Bragi Launches ‘The Dash Pro’ With Bigger Battery, Better Bluetooth, and Real-Time Translation

At an event in New York City today, hearable company Bragi announced a trio of updates coming to its line of wireless Bluetooth headphones, including The Dash Pro, The Dash Pro tailored by Starkey, and Bragi OS 3. The updates follow the launch of The Headphone device that Bragi debuted earlier this year at a lower cost to The Dash, allowing The Headphone to enter the market as a more direct competitor to Apple’s AirPods.

The Dash Pro

The Dash Pro’s major updates center around what Bragi described as “professional grade” Bluetooth connectivity that provides audio to users “without interruption,” improving on some connection issues that owners of the original Dash faced. Other improvements include a five hour battery life on a single charge (up from three), with a carrying case that can recharge The Dash Pro up to five times, totaling 30 hours of battery life on the go.

All of the advancements represent what Bragi is calling a “powerful ear computer,” and not just a normal headphone or hearable device.

The Dash PRO contains more than 150 micro-components, a 32-bit processor, artificial intelligence powered by Dash AI and 27 sensors, all in a package about the size of your fingertip. Those sensors help ignite Bragi’s unique Kinetic User Interface, which enables users to literally turn their body into the device with a tap of the cheek or a nod of the head through the Virtual 4-D menu.

One-touch setup with any Apple, Android, or Windows device takes seconds, according to the company, and the audio transparency feature of The Dash has made it to the new device as well. With it, users can allow external sound to pass through into The Dash Pro, or cancel out any noise they don’t want to hear to focus on in-ear audio. Audio quality has been bumped up with a new advanced audio codec with reduced white noise, and all-new foam tips (FitSleeves will be in the box again, too) provide stronger bass thanks to a better in-ear seal.

The Dash Pro tailored by Starkey

Bragi has also partnered with hearing technology company Starkey and will be launching The Dash Pro tailored by Starkey, with personally-tailored fitting and more nuanced audio-boosting features at 5,000 audiologists throughout the United States and Canada. The Dash Pro tailored by Starkey is set to benefit users by allowing them to use “Fourth Platform” contextual computing interfaces that enhance their ability to interpret audio while enabling UI interactions through The Dash’s motion sensing.

“We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Dash PRO tailored by Starkey Hearing Technologies. As the world’s first custom-made wireless ear computer, this product is going to empower consumers to lead with confidence in everything they do,” said Brandon Sawalich, Senior Vice President, Starkey Hearing Technologies. “Our partnership brings a whole new dimension of personalization and customization to hearable technology to the market.”

Users will be able to purchase the tailor-made device and get a fit that is exactly customized to their ear canal, providing the “best isolation and a perfect fit with an emphasis on clarity, detail, and no loss of bass frequencies.” Bragi said that professionals in precision-based fields will see benefits from such a highly personalized in-ear fit, including musicians, content creators, athletes, and more. The Dash Pro tailored by Starkey will also include HearClear replaceable WaxGuards to allow for long-term wear and minimal cleaning.

Design and Bragi OS 3

In terms of design, The Dash Pro largely has kept the same look from the original device, with only subtle changes to the control slider (gun metal now instead of aluminum), and a leather inlay colored blue or gold for The Dash Pro and The Dash Pro tailored by Starkey, respectively. The Dash Pro comes exclusively in black, so the hearable no longer comes in white.

The Dash Pro and The Dash Pro tailored by Starkey will both come with Bragi’s all-new OS 3 (BOS3) pre-installed, and existing Bragi users will be able to update their devices like past OS launches. The update adds automatic workout tracking into The Dash, which can now understand when the user is running, cycling, or swimming with the power of the on-board AI, powered by IBM Watson, so keeping track of workouts and fitness progress is less of a hassle. In regards to swimming workouts, each new device is waterproof in up to three feet of fresh water as well.

One of the biggest new features is compatibility with iTranslate, the popular translation and dictionary app, which will come directly integrated into BOS3. Bragi said that this will introduce “real-time face-to-face conversational language translation” to an audio device for the first time. It works when a user launches the iTranslate iOS app, holds it up to a foreign speaker whose words are translated, piped into The Dash, and then read in the listener’s language in real time.

This way, if both users are wearing The Dash the two can essentially hold a conversation without knowing the other’s language. iTranslate supports 40 languages and anyone who purchases Bragi’s newest wearables will get a free one-month trial. After that, the service costs $4.99/month, $9.99/two months, or $39.99/year.

