Bragi Compares The Dash and The Headphone to Apple’s AirPods

As one of the more high-profile wireless headphone companies in recent months, Bragi is already looking to position its two products — The Dash and the just-announced The Headphone — as strong competitors to Apple’s just-announced AirPods. In a FaceBook post this morning, Bragi shared a chart which lists how The Dash and The Headphone (particularly The Dash) compare favorably to AirPods in various categories.

The nine categories in the chart include: Bluetooth connectivity, waterproofness, audio transparency (amplifying ambient noise as needed to hear your external environment without needing to remove the earbuds), fitness tracking, internal music player, Bragi OS updates, battery life, “PerfectFit” sizing, and price.

The Dash beats out the AirPods in five of the categories, with Bragi positioning its flagship headphones as a sports-centric device with waterproofing and fitness tracking, two things lacking in Apple’s AirPods. AirPods, however, have a one-up on battery life (5 hours compared to The Dash’s 4 hours), and come in at a notably more affordable $159, well below The Dash’s $299.

Unsurprisingly, Bragi’s chart focuses on criteria in which its products compare favorably to AirPods and omits features such as Siri and seamless device pairing with syncing over iCloud that are key parts of the AirPods experience.

Perhaps one of the more user-friendly features of The Dash and The Headphone is the ability for users to choose between three included “FitSleeves” for The Dash and “FitTips” for The Headphone. With small, medium, and large sizes included, Bragi seeks to ensure that anyone who wants to use its products will find a comfortable fit without any of the potential pain and headache caused by one-size-fits-all products, like the AirPods.

Overall, while Bragi’s comparison chart paints a favorable picture of The Dash and The Headphone, Apple is no doubt banking on its design appeal, device integration, and price to present an appealing option. But even the AirPods’ $159 price will be steep for some users, and with the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack in the iPhone 7, Apple is moving to soften the user transition to a wireless future by including Lightning headphones, and a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter, in the boxes of the new iPhones.

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Galaxy S8: New report points to twin edge-screen flagships for 2017

5.1 and 5.5-inch edge screen Galaxy S8 models on the way, according to reports from Korean.

After introducing a more subtle edge screen in the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung might be doing away with completely flat screens altogether in its next-gen Galaxy S phone. According to a new report from The Korea Herald, both Galaxy S8 models might feature curved screens, at the same 5.1- and 5.5-inch sizes as the GS7.

Sources said the company has already started securing display panels in two sizes — 5.1-inch and 5.5-inch — from its own display-making unit Samsung Display, the world’s sole producer of double-edged screens.

An improvement in yield rates of the hard-to-make curved displays is a key factor, the outlet says.

In a world where both GS8 models have curved screens, would the ‘edge’ brand go away?

The prospect of Samsung going all-edge for both Galaxy S8 models raises a couple of interesting questions. Firstly, the “edge” monicker would become largely meaningless, so perhaps we’d be looking at a Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus instead.

But the bigger question is just how edgy these edge screens are. There’s a big difference between the curvaceous GS7 edge and the slightly boxier Note 7, the latter having much tighter curves that are far less visible at a distance. Any possible combination of edgy and not-so-edgy is possible.

I explored the possibility of an edge-only future for the Galaxy S8 line in a recent editorial:

“It’s really hard to differentiate in the high-end space, and Samsung, with its curved SuperAMOLED panels, is in a unique position to offer one of the most eye-catching smartphone design features in years. People didn’t buy the Galaxy S6 edge because they wanted to swipe in and launch apps a bit more quickly, or because they wanted to measure stuff. They bought it because it looked cool, and it looked cool in a way that no other phone could match.

“The success of the original S6 edge reportedly took even Samsung by surprise, and as such it was the S7 edge that took center stage in this year’s lineup. Ads promoted the “Galaxy S7 edge / S7,” with the flat S7 consistently playing second fiddle to its larger sibling in the public eye.”

