two days without needing to be charged, as long as it was used fairly moderately.

Apple still refuses to support wireless charging for its devices, so the only way to power up the 7 Plus is to plug in a cable. Unfortunately, this model doesn’t charge particularly quickly. In our testing, a hour of charging increased the battery level by approx. 35%, so a full charge takes about three hours.

Value

The retail cost of the iPhone 7 Plus is $769 for the version with 32GB of built-in storage. For comparison, last year’s iPhone 6s Plus with the same capacity is now $649. On the other hand, the list price for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 with 64GB is between $850 and $880.

Although the iPhone 7 Plus is about $100 less than one of its top rivals, this has to be regarded as a very expensive product. Still, it is Apple’s flagship, and the best iOS phone on the market. Those who want top-of-the line will usually be willing to pay for it, but there are more affordable options.

Conclusion

Apple iPhone 7 PlusApple’s decision to forgo the headphone port has drawn the most attention, and controversy. However, there’s a lot to like in this model, such as a long battery life with speedy performance, an innovative camera, and water resistance. The new Home button takes some getting used to, though.

An unusual issue with the iPhone 7 Plus is it’s competing with a model that hasn’t even been announced yet. Rumors about the 10th anniversary iPhone are already making the rounds, and it is shaping up to be a more revolutionary model than this one, which is very evolutionary. Those who can wait might consider holding off until 2017 to see what Apple has to offer.

Pros:

  • Outstanding performance
  • Very long battery life
  • Water resistant
  • Excellent cameras

Cons:

  • No headset port
  • Expensive

The post Apple iPhone 7 Plus Review: Evolutionary, But Still Great appeared first on Brighthand.com.

Moto Z Play Droid Review: Innovative and Everlasting

The modular smartphone is a great idea. It just makes sense, considering the smartphone is such a diverse and ubiquitous gadget. Smartphones already double as PDAs, GPS units, cameras, and even wallets; so why not a stereo, TV/projector, and more?

Moto Z Play Droid

Moto Z Play Droid

Early attempts at modular smartphones have fallen flat. The semi-modular LG G5 proved a poor implementation with limited expansion accessories, while Google’s Project Ara, with its aim at reducing e-waste, was scrapped before launch.

The new Motorola Moto Z line of modular phones, including the mid-range Moto Z Play Droid, offer something similar to the LG G5, just with a better execution. The Moto Z smartphones expand through Moto Mods that attach magnetically to the back panel. The process of swapping Mods is literally a snap, and unlike the G5, doesn’t require the Android handset power down.

It’s unique and it’s different. But the market doesn’t reward innovation for innovation’s sake. Is it any good? That’s all that matters. Read on to find out.

Build & Design

The Motorola Moto Z Play Droid is one of four Moto Z smartphones, including the unlocked (GSM) Moto Z, and the Verizon exclusives, Moto Z Force Droid and Moto Z Droid. The Moto Z Play Droid is also Verizon exclusive (the Droid branding gives it away), and it has the most modest specs and lowest price of the bunch.

Moto Z Play Droid Silver Oak Style Shell

Moto Z Play Droid Silver Oak Style Shell

The Moto Z Play Droid looks like your average mid-range smartphone, measuring 6.2 x 3 x 0.3 inches, and weighing 5.6 ounces, sans a Style Shell back panel.

And that’s where the Moto Z line distinguishes itself. The attached back panels serve as a base plate for modular expansion. Exposed, it features a round camera bulge, Motorola branding, and a dedicated accessory port/connector. It’s magnetic, enabling Moto Mods to adhere securely and stick.

The Moto Z Play Droid ships with a removable Style Shell, giving the smartphone a more traditional back panel. Our review unit came with the silver oak wooden shell, and the lineup includes nylon and leather options. Other Moto Mods include a JBL SoundBoost Speaker, Moto Insta-Share Projector, Incipio offGRID Power Pack, and Hasselblad True Zoom camera.

Together with a Style Shell, the Moto Z Play Droid measures .37 inches thick, and weighs 6.8 ounces. That’s larger than most other 2016 smartphones in any price class, but not bulky by any reasonable standard. The Moto Z Play Droid is no less pocketable than a slick iPhone 7 Plus or Galaxy Note 7.

Moto Z Play Droid camera bump

Moto Z Play Droid camera bump

The Style Shell and other Moto Mods come off and on easily, and again, stay on securely. Our Style Shell never slipped or accidentally came off during testing. The wood backing also felt very pleasant to the touch, and we’re confident the leather and nylon alternatives would as well, given Motorola’s design history.

We worry that the contacts on the back panel could suffer corrosion over time, especially moisture or grit gets stuck under the case. They showed no signs of that during our brief time with it, however.

