Nubia Z9 review: a Chinese flagship that is sure to turn some heads in the USA
Considering the USA is a market where Chinese phones get little attention, Nubia is doing a great job at making a name for itself here. Last year they put a large focus on their affordable Nubia 5S Mini, but they are planning to step it up in 2015 and go up against the top dogs with the release of the Nubia Z9.
This flagship phone is hitting the USA very soon, but what does it really have to offer in such a competitive market? The Nubia Z9 packs top-tier specifications, a border-less display and some very unique features. The real question is whether it’s good enough to earn a spot in your pocket. I have been testing the Nubia Z9 for a good amount of time and am ready to tell you all about my experience with it.
Editor’s note: we’ve reviewed the Classic model of the Nubia Z9 (3GB RAM, no fingerprint reader).
Design
Nubia’s smartphones have become known for their design language, something that isn’t changing with the Nubia Z9. We can say they took a conservative approach by adopting the same design formula we have seen a few times in the past. I personally believe this is not really a bad thing.
The Nubia Z9 adopts a rectangular slab shape. It’s made of high-end materials, sporting a metal frame sandwiched by a glass front and back. These characteristics, along with the chamfered edges, make for a smartphone that manages to feel great in the hand. It truly gives off the impression of being a very solid and high-quality handset. It also helps that its angular design and unique edges provide a good grip on the device. One would imagine a phone made predominantly of glass should be slippery, which is not really the case with the Nubia Z9.
A lot of manufacturers these days sacrifice specs and power for a svelte body. I believe I am not alone when I say that’s not the smartest choice, but the industry is all about it. Not Nubia, though! This smartphone is 9 mm thick, so it won’t be winning any thinness contests. It’s noticeable the manufacturer wasn’t focusing on this, as there is no taper on the back trying to simulate a thin profile, either. You will feel every single millimeter when you pick this phone up.
It doesn’t help that this is not the lightest phone, weighing in at 200 grams. The weight will definitely take some getting used to, especially if you come from one of those super thin smartphones, but it’s something you can definitely get over once you realize the benefits a thicker handset can offer; among them is a larger battery (more on that later). Not to mention, the thickness and weight gives the Nubia Z9 a solid feeling. You will be reminded this is a high-quality device every the moment you pull it out of your pocket.
In terms of ports, buttons and connectivity, the Nubia Z9 comes with a pretty standard set. You can find the 3.5 mm headset jack up top, as well as a microphone and IR blaster. On the right side there’s a metal power button, accompanied by the volume keys and a dedicated camera button (these all offer great feedback and a solid quality).
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On the bottom we can find a lonely microUSB port (which does look like a USB-C port, but isn’t) and what may appear to be dual speakers. The key word in there is “appear”, as only one of them is a speaker – the other is a microphone. Finally, the left side of the phone houses nothing but a dual-SIM card slot.
The design team adds some contrast by including a red ring around the camera, as well as the home button in the front. There’s also a couple glowing red capacitive buttons right next to the home button (menu and back). By the way, you can easily switch around their order in the settings.
Display
I have to say the display is likely the main attraction in the Nubiz Z9. This screen is fantastic! It sports a 5.2-inch 1080p panel. It may not have that Quad HD we have gotten so used to by now, but we have often said a good display is not always the one with the most pixels.
A quality screen is graded by other factors. The Nubia Z9 makes up for the 1080p resolution by offering bright and vivid colors, as well as spectacular outdoor visibility and good viewing angles. Not to mention, its 400+ PPI pixel density makes for a more than fair reading and media experience.
Aside from offering a quality panel, Nubia managed to make the Z9’s screen stand out (literally) by adding a curve along the edges. They had to use 2.5D glass to achieve this, but it’s totally worth it. The screen has been raised above the frame, giving it a much more prominent curve and making it a pleasure to swipe across the screen. This design element gives the impression that one is simply holding a completely bezel-less phone, but you can certainly find the edges upon closer inspection.
