Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs. OnePlus 2
Samsung today announced the much anticipated Galaxy Note 5. Samsung hasn’t skimped on this device, packing it with top of the line hardware and a premium user experience. On the other hand, OnePlus recently announced the OnePlus 2, saying it was a “2016 flagship killer,” claiming to offer a better package than any device out there.
We’re pitting the Galaxy Note 5 and OnePlus 2 against each other today, seeing if the OnePlus 2 can live up to its claims on paper.
Design
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 comes in at 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6 mm in size and weighs 171 grams. It has the metal unibody with Samsung’s usual button layout–volume rocker, power button, a SIM card tray on the sides, and the usual S-Pen slot on the bottom of the device. It also features a beautiful glass backing, illuminating a premium build quality.
The OnePlus 2 comes in at 151.8 x 74.9 x 9.9 mm in size and weighs 175 grams. It features a metal unibody made from a “strong and lightweight” aluminum. It also sports your usual layout: the volume rocker, power button, and SIM card tray are laid out on the two sides of the device. Interestingly, OnePlus has added an Alert Slider to the OnePlus 2 as well.
Winner: The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 not only weighs less, but has a premium feel to it.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 features a 5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 Super AMOLED display. It has a pixel density of 519ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, and a 75.9% screen-to-body ratio.
The OnePlus 2 has a 5.5-inch LTPS LCD 1920 x 1080 display, with a pixel density of 401ppi. You’ll find Corning’s Gorilla Glass 4 and a 73.3% screen-to-body ratio on the OnePlus 2.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 wins for the vivid colors of the Super AMOLED display, the significantly higher pixel density, and the better display resolution.
Hardware
The Galaxy Note 5 has Samsung’s own Exynos 7420 chipset, a quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU & quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 processor. Additionally, you’ll find a Mali-T760MP8, 4GB of RAM, and 32/64GB storage options.
There’s also a 16-megapixel camera sensor on the back, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Interestingly, Samsung chose to use a microUSB port over USB Type-C, however, it does feature fast wireless charging technologies, touting a full charge in just two hours.
The OnePlus 2 is packing the controversial Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, a quad-core Cortex-A53 and 1.8GHz quad-core Cortex-A57 processor, an Adreno 430 GPU, 3/4GB of RAM, and 16/64GB of internal storage.
It has a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, no microSD card support, and a USB Type-C port, which allows for significantly faster charging speeds.
Winner: It’s a tie.
Battery
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 features a disappointingly small non-removable 3,000mAh battery. Given the large and detailed screen size, the device will no doubt chew through the battery life.
The OnePlus 2 has a 3,300mAh non-removable battery. The OnePlus 2 has significantly different specifications as far as the display goes, giving users plenty of extra battery life to manage.
Winner: OnePlus 2
Software
The OnePlus 2 will run OxygenOS atop of the Android 5.1.1 operating system. It’s a clean skin with little additions. What makes it unique is that it includes support for custom icon packs and icon grid resizing.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is running the latest version of TouchWiz atop of Android 5.1.1. There’s a lot of extra features packed into the device, which can a toll on performance. With this being a Note device, Samsung has thrown in a few extra pieces of S-Pen compatible software in addition to a new feature allowing users to stream to YouTube from the Camera app.
If you purchase the new Galaxy Note 5 via a carrier, there’s also the carrier’s own added software to think about.
Winner: It solely depends on preference.
Availability and Price
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will not go on sale until August 21, but it is available to pre-order as of today. It will no doubt be priced similarly to past Note devices, but Samsung says carriers will be setting their own prices for the device. However, it will average $349.99 on a new two-year contract, and around $849 off-contract.
The OnePlus 2 was originally set to launch in North America on August 11, however, the device has been delayed by several weeks. It costs $329 for the 16GB model and $389 for the 64GB model.
Conclusion
Samsung certainly hasn’t cut any corners with the Galaxy Note 5, whereas the OnePlus 2 has seen a lot of its own cuts, such as a lack of NFC. Fortunately, Samsung has put together the perfect package, yet again showing just how well Samsung builds premium smartphones.