Other additions in BOS3 include:

Virtual 4D Menu – The Virtual 4D Menu is a unique hands-free, head-gestures (and audio only) way of interacting with The Dash Pro tailored by Starkey, The Dash Pro and The Dash, giving users the option of accessing core features in situations where their hands are preoccupied with other things.
Easy Bluetooth Handling – A simple one-touch setup connects your Android, Apple or Windows device in a matter of seconds. The six-digit confirmation code has been removed while a secure connection is maintained. The menu for Bluetooth Classic and BLE connections can be now found on the right earbud, leaving the left earbud for third party Apps integration.
Simplified Touch Interface – The Touch UI has been simplified and made more ergonomic to use. Additional “Use Guides” support the user to easily connect to The Dash and explore its smart capabilities.
Offline Storage and Data Transfer – Activity sessions are now stored and transferred to the Bragi app automatically so they can be accessed for future use.
Sound Improvements – Advanced tonal balance for natural sound.
Clearer Audio Transparency – The microphone’s noise floor has been greatly reduced and improvements have been made in understanding the naturalness of the acoustic landscape.
Otherwise, Bragi’s new devices function similarly to the original Dash, allowing users to stream audio from an iPhone through a wireless Bluetooth connection, make and receive phone calls, and use voice commands to control the headphone’s various functions. The Dash Pro can store up to 1,000 songs and podcasts on 4GB of internal memory, enabling users to leave their iPhone behind when working out.

The Dash Pro will retail for $329, and is available to purchase today on Bragi’s online shop, with retailer rollout expected to begin in the coming weeks. The Dash Pro tailored by Starkey will cost $499 in the U.S. ($699 in Canada) and the company mentioned that a list of audiologists selling the device will be shared online soon. For owners of the original version of The Dash, BOS3 is available to download through the Bragi Updater.

Tags: Bragi Dash, Bragi
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App Highlight: Kill Shot Virus

The App

Developed by Hothead Games, Kill Shot Virus is a new app from an established developer who has been responsible for apps like BIG WIN Racing, and Rivals at War. Having been recently updated on May 10 to version 1.0.2, Kill Shot Virus is very much in its infancy but the developer is working to patch any bugs quickly. Kill Shot Virus is a Zombie killing FPS game where you must protect survivors, kill the undead, and stop the virus spreading.

What it does

 

Kill Shot Virus has over 100 FPS missions where you must utilize a large set of weapons to kill the enemy zombies and stop the virus from spreading. With great graphics and effects, you’ll find yourself overcoming hordes of zombies all over an infected city.

You can even create a survival faction with your friends to rack up points together to dominate the global leaderboard. You can compete against rival factions and there’s even Urban Onslaught and Urban Pandemic event modes that have been included to survive against hordes of the infected and powerful boss-like super zombies.

Why we like it

Everyone loves a good zombie shoot-em-up, and Kill Shot Virus is a great example of one that has been optimized for mobile gameplay to just pick up and play. That would be one of my only criticisms with this game is that it is best enjoyed in short bursts as to keep it exciting. I think that’s more akin to the zombie FPS genre as a whole as it can get repetitive quickly. Picking up Kill Shot Virus will certainly leave you feeling like you’ve blown off some steam, and has great graphics to enjoy while you’re doing it.

How to get it

Goalify is available for free from the Google Play Store. You can download it right here.

Amazon is planning push notifications for your Echo

Amazon has been updating its line of voice-assistant devices to make them more user-friendly for a while. The Tap no longer needs a physical touch to activate it and your Echo devices can make calls and leave messages. Better yet, they’ll will soon be able to whisper and have better wake word accuracy. According to a post on Amazon’s developer site, Echo devices are getting another upgrade here, too: visual notifications for skills.

When one of your notification-enabled skills get new information, you’ll get a chime and a pulsing green light on your Echo, Dot, or Show device when there’s new information. This is the same way Amazon’s calling service notifies you of a message. You’ll just ask, “Alexa, what did I miss?” or “What are my notifications?” and Alexa will let you know what’s new all at once, instead of having to query each individual skill to get new updates.

The new system will roll out for select skills and shopping updates on most Alexa-enabled devices at first, including Amazon’s Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Show. Companies in line to get the feature already include AccuWeather, The Washington Post, Just Eat and Life360. Other developers will have access to the software needed to add notifications to their own skills soon. The feature is opt-in only, which means you’ll have to enable it to have it work. You can suppress notifications by putting your device into Do Not Disturb mode, too.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Amazon

Diesel emissions above legal limits contribute to premature deaths

Diesel vehicles in almost a dozen countries emit 50 percent more nitrogen oxide than lab tests anticipate, according to a new study. The disparity between estimated and actual levels isn’t just dumping more pollution in our atmosphere: It’s believed to have contributed to about 38,000 premature deaths in 2015.

Researchers checked emissions from the tailpipes of diesel vehicles in eleven regions: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea and the US. Labs estimated that cars, trucks and other emitters belched 9.4 million tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx), but researchers found them to have spewed 5 million more tons than expected.

This isn’t a revelation: Last year, a comprehensive study found that 97 percent of all modern diesel cars emit more NOx than the legal limit. The study published yesterday in the journal Nature finally put a body count on those excess vehicle emissions at about 38,000 premature deaths across the globe back in 2015. Which is why, when car companies are caught tweaking their emissions numbers, they get crucified in the media: Continual court settlements and bad publicity have at least pressured Volkswagon to fix their polluting diesel vehicles and promote new electric models.