It resembles the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge in a certain way, but the curves on the Nubia Z9 are not drastic enough to alter your viewing experience. Nubia did add some nifty software tricks to take advantage of this peculiar display, but more on will be covered later in the review.
Performance
Performance will be slightly different depending on which version of the device the customer gets. You can opt for either the Classic, Elite or Exclusive editions. The main difference between these rests in the RAM, internal storage and the inclusion (or exclusion) of a fingerprint reader. All devices come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, but the Classic version (the one we have for review) sports 3 GB of RAM. The Elite and Exclusive editions tout a mighty 4 GB of RAM, while only the Exclusive edition features a fingerprint reader.
Regardless, we have had a great experience with the Nubia Z9 in terms of performance. Basic tasks like navigating through he UI and using apps are a breeze. We also found no issues trying to multi-task (of course, this thing has a massive amount of RAM memory) or playing graphically intensive games.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor was off to a bad start, with plenty reports suggesting phones were getting exceedingly hot. Is the Nubia Z9 plagued by the same cumbersome heat? It sure does get warm, but we found it was never an extreme over-heating case. It was nothing to worry about.
In terms of the differences between 3 GB and 4 GB of RAM, we believe there won’t be a significant gap. Sure, in theory the 4 GB version will likely run a little better and feature superior multi-tasking, but 3 GB is plenty of memory for a smartphone. Differences will be small at best.
Hardware
Another important difference between available Nubia Z9 versions is the storage capacity. The Classic model comes with 32 GB, while the Elite and Exclusive iterations are granted a nice 64 GB of storage. If this is an important factor for you, though, you should make the right choice from the get-go. This phone does not feature expandable storage, which means you will be stuck with whatever amount you choose when you purchase the device.
Once we move past storage we start finding out this is a very well-endowed smartphone. Even audiophiles get a special treat in the form of HiFi audio and Dolby 7.1 surround sound. You will really notice the difference while listening with a good pair of headphones. The integrated speakers are not built to take full advantage of these features, but they still pack quite the punch.
The speaker is loud enough to hear even in relatively noisy environment, and the sound is fairly clean. My only complaint is that the speaker’s location makes it susceptible to muffling with the hand, especially when in landscape mode. Not to mention the fact that all the sound comes from a single speaker on one side of the phone, which makes for an unbalanced listening experience.
Another great hardware feature was the inclusion of a fingerprint reader, but this one is not for everybody. It is exclusive to the… Exclusive version. The placement of the fingerprint reader will certainly have some people raising eyebrows, as it’s located on the side of the phone, as opposed to the front or back. This is unlike what we are used to seeing, and sadly we really can’t comment on how well it works. Our version of the smartphone doesn’t have a fingerprint reader.
Software
The Nubia Z9 runs on Lollipop, but you would never know this if you didn’t jump into the settings to check all the details. Nubia’s UI is completely different and doesn’t go in line with Google’s Material Design. Instead you get a much more colorful interface filled with transparency effects. Thankfully there are plenty of themes in the built-in theme store, which will help you customize the design to your liking.
The biggest difference you will find in the Nubia Z9 is that the company ditched Google’s standard app drawer. Nubia focuses on the experience by dumping all apps and widgets straight into your home screen (much like iOS).
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Aside from that, we would like to say the Nubia Z9 does have a bunch of very neat software tricks up its sleeve. I personally like Screen Division, which is practically Nubia’s version of Multi-Window. One can also take advantage of the convenient double-tapping to wake function. It’s easy to shrink the screen for one-handed use by simply long-pressing the back button. Drag 3 fingers upwards and the phone will create a screenshot.
Those are just some examples of the software optimizations found in the Z9, but things get more interesting once you start messing with Nubia’s FiT (Frame Interactive Technology). This is what we were talking about when we mentioned the curved screen edges were used for some pretty awesome features.