What do you think of the Galaxy Note 5? Does the OnePlus 2 stand to be the “2016 flagship killer” as it says it is?
Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs. OnePlus 2
Samsung Pay will come to the US on September 28th
Samsung Pay was originally announced with the Galaxy S6, but no official date was ever set for the service. Now that the Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ are official, Samsung has given us a date for the service to go live in the US.
The mobile payment system is going up in South Korea this month, but the US can expect it on September 28th. The details of the service are the same that they’ve always been, so it’s still going to be a (mostly) universal solution for processing payments. Retailers won’t need specialized equipment so long as they have a standard card reader, which almost all brick and mortar stores in the US do at this point. NFC payments will be supported for shops that do have an NFC reader attached to their payment terminal.
After waiting months for this to finally be available, what’s another five weeks going to hurt?
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You can order the Note 5 and S6 Edge+ through AT&T starting today
If you can’t wait to put an order in for the Galaxy S6 Edge+ or Galaxy Note 5, AT&T will begin taking pre-orders for the device later today. You’ll still have to wait for August 21st to get your hands on it, but you can secure your device now if you know for certain that you want it.
Both devices will be available for zero down up front on AT&T Next plans, although the prices wildly fluctuate depending on which phone and storage option you want.
The 32 GB Galaxy Note 5 looks to be the cheapest device, running $740 split up over 18, 24, or 30 monthly payments. Add $100 if you need the 64 GB version. The base Galaxy S6 Edge+ runs $815, while the 64 GB Edge+ is $915.
Both phablets will be available in black sapphire, while the S6 Edge+ will be offered in gold platinum and the Note 5 will be offered in white pearl. We’ll likely see the color options fill out as the device releases on more carriers.
Samsung’s Note devices are always a bit more expensive than the Galaxy S6 line, and the curved screen on the Edge seems to demand an even higher price. These definitely aren’t going to be friendly on your wallet, but it’s hard to argue that they won’t be some of the best available smartphones on the market for 2015.
AT&T is also still giving away a ton of promotional credit for customers that are willing to port in lines, trade in smartphones, and sign up for the carrier’s new bundled DirecTV service. That probably won’t do much good for existing customers just looking for an upgrade, but if you’re considering moving several lines over to AT&T, they’ll pay you pretty nicely to do it.
source: AT&T
Come comment on this article: You can order the Note 5 and S6 Edge+ through AT&T starting today
Samsung is bringing a physical keyboard to the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+
Samsung has just had their Unpacked event where they released two new phones, the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+. However, one more item they announced was a new physical keyboard accessory.
We first heard about the keyboard in a recent leak, but now it is official. Many other companies have tried to make physical keyboards for touch screen smartphones, but nothing so far has really caught on. Samsung is aiming to change that by designing a keyboard that is there when you want it, but gone when you don’t. The way they do this is by making it a keyboard case.
The case itself is a standard S6 Edge+ or Note 5 case with a keyboard attachment. When you plan on typing a lot you attach the keyboard to the front and start typing away. The unique part is when you don’t want it, the keyboard simply pops off and can be attached to the back. This way you can still view your entire screen for media consumption and don’t have to worry about losing the keyboard accessory.
The way the keyboard actually works is also a little different from how previous keyboards have done things. It does not work with Bluetooth, but instead the phone itself recognizes the keyboard has been clipped onto the screen and adjusts the user interface accordingly. Basically, all the elements on the screen will move up towards the top allowing you to see everything even though the keyboard is blocking the bottom half.
The keypresses are also different from how you would expect. When you push down on a key the screen senses which one you pressed and types that letter. This means the keyboard does not need batteries to be powered as it does not actually do anything itself to work. Also, I didn’t hear Samsung mention this, but I would imagine the keyboard comes in different colors to match your phone and the case. As you can see from the picture it will at least come in gold.
This could be a game changer, finally bringing keyboards and smartphones together. The only real question is how well will it work? That is a question we will have to wait to find out.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ Specs
Samsung today announced the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ during its Unpacked event in New York City and London. The Korean tech giant has set out to offer a premium package in both smartphones, and the company has most certainly accomplished that by offering top of the line hardware and a premium build quality.