Otherwise, the Moto Z Play Droid looks like a standard smartphone, with a flat display panel and rounded corners. There’s a large display bezel on the top and bottom, housing the earpiece, speaker, flash, 5-megapixel front camera, and sensors (top), as well as a pinhole mic and square fingerprint sensor (bottom).

Moto Z Play Droid fingerprint sensor

Moto Z Play Droid fingerprint sensor

Moto Z Play Droid contacts

Moto Z Play Droid contacts

The fingerprint sensor presents an annoying issue.  By default, it unlocks the phone, and also puts it to sleep. Because it resembles a home button, sits right below the on-screen nav icons, and is very sensitive, accidental presses are way too common.

An aluminum alloy bumper wraps the edges, holding the textured power button and two-button volume control on the right side, which are easy to distinguish via touch. The SIM/microSD tray sits on the top half, next to another mic, while the bottom houses the headphone jack and USB Type-C input.

Moto Z Play Droid SIM tray

Moto Z Play Droid SIM tray

Moto Z Play Droid USB Type-C and headphone jack

Moto Z Play Droid USB Type-C and headphone jack

While much was made of Apple ditching the headphone jack for the iPhone 7, Moto was the first, with the Moto Z, Moto Z Droid, and Moto Z Force Droid shipping without it. That resulted in some slick handsets, but we’ll take a slightly bulkier smartphone with a full complement of ports any day.

Moto Z Play Droid buttons

Moto Z Play Droid buttons

Moto Z Play Droid side

Moto Z Play Droid side

Again, it’s a bit larger than most handset with similar screen sizes, though not overly cumbersome. In hand, the Moto Z Play feels great. It’s solid, and its weight lends itself to a quality build. Of course, we recommend a case, even it makes switching Moto Mods more difficult.

Motorola claims the Moto Z Play Droid has a “water repellent nano-coating,” which should protect the Android smartphone against spills, splashes, and light rain. Don’t submerge it though, because it’s not waterproof.

Display & Speaker

The Moto Z Play Droid has a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution. That results in a cinematic 16:9 aspect ratio and 403 pixels per inch. Android flagships, including the other Moto Zs, top out at 500+ PPI, which is borderline overkill. While you can spot a difference in sharpness in a side-by-side comparison, it’s a difference between “great” and “even better.”

That is to say the Moto Z Play Droid has a stunning display. The Super AMOLED technology gives it a deep contrast and vibrant colors, with a slight magenta tone. Set to max, it’s bright enough to cut through outdoor glare.

It lacks color calibration features beyond two settings, standard and vibrant. We wish Motorola packed in more, and maybe even some sort of comfort or night mode that filters out blue tones for yellow.

The Moto Z Play Droid outputs decent sound, for a smartphone. It’s loud enough and clear for personal use, and extremely clean compared against other smartphones with no distortion at either end. But as we always state in this section, smartphone speakers are the last thing you should consider before buying a device.

Moto Mods

Unquestionably, the Moto Mods have potential; and Motorola executed on a great idea with its first-generation semi-modular smartphone. Moto Z buyers will still need to place some faith in Motorola that it’s committed to producing and promoting the accessories.

Moto Z Play Droid with Style Shell

Moto Z Play Droid with Style Shell

For its part, Motorola offers a Moto Mods development kit, and promises “Moto Mods developed today are designed to work with future-generation Moto Z phones.” Does that also mean Moto Mods released in the future will be backward compatible with first-generation Moto Zs? Because that would be a great reason to buy a Moto Z Play.

Beyond the speaker, camera, projector, and battery, we hope to see future Moto Mods embrace more niche interests, including business (a portable point-of-sale terminal) and gaming (a cabinet with controller). We’d also love to see wacky cases with e-ink displays, thermal camera rigs, and home health monitors.

Performance

This is a midrange smartphone, with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor (2 GHz) and 3GB RAM. Today’s flagships, including other Moto Zs, have Snapdragon 820 processors along with 4GB RAM. Expect 6GB RAM and the Snapdragon 821 to become the high-end norm with the next crop of smartphones (Xiaomi just announced the Mi 5s Plus with those internals).

Still, it’s enough to keep the Moto Z Play Droid humming along. It runs near stock Android very well. It’s stable and swift, and fine for day-to-day use. It even handles demanding 3D games, like Modern Combat 5, with ease.

Turning to the benchmarks, the Motorola Moto Z Play Droid scored 799 on the Geekbench 4 single-core test, 2599 on the multi-core test, and 2473 on the Compute (graphics) test.

