Intel’s Upcoming Ultra-Fast Optane SSD May Come to MacBooks
Last summer, Intel announced 3D Xpoint, a new class of memory labeled as a “major breakthrough in memory process technology.” 3D Xpoint is 1,000 times faster and more durable than NAND Flash storage, as well as 10 times denser than the DRAM chips used in computers.
The innovative, transistor-less cross point architecture creates a three-dimensional checkerboard where memory cells sit at the intersection of word lines and bit lines, allowing the cells to be addressed individually. As a result, data can be written and read in small sizes, leading to faster and more efficient read/write processes.
Intel has promised that the first 3D Xpoint (pronounced “crosspoint”) product will be coming in early 2016 in the form of its Optane solid state drives, which may be of interest to Apple. According to Macworld, 3D Xpoint is compatible with NVM Express (NVMe), an SSD protocol that offers improved latency and performance over the older AHCI protocol.
Apple’s Retina MacBooks already use NVMe technology, and it’s likely Skylake Macs set to be released across 2016 will also support NVMe. With NVMe compatibility built into 3D Xpoint, Apple could adopt Intel’s Optane solid state drives for super fast performance speeds that significantly outpace what’s possible with current SSDs. As Macworld points out, Apple is often an early adopter of emerging technology, having been the first company to implement Thunderbolt and chip technology from Intel.
While Intel is planning to make its Optane SSDs available in 2016, the technology is unlikely to see widespread adoption right away. 3D Xpoint storage solutions will likely exist alongside NAND Flash options until prices become affordable enough for use in mass-produced products. Intel is also working on Optane memory DIMMs.
If Apple does choose to use Intel’s Optane SSDs in future Macs, it could be some time before Optane-equipped machines are available. Upgraded Macs that are expected in 2016 will likely continue to use NAND Flash, but as mentioned previously, speed improvements could come in the form of wider NVMe adoption.
Skylake chips appropriate for many of Apple’s Macs are currently available or will be available in the near future, so we may begin seeing the the first Mac upgrades in the next few months, perhaps at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference.
Tags: Intel, 3D Xpoint
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Pay your credit card bill using the Amazon Echo
Too busy whipping up a soufflé to check your bank balance online? You can now ask Amazon’s Echo devices to give you the info, thanks to a partnership with Capital One. You just need to say “Alexa, ask Capital One for my Quicksilver card balance” or “Alexa, ask Capital One to pay my credit card bill,” for instance. The voice assistant can already turn on your lights, play Spotify music, get you an Uber and check election results. However, Capital One is the first credit card or banking service to work with the expanding family of devices, which are only sold in the US.
If this sounds like a security nightmare, Capital One told the Associated Press that an additional check is enabled by default. You say a four-digital personal key, after which you’ll have five minutes to do any transactions before you’re locked out again (users can disable the function, however). The service will be switched on today for the Echo, Amazon Tap and the Echo dot, along with Amazon’s Fire TV devices. There’s no app to download; if you have a Capital One account, you can enable the service and provide your credentials to the Echo app.
Via: 9to5 Google
Source: Associated Press
The best microSD card
By Kimber Streams
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. Read the full article here.
After 40 hours of research and testing over the past two years, we found that the 64GB Samsung EVO Plus is the best microSD card for most people’s needs. It’s the most versatile and cost-effective microSD card of the 15 we tested this year. The EVO Plus’s speedy random read and write speeds are ideal for phone and tablet use, and its sequential write speed is fast enough for shooting 1080p video.
Who this is for
If you already have a microSD card that fulfills your needs, you probably don’t need to upgrade. The EVO Plus isn’t leaps and bounds better than anything that’s been available for the past few years. However, if you’re having issues with the speed of your card—say, you want to shoot 1080p video and it can’t keep up, or stored apps aren’t running well—upgrading is a good idea.
How we picked and tested
We tested each card’s performance in an ASUS ZenFone 2 using A1 SD Bench.
