The best theming widgets for Android

Finding widgets that work with one theme can be hard. Finding widgets that work with them all is next to impossible.

Android has hundreds of thousands of widgets out there for you to try out, to say nothing of all the widgets you can make yourself through customization apps. But more than looking nice, widgets need to work. They have to earn their keep on my home screen, or they’ll be deleted and replaced with something I actually use. Now, not all apps have customizable widgets, and no matter how good some of those widgets are (like Google Keep), if they don’t play well with themes, then I can’t count on them when it come time to dress up my home screen.

And if you have widgets that are team players when you theme, sing out in the comments below! We’re always on the lookout for a few good widgets.

1Weather

1Weather is a beautiful weather app with an equally beautiful selection of widgets. Big, small, simple or detailed, 1Weather has a weather widget for your theme. What makes these widgets even more handy for the themer is that these widgets have customizable color schemes.

You can have a completely transparent background for the widget, or set a variable tint of white/black for the background. Besides choosing white/black text, we also have our pick of over a dozen accent colors for your widget. The accent color means that rather than having just another monotone widget, that pop of color can help the widget mesh better with your theme’s color scheme.

1Weather (Free, $1.99)

Jack’s Music Widget

I’ve been singing the praises of Jack’s Music Widget for quite a while, and for a few very good reasons, the first of them being that it’s damn good widget on a functional level. Jack’s will not only give you music control in your preferred music app (well, most of them, anyway) through its notification, but it’ll also give playback controls while casting video from apps like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube, which is excellent for heavy Chromecast users (like me). You can also set a default music player to hop into when you tap the widget, but if you switch between your favorites like I do, you can leave it at None and have music controls without the app shortcut.

Jack’s true talent comes from its ability to blend in with almost any theme I throw at it. Jack’s features five different styles for it’s themes, including the ability to determine the widget style based off the album art it pulls in. Clear and Translucent are the styles I gravitate towards in my theming, but backing Dark and Light available can help in a pinch with especially busy wallpapers. You can also change the text size, though not the color, so that the song info looks natural in the widget.

Download Jack’s Music Widget (Free, $1.99)

KWGT

If you’re going to be building complex themes, pre-made widgets likely won’t cut it. Thankfully, we can make our own with a small class of widget apps known as what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) widget editors. And while Kustom’s live wallpaper maker is more powerful that its widget maker, KWGT is without a doubt one of the best widget-making apps out there right now.

Read more: KWGT, explained

KWGT allows you to build apps from scratch, import them from other users, or buy templates off the Play Store and play with them to our heart’s content. What sets KWGT apart from similar apps like Zooper are Globals and Komponents. Globals allow you to change one variable and have it reflected across several items in your widget, such as changing your font once for a dozen different text layers, or changing one color Global for several different shapes.

Komponents are like miniature widgets that you can build and then export to be used in other widgets. Komponents can be packaged and sold on the Google Play Store, like this beautiful Material Music Komponent, a music player widget that you can add to a blank widget, change your colors, and set without having to futz with the individual control icons. Komponents can be a little difficult to grasp at first, but luckily, KWGT has a vibrant community and a very active dev ready to help new users.

Download KWGT (Free, $.299)

Talon

Twitter clients are a dime a dozen, but twitter clients with sweet widgets are a bit more rare, as I found out while looking for a Twitter widget that wouldn’t just clash with every theme I threw it into. I found my answer in Talon, which has become my main Twitter app now. Talon is a twitter app that’s all about customization, and that extends to its widgets. You’re given four styles for Talon’s widgets to use, solid light and dark themes as well as transparent light and dark themes. Dark transparent plays well with a great many other widgets, making it a welcome addition to my home screen and my theming arsenal.

Talon for Twitter ($3.99)

HD Widgets

I don’t always have toggle widgets on my home screen, but when I do, I use HD Widgets. HD Widgets are a great widget tool, especially for users who may not be used to more robust widget-making apps like KWGT. You select the size, style and colors for your widget through a wonderfully simple selection process, and you have a wide variety of setting toggles and clock styles to choose from.

Toggle widgets aren’t as necessary as they were in past years due to the Quick Settings tray above notification on more devices, especially stock devices, but if you want one handy on the home screen, HD Widgets works well. On a small note, HD Widgets hasn’t been updated in over a year, so while things are working well now, it’s unclear how quickly any future bugs or issues will be fixed.

HD Widgets ($0.99)

Zooper Widget

Zooper, like KWGT, is an app where you can build your own app or play with someone else’s. Some people find Zooper’s interface easier to deal with than KWGT, and to be sure they both have their strengths and weaknesses, but Zooper ranks below KWGT in my book for a big reason: it does not appear to be in active development. Zooper hasn’t seen an update in almost a year, and while nothing’s broken (yet) and a great many themers are still actively using and sharing their Zooper Widgets with the world, it’s still a red flag to see an app go this long without attention, especially as this app hasn’t been updated to bring it in line with Marshmallow’s permissions or with Doze.