Only 1,100 of those facilitated fatalities were in the US, with most coming out of China, India and the European Union. That shouldn’t be surprising either, as several reports have found that the EU’s lower regulations for diesel cars compared to larger-hauling trucks has allowed consumer vehicles to spew more NOx than comparable machines in other countries. They’re even disproportionate within the EU, as Italy had far and away the most premature deaths linked to NOx pollution at over 20,000 per year in 2013 (including gas emitted from industrial, non-vehicle sources), according to the European Environment Agency.

Via: The Verge

Source: Nature

The 10Eleven9 smart shirt can take your pulse and prod you about your posture

Why it matters to you

This sensor-filled smart shirt points the way toward a future when our garments will play a more active role in our lives.

How smart was the last shirt you bought? If you start talking about high quality fabrics, mother of pearl buttons, bespoke hand sewing and rigid collars, you need to stop and remember that you’re on a tech site!

When we talk about smart shirts, we’re referring to something like the shirt created by German-based startup design and Internet of Things firm Colorfy. What they’ve created for a new Kickstarter campaign, called 10Eleven9, is a shirt that fuses “distinctive fashion and beautiful engineering.”

“This shirt, which looks like a traditional shirt, has the newest technology integrated,” Julia Seeler, senior account manager at Colorfy, told Digital Trends. “It’s the first smart shirt of its kind. Our goal is to bring a garment to the market which not only looks good, but supports the user in various ways to make his life easier and more convenient.”

That means seven pockets, which can be accessed through an invisible opening in the shirt’s side seam. Two of these are even RFID-blocking pockets, designed to protect your passport and credit cards from potential high-tech scams. There are also the obligatory plethora of smart sensors (of course!), including heart rate sensors, posture sensor and breathing measurements — which can be read through either vibrating feedback or push notifications. Ever been on a hot date and wished you had a shirt that would tell you to sit straighter and calm down? Now it no longer has to remain a slightly odd fantasy!

“The shirt is only the start of what we would like to achieve,” Seeler continued. “We want to build a platform with the shirt as a reference implementation. We want to create a platform with a shirt as the newest wearable interface to interact with smart devices and smart home concepts.”

According to Seeler, the team went through a whopping 25 different prototypes to create the perfect blend of comfort and tech. “Our goal is that the wearer has a great experience,” she said. “[We want] to achieve this from a very complex combination of embedded electronics and software integration.”

If you’re in the market for the 10Eleven9 smart shirt, you can currently place a Kickstarter pre-order for 149 euros ($165.) Shipping is set to take place in March 2018.

These handbags from FYB London may just be your get-out-of-work-early card

Why it matters to you

Your bag shouldn’t just carry your laptop — it should help you charge it, too, giving you the freedom of a mobile workplace.

Your mobile office has never looked so stylish. That is because your newest mobile office just may be your handbag. Meet FYB London, heralded as the maker of the world’s smartest handbags and your new get-out-of-work-early card. Featuring wireless smart device charging, bio-lock security, Bluetooth proximity alerts, and “enough organization to rival a mobile office,” this company’s products promise to be as efficient as they are chic, and want to apply those same adjectives to you.

The FYB London Smart Handbag collection is clearly designed with mobility in mind, providing you with the energy you need to charge all your electronics (though sadly, you can’t plug yourself into the 5,000 mAh charging pocket when you are in need of a pick-me-up). With padded laptop and tablet compartments, in addition to several other organizational pockets, you can keep all your devices and documents within reach.

And don’t worry about prying fingers making their way into your handbag. FYB promises that all its products are protected by a Transportation Security Administration- accepted biometric recognition lock, which means you and only you (or whomever else you allow) can access the contents of your tote. But for convenience’s sake, you can easily unlock your bag from your phone thanks to Bluetooth connectivity and this same connectivity will alert you if you happen to leave a business meeting without your trusty sidekick.

All FYB London Smart Handbags are made with premium leather and come in either a city bag or tote style. With more than two weeks left in the campaign, the handbags have raised more than double their goal and are nearing $75,000 in funding from 265 backers. If you’re interested in getting in on the action, you can pre-order a London Smart City Bag for $259, or a London Smart Travel Tote for $293. Both products are expected to be delivered by August.

LG V30: News and rumors

Why it matters to you

LG’s V-series phones are just as much of a flagship device as the G-series phones, and the rumored V30 promises to be the most powerful yet.

LG’s V-series smartphones have evolved into the company’s flagships — more so than the G-series hardware — due to interesting and unique features and, in many cases, stronger processors. The last model, the V20, only arrived in late 2016, so it isn’t due for replacement just yet, but rumors of a so-called V30 are already starting to spread.

Here’s what we think we know about the LG V30 already.

Secondary display and design

It’s looking more and more like LG will finally switch to OLED technology for the display on the V30. According to a report from The Investor, LG Display is seriously ramping up production of OLED panels, and the first device to include these new OLED panels will reportedly be the LG V30.