It’s also been rumored that the Galaxy S8 could step up to a 4K display, in what would be a first for Samsung and a huge bet on the future of VR. Though a jump to Ultra HD resolutions would carry its own challenges in terms of performance and battery life, and’s possible Samsung might follow Sony’s lead and only run in true 4K mode in a handful of apps.

Nevertheless, curved screens all around and a huge jump in pixel density (and thus VR picture quality) could be what Samsung needs to keep up momentum after the iPhone 7 launch — not to mention the PR disaster of its Note 7 recall.

How is the iPhone 7 Plus dual camera different from Android cameras?

Android manufacturers say they had dual-camera phones first. Technically they’re correct. But Apple’s doing things very differently.

For those of us who live and breathe smartphones, it’s fun to poke Apple when it “invents” a feature we’ve been seeing in the Android space for years. Like when it “invented” bigger phones in 2014, or “invented” split-screen multitasking on the iPad Pro.

Sometimes the snark is justified. Other times, not so much. (And for what it’s worth, Apple rarely claims to be first with features.) In my view, the clamoring over the iPhone 7 Plus’s new dual-camera setup fits somewhere in the middle. Sure, in the Android world dual cameras aren’t new. But there’s a lot Apple’s doing that is new and important.

Let’s take a look at how Android’s been doing dual cameras over the past two and a half years, and how it differs to Apple’s new stuff.

HTC One M8

HTC was quick to throw shade on Apple, referencing its One M8 launch back in 2014. The M8’s camera was generally regarded to be its one major weakness — but hey, there were two sensors. The secondary sensor was used entirely for mapping depth information, which let you add artsy effects to your photos by knowing how far away each pixel in the photo was.

The M8 had two cameras, but its photos were still crap.

One of these effects was — your guessed it — fake software-based bokeh, giving close-up shots the illusion of shallow depth of field. Essentially, this was just selective software blurring, and because the M8’s second sensor is super-low resolution, it’s easy for softer edges (like hair or fur) to confuse HTC’s software.

Apple’s doing something similar in the iPhone 7 Plus, but it’ll be added in a later software update for 7 Plus owners. (And, with far superior optics in the iPhone compared to the M8, we’d expect better results.)

LG G5 + V20

LG was a bit more subtle in its Twitter shout-out after Apple’s announcement. The Korean company’s dual-sensor setup in the G5 and V20 is sort of the opposite of what Apple’s doing, with one traditional 16-megapixel sensor behind a bright f/1.8 lens and a second wide-angle lens with an 8-megapixel sensor. (As opposed to Apple’s wide-angle and telephoto lenses.)

The 16-megapixel shooter is your go-to camera, and performs really well in low light, while the wide-angle camera is for showing off with fancy landscape photos, and is fairly hopeless in the dark. So LG’s approach is all about using a second camera to get a wider view, as opposed to zooming in on distant subjects.

Huawei P9 + Honor 8

Most of the time, Huawei uses its second lens to enhance contrast and detail.

Huawei’s UK Twitter account has been going heavy on the dual-lens stuff in the run up to Apple’s iPhone event. The P9’s twin Leica-branded cameras (and the Honor 8’s non-Leica-branded-but-totally-the-same cameras) combine two 12-megapixel sensors behind f/2.2 lenses — one full color, the other monochrome — for clearer shots with greater contrast and fine detail. On the P9, which has its own Leica camera app, it’s possible to use the monochrome sensor alone for impressive black and white captures.

And Huawei has its own low depth of field mode too, based on depth info captured from the second sensor. The bump in resolution and processing power over the M8 leads to better looking fake bokeh, but Huawei’s cameras can still be fooled by transparent objects and softer edges.

iPhone 7 Plus

So what’s Apple doing that’s new and different? The iPhone 7 Plus uses the same 12-megapixel, f/1.8, optically stabilized camera as the smaller iPhone 7, but adds a second telephoto lens with 2X optical zoom. Combined with some software magic — and we won’t know exactly how this works until reviews start popping up — the iPhone can zoom to 2X with no loss of detail, because it’s using a second camera that’s always zoomed in. The company claims its dual-camera system also helps with digital zoom up to 10x.