Zooper’s a good widget app, and if KWGT just isn’t your speed, it may be perfect for you, but keep in mind that if something breaks in the app, it may be a while before it’s fixed.

Download Zooper Widget (Free, $2.99)

Action Launcher’s Quickbar

Action Launcher as a theming launcher is quite good, and one of the best things it offers for me is the Quickbar. Because of Quicktheme, you can tint your Quickbar to match your theme, giving it a quick and usually painless way to get a Google Search bar that matches your theme.

Even better, the Quickbar can be tailored to your unique interests. Want shortcuts to your social media apps? Knock yourself out. Want your sports apps in there instead? Go ahead. The Quickbar does mean you’re giving up the top of your screen to it, and of course means that you’re using Action Launcher, but if you’re gonna use a search widget, Quickbar is one of the easiest to theme out there.

Download Action Launcher (Free, $4.99)

Inbox rolls out new features to Snooze including more time options

Google’s Inbox by Gmail email client is adding some more options for its Snooze feature. They are designed to give users some more flexibility on when they want to be reminded to take action on a specific email.

Google stated:

First, Snooze is getting two highly-requested snooze times: Later this week and This weekend. These new options should hopefully save you some time, and decrease the need to use custom snooze.

The second new Snooze option now allows users to pick the specific weekend days. The options include picking only Friday, Saturday or Sunday but it also allows users to select Snooze to work from Thursday to Friday, Friday to Saturday or Saturday to Sunday. The company says:

This feature is especially useful for people living who live in places where the weekend spans different days of the week.

The update should be available for all Inbox users over the next week in the Google Play Store

Source: Google

MWC Revisited: Virtual reality is here to stay

With Mobile World Congress done and dusted, it’s time to take stock of what we’ve seen over the past week. Sure, we were treated to the usual menagerie of mobile devices, but for the second year running, virtual reality played a big part of the proceedings. Here’s our official scorecard for the new, not-actually-that-mobile part of Mobile World Congress.

Samsung has a complete VR solution

Many were doubtful when Samsung first unveiled its Gear VR headset in 2014. Doubtful that mobile VR would ever amount to anything, and doubtful that Samsung was the company to make it happen. Two years on, and the device is now a consumer-ready product, compatible with all of Samsung’s recent high-end phones. And that was the first VR win for Samsung at MWC. No, not forcing hundreds of people to wear its VR headset; it was the fact that its new flagships (the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge) are both compatible with the Gear VR. That means its most fervent fans don’t need to buy yet another Gear; they can just slot in their new phone. A full six devices are compatible with the VR headset.

Samsung partnered with Oculus on the development of the Gear VR, and that’s made for a richer mobile VR experience than you can find elsewhere. Highly rated games like Land’s End and Gunjack make extensive use of developer APIs created by Samsung and Oculus, and because of this they’re exclusive to the platform.

At MWC this year, Samsung unveiled yet another piece of the puzzle: the Gear 360. It’s a 360-degree video camera that syncs with the company’s latest flagships to make shooting and editing VR-ready video way easier than it’s been before. There are still questions regarding the price, but we expect it to be fairly cheap. And that makes Samsung, against all odds, perhaps the only company with an end-to-end VR solution. It’s got the APIs for developers to create games, apps and experiences; it’s got a 360-degree video camera for users to create their own content; and, of course, it’s got the VR headset to jump into.

Score: 360 gears.

HTC is ready to go

Sure, HTC is a mobile company at heart, but the Vive has very little to do with mobile. It requires just as powerful a PC as the Oculus Rift does, after all. Nonetheless, HTC was at Mobile World Congress in force showing off the headset along with a few refreshed demos. The biggest news of HTC’s show, though, was the price of the consumer edition: $799.

That seems like a lot of money, but you’re getting a little more for that than you would with the $599 Oculus Rift. The Vive comes with sensors that offer full-body tracking, and a front-facing camera. HTC and Valve have also developed a Chaperone system that allows you to stay connected with the world around you. It does this by tracking your body’s position and also adding information from a front-facing camera over your virtual view. The final added feature is Vive Phone Services, which lets you receive and respond to calls and messages from your smartphone without taking off the headset.

Whether you think that’s worth the extra $200 over the Oculus is really going to come down to which vision you believe in. Oculus, for now, is offering a mostly seated VR experience, while Valve and HTC think VR should mean standing up and moving around.

Score: 799 dollars.

LG is still figuring things out

Last year saw a tentative entrance to VR for LG in the form of a plastic version of Google Cardboard. This year, it’s gone all out with a dedicated headset (part of its “Friends” accessory range) that plugs into the LG G5. Called the 360 VR, it promises to be more comfortable than other headsets, thanks largely to the reduced weight and bulk. But it doesn’t really do anything more than put your phone into that Google Cardboard you got with The New York Times. When the most memorable part of your onstage pitch is that “this won’t mess up your hair,” you probably don’t have that compelling a product.

