Samsung Gear IconX review: Bluetooth earbuds that do more
Are the Samsung IconX worth your money?
Bluetooth earbuds have a single job: to deliver audio wirelessly from somewhere else. We muse about the quality of that audio and the battery life of the various products delivering that audio to help determine which is “best” for everyone. Sometimes we find models with nice things like touch controls or the ability to connect with Google Now, but the core feature of your average Bluetooth headset is to deliver audio wirelessly.
Samsung upended that idea with the Gear IconX earbuds, because looking at these as simply Bluetooth earbuds kind of misses the point. They work as fitness trackers, a MP3 players, audio filters, and while delivering audio wirelessly from somewhere else. Packing all of that into something that all but disappears into your ear is no small task, and like all first generation products some sacrifices are made along the way.
An absurd but useful set up process
The small pill-shaped container that slides out of the IconX box is everything you need to get started. The microUSB port on the back of the case and three small LED lights — one for each earbud and one for the case itself — tell you everything you need to know about the status of your earbuds. This little battery case slides into your pocket or your bag until it’s time to slide the separate earbuds into your ears. A handful of pin connectors on the earbuds themselves rest on charging contacts, keeping each of the two buds charged while the lid is closed.
You need a PC to update these headphones, something you should never see in 2016.
Once the earbuds are removed from the casing, the infrared sensor on the body waits until skin is detected, and a quiet tone confirms to the user that these earbuds are ready to use. These are small earbuds with a simple set of instructions — push and twist. The small, flexible fin squishes the earbuds into place as you twist, and no amount of shaking your head or jogging will dislodge them. The earbuds just barely escape the ear profile, making them just difficult enough to see that you look extra crazy when talking on the phone in public.
Wait a min. I need a phone app to use these headphones. But I have to use a PC MANAGER to install an update? pic.twitter.com/mkbGPL5AzW
— Andrew Martonik (@andrewmartonik) September 13, 2016
Any other Bluetooth earbuds would be ready for pairing at this point. But Samsung instructs users to install the Gear Manager app and adjust settings accordingly. This is both tedious and incredibly important. It’s tedious because Samsung will immediately prompt you to install software updates on the Gear IconX by connecting the battery case to a computer and installing a separate app, something no Bluetooth anything should ever do in 2016. Once you get over that hurdle, though, you’re able to designate a “primary” earbud and access settings for things like having notifications read to you and workout guidance when in fitness mode.
There are no buttons on these earbuds, which is perhaps the most impressive part of the execution.
Setting a primary earbud is only important if you’re ever planning to use your IconX as a Bluetooth headset, because that becomes the earbud used for calls. You can switch back and forth at will, and if you drain the battery on one you can easily switch to the other, but it’s an important setting to be aware of when using them. This primary earbud connects to the phone, while the other connects directly to the other earbud. If there’s a delay in audio created by connecting earbuds this way, I certainly couldn’t hear it. Never once in the two weeks of testing these earbuds did the audio ever fall out of sync.
There are no buttons on these earbuds, which is perhaps the most impressive part of the execution. The outer shell is a touch surface, which allows you to control audio by swiping up and down, skip tracks by swiping left and right, and pause by tapping anywhere. If you want to access settings from inside this interface, you press your finger to the pad and listen as options are read off to you. When you get to the option you want, remove your finger and the option will be activated. It works very well given how small the touch area is on these earbuds, unless of course your hair gets stuck in between you and the touch pad.
Flawless fitness
The same sensor that detects when you’ve inserted the earbuds into your ear acts as a fitness tracker that plays nice with Samsung’s S Health app. With the earbuds connected you get a constant stream of heart rate data during workouts, and the earbuds work with the app to keep you informed of your progress. When you tell S Health you’re going to go a certain distance, you get notifications when you reach the half way point, and weird robotic encouragement messages when you get close to the virtual finish line. This kind of extra data is fantastic if you’re actively using S Health, but it’s limited to only chatting with that app right now.
Basically, these earbuds are great if you’re only using them for a commute or if you’re hitting the gym before or after work.