You can swipe up on either side of the glass to launch a specific application or switch to apps that are currently running in the background. In addition, one can quickly launch the camera app by turning the phone sideways and touching four fingertips on the edge of the glass. You can also perform various grip-based gestures to unlock the phone, or take a screenshot just by simply squeezing the phone.
These may seem like odd gestures at first, but they totally change your experience once you get used to them. Nubia swears they will save you plenty of your precious seconds in the long run.
Camera
Nubia needs to offer amazing camera quality if it really wants to go toe-to-toe with all the major flagships in the USA, and we are glad to report the Nubia Z9 shooter handles itself pretty well. The device sports a 16 MP rear camera with OIS (optical image stabilization), and they also didn’t skimp out on the front-facing shooter, which features an 8 MP sensor.
The manufacturer has been known for placing high emphasis on their camera software, which usually comes with a plethora of manual options for fine-tuning your shots. This device offers a bevy of features, including time-lapse, multi-exposure, slow shutter, HDR, panorama and full manual controls.
Picture quality was surprisingly good, with great color reproduction, dynamic range and pristine detail. I do have to say HDR is a bit too aggressive in processing. It makes colors a bit over-saturated, skin tones appear unnatural and shadows are heavily reduced. This makes for very unrealistic photos that make the image resemble a watercolor painting.
Low-light photos are average and I found the camera can handle prominent light sources (like lamp posts) pretty well. There’s a big increase in noise once you start taking pictures indoors, in dimly lit environments. This is due to the higher ISO levels the camera needs to use to take in more light. It’s really the biggest downfall to the camera, but the phone offers a relatively pleasant shooting experience with fair results, even if it’s not the best in-class.
The 16 MP sensor is good for 4K video recording, and the OIS sure helps stabilize the footage and make those clips smooth.
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Battery
You will be happy Nubia added a few millimeters to the Z9 when you realize this phone packs a 3000 mAh battery. Battery life is impressive, guys. Even with several hours of heavy gaming and plenty of pictures taken, the phone was still able to go a full day without charging. Screen-on time was anywhere between 4 to 4.5 hours. You will be able to extend those numbers much farther with casual or light usage.
Do keep in mind our version of the phone is Chinese, though. This device doesn’t feature Google Play services, so the phone doesn’t have to handle any typical data syncing. This will likely have an effect on battery life.
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Price and conclusion
The Nubia Z9 is available in other markets, but we have to wait until Q3 2015 to see it launch in the USA. Prices start at $564 for the Nubia Z9 Classic edition. The price tag is then raised to $645 and $725 for the Elite and Exclusive versions, relatively.
These are certainly high-end prices. And even if the Nubia Z9 is a high-end phone all in all, it will have a lot of catching up to do against competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S6 and LG G4. The USA is a very competitive market, but Nubia has what it takes to at least make an impression.
Regardless, Nubia looks to be taking the USA market very seriously with the Nubia Z9. It’s especially impressive to see a Chinese manufacturer releasing one of their high-end phones in the USA, whereas most other Chinese phone makers only release their budget devices. We have to tip our hats to Nubia for their courage.
This phone is going up against the big guys, and it has all the specs and features to provide a fair battle. We are not sure if this will be enough to “change the game”, but that bezel-less screen will definitely turn some heads. Overall, we believe it’s one hell of a phone and users will certainly enjoy it, probably even more than some of those popular flagship smartphones.
Deal: Last chance for KeySmart 2.0 Compact Key Organizer (Plus bonus deal!)
In the past we’ve posted up a deal for the KeySmart 2.0 Compact Key Organizer, an organizer that looks like a pocketknife but is used to keep all of your keys organized in one convenient and compact place. With this organizer, you won’t need to worry about untangling your keys ever again. For those that have yet to pick one up, now is your last chance, as the deal is about to expire.
You have two days to get the organizer for $16.99, 26% off the standard price.
