Galaxy Note 7 vs. Note 5: Should power users upgrade?

Do you want (or need) the best and the fastest? It’s OK to be that way. If that’s you — and you’re holding a Note 5 in your hands — there are a couple of things to consider now that you’ve seen the Note 7.

By now you’ve seen all the coverage about the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. It looks pretty damn good and totally earns all the attention it’s getting. So good in fact, that they had to skip the 6 and go right to 7. It’s like going to 11 or something (Breaksclusive: Galaxy Note 11 confirmed!). Anyhoo, it does look really nice and I’ll stop trying to crack jokes now.

A question a lot of regular readers are going to have is if they should ditch their Note 5 and order a shiny new Note 7 as soon as they are able. And you can bet that we’re going to be taking a long look at the Note 7 so we can help you in that decision. Phones are expensive, and moving from one to another only to find you liked the old one better really sucks. But for a certain group of us — the folks who need the best computer in their pocket that they can buy — the decision is pretty easy. Provided the Note 7 doesn’t turn out to be a dud (unlikely) or do something stupid in the software (it won’t) the answer is easy and we already know it:

Yes. You should upgrade from the Note 5 to the Note 7. Here’s why.

• Better internals — The Note 7 has a Snapdragon 820 (in the US version) with 4GB of RAM. While it may or may not be as good as the current gen Exynos 8890, it’s easy to compare it to the Exynos 7420 that was used in the Note 5 (and Galaxy S6 / S6 edge). It’s better. I’m not knocking the Exynos 7420 at all — the newer generation should be better. Samsung has also done a really good job optimizing the interface with the Snapdragon 820, and just like the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, the Note 7 should fly. You could even take things up a notch and import one from the EU and get that Exynos 8890 if you want to go to 11. In any case, it’s going to be more optimized and generally run the tough stuff a little better than the Note 5.

Galaxy Note 7 specs

Galaxy Note 5 specs

• Software support — Your Note 5 probably has Android Marshmallow by now. The Note 7 ships with Android Marshmallow. Both phones are on the fast-track for security and performance updates. It sounds like a wash, right? But that will change in the near future. Your Note 5 has a good shot at getting Android 7, but it will never be supported past that and it’s going to be less of a priority to Samsung now that there is a new Note model. The Note 7 will get faster support for a longer time.

Everything you need to know about Android 7.0 Nougat

• The Note 7 has an SD card slot — Here we go. I’m not a big fan of SD cards (they have failed on me a few times and I hold a grudge) and I absolutely hated the way Android used them in the past. It was a mess for the average user when it comes to security, and those are the users who these phones are built for. Google apparently agrees, and things have gotten better on the security side. But this isn’t about me. This is about all the power users who needed more than 64GB. Now you can have your 64GB of internal storage and limitless removable storage for movies and music and videos and pictures and whatever else you have. And while Samsung still doesn’t like Android’s adoptable storage for the SD card, you can bet that the same people who figured out how to get it on the Galaxy S7 will get it on the Galaxy Note 7. Have your cake, eat it.

Adoptable storage explained

We fully expect the Note 7 to have a great display and a great camera, and everything else as far as connectivity and performance should be as good as the Galaxy S7. That means it will be as good or better than the Note 5 in every conceivable way. The improvements may be minuscule — the Note 5 was (and still is) a hell of a phone — but when you’re chasing the dragon that is “the best” when it comes to specs, every little thing matters.

The biggest deal, and why I think that people who are a fan of the Note series and a tech junkie, is the SD card. You complained loudly when Samsung snatched it away. They heard you and put it back. Go forth and fill it up — someone on Swappa will give your Note 5 a loving home.

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• Samsung Galaxy Note 7 hands-on preview
• The latest Galaxy Note 7 news!
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• Complete Galaxy Note 7 specs
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• Join the Note 7 discussion in the forums!

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The LG V20 is coming to Canada — with Android 7.0 Nougat

LG announced this week that the V20, its latest flagship and successor to the V10, will come to Canada. Moreover, it will be the first device to ship with Android 7.0 Nougat.

According to LG:

The LG V20 builds upon the premium and rich multimedia smartphone experience of last year’s LG V10. It will be tuned to take advantage of many of the best features of Nougat, including Vulkan-supported graphics for more immersive gaming while also delivering better battery performance with Doze. Consumers will also enjoy new productivity features such as Direct Reply, which lets users respond quickly to text messages or update tasks using the notification interface.

We don’t know a lot about the V20 at the moment, but Canadians can at least look forward to it coming out at all — we didn’t get the oversized, unique V10 when it debuted last year (much to my chagrin). And with the LG G5 not knocking people’s socks off (though I really liked it), I think LG could have a big hit on its hands with the V20. All will go down in September, when the V20 is announced.