LG has a 360-degree camera too: the 360 Cam. It’s pretty similar to Samsung’s take, with two wide-angle cameras combining to give the full field of view required. Unlike Samsung’s, there’s no live view via a phone, but other than that it seems like a capable tool. And that’s kind of emblematic of LG’s efforts in VR (and arguably at MWC in general): It’s pushing out lots and lots of products, but without much thought as to how to improve on their competitors.

Score: 5 friends.

And the rest …

Putting aside the litany of no-name manufacturers filling empty conference hall space with their derivative VR efforts, there were actually a few interesting developments away from Mobile World Congress’ “big three.” Dolby had a strong presence showing off 3D audio. Although we’d seen it all before, it’s interesting to see it shopping its wares at a mobile conference. And there were also signs of VR further penetrating the industry: Alcatel OneTouch, for example, debuted a new handset, the Idol 4. While it looks like a great budget smartphone in its own right, what’s truly interesting is … its packaging. The Idol 4’s box is a plastic affair that, when re-assembled, turns into a sturdy version of Google Cardboard.

Score: 1 touch.

Apple’s $120M patent victory over Samsung overturned on appeal

The never-ending Apple vs. Samsung patent wars just had another chapter written today, long after most of us stopped caring. A US appeals court overturned the $120 million jury-appointed verdict that was awarded to Apple way back in May of 2014. Specifically, the court said that a variety of older Samsung phones (including the Admire, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note 2, a host of Galaxy S II variants and the Galaxy S3) didn’t infringe upon three Apple patents. The patents in question covered swipe to unlock, auto-correct and a quick link feature that lets links in one app open up another app.

As noted by Reuters, the quick link feature made up $99 million of the $120 million in damages awarded to Apple — the jury decided that all 10 Samsung devices in question infringed upon that particular feature. But today’s ruling by a three-judge panel in the Federal Circuit disagreed on that point and vacated the jury’s decision. Specifically, the panel ruled that Samsung didn’t infringe on Apple’s quick links patent and also decided that its “swipe to unlock” and autocorrect patents were invalid based on prior art.

It’s worth noting that the larger decision Apple prevailed on in 2012 isn’t affected by today’s ruling. A separate jury awarded nearly $1 billion in damages to Apple, though eventually that number was cut back to $548 million through a number of appeals. Last summer, a court decision denied Samsung’s request for reconsideration.

Via: Reuters

Source: United States Court of Appeals (PDF)

Review: You Won’t Lose Your Apple Pencil Cap With the PencilCozy

If you own an Apple Pencil, you’ve probably already misplaced its cap once or twice when charging it. The cap, which hides the Lightning connector, is fully removable and easily lost, a flaw the PencilCozy, from CozyIndustries, aims to fix.

Made of a soft, pliable silicone, the PencilCozy has a top portion that fits snugly over the cap of the Apple Pencil and a ring that fits over the Apple Pencil itself. Between the top of the cozy and the ring, there’s a strip of silicone to connect the two pieces to ensure the cap of the Apple Pencil doesn’t become separated from the body when it’s removed for charging.

The PencilCozy comes in three colors: an opaque white that closely matches the white shade of the Apple Pencil, a minty teal green shade, and a glow-in-the dark color that’s a translucent white in the light and a bright green in the dark. The glow-in-the-dark shade may be useful for locating the Apple Pencil in the dark, but because the glow doesn’t last very long it’s more of a novelty than a truly functional feature.

Both the design and the colors are muted enough that they don’t stand out or significantly interfere with the aesthetic of the Apple Pencil, but people who like the unadulterated look of the accessory may not want to sully it with an $8 piece of rubber. I didn’t mind the appearance of the PencilCozy, taking into account its utility.

Along with the standalone PencilCozy, CozyIndustries sells a combo pack that includes a cozy to fit over the Lightning adapter that ships with the Apple Pencil. Like the PencilCozy, the Lightning adapter cozy is designed to keep the adapter attached to a Lightning cable so it doesn’t get lost, which is handy because it’s easy to misplace that tiny piece of plastic. The adapter cozy is made out of the same soft silicone and is available in white and glow-in-the-dark shades.

The material the adapter cozy and the PencilCozy are made of has a tendency to pick up dust and pet fur. It wipes away, but it’s still an annoyance. Mine got quite a bit of dust and fuzz on it after being carried in my backpack for a day. As for durability, I did my best to tear or rip the PencilCozy by pulling on it, but it stayed intact. I’ve only had it on my Apple Pencil for a little over a week and a half, but it looks like it’s going to be highly resistant to damage.

Applying the PencilCozy is simple. Slide the Apple Pencil cap into the top of the PencilCozy and then fit the ring over the body of the Apple Pencil. The fit is tight enough that the PencilCozy isn’t going to slip off, even when it’s carried in a pocket or a purse. The fit means the Apple Pencil’s cap is secure, but it also prevents the PencilCozy from being easily removed from the Apple Pencil. It takes a lot of pushing and pulling to get the cap out, which was one of the biggest negatives to the product.