For those who miss the deal or are looking for something even more advanced, you might want to consider the Keyport high-tech multitool. The organizer sports a similar concept but comes in a sleek lightweight form factor that can easily slip into your pocket removing the jingling and rattling of a typical keychain. It also has the ability to store a pen and a mini-light, giving it a bit more functionality over the KeySmart. Of course that extra functionality comes at a slightly higher price.
The Keyport high-tech multitool can be yours from the deals store for $39.99, 33% off the suggested price tag.
6 problems with the Samsung Galaxy S6 / S6 Edge and how to fix them
The latest additions to the flagship Samsung Galaxy S line brought with them the major overhaul in terms of design and build quality that was long overdue. Apart from their now more premium glass and metal unibody designs, Samsung also created a lighter, and therefore far more fluid and stutter-free, iteration of their TouchWiz UI, which was perfectly optimized with their in-house processing package, making for snappy and incredibly fast devices. Of course, there is also the Galaxy S6 Edge, with the two curved edges present just not for the sake of aesthetics, but with their own set of features as well. While not without its compromises, with the removal of key features like microSD expansion and replaceable batteries, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are fantastic additions to the high-end Android smartphone world.
That said, as is the case with any smartphone or tablet, the latest Samsung flagships are not without its issues. Which is why, we’ve rounded up some of the more common issues that plague Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge users, and offer potential solutions on how to fix them.
Disclaimer: Not every Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge owner will face these issues, and it is actually more than likely that you won’t come across any of the problems listed below.
Problem #1 – Fingerprint scanner issues
Quite a few users have reported facing issues with the fingerprint scanner not recognizing the saved fingerprints and asking for the backup password. Further, the backup passwords aren’t being recognized either, and future attempts to reset the password are not being set. Lastly, some users have reported that on unlocking the device using the finger scanner (for those that it works for), the device opens up an app randomly, without any changes to the settings being made.
Potential Solutions –
- The issue with the fingerprint scanner seems to be a software bug, and a future update should fix this issue. Until then, a few workarounds are available.
- First, make sure that you make a note of the backup password when you setup the finger scanner, and when the scanner fails and the device asks for the password, it should be enough to unlock the device.
- For some users, the backup password isn’t recognized either. Keep trying to input the password a few times (up to 10 times in some cases) until you are prompted to sign-in using your Google account. Once you do, reset the finger scanner and make a note of your backup password once again.
- In some cases, even signing in with the Google account has not worked. Then visit Samsung Find My Mobile, login with your Samsung account, and click on Locate My Device on the left side menu. Once located, the menu on the left will expand with the option to “Unlock My Screen.” Click on it and when the device unlocks, immediately reset the finger scanner.
- For the last issue, where random apps are opening when the scanner unlocks the device, this seems to be an issue with some third party launchers, particularly Nova Launcher Beta, so it is recommended to switch back to TouchWiz, or try another launcher and see if the issue still occurs.
- With quite a few users facing problems with the fingerprint scanner, it might be a good idea to disable it and rely on the usual PIN or Pattern unlock, until a more permanent fix is available.
Problem #2 – Missing toggles from the Quick Settings menu in the notification dropdown
Some users have noticed that the mobile data, Wi-Fi hotspot, and private mode toggles are no longer available in the Quick Settings menu in the notification dropdown.
Potential Solutions –
- This is also a software bug, and will be addressed in a future update. Until then, a temporary workaround is available, which you can find here.
Problem #3 – Auto-Rotate not working
Some users have reported that the auto-rotate feature on their device is not working. While this is more common with the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, a few regular Galaxy S6 owners have also reported this concern.
Potential Solutions –
- Some users have reported that it seems like the Screen Rotation setting has been turned off automatically. Check to make sure that it is on in the quick settings menu.
- There might be a problem with the G-sensor and accelerometer calibration. You can test whether there is an issue by dialing #*0*# and tapping on Sensor, and see whether the sensors are functioning properly. Download an app from the Google Play Store like GPS & Status Toolbox and re-calibrate the sensors.