Here’s what’s powering both the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is the successor of last year’s Galaxy Note 4. The Note 5 improves upon its predecessor in a lot of ways, offering better S-Pen features, camera abilities, and more.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6 mm, 171 grams
- 5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 Super AMOLED display
- 518ppi
- Corning Gorilla Glass 4
- Exynos 7420 chipset
- Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 processor and quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 CPU
- Mali-T760MP8 GPU
- 4GB RAM
- 32/64GB internal storage
- 16-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front-facing camera
- 3,000mAh battery
- Fast wireless charging (dead to full in 120 minutes)
- TouchWiz UI atop of Android 5.1.1
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ was designed to be the successor of the earlier Galaxy S6 Edge, also improving on a lot of things. For instance, the new device features fast wireless charging, more RAM, improved LTE bands, and more.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9 mm, 153 grams
- 5-7-inch 2560 x 1440 Super AMOLED display
- 518ppi
- Corning Gorilla Glass 4
- Exynos 7420 chipset
- Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 processor and quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 CPU
- Mali-T760MP8 GPU
- 4GB RAM
- 32/64GB internal storage
- 16-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front-facing camera
- 3,000mAh battery
- Fast wireless charging
- TouchWiz atop of Android 5.1.1
Wrap Up
Samsung continues to innovate by packing a powerful package in smartphones that are not only getting smaller and smaller, but weighing less as well. While the hardware upgrades are nothing monumental, the added 1GB of RAM making for a total of 4GB will no doubt increase performance across the board.
What are you most excited about getting your hands on from Samsung’s Unpacked event today?
Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ Specs
Robotory is all about not dying (App Review)
While we may not all be fans of platform games, they certainly provide some entertainment for those who do. Me being one of them, Robotory provided me with addictive gameplay, although I do ponder if it’s actually worth playing on a regular basis.
Setup
You’re greeted by the main menu, and upon tapping the big green start button, you advance to the tutorial after viewing a clip on the story behind the game. Nothing complicated, the tutorial consists of two instructions: Swipe to change running direction and tap to jump. While it’s all you need, I did get confused to what the different collectibles do. I still don’t know what some of them are for. Thankfully, the game is rather easy to use and you don’t need a bulging brain to understand it.
Gameplay
As you might’ve gathered, the game is based on the platform style. You have to jump up to the next level by finding the gap in the floor. It’s not as easy as it may sound, the rising water beneath you seems to scare you and you stand the risk of falling back through the gap you came up through. There are collectibles along the way, such as bolts and other things that I can’t find a name for. The use of these remains a mystery, the only possible use for them is to perhaps unlock more robots, which, by the way, is your character. But clicking on them only offers in-app purchases, so I presume that there is simply no use for them. The graphics are nothing fancy, but they’re better than most apps would offer. Everything was smooth and overall there was a positive atmosphere when playing. Yes, that means no adverts.
Is it for me?
If you require games that don’t require data or that you want to play while doing your business on the loo, I’d say Robotory is the ideal candidate. Coupled with addictive gameplay, it’s really suitable for anyone.
What we liked:
- Fun gameplay
- Good graphics
- Smooth playing
And not so much…
- Lack of challenges
- Repetitive gameplay
The big question still remains, and quite frankly I’m not sure if I can answer it. Is it worth a download? While I’ll say ‘yes’, it’s ultimately up to you. But yes, it is a rather entertaining game. Go try it.
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Samsung Pay coming to US on September 25th, Korea first on August 20th
During their official Samsung Unpacked event this morning, Samsung took the wrap off the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. Those weren’t the only two announcements, however.
Samsung has finally divulged the launch details for Samsung Pay, its new mobile payment service. The service will first launch on August 20th in South Korea, and will follow with a US launch on September 28th. While US consumers won’t have access until September, Samsung says select users will get access to the beta starting August 25th.
