The best Android tablets

These are the best Android tablets you can buy right now. We’ve got them side-by-side for a quick and easy comparison.

You’re on the hunt for the best Android tablet out there, and we’re going to help you out. Whether you’re looking for something slim and compact, or a big-screen beauty bordering on laptop replacement, we’re rounding up the best of the best.

The diversity of the Android ecosystem means there is likely something to suit everyone. Large tablets, small tablets, those that don’t cost so much, those that are the bleeding edge. Whatever it is you’re looking for this little list is what we consider to be the cream of the crop.

Update: For April 2016 there’s a new order to the list which sees a new incumbent sitting atop the tree.

NVIDIA Shield Tablet K1

Pros

• Powerful internals
• Near stock software
• Great for gamers

Cons

• No charger included
• Gaming experience requires extra spend to get the best out of it

The Shield Tablet is a gaming powerhouse featuring NVIDIA’s cutting edge 2.2 GHz Tegra K1 processor. Forward-facing stereo speakers offer quality sound, and the now optional stylus opens up helpful functionality for day-to-day usage. But the Shield Tablet’s software is what really sets it apart. Built right into the notification tray, for example, is the ability to stream what’s on your screen to Twitch. Remote access software combined with the optional hardware gamepad allow you to play games that are running on your PC.

Alternatively, the Geforce Now cloud gaming service lets you do the same with games and computers hosted by NVIDIA. The Shield Tablet K1 recently received a mild refresh over the original, changing the exterior styling a little but more importantly reducing the price by $100. You no longer get a charger or the stylus included in the box, but the savings do give you enough extra cash to pick up the cover and controller. Which you really want if you’re going to use the Shield to its fullest.

Even for those that aren’t hardcore gamers, the NVIDIA Shield Tablet is a powerful tablet and offers excellent value for the price. And the recent update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow is excellent, and the Shield Tablet K1 is now the best Android tablet you can buy.

NVIDIA Sheild Tablet K1

• Shield Tablet K1 hands-on
• Original Shield Tablet review
• Latest news
• Shield Tablet K1 specs
• Forums discussion

Newegg NVIDIA Amazon BestBuy

HTC Nexus 9

Pros

• Can be had for a great price
• Latest software updates first
• 4:3 aspect ratio is much better for portrait use

Cons

• Soft back gets messed up easily
• Some construction issues, inc. light bleed

Google partnered with HTC to deliver the Nexus 9 tablet as a spearhead for the Android Lollipop release. As it stands, the Nexus 9’s blazing 64-bit 2.3 GHz processor and direct affiliation with Google provide it with a healthy degree of future-proofing, despite the fact it’s over a year old. The Nexus 9 shuns the 16:9 form factor favored by so many Android tablets and instead goes for a more portrait friendly 4:3 with a 2048 x 1536 resolution display. So it’s much nicer to hold in either orientation.

The back of the Nexus 9 has a soft touch coating available in a few different colors, but what’s great about it right now is that you can find it for some bargain prices. Deals are frequent and since it’s a Nexus you’re getting the latest software, usually before everyone else. If you want to get some work done with the Nexus 9, there’s an optional keyboard cover for it, too. For the nerds out there who like to be on the bleeding edge (or more so, developers), the Nexus 9 is one of the early devices with access to the Android N preview. But think twice before putting it on a daily driver.

For Android enthusiasts, the Nexus 9 is an easy pick. But if you just want a big tablet, running Android and don’t want to spend the earth, check it out.

Google Nexus 9

• Read our review
• Get the latest news
• Nexus 9 specs
• Join the discussion
• Shop for accessories

Google Store Amazon Best Buy T-Mobile

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 brings together some of the best components available. As usual, Samsung delivers a high-quality display, and manages to do it in a particularly slim package. To top it all off, it’s got the processing power to handle just about anything you could throw at it.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is available in two sizes, 8 inches and 9.7 inches, each only 5.6 mm thin. The display resolution comes in at 2048 x 1536, which is more than enough for enjoying HD movies or 3D games. Inside you’ll find a 1.9 GHz processor and 3GB of RAM. An 8 megapixel camera sits on the back, and the home button doubles as a fingerprint scanner. The Galaxy Tab S2 ticks all of the boxes on hardware and while Samsung’s software still divides opinion, it’s packed with useful features.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2

• Read our Galaxy Tab S2 review
• Galaxy Tab S2 specs
• The latest Tab S2 news
• Join the forum discussion!

9.7-inch model:

Amazon Samsung Best Buy

8-inch model:

Amazon Samsung Best Buy

Google Pixel C

Pros

• Beautiful display
• Excellent build quality
• Updated software and patches

Cons

• It’s a bit large and heavy
• Software isn’t optimized for keyboards
• Apps aren’t optimized for keyboards

There’s a lot to like about the Pixel C. It’s got a gorgeous, high-resolution, 10-inch display. It’s got great built quality with anodized aluminum. And it’s got a couple keyboard options that are really good until they aren’t, either because of connection issues or the fact that the aluminum keyboard cover can scratch the hell out of the display.

Then there’s the fact that the Android operating system isn’t anymore prepared for hardware keyboards than it was before the Pixel C was released. That, and too many applications either don’t work at all in the horizontal landscape orientation, or they work poorly.