Putting the Lightning adapter cozy in place is done in the same way, with a few simple application instructions that take less than 30 seconds to complete. Since the Lightning adapter cozy only fits over a portion of the adapter, it’s much easier to remove than the PencilCozy. With the adapter cozy attached to a Lightning cable, it can be snapped in place whenever needed, leaving the cable free for charging other iOS devices the rest of the time.

The PencilCozy keeps the Apple Pencil’s cap in place, but it has one other use that shouldn’t be overlooked — it stops the Apple Pencil from rolling off of tables, desks, and other flat surfaces. The Apple Pencil itself is weighted in an effort to keep it from rolling, but the weighting doesn’t always keep it from falling to the floor.

Bottom Line

For a little piece of silicone that’s just $8, the PencilCozy is surprisingly useful and well worth purchasing for anyone who has a tendency to misplace things.

Some people won’t like the look of the PencilCozy because it mars the clean lines of the Apple Pencil, but for most, utility is likely to outweigh aesthetics. The PencilCozy is going to prevent the Apple Pencil’s cap from getting lost, and it’s also useful to stop it from rolling.

As for the additional Lightning cable adapter, if you charge with a Lightning cable rather than the iPad Pro, it’s well worth picking up too. $10 is a reasonable price to pay to ensure you’re not going to lose key components of an accessory that’s priced at $99.

Pros

• Keeps Apple Pencil cap in place when charging
• Optional Lightning adapter cozy
• Prevents Apple Pencil from rolling
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Collects dust
• Difficult to remove

How to Buy

The PencilCozy can be purchased from the CozyIndustries website or from Amazon for $7.99. Combo packs that include the PencilCozy and the Lightning adapter are available for $9.99.

Note: CozyIndustries provided the PencilCozy and Lightning adapter cozy to MacRumors free of charge for the purposes of this review. No other compensation was received.

Tags: review, Apple Pencil, PencilCozy
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DS 3 first drive: Fun French fancy

Rolling out originally with the chevrons of Citroën on the front, the DS 3 has had a revamp and refresh, now sitting pretty in the avant-garde livery of DS Automobiles. 

Ok, so they may be one and the same, but with the DS 5, DS 4 and now the DS 3 getting a more established identity, we’re well on the way towards seeing DS Automobiles establishing itself as a fresh brand, looking to bring you exquisite French design and challenge some of the premium German cars that are so common on the roads.

The DS 3 has been something of a success, and what’s perhaps surprising is that the DS 3 has sold more in the UK than it has in its home country France. In this latest twist of the tale, DS Automobiles is looking to pitch the DS 3 as an alternative to the Mini Hatch, another car that’s been a success in the UK, and for many of the same reasons.

Pocket-lint

DS 3 design: A new marque

A cursory glance at the new DS 3 reveals that the lines are very similar to the previous model. That’s a trend reflected in the DS 5 and the DS 4 too and we’re happy with that: it’s not a brand new model, but there are subtle changes to the exterior, as well as an update to the interior.

The look and feel of the DS 3 is very much the same however. DS Automobiles says that this car embraces the spirit of avant-garde, but for us this is a young and fun 3-door hatchback. It’s a good looking car, distinct enough to set it apart from many of the similar compacts, but really going head-to-head with some cars like the Mini (particularly) or the Fiat 500, sitting in that space offering something that leans more towards quality while still staying compact and, importantly, original is design.

The changes on this model are really about leaving the Citroën brand behind and that means reworking the front of the car around the grille. That grille pattern is now more unique and more DS, cutting across the front of the car and underlining the new headlight cluster. It gives the DS 3 a smarter look, adding a little prestige.

Pocket-lint

The DS 3 – and the DS 3 Cabrio that sees a parallel launch – is still about personalisation, with a wide range of colours to choose from, so you can have contrasting body and roof options for not a lot of cash and in some cases, free with particular trim levels. 

There are Chic, Elegance and Prestige trim levels, before stepping up to Ultra Prestige, Performance and a new Performance Black that tops the range. The DS 3 in its new guise starts at only £700 more than the old model, but you are getting more kit for standard. Alloys are now standard, rather than offering a steel wheel with trim at the bottom end, which helps move the DS 3 more into line with some of its notable rivals. 

We still think the DS 3 looks good. It’s the same overall body shape as it was before, but it offers slightly softer lines than the likes of Audi or VW and offers a slightly more practical arrangement than the Mini Hatch, with a higher ride and larger boot opening and more headroom for those rear seats.

DS 3 interior: Distinctly styled, wonderfully unique

We’ve always had a soft spot for the interior of the DS, marking itself aside from some of the compact cars of Citroën with more elegance. Much of the interior of this DS 3 reflects that of the previous model. The driver display is the same and the general layout is too, but now the 7-inch touchscreen is standard, dominating the central cluster of controls.

The line that DS is pushing with this move is that it’s enabled them to reduce the clutter in the interior: there are 20 fewer buttons and controls, as more is handled through that central display.