On top of logging fitness data, you can store up to 4GB of music in the earbuds themselves and go running without bringing your phone along. You load music by connecting the battery case to a PC with the Gear Manager app or directly to your phone with an adapter cable. This is a little outdated and tedious, but the end result is an MP3 player baked in to your earbuds, which is quite useful. The same touch controls exist in this standalone playback mode, which works great even when you’re running. You lose access to the cheery robot messages and the GPS data that comes from having your phone in your pocket, but it’s a nice option if you’d prefer to avoid strapping something as big as an S7 Edge to your arm for a run.
If you’re the type to run to a specific location, maybe for a bottle of water or a snack break, the Gear IconX offers another fantastic feature to help you out. Press and hold on the earbuds to activate audio pass through mode, and the microphones on the earbuds will let you hear the world around you. This works really well, especially if you’re going to be speaking to other people. It means you don’t have to remove the earbuds, and can quickly get back to the task at hand. It’d be nice if every Bluetooth headset could offer this, but since it requires decent stereo microphones in order to do it well it’s not surprising that so many don’t.
Mediocre music for minutes
It’s a good thing these earbuds do so much more than play music, because they don’t do that particularly well. Even compared to other Samsung Bluetooth earbuds, which admittedly all include cables and batteries in conveniently stashed places that don’t exist on the Gear Icon X, the experience is lacking. There’s no bass to these earbuds at all, and the highs couldn’t get much more tinny if they were $10 at Radio Shack. It could be argued that no Bluetooth headphones produce “great” audio, but this experience is especially lacking.
If you’re looking for earbuds that will get you through an entire day of music listening, these are not what you want.
Unfortunately, the same can be said for battery life. If you manage three hours of constant audio streaming with your Gear Icon X, consider yourself fortunate. The average is around 2.5 hours on a single charge, after which you’ll need to put the earbuds back into the battery case to charge. The case itself is good for at least one full charge, but it’s going to take nearly an hour, and you can’t use the earbuds at all during this process. Once you reconnect the earbuds you’re good for another couple of hours, but if you find yourself needing a second charge there’s a good chance you’ll come back to one one earbud being mostly charged.
Basically, these earbuds are great if you’re only using them for a commute or if you’re hitting the gym before or after work. If you’re looking for earbuds that will get you through an entire day of music listening, these are just not what you want.
Should you buy this? Probably not
Samsung has crammed a ton of great ideas into a very small space. These earbuds easily outpace all of the other earbuds out there when it comes to features, especially when it comes to acting as a fitness accessory. If you’re looking for earbuds that help you when you work out, these might be for you.
If you’re looking for the traditional Bluetooth earbud for listening to music all day, this isn’t for you. There are other, cheaper options with better audio that aren’t limited to Samsung’s hardware. But a second generation IconX that addresses some of these issues is something you should absolutely keep your eye out for.
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Volkswagen previews its EV future with the I.D. concept
You wouldn’t blame Volkswagen if it never wanted to here the word “diesel” ever again. The German company desperately needs to swing from dirty to clean, so it launched the ID, a new platform for its next-gen EVs. The first model is a concept car, but it will eventually be built in some form and arrive to market in 2020. The company plans to build up to 20 different models based on its “Modular Electric Drive Kit” platform, and hopes to sell up to three million electric cars by the year 2025.
I saw the car when it launched yesterday, and if anything, it looks better than the futuristic illustrations that leaked earlier. That design looks sharp from any angle (except maybe head-on) and I like the idea of a sliding rear door on a hatchback, even though it’ll probably get axed from the final model.
The inside is pure concept, with an LED dash display, retractable steering wheel for autonomous mode, and rear cameras instead of mirrors. Though concept cars are often dark or colorful, it’s likely not a coincidence that the ID concept is white with blue interior accents. In effect, VW wants to make a fresh, bright start and put the dark days of diesel-gate and emissions cheating behind it.