More: LG V10 review

Best battery cases for Samsung Galaxy S6

What’s the best battery case for Galaxy S6?

We know the Galaxy S6 doesn’t have the best battery life, and though wireless and quick charging help minimize that issue, it doesn’t help when you’re mobile. Cases that integrate external batteries can potentially fix battery woes, and while they aren’t a new idea, they may be on your radar for the first time since picking up a Galaxy S6.

We’ve rounded up a handful of popular battery case options for the Galaxy S6 and put them side-by-side to see which one offers the best trade-off on battery, size, protection and value — here’s how they rank!

• Mophie Juice Pack
• PowerBear Extended rechargeable battery juice pack (3,500 mAh)
• ZeroLemon Slim Power battery case (3,500 mAh)
• Is a battery case right for me?

Mophie Juice Pack (3,300 mAh)

Mophie is sort of the gold standard when it comes to battery cases, and while that started with iPhone battery cases, it has smoothly transitioned to models for popular Android phones as well. There are two distinct Juice Pack models to fit the Galaxy S6 or S6 edge (and different color choices), but in either configuration they offer full device protection with a single case that also integrates a battery.

The Juice Pack is dramatically better made than any of the offerings here, as you’d expect for the increased price. It has a hard plastic shell that’s rigid and tough, and on the inside has a soft touch coating to hold the phone tightly.

The Galaxy S6 fits in it with amazing precision, with just a very small lip over the front of the phone. It’s just as large as any other battery case, and while the hard plastic coating is slicker it does have some grip to it. There’s a standard “chin” at the bottom where the USB port joins up with the phone, and because of its thickness there’s a headphone extension jack to use if you don’t have headphones with a small jack on them.

The 3300 mAh capacity lands between the other cases in this roundup, and Mophie gives it the claim of “up to 100 percent” additional battery for your GS6. Just like your phone’s internal battery, it’s rated for 500 full recharges, and you choose when to have it powering your phone with a convenient hardware switch on the back.

We tested the Juice Pack’s capacity just the same as the others and found it added 90% battery to the phone in just under three hours, even while the phone was in use on mobile data. That’s not bad — it charged more and faster than the other cases, despite having a smaller overall capacity. That just shows what you can get from the higher quality components in the Juice Pack.

It’s pretty clear that if money is no object, the Mophie is the best choice, simply due to its fantastic build quality, slick design and highly-rated battery. Of course price is a factor for most picking up a battery case, and $99.95 is a steep asking price for something you may not want to use all of the time.

See at Amazon

PowerBear Extended rechargeable battery juice pack (3,500 mAh)

PowerBear’s 3,500 mAh juice pack is a one-piece case that allows you to charge it and your Galaxy S6 simultaneously, all in a sleek and slim package that won’t add a ton of weight to your pocket, which is really what you want out of a battery case, since they’re supposed to be “power on the go”.

PowerBear claims that you get an extra 130% charge out of this case, but it’s more like the ZeroLemon case in this roundup – you’re more likely to get about 50%, taking anywhere from three to four hours to charge.

This case has a handy on/off switch, so that you’re not wasting power when you don’t need to, which makes it a great everyday case or an excellent emergency case.

The PowerBear’s design is pretty typical, but it’s still fairly thin for a battery case and it fits quite seamlessly, so if you like your Galaxy S6 to be in a case but not feel that way, then the PowerBear is likely the best choice for you.

If you regularly kill your phone before day’s end and want a battery case that will last you a while, then check this one out, since PowerBear offers a 2-year warranty, which should get you through the lifespan of your Galaxy S6 until you upgrade.

See at Amazon

ZeroLemon Slim Power battery case (3,500 mAh)

The ZeroLemon Slim Power Battery isn’t quite the same setup as the others, as its battery and case are actually separate. The 3,500 mAh battery is a self-contained slab that has two USB ports on it — one for input, the other output — and a removable U-shaped USB connector so that it nestles up against the back of a Galaxy S6. The case is just a basic rubber affair, but it’s designed so that the battery and phone can be held together inside comfortably while charging.

The battery is fully operational with other cables and can be used without the case, though the implication is that you’ll be using the whole thing together most of the time. The case itself wraps the whole phone for a bit more protection than others, but the design means that the ZeroLemon setup is larger than others and offers a lower capacity. It also ships with a headphone jack extension cable due to its size, which is burdensome to say the least.

It has similar charge rates to the others, and when combined with the simple 3,500 mAh cell it was only able to charge up the Galaxy S6 by 50% — and that took about 3 hours and 45 minutes to do it. That’s not very fast, and for a battery case that’s bigger (and more expensive) than some of the others we expected to get a little more out of it.

The one benefit ZeroLemon has going for it is an explicit 180-day warranty — how much value you actually put in that is up to you.