Since the V10, LG has used a second display above the main screen to provide additional information on V-series phones. A photo published on Slashleaks, allegedly of the V30’s front panel, shows how the dual-screen design might shake out this time around. At first glance, it doesn’t appear to be much different from its predecessors, though the two similarly sized circular cutouts indicate we may see a return to the V10’s dual front-facing cameras, after the V20 ditched those in favor of a single wide-angle lens.

While the secondary display has been expected to remain a feature of the V30, its functions may be different. In November, Twitter-based phone leaker @evleaks said he had seen an early render of the V30, and that the “ticker” screen would be different from the current versions. He didn’t elaborate on how it would be different, but did clarify that the secondary screen would remain, just in a potentially different capacity, rather than be removed.

In addition to supplying the curved OLED displays for the LG V30, LG Display is said to also be on the hook for Xiaomi’s Mi Note 3, and The Investor reports that the company is also hoping to send its OLED panels to Apple for its iPhone. This would allow LG Display to diversify its offerings, as it’s previously stuck to liquid-crystal displays for the iEmpire.

Processing power

While LG opted to go with the Snapdragon 821 processor for its recently-released G6, due to supply problems with the newer Snapdragon 835, the situation is expected to change in time for the V30’s release later this year. A rumor published on the Chinese social media site Weibo says the V30 will have the Snapdragon 835 inside, along with 6GB of RAM.

Audio performance

LG pushed the audio experience hard on the V20, which featured the world’s first Quad DAC in a smartphone, and special tuning from B&O on the international models. The V30 may also get some special treatment. The same Weibo source claiming the V30 will get the Snapdragon 835, also says an improved version of the DAC previously used in the V20 will feature in the new model.

This makes sense, as LG has announced an upgraded Quad DAC for the forthcoming LG G6 already, which may eventually also find its way into the V30. Whether it will be updated even further isn’t known at this early stage.

Release date and availability

LG announced the V20 in September 2016, so a sequel is highly unlikely to arrive before the same time this year. At the moment, it’s only being rumored for the second half of 2017. LG made the decision to restrict sales of the V20 to South Korea, the U.S. and certain other international regions, but shunned the United Kingdom. It has a chance to rectify its oversight with the V30.

Nothing about the LG V30 is official yet, so treat all the information here as speculation and subject to change. We’ll continue to keep you updated with all the rumors.

Article originally published on 02-17-2017 by Andy Boxall. Updated on 05-16-2017 by Christian de Looper: Added news that LG will be using an OLED display on the V30. 

Nano-drone blimp responds to gestures, knows when to keep its distance

Why it matters to you

As drones become more commonplace, they need to have built-in sensors to keep them at a safe distance from people.

Plenty of people do not understand personal space but at least we can create robots that do. In fact, respect for space is one of the first things programmed into machines like autonomous cars and security bots that move freely around humans.

A team of researchers at The Georgia Institute of Technology is developing an autonomous drone blimp with sensors that help it fly around humans while maintaining an appropriate distance.

“The drone blimp is a perfect platform to move safely in the proximity of human,” Fumin Zhang, a Georgia Tech professor leading research on the blimp, told Digital Trends. “The speed of the blimp is on par with human movement, not too fast. The blimp flies 10 times longer than a quadcopter, which enables extended period of playtime with the human.”

Equipped with sensors and a small camera, the drone blimp is designed to detect hands so people can direct its movement with gestures. The camera also lets it identify facial expressions to determine whether a person is uncomfortable by its hovering about or intrigued by its presence.

“It detects and reacts to a human face to decide the best movement to respect human’s intent, for example, whether the human wants to play with the blimp, or simply wants to be left alone,” Zhang said.

The sensors aren’t perfect yet — the video below shows it float around a bit carelessly — but it is a step in the right direction for respectful robots.

The ultimate goal of the blimp is to study how people perceive and react to flying drones. However, future versions may find applications outside of the lab, taking the place of tour guides, store clerks, or coworkers.

“The blimp can serve as personal shopping aid in a supermarket or a personal guide in a museum,” Zhang said. “It can easily guide a group or a crowd by flying overhead for a long time. And the blimp can fly in hazardous indoor workspaces to watch over the shoulder of workers when they are performing risky tasks.”

Zhang and his team see real scientific value in their blimps but they would also like a bit of outside recognition, having recently submitted an application to the Guinness World Record for “the world’s smallest autonomous blimp.”

HTC U11 vs. Samsung Galaxy S8: Which flagship reigns supreme?

The HTC U11 is a compelling smartphone. It boasts the company’s UltraPixel camera — which is now the highest scored smartphone camera on DxOMark — and it’s powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 835 processor, with an AI-powered assistant for good measure.

But Samsung’s Galaxy S8, its prime competition, is no less a powerhouse. It sports the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor as the U11, plus wireless charging, a water-resistant design, and Bixby, Samsung’s own AI-powered assistant. Which phone gives you more bang for your buck? We pit the HTC U11 against the Samsung Galaxy S8 in a hardware battle to the finish.