There’s a lot of potential in the Pixel C, and some of that is starting to poke its head through with the Android N developer preview. Oh, yes, the Pixel C is one of the other early devices included in the first look at the next version of Android. If you want a reliable experience, think twice about installing this, but it’s a tantalizing glimpse at what the Pixel C will really be able to do.

Pixel C

• Read our complete review
• Check out the latest Pixel C news
• First things to know about the Pixel C
• These are the Pixel C keyboards
• Google’s newest tablet: the Pixel C
• Pixel C specs
• Join our Pixel C forum

Google Store

Dell Venue 10 7000

Pros

• Superb keyboard turns the tablet into an Android laptop
• Gorgeous display
• Premium design and build quality

Cons

• Quite expensive
• Keyboard isn’t included
• Unusual form factor won’t be for everyone

The Venue 10 7000 continues Dell’s successful dive into the world of Android tablets. The company is using some of its PC design tools and putting them onto Android tablets, and that’s a good thing for everyone. The Venue 10 7000 earns high marks in particular for its great keyboard accessory. Typing is a pure joy on it, as it is on many Dell laptops. The Venue 10 7000 has a sturdy construction and an excellent 10.5-inch 2560 x 1600 display.

The Intel 2.3 GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM can handle most things you’ll throw at it in the course of a day. Variants with 16GB and 32GB of storage are available, and though you can pick up the tablet on its own, we really suggest grabbing the keyboard dock while you’re at it. It’s what sets it apart from the crowd.

Read more | Review | Accessories

Buy at Amazon

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet

Pros

• Incredibly thin and light
• Waterproof
• Great looking display

Cons

• Quite expensive
• Fair amount of pre-loaded bloat
• Quite plain looking

The Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet continues the company’s design trend of squeezing high-end components into an absurdly slim form factor. The Xperia Z4 Tablet is so slim and light for something of this size you’d be forgiven for thinking it was just an empty shell.

The 10.1-inch display has a 2560 x 1600 resolution, and is powered by a 2 GHz octa-core processor with 3GB of RAM. The rear camera has an 8 megapixel sensor, while the front wide-angle unit is 5.1 megapixels. Sony pre-loads some useful apps, including now the Microsoft Office suite, and some not so useful, but most is removable. Sony’s take on Android has improved over the years and is nowadays a pleasurable thing to use.

An added bonus for gamers is the PS4 remote play capabilities built into new Xperia devices along with Sony’s own software solution to allow livestreaming to both Twitch and YouTube.

Read more | Review | Accessories

Buy at Amazon

Grab Kmashi’s 20000mAh Quick Charge 2.0 power bank for $20 at Amazon with coupon

Right now you can grab Kmashi’s 20000mAh power bank for $20 at Amazon with coupon code 3Z9KLROS, a savings of $13. The power bank is Quick Charge 2.0 compliant, so you’ll be able to charge your phone fast while on the go. The ultra-slim design keeps it at just over half an inch thin, and the built-in LED flashlight can come in handy during an emergency situation.

If you find yourself wishing you had some more power to get through the day, you’ll want to grab one or two of these to keep around. Remember, you will need coupon code 3Z9KLROS for full savings.

See at Amazon

Nexus 5X vs. iPhone SE: Battle of the upper middle class

They may be pretty different, but that’s the point.

The mid-range often is the hardest aspect of the smartphone market to talk about. It’s neither the filet nor the stew; it fits comfortably in the middle, attempting to convince its potential buyers that good enough is good enough.

Increasingly, though, the commodification of the components inside popular smartphones have enabled price drops relative to performance that benefit millions of potential customers who don’t want the latest and greatest. That is, it’s cheaper and easier than ever to cram pretty good spec into a “mid-range” phone, at a price that’s easier to swallow.

In the Nexus 5X and iPhone SE, two very different phones from manufacturers that, for these phones approached industrial design from opposite ends of the spectrum, LG and Apple emerge with phones around the same price.

While the Nexus 5X, at $349, is $50 cheaper than the $399 iPhone SE, these are representative of the best and likely purest forms of their respective platforms’ middle. While many Android users are unlikely to consider the iPhone SE, it’s a good idea to look at what the other team is doing to shine a light on the home team’s performance.

Hardware

The Nexus 5X is ostensibly the successor to the popular Nexus 5, which was released shortly after the iPhone 5s in 2013. While 2014’s Motorola Nexus 6 was a hulking beast of a phone, the cry for something smaller was heard by Google. And this is what we got in late 2015.

Few would argue that the plastic Nexus 5X feels as premium a phone next to the metal-and-glass finish of the iPhone SE, but it does the job. Like its predecessor, the 5X incorporates a comfortable rubberized plastic on the back and sides, though the seams are quite visible along the outer bezel, where the front and back portions meet.

These two phones are representative of the best and likely purest forms of their respective platforms’ middle.

In the hand, the 5.2-inch Nexus 5X feels relatively compact, though taller than some others with the same screen size. The power button is located on the right side, just above the non-delineated volume rocker, a divisive choice among eyes-free purists (like myself).

On the back, just below the 12MP camera sensor with its gently sloping lens, is the fingerprint sensor, primed for users removing the phone from their pockets and unlocking in one fell swoop. The main disadvantage of the back-facing Nexus Imprint sensor, as it is called, is that it can’t be activated until the phone is held in the hand — a small consequence for a sensor that excels in every other way. It even activates when the screen is turned off.