See at Amazon

Consider whether a battery case is even the best choice

Now that you know there are dozens of very similar battery cases to choose from for the Galaxy S6, you should probably take a step back before buying and decide whether a battery case is the best choice for you. The basic idea of having a battery case is the same for any phone — make it easier to stay mobile while also having a phone that isn’t dead. Strapping the battery to your phone of course accomplishes that goal, but as we’ve seen it isn’t a perfect situation.

Though there are differences between each battery case, they all present very similar problems in terms of actual use. No matter the size of the battery, adding an external cell in a big rubber and plastic case seriously hurts your ability to use the Galaxy S6 like you would normally. Being able to recharge your phone without a cable is great — but if you have to nearly double the weight and thickness of your phone for the whole time you charge, it isn’t that great of a trade-off.

Read: Top external batteries for the Galaxy S6

The concept of not having to worry about power or plugging in is an appealing one, but a battery case may not be the best way to handle this problem. If you have the right equipment, chances are you’ll be far better off getting a 50 percent charge in 30 minutes from a quick charger when you’re in your home, office or car. And when you have to be mobile, an external battery pack can charge your phone (and tablet, and friend’s phone) for the same price and in one-fourth the time that these battery cases can — and when you’re done charging there’s no added bulk to your phone.

With wall charging and external batteries you’re helping fix the battery issues while also reducing the number of additional issues you add to the experience — that can’t be said about a battery case. For all but the most serious of road warriors who just cannot afford the time to plug in at any point during the day, a wall plug or battery will be the best choice. But if you’re in that small minority that needs it, give these battery cases a look and find the best model for you.

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• Galaxy S6 review
• Galaxy S6 complete specs
• Galaxy S6 news | GS6 edge news
• Galaxy S6 beginner’s guide
• Galaxy S6 forums | GS6 edge forums
• Shop for accessories

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Pokémon Go developer Niantic pulls legendary Pokémon from players’ accounts

Developer Niantic Labs has confirmed it has removed the legendary Pokémon Articuno from players’ accounts in its hit augmented reality game Pokémon Go.

Articuno is the first legendary Pokémon creature to be spotted in the game. IGN reports that one player in Ohio claimed Niantic added Articuno to his Pokémon Go account as an apology for an issue he reported in the game.

However, it looks like Articuno was released too early, according to an official statement from Niantic:

“We recently noticed that a few Legendary Pokemon got into a few accounts when they shouldn’t have, To preserve the game’s integrity and as a measure of fairness, we have rectified the situation and revoked the legendary Pokemon from the Trainers’ accounts.”

There’s no word on when these legendary Pokémon will officially be made available to Pokémon Go players.

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Apple Music for Android finally ditches the beta label

The Apple Music app for Android has ditched the beta label, officially launching after first appearing in the Google Play Store back in November 2015.

The Android version of the streaming music service has received a number of feature updates and improvements since it launched, and now it appears Apple is happy enough with those changes to move it up to version 1.0.0. In addition to getting rid of its beta title, the Apple Music update for Android also includes “equalizer settings and a variety of performance, playback, and stability improvements” according to its changelog.

What is your opinion of Apple Music for Android? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary Update: Release date confirmed

Microsoft seems to have accidentally revealed when the next major update for Windows 10 Mobile will arrive.

The company released the Anniversary Update for Windows 10 machines on 2 August, without an exact date for when the mobile version of that update would roll out for phones, but thanks to Microsoft’s official India Twitter account for Lumia, we may have an answer.

Microsoft revealed via a tweet on Tuesday that it is planning to launch the software update on 9 August, meaning phones that are eligible for the update should start receiving it next week. Neowin captured the tweet before it was quickly deleted. It’s unclear if the tweet was published by a mistake or if it’s simply incorrect, though we’ve reached out to Microsoft for more information.

When Microsoft launched the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, it said the update would arrive for Windows 10 Mobile “in the coming weeks”, which isn’t exactly a specific time, but we can assume it should land before the end of summer.

Update: Although Lumia India deleted its original tweet, it has since replied to questions about the Anniversary Update, saying Microsoft will gradually roll out the Windows 10 Mobile version of the update on 2 August.

@prasumoholkar (1/3)That’s a great question! Microsoft roll out the new update August 2 gradually, meaning it will take time for the update

— Lumia India (@LumiaIndia) August 3, 2016

Keep in mind not all phones will be eligible. You can see a list of supported devices from here.

Mt. Sinai’s new AR tech overlays 3D models into surgeon’s eyepiece

For the medical community, virtual and augmented reality offer the tantalizing opportunity to visualize hidden or blocked areas of the body. This year has seen some fascinating applications, from mapping a patient’s brain mid-operation to livestreaming the actual surgery. Today, Mt. Sinai announced the first procedural use of the CaptiView AR system, a heads-up-display that overlays critical data and 3D models over the eyepieces in a surgical microscope.