Upon its arrival, Samsung Pay will support the Galaxy S6, GS6 Edge, Edge Plus, and Note 5. As for the tech behind it? The service will support both NFC and can emulate the magnetic stripe of a credit card, making it work in just about any situation.
After the Korean and US launch, Samsung plans to slowly rollout support to other regions including China, Spain, and the UK. No exact dates for these rollouts have been announced just yet.
What do you think, excited for Samsung Pay or still not completely sold on the platform, or any mobile payment service for that matter?
Speaking at a Samsung event in New York where it unveiled its newest flagship devices – the Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5, JK Shin, CEO and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics said, “With the launches of these exciting new smartphones, we will open a new era of mobile payment. This is Samsung’s brave step forward to enhance our mobile experience. It is easy, safe, and most importantly, available virtually anywhere you can swipe a card, in most cases without new costs for merchants, from day one.”
Samsung Pay will be preloaded on select Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5 devices and a free software upgrade will be rolled out beginning mid-August, to enable Samsung Pay on Galaxy S6 and S6 edge devices in the U.S. and Korea. Select U.S. users of Galaxy S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+ and Note5 will be able to participate in a beta trial from August 25 ahead of the September 28 launch.
SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up, scan their fingerprint and pay.
SAFE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments and reduce the security risks inherent to plastic cards.
VIRTUALLY ANYWHERE: With Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) and Near Field Communication (NFC) technologies, Samsung Pay works with most existing point-of-sale (POS) terminals. That means it’s the only mobile payment service that works virtually anywhere you can swipe your credit card or debit card.
“The future of mobile payments has arrived,” said InJong Rhee, EVP of Samsung Electronics, Global Head of Samsung Pay. “We are partnering with card networks, issuers and acquirers, and Samsung Pay will also be the first to support contactless payment for store-branded credit cards. The list of partners will only grow.”
Extensive partnership ecosystem Samsung Pay continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers. Samsung anticipates working with payment networks such as, American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa, major banks including Bank of America, Chase, U.S. Bank and key financial partners including First Data, Synchrony Financial and TSYS to extend Samsung Pay to the U.S. Samsung anticipates working with all major Korean card companies including Samsung Card, Shinhan Card, KB Kookmin Card, Hyundai Card, Lotte Card, NH Nonghyup Card, BC Card, Hana Card, Woori Card and Citi Card.
“We leverage our unique technology and capabilities to provide our customers with seamless, differentiated experiences, giving them more flexibility and choice for how to pay,” said Tony Prentice, vice president of mobile payments at American Express. “As part of that strategy, we are excited to work with Samsung to offer Card Members a new, innovative way to pay in-store with an American Express Card on their Samsung devices.” “Emerging technologies are impacting the way our nearly 18 million active mobile customers pay for everyday items, and we’re focused on delivering new solutions to help simplify their financial lives,” said Michelle Moore, head of digital banking at Bank of America. “Samsung Pay is a great example of this commitment, allowing customers to do more with their mobile devices and manage their finances when, where and how they want.” “Samsung Pay will give our customers another convenient way to pay with their Chase cards,” said Gavin Michael, head of Digital for Chase. “Discover’s focus on simplicity and versatility aligns with Samsung Pay’s innovative use of technology,” said Diane Offereins, Discover’s president of payment services. “Offering this new payment service continues to enhance the convenience and mobile experience we’re providing to our customers.”
“First Data is proud to collaborate with Samsung on the launch of Samsung Pay and we look forward to working together to bring a powerful solution to the marketplace,” said Barry McCarthy, Executive Vice President, Network and Security Solutions, First Data. “We have a history of driving innovation in payment technology through close collaboration with all parts of the payments ecosystem. Our work with Samsung, as well as our other partners in mobile payments, enables more powerful connections between merchants, issuers and consumers.” “As consumers increasingly rely on their mobile devices in their everyday lives, MasterCard is pleased to partner with Samsung to bring Samsung Pay to our cardholders around the world. Using advanced tokenization technology from the MasterCard Digital Enablement Service, we’re delivering a digital payment experience that is both simple and secure, and includes all the benefits and guarantees of a MasterCard transaction,” said Cheryl Guerin, Group Executive, MasterCard. Margaret Keane, president and CEO of Synchrony Financial (NYSE: SYF), the largest provider of private label credit cards in the U.S.[1], noted, “This is great news for our customers who will enjoy the benefits our cards offer when they choose to make easy and secure mobile payments with Samsung Pay. It is also important for many of our retail partners who can use their existing point of sale devices to deliver secure mobile payments and a seamless customer experience at more than 300,000 locations.” [1] Based on purchase volume and receivables according to issue number 1,062 of “The Nilson Report,” dated April 2015 (based on 2014 data).