For some perspective, the flagship-level Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (with a Snapdragon 820 and 4GB RAM) scored 1687, 3945, and 6185 on the same tests, respectively.

It’s also worth noting the Moto Z Play’s fingerprint sensor is very good. It’s quick and accurate, and did not require a second press once during testing.

Battery

Wow! We have a new battery champion! The Moto Z Play Droid has by far the best battery we’ve ever tested on a smartphone. It’s a 3510mAh whopper that lasted 22 hours and 52 minutes streaming video over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness set to max.

Anything over 8 hours is good. Twelve hours in the gold standard. The Moto Z Play Droid is otherworldly. Keep in mind, 22 hours and 52 minutes is about the minimum you can expect from this smartphone. With regular use, you could easily go three or four days between charges.

It also charges fast thanks to USB Type-C. It went from dead to 42% in just 30 minutes with the bundled charger.

Next to Moto Mods, the battery is the primary reason to buy the Moto Z Play Droid.

Software

The Moto Z Play Droid runs near stock Android

The Moto Z Play Droid runs near stock Android

The Moto Z Play Droid ships with Android 6.0.1, and is pretty much guaranteed to receive the Android Nougat update sometime in Q4, according to Motorola. After Nougat, it’s much less of a sure thing.

Lenovo, which now owns Motorola, has a poor initial record with updates. It abandoned the 2014 Moto X flagship by not supplying an Android Marshmallow update, and updates have been very slow coming to Verizon-exclusive Droids, like the Droid Turbo 2 and Droid MAXX 2.

This includes security updates. Lenovo and Motorola have never committed to monthly security updates, and Motorola claims it will “bundle security updates in a scheduled Maintenance Release (MR) or OS upgrade.” Our review unit shipped with the July security update, and updated to the September patch by September 28. Our Huawei Honor 8 received similarly-scheduled updates, while our Samsung Galaxy S7 edge received the July, August, and September updates, all early in each month.

It’s not all bad news, though. The Moto Z Play Droid has near stock Android, with Moto’s excellent voice and action commands, and it’s very clean. Verizon wisely ditched the harsh black-and-red Droid branding in favor of Android’s pleasing Material Design. We loved the fact that the homescreens respond to landscape orientation (Samsung TouchWiz phones do not), but wish it included a “restart” option instead just “power off.”

The Moto Z Play Droid is only available with 32GB capacity (microSD expandable). Of that, about 24GB is available out of the box, with Android taking up 8.15GB, and apps taking up about 4GB.

Verizon bloatware

Verizon bloatware

Being a Verizon smartphone, there’s plenty of bloatware. Some games, like Cake Jam, Farm Heroes, and Panda Pop can be deleted, while other Verizon mainstays like NFL Mobile, IMDB, and Slacker Radio cannot.

The stock internet browser and gallery apps have been replaced by Chrome and Google Photos, respectively, still redundant apps remain an issue, with Verizon causing the most problems. So the Moto Z Play Droid has both Verizon Cloud and Google Drive, as well Hangouts, Google Messenger, and the useless Verizon Message + app, in addition to Google Maps and Verizon Navigator.

Camera

The Moto Z Play Droid has a 16-megapixel rear camera with an f/2 aperture and 1.3um pixel size, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with an f/2.2 aperture and wide-angle lens (85 degrees).

Flagships smartphones have wider apertures and larger pixels, mostly for better low-light results, but the Play Droid’s specs are in line with other mid-range smartphones.

Thanks to quick launch actions, you can start snapping pictures from a sleeping Moto Z Play Droid within seconds, and its laser and phase detection focus is reasonably fast (though we ran into problems touch focusing in some macro shooting situations).

The default app is clean and intuitive, with a swipe based navigation, and a pro mode for tweaking the ISO, white balance, shutter speed, and more. Other features are typical for smartphone cameras, including touch focus, panorama, and a best shot mode. The front-facing selfie camera has a dedicated flash and beauty mode, which results scary selfies when manually set to max.

Video is limited to 1080p at 30fps, with a slow motion option. There’s no 4K, which isn’t so bad. 4K smartphone video is way overkill.

Sample Photos

Everything looks pleasant, especially the colors, which pop with appropriate saturation. Details are crisp, with proper exposure levels, as evident by the visible details in the Riverside sign’s black and white paint areas. The white balance also does it job, adjusting appropriately in tough lighting, as seen in the stairwell pic.

Moto Z Play Droid sample photo

Moto Z Play Droid sample photo

Moto Z Play Droid sample photo

Moto Z Play Droid sample photo

The Moto Z Play Droid struggles in low light, however. This is true of all mid-range smartphones, and even some flagships. Look at the Moto Z Play Droid’s sleeping dog picture against the same photo taken by the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. The current-generation Samsung smartphones are the absolute best at low-light photo output, and no smartphone outside of the iPhone 7 even comes close.