The iPhone can’t zoom as far as a Galaxy S4 Zoom, but it’s also not an inch thick.

While Android phones have offered improved digital zoom in the past — for example the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, K Zoom and ASUS Zenfone Zoom — these have largely been clunky, unattractive offerings because of the large number of moving parts involved. The scope of Apple’s telephoto lens is more limited, but at the same time it’s also not a full inch thick like the GS4 Zoom.

As mentioned, Apple’s also working on using the second camera to add depth of field effects to photos, for example giving portraits more defocused backgrounds while keeping the subject in sharp focus. It won’t be on the 7 Plus at launch, but will be added via a software update further down the line.

Looking ahead

As much as there’s innovation coming all over the mobile space, Apple still sets the tempo in certain key areas. So expect at least a few Android phone makers to emulate Apple’s style of dual-camera setup in the coming year. That’s a good thing. Both sides have copied all sorts of great features from each other over the years. By the same token, the likes of HTC, Huawei and LG aren’t entirely accurate when they claim to have gotten there first. Sure, they have phones with two cameras, but they work in completely different ways.

Ultimately, great new camera tech in what’s sure to be a very popular phone is good for everyone — for 7 Plus cameras who get the biggest iPhone camera upgrade in years, and for everyone buying phones through increased competition. Camera tech is one of the areas of mobile hardware that’s yet to plateau, and with twin camera sure to become more popular, 2017 looks set to be a very interesting year indeed.

More: iPhone 7 coverage on iMore

BB-8 now comes in a battle-damaged Special Edition with Force Band!

It still won’t give you a thumbs up, though.

BB-8 is adorable, fun to play with, and without a doubt one of the most successful Star Wars toys to arrive with The Force Awakens last year. Sphero, the company behind this clever robot ball, promised several updates to BB-8 over time and so far has delivered in big ways. BB-8 will sit with you and watch The Force Awakens now, and holographic projection messaging has improved several times over the last year.

The biggest update to BB-8 is coming in the form of a wristband that will control the bot instead of your phone. It’s being cleverly dubbed Force Band based on how you move your body to control BB-8, and to celebrate its launch Sphero is releasing a battle-damaged special edition of BB-8 with one of these bands in the box.

While you can absolutely buy the BB-8 Force Band without a new robot attached, the updated visuals on the Special Edition reflect BB-8’s journey in The Force Awakens. Spoiler alert, this little robot has seen some shit and his outer shell absolutely reflects this by the end of the movie. If you never got around to picking up a BB-8, this could be the perfect way to get everything in one box. If you already own a BB-8 and can’t help yourself, that’s cool too. No judgement here, just happy little bloops and smiles as this robot rolls on by.

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Is the Galaxy Note name ruined?

The internet never forgets. But it does forgive.

Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has a bit of an image problem. It should be under close scrutiny right now.

You can’t ignore that the Note 7 can catch on fire or explode because of an issue with the battery, or that Samsung thinks everyone who bought one should return it for a replacement or refund. That’s like a giant blinking sign that the elephant in the room carries around. Even the FAA is getting involved (as they should) which keeps people talking about it — which is also a good thing. We need to keep talking about it until everyone who bought a Note 7 knows. It’s completely understandable that there is legitimate concern about this phone in particular and Samsung phones in general — that’s just how people are. Caution is hardwired into us as a survival mechanism.

But will this whole exploding Note 7 thing ever go away or has the Galaxy Note line been sullied forever?

Samsung will keep selling millions of phones. Some of them will be Galaxy Notes.

While this is a bit more severe, I can’t help but think about the iPhone 4 and its antenna “issue.” While no phones were destroyed and nobody was put at any immediate risk, it was still a thing that affected the tens of millions of devices sold and continues to affect the millions of people still using it in 2016. And it certainly caused a ruckus — one that was compounded when the late Steve Jobs suggested that owners were holding it wrong. The original issue was frustrating, and Apple’s response even more so. Folks couldn’t stop talking about it and how horrible Apple was and all manner of nonsense about how the iPhone name is tainted filled the internet. Eventually, things had to be settled in court. Fast forward to 2016 and iPhone sales have hit the one billion mark because, in the end, we either forgot or just didn’t care.