Pocket-lint

The interior is light and airy, even with the dark finishes that DS offers, thanks to the spread of the windows. It’s a compact car, sure, but there’s plenty of space in for the driver and passenger. The back seats are comfortable, but there’s not a huge amount of legroom, even if there’s plenty of headroom. If you have a long-legged driver, you’ll probably find it a bit of a squeeze in the back, but that’s a given for this size of car.

For the driver, however, things are neatly arranged and we like the looks of the floating driver display cowl. The quality of the interior is good too. Leather is widely used once you’re up to the Prestige level, with highlights and touch points having a quality feel to them. Soft plastics are also used, with DS avoiding some of the finishes and textures that put its Citroën cousins slightly less premium place.

There’s also bags of character. Like the Mini Hatch or Fiat 500, this is a car that uses funkier design without getting too ridiculous, where some of it’s German rivals can be a little serious in the interior. It’s not all perfect though. The armrest blocks access to the handbrake and there’s no hill hold, so you’ll need to be deftly-footed on the clutch at times, although we’d rather have that armrest as it’s a comfortable addition on longer drives.

Pocket-lint

Then we have the touchscreen. This gives you plenty of modern features – including Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink for Android – but the removal of buttons isn’t necessarily a huge bonus. We found it a little tricky to navigate, and the menu button is a long way down at the bottom of the centre stack. There are also no steering wheel controls, nor any crossover into the driver display, so it feels as though you spend a little too much time jabbing away at the screen and looking into the centre of the car, rather than being able to keep your eyes on the road.

There’s a lot of technology on offer with the base Chic level of trim giving you air conditioning, an integrated air freshener, that 7-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, USB, DAB and mood lighting. Stepping up to Elegance brings LED fog lights, sports pedals and plenty more, and finally the Prestige brings things like powered folding heated mirrors, LED Vision lights, satnav, and active city break to stop you driving into the car in front when you’re not concentrating in busy traffic.

Pocket-lint

DS 3: Driving change

But there are some elements of the DS 3 that are really good. The seats are really comfortable, especially with the leather finishes and the unique “watchstrap” design and there’s plenty of adjustment in the steering column to get a comfortable position. All trim levels get a leather steering wheel, although this increases in quality as you step up the trim, although as we mentioned, we miss any sort of steering wheel controls.

The DS 3 is naturally set for a fairly sporty ride. With wheels starting at 16-inch and increasing to 17-inch on the higher trims, you don’t lose that fun feeling when you’re on the road. The suspension is comfortable though, soaking away those broken road surfaces and easing out speed bumps, even if we found the road noise to be a little higher than we expected – a product of lower profile tyres and not too much body insulation we suspect.

There are a range of engine choices (we drove the 130 and 165 petrol engines, there are a range of diesels for those more interested in economy), and the exhaust note gives you a sporty feeling too, as does the detailing of the rear splitter, sitting alongside the chrome exhaust pipes. We found the PureTech 130 to give a surprisingly sporty soundtrack, but it’s still an economical option, with CO2 emissions rated at 105g/km.

There will also be a THP 210, for those looking for sportier performance. DS doesn’t pitch this as a hot hatch, more a gentleman’s GT, for those who want something with a bit of poke without turning into a boy racer. It take you from 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds, so it’s no slouch.

Pocket-lint

On the road the DS 3 is a fun car to drive. The visibility is good, with large wing mirrors and the steering is weighty enough to feel purposeful. In the THP 165 mated with a 6-speed manual gearbox, there’s enough power to pull this compact car up the hills, and the acceleration to give you an exciting drive. It takes 7.5-seconds to hit 62mph, which in real terms, is racey enough to stay in contention with the rest of the traffic.

We found that it also returned over 40mpg in the mixed driving we’d been doing, some motorway, but much on twisty-turny A roads, with plenty of junctions. All in all, it’s a fun drive. It perhaps lacks the twitchy “go-kart” drive of the Mini Hatch, but it’s certainly not lacking in character.

First Impressions

We’ve always liked the DS 3. We liked this car when it was a fresh idea from Citroën and we like it now it’s leading the charge from DS Automobiles. It sits as the starting point in the DS family, better looking and fresher than the DS 4, and facing less-serious executive competition than the DS 5. To us, that makes it the star of the show and that’s a feeling that’s reflected in strong sales of the older model.

The DS 3 is fresh and funky. We like the drive and we like the looks. Yes, this isn’t a rethinking of this compact hatch and it’s very much the same character as the original, but if you’re looking to upgrade, there’s probably enough of a change to help you move from your 5-year-old car to the new DS 3. 

The DS 3 starts from £13,995 with PureTech 82 engine and manual gearbox with Chic trim, rising up to £22,495 for the top spec THP 210 engine with Performance Black trim. Somewhere in the middle is a sweet spot, giving your blend of unique styling, plenty of creature comforts and an exciting drive.