Japan’s noisy iPhone problem
I cancelled my iPhone 7 Plus order last week. Yes, I still had a two-week wait before it was scheduled to arrive, but it wasn’t impatience that got the better of me. It was where I live: in Japan. iPhones sold here (and in Korea) hold the dubious honor of being customized for their markets. We’re not talking about extra mobile wallet functions, but a limitation; a constraint. Ever since the iPhone 3GS arrived in Japan in 2008, taking a photo and even a screenshot (ugh) has been accompanied by a mandatory shutter noise — one that iPhone users elsewhere probably turn off right away. Even switching to mute mode doesn’t halt the awkward ‘passht’ added to discourage covert photography. I’ll soon leave Japan and return to my native England, at which point I’ll reconsider upgrading. I’m not buying another Japanese iPhone.
The mandatory shutter sound has been a part of Japan’s camera phones almost ever since they went on sale back in 2000. This was the first country to sell camera-equipped phones that could send photos electronically. Kyocera’s VP-210 had what was then a cutting-edge 0.11-megapixel sensor: the era of camera phones had begun.
There’s a misconception that there’s some kind of legal provision to ensure smartphones (or feature phones), make a noise when you take a photo. That isn’t the case.
As these devices proliferated and people got used to attaching photos to emails (“sha-mail”), voyeuristic “up-skirt” photography became a concern — especially in crowded places like rush-hour trains. According to Akky Akimoto, writing for The Japan Times in 2013, people were discussing the issue online as early as 2001. There’s a misconception that there’s some kind of legal provision to ensure smartphones (or feature phones), make a noise when you take a photo, but that isn’t the case.
Over these years, sending photos became a core feature of modern cell phones, and wireless carriers took it upon themselves to ensure that all the models they offered came with built-in cameras with shutter sounds that couldn’t be disabled. NTT Docomo has said it was implemented “to prevent secret filming or other privacy issues.” A SoftBank spokesman gave me a similar answer: “When we first offered camera phones and the ‘sha-mail’ service around 2000, we requested that manufacturers make the shutter sound compulsory, even on manner mode.”
“This was done to prevent camera phones from being used in ways offensive to public morals. We continue to request handset manufacturers use the shutter sound,” the spokesperson continued.
Phone manufacturers and carriers have cooperated ever since, ensuring all phones sold in Japan make a sound for still videos, still photos and screenshots. While this might been seen as a well-intentioned move (and one that could discourage would-be voyeurs), the companies are protecting themselves against legal repercussions from anyone who gets harassed or sees photos of themselves online or elsewhere, taken without their permission.
Apple’s iPhone is the same. Worse, the iPhone 7 actually has the noisiest shutter sound yet — something that my Japan-based colleagues are blaming on the new stereo speakers.
Japan residents could buy an overseas model: Recent iPhone models share a lot of LTE bands across countries, and the company even displays all the radio bands of each iPhone model it sells. However, the iPhone 7 is the first Apple phone to work with the country’s well-established Suica contactless payment system, used in convenience stores, restaurants and the country’s national railway. The American variant (or the Hong Kong one, anywhere but Japan) doesn’t include the same contactless hardware.
The mandatory noise hasn’t solved the problem of cellphone voyeurs either. According to the Japan Times, which cites an NHK TV program from early 2013, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police had seen a 24 percent annual rise in “camera voyeurism” — up 60 percent from 2007. The majority of those (64 percent) had used cell-phone cameras, although there’s something to be said for the remaining percentage that were taken on cameras that weren’t forced to make a shutter sound.
Limiting creepy photographers with enforced smartphone sounds is worsened by the availability (especially in Japan and Korea) of “manner camera” apps where users can take photos on iPhones and other smartphones with no faux shutter sound. These are often slower, typically taking lower-quality pictures; you also can’t launch them from drop-down menus or the lock screen. Unfortunately, if unscrupulous types really want to take covert photos of unsuspecting people on trains and elsewhere, they will find a way to do so.
With the current iteration of iOS 10, Japanese users can tinker with the phone’s accessibility functions to add a mute toggle to the screen that silences the shutter noise. But this is likely a bug that Apple will squash in a later update, which means my new iPhone order will remain cancelled for now. I’m not some kind of covert photographer; I just hate being so conspicuous when I use my smartphone. I can tolerate it in Japan, where everyone suffers the same fate, but anywhere else, where you can mute your phone, I look like an incompetent fool who got his first smartphone in 2016: “You can mute that, you know?” “No, I can’t..”
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