Around front, the 1080p display is fine. It’s not great, and we’ve certainly seen better LCD panels from companies like HTC and even LG itself (which makes its own displays), but it does the job. Colors are slightly off, though only noticeable when compared to a higher-fidelity panel, and maximum brightness doesn’t come close to that of the Nexus 6P, which is admittedly 50 percent more expensive.

The Nexus 5X is plasticky but never flimsy; LG could have done a better job hiding the seams in the two pieces where they meet on the bezel, but otherwise I have little to complain about.

The iPhone SE, on the other hand, is comparatively compact. While its screen is a tiny 4 inches, its overall form factor is dwarfed by just about every other smartphone on the market, including the Nexus 5X. Indeed, the iPhone SE’s design is unchanged from the iPhone 5s, which was a derivative of the iPhone 5 design unveiled in 2012.

For fans of the dual-toned metal look, the iPhone SE, available in four colors, will be a welcome addition to the smartphone canon. At $399, however, it is mainly about what you find in the inside that helps it stand out from the crowd.

The iPhone SE’s design is a known quantity at this point: aluminum body with a power button on the top right and delineated volume buttons on the left side. A 12MP rear camera sensor lacks the bump of its iPhone 6 counterparts, owing to a slightly thicker body. Around front, the first-generation Touch ID sensor still sits, as it always had, below the Retina Display, which at this point is inexcusably low quality for a smartphone released in 2016. While the LCD panel’s qualities are sound — excellent color reproduction (better than the Nexus 5X’s, actually), viewing angles and maximum brightness — the 1136 x 640 pixel resolution doesn’t do iOS any favors. At 326 pixels per inch, the iPhone SE’s pixel density is still higher than, say, the $180 third-gen Moto G, but is bested by practically every 1080p device on the market.

The iPhone SE’s design is a known quantity at this point

For some buyers, the dearth of pixels means fewer for the iPhone SE’s A9 system-on-a-chip to push and better performance; for others, it’s an inexcusably low resolution. Where you fit will depend on how steadfastly you subscribe to the “specs as a feature” narrative. Apple thinks 326 pixels per inch is sufficient for most people; most Android OEMs have used that stubbornness to their advantage.

Specs

Operating System	Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow	iOS 9.3
Display	5.2 inchesFHD (1920×1080) LCD at 423 ppi	4 inches 1136×640 LCD at 326 ppi
Processors	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Processor, 1.8GHz hexa-core 64-bitAdreno 418 GPU	Apple A9 SoC, 1.85GHz dual-core 64-bit
Rear Camera	12.3MP1.55 μm pixels, f/2.0 aperture4K video capture @ 30fps 120 fps slow motion video captureBroad-spectrum CRI-90 dual flash	12MP 1.22μm pixels, f/2.2 aperture4K video capture @ 30fps 240fps slow motion video capture Live Photos support
Front Camera	5MPf/2.2 aperture	1.2MP f/2.4 aperture
Memory & Storage	RAM: 2GB LPDDR3Internal storage: 16GB or 32GB	RAM: 2GB Internal storage: 16GB or 64GB
Dimensions	147.0 x 72.6 x 7.9 mm	123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm
Weight	136g	113g
Battery	2,700 mAh	1,624 mAh

As for specs, the iPhone SE and Nexus 5X differ in their approaches. The former takes a few parts of the larger and more expensive iPhone 6s — the processor, the RAM, the rear camera — and maintains almost everything else from the iPhone 5s. The Nexus 5X is both an aesthetic successor to the Nexus 5 and a conscious step down from the imposing metal-and-glass Nexus 6P. Not only is the 5X a less intimidating device, but it feels less precious than anything made of metal; toss it around, scratch it, and use it until it dies. It feels like the quintessential phone-as-utility.

That compromise extends to the spec sheet as well. With a 5.2-inch 1080p display, a Snapdragon 808 chip, 2GB of RAM, a base storage size of 16GB, and a 2,700mAh battery, it’s clear where LG cut some corners to bring the price down to $349. Only the 12.3MP rear camera is shared with its Huawei-made sibling, but even there the 6P, with its more capable Snapdragon 810, manages more video options and a better front-facing camera.

It will be important for Google to address broader Nexus 5X performance issues in upcoming Android updates

For the most part, the Nexus 5X’s spec sheet is respectable; it shares many similarities to LG’s 2015 flagship, the G4. But many users, including our Android Central editorial team, decried the 5X’s poor performance. Andrew Martonik, AC’s West Coat editor, noted that “whether it was opening apps, scrolling heavy webpages or switching between different areas of the phone, everything seems to take a little longer than it should.” While it’s possible Google could fix these issues with a software update, they’ve had seven months to do so and haven’t solved the 5X’s performance issues. In my tests, the 5X felt speedy enough, capable of doing most things without significant slowdown, but it will be important for Google to address broader performance issues in upcoming Android updates, especially since the 5X comes with only 2GB of RAM, which in the past has been a bottleneck for many mid-range Android devices.