“We expect the adoption of mobile payments to change the payments landscape,” said Gaylon Jowers, Jr., senior executive vice president, TSYS. “We are excited to be on the leading edge in collaboration with industry stalwarts like Samsung through technologies like Samsung Pay.”
“Being one of the first to offer our consumer and business customers Samsung Pay is a great example of our focus on Innovation at U.S. Bank and Elavon,” said Dominic Venturo, chief innovation officer at U.S. Bank. “U.S. Bank customers with qualifying credit or debit cards will be able to pay with their Samsung device using Samsung Pay; and our U.S. Bank and Elavon merchant customers will be able to accept the point of sale transactions right away. This is an important step in the continuous evolution of payments and consistent with providing our customers the ability to do business with us how, when and where they want.”
“Instantly on day one, because of MST technology, Samsung Pay will be accepted almost anywhere consumers can pay today,” said Jim McCarthy, Executive Vice President of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at Visa. “We see this as a huge step forward for consumer choice and payment security.”
About Samsung Pay Samsung Pay is a simple, safe and available virtually anywhere you can swipe your card mobile payment service from Samsung Electronics. Combining NFC with Samsung’s proprietary MST technologies, Samsung Pay provides consumers a way to pay nearly anywhere you can swipe a card at millions of merchant locations worldwide. Samsung continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem for Samsung Pay to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers while enabling an easy and safe payment experience.
Samsung to unveil its new Gear S2 smartwatch at IFA on September 3rd
Samsung has just taken the wraps off its new large-screened Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus at its Unpacked event, but that’s not all the company showed off today. To close out the conference, Samsung teased its new Gear S2 smartwatch that will be officially unveiled in Berlin at IFA on Thursday, September 3rd.
Not many details were given about the watch, other than what’s shown in the screenshots attached to this post. We know it will be completely round, feature a few in-house built fitness applications, and will probably run Tizen, the company’s own operating system.
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We’ll be attending IFA in Berlin this year, and we’ll be sure to bring you more details as they surface. Oh, and if you missed any of the big announcements from earlier today, be sure to check out some of the posts attached below to get the full scoop.
Galaxy Note 5 and Edge Plus will have an optional keyboard accessory
While most of us have adjusted just fine to a virtual touchscreen keyboard, not everyone has wanted to make this jump. In fact, the number one reason why any Blackberry phones are still sold is largely owed to the fact that the company has an exceptional physical keyboard layout.
For those missing the physical keyboard but content with being part of camp Android, Samsung has a new solution. The Korean giant has revealed a new snap-on physical keyboard for the Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus which will be sold separately for a currently undisclosed price. The new keyboard is aptly named the Samsung Keyboard cover.
The snap-on keyboard doesn’t use batteries or Bluetooth to make the magic happen, and instead utilizes the touchscreen underneath. Upon attachment, the phone recognizes the accessory and adjusts its virtual keyboard to the layout of the physical keyboard. When you hit a physical key, it will then press a virtual key on the blocked half of the screen underneath. Not using it? You can also push it around onto the back side for storage.
This is certainly not the first physical keyboard attachment we’ve seen over the years, though it is a novel concept for Samsung and the first time they’ve ever done something like this for a flagship.
What do you think, anyone interested in picking this one up if and when they purchase a Note 5 or Edge Plus? How much would you be willing to pay for such an accessory?