Moto Z Play Droid low-light photo

Moto Z Play Droid low-light photo

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge low-light photo

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge low-light photo

Value

The Moto Z Play Droid costs $408, which is the current sweet spot for price to performance. The excellent Honor 8, OnePlus 3, and ZTE Axon cost about the same. The Moto Z Play is less powerful than those three devices, but its battery is far superior. And it has Moto Mods.

The Moto Z costs $700, while the Z Droid costs $624 and the Moto Z Force Droid costs $720. A GSM unlocked Moto Z Play is launching soon for $450.

All Moto Zs have a 5.5-inch display. The upmarket devices have more pixels, with a 535 PPI. They also have a Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB RAM, with a 64GB capacity option. The Moto Z and Z Droid are thinner and lighter, and have a smaller battery, 13-megapixel camera, and no headphone jack. The Moto Z Force Droid is only slightly lighter, with no headphone jack, a similarly-sized battery, 21-megapixel camera, and an amazing ShatterShield display.

Of the three, we gravitate toward the Moto Z Force Droid. It’s powerful and Moto ShatterShield is one of our favorite smartphone features. It has a killer battery, too.

Conclusion

Moto Z Play DroidMotorola gives us hope the modular smartphone can work. It smartly implemented the feature with the Moto Z lineup, and then combined it with a world-class battery to make the Moto Z Play Droid a compelling smartphone. There’s plenty of competition in the $400 range, with the Moto Z Play Droid occupying a special niche with its innovative design. It’s definitely not “another boring smartphone.”

It’s not a perfect smartphone either. Motorola’s software update issues, particularly with the Droid lineup worries us, and we’re a bit concerned about those Moto Mod contacts. How well will they hold up over time? Also, Motorola needs to move the fingerprint sensor where it’s impossible to confuse for a home button.

But none of these issues disqualify the Moto Z Play Droid from consideration. This is a good device with an exciting design, decent camera, and the best battery we’ve ever tested. Give it a close look if you’re in the market.

Pros

  • Innovative design with Moto Mods
  • The best battery we’ve ever tested
  • Decent performance and camera output
  • Near stock Android

Cons

  • Too much carrier bloatware
  • Fingerprint sensor easily confused for home button

The post Moto Z Play Droid Review: Innovative and Everlasting appeared first on Brighthand.com.

Huawei Honor 8 Review: 90 Percent Flagship at 50 Percent Price

Good smartphones are getting cheaper; in fact, they are fast becoming a commodity. Little separates a mid-range handset from the flagships in terms of utility. In addition, mid-range handsets are beginning to sport features that were once only found on the priciest and best.

The Huawei Honor 8 exemplifies this trend. It starts at $400, and it has a flagship-level 4GB of RAM, USB Type-C input, and a unique dual-camera setup.

We had good things to say about the $200 Honor 5X earlier this year, claiming “It isn’t an iPhone or Galaxy as its performance and spec sheet reveal some limitations, but it’s not as far off as its price suggests.” The Honor 8 costs more, and has fewer “limitations” on paper.

Can it match up with the name brands? Read this Huawei Honor 8 review to find out.

Build & Design

Honor 8 smartphone

The Honor 8 smartphone has a glass build with aluminum alloy bumper.

The Honor 8 smartphone is good-looking. It comes in pearl white, midnight black, and sapphire blue, and it sports an all-glass front and back panel, with a rounded aluminum alloy bumper around the edges. The 5.2-inch display is slightly raised, giving what many device makers call a “2.5D” effect. The left and right bezels are extremely thin, while the top and bottom match the sizes found on other devices.

It feels solid in hand, and the aluminum and glass combination give a quality impression. But the Honor 8 is too still slick for our liking, even if the aluminium adds much-needed grip. This is an issue inherent in all glass smartphones, and a case is highly recommended. The other issues are fingerprints and smudges. There’s no avoiding either with this Android smartphone.

The buttons and ports are laid out logically, with both a single-piece volume rocker and power button on the right side, and the SIM tray/microSD card slot on the left. The bottom houses the USB Type-C input and 3.5mm headphone jack.The top has an IR blaster and pinhole mic. The dual-camera setup, flash, and laser sensor sit on the upper-back panel, just above a round fingerprint sensor.

Huawei Honor 8 USB-Type C input

The Honor 8 has a USB-Type C input.