- A very unsophisticated solution that has worked for quite a few users is to simply tap the device along the middle against a surface. This is, of course, not recommended, and could lead to cosmetic damage.
- Reports indicate that this could be a software bug, and a future update could sort it out.
- In the absolute worst case, a factory reset has seemed to work for some users. Keep in mind that this erases all your data, so remember to backup anything important you may have. You can find the instructions on how to perform a factory reset below.
Problem #4 – Auto-brightness is turning off
Many users have reported finding that the auto-brightness setting keeps getting automatically turned off. After turning it on, it seems to go off again in 20 to 30 minutes.
Potential Solutions –
- This could be related to a rogue app, particularly if you are using an e-book reader that comes with independent brightness controls. Try uninstalling these apps and see if the problem persists.
- This seems to be an issue related to Car Mode. Disable or uninstall Car Mode, and that should fix the problem.
- Try clearing the cache partition. This seems to have fixed the problem for some users. You can find the instructions on how to do so below.
- Once again, this is a software issue, and an upcoming update may be required to fix it.
Problem #5 – “Unauthorized action has been detected” error
Quite a few users have noticed a pop up security message stating “unauthorized action has been detected” within minutes of turning on a new phone. Even a factory reset seems to fix this issue only for a few hours, and some users have noticed that error after the last software update.
Potential Solutions –
- This is another software issue, and an update will be required for a permanent fix. Users who have gotten in contact with the Samsung KNOX support team have received a reply stating that this is a known issue, and will be fixed with the next maintenance update that will be rolled out at the end of June. Until then, a temporary workaround is available.
- Download an app like Package Disabler Pro (there is also a free version available) from the Google Play Store, and search for a disable “Security Log Agent.” This temporary solution has seemed to work for most users.
Problem #6 – Connectivity issues
As is the case with any new device, there is a chance that you might face issues with connecting to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Potential Solutions –
Wi-Fi issues –
- Turn the device and the router off for at least ten seconds, then turn them back and retry the connection.
- Go to Settings – Power saving and ensure that this option is turned off.
- Use the Wi-Fi Analyzer to check how crowded your channel is, and switch to a better option.
- Forget the Wi-Fi connection by going to Settings – Wi-Fi and long tapping the connection you want, then selecting “Forget”. Re-enter the details and try again.
- Make sure the router firmware is up to date.
- Make sure the applications and software on the Galaxy Note 4 are up to date.
- Go into Wi-Fi – Settings – Advanced and make a note of your device MAC address, then make sure that it is allowed access in the router’s MAC filter.
Bluetooth issues –
- Check the manufacturer’s manual for the device and the car and reset your connections.
- Ensure that you are not missing a vital part of the connection process.
- Go to Settings – Bluetooth and ensure nothing needs changing
- Go into Settings – Bluetooth delete all prior pairings and try setting them up again from scratch.
So there you have it for this quick look at some of the issues that plague Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge owners. If these solutions have worked for you, do let us know in the comments section below, as well as if any other problems have come up. We will work to keep this list updated if more problems and their solutions are available.
See Also:
- Samsung Galaxy S6 review
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge review
- Best Galaxy S6/S6 edge cases | accessories
- Samsung Galaxy S6 vs Galaxy S6 Edge
Below are the guides to perform some key functions such as soft reset, factory reset, wipe cache partition, and boot into Safe Mode.
Soft Reset
- Press and hold the power button and volume down key simultaneously for about 10 seconds until the device powers off. This works when the screen is unresponsive.
Hard Reset
- With the device turned off, press and hold the volume up key, home button, and power button simultaneously.
- When the Samsung logo appears, release the power button, but continue to hold the volume up and home buttons.
- When the Android system recovery screen appears, release all buttons.
