The Misfit Phase is yet another connected analog watch
Misfit may not be the first (or even tenth) name that comes to mind when you think about sophisticated design, but its acquisition by the Fossil group last year may have taught it a thing or two about style. The company just debuted the Misfit Phase, an eye-catching analog watch that tracks your steps and sleep habitss and shows your progress toward various fitness goals. Like other smartwatches, it will alert you to incoming calls, messages and app notifications.
If that “hybrid-smartwatch” format sounds familiar, it’s because plenty of other brands already offer it — including Fossil itself and its partners Michael Kors and Skagen. Even Swiss watchmakers such as Frédérique Constant and Mondaine have joined in the fun. At $175, though, Misfit’s Phase is slightly less expensive than most of the competition.
Like others before it, the Phase sports a traditional watch face instead of a digital one and tracks your steps taken as well as sleep duration and quality. But whereas the Activite and the Swiss watches show your progress in a sub-dial on the same face, the Phase moves its hands when you press the Mode button on the top right. So if you’ve achieved a twelfth of the progress you needed to that day, the hands would move to the number ‘1’ when you press the button. Indeed, the two buttons that sit on the right of the device’s face set it slightly apart from the hybrid-smartwatch herd. But I’m not sure that having to push a button to pull up your progress is better than having it always there. The added step doesn’t feel worth the reduced clutter.
Pressing the Phase’s top button cycles through modes such as time, progress and alarm setting. A small circular window at the six o’clock position will change colors to reflect the mode you’re in. You can also set the hands to point to specific numbers on the dial depending on who’s calling or messaging you. During a brief demo, I was amused to see the hour and minute hands both swing to two o’clock position when a call came in, while the watch vibrated. Eventually, when Misfit updates its software (it’s not clear when that will happen), you’ll be able to program it so that the round window will turn to a specific color for any app you choose (i.e., blue for Facebook, green for calls, et cetera).
The bottom button triggers designated actions on your phone, such as snapping a picture when the camera is open, advancing through presentation slides or controlling music playback. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see this feature in action, so I can’t vouch for how well it works.
I was most taken by how pretty the devices looked, especially the blue-and-gold version. You wouldn’t be able to tell that this was more than a mere analog watch. That is, unless you spotted the chunkier-than-average stainless steel case. Just like your typical wristwatch, the Phase can be paired with any standard 20mm watch strap. Misfit is also offering custom bands that are available in leather or silicone, and the latter material felt surprisingly soft and comfortable. The watches themselves will be available in six band/case color combinations at launch. Because I’m such a style guru, you’ll need to know my favorites: the blue/gold, white/gold and black/gold options (in that order).
The Phase has some other things going for it. It’s water resistant up to 50 meters and, like other Misfit wearables, promises six-month battery life.
Considering how easy it is now for traditional watchmakers to add these fitness-tracking and connected features to their existing (and very handsome) timepieces, I was surprised that Misfit is charging as much as it is for the Phase. It’s slightly cheaper than Fossil’s Q Tailor ($195) and Skagen’s Hagen Connected ($195), but a touch pricier than the Withings Activite Steel ($170). The new watches will be available on November 7th on Misfit’s website.
Pixel and Pixel XL review: What happens when Google designs phones?
Google’s fascination with hardware stretches back years. Remember the early days of Android and the G1? The rise of the Nexus line? Those ill-fated Android@Home light bulbs and those beautiful Chromebooks? It took Google a while, but that fascination turned into a sort of experimental hobby, and now into something far more serious. Software is Google’s art, and the company has been working for a long time to craft the right canvases.
That’s where the new Pixel and Pixel XL come in.
Google has more control over the development — and destiny — of these two smartphones than it ever had with any Nexus phone. It’s not surprising, then, that the company has turned to close friends to help chart this new course. Former Motorola Mobility CEO Rick Osterloh is back at Google heading up hardware after the search giant sold his company to Lenovo. HTC, which most recently worked with Google on the Nexus 9 tablet, is handling the Pixel phones’ production and assembly. There’s a palpable sense that Google wanted to round up its A-Team for this project.
It shows. These Pixel phones are a culmination on Google’s part of years worth of experimenting with hardware, and they’re unsurprisingly great.
Hardware
In case the names didn’t tip you off, the Pixel ($649+) and Pixel XL ($769+) are identical — one’s just bigger than the other. Both phones are hewn from the same blend of aerospace-grade aluminum and Gorilla Glass, and they’re put together with the sort of attention to detail HTC is famous for. The Pixel and the XL feel lighter than they look, which is the sort of thing that could throw old-school HTC fans for a loop; the trademark density of the company’s metal designs is noticeably absent.