Turning to the iPhone SE, it benefits from having Apple’s latest A9 system-on-a-chip, which has been praised for its excellent single-core CPU performance and incredible graphics prowess. Indeed, the A9 is likely overkill for the iPhone SE’s needs at this point, but Apple likely wants to keep the phone in its lineup for up to three years, so aging well will be important. Similarly, the inclusion of 2GB of RAM is important to maintain the iPhone SE’s longevity. (Two gigabytes of RAM on Android is a very different story than on the less background task-intensive iOS. This isn’t a subjective thing, either, so don’t email me about it.)

In some ways, the iPhone SE doesn’t go far enough to address the need for an inexpensive iPhone in the market. Sure, it has the latest processor and camera, but it also maintains the same first-generation Touch ID sensor and vibration module of the 5s. It has the same 800:1 contrast screen, wherein its successors have almost doubled that stat. Its mono speaker is soft and muddy (though so is the 5X’s) and it retains the now-poor front-facing camera of the iPhone 5s.

Ultimately, there are sacrifices and compromises in both the iPhone SE and Nexus 5X. They may not be going head to head in terms of demographics, but they’re important representatives of what nearly the same amount of money gets in the iPhone and Android ecosystem today, removed from carrier subsidies and bloatware.

Speaking of bloatware …

Software

Both the Nexus 5X and iPhone SE run “pure” versions of their respective platforms. That the case has always been true of every iPhone isn’t really relevant; what you need to know here is that both devices are updated as quickly as possible directly from the companies responsible for their oversight.

On the Nexus 5X, this means always having the latest version of Android, unadorned with carrier changes or skins. It also means not having to wait for carriers to go through their often-arduous quality assurance (QA) testing, which often adds weeks or months to the upgrade cycle.

As for the software itself, it’s no longer possible to generalize (nor was it ever productive) the basic underpinnings of either Android or iOS. For too long, people said that Android was for tweakers and “power users” and iOS for those wanting something simpler and more minimal. While I’ll leave the pontificating for another time, suffice it to say you won’t be wanting for power, simplicity or minimalism with either platform; both are incredibly versatile, with powerful first-party apps and deep, diverse app stores.

What’s potentially interesting is where the two operating systems will soon diverge. We know that as of Android N, the Nexus 5X will gain split screen multitasking through an official API which, despite the smallish screen, will make for a considerably more interesting (and, as we’ve learned from Samsung and LG, potentially messy) user experience. It’s extremely unlikely that Apple will follow suit on the phone side of things; it added dual-app multitasking on the iPad with iOS 9.

Cameras

Both the Nexus 5X and iPhone SE sport 12-megapixel camera sensors, with sharp lenses and super-simple first-party camera apps.

When it was released, the Nexus 5X received accolades for its camera prowess, capturing sharp, color-accurate photos with little struggle from the user. I tend to agree with this assessment, finding most of the phone’s photos not just usable, but beautiful. Its 1/2.3-inch sensor and 1.55um pixels ensure superior low-light performance to nearly every smartphone on the market, even without the presence of optical image stabilization.

The iPhone SE, on the other hand, inherits the iPhone 6s’s 12MP camera, which turns out to be a very capable little camera. At 1/3″ and 1.22um pixels, the iPhone SE doesn’t hold up to the Nexus 5X in low-light scenarios, but the A9’s image signal processor tends to resolve colors more accurately than the 5X.

In reality, these two phones show extremely similar profiles, with the Nexus 5X exposing daylight scenes slightly darker than the iPhone. Photo after photo revealed subtle details, with little distortion and vibrant hues. And the 5X’s 5MP front-facing camera destroys the iPhone’s 1.2MP sensor in almost every condition.

Nexus 5X (left) / iPhone SE (right); click images to view larger

The iPhone SE does have a few feature advantages over the Nexus 5X. Apple saw fit to include Live Photos support — moving-picture previews — which some see as a gimmick, but I really enjoy. The iPhone SE also supports 240fps slow motion video at 720p, which is considerably more balanced and less jumpy than the Nexus 5X’s 120fps equivalent. To that end, the iPhone is overall a far superior video machine, both from a capture and editing perspective. While the 5X takes 4K video at 30fps, it doesn’t do so with panache.

The bottom line

As I said at the beginning, this comparison isn’t likely to sway an Android user to iPhone or vice versa; instead, it is meant to show what you get for around $350 to $400 these days from the companies that have a hand in both hardware and software.

The Nexus 5X, at $349, is an underrated choice for many people, despite its lingering performance issues. It’s fast, with a great camera and excellent battery life. What it lacks in beauty it makes up for in utility; this is a plastic phone that can take a beating.

The iPhone SE, at $399, is a far more confounding product in many ways. It bears resemblance to its larger, more substantial counterparts in some ways, but doesn’t go far enough in many others. Even if someone is after a small phone, they’re left asking why Apple decided to keep so many outdated aspects of the three year-old iPhone 5s.

On both the Android and iOS side, we’re in a good place right now. There is plenty of choice, and nearly every option offers an exceptional experience. Just beware of what you’re giving up by keeping the price down.

LG talks webOS 3.0 and Freeview Play updates: Roll-out starting in May

LG announced webOS 3.0 late in 2015 and showed off the new user interface for its TVs at CES 2016. Since then we’ve been awaiting details on the webOS 3.0 release date.

Talking today in London, LG demoed some of the new features coming to webOS 3.0, as well as fleshing out some of the details of how the company’s televisions will be updated.