- Use the volume down button to toggle the selection to “wipe data/factory reset,” then press the power button to accept it.
- Use the volume down button to toggle the selection to “Yes — delete all user data,” then press the power button.
- Wait for the reset to finish. You will eventually be prompted to “Reboot system now.” Press the power button to continue.
- If the phone is on, go to Settings – Backup & reset – Reset device – Erase Everything.
Wipe cache partition
- With the device turned off, press and hold the volume up key, home button, and power button simultaneously.
- When the Samsung logo appears, release the power button, but continue to hold the volume up and home buttons.
- When the Android system recovery screen appears, release all buttons.
- Use the volume down button to toggle the selection to “wipe cache partition,” then press the power button to accept it.
- When the previous menu returns, go up and select “Reboot system now,”
Boot in Safe Mode
- When the device is turned off, turn the device on again and press and hold the volume down button until a “Safe Mode” button shows up. Tap that button to boot your device in safe mode.
Original Dots game update released with some new features
Dots, the original game that was released in 2013 which spawned Two Dots, was updated yesterday to celebrate over 55 million downloads. The update brings a few of new features in the latest update.
What’s New
Themes· Four color themes· Three premium themes that include fresh sound designDesigner Mode· Customize your Dots game by choosing your own dot and background colorsOther Stuff· Cleaner, easy to navigate interface· Higher resolution graphics for big screens
These new features are trying to bring back the Original Dots game and put it back on the map. However, according to some of the reviews that have been posted on the Google Play Store page for Dots, there appear to be some issues with the update.
Some users are reporting that some of their information has disappeared with the new update, so expect to see another update coming to fix the issues that are arising.
Are you back to playing Dots now that there are a few more options? Let us know in the comments below. If not, be sure to grab Dots, for free, via the widget below, and if you want ALL the goodies, there are some in-app purchases available to unlock everything.
The post Original Dots game update released with some new features appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Aukey 4-Port USB Car Charger, $14.99
Here’s a great solution to multiple devices and only one car charger port from Aukey. This 4-port car charger allows you to connect your tablet, phone and whatever other little gizmos you may be riding down the road with. Your price: $14.99.
Join Prime and get this deal with FREE two-day shipping!
The post Aukey 4-Port USB Car Charger, $14.99 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Aukey 4-Port USB Car Charger, $14.99
Here’s a great solution to multiple devices and only one car charger port from Aukey. This 4-port car charger allows you to connect your tablet, phone and whatever other little gizmos you may be riding down the road with. Your price: $14.99.
Join Prime and get this deal with FREE two-day shipping!
The post Aukey 4-Port USB Car Charger, $14.99 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
How I learned to love Alexa (and Amazon’s Echo)
After the failure of the Fire Phone and the so-so Fire TV, it was hard to get excited about Amazon’s $180 Echo wireless speaker. At best, it seemed like a superfluous device that simply mimicked voice-powered tech from our phones in monolithic speaker form. At worst, it felt like yet another way for the company to insert itself into your life — all in an effort to make you buy more crap from Amazon. I’ll admit, I wasn’t in any rush to nab an Echo of my own after it was first announced (Prime members with a special invite were able to get it for $99). And, curiously, Amazon didn’t make review units available at the time, either. But now that Echo is widely available to everyone, I was finally able to get my hands on one to test out. Surprisingly enough, I ended up falling for it big time.
To be clear, I fell for Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa. Sure, she’s just another spin on the likes of Siri, Cortana and Google Now (time for a friendlier name there, eh Google?), but Alexa also differs in a few key ways. For one, she’s always listening, and she generally does a better job of understanding me than other virtual assistants. Alexa also has the uncanny ability to hear me even when I’m on the other side of my living room, thanks to Echo’s seven microphones. That’s something I’ve never seen with any other virtual assistant. (I even have trouble getting Siri to wake up and accurately hear my voice on my Apple Watch — and that’s right on my wrist!)