Don’t worry, though: Both versions of the Pixel feel reassuringly sturdy, and comfortable too — their curved backs nestled nicely into my hands. After years of getting used to bigger and bigger smartphones, I personally prefer the Pixel XL’s balance of comfort and usability. The XL is a little shorter and narrower than the iPhone 7 Plus too, which means more people should be able to comfortably use it.
Both phones also have excellent 12.3-inch rear cameras (much more on that later), paired with a way-above-average 8-megapixel camera for selfies. Our review units came with 32GB of non-expandable storage, of which 24GB was available from the get-go; needless to say, you should definitely consider the $100 upgrade to the 128GB model. It’s worth it.
Moving on, you’ll find a USB Type-C port on the bottom edge of either phone, flanked by a microphone and a surprisingly clear speaker. A microSIM slot rests on the phones’ left edges, while the headphone jack lives up top. Ready for the sad part? While other flagship phone makers have figured out how to make their devices more life-proof despite those holes, the Pixels will only partially resist dust and water. The exact rating is IP53, but the big takeaway is that these pricey new phones can’t deal with dirt or submersion as well as the new iPhones or Samsung’s most recent Galaxy devices.
Meanwhile, the differences between the two Pixels are exactly what you’d expect. The Pixel XL has a 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display, a step up from the 5-inch 1080p panel on the regular Pixel. At 3,450 mAh, the Pixel XL’s battery is among the largest we’ve seen in a flagship Android phone this year, and it’s a clear leap over the 2,770mAh battery used in the smaller model. That’s really it. Unlike, say, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, which have significantly different camera setups, there’s no exciting difference between the Pixel and the Pixel XL.
With all that said, I wish the Pixels looked a little more distinctive. The iPhone comparisons are inevitable and not out of line, but even beyond that, there’s a distinct lack of character on display here. As I’ve said, though, Google’s true art is software, and one could argue this low-key design was meant to let that software really own the spotlight. That, or Google just doesn’t have a great grasp on what beautiful hardware looks like yet.
That would explain why the Pixels’ faces are mostly empty except for the front-facing cameras, earpieces and infrared proximity sensors that sit above the screen. You’ll find that same amount of space below the display too, except it’s totally empty — there’s just a big helping of bezel that serves no purpose. The whole thing feels kind of austere, but things start to change when you turn the phones over. There you’ll find a pane of very slightly curved (aka “2.5D”) sheet of Gorilla Glass covering the top third of the phones’ backs, with one of Google’s excellent Nexus Imprint fingerprint sensors sitting near the bottom of the glass.
That glass panel is an… interesting design choice, to say the least. The reflective glass makes it easy to tell which side is up when you pick the phone without looking, and it also acts as a window to let RF signals move more easily through the phone. (Think of it as the evolution of the Nexus 6P’s trademark black bar.) The glass feels nice and has so far resisted scratches, but the look just isn’t for me. A shame, considering it’s the one truly distinctive thing about the Pixels’ design language. At least the Nexus Imprint sensor does a great job picking up my fingerprints; the Pixels very rarely bugged me for another attempt.
Oh, and while we’re still on the subject of looks, the finish that Google calls Quite Black isn’t actually black at all. It’s more of a gunmetal gray, and while that probably isn’t a dealbreaker, it would’ve been nice to get a Pixel that was properly black like the gorgeous Note 7. (The Pixels are also available in Very Silver and Really Blue, which are meh and kinda nice, respectively.)
Are you picking up on a theme here? For the most part, the components Google and HTC have stuck in the Pixels are first-rate — my inner 90’s child would even say they’re primo. They’re just sort of let down by their sense of style, or lack thereof. (It doesn’t help either that they can’t deal with water very well), Those are things Google could fix for next year’s Pixels (assuming they make any), but the promise of future improvement doesn’t do anything for the phones we have here.
Display and sound
If you were worried that Google would skimp on the screens, relax — both Pixels have great displays. There aren’t any gimmicks here . No curved edges or tiny secondary panels; just crisp, bright AMOLED screens with the sort of punchy, vivid colors these kinds of displays are known for. In fact, I could see colors perhaps being a little too punchy for some people. While the iPhone 7 Plus and its wide color display rendered a mountain scene at twilight with periwinkle skies, the Pixel and Pixel XL made those same skies look bright aqua. Google and HTC’s approach is more viscerally pleasing, but whether or not it’s better is mostly a matter of taste. Both screens also offer great viewing angles, though you’ll notice a little color distortion if you’re looking from too oblique an angle.