I’m not trying to say the Note 7 has, ever will have the same popularity that the iPhone enjoys. But this does give us some insight into how much we’re willing to tolerate and how soon we will forget things — even if they were never made right. I think for most people the same thing will happen with the Galaxy Note.

Plenty of people will return their Note 7 for a refund, and buy something else. Plenty of others will not buy a Note 7 simply because of concerns about the battery, or being unsure whether they’re buying a “new” model. Samsung is certainly going to miss their target for projected sales. But plenty of people will buy or replace their Note 7, and once the dust settles we’ll all have moved on to the next object of internet concern and/or outrage. And when the Note 8 comes around, jokes will be made and the noise level will go up a notch, but the people who love the Galaxy Note will still love them, and still buy them.

Samsung needs to make things right, and they will. We need to keep reminding them until that happens.

Samsung will be OK, and the millions of dollars they may lose because of the Note 7 recall will just come out of the billions they earned from the rest of their mobile products and washing machines and components and self-propelled armored 155mm howitzer artillery pieces. They will keep doing what they do best and will sell phones by the millions. Some of them will be Galaxy Notes.

The Galaxy Note 7’s image may be a little tarnished, and perhaps rightfully so. But that doesn’t mean it is going away or that it ceases to be a damn good phone. We’re still going to care about it and so will plenty of other people. Expect to see it given the full treatment that it deserves here at Android Central, but also expect us to also hold Samsung’s feet to the fire until everything is taken care of, and folks aren’t at risk from a bad phone.

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India’s civil aviation ministry also advises against using the Note 7 in-flight

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation is the latest to advocate against using the Note 7 in-flight.

As Samsung proceeds with the Note 7 global recall, India’s civil aviation ministry has issued a public notice advising users to not use the phone in-flight. The move follows similar statements from the FAA, and several Australian airlines as governments and carriers work to prevent any untoward incidents.

According to the notice, travelers are advised to switch off the Note 7 prior to boarding a craft, and not turn on the handset for the duration of the flight. The ministry is also advocating against storing the Note 7 in checked baggage:

India also bans Galaxy Note 7 mobile onboard any flights. #aviation pic.twitter.com/USTWjAo8xH

— Tarun Shukla (@shukla_tarun) September 9, 2016

Unlike the U.S., Samsung hasn’t started selling the Note 7 in India before issuing the global recall, so the potential for errant units out in the wild is slim. That said, there are customers that have bought the phone from other countries and imported it into India. It is unlikely they’ll be able to get their units exchanged within the country, but Samsung has announced that all those that have pre-ordered the Note 7 via official channels in India will receive a Gear VR for free and a $50 Oculus content voucher to make up for the delay.

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• Galaxy Note 7 recall: Everything you need to know
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• Here are all four Note 7 colors
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Moto Z Play specs

The Moto Z Play is coming to Verizon in the U.S., and here are its specs.

The Moto Z Play is Motorola’s latest entry into the Moto Z family, and while it lacks the oomph of its more expensive counterparts, you get a lot of phone for its $400 price tag.

Here’s what it packs inside.

Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone 7 Plus: What’s the difference?

Apple announced two new iPhones at an event in September, comprising the iPhone 7 and the larger iPhone 7 Plus.

In previous years, the two iPhones – the standard and the Plus – have been almost identical aside from their physical size and the inclusion of optical image stabilisation on one and not the other, but this year the difference is, well, different.

Which iPhone 7 model should you choose? Here is how the standard iPhone 7 compares to the iPhone 7 Plus and what that difference now is.

Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone 7 Plus: Design

The Apple iPhone 7 measures 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1mm and it weighs 138g, while the iPhone 7 Plus measures 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3mm and hits the scales at 188g. As you would expect, the standard iPhone 7 is therefore smaller and lighter than the Plus.