The most important features of a microSD card are speed, price, reliability, and warranty. In a phone or tablet, apps often save data in small chunks scattered across the card, so a microSD card needs to be fast at reading and writing small bits of data in random locations. Sequential speeds—how fast the card can read and write long strings of data in a row—are less important than 4KB random speeds on phones and tablets but are still significant.
After making a list of the 15 most promising microSD cards—and considering only Class 10 U1 and U3 cards with a 64GB capacity—we tested each card’s performance in an ASUS ZenFone 2 using A1 SD Bench. Using a USB 3.0 card reader in a laptop’s USB 3.0 port, we also ran CrystalDiskMark, a benchmarking program designed to test sequential and random read and write speeds on solid-state storage. Between each test, we reformatted each card using the recommended utility from the SD Association to stabilize performance.
Our pick
The Samsung EVO Plus is speedy and inexpensive, making it the best card for most uses.
The 64GB Samsung EVO Plus is the fastest and most cost-effective microSD card that we’ve tested so far. The Samsung EVO Plus is versatile, thanks to its quick random read and write speeds (ideal for expanded storage in phones or tablets) as well as its fast sequential speeds (handy for shooting HD video). The EVO Plus is the fastest card you can get without spending a lot more money. If you need a microSD card for your new Nintendo 3DS or 3DS XL, get the 32GB version instead; the handheld doesn’t support larger cards.
Compared with the 14 other cards we tested this year, the EVO Plus has the fastest random read speeds (38.7 MB/s) when tested in an Android phone and the second-fastest random writes (1.4 MB/s). In the CrystalDiskMark test on a PC, the Samsung EVO Plus clocked random read and write speeds of 6.07 MB/s and 1.95 MB/s, respectively.
Runner-up
The Samsung EVO is slower than the EVO Plus, but it’s fast enough for most people’s needs and a bit cheaper.
If the EVO Plus is out of stock, we recommend the 64GB Samsung EVO. The EVO’s sequential read speed (which comes into use when you’re transferring data off the card) is about half as fast as the EVO Plus’s, but the EVO usually costs a couple of dollars less than our pick, has faster random read and write speeds than the rest of the competition, and remains speedy enough to record 1080p video.
In our Android test, the Samsung EVO posted random read and write speeds of 35.9 MB/s and 1.3 MB/s, respectively, finishing nearly even with the EVO Plus. For most people, though, the EVO Plus is worth the extra few dollars because its faster sequential speeds make it more useful for expanding your laptop’s storage or reviewing media files.
An upgrade for GoPro owners
Shooting 4K video on the GoPro Hero4 is one of the most demanding uses for a microSD card. We like the 64GB Lexar 633x because as of early February, it’s the least expensive card GoPro recommends for that camera. (We didn’t specifically test our top picks with the GoPro, so you should check GoPro’s list of recommended cards and price out the competition before you buy.)
Wrapping up
The best microSD card for most people is the 64GB Samsung EVO Plus. It’s more versatile, cost-effective, and speedy than any other microSD card we’ve tested so far. If it’s unavailable, we recommend the 64GB Samsung EVO in its place.
This guide may have been updated by The Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.
Microsoft’s OneNote tool imports all your Evernote content
With Evernote having a tough time of it lately, Microsoft is trying to swoop in with OneNote. It’s just released the OneNote Importer tool that will make it easy for folks to transfer all their Evernote data to its own ecosystem. To use it, you’ll need a PC with at least Windows 7 installed (and preferably Evernote for Windows), so it’s not an option for mobile or Mac-only users, at least for now. If you have multiple devices, however, any notes you import will be synced on Mac, Android and iOS.