I’ve been talking about the Pixel and Pixel XL’s screens in the same breath, but it’s worth noting once more that they aren’t strictly identical. Beyond the extra detail made possible by its higher resolution display, the Pixel XL’s screen seems a little brighter and its color temperature comes off a touch cooler. That makes all of the stark white found throughout Android and your apps seem crisper, which I actually really like. Don’t get me wrong: the smaller Pixel’s screen is really quite good, but the XL’s blend of Quad HD detail and more pleasant colors make it the one to own if you’ve got the cash.
I was pleasantly surprised by the speakers tucked into the Pixel and Pixel XL, though maybe I shouldn’t have been. These phones were built by HTC, after all. Alas, though, you won’t find any crazy stereo speaker setups here — just a single, loud driver wedged into the bottom of each Pixel. These days my diet consists of electro-crooners like CHVRCHES and Lemaitre, and their respective vocals came through crisply and clearly. Even songs that focus heavily on drums — like Caravan from the Whiplash soundtrack — fare well, though you’ll probably pick up on some muddiness when there are lots of highs and lows banging around at the same time. These speakers certainly won’t replace an external set, but they’re more than enough to listen to podcasts or sing along with new tracks without feeling like you’re missing something.
Software
The Pixels are the very first phones to ship with Android 7.1 Nougat, and obviously, the first to offer Google’s new Pixel Launcher experience. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s talk about the core first: Android 7.1. Google was quick to call this new build an “incremental update” that builds on the progress made with the still-new Nougat update. (You can sift through our full Android 7.0 review here.) Incremental is right. Beyond the usual batch of bug fixes and system optimizations, there are only a handful of new features to play with.
Funnily enough, the most notable addition is also the one you’re most likely to discover by accident. Long-pressing certain app icons now brings up a list of actions you can jump straight into, much like how Quick Actions work with 3D Touch as of iOS 9. The thing is, Apple’s approach is more elegant. In iOS, you have to physically press the screen to access those shortcuts, a step that makes accidental actions unlikely. Here, though, you can’t tell which apps have shortcuts until you long-press them; if there aren’t any shortcuts, Android thinks you want to move that app icon to your homescreen.
Since the Android 7.1 developer preview won’t go live until later this month, the only apps that have these shortcuts enabled are ones made by Google — long-pressing the Gmail icon offers a “compose” option, while doing that to the Calendar icon lets you quickly create a new appointment. All told, 17 of the preloaded Google apps have shortcuts for you to play with, and they’re useful if you remember they’re there. Thankfully, you can grab those shortcuts and drag them to your homescreen for even quicker access.
Android 7.1 also brings the ability to send images straight from keyboard apps, so it’s easier than ever to harass your friends with GIFs. Developers can build support for GIFs, stickers and other image formats into their keyboards, but Google’s approach is already pretty damn useful. When pecking out a message in a compatible app — like the stock Messenger — tapping the emoji icon also reveals a GIF window you can use to search for the perfect animation. And yes, there’s some naughty-ish stuff to be found. Google has blocked most of the really vulgar images but you can definitely get more crude than you can on iOS. Throw in support for round app icons (like the ones on the Pixels), along with Daydream support (which I wasn’t able to test yet), and we’ve already covered the biggest changes to Nougat.
Now, about you Verizon customers. You can buy Pixels straight from a carrier store, but you’ll have to deal with a little software meddling in the process. I tossed a Verizon SIM into one of my review units during the setup process, and wouldn’t you know it — the phone started downloading three Verizon apps from the Play Store. Verizon’s Messages+ and the Go90 streaming service got the uninstall treatment immediately, but the My Verizon account management app can be pretty helpful. I’m still curious to see how Verizon does with its promise to keep big software updates rolling out to Pixels in a timely fashion, but at least it took a light touch with bloatware this time.
The Pixel advantage
Google wants you to feel special for buying into its vision of mobile computing — that’s why it’s sweetening the deal with features you won’t get on any other Android phone. Some of them are mostly cosmetic, like the redesigned setup flow and a calendar icon that shows you what the date is. Others, like the revamped Pixel Launcher interface, take a little more getting used to. All your Google Now cards still live to the left of the main homescreen, but the conspicuous app launcher button is gone.
You can tap a tiny arrow above the favorite apps tray to open the launcher if you really miss the old-school button; otherwise, the easiest way to go is to just swipe up from the bottom of the screen. That new swipe gesture feels natural because it thematically mirrors how you pull down the notifications shade, and as far as I’m concerned, there’s no going back. That persistent search bar is gone as well, which has thrown off just about everyone I’ve shown these phones to. The wallpaper picker has changed too, and Google has seen fit to trick out the Pixel and Pixel XL with some of the sweetest options I’ve seen on an Android device. Seriously: Thank you.