Specs and performance

HTC U11

 

Samsung Galaxy S8

 

Size
 153.9 x 75.9 x 7.9 mm (6.06 x 2.99 x 0.31 in)
159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1 mm (6.28 x 2.89 x 0.32 in)
Weight
 5.96 ounces (169 grams)
6.2 ounces (173 grams)
Screen
 5.5-inch Quad HD Super LCD
5.8-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED
Resolution
 2,560 x 1,440 pixels
2,960×1,440 pixels
OS
Android 7.1 Nougat
Android 7.0 Nougat
Storage
 64 (U.S.) 128GB (International)
64 (U.S.) 128GB (International)
SD Card Slot
Yes
Yes
NFC support
Yes
Yes
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
RAM
 4GB (U.S.) 6GB (International)
4GB
Connectivity
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE
Camera
 Front 16MP, Rear 12MP with OIS
Front 8MP, Rear 12MP with OIS
Video
 4K
4K
Bluetooth
Yes, version 4.2
Yes, version 5
Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes
Other sensors
Edge Sensor, barometer, gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, proximity sensor
Barometer, gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, heart rate, proximity sensor, iris scanner
Water Resistant
Yes, IP67
Yes, IP68
Battery
 3,000mAh
3,000mAh
Charger
 USB Type-C
USB Type-C
Quick Charging
Yes
Yes
Wireless Charging
No
Yes, Qi and PMA
Marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store
Color offerings
Blue, black, white, gray, red
Black, silver, gray, blue, gold
Availability
Unlocked, Sprint

AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile

DT Review
Hands On
4 out of 5 stars

You’d have a tough time telling the U11 and Galaxy S8 apart from internals alone. Both phones share 4GB of RAM and a base storage of 64GB (some markets will have 6GB of RAM and 128GB for both). They’re both have MicroSD card slots in case you need more storage, and they’re powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835, the flagship processor in the chip maker’s arsenal.

In most apps and real-world scenario, the processor bests its predecessor, the Snapdragon 821, handily. Benchmarks show the 821 earned a respectable 141,092 on AnTuTu, but the Snapdragon 835 went above and beyond, hitting a hefty 183,227. These two phones are certainly more powerful than any other Android phone on the market.

If there’s one major spec advantage the Galaxy S8 has over the U11, it’s Bluetooth. The Galaxy S8 utilizes Bluetooth 5, which has 4 times the range of Bluetooth 4.2, which is what the U11 uses. It also has 2 times the data speed, and it can pair to two different devices at the same time.

It’s too early to tell whether the respective optimizations HTC and Samsung have made will confer meaningful advantages. But for now, we’re calling this round a tie.

Winner: Tie

Design

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The U11 and Galaxy S8 might not be all that different on the inside. But from the outside, they couldn’t look less alike.

The U11 boasts HTC’s bright “liquid surface,” a glass back specially designed to shine and shimmer in the light. There’s a lot of unused space on the front, with sizable edges between the screen and edges. The Galaxy S8, by contrast, is mostly curves. It features rounded glass and metal with a big screen and minimal edges, and a massive screen that stretches the edges back on all sides. The haptic home button, which sits under the Galaxy S8’s display, is a nice touch.

We can’t stop staring at the front of the S8, but the rear isn’t as pretty. The fingerprint sensor is in an awkward position next to the camera module. The U11 doesn’t have that problems — its oval-shaped fingerprint sensor is on the front, below the screen, and its primary shooter is flush with the rear cover. The U11’s edges curve gradually, but it’s the back we can’t stop looking at — it’s simply gorgeous.

Both the Galaxy S8 and the U11 are water resistant, with an IP68 and IP67-rating, respectively. The Galaxy S8 has a slight improvement in depth here, but it’s not enough to decry the U11.

Both the Galaxy S8 and U11 pack USB Type-C charging ports. But unlike the Galaxy S8, the U11 eschews the standard 3.5mm headphone jack. HTC justifies it with its USB-C USonic headphones that comes with the phone — the U11 can power active noise cancelling tech to the earbuds, and it’s a feat made possible with the USB Type-C port.

The U11 also packs four microphones that record high-quality sound from a distance, and it’s optimal for using voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

But despite the U11’s audio prowess, we’re not convinced that noise-canceling headphones were a great reason to do away with the 3.5mm headphone jack. As pretty as the U11’s liquid metal material is, it’s no match for the Galaxy S8’s futuristic, curved screen. For those reasons, we’re handing the Galaxy S8 the win.

Winner: Galaxy S8

Display

The U11 and Galaxy S8’s screens may be roughly the same size, but the technology couldn’t be more different. The U11’s 5.5-inch Quad HD (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) is Super LCD, meaning it’s illuminated with a backlight. The Galaxy S8’s 5.8-inch screen, meanwhile, is Super AMOLED, and it produces some of the brightest and most colorful images we’ve seen on a smartphone.

As an added bonus, the Galaxy S8’s screen supports high-dynamic range (HDR) content, which means it boasts greater color volume. Samsung produces the best displays, and the Galaxy S8 blows the competition — including the U11 — away in terms of color accuracy, contrast, and black levels.