Microsoft touts several advantages of OneNote, namely “a free-form canvas where you can mix text, images, documents, handwriting, audio, video and more; free offline access; and unlimited monthly uploads.” It also plays well with Microsoft’s Office 365 suite, though you’ll need to pay at least $70 a year for that unless you’re a student. Evernote has a free option itself, but to work offline, save emails, and more you’ll need at least the $25 per year paid plan. The decision to switch, however, may come down to whether you’re already vested in the Office ecosystem.
Ford’s ‘mobility’ subsidiary to focus on autonomous cars and more
GM isn’t the only US automaker making self-driving car announcements today. Ford revealed a new subsidiary, Ford Smart Mobility, that will focus on developing new technology for autonomous vehicles, in-car connectivity and transportation services. Former Steelcase CEO and Ford board member Jim Hackett will oversee the new offshoot, which the company says is part of its goal to be “both an auto and a mobility company.”
Ford will continue to focus on its core business of making automobiles for the masses, but the new subsidiary will allow the company to devote resources to “emerging opportunities.” More specifically, those opportunities are connectivity, autonomous vehicles, customer experience and data analytics. Ford Smart Mobility will be tasked with further development of the SYNC infotainment system, the GoPark and GoDrive parking and car-sharing services and the FordPass transportation hub.
The Smart Mobility arm will also oversee Ford’s autonomous car efforts in Arizona, California and Michigan. In fact, the company claims that it will have “the largest fleet” of the self-driving vehicles of any manufacturer this year. The mobility initiative will also conduct research and data analysis to better predict the needs and wants of Ford’s customer base.
“Ford Smart Mobility and expanding into mobility services are significant growth opportunities,” said Ford CEO Mark Fields. “Our plan is to quickly become part of the growing transportation services market, which already accounts for $5.4 trillion in annual revenue.”
We just hope Ford actually makes this electric unicycle.
Source: Ford (Business Wire)
We’re live at SXSW Interactive 2016!
Hello Austin! Once again SXSW — the weird and wonderful show for interactive digital technology — is upon us, and Engadget’s here in full force to bring you the best bits as they happen. Unlike other shows that offer the latest phones, TVs or games, SXSW is all about the big ideas, the slightly crazy ideas, and hottest topics in tech. Expect innovative uses for VR, off-beat music installations, buckets of BBQ, and even a visit from the President. We’ll be covering it all (minus, perhaps, the BBQ), and you can follow along right here on Engadget. If you want to make sure you don’t miss a thing, then you can closely follow all our coverage here, or get the highlights (and behind the scenes fun) via Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat.
HP’s 15-inch Spectre x360: Come for the screen, stay for the battery life
Before there was a Surface Book, there was the Spectre x360. Though the laptop is sold by HP and has HP’s name on it, it was designed in close collaboration with Microsoft, which had input on everything from the touchpad to the WiFi radio. The result was a beautiful, well-performing machine with one clean Windows build — and it gave us an early glimpse at what Microsoft could accomplish when it set about designing a laptop. The 13-inch x360 was one of our favorite laptops of 2015, and now HP is back with a larger model. The 15-inch version ($1,150 and up) promises to be everything its little brother was, complete with a 360-degree touchscreen and the same unibody aluminum design. Except, you know, it offers more screen real estate, along with a higher-res 4K option. And with it weighing in at four pounds, you’ll be hard-pressed to find something this size that’s this thin and light.
Hardware
True to its name, the 15-inch Spectre x360 is a bigger version of the 13-inch model that we tested last year. Like the smaller edition, it has a beautiful machined aluminum body with rounded corners, blunt edges and a 360-degree lie-flat hinge that makes the machine look equally thin regardless of whether it’s in clamshell or tablet mode. The keys are also made of metal and are as well spaced as you’d expect on a machine with this large a footprint. Though the buttons look shallow for a laptop this size, in practice they’re comfortable to type on, not to mention quiet. To match, there’s an extra-wide, single-button trackpad that gave me ample space to move around but could be a little flaky, even with single-finger tracking. Hopefully HP can fix that through a firmware update.