There’s nothing to complain about here. The power button and volume rocker are different sizes and easy to identify by touch alone, and the camera lenses (yes, there are two) sit flush with the rest of body. The fingerprint sensor is easy to access during one-handed use (certainly easier than Samsung and Apple’s home-button placement), and it’s also clickable and swipeable, doubling as a quick launcher for access to specific apps, notifications, and navigating through gallery photos. This neat bit of innovation proves very useful in day-to-day operation.

Display & Speakers

Honor 8 smartphone fingerprint sensor

The Huawei Honor 8 has a glass back with a fingerprint sensor.

The Huawei Honor 8 has a 5.2-inch LTPC LCD, with a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. That results in about 423 pixels per inch and a cinematic 16:9 aspect ratio. Most Android flagships have denser displays with PPI counts topping 500, and that’s one of the big differences distinguishing the high-end from the mid-tier. It makes sense for a company like Samsung, which has the Gear VR headset that can take advantage of all those pixels. For anything else a 500+ PPI count is overkill, and it’s hard to see any difference between those smartphones and the Honor 8, even side by side.

Besides all that, the Honor 8 display looks great. Colors are rich, with pleasant saturation, and sufficient brightness. It cuts through sun glare as well as any other smartphone we’ve tested. Huawei also provides deeper display controls than any other smartphone maker, letting users adjust the color temperature, and including an “eye comfort” mode that filters blue light in favor or a yellowish tint.

We’ve yet to test a smartphone that has “good” speaker output, as the small sizes always results in compromised sound. The Honor 8 is decent when graded on a smartphone curve. It’s fine for personal use, but headphones are preferable.

Performance

Huawei Honor 8 Android with EMUI 4.1

The Honor 8 smartphone runs Android with EMUI 4.1.

Crack open the Honor 8 smartphone and you’ll find an octa-core Hisilicon Kirin 950 processor (four Cortex A72 running at 2.3GHz, and four Cortex A53 running at 1.8GHz, plus a Mali-T880 MP4 GPU running at 900MHz) along with 4GB LPDDR4 RAM.

This is a potent combo, and it generally bests the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 found inside the flagships and some other $400 smartphones in terms of CPU performance, but lags behind in GPU output… at least in benchmark comparisons. To that end, our Huawei Honor 8 review unit scored 5118 on the Geekbench 4 multi-core test, 1744 on the single-core test, and 2978 on the compute GPU test.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge scored 3945, 1687, and 6185 on the same tests, respectively.

In the real world, the Honor 8 runs like a flagship. It handles its Android 6.0 and Huawei EMUI 4.1 steadily. It’s both stable and swift, and can blast through intensive games as well as any other handset on the market.

The Huawei fingerprint sensor bears additional praise. In addition to its quick launch capability and ergonomic placement, it’s also one of the best fingerprint sensors on the market. It’s quick and reliable, much more so than Samsung’s or any other Android fingerprint sensor we’ve tested. In fact, Huawei is neck and neck with Apple in terms of fingerprint sensor performance.

Battery

Our Huawei Honor 8 review unit lasted 7 hours and 30 minutes streaming Netflix over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness set to max. This torture test give you an idea of the bare minimum life of the Honor 8’s 3000mAh battery.

Our dividing line is 8 hours. Anything more than that is good, with the best smartphones lasting 11 and 12 hours. So the Honor 8 is borderline OK here.

That said, Huawei packed the Honor 8 full of power management options, so we don’t doubt the Honor 8 could last a full day and then some. It charges fast with the included USB Type-C charger, going from dead to 46% in just 30 minutes plugged in.

Software

Huawei’s Android is easy to confuse with iOS, at least at a glance. The EMUI 4.1 skin borrows heavily from Apple’s mobile OS, foregoing the familiar Android app drawer, and distinguishing notifications and shortcuts as separate items in the display drop down.

So it’s as far from stock Android as any OEM’s version aesthetically, but it works. It’s unique and nothing feels forced for the sake of being different. The knuckle gestures feel like a gimmick (one knuckle double tap to snap a screenshot; two knuckle double tap to record the display; and quick launch apps by knuckle drawing C, E, W, and M), and require too much effort. Thankfully, they are not part of the core experience. Besides, those pining for more traditional Android can always download and install the Google Now launcher from the Google Play Store.

Our Huawei Honor 8 review unit came with 32GB, of which about 21GB were available out of the box (around 23GB is typical). Android 6.0 with the EMUI 4.1 skin takes up most of the space, with apps taking up about 2.5GB. There’s some bloatware, like the Shazam, Booking.com, Lyft, and NewsRebublic apps, which can be uninstalled.