The rest of the Pixels’ exclusive features are pretty damn valuable. These phones come with unlimited full-resolution backups of photos and videos to Google Photos; everyone else can only store downsampled versions of photos for free. Since all that media can be backed up to the cloud automatically, you probably don’t need it on the phones themselves. That’s where the Pixels’ exclusive Smart Storage feature comes in — when you’ve blown through your 32GB or 128GB of storage, Android automatically clears up space by deleting photos and videos that have already been backed up. Feeling desperate for more space? You can manually force a clean-up, though your photos, videos and apps have to have gone untouched for a while before the system will let you trash them en masse.
Pop into the settings menu and you’ll also see a new tab for support — in case something goes awry, you can reach out to a Google rep to help you walk through things. During my testing, I managed to contact a technician in just a few minutes. They can be surprisingly helpful, too; you can even share your screen with them so they can see what’s going on. I just hope this level of service doesn’t drop off when more people start using these phones.
Google also made it surprisingly easy to migrate data from your old phone to your new Pixel, even if that old phone was made by Apple. I tried hooking up an iPhone 7 Plus to the Pixel XL during the initial setup process, and after about seven or eight minutes of chewing, my contacts and SMS threads appeared in their respective Android apps. Google didn’t have to do this, but building a near-seamless way to help someone give up his or her old phone is seriously savvy.
And then, of course, there’s the Google Assistant. If you’ve installed Allo, Google’s new cross-platform messaging app, you’re probably already acquainted. If not, it’s dead-simple to start chatting with it. Just hold down the home button or run through the voice training process and say “OK Google.” Familiar, no? From there, just start gabbing away. The Assistant can launch apps, find restaurants and points of interest nearby, translate things you say into different languages, and even just get answers to random questions. (As it turns out, Vladimir Putin is 64 years old.) I’ve been consistently surprised at how accurate its voice recognition has been too, since I tend to get a little mumbly from time to time.
Also impressive is how the Assistant can “remember” the context of a line of questioning, so you can speak to it the way you would to a person. Let’s go back to that weird Putin example: after asking how old he is, I asked the Assistant “Is he married?” The Assistant didn’t skip a beat and confirmed that he was until 2014. Machine learning has grown sophisticated enough for these interactions to become common — Siri started tracking context with the launch of iOS 9 — but it’s still terribly neat to see in action.
All told, Google’s Assistant is a surprisingly thoughtful system as long as you play within the range of prescribed actions. When it can’t figure out a more appropriate way to respond, the Assistant just defaults to reading web search results. More often than not, though, those little tidbits read aloud were at least enough to point me in the right direction. Unfortunately, many of the third-party integrations Google showed off at its Pixel launch event don’t work yet, so you won’t be hailing Ubers or reserving a table at The Smith using just your voice.
Camera
Google didn’t pull any punches at its Pixel unveiling — VP Brian Rakowski proudly proclaimed that the cameras in these smartphones are the best anyone has ever made. And the kicker? A review from the independent mobile camera testers at DxOMark giving the Pixel and Pixel XL the top spot in its photographic rankings.
While not perfect, Google’s pair of Pixels can indeed capture fantastic photos — detailed and crisp, with mostly correct colors. It shouldn’t surprise you to hear that the Pixel and Pixel XL excel in bright conditions, but their cameras are actually remarkable in dim situations too. That’s partly due to the optics Google ran with here. The 12.3-megapixel cameras have a f/2.0 aperture — that’s not quite as wide an opening for light as on the iPhone 7, but still pretty good. The pixels on those sensors are pretty large too at 1.55μm — a trait this Sony sensor shares with last year’s Nexus 6P.
That’s just part of the story, though: Google’s HDR+ mode is back and works much better than it has in the past. Remember, many HDR camera modes capture one long exposure and then process that image to crank up the clarity and dynamic range. The Pixels’ HDR+ modes, meanwhile, capture briefer exposures and basically stitch them together, reducing the likelihood of hand-induced blur. Thanks to the extra horsepower afforded by the Pixel’s beefy chipset and a Hexagon coprocessor, that process is much faster now, resulting in more appealing shots in both dim and bright conditions without delay. It doesn’t always work when you’re shooting rapid-fire, but in general this is the first HDR mode I’ve wanted to leave on all the time.
Like I said, though, the Pixels’ cameras aren’t perfect. I occasionally noticed the hybrid laser-and-phase detection autofocus system got skittish while trying to lock onto a subject. Neither camera has optical image stabilization either, though the included electronic image stabilization does a good job keeping blur from becoming an issue. This is especially apparent when you’re shooting video, as long as you’re not expecting miracles. There’s still some jitter to be found from time to time, alas.