Sony smartphone showdown: Xperia X vs Xperia Z vs Xperia M

Sony Mobile churns out smartphones like they are going out of fashion. There are currently four devices available to buy across its M range and Z range, but the company has just announced another three within the new X range, two of which will launch in the summer. The third is an Asia only device.

Confused yet? Well just to add to that, Sony has also announced the Z line will stop with the Xperia Z5 family, meaning the X series will be the future of Sony Mobile.

To ease the confusion and help you work out which Sony smartphone might be right for you, here is how the Xperia ranges compare. This is the difference between the Xperia XA, Xperia X, Xperia X Performance, Xperia Z5 Compact, Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Premium and Xperia M5. Phew.  

Xperia X vs Xperia Z vs Xperia M design

The Sony Xperia Z5 Compact is the smallest and thickest of the Xperia handsets measuring 127 x 65 x 8.9mm. The slimmest is the Xperia Z5 and the largest is the Xperia Z5 Premium. 

In terms of weight, the Xperia Z5 Compact and the Xperia XA are the lightest hitting the scales at just 138g, followed closely by the Xperia M5 at 143g. The Xperia Z5 Premium is the heaviest at 180g, with the Xperia X Performance following at 165g.

All the Xperia smartphones offer a similar OmniBalance design but there are a couple of differences across the three ranges. The Xperia M5 has a plastic rear, while the Z5 Compact, Z5 and Z5 Premium all opt for frosted glass and squarer edges. The Xperia XA, X and X Performance all go down the metal rear path and all three of the newest devices offer 2D curved glass over the front, as well as slightly more rounded edges making them more pleasurable to hold.

Each of the seven devices has a capless Micro-USB port and they are all waterproof and dust proof to IP68 and IP65, apart from the Xperia XA and Xperia X. The Xperia Z5 Compact, Z5, Z5 Premium, X and X Performance all offer a built-in fingerprint sensor within the oblong side power button. It is worth noting that the Z5 and Z5 Compact in the US don’t offer a fingerprint sensor for some strange reason.

The Xperia XA and Xperia M have a circular side power button instead with no fingerprint recognition, like the previous Xperia Z3 and Z3+ range.

Xperia X vs Xperia Z vs Xperia M display

The smallest display sits within the Xperia Z5 Compact at 4.6-inches, while the largest is within the Z5 Premium at 5.5-inches. The Z5 has a 5.2-inch display while the other four devices all come with a 5-inch display.

In terms of resolution, the Z5 Premium is the winner of the sharpest, crispest display with its 4K resolution, offering a pixel density of a whopping 806ppi. The lowest resolution sits within the Z5 Compact and Xperia XA, both of which have a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution. As the Z5 Compact is a little smaller it squeezes a few more pixels in per inch than the XA with a pixel density of 319ppi compared to 293ppi.

The Xperia X, X Performance and M5 all have Full HD displays for pixel densities of 441ppi. A Full HD resolution is also on board the Z5 for a pixel density of 423ppi. A few of the Xperia handsets also have Sony’s Triluminos and X-Reality technologies including the X, X Performance and all three devices in the Z5 family.

The Xperia XA has the most exciting display though, even if it isn’t the largest or sharpest, because it has an edge-to-edge screen which is stunning.

Xperia X vs Xperia Z vs Xperia M camera

The Xperia XA has the lowest resolution camera sensor on the rear at 13-megapixels, while the Xperia Z5, Z5 Compact and Z5 Premium have the lowest resolution on the front at 5.1-megapixels.

A 23-megaixel sensor with sensitivity up to ISO 12800, an aperture of f/2.0 and a 24mm wide-angle G lens sits within the Xperia X, X Performance, Z5 Compact, Z5 and Z5 Premium. The Xperia M5 has a 21.5-megapixel rear camera.

The Xperia X, X Performance and the M5 all come with a 13-megapixel f/2.0 front-facing camera. The X and X Performance have a sensitivity of ISO 6400 so overall these two are likely to offer the best selfies. These two devices and the XA also all come with a new feature called Predictive Hybrid Auto Focus which tracks and predicts moment to ensure moments aren’t missed.

Xperia X vs Xperia Z vs Xperia M hardware

The fastest and newest chip sits within the Xperia X Performance. It sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, while all three in the Z5 family opt for the slightly older Qualcomm Snapdragon 810. The Xperia X has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 on board.

The Xperia XA and M5 both have MediaTek chips with the XA sporting the P10 and the M5 opting for the X10. There is 3GB of RAM on board all of the Xperia handsets, except for the XA that offers just 2GB.

All seven Xperia devices have microSD support for storage expansion. The Xperia Z5 family, X Performance and M5 all come with 32GB of internal memory while the X comes in 32GB and 64GB options and the XA in 16GB only.

The biggest battery capacity is in the Xperia Z5 Premium at 3430mAh, followed by the Z5 at 2900mAh and then the Z5 Compact and X Performance, both of which have 2700mAh. The smallest capacity is within the XA at 2300mAh while the X and M5 both sit around the 2600mAh mark.