What you might not expect, though, is how light the thing is. Typically I dread reviewing 15-inch machines because I know they’ll weigh down my bag and take up a lot of space on my desk. I can’t do much about the larger footprint in this case, but at 4.05 pounds, it’s definitely easier to tote around than other 15-inch systems. The x360 is also thinner than I would have guessed, at 0.63 inches thick. That won’t save me space on my desk, but it at least makes it that much easier to hold the machine in hand.
Though the 15-inch model has a bigger footprint, it barely offers more ports along its edges. Like its smaller stablemate, it includes three USB 3.0 connections, a Mini DisplayPort, an HDMI socket, an SD card reader, a headphone jack and a volume rocker, for use in tablet mode. The only other thing you’ll get here is a smaller USB Type-C port — an important addition, considering how ubiquitous the standard is getting. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if HP added it on the 13-inch edition too.
Display and sound
One of the main things separating the 15-inch Spectre x360 from the 13-inch version is its optional 3,840 x 2,160 display. Unfortunately, the unit I tested had a lower-res 1,920 x 1,080 panel, so we’re going to have to trust that the 4K display is as sharp and pixel-dense as the 4K displays on every other 15-inch laptop. (I believe it is.) The real shame there is that I would have liked to know how the battery fares when forced to light up those extra pixels, though I can at least attest to the machine having good runtime at 1080p (more on that later).
Even with that lower resolution, I still enjoyed looking at the display. Setting aside the fact that 1080p is actually gentle on my not-so-good eyes, the colors are pleasant and the IPS panel allowed for wide enough viewing angles that I could spend hours working next to a window on a sunny day. Is it the sharpest, most color-accurate laptop screen money can buy? Hardly. But your eyestrain will be kept to a minimum, and, if you’re like me, you’ll enjoy the extra screen real estate when you’re working in a spreadsheet or jumping among a dozen browser tabs.
Apple’s acquisition of Beats meant HP had to team up with a new audio company to power its speakers. It landed on Bang & Olufsen, which previously provided its know-how to other PC makers like ASUS. I’d say that although HP didn’t necessarily plan on parting ways with Beats, it definitely traded up. The sound coming out of the grilles on either side of the keyboard is balanced and not too bass heavy.
Performance and battery life
| HP Spectre x360, 15-inch (2.4GHz Core i5-6200U, Intel HD 520) | 5,040 | 3,458 | E2,672 / P1,526 / X420 | 3,542 | 561 MB/s / 284 MB/s |
| Razer Blade Stealth (2.5GHz Intel Core i7-6500U, Intel HD 520) | 5,131 | 3,445 | E2,788 / P1,599 / X426 | 3,442 | 1.5 GB/s / 307 MB/s |
| Toshiba Radius 12 (2.5GHz Intel Core i7-6500U, Intel HD 520) | 5,458 | 3,684 | E2,865 / P1,622 | 3,605 | 552 MB/s / 489 MB/s |
| HP Spectre x2 (1.2GHz Core M7-6Y75, Intel HD 515) | 3,395 | 3,307 |
E1,884 / P1,148 / X331 |
2,737 | 554 MB/s / 281 MB/s |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (2.4GHz Core i5-6300U, Intel HD 520) | 5,403 | 3,602 |
E2,697/ P1,556/ X422 |
3,614 | 1.6 GB/s / 529 MB/s |
| Lenovo Yoga 900 (2.5GHz Core i7-6500U, Intel HD 520) | 5,368 | 3,448 |
E2,707 / P1,581 |
3,161 | 556 MB/s / 511 MB/s |
| Microsoft Surface Book (2.4GHz Core i5-6300U, Intel HD 520) | 5,412 | 3,610 |
E2,758 / P1,578 / X429 |
3,623 | 1.6 GB/s / 571 MB/s |
| Microsoft Surface Book (2.6GHz Core i7-6600U, 1GB NVIDIA GeForce graphics) | 5,740 | 3,850 |
E4,122 / P2,696 |
6,191 | 1.55 GB/s / 608 MB/s |
For the purposes of this review, I tested the entry-level $1,150 model, which has a dual-core 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-6200U processor, 8GB of RAM, integrated Intel 520 graphics and a 256GB solid-state drive. You’ll find similar specs in many smaller PCs, including Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 and some lower-end Surface Book configurations, among others. And it performs about the same too, both in benchmarks and in real-world use. Unlike competing notebooks, though, the x360 comes with a near-blank Windows 10 install, with little bloatware in sight. Just shortcuts to Netflix, Snapfish and a handful of HP-made programs, like HP ePrint. Not bad at all.