A-Great set of bluetooth headphones: A-Audio Icon review
I love music, but I generally have issues with headphones. I have 3 kids at home and they have broken almost every pair of headphones that I have ever had. The problem with most headphones is that they are made with cheap plastic and my kids are not gentle with anything, let alone a pair of headphones. A-Audio’s Icon headphones do a great job relaxing my concerns.
Icon overview
When I received my Icon headphones in the mail, the first thing I noticed was the packaging. The box that they came in had a magnetic clasp that kept the box closed, but it still opened easily. Inside the box was a carbon fiber case with the A-Audio logo on top. At this point, I am simply amazed at all the tiny details that they put into the packaging itself. My expectations for the headphones are sky high at this point.
The Icon did not disappoint. As I opened the carbon fiber case I continue to be amazed at the quality. The frame is made of steel and the hinges of zinc. I can tell that these headphones can take a beating. With my kids, they’ll need to.
Not only are the hinges and frame made of metal, but the ultra soft leather and memory foam ear pads give it a very luxurious feel. So at this point I’m practically drooling over these headphones and I’m really hoping that they sound as good as they look and feel.
Unfortunately, I would have to wait a few hours before I could test them out. The quick start card that comes in the box tells me to charge them fully before using them. So, I begin looking through the pouch inside the case and find the charger, two 3.5mm audio cables, a micro USB cable, and a small external battery pack. Of course, I plug in the headphones and battery pack and get things charged. It takes about 2 hours to fully charge.
After they are fully charged, I pair them with my phone and immediately begin listening to music. The music coming from the headphones is extremely crisp and clear, and I can’t hear a thing other than the music. It’s now late at night and I can only spend 30-40 minutes listening to music, but luckily the following day is Saturday and I have all day to listen to them.
And listen to them all day is exactly what I do. One of the things that impressed me was the battery life. The Icon headphones went all day from 7 am to about 11 pm on a single charge. Even when I took them off, I left the music playing to properly test them.
Icon setup
The headphones were very easy to setup. The longest part was charging it first, but once charged the pairing process was very simple. Within 1 minute, I was up and running.
Icon usage
I’ve already gushed on the build quality, now let me gush on the sound quality. It is superb. There are songs that I gained a new appreciation for listening to them on these headphones.
Now I don’t recommend that you turn them up full blast, unless your intention is to kill your eardrums, but I can tell you that you that even at full blast, the headphone’s sound remained crisp and clear with no distortion. Not only can it handle the highs, but it can handle the bass as well. I purposefully searched for bass-centric music on Google Play Music and again even at full volume, there was no distortion of any kind.
The headphones also feature a built-in microphone. When I asked, callers reported to me that they could hear me loud and clear.
One of the things that I liked is the ability to listen wired or wireless. In fact, the wired sounds even better in my opinion, especially of your using a service like Tidal with lossless HiFi audio. Unfortunately the controls one the wire do not work with Android.
The Bluetooth controls were very discrete and I liked them except for one thing. What bothered me was, why they would integrate a double and triple click system to move the songs back and forward when you have two perfectly good nubs to the left and right of the A-Audio logo. In fact, it makes more sense to me that they would do it my way when I consider that the two nubs above and below the logo also double as volume buttons.
Another feature that I wish they would have added is the ability to initiate a voice call from the headphones. To me, this is Bluetooth 101. In fact, my 1st generation LG Tones have that ability for 8/10th the price. Of course, my LG’s sound nowhere near as good as the A-Audio Icon headphones, but that’s not the point. The point is that these cheap little headphones have a feature not found on these high dollar headphones.
What we liked
- Superb build quality
- Amazing sound reproduction
- Packaging / carbon fiber case
What could be better
- Bluetooth controls
- Voice command integration
- Price
Summary
In the end, I found that these headphones are amazing. They are not perfect by any means, but if you’re looking for great sounding and long lasting headphones and a $379 price tag does not deter you, then look no further than the A-Audio Icon Bluetooth headphones.
Until the end of the month, you can use promo code androidguys25 for an additional 25% off at checkout on A-Audio’s website. That would effectively reduce the price by almost $95.
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AIVAnet 