In the UK, the update to webOS 3.0 will be coming hand-in-hand with the upgrade to Freeview Play, so the details are likely to be different for each territory. The new Freeview Play EPG will replace the current EPG, offering the rollback features Play offers. 

Visually, we’re yet to see exactly what LG is going to do with the EPG, but it was confirmed today that it’s going to look similar to the existing LG EPG, just adding in those additional scroll-back functions, but in future years, it’s likely to evolve.

However, as Freeview Play aims to offer a seamless experience between live broadcast Freeview channels and catch-up services, LG will be updating the line-up of catch-up apps on its televisions too to make them fully compatible. 

That will then mean that BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 and Demand 5 will all launch and play content when selected in the EPG. 

LG confirmed that the update to the apps will start in May 2016 and that the Freeview Play EPG update will be coming in summer 2016. Freeview Play and webOS 3.0 will then make up the new user interface for your TV.

WebOS 3.0 doesn’t change a huge amount visually over the previous 2.0 version, but one of the big changes is turning the launcher into one line of apps so you can just keep scrolling across to get to the app you want, rather than entering another menu.

There’s also the option to bookmark content you like in a “my content” section, so you’re only ever a swipe away from the programming you watch the most.

There will also be a new universal search to help you find content, although LG confirmed it was still working with content providers to get access to all the data. We’ve seen it serving up results from Wuaki TV and Netflix, for example, so it looks to rival the YouView search feature we love so much.

LG has said that it will confirm which TVs are due to be upgraded, but the shift to webOS 3.0 and to Freeview Play should make it easier to find and view content you really want to see.

READ: What is Freeview Play, when is it coming and how can I get it?

The line between sports and eSports continues to blur

The division between the activities you do outside with balls and those indoors with mice is narrowing by the day. Not content with invading the realm of traditional broadcasting, eSports is now getting its very own daily recap show that’ll mirror the format of ESPN’s SportsCenter. Machinima is launching Inside eSports, which will air seven days a week and show off news and analysis from the world of electronic gaming. Unlike ESPN’s offering, Inside eSports will be an online-only affair, which will broadcast on Go90, Verizon’s nascent video network. It’ll begin broadcasting in May, although you won’t see many commercials and advertising for it until June — presumably to give producers time to iron out any kinks.

Via: The Video Ink

Source: Variety

HTC Vive review: Truly immersive VR comes at a cost

The virtual reality wars have officially begun. Last week the consumer version of the Oculus Rift finally started shipping, and now HTC’s $800 Vive headset is ready to roll. It’s a collaboration between HTC and Valve, and it’s also a showcase for Valve’s SteamVR platform. In particular, the two companies are aiming for a more immersive VR experience: The Vive comes with motion controllers, and you can turn an entire room into a VR play field. More so than the Rift, the Vive shows us that interacting with virtual environments naturally is a key part of immersion. But unfortunately, you’ll have to deal with additional discomfort and a higher cost to achieve that.

Hardware

It’s worth checking out our Vive coverage over the years to see how far HTC has come. When we first saw it back at Mobile World Congress 13 months ago, it was a huge headset with insect-like sensors visible from the front and a mess of wires connecting it to a PC. Still, the VR experience was impressive enough to win us over. The Vive Pre, which debuted during CES, was even more refined, with a slightly smaller headset, better ergonomics and a cleaner overall look. The Pre, which started shipping to developers a few weeks ago, was also my first experience setting up VR at home. I came away mostly impressed, but I also hoped that HTC would streamline the consumer experience before it reached customers.

For the most part, the final version of the Vive is pretty similar to the Pre. They both have the same hardware under the hood, including two OLED displays running at 1,080 by 1,200 pixels each. Additionally, there are a slew of sensors in front and an integrated webcam. But HTC also made some useful ergonomic changes: The straps holding the Vive to your head feel a bit smoother and higher-quality than on the Pre. It’s a small change at first, but one that could be useful when wearing the headset for longer sessions.

While HTC has certainly made progress with the Vive’s design, it’s still a bit bulkier than I’d like. The headset is noticeably heavier than the Oculus Rift, and there are three long cables that have to rest on top of your head. And that doesn’t include the cable for headphones. Whereas Oculus went ahead and integrated headphones into the Rift, the Vive comes with a small pair of earbuds that you have to plug in manually. You can, of course, use your own headphones, but I wouldn’t want to wear large cans on top of the already-large Vive.

Whereas the Oculus Rift looks like a refined version of the insane getups we saw from VR researchers during the 90s, which were popularized by things like The Lawnmower Man or The Outer Limits, the Vive is more of a direct descendant. There’s a wonderfully geeky quality about it — wearing the Vive makes you look like some sort of H.R. Giger monstrosity — but that may also work directly against its appeal to normal users.

The Vive comes with two motion controllers which admittedly look large and unwieldy at first blush. But they’re actually fairly light and easy to hold. They’re dominated by a circular motion sensor on top, and feature a clickable touchpad; a trigger button that sits under your index fingers; and buttons around the grips. The controllers are contoured to fit into your hands fairly well, which is a good thing since you’ll be dual-wielding them quite a bit, and they charge over micro-USB. HTC also used a slightly rougher material around their grips this time. In contrast, the controllers for the Vive Pre are totally smooth, which could lead to gripping issues when your palms get sweaty.