Huawei bundles a handful of useful apps, including a Smart Controller for the IR blaster. Here you can program the Honor 8 to control TVs, various set-top boxes, and even air conditioners. And yes, it actually works on air conditioners, TVs as well. However, we couldn’t get it to work with our Xfinity set-top cable boxes. We also liked the battery manager, voice controls, glove mode, and Optimizer, which closes out unused apps and ends unnecessary background processes.

The Honor 8 notifications resemble iOS

The Honor 8 notifications resemble iOS.

The Hono 8 can double as an AC remote.

The Honor 8 can double as an AC remote.

Software support is always a big concern when dealing with an unfamiliar brand (unfamiliar in the US anyway). Will Huawei provide regular software and security updates for the Honor 8? Huawei has stated it will support the Honor 8 for at least two years, pushing out new features every three months for the first, and keeping up on security and bugs for the second. Other recent Huawei smartphones ship with an FM tuner and companion app. Unfortunately, they are absent on the Honor 8.

So the Honor 8 is very likely due for an Android Nougat update. There’s little guarantee beyond that outside of bug fixes and security patches.

Connectivity

The Honor 8 smartphone supports dual-band Wi-Fi with automatic switching, and LTE/WCDMA/GSM networks. That includes the 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,12,17,20 LTE bands. This means the Honor 8 connects to AT&T and T-Mobile, and many overseas networks, but not Sprint or Verizon. Those customers will want to stay away.

It also supports NFC, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, and GPS/Glonass/AGPS.

Honor 8 smartphone dual-camera lens

Huawei Honor 8 dual-camera lens

Camera

Dual cameras are the Huawei Honor 8 differentiator. This kind of high-end feature is typically reserved for flagships, and it expands smartphone camera options with unique and creative shooting modes.

The Honor 8 has 12-megapixel dual-camera system with a f/2.2 aperture and laser-assisted autofocus. It consists of one RGB sensor (color) and a separate monochrome sensor (black and white) with 1.2μm pixels. This all combines to produce “more vivid colors and crisper details, even in dim or low light,” according to Huawei.

Those numbers line up with other mid-range smartphones. A high-end smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge has a an f/1.7 lens (meaning it’s open wider and lets in more light) and its image pixels measure 1.4μm (meaning they are larger and able to absorb more light).

Honor 8 extreme "beauty mode" selfie

Honor 8 extreme “beauty mode” selfie

The Honor 8 camera performs like a flagship where it counts. It focuses fast and is quick on the snap. Using the fingerprint sensor fast launch, you can snap a pic from a sleeping Honor 8 in less than a few seconds.

The Huawei camera app is robust, with plenty of features and filters, including a decent “Pro photo” mode that enables manual control of the ISO, exposure value, shutter speed, and white balance. We also like the “wide aperture” mode, which creates a shallow depth of field, blurring photo backgrounds, similar to a DSLR or interchangeable lens camera.

The Honor 8 has an 8-megapixel front-facing camera, complete with Huawei’s creepy “Beauty Mode.” Mess with the setting enough, and it produces some disturbing results. The Android smartphone also shoots video that tops out at full HD (1080 x 1920), but has some decent features, including video pro mode and slow motion. Some higher-end handsets shoot 4k, and that’s overkill. The Honor 8 is good enough.

Sample Photos

The sample photos show off the Honor 8’s shooting prowess. Pictures have deep contrast and the colors pop. Details are well captured. Looking at the “Riverside” sign, the Honor 8 captured the chipping white paint around the black “T.” This was taken on a very sunny day, and a lesser camera would have blown it out.

Honor 8 sample photo

Honor 8 sample photo

Honor 8 sample photo

The monochrome sensor produces solid results, too. The contrast on the Madball pic shows its strengths. A simple black-and-white filter wouldn’t be able to duplicate that.

Honor 8 sample photo

We also enjoyed playing with the aperture, producing pics with a blurry background. The potential for an excellent photo is there. However, the results can’t match a DSLR, and the Honor 8 sometimes produces odd or inconsistent blurring.

Honor 8 sample photo

It’s not all great though. The low-light photos reveal the limits of a $400 smartphone’s camera. The sleeping dog pic is very noisy, with little color. Compare that to the same picture taken by the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (the Galaxy S7 and Note 7 have similar camers), which has the best low-light camera, and best overall (even better than the iPhone 7). The difference is stark.

Honor 8 low-light pic

Honor 8

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge low-light pic

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge

Value

The 32GB Honor 8 costs $399.99, while the 64GB costs $449.99, and Huawei offers three months of screen protection. This is a great price.

In fact, $400 is the sweet spot for price-to-performance ratio, with both the ZTE Axon 7 and OnePlus 3 costing about the same. On paper, these two devices are slightly more powerful. The OnePlus 3 has 6GB of RAM and 64GB capacity, but lacks expandable storage, while the ZTE Axon 7 has the same storage capacity, with microSD expansion, and great audio output. In real use, it’s hard to distinguish between the three, and the Honor 8 has a slight edge in camera performance and build quality.