The beauty of everything I just mentioned is that it generally happens behind the scenes. Google’s Pixel camera app is more than happy to let you shoot in Auto (and get some impressive photos in the process), but persnickety photographers will appreciate the ability to lock exposure and focus and overlay grids over the live image to more easily frame up shots. If that’s not you, well, you’ll probably still enjoy Google’s Smartburst feature, which lets you hold down the shutter button to capture a slew of shots in one go. From there, the phone stitches those frames together into a GIF(!) and lets you choose the best individual stills to keep.
Performance and battery life
Here’s an interesting tidbit to chew on: Qualcomm says the Snapdragon 821’s clock speed tops out at 2.4GHz, but the version used in both Pixel models is capped at 2.15GHz. In case you haven’t been keeping track, that’s as fast as the trusty Snapdragon 820s we’ve seen in just about every other flagship smartphone this year. Despite that, the Pixel and the Pixel XL feel snappier and more responsive than most of the other flagship phones I’ve tested this year. What gives? As far as Google was concerned, the real trick here was balancing sheer horsepower with battery life, so using a slightly slower version of the chipset seemed like the way to go. Google wasn’t willing to sacrifice the sensation of speed, though, so it optimized how things were rendered on-screen, reduced touch latency and improved app launch times.
That said, you’d be wrong to think the Pixels were lacking in sheer processing power. My days include lots of frenzied multitasking — think: Slack, Outlook, YouTube, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram and more — along with games like Mortal Kombat X and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. Nothing, and I mean nothing during this testing period managed to make the Pixel or Pixel XL break a sweat. Sure, they got a little warm from time to time, but their performance left me with no complaints.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
HTC 10
AndEBench Pro
14,941
16,164
13,030
16,673
Vellamo 3.0
5,343
5,800
4,152
4,876
3DMark IS Unlimited
28,645
29,360
26,666
26,747
GFXBench 3.0 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (fps)
46
48
47
48
CF-Bench
30,997
39,918
46,290
49,891
Neither did the Pixels’ batteries, as a matter of fact. Consider Engadget’s standard rundown test, wherein we loop high-definition videos with the phone connected to WiFi and the screen brightness fixed at 50 percent. The more capacious XL was the obvious stand-out here — it lasted 14 hours and 12 minutes, beating out the Galaxy Note 7 by just seven minutes. The smaller Pixel, meanwhile, managed 12 hours and 26 minutes before finally needing a trip to a power outlet.
Thankfully, both phones proved to be serious contenders in day-to-day use as well. After a full day of work, the XL would typically hover around 46 percent, and then, when my schedule quieted down, it just sipped on its remaining power. All told, I could reliably squeeze a day and a half of use out of it on a single charge, or closer to two workdays, even, when I played things safe.
The smaller Pixel fared well too, sticking around for a full day and clinging to life the next morning. You shouldn’t feel too bad about forgetting to charge your Pixel before crashing, though: Google says the included fast charger will give you seven hours of usage after just 15 minutes plugged in. Your mileage may vary, but in general, I found leaving the Pixel and XL plugged in for 15 minutes added a 15 and 20 percent charge, respectively.
The competition
Now that the Galaxy Note 7 has been permanently discontinued, Samsung’s heirs apparent to the Best Smartphone crown are the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. Before using the Pixels, I liked to think of these phones as the best all-around mobile cameras, and even now the race is closer than Google would like to admit. Beyond photography, they’re impeccably built, gorgeously designed and powerful enough for just about anyone’s daily routine. Still, having to deal with TouchWiz — even in its improved form — probably wouldn’t sit well with the kind of people who would be drawn to the Pixel line in the first place.
The HTC 10 also runs a tweaked version of Android in the vein of TouchWiz, but you’d wind up with a device that shares some traits with the Pixels. Incredible build quality? Check. Speedy performance and almost no touch latency? Yep. A stunning camera? Well… about that. The 10’s 12-ultrapixel camera sensor has pixels just as large as what you’ll find on the Pixel and Pixel XL, but Google’s phones have a distinct edge.
Finally, for people not strictly married to Android, there’s the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Apple basically recycled their design from last year, but looks are deceiving — they’re actually the company’s most technically impressive phones to date. Apple’s improved camera game puts the 7 and 7 Plus right up there with the Pixels and the Galaxy S7s when it comes to photography, but anyone itching for a truly “new” iPhone might want to wait a year anyway.
Wrap-up
As the story goes, Google only really got to contribute to Nexus phones once they were 90 percent done. That’s crazy, isn’t it? I loved the Nexus line from day one, but it always felt clear that Google was just experimenting with things while its hardware partners took on most of the risk. Now, Google is sticking its own neck out there, and the market — no, the people — won’t stand for mediocrity.