In my time with the x360, I treated it as a work-and-play machine, which means I was typically juggling nine pinned tabs in Chrome (plus lots of open ones), Slack, Spotify and intermittent file downloads. The machine boots into the desktop in 11 seconds, which is on par with other modern laptops. The Lite-On-made SSD can read data with the best of them too, notching average max speeds of 561 megabytes per second. That said, you’d absolutely get faster writes if this were a PCIe-based drive, specifically.
Aside from sheer processing power, I was impressed by the Intel-made 2×2 802.11ac wireless radio. I enjoyed a reliable connection even on what should have been slow, spotty networks. During jury duty, for instance, I had no problems on the public WiFi network that hundreds of other people were using — and that people around me were complaining about. I managed to get online anyway.
Throughout, the laptop stayed cool. I should know: While serving jury duty, I spent my days with the machine on my lap getting work done. I may have lost my patience, but my legs at least avoided any contact burns.
Battery life
HP Spectre x360 (15-inch, early 2016)
10:17
Surface Book (Core i5, integrated graphics)
13:54 / 3:20 (tablet only)
MacBook Air (13-inch, 2013)
12:51
HP Spectre x360 (13-inch, 2015)
11:34
Surface Book (Core i7, discrete graphics)
11:31 / 3:02 (tablet only)
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display (13-inch, 2015)
11:23
iPad Pro
10:47
Chromebook Pixel (2015)
10:01
Lenovo Yoga 900
9:36
Microsoft Surface 3
9:11
Apple MacBook (2015)
7:47
Dell XPS 13 (2015)
7:36
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
7:15
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
7:08
HP Spectre x2
6:43
Razer Blade Stealth
5:48
Toshiba Radius 12
5:12
HP says the machine’s 64.5Wh battery should run for up to nine and a half hours on a charge. I can’t speak for the 4K edition, but the lower-res 1080p model I tested actually beat that estimate, lasting exactly 10 hours and 17 minutes before giving up the ghost. Mind you, that was with an HD video looping, WiFi on and the brightness fixed at 65 percent. With a less taxing workload, you might be able to eke out even more runtime. Even as is, though, 10-plus hours is more than respectable for a modern laptop, though it must be said that the 13-inch version we tested a year ago lasted even longer.
As a bonus, when you do need the charger here, it takes up remarkably little space — it’s just a small, lightweight cube. Anyway, that’s not a dealmaker by any means but something to consider if you’re worried about the weight and footprint of a 15-inch machine; the space you’d save with a 13-inch laptop might be offset somewhat by its bulkier power brick.
Configuration options and the competition
The 15-inch x360 starts at $1,150 with a 2.3GHz dual-core Core i5-6200U processor, integrated Intel HD 520 graphics, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB solid-state drive and a 1080p display. From there, you can get 16GB of RAM ($80), upgrade to a 4K screen ($60) or double the storage capacity to 256GB ($200). There are other processor options too, including Core i7-6500U ($60) and Core i7-6560U ($200), the latter of which includes beefier Intel Iris graphics. If you care, that in-between Core i7-6500U chip can be configured with either 8GB or 16GB of RAM while the higher-end 6560U processor is 16GB only. All told, assuming you went with all the upgrade options I just ticked off, the price would be $1,690 before tax.