The system “provides neurovascular and fiber-track information in 2D or 3D as well as on-screen video overlays visible” through the eyepiece, according to a press release. Integrating CaptiView into the microscope allows the surgeon to switch between live and pre-operative anatomical images using handle controls or a footswitch, smoothing out workflow. But this also enables tracking of focal points, so the system knows where the operator is looking and autofocuses accordingly.

While watching surgery in VR live might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s certainly cool to see a synchronized combination of assistive technologies actively mapping the human body during complex medical procedures.

Source: Mount Sinai news room

Nike used 3D printing and Olympic sprinters to design its new track shoe

When Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce competes in the women’s 100m and 4x100m relay at the Olympics this month, she’ll do so wearing what Nike claims is one of its most advanced track and field shoes yet. The 29-year-old Jamaican, who is favored for gold in Rio, actually helped Nike design her new spikes, the Zoom Superfly Elite. In the years leading up to the 2016 summer games, she worked with Nike’s Sport Research Lab to figure out the ideal performance for a sprinter silhouette. Among other experiments, she test-3D-printed prototypes of the spikes, which were tailor-made based on captured data that measured her speed on the track and, most importantly, off the blocks.

More specifically, Nike utilized 3D printing to make a set of different spike plates, each with a different amount of stiffness to meld perfectly with the sprinter’s sole. Shane Kohatsu, Nike’s innovation design director, says the key here was to understand how the plates rebounded off the track. That information would then be used to build a shoe that helped runners go faster. The optimal model needed to provide the right amount of support as well as withstand all the power exerted during a 100m race. At the same time, though, it had to be lightweight enough for the athlete to feel comfortable.

In Fraser-Pryce’s case, you wonder why she’d be tempted to use a new shoe at Rio 2016. After all, she’s won gold in the women’s 100m in the past two summer Olympics. Why fix something that isn’t broken? But in a sport where one-tenth of a second could be the difference between silver and gold, any advantage helps. And while the final design of the Zoom Superfly Elite doesn’t feature a 3D-printed plate, the research was crucial to develop the plastic version that over 100 Nike-sponsored athletes will wear at the Olympics.

A few of the 3D-printed plates created during Nike’s development of the Zoom Superfly Elite

After testing more than twenty 3D-printed plates, Nike decided to build the Zoom Superfly Elite without the screw-in spikes traditionally found on a sprinter’s footwear. Instead, the company applied fixed pins on the bottom of the plate, which are designed to ensure that the foot is closer to the track. In theory, this should translate to faster speeds for the runner. We’ll soon see how that works in practice, when Fraser-Pryce races in the women’s 100-meter preliminaries on Aug. 12th.

Kohatsu, who has led a number of other 3D-printing projects at Nike, believes in the technology as a tool to make better products, not necessarily as the main aspect of a product. At least not yet. “For us right now, 3D printing is all about accelerating the project, the innovation process,” he says. “The 3D printing industry isn’t at a place where it can replace mass production techniques. We use it for what it’s best at doing, which is accelerating prototyping.” Still, Kohatsu points to Nike’s 3D-printed concepts for football cleats, which show the potential of 3D printing.

Nike archrival Adidas has also been getting serious about 3D printing in recent months. Earlier this year, the German sportswear giant revealed Futurecraft 3D, a running shoe made with 3D-printed materials. Even though it’s only a concept right now, Adidas says a consumer version is in the works. The same goes for brands such as New Balance and Under Armour, which also introduced partially 3D-printed shoes a few months ago.

The old (left) and new (right) spikes

Nike Senior Director of Athlete Innovation Tobie Hatfield, who designed Michael Johnson’s iconic gold spike for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, also doesn’t feel like 3D-printed footwear is ready for mass-market production. “We’ll 3D-print to have something for them [the athletes] to have in their hand,” he says in reference to designing his latest project, the Nike Zoom PV III, a shoe for pole-vaulters. “If the scale is correct, they can put it on and walk around in it, but they’re not going to go pole-vault in it. We don’t do any of that.”

Like the Zoom Superfly Elite (which hits stores in October), the Zoom PV III also had 3D-printed prototypes, although the tech wasn’t as influential there. That’s namely because Hatfield has other machinery he prefers to use to create parts.

Ultimately, Kohatsu says it’s fascinating that people see 3D printing as “an Easy-Bake Oven,” but he doesn’t think the technology is quite there yet. Still, he’s certain Nike will continue to use 3D printing to help design things like the Zoom Superfly Elite and Magista 2. “If there’s some way to make a product that really enhances the benefit for the athlete,” he says, “then for sure we’ll be diving into that as quickly as possible.”