Also included in the box are two base stations (more on those in the setup section below), and a link box that plugs into your PC and serves as the main connection point for the headset.

Setup

HTC says it should take around 30 minutes for you to set up the Vive, and I found that to be a pretty good estimate. Upon opening the box, you’re presented with all of the hardware nestled safely in individual compartments. Aside from a mini-poster which details everything that’s supposed to be in the box, there aren’t any instructions included. Instead, you’re directed to download HTC’s setup app, which walks you through the process of assembling everything.

For most people, the most difficult part will be installing the two base stations, which have to be placed high up and angled down on your play area. And yes, they also need to be connected to power. They’re what the Vive headset communicates with to determine your location in VR, so it’s important you find safe and stable spots for them to rest. I was able to secure them on top of bookcases in my office, but HTC also includes wall mounting equipment if you want something a bit more permanent. The stations also sport standard tripod mounts, which gives you a variety of ways to install them. (I also considered screwing them onto flexible camera mounts.)

With the base stations installed, the setup app asked me to make sure they were in the appropriate modes (something you can change by hitting a button behind them) and synced without an issue. If, for some reason, the sensors can’t see each other in your room, you can also connect manually with an extra-long cable that’s included in the box. But really, I’d recommend doing everything possible to have them work wirelessly. It’s also worth noting that the sensor boxes have fans and emit audible noise when they’re on. I installed them on power strips that I can turn off when I’m not using the Vive, but you might just want to unplug them to save energy.

I was directed to plug the Vive’s link box into a USB 3.0 port and an HDMI socket on my computer, and then plug in the cables from the headset into the other side of the link box. After that, I flipped on the two remotes and the setup app confirmed that all of my Vive hardware was in working order.

HTC’s setup program automatically downloaded the full Vive app on my computer and detected that I already had Steam installed. If you don’t (which would be surprising, given Steam’s PC gaming dominance over the past few years), it’ll download it for you.

Once all of the software was good to go, I was asked to choose between setting up the Vive for seated/standing use, or for whole-room VR (which requires at least 6.5 by 5 feet of free space). I went for the latter option, and was then directed to trace the boundaries of open space in my office using one of the remotes. I once again had a few issues getting the Vive to register that I had enough open space (the same problem occurred when I set up the Vive Pre), but after a bit of creative reorganization, it approved my office layout. Heads-up if you’re planning to turn a large room into a VR playground: HTC says that the base stations can only be separated by 16 feet at the most, but I’ve seen some developers demoing Vive setups in bigger spaces.

As with every VR headset, it’ll take you a while to figure out the best way to put on the Vive. I followed the same method I used for the Oculus Rift — putting it on carefully over my glasses first, and then following through with the rest of the head strap — and that generally worked pretty well. Adjusting the straps after you’ve put on the Vive is pretty simple. You can also tweak the pupillary distance (the space between your eyes) with a small dial on the bottom of the Vive, as well as the lens distance by pulling out and turning the circular strap holders on the sides of the headset. The Oculus Rift doesn’t let you change its lens distance at all; instead you have to swap out its foam lining to give glasses a bit more breathing room.

Of course, you’ll need a powerful PC to really take advantage of the HTC Vive. The company recommends a PC with at least an Intel Core i5 4590 (or equivalent) CPU, an NVIDIA GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 290 GPU, and 4GB of RAM. That’s pretty much what Oculus asks for as well. I tested the Vive on my home-built desktop PC, which is powered by an Intel Core i7 4790k CPU running at 4GHz, 16GB of 2400MHz DDR3 RAM and an R9 Fury X GPU on loan from AMD.

Software

As you probably expected, you’ll be using Steam quite a bit with the Vive, this being a SteamVR headset and all. If you’re a PC gamer, there’s not much new for you to learn. Steam can be a bit daunting to mainstream users, though; it’s certainly not as welcoming as the standalone Oculus app that the Rift relies on. HTC has also developed a Vive app to keep track of your VR library, but Steam is where you’ll actually discover and purchase titles.

Once you put the Vive on, you’re placed in a white room and presented with an interface that looks like a virtualized version of Steam’s Big Picture mode for TVs. It’s where you’ll be spending most of your time when not inside of a game or app. And as with just about every Vive experience, you’ll have to rely on a motion controller to navigate the interface.

From here you can also enable some of the more intriguing features HTC and Valve have built for the Vive. Desktop theater mode replicates your Windows desktop to let you follow up with IMs and email, or even launch non-VR games. It’s not quite as impressive as the third-party app “Virtual Desktop,” which wraps your desktop around resplendent virtual environments, but it’s useful since HTC is offering it for free. You can also turn on the Vive’s webcam and see what’s going on outside of your headset, which is great for keeping an eye on naughty pets that try to play with your VR headset cables. (I’m looking at you, cats.)

In use

When it comes to the idea of presence — wonk speak for how convincingly a VR experience can make you feel like you’re actually there — the Vive bets out the Oculus Rift in many ways. Its displays are a bit more detailed, its motion controllers are more engrossing than a mere Xbox One controller, and whole-room VR can be a life-changing experience. And yet, HTC still has some work to do before I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

When everything is working well, the Vive is the most convincing argument yet that virtual reality isn’t just hype and wishful thinking. It manages to convincingly place you in the center of virtual worlds and, thanks to the base stations, there isn’t much of a chance you’ll lose synchronization and have to suffer through choppy video. Performance was smooth overall on my computer, and I never felt any motion sickness. It doesn’t take long for the motion controllers to feel like a natural extension of your own hands. Most games don’t even have to tell you to reach out and grab objects: It simply becomes second nature.