If you’re shopping around, the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro is an obvious competitor here, in that it’s also a slim, lightweight 15-inch machine with a high-res screen (2,880 x 1,800 in this case). Incidentally, it’s actually thicker and heavier than the x360 (4.49 pounds and 0.71 inches thick), and that’s without a 360-degree hinge or touchscreen weighing it down. For that starting price of $1,999, though, you get some admittedly more powerful components, including a quad-core Core i7 processor and Intel Iris graphics, with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of solid-state storage standard. From there, you can add a discrete AMD GPU or a faster CPU, but even on the base model the trade-off is clear: Though it’s heavier and more expensive than the x360 and isn’t as versatile as a convertible, you get more-robust performance in return. Your call on what’s most important.
Back in the world of Windows PCs, there aren’t that many laptops that directly compete with the 15-inch Spectre x360, but I can think of at least two that might fit the bill. The first is the Dell XPS 15, which also has a 15-inch, 4K-optional display and starts at a similar 3.9 pounds. (With a tapered design that runs between 0.45 and 0.66 inches thick, it’s also thinner at points, too.) Though it starts at $1,000, the specs you get for that price don’t compete at all with the Spectre x360 we’re looking at today. The base model includes a Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, a non-touch 1080p screen and a 500GB hybrid hard drive.
But say you just wanted a touchscreen. The cheapest touch-enabled model on offer starts at $1,999 and also entails a big step up in specs, including a 4K screen, a quad-core Core i7 processor, 16GB of memory and a 2GB NVIDIA GTX 960M GPU. Basically, then, there’s no in-between option, where you can get a Core i5 processor, or a touchscreen, with a lower resolution. With the XPS 15, Dell makes up-sells almost unavoidable; the specs you’re likely to pick are more in line with a souped-up MacBook Pro. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s no doubt more money than some of you were planning on spending.
Last, there’s Microsoft’s Surface Book ($1,499 and up), though that’s a less perfect comparison, mostly because it has a smaller 13.5-inch screen, not a 15-inch one. That said, its high-res, 3,000 x 2,000 display and slim, versatile design (it’s a detachable tablet) make it a possible contender. As do its specs: Certain high-end configurations have a discrete NVIDIA GPU in the detachable keyboard portion, allowing for likely stronger performance than what the Spectre x360 is currently capable of.
As a warning, some early units were plagued by hardware and software issues, but Microsoft claims to have addressed them through a series of firmware updates. It’s likely, then, that early adopters got the shortest end of the stick, but it’s worth considering anyway before plunking down all that money.
Wrap-up
The 15-inch Spectre x360 is a bigger, but not necessarily more powerful, version of the original that came out last year. The main benefit is extra screen real estate and, if your budget allows, the optional 4K resolution. Even at its best, though, the 15-inch x360 has similar specs to many 13-inch notebooks; that extra heft doesn’t translate to extra processing clout or longer battery life. If all you want is a bigger screen that’s easier on the eyes while you’re working for long stretches, the 15-inch x360 is well-constructed and compact for its size.
Personally, that’s not what I’m looking for in a laptop, but I’m sure there are people out there who are in the market for a bigger-screened thin-and-light. (If it helps, Dell says the XPS 15 is outselling the XPS 13, so I know for sure that that’s the case.) If, however, you need some performance muscle to match your higher-res screen, you’ll need to pay more for a machine with meatier specs, like the Dell XPS 15 or the MacBook Pro. It all depends on your priorities.
Amazon working on an education platform for course materials
Following in the footsteps of Apple and Google, Amazon’s another tech company with sights set on education. As TechCrunch reports, earlier this month the e-commerce giant quietly opened the floodgates to its Amazon Education Wait List, which encourages educators to sign up for more information about an upcoming “revolutionary” platform. “The future of education is open,” reads the landing page for Amazon’s new venture.