Both models feature an aluminium body that is available in Jet Black, Black, Rose Gold, Gold and Silver colour options. They both see the antenna bands on the rear move to just the top and bottom for a cleaner look than their predecessors, and they both see the removal of the headphone jack.

Both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus have stereo speakers on board, and they both add IP67 water and dust proofing to their builds. Where these two differ in terms of design other than size, is the iPhone 7 has a singular lens on the rear, while the iPhone 7 Plus has a dual camera setup – more on that in a minute.

Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone 7 Plus: Display

The Apple iPhone 7 has a 4.7-inch size display, while the iPhone 7 Plus has a 5.5-inch display. The standard iPhone 7 has a 1334 x 750 pixel resolution, while the Plus has a Full HD resolution meaning their pixel densities are 326ppi and 401ppi, respectively.

Aside from that however, the same technology is present on both the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus. They both offer a Retina HD display with wide colour gamut and 3D Touch technology, the latter of which means access to different features and functions based on the force with which the user presses.

They also both have a 625 cd/m2 maximum brightness, Display Zoom, a fingerprint resistant coating and the Reachability function. Based on the numbers, the iPhone 7 Plus will offer sharper and crisper images, but the colour vibrancy and viewing angles, as well the the rest of the experience should be identical across these two devices.

Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone 7 Plus: Cameras

The camera department is where you’ll see the biggest difference between the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 7 features a single 12-megapixel sensor with a f/1.8 aperture, while the iPhone 7 Plus features two 12-megapixel rear camera. The first is a wide-angle lens with a f/1.8 aperture, the other is a telephoto lens with a f/2.8 aperture.

This allows the iPhone 7 Plus to offer optical zoom at two times and digital zoom up to 10 times, while the iPhone 7 is only capable of digital zoom up to five times. It also means the larger device will be able to create bokeh images, when the update arrives later this year, while the iPhone 7 won’t.

Aside from that, both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus feature the same functionality. They both have optical image stabilisation, something only the Plus has had in the past, and they both have a new Quad-LED True Tone flash. They also offer wide colour capture, body and face detection and 4K video recording.

The front camera is also the same on both devices with a 7-megapixel snapper featuring an f/2.2 aperture, Retina Flash and auto image stabilisation. The front camera is capable of 1080p video recording and wide colour capture and body and face detection are on board here too.

Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone 7 Plus: Hardware

The Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus both have the new A10 Fusion processor with embedded M10 motion co-processor under their hoods. They also both come in 32GB, 128GB and 256GB storage options.

The iPhone 7 Plus has a larger battery capacity, with up to 21 hours of 3G talk time, compared to the iPhone 7’s 14 hours, but aside from that, they both offer the same hardware.

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus have Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, LTE Advanced up to 450 Mbps, and support for Apple Pay. They also both have the second-generation of the Touch ID fingerprint sensor within their Home buttons.

Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone 7 Plus: Software

The Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus both run on iOS 10 meaning they will offer an almost identical user experience.

There will be a few extra software features in the camera element of the iPhone 7 Plus thanks to the dual setup, but everything else will be exactly the same. You can read all about iOS 10 and what features it offers in our tips and tricks story.

Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone 7 Plus: Price

The Apple iPhone 7 starts at £599, unless you want the Jet Black model, in which case pricing starts at £699 as a 32GB model isn’t available in that finish. The 256GB iPhone 7 model costs £799.

The iPhone 7 Plus starts at £719 for the 32GB model, creeping up to £819 for the 128GB model, which again is the starting model for the Jet Black finish. The 256GB model is £919.

Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone 7 Plus: Conclusion

The Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are almost identical in specs, with the exceptions being their physical size, cameras, display resolutions and battery capacities.

The size increase, extra camera functions, longer battery life and potential for sharper display images mean an extra £120 on top of the standard model though.

Ultimately, there is very little between these two devices so the decision will come down to your budget, whether you prefer a bigger phone or a smaller one, or whether the extra camera features and battery life can justify the slightly deeper hole in your pocket.