Xperia X vs Xperia Z vs Xperia M software

The Xperia XA, X and X Performance will all arrive with Android Marshmallow in the Summer. The X Performance will only be available in Asia, while the XA and X will come to other territories.

The Xperia Z5 family and the M5 are all on Android Lollipop but they should all get an update to Marshmallow eventually, at least the Z5 devices anyway. The software experience should be very similar across all the devices when they are all updated, with all featuring Sony’s software overlay on top of Android. Not all the Xperia devices will offer every feature though.

For example, the Xperia X, X Performance and Z5 family will all have PS4 Remote Play while the M5 and XA won’t.

Xperia X vs Xperia Z vs Xperia M conclusion

So which Sony Xperia smartphone is the right one for you? Well, that depends on what you want from your smartphone as well as where you live. If you aren’t in Asia then you can forget the X Performance altogether, leaving just six to choose from, two of which – the X and XA –  won’t be available till Summer.

The Xperia XA has the most interesting display and a metal design, which is also one of the lightest. Its hardware isn’t as powerful as its siblings, it is not waterproof and there is no fingerprint sensor however.

The Xperia X has the metal design and a fingerprint sensor, while also offering powerful cameras on the front and rear. It isn’t waterproof though and its battery is a little smaller than others.

The Xperia X Performance, for those in Asia, is the most powerful Xperia handset at the moment. It offers the fingerprint sensor, waterproofing, decent front and rear cameras and it has a lovely metal build to boot. It very much a flagship device to rival the Z5. 

The Xperia Z5 Compact is the smallest and also one of the lightest of the Xperia devices but is also the thickest. Waterproofing is on board here too, as well as a fingerprint sensor and it has some powerful specs too, even if the front camera is probably not as good as the X, X Performance or M5.

The Xperia Z5 is the slimmest handset, bringing powerful hardware and a big battery capacity, as well as a decent main camera. That fingerprint sensor and waterproofing is present here too.

The Xperia Z5 Premium has the sharpest and largest display. It is the device to buy if you want to use it with a VR headset. The Premium also has powerful hardware and a huge battery, along with waterproofing and a fingerprint sensor.

The Xperia M5 is waterproof and has well-specced front and main cameras, although its hardware is perhaps a little less powerful than others. It also features a plastic rear and ditches the fingerprint sensor but it is likely to be the cheapest of the Xperia devices.

That’s the Xperia smartphones in a nutshell. Which one you choose is up to you.

What to expect at Apple’s 15 March event: iPhone 5SE, iPad Air 3 and more

Apple is holding an event on 15 March, or so it is thought. Of course nothing has been officially confirmed, nor will it be until the invites go out, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun speculating about what to expect.

The Cupertino company notably never attends the major trade shows like MWC and IFA. Instead, especially in the case of IFA, it does its own separate event very close to the show, stealing a few headlines of its own.

Apple’s September and June events have a much more predictable pattern than the March events, with only two previous March events to date – one in 2012 and the second in 2015. Despite this however, a March 2016 event is looking very likely based on reports. With MWC now over after stealing plenty of headlines, what will Apple announce to get back in the spotlight?

Apple iPad Air 3

Apple decided not to update the iPad Air 2 during the September 2015 event where the iPad mini 4 and iPad Pro were both announced. That decision has led many to believe the iPad Air 3, or smaller iPad Pro as it has also been referred to, will be announced during the March 2016 event.

Reports suggest the new 9.7-inch iPad will adopt a similar design to the larger Apple iPad Pro including a four-speaker setup, Smart Connector and compatibility with the Apple Pencil. It has also been suggested that a rear LED camera flash will appear too, which would make it the first iPad to offer this feature.

A newer and faster processor than the iPad Air 2 is expected and there has also been some talk of a higher resolution display, coupled with the next-generation of pressure-sensing technology. It’s all a guessing game at the moment though.

READ MORE Apple iPad Air 3: What’s the story so far?

Apple iPhone 5SE

The Apple iPhone 5SE, previously referred to as the iPhone 6C, is the rumoured successor to the colourful, 4-inch iPhone 5C that was announced way back in September 2013. It has been talked about for several months now, hence the different names, but it is thought it might finally reveal itself at the March event.

The iPhone 5C is no longer available to buy through Apple, making the iPhone 5S the cheaper and smaller option within the iPhone portfolio. The iPhone 5SE, if it arrives at all, is expected to replace the iPhone 5S, possibly bringing a colourful metal build with it.

Rumours suggest the 4-inch display will remain intact, along with the same resolution as the iPhone 5S. It also isn’t likely to come with any of the newer technologies like the pressure-sensitive display found on the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.

READ MORE Apple iPhone 5SE: What’s the story so far?

Apple Watch 2

Apple announced the Apple Watch in September 2014, offering further details on the wearable in March 2015 and finally releasing it for purchase in April 2015. It’s been suggested we might therefore see its successor appear at the March event this year.