Thankfully, the Pixels are much, much better than that. They certainly have their share of shortcomings, like a drab design, wimpy water resistance and some hefty price tags. The thing is, Google had to start somewhere, and the foundation it built with these two phones is a surprisingly strong one. These aren’t just great first attempts at smartphones; these are great smartphones, period, and every other Android device maker out there should be a little worried.
‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ is coming next fall
Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar has been teasing a new Red Dead game in recent days, and we now know what it is: Red Dead Redemption 2. The third game in the series, it’s described as “an epic tale of life in America’s unforgiving heartland.”
Where the story will pickup from is unknown. Given the events of the first Redemption, it’s likely to be a prequel. The only promotional imagery we have so far is of a band of seven characters against a sunset — with the central figure looking a lot like the series’ protagonist, John Marston. But if it is a prequel, why call it Redemption 2? Are we maybe looking at a relative, or an all-new character? We’ll hopefully have some answers on October 20th, when a trailer drops at 11AM ET.
As well as the expected single-player mode, Rockstar says “the game’s vast and atmospheric world will also provide the foundation for a brand new online multiplayer experience.” The game is due out in fall 2017 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One — there is no mention of PC support anywhere in the promotional material.
Source: Rockstar
ICYMI: Hand over your car to the robot overlords
Today on In Case You Missed It: A new parking structure will autonomously park cars without a single human’s assistance. Meanwhile Colorado School of Mines is testing small-scale water treatment plants that could be used in neighborhoods rather than one city location. And Canadians sent the US a darling little ‘keep your head up’ video that has us saying aww!
The machine mating video on YouTube can be found here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Celebrity-Filled Beats Ad Shares Advantages of Headphones With ‘No Strings’
A new Beats By Dre advertisement shared online recently depicts a group of celebrities wearing the company’s new Solo3, BeatsX, and Powerbeats3 Wireless headphones. All three devices were announced during Apple’s September 7 iPhone event, and are positioned as compatible options for users looking to purchase wireless headsets due to the iPhone 7’s lack of a 3.5mm headphone port.
In the ad, celebrities including Nicki Minaj, Amber Rose, Rebel Wilson, Steve Buscemi, and more, all sing along to “I’ve Got No Strings” from Disney’s Pinocchio. Most of the people in the commercial are seen sporting the company’s newer model, the BeatsX, which it aims as a more mobile and everyday pair of headphones. That’s in contrast to the over-the-head Solo3 and activity-focused Powerbeats3.
All three Beats devices include Apple’s W1 chip, which allows the new headphones — like Apple’s new AirPods — to take advantage of easy, instant pairing to an iPhone. They also come with Fast Fuel, a fast-charging solution that can deliver more power with 5 minutes of charging. 5 minutes of charging delivers 3 hours of playback for the Solo3, 2 hours of playback for the BeatsX and an hour of playback for the Powerbeats3.
The Solo3 has been available to purchase for $299 on Apple.com since the September 7 event, but the Powerbeats3 ($199) and BeatsX ($149) won’t be coming out until sometime later in the year, likely to coincide with the holiday shopping season.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tag: Beats by Dre
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Facebook iOS Gains ‘Initial View’ For 360-Degree Photos, Data Saver Coming to Messenger
Facebook recently announced that users are now able to select the “initial view” for 360-degree photos when uploading pictures to the iOS, Android, and Chrome for Desktop Facebook apps. Prior to the update, Facebook would randomly choose a section of the 360-degree photo to showcase on the service, so now users can personally select the best section to show their friends and family (via The Next Web).
To do this, before posting users simply have to drag around the photo on mobile, or select “Edit” on desktop, to find the area of the picture they want to be the initial viewpoint for anyone scrolling through their Facebook feed. Whenever the initial view is clicked on, the full 360-degree photo will be showcased with more detail.
“In the coming weeks,” the company will also rollout album support for 360-degree photos, as well as the ability to post them into multimedia status updates, “i.e. when you want to post a combination of 360 photos, regular photos, 360 videos and regular videos at once.”
We’ve heard you loud and clear and we’re excited to roll out the ability to set the initial field of view on your 360 photo on iOS, Android and Chrome for desktop. To change the view, simply upload a 360 photo, then, before posting, move your photo around by dragging with your finger or select Edit on desktop and move the mouse until you’ve reached the desired view. Your friends will now see this angle of your photo when you post to Facebook. Please note, we have not enabled zoom with this feature.