The message goes on to say, “Someday soon, educators everywhere will have free and unlimited access to first-class course materials from a revolutionary platform.” Right now, there aren’t many details beyond that, but Amazon is said to be planning to let educators upload, manage and share education materials through the service, according to TechCrunch.
We reached out to Amazon and will update this story if we learn more details regarding the program.
Source: Amazon Education Wait List, TechCrunch
Latest Alien Blue Update Gifts Pro Users With Four Years of Reddit Gold
Reddit has released a new version of Alien Blue this week that gifts pre-existing Pro users with a four-year Reddit Gold subscription for free. The one-time gift can be redeemed through a pop-up menu in Alien Blue version 2.9.10.
Alien Blue is the most popular Reddit app for iPhone and iPad, developed by Jase Morrissey and acquired by Reddit in October 2014. The universal iOS app is free on the App Store, and a Pro tier was previously offered as a $1.99 in-app purchase.
However, Reddit has since decided to focus its efforts on developing an official Reddit for iOS app, and Alien Blue will be removed from the App Store once the new app is released. Reddit for iOS is currently in closed beta testing.
Alien Blue will remain accessible by users that already downloaded the app, but Pro features will likely require a Gold subscription going forward. Reddit’s free four-year Gold subscription should help bridge the transition for existing Pro users.
Reddit Gold is a membership program that provides perks such as turning off ads, custom themes, custom avatars, new comment highlighting, subreddit filtering, saved posts and comments categorization, and more. Reddit Gold is $3.99/month or $29.99/year.
Alien Blue [Direct Link] remains available for free on the App Store in the short term.
Tags: Alien Blue, Reddit
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Use Samsung’s Smart Switch to quickly set up your Galaxy S7 – CNET
Enlarge Image
Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
Getting a new phone is always an exciting time. Then the realization sets in that you have to figure out how to get information from your old phone to the new one.
For the most part, a lot of the stuff we rely on is synced through various cloud services such as Google or Apple’s iCloud and the transfer process is as simple as signing in on your new device.
But what about the stuff you don’t sync, like SMS conversations? Or what if you’re switching from iOS to the new Galaxy S7? Enter Samsung’s Smart Switch app.
Smart Switch is built into Samsung’s Galaxy devices, and you’ll also find a USB adapter included in the box with your phone. Don’t lose it! That seemingly useless piece of plastic is the magical part of Smart Switch.
During the initial setup of a Galaxy S7 you’re asked if you want to use Smart Switch to speed up the setup process. If selected, you’ll need to have your old device along with the USB cable it requires (USB for an older Galaxy, Lightning for an iOS device).
If you don’t have the time or access to both devices right away, you can always launch the Smart Switch feature on your new Galaxy S7 in Settings in the Backup and reset section.

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Jason Cipriani/CNET
Plug the adapter into the bottom of your new device, connecting the cable to your old phone. USB transfer works with older Galaxy devices running Android 4.3 and up, iOS 5 or above, and BlackBerry OS 7 devices or lower. Users of non-Galaxy Android devices can download the Smart Switch app which facilitates the transfer process without a USB cable.
Your new Galaxy device will recognize the device connected to it and walk you through the process. For example, iOS users will need to trust the computer (or in this case, a phone) after connecting the two devices. Another important titbit for iOS users to consider: If you encrypt your iTunes device backups, you’ll need to disable that option before you make the transfer.

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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
After a few minutes of your Galaxy device gathering information, you’ll be presented with a list of items the app has found to transfer from your old device. Pick and choose what you want to move over, and then start the transfer.
It’s important to leave the two devices connected until you’re alerted that the transfer has completed. It took me around 30 minutes to transfer around 2GB of data, so go for a walk, grab your beverage of choice and hang out.
Alternatively, Samsung offers PC and Mac apps to help facilitate the transfer process. You can download the computer software here.