Winner: Galaxy S8

Battery life and charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The U11 and Galaxy S8 share the same 3,000mAh battery capacity. HTC estimates the U11’s battery life at 24.5 hours on 3G/4G, and up to 14 days on standby. Samsung’s Galaxy S8 lasts just about as long. In our review, it made it about a day on a charge — we ended with about 25 percent around 8 p.m. after a day of taking photos, music streaming, and browsing. We’ll see how the U11 measures in our review, but expect a similar result as the S8.

Both phones charge quickly. The U11 supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 standard, which delivers roughly 1 hour of battery power for every 1 minute of charge. And the Galaxy S8 uses Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charge, and supports wireless charging (QI/PMA).

It’s a close call, and we’ll have to see if the HTC’s software optimizations — or lack of — make a day-to-day difference. But for now, the Galaxy S8’s wireless charging features are enough to win it this round.

Winner: Galaxy S8

Camera

HTC’s stuck with its in-house UltraPixel tech with the U11. The rear 12-megapixel camera a f/1.7 aperture, an optical image stabilization (OIS) system that mitigates shaky hands and bumpy car rides, and a dual-tone LED flash module.

The S8 sports a 12-megapixel camera that’s an excellent low-light performer. All the extras you’d expect are here, including optical image stabilization. In our testing, we were impressed by the Galaxy S8’s ability to produce great shots in tricky lighting conditions. The Galaxy S8’s front 8-megapixel camera isn’t anything to write home about, but we appreciate the wide-angle mode — especially for big group selfies.

DxOMark has rated the U11’s camera as the best smartphone camera with a score of 90, narrowly beating out Google’s Pixel, and the Galaxy S8. We’ll have to test this out further before claiming a winner.

Winner: Tie

Software

The U11 ships with Android 7.1.1, which is slightly more recent than Android 7.0 on the Galaxy S8. It’s layered over with HTC Sense, the company’s Android skin, which isn’t too far off from stock Android. Similarly, the Galaxy S8 ships with TouchWiz, which has greatly improved in design, and isn’t as power intensive as previous versions.

The Galaxy S8 offers features such as Edge Panel, which lets you stick shortcuts to the curved edges of the Galaxy S8’s screen. There’s Smart Stay, which keeps the screen on as long as your eyes are staring at it, and multitasking options let you reverse the app position with a tap.

One of the Galaxy S8’s headlining features is Bixby, an artificially intelligent assistant in four parts: Bixby Home, Reminder, Vision, and Voice. Bixby Home is a dedicated screen that shows you information like your current step count, your next calendar event, the weather, what’s trending on Twitter, and even random GIFs from Giphy. Bixby Reminders surfaces tasks and images you want to be reminded of later on. Bixby Vision recognizes objects and suggests relevant Amazon search links and more. And Bixby Voice lets you perform actions with voice commands.

The U11 has Sense Companion, an artificially intelligent assistant that taps signals like your current location, activity level, and calendar to anticipate your needs. If your battery’s at 50 percent and you have a long-distance flight ahead of you, for example, Sense Companion will remind you to charge your smartphone. If it’s lunchtime, it’ll plop a link to a highly-rated nearby restaurant on your lock screen. Alternatively, the U11 offers access to the Google Assistant (as does the S8), and to Amazon’s Alexa.

The U11 has touch-sensitive edges — it’s a part of a new feature called Edge Sense. It’s triggered by squeezing the bottom portion of the phone’s frame. Like the Convenience Key on the new BlackBerry Key One, it’s programmable — you can use it to launch apps, take photos, and more. We think this will prove more useful, as well as Sense Companion, than Bixby — at least in Bixby’s current state.

The HTC U11 will get monthly security updates, an HTC spokesperson told Digital Trends. Samsung should be following through with the S8, but HTC has been quicker to issue updates — especially Android version updates. It’s also already on a more recent version. The U11 gets the win here, but it’s narrow.

Winner: HTC U11

Price and availability

HTC U11 is available unlocked on HTC’s website and Amazon for $650. It’ll be compatible with Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile networks, but Sprint is the only carrier that’ll sell it directly at launch. It’s available on the carrier for $29 per month for 24 months, or $696 at full price. The HTC U11 is available for pre-order now, and will start shipping in June.

The Galaxy S8, by comparison, starts at $725 unlocked. Alternatively, it’s available from Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, Amazon, B&H, and other retailers for between $720 and $750.

Galaxy S8
HTC U11
Verizon
$720, or $30 per month for 24 months
N/A
Sprint
$750, or $31.25 per month for 24 months
$696, or $29 per month for 24 months
AT&T
$750, or $25 per month for 30 months
N/A
T-Mobile
$750, or $30 per month for 24 months
N/A
Unlocked
$725
$650

The HTC U11 may not be available from as many retailers as the Galaxy S8, but it’s quite a bit cheaper. That’s enough to win it this round.