Whichever device, you can’t go wrong. And they are all extremely compelling compared against $700 and $800 Samsung Galaxies and Apple iPhones. The traditional flagships may be better devices overall, but they are not $300 or $400 better.

Bottom line: If we’re paying, it’s the Honor 8 or one of the other mid-range smartphones listed. If someone else is paying, give us an iPhone 7, Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, or Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

Conclusion

Honor 8It’s not necessary to spend $700+ for a good smartphone. The Huawei Honor 8 is a prime example of a mid-range smartphone with near flagship performance and build. It even has high-end features like an excellent fingerprint scanner and dual-lens camera.

The Honor 8 should please most Android smartphone users. The EMUI skin does little to detract from operation and navigation, and actually adds some novel features. We otherwise love the fingerprint sensor and quick launch options. It runs very well, and its camera shoots above its class in most instances.

Many of its issues are acceptable for the price range, and only apparent when comparing it against more expensive smartphones. It’s not water resistant, and it can be very slick in hand because of its glass panels. The camera is poor in low light, the battery is just ok, and we wish it supported Verizon and Sprint.

But by any standard it’s a good smartphone, and a great $400 smartphone. Give it a long look and you might end up saving good money.

Pros:

  • Excellent design, well built
  • Stable and swift performance
  • Decent camera with fun features
  • An excellent value

Cons:

  • Battery just OK
  • Camera struggles in low light
  • Needs more carrier support

The post Huawei Honor 8 Review: 90 Percent Flagship at 50 Percent Price appeared first on Brighthand.com.

Samsung Gear VR (2016) Review

With the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 now in stores, the mobile giant has decided to release a rehashed version of its virtual reality headset, the Samsung Gear VR. Not all the much has changed, though. Of course the headset is outfitted with a USB Type-C port to accommodate Samsung’s newest flagship, but the peripheral also ships with a micro USB dongle, making it compatible with a wide swath of Samsung’s Galaxy lineup; including the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, S7, S7 Edge, S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge Plus, and Note 5.

But the new Gear VR isn’t a pure carbon copy. The company has issued some quality of life design changes and Oculus’ ecosystem has only become more robust since we last looked at the application.

Is the new Samsung Gear VR worth taking the plunge into virtual reality? Read the full review to find out.

Build and Design

Samsung Gear VR front 1At first glance it appears not all that much has changed with the new Gear VR. It still looks the part of a virtual reality headset, and by that, we mean headset closely resembles a pair of bulky ski goggles, as noted in our review of the original Samsung Gear VR. The general design is the same with a plastic finish, cushioned lining, and black Velcro straps in the rear. However, the headset is sporting a cleaner looking black plastic finish  that leaves the mobile VR headset looking a lot more like its PC counterparts (the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift).

The two pairs of black Velcro adjustable straps make it easy to quickly adjust the headrest to fit comfortably. The gray inner foam lining is a bit thicker than in the previous model offering the Samsung Gear VR a comfortable and cushioned feel.

On the top of the device is a focus adjustment wheel. While on the left-hand side sits a home and back buttons, a square control touchpad, and independent volume controls. Finally on the bottom left side of the headset there is a USB Type-C port. The headset also ships with a small dongle that transforms the USB Type-C port into a micro USB port.

Samsung Gear VR side viewThe home button is a new addition and makes navigating the Oculus application a bit easier, especially without a gamepad. The touchpad has also been redesigned. Gone is the compressed controller touchpad design in favor of a plain indented touchpad with a braised dot in the center. It’s a small change, but it’s much easier to get a feel for where you are on the pad now than with the older model. Again making the Samsung Gear VR far more user-friendly.

The Samsung Gear VR houses a proximity sensor along with two glass eyepieces on the interior of the headset. The field of view has been increased to a full 110 degrees from the original 96 degrees, allowing for the even larger field of vision.

The front of the device houses a removable protective plastic plate, that takes the place of the smartphone while the headset is not in use. The right hinge slides out locking at a 45-degree angle allowing the protective cover or phone to removed. Pushing the right hinge in causes it to snap back into position holding the Galaxy smartphone place. The left hinge also rotates a full 45 degrees to make it easy to fasten your smartphone to the attached connector. Of course, the most notable feature of the rehashed Gear VR is the ability to remove the micro USB connector and swap in a USB Type-C plug. Both dongles ship with the new Gear VR and are easily interchanged via the guiding rails of the left hinge. Simply unlock the dongle and quickly slides off the hinge. Attaching the phone proves just as easy as the dongle as the phone quickly locks into place.