I also appreciated the Vive’s Chaperone feature, which puts up virtual walls when you’re approaching the edge of your usable VR space. It saved me from bumping into my desk hard several times. You can also have the Vive’s webcam turn on you automatically give you an outline of what you almost bumped into.

But oh, that headset. Sure, it’s a more impressive piece of kit than the Rift, but boy is it heavy. And that’s a problem when you’ve got it strapped to your face for hours on end. I often have to tighten the Vive’s straps a bit more than the Rift to keep it stable, and that inevitably causes my face to start sweating after 30 minutes or so. After an hour, my neck usually starts to ache. While I could wear the Rift for an hour or more at a time, that’s not possible for me with the Vive in its current state.

Games and apps

HTC wisely bundled several solid titles with the Vive: Fantastic Contraption, a virtual puzzle game that involves building strange structures; Job Simulator, a hilarious game that has you perform repetitive jobs badly; and Google’s Tilt Brush, a 3D painting app that’s currently being used by the likes of Disney legend Glen Keane. They’re all great VR experiences in their own right, though they’re not conventional games like Lucky’s Tale and Eve: Valkyrie, which come with the Oculus Rift.

Valve has also prepped its own title, The Lab, which is probably the best way to show off the Vive’s potential. Set in Aperture Science, the research lab made famous by the Portal games, it’s basically a collection of VR mini games that takes advantage of the Vive’s ability to precisely track your movements and walk around virtual locations. One demo lets you explore scenic locations from around the world, while another has you destroying a warehouse by catapulting Aperture Science bots.

My favorite portion of The Lab, dubbed Longbow, has you defending a castle from invaders by mimicking bow and arrow movements. It takes a few minutes to get used to the game’s gestures, but it’s not long before you’re able to snipe baddies with headshots (and feel pretty badass in the process). Longbow is fairly simplistic, but it shows what you can accomplish when accurately tracking movement in 3D space.

The space simulator Elite Dangerous was a joy to use with the Vive. Perhaps it’s just the astronomy nerd in me, but at times it really felt like I was exploring distant galaxies and planets. While its VR support is new, its developers have been working on the game itself for years, and it shows. I’ve played Elite Dangerous on and off for the past year, but the Vive has given me an even more compelling reason to clock some more space time.

I also scratched my Mad Max itch with Hover Junkers, a game that has you riding atop a wide variety of vehicles in a post-apocalyptic wasteland while waging gun battles. Its shooting mechanics are spot-on, and it feels weirdly satisfying to learn how to reload guns with VR gestures. Refilling a six-shooter, for example, involves swiping counter-clockwise on the touchpad and then flicking the gun so the open chamber closes. While you could probably just view that sort of thing as a recipe for wrist injuries, it helps to sell the immersion of the game, which should be a priority for every VR experience.

And who doesn’t love abandoned parking lots with horrific monstrosities hunting you down in virtual reality? I got to live that horror fantasy with The Brookhaven Experiment, an addictive shooter that also happens to be the most terrifying VR experience I’ve had yet. It’s an exercise in minimal, yet effective gameplay: You’re standing in one spot and you can hear monsters walking towards you. All you have is a gun with a limited amount of ammunition and a flashlight. Go.

There’s no aiming reticule, so targeting the monsters feels akin to shooting a gun in real life. But thankfully, the Vive’s motion controller is pretty darn accurate when it comes to tracking your hand motions, so it’s not too long before your clear misses end up becoming headshots. I was only able to play a demo, but I’m eager to see what The Brookhaven Experiment’s developer, Phosphor Games, has cooked up for its release later this month.

The competition

So here’s the hard part. VR geeks who have the cash have a pretty tough decision to make: Splurge for the $800 Vive, go for the slightly cheaper $600 Oculus Rift or wait to see how the forthcoming PlayStation VR turns out. (It will cost $400 when it launches in October, but that won’t include accessories.) There’s no question that the Vive delivers the most immersive VR experience on the market, but its size and ergonomic flaws make it hard to truly appreciate its technical capabilities.

Basically, you have to ask yourself what’s most important to you. If you care more about comfort and being able to stay in VR for hours at a time, the Oculus Rift is your best option right now. If you want the best-looking and deepest VR experience right now, even if its not something you can wear for extended periods, then get the Vive.

After testing both headsets for the past few weeks, I’ll likely end up going back to the Oculus Rift more often. It’s the best balance of comfort and bleeding-edge VR immersion at the moment. And sure, you’re stuck with an Xbox One controller for now, but I’ve also demoed the Oculus Motion Controllers, and they’re not too shabby. They’ll probably cost another $100 or so, but at that point the Rift will at least be able to counter the Vive’s motion controls.

And if all of this sounds too confusing, just wait. Seriously. This is all first-generation hardware we’re dealing with, and next year’s sequels are bound to be far easier to wear and offer a higher quality VR experience. If you’ve got a Samsung phone, it’s worth investing in a $100 Gear VR to get a taste of what’s coming.