Winner: HTC U11

Overall winner: Galaxy S8

It’s a narrow win for sure, and the Galaxy S8’s win does not mean the U11 isn’t a good phone. The Galaxy S8 is better — its curved AMOLED screen is fantastic for consuming media, it has superior Bluetooth connectivity, it supports wireless charging, and it has a headphone jack. That’s not to discount the U11’s Edge Sense, liquid metal display, or Sense Companion, all of which are innovations worth celebrating. You also save some money going for the U11.

LG Watch Sport (Android Wear 2.0) review

Research Center:
LG Watch Sport

The wearables category continues to grow, but smartwatches are still in an odd place. Companies are finding it hard to sell the idea of a watch that costs $300 or more, yet lacks the longevity or resale value of a traditional watch. Technology is supposed to make things easier, and for a lot of people smartwatches don’t offer a compelling solution to a problem, making them a tough purchase to justify.

The first iteration of Android Wear essentially offered people a glorified notification reader. Sure, the user interface looked nice, but it was a nightmare to navigate – and you don’t want to think about navigating a smartwatch, something meant to be used at a glance.

Android Wear 2.0 is Google’s second attempt, and it’s far more promising. The launch debuted on the LG Watch Sport and Watch Style, which were designed in collaboration with Google like its previous Nexus devices. The LG Watch Sport is our focus here, and it had us interested in smartwatches again — until it ran out of juice. Let’s take a deeper look.

Update: Verizon has confirmed that its variant of the LG Watch Sport has been canceled. The carrier is offering customers who pre-ordered the device $100 off another connected smartwatch of their choice. By Adam Ismail on May 16, 2017.

Design and specifications

When you think of sports watches, Casio’s G-Shock series come to mind, or even Casio’s new outdoor smartwatches, the WSD-F10 and WSD-F20. There’s typically a lot going on, not just on the watch face but on the case as well.

Watch faces are important. Google has kept the process of switching and customizing them incredibly simple.

The LG Watch Sport goes against the grain with a stainless-steel design that’s fairly minimal. What makes it sporty is the polyurethane band, its IP68 water-resistance rating, and GPS. It also has three buttons that help make it more functional than the Watch Style.

While I usually opt for leather-strap classic watches, the Watch Sport is more up my alley largely because of its design, though the dark blue is more beautiful than the grey. The gorgeous and large 1.38-inch P-OLED display helps too.

Unfortunately, it’s thick and heavy. It’s not a watch you’ll forget on your wrist because it’s not the most comfortable to wear. It feels like a premium watch, but the rubber strap — which isn’t replaceable — contributes to my desire to take the watch off after long periods of time to rub my wrist.

The screen is protected with Corning’s extra-durable Gorilla Glass 3, and the Watch Sport has an ambient light sensor that helps dim the screen and make it monochrome when you’re not looking at it.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

It’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor with 768MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and a 430mAh battery. It also sports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LTE connectivity — the latter will require a SIM card that you can insert in the back.

There’s also GPS, the IP68 rating that lets you take it for a swim, and NFC for Android Pay.

A streamlined interface and the Play Store

I fired up my second-generation Moto 360, which has been collecting dust, and the differences between Android Wear 1 and 2 are startling, namely the poor design choices Google made the first time around. Users were required to swipe through so many screens to access a particular setting! In retrospect, version 1.0 feels especially clunky.

Android Wear 2.0 – which I’m actually testing on the other hand — is a joy to use in comparison. The interface is streamlined and simple. Swipe down to access quick settings, and swipe up to move through your notifications. To minimize fingerprints on your watch screen, the crown rotates, allowing you to use it as a scroll wheel or to zoom in and out of maps.

It doesn’t always scroll through every screen, however: some apps aren’t optimized for that yet, including some screens in the Android Wear 2.0 interface, strangely. Pressing the crown instead (it’s the middle button on the Watch Sport) pulls up your apps. You can pin your most used apps to the top.

While there are a lot of Wear apps, the bulk of them have yet to be updated to version 2.0. This may take a while, and in general there needs to be more app support so that notifications can offer a richer experience. Uber finally joined, but where’s Lyft? Where’s Twitter? We’ll have to wait and see how soon third-party developers support version 2.0 or the platform in general.

There’s also the Google Play Store, which means you don’t need your phone to download Wear apps, and iPhone owners using the Watch Sport can bypass the App Store. It also means you don’t need to clutter your phone with apps you may use only on your smartwatch — a godsend for people who don’t like to have redundant or unnecessary apps on phones.

We don’t recommend hunting for apps through the Play Store, because it can be annoying on the small screen. Use the Google Play Store website on a computer and remotely install apps to your watch instead.

The user experience on the Watch Sport is solid for the most part; the Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor is sufficient, but there are moments of stutter and lag, such as when you’re downloading or updating apps. Loading apps, the Play Store, and even Google Assistant takes longer than expected too, but it’s unclear if this is a connectivity or processing issue.