What Apple will call the second-gen smartwatch is still questionable but we will go with Apple Watch 2 for now. It’s been suggested that it will sport the same design and form factor as the original model, with the same rectangular screen, resolution and body.

Other reports claim new materials will be added to the mix and features such as a front-facing video camera will be added, as well as a chip that will allow for better functionality when without a Bluetooth connection. With a bit of luck those super expensive straps might even still be compatible. Here’s hoping.

READ MORE Apple Watch 2: What’s the story so far?

MWC Revisited: The best phones in Barcelona this year

The booths have been dismantled, the bigwigs have boarded their planes and the doors have been closed. That’s a wrap for Mobile World Congress 2016. Now that our team has had a chance to kick back and reflect on the mobile maelstrom we’ve just waded through, meet the four smartphones (in no particular order) that stole our hearts and stole the show.

The G5 is LG’s boldest move

After the stopgap release that was the G4, we’ve finally got an LG flagship that’s really worth getting excited over. Sure, it folds a now standard Snapdragon 820 chipset, a lovely 5.3-inch Quad HD screen and a fascinating dual-camera setup into an attractive little body. That alone might have been enough for LG to pick up more momentum, but there’s a twist: You can plug in a handful of modular accessories to help the G5 do even more. Serious about photography? The Cam Plus grip module could help you capture some better shots. And I could see at least a few audiophiles shell out for the Hi-Fi Plus DAC module LG co-developed with Bang & Olufsen. The G5, then, isn’t just a flagship phone — it’s a physical foundation for others to build cool things for.

And that’s really the big question mark, isn’t it? Whether LG can build a collection of truly valuable “Friend” modules is up in the air, but you’ve got to give the company credit for going all out this time. Oh, and those modules will most likely work with the G6, too — LG’s got time to figure this stuff out.

Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge stands out

Don’t get me wrong — the standard S7 is a great phone in its own right, but the Edge balances that same high level of performance with a bigger, more compelling screen and a better battery in an incredible package. Samsung contends that people use bigger displays differently than smaller ones; there’s a greater focus on consuming media and being productive. In a way, though, it doesn’t really matter if that logic shakes out. The S7 Edge represents the pinnacle of Samsung’s mobile-design and engineering shops, and that it’ll sell like crazy is almost a foregone conclusion. That might not be a surprise, though — the original S6 Edge captured people’s attention in a way that the regular S6 couldn’t.

Despite those advancements, the S7 siblings feel like incremental updates to Samsung’s work last year. That’s not a bad thing — every formula needs some touching up — but the timing is a little unfortunate, since LG spent the past year building a phone that threw caution to the wind. One thing is for sure, though: Great as the S7 Edge is, Samsung’s going to bring it with next year’s model.

Xiaomi Mi 5 was the show’s surprise hit

We knew Xiaomi’s Mi 5 was coming to Barcelona for MWC well before we landed here, but we didn’t expect it to be so impressive. Comfortable, handsome design? Check. Snapdragon 820? Yep (and with two variants, no less). Throw in a camera that seems to resist the most jittery of hands and we’ve got a serious contender for between $310 and $410. The version of Android the Mi 5 comes with is painted over with Xiaomi’s MIUI interface, but even that doesn’t really detract from the experience — it’s lightweight and can be surprisingly pretty. It doesn’t matter that Xiaomi sometimes gets jeers for being a copycat (a story for another time). The Mi 5 is an incredibly well-built, powerful device for its price. With any luck, Xiaomi plans to bring it to markets beyond China and India, where the phone will be released next month.

Alcatel Idol 4S

Fine, Alcatel’s new Idol 4S may not be as downright pretty or powerful as the other phones on this list. The market for damned good, inexpensive unlocked phones is growing, though, and Alcatel just might make a killing with this one. Part of that is because the Idol 4S squeezes an octa-core Snapdragon 652 into a very slim body that also houses a 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display. And in addition to keeping around tricks like being able to answer the phone no matter which way you hold it, the inclusion of a context-sensitive “Boom” key helps add some smart functionality to an otherwise near-stock version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Really, though, we’re a sucker for its packaging — it’s a full-blown, sturdy plastic VR headset that the Idol 4S snaps into. We ran into a little trouble when testing it the first time around, but Alcatel says the issues have been polished out of the final version. We’ll be the judges of that; still, people probably aren’t going to back away from a decent, free ticket to VR-ville.

Lumo stops forcing you to buy its running shorts

If there’s one thing guaranteed to annoy your customers, it’s being forced to buy something that they don’t want. It’s been an issue with the forthcoming Lumo Run, a posture-fixing sports wearable that only worked with a pair of custom-made shorts. Thankfully, the company has seen fit to alter its policy and will now release a version that can just clip onto whatever garment you’re wearing. The clip-on version is cheaper, too, priced at $99 rather than the $149/$169 you’ll pay for extra shorts or capri pants. Even better is that, until the gear launches this summer, pre-order customers can snag one for just $79.99.

Source: Lumo