Wrap-up

The Vive is no doubt the geekiest thing I have in my home right now — and that’s saying something. It’s an impressive effort by HTC, which has had a rough few years in mobile, and Valve. It’s oh-so close to being the holy grail of VR experiences. It’s just too bad that ergonomics get in the way of truly enjoying it.

At the same time, I’m sure there’s a market for the Vive, even in its current incarnation. Hardware geeks are known for sacrificing their bodies for the glory of technology, and I’m sure they won’t have a problem with a few aches and pains for glorious, immersive VR.

You can watch ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ with BB-8

If you enjoyed Star Wars: The Force Awakens, April will likely bring more joy in the form of Blu-ray and streaming availability. Chances are that you’ll sit down with friends and family to watch Finn and Rey on your own big screen, but if you find yourself alone, you could also enjoy the action with one of the film’s stars. Thanks to a new app update from Sphero, the little BB-8 bot that first went on sale back in September will now watch and react to what’s happening on screen with sounds and movement.

To use the “Watch With Me” feature, you will need to give the app access to your smartphone or tablet’s microphone. Your device will do the heavy lifting, not BB-8 itself, listening for audio cues during the film to tell the droid what to do. Emotions fluctuate between excitement, fear and sadness, which at times mirror the film exactly (see below). The Sphero app will also tell you when other main characters come on screen, displaying prompts like “Resistance fighter detected: Han Solo”.

Given that the latest instalment in the Star Wars franchise is 135 minutes long, it’s probably best that you plug BB-8 into its little charging cradle (the app will recommend this also) and ensure that your device is in range. Then it’s a case of pressing play and watching your little your little robot buddy do its thing.

Via: Gizmodo

Ikea made a kitchen showroom in VR

Sometimes, a trip to Ikea can feel like an early glimpse at the apocalypse. The crowds, the screaming kids, it’s all a bit much. But oftentimes a visit is inevitable in order to see what a particular sofa, bed or coffee table looks like in real life. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get the same experience at home? Ikea has tried this before with augmented reality, and now it’s going a step further with virtual reality. Through Steam, the company has made an app for the HTC Vive which puts you in a make-believe kitchen.

There are three different room styles to choose from, and you can change the color of the cabinets and drawers using the Vive’s wand controllers. Of course, it’s unlikely that these limited options will match up with the exact kitchen you’re looking to buy. Ikea has stressed, however, that the app is merely an experiment as it explores “the possible implications of (virtual reality) for the home.” The company will, however, be making improvements to the app based on player feedback up until August, when the “pilot test” ends and the experience is presumably pulled from Steam.

Thanks to the Vive’s room-scale motion tracking, you can walk around and perform some basic tasks, such as opening drawers, recycling vegetables and placing a frying pan on the stove. These interactions pale in comparison to Job Simulator, but they should, at least a little, help you imagine what it would be like to have the kitchen in your home. Handily, you can also change the in-game perspective to imitate a small child or a 6.4 foot-tall adult. That way, you can check whether any of the door frames or counter tops would pose a danger to your friends and family.

Oh, and there’s also a teleport function. Just in case you were wondering what it would be like to make bacon and eggs as Nightcrawler.

Source: Ikea VR Experience (Steam)

Engadget giveaway: Win a trio of Nest products courtesy of Bitdefender!

With more internet-facing smart devices in homes than ever before, it’s wise to consider securing that digital portal. The Bitdefender Box connects to your home router, providing an easy-to-setup shield for all the data flowing through it. It scans for malware and adds a layer of protection to help keep your data and IoT devices safe from prying eyes. That security can also extend to your Mac, PC and mobile devices (iOS and Android) when you’re away from home by using Bitdefender’s Private Line feature. For a limited time, Box is available for just $99, which is half off its regular price and includes one year of the company’s subscription service. To help promote this deal, the company is providing one lucky reader with a Bitdefender Box and Nest’s lineup of IoT products including the Protect, Thermostat and Cam. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this smart and secure home combo!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

• Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
• Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
• Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) Nest Protect, one (1) Nest Thermostat (3rd gen), one (1) Nest Cam and one (1) Bitdefender Box.
• If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
• This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Engadget and AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
• The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
• Entries can be submitted until April 6th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!

T-Mobile Adds 16 New Binge On and Music Freedom Partners

T-Mobile announced today that its free unlimited music and video streaming programs Music Freedom and Binge On now support an additional sixteen services.

Binge On is a free incentive that enables T-Mobile customers on a qualifying Simple Choice plan to stream unlimited 480p video from dozens of partnered services, including Netflix, HBO NOW, Hulu, and YouTube, without any of the data consumed counting towards their plans. Music Freedom works the same way for streaming music services including Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, and Google Play Music.

The new Binge On partners include Dailymotion, EPIX, OVGuide, OWNZONES, Viki, YipTV, and 120 Sports, in addition to the three Viacom Networks channels Nickelodeon, Spike, and TV Land. Likewise, the new Music Freedom partners include Amazon Music, Chilltrax, ESPN Radio, OHIO.FM, PreDanz, and Uforia. All sixteen new services are free to stream on qualifying plans starting today.

Tags: T-Mobile, Music Freedom, Binge On
Discuss this article in our forums