Additionally, it was recently reported that the social network is running a beta test for a “data saver” feature on its separate Facebook Messenger app. When a user is on cellular data, and data saver is turned on, the mode acts as a barrier between the user and unwanted media downloads within messages by letting them tap and select every photo and video they want to download, and ignore the ones they don’t.
Ordinary text messages are unaffected by the mode, which also includes a setting that tells the user how much data is being saved. Normally, Facebook Messenger downloads all content within a message without user consent, so Facebook hopes data saver could be a way for users on low-data plans to avoid going over their rates. Right now, data saver is being tested on Android, but the feature is expected to eventually make it to iOS as well.
Tags: Facebook, Facebook Messenger
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Misfit Debuts New iPhone-Compatible ‘Phase’ Hybrid Smart Watch
Misfit today debuted its latest product, a new Phase hybrid smart watch that, like the company’s line of fitness trackers, is compatible with the iPhone. The Misfit Phase combines a round, analog-style watch with a range of smart features.
It’s able to track steps, distance, and sleep duration with a built-in accelerometer, and it delivers iPhone notifications and other information like activity and alarms using a combination of the watch hands, a small color window on the watch face, and vibrations.
Made of polished stainless steel covered by satin aluminum in several different shades, Misfit’s Phase is waterproof up to 50 meters and includes a 6-month battery that does not need charging. It works with any 20mm watch band, including many Misfit-designed bands.
The Misfit Phase can also be used as a remote for controlling music, snapping iPhone photos, advancing slides in a presentation, and more, functionality that’s also found in the company’s Ray and Shine activity trackers.
Misfit will begin selling the Misfit Phase on its website on November 7. Prices will start at $175.
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Samsung is now processing Note 7 exchanges at airports around the world
Samsung has started setting up exchange booths at airports across the world to process Note 7 returns or refunds. The trade-in booths are showing up in South Korea, Australia, as well as the U.S., allowing passengers to return their Note 7s for another Samsung device.
Samsung has customer service representatives on hand at these booths to transfer user data from the Note 7 to another device. The booths are meant to facilitate customers that have been traveling with the Note 7 and are no longer able to exchange it at their place of purchase. Samsung is actively working with government agencies and carriers as it looks to retrieve the remaining Note 7 units in the wild.
With the CPSC issuing a second recall, it is now illegal to carry the Note 7 aboard a flight in the U.S., and other countries have enacted similar bans on the device.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
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- Do not buy a Galaxy Note 7
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review
- The latest Galaxy Note 7 news
- Join the Note 7 discussion in the forums!
Switching from iPhone to Android: Everything you need to know
So you’ve seen the light and are switching from iPhone to Android. Welcome! Here’s what you need to know!
Switching from iPhone to Android can be a bit daunting. If you’re unpacking a brand new Pixel or Galaxy S7, or something else equally exciting, let us help you get set up quickly and easily!
If you’ve never used an Android phone before, there are a few things you should know before taking the leap (even though it’s the leap home).
There’s a learning curve
Switching from iPhone to Android isn’t the same as upgrading the from the iPhone 6s to the iPhone 7. It’s more akin to switching from Mac to PC (though not as drastic). General functions are still similar, but major Android phone manufacturers will often have proprietary user interfaces, distinguishing them from other makers.
Therein lies the rub. There is no single version of Android in the way that there’s only one iOS. Companies take the Android operating system and interpret it and mold it according to their vision, meaning you’ll get a different experience using a Samsung phone than you would using an HTC phone or an LG phone.
Though all Android operate similarly on a fundamental level, it’s the little, finicky difference that set them all apart, so it may take some getting used to.
If you’re just about to turn off your iPhone and put your SIM card into a brand new Pixel, Galaxy or something else shiny, here’s what you need to know!
Turn off iMessage!
When you message other iPhones from your iPhone, they’ll communicate via iMessage when you’re connected to the internet. This is different from regular SMS texting, and if you leave iMessage turned on on your iPhone, many of your texts will still be routed through that service.
If you’re on your new Android phone, you won’t receive any of those messages. You need to disable iMessage before making the switch! (And while you’re at it, turn off FaceTime.)
- How to disable and deactivate iMessage on iPhone
You might have to buy your apps again
If you have pay-upfront apps on your iPhone that you paid for, you’ll likely have to buy them again from the Google Play Store if you want them on your Android phone.
The Google Play Store and the App Store are completely different entities, and the apps they house are made for different platforms. Some of the apps you had on your iPhone may not even be available for your Android phone and vice versa. That said, if you’re subscribing to a service like Spotify or Evernote, you just need to download the app and log in on your new Android phone to get going.
You may need to re-sync your life
If you have all of your contacts, calendar events, photos, documents, and more synced with iCloud, and everything’s on your iPhone, you’ll likely have to re-sync everything on your Android phone.