All of this is due to Amazon’s unique approach with the Echo. It’s not a portable speaker like we’ve seen from Jambox and Logitech. Instead, it’s a rather large, cylindrical device that needs to be plugged into power. It’s something you’ll likely just leave in a single spot in your home. But what you give up in portability you gain in overall reliability, as Alexa is ready to listen to your commands at the drop of a hat. After all, it’s harder for battery-powered devices to always be ready for voice commands without slowly draining power (Motorola went to great lengths to make that possible on the Moto X).
As someone who’s tied to a smartphone, tablet or computer most of the day, it was tough for me to get the hang of the Echo initially. Most of its functionality, like asking for the weather, checking on my calendar or looking up facts, is comprised of things we’re all used to doing on plenty of other devices. But eventually, its hands-free access to information began to feel downright empowering. If I’m on the way out the door, or in the middle of making dinner, it’s far easier to shout commands to Alexa rather than try to activate Siri on my phone, or load up an app. Alexa is the first virtual assistant I’ve used that actually lives up to that title.
It also helps that learning to use the Echo involves far more delight than frustration. Alexa has her limits, of course, but she also ended up consistently surprising me with her capabilities. I learned that she could tune into my local NPR station just by asking her to “play WNYC,” which pulls in a stream from TuneIn. Once I linked my Pandora account (through the separate Echo mobile app), it was easy to start playing any of my saved radio stations, or any random Pandora channel. And Alexa never failed to resume whatever I had playing whenever I interrupted her to ask a question.
Echo also shines as a decent speaker for music listening. Amazon packed in a 2-inch tweeter, a 2.5-inch woofer and an elongated reflex port in Echo’s 9-inch tall frame, giving it enough power to fill a small room with distortion-free music. It’s certainly no match for a dedicated hi-fi setup, but it’s about on par with Bluetooth speakers in this price range, with thumping lows and crisp highs. Don’t expect it to capture the nuances of a good jazz or classical performance, though. Echo’s circular design is reminiscent of Logitech’s UE Boom lineup, allowing it to spit out sound in every direction.
You can connect Echo to any mobile device over Bluetooth, after which it’s recognized just like a typical Bluetooth speaker. There’s also some basic hands-free support, allowing you to use voice commands to have Alexa do things like pause and skip media tracks. Unfortunately, Echo doesn’t work as a speakerphone yet, but that’s something I’m hoping Amazon adds eventually. Its complex array of microphones and noise-canceling technology would make it pretty useful for phone calls.
On top of the functions mentioned above, Echo can also do things like set a timer or alarm; play music from your Amazon library, Prime Music and iHeartRadio; and play Audible audiobooks. Echo can also control WeMo and Philips Hue smart home devices, but I wasn’t able to test that functionality since my home isn’t very smart yet. You can also add items to a shopping list and even re-buy things from your shopping history with voice commands. To Amazon’s credit, Echo offers enough other compelling features that it doesn’t feel like a crass e-commerce Trojan horse in your home, lying in wait for your late-night impulse purchases.
I probably sound like a pretty big Echo fan by this point, but there are still things I hope Amazon improves on eventually. It’d be nice to be able to activate Echo with your own custom voice command, other than saying “Alexa” (or “Amazon,” which is just boring). Amazon also needs to add more services to make Echo more useful — it kills me there’s no Spotify support yet. And while I can understand why Echo has to be plugged in, it would still be nice to have a small battery built in to give us a few hours of portability. As much as I like Echo, its current $180 price tag (down from its original $199 non-Prime price) also seems pretty steep, especially when select Prime members were able to snag it for $99.
The good thing is that the company is constantly updating and improving Echo. I didn’t run into any of the voice-recognition issues that earlier reviewers saw, which makes me think Amazon wasn’t just twiddling its thumbs for the past few months.
Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give the Echo is that it just works in a way that Siri and Google Now don’t — at least, when it comes to actually listening to and understanding voice commands. Once it’s plugged in, you just need to learn the basic Alexa commands and you can start feeling like a pro Echo user. It’s also pretty clear that Amazon is committed to making Echo a compelling platform. It just announced a $100 million Alexa Fund to promote voice-powered apps, and it’s offering an SDK that will let developers bring their apps to the Alexa platform. Echo may have just seemed like a weird speaker gadget when it was first announced, but it might just end up being as transformational as the Kindle over the next few years.
Meizu MX5 can be pre-ordered worldwide via Gearbest
Meizu this week announced its latest flagship, the MX5, and now it’s available to pre-order worldwide through online retailer Gearbest. The online retailer plans on shipping devices starting on August 1.
Keep in mind that while Meizu is selling the device relatively cheap, Gearbest has scaled up the price quite a bit at a whopping $398 USD over the $290 USD for the device in China. However, it’s the only way to get the device until Meizu expands the availability of the MX5.
Meizu’s MX5 features a 5.5-inch 1,920 x 1,080 Super AMOLED display, a 64-bit Octa-core MediaTek MT6795T CPU, 3GB of RAM, and 16, 32, or 64GB storage options. Additionally, you’ll find a 20.7-megapixel camera strapped on the back, a 3,150mAh battery, running its Flyme OS 4.5 atop of the latest flavor of Android, Lollipop.
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You can pre-order the device in black, champagne, or white. If you’re interested, just hit the source link below.
e:sourc Gearbest
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Possible Google Glass successor spotted in FCC database
A new FCC filing for a device from Google that includes “GG1″ in its identifier has many thinking this may be version 2, or the consumer version, of Google Glass. There are not many details available, but a couple clues point to the device being some type of wearable.
The device will come with support for WiFi and Bluetooth LE, but at least for this filing, no wireless support. This seems to rule out a smartphone of any sort. The device will also have a non-removable battery.
According to the filing, the device’s FCC label will not be physically printed on the device. Although the filing does not reveal why that may be, a lack of space would be one explanation. Google indicates the FCC label will be provided as an “e-label” and a sample is provided. Appearing as white text on a black background, it is not a stretch to envision this e-label appearing on the Google Glass screen assuming the consumer version takes a similar form factor as the original Google Glass.
Earlier this year Google shut down its Glass Explorer Beta program and stopped making the original version available to interested consumers. The entire project was also moved out of Google X over to the Google Nest unit headed up by Tony Fadell in preparation for the next version. However, Google has been mostly silent regarding plans for Glass.
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MasterCard wants a selfie before approving your purchases online
MasterCard is in the process of releasing a neat new way to help curve online purchasing fraud with selfies. With the new trend of mobile payment systems, being secure is also important. So first, let them take a selfie, then buy things online at your heart’s desire.
Ajay Bhalla, Chief Product Security Officer at MasterCard is pitching the idea of using the new fad of taking a selfie to enhance online purchase security when using a MasterCard at checkout. The basic premise of the idea is when you take a photo of your face it will use facial recognition software through your phone with the app they provide to confirm your identity and approve your purchase.
So lets say you have a hankering for a new a new toy on Amazon. Once you have figured out what toy you wanted, and are at the end of the checkout process on your computer, a notification will pop up on your phone from the MasterCard app. You then snap a selfie, the software confirms your identity, approves the purchase, then checkout will finalize on the computer. It’s not limited to facial scans, biometrics will be sufficient as well and you can choose to pick either method to verify your identity. Voice recognition is also in the works. So if you haven’t gotten ready yet, or feel like crap you can simply use the fingerprint scanner on your phone.
The pilot program for this process is limited to 500 customers; therefore, we won’t be able to use this just yet. Which means this is basically an experiment to see how well this will work. MasterCard is working with many cell phone manufacturers and providers (including Apple and Google), as well a couple banks to finalize the process.
For now, all we can do is wait and see what the results are.
Source: CNN Money
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