Performance

Regardless of which Galaxy model you’re using the smartphone locks securely into place once attached. Just like with the last version of the headset, the Gear VR does a fantastic job of creating an immersive environment. The black lining along the sides and top of your field of vision is minimal, and the headset blocks out all surrounding light. NBR tested the headset directly under powerful overhead lighting without any issue.

However, the real reason that consumers would want to purchase the Gear VR over Google’s cheaper cardboard alternative is the additional sensors. Unfortunately, Samsung hasn’t upgraded any of the tech that we saw from the previous version, but I guess they went with the mantra: if it’s not broken why fix it? The sensors are fairly smooth with head tracking making it easy to navigate a full 360 degrees with relatively smooth tracking. The tracking doesn’t quite match the impressive technical marvels of the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, but it’s good enough that it’s never going to take you out of the moment while moving around. Though to be fair both of those headsets require powerful gaming PCs that costs thousands of dollars, while the Gear VR connects wireless to your everyday handset. All things considering it performs quite well.

Oculus Gear VR and Content

Samsung Gear VR UIPerhaps our favorite aspect of the Gear VR is the plug and play nature of it. The first time attaching your smartphone you’ll be asked to quickly setup the Oculus Gear VR application. The whole process takes a total of five minutes including the useful intro tutorial that teaches you how to navigate the application’s UI and use a connected gamepad. After that, you’re ready to go.

The Gear VR does operate as a walled garden though (at least sort of), which means all of the applications, games, and content you view will filtered through the Oculus ecosystem. Recently Google Cardboard applications were made available on the Gear VR, though it does require a bit of a workaround. Additionally, there is a Gear VR app that will allow you to browse the web in virtual reality. Still, most of the content that you view will come from Oculus’ ecosystem.

Anyone who has talked about a walled garden ecosystem will tell you that’s a double edged sword.  On the one hand, there’s quality assurance and ease. Everything is getting filtered through Oculus so you can be sure that it’ll work and everything is easy to find. However, that also means that content is somewhat restricted. While there is a great deal of content for you to explore via the Oculus store, it pales in comparison to the millions and millions of applications available on the Google Play store.

Samsung Gear VR CirqueThat being said there’s still a great deal of content available. The main draws are going to be games and video applications, but there’s also neat additions like  panoramic vistas and 3D artwork. There’s loads of video content, including apps such as Milk VR, Oculus Video, Netflix, and Twitch. But our favorite has to be the tailored videos such as the Samsung 360 video content, which are shot with the medium in mind.

Games can run anywhere from as low as $1.99 up to $15 and more. Most of the games tend to run at $4 and above, though, making them a bit more premium than the traditional games you’ll find on the Google Play store. Whatever your gaming tastes you’ll find them in the store, including role playing games, endless runners, rail shooters, action titles, simulations, and more. For the more mechanically demanding games such as shooters and action titles, you’ll likely want a gamepad, but most titles are playable without one.

Truthfully while there are more titles on the store than the last time we looked at the Gear VR, the content really haven’t progressed all that much. They’re fun little immersive experiences, but the Gear VR still hasn’t found it must have app. There’s plenty to enjoy here, but we can’t really point to a single must try app.

Conclusion

The refreshed Samsung Gear VR only offers a few incremental changes, but they’re all positive ones. The design changes are brilliant, the extra padding, the addition of the home button, and the improved touchpad all make the Samsung Gear VR easier to use. The ability to quickly switch between USB Type-C and micro USB means not only is the device future proofed for newer Samsung Flagships, but it will work with all of your old devices as well. The ability the use Google Cardboard apps on Samsung Gear VR, though a bit troublesome to access, is a huge boon. Oculus’ ecosystem offers even more great content.

However, for all of its improvements, the Samsung Gear VR still feels like a novelty item. It’s a fun novelty item with tons of interactive immersive apps, but there’s not much I could truly see myself returning to time and time again.

The Samsung Gear VR is still a great buy for those looking to get into the VR without the pricey investments needed for higher tech alternatives like the HTC Vive. Additionally, the Gear VR is a welcomed companion to the new Samsung Galaxy Note 7. However, to those that already own the old version of the Gear VR. There’s not enough here to warrant an upgrade.

Pros:

  • Samsung Gear VR front 2Improved lightweight design
  • Cordless and easy to use
  • Diverse array of content

Cons:

  • Gamepad greatly improves the experience
  • Walled Garden
  • No killer app

The post Samsung Gear VR (2016) Review appeared first on Brighthand.com.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Review: The Only Android Flagship

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

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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.

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