Android’s version of the cloud is housed in your Google apps, like Docs, Gmail, Contacts, Drive, and more. When setting up your Android phone, you’ll set up a Google account and from there, you can actually sync some of your iCloud content with your Google account, so that you don’t have to re-enter all of your dates, contacts, etc.
What you’ll need to bring with you
You don’t have to leave your life behind on your iPhone. You can bring your information with you so that you’re not taking hours to populate your Android phone with all of your stuff.
Contacts
Yes, Google and Apple are direct competitors and the two biggest competitors in the mobile game, but neither makes it too difficult to switch teams. Rather than manually enter all of your contacts into your new Android phone, you can export your iPhone contacts in a few different ways.
- How to transfer contacts from iPhone to Android
Calendars
If your calendar is flush with events, it’d be a major pain in the behind to have to add them all in again once you’ve made the switch to Android. Luckily, all of your calendar info resides in files called ICS, which are widely used and easy to transfer.
- How to sync your iPhone calendar to your Android phone
Photos
Like most of us, your phone is probably your primary camera. You’ll want to take those precious memories with you when you leave the land of Apple, especially if you’re planning on erasing and selling your iPhone after. We recommend using Google Photos. Most Android phones have Google Photos pre-installed (and if not, it can be downloaded from the Play Store) and it’s a super quick and easy process.
- How to transfer iPhone photos to Android
Documents
If you use iCloud Drive, then you probably have a few documents socked away and you might want to get rid of iCloud Drive in favor of Google Drive when you switch to Android. Transferring those files is easy if you use the iCloud Drive and Google Drive desktop apps!
- How to transfer your iCloud Drive files to Google Drive
Manufacturer tools
Some manufacturers have their own tools to help you migrate your information from a computer. So if you have all your iPhone data on a computer, you can add it to your Android phone using the maker’s tool.
You won’t be able to add an iPhone backup to your Android phone, but you’ll be able to drag and drop contacts, music, and more from your computer.
Samsung Smart Switch
You’ll need to use the desktop client to be able to move your iPhone data to your new Samsung phone. It’s essentially the same as moving files around on your computer, but by connecting your Android phone to your computer, you’ll be able to transfer everything right to your phone.
- Download now
- How to use Samsung Smart Switch to back up your Galaxy phone
LG Bridge
LG Bridge lets you interact with your LG phone on your computer, where you can easily transfer all of the stuff you want to bring over when you migrate from iPhone to Android.
- How to use LG Bridge with your LG phone
Pixel Switch
Each Google Pixel comes with a USB-OTG adapter that allows you to quickly and easily transfer files, contacts, calendar entries and even iMessages from an iPhone to your new Android phone.
- Learn more about Pixel Switch at Google
Just remember
At the end of the day, switching to Android from iPhone is nowhere near as difficult as switching your writing hand, or even using that hand to write a test! An Android phone still performs the same basic functions you’re used to: making calls, messaging, surfing the web, playing games, etc.
It may take some getting used to, but you might find yourself feeling freed with all the customizable options that Android has to offer (I took three days to decide my home screen layout when I got my first Android phone after switching from iPhone).
Have fun with it and really do your research before buying your first Android phone so that you make sure you’re buying what’s best for you.
If you need some help with choosing, check out our Smartphone Buyer’s Guide, where we show you the particulars on just about every Android phone around, so that you can make an informed decision when it comes to switching over.
Questions?
Got a question about using and Android phone? Little nervous about making the switch? Let us know in the comments below!
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- All Android Nougat news
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- Join the Discussion
HP’s Sprocket pocket-sized printer lets you print instant smartphone photos
HP has introduced the Sprocket, a compact, pocket-sized printer that can instantly print 2 x 3-inch photos from your smartphone. To print photos, you’ll need to open up the Sprocket app for iOS and Android and connect to the printer via Bluetooth.
The app can pull in photos from your phone, Facebook, Flickr and Instagram accounts and can also access live camera so you can take a picture and immediately print it.
HP offers a whole range of editing options from within the app, such as adding captions and borders which are then printed out on sticky-backed Zink paper. This paper doesn’t rely on ink cartridges, but tiny crystals that heat up to show colours, so you don’t need to worry about changing cartridges all the time. You can also share your images on social media sites such as Instagram and Facebook.
You can take the Sprocket around with you thanks to a built-in rechargeable battery, although HP doesn’t say how long it should last, but it does take around 90 minutes to fully charge.
The HP Sprocket is available now in white and rose gold or black and silver for £99.99. A 20-pack of Zink paper will set you back £9.99 a time.
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