Google Assistant

Pressing and holding the crown button calls up Google Assistant, or you can just say “OK Google.” The functionality is almost identical to what you could do previously with voice search on Android Wear.

While it can’t perform some functions the Assistant on Google Home can — such as controlling your smart home devices — it’s more personable. You can ask it to tell you stories, jokes, and more as you can with the Assistant on other platforms.

Google has built a great voice assistant that allows you to easily trigger actions like finding your heart rate, placing calls, setting a reminder, sending a text, and more. But there’s opportunity for more once Google decides to unify the Assistant across its platforms.

The company tells us Assistant on the watch will support third-party actions “like turning on/off the lights (through Philips Hue) and making a restaurant reservation (through OpenTable),” though no specific timeline was mentioned.

Watch faces and complications

By far, two of the best features of Wear 2.0 are face customizations and complications: Just swipe left or right to scroll through other watch faces. You can set one up by long-pressing it, or by tapping the settings icon when perusing.

Google has built a great voice assistant that allows you to easily trigger actions.

Complications, by the way, are meant to mimic those smaller subdials on a traditional watch. They offer up information at a quick glance, such as the time to your next calendar event, how active you’ve been this week, and more. You can change which one you’re showing by tapping on them when customizing the watch face — third-party apps can add their own complications as well.

Android 2.0 offers more control over the color scheme of a watch face and layout of the complications (you can also have none). The best part: If you have more than one favorite style, you can customize as many as you want and just swipe left or right to switch.

For example, if I’m heading to a fancy dinner I’ll swap to a minimal, traditional-looking face with no complications. When I’m out and about, I’ll swap to one that more readily gives me important information. This is my favorite feature in Android Wear 2.0 — watch faces are important, and Google has done a great job in keeping the process of switching and customizing them incredibly simple.

Notifications, Pay, and Fit

Google has added Smart Reply functionality from services like Inbox and Allo to the Android Wear OS itself. This is possible with on-device machine learning, which impacts third-party applications as well.

Smart Replies have definitely been useful, but if they aren’t doing it for you, tap Reply to access voice-to-text, an emoji scribbler, or the keyboard. I usually opt for voice input or the keyboard, where I can swipe through letters — it’s surprisingly accurate.

You can also press the globe sign to switch keyboards to the handwriting input, in case you want to draw your letters. This works well for when you want to write short responses, but the other input types are far more versatile.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Still, all these input methods allow for greater choice in how someone wants to respond to notifications. While it may look silly talking to your watch or trying to type, I’ve found it useful in situations like when I’m in a crowded train and can’t access my smartphone. Notifications are the crux of a smartwatch, and Android Wear handles them excellently.

A few gestures from the first version of Android Wear have carried over too, but you have to turn them on. Flick your watch away from you to pull notification cards up, and flick it towards you to go back and even pull your settings down. These gestures are my favorite way of interacting with a smartwatch, because it’s truly hands free.

In the world of finance, Google has finally caught up with the likes of Samsung and Apple with payment functionality on its smartwatch platform. Android Wear works with Android Pay thanks to the NFC sensor in the Watch Sport, meaning your smartwatch will need NFC to be able to use Android Pay.

LG Watch Sport Compared To

Huawei Fit

Apple Watch Series 2

Motorola Moto 360 (2015)

Martian Passport MP100WSB

Garmin fenix 2

Meta M1 Watch

LG G Watch R

Netatmo June

Neptune Pine

Motorola Moto 360

Martian Notifier Watch

Samsung Gear 2

Phosphor Touch Time

Samsung Gear Fit

Basis B1

The top button on the Watch Sport is configured to Google Fit, but the bottom is for Android Pay. This can be customized to your liking, but by default pressing the bottom button pulls up your credit card; all you have to do is hold your wrist up to the payment terminal. It works pretty well, though it may take a few extra seconds to load and process — expect to spend some awkward time with the cashier.

Google Fit has been improved in Wear 2.0 to automatically detect workouts, and the app can also offer tips on proper technique for some exercises. The GPS is relatively accurate — it would usually put me a little less than a block away from where I was standing.

Abysmal battery

And that finally brings us to battery life. No matter how much I enjoyed using Android Wear, I was constantly worried on my device’s battery life.

When I didn’t use the Watch Sport and left it on my desk for about 20 hours, it went down from 100 percent to 66 percent. Standby time needs to be improved and likely LG and Google can pull that off, but the watch probably just needs a bigger battery.

It feels like a premium watch, but the rubber strap — which isn’t replaceable — contributes to my desire to take the watch off after long periods of time to rub my wrist.

Bottom line, it’s near impossible to get a full 24-hour cycle with the Watch Sport, and that’s without even using the GPS or fitness-tracking features. Moderate to heavy usage left me at 20 percent when I came home from work at about 6 p.m. If I had an after-work event to head to, the watch would most likely be dead.

Light usage — almost only checking notifications and responding to a few — fared a little better. I ended a work day with 30 percent battery, which still isn’t good enough — especially when the Apple Watch and the Samsung Gear S3 can keep going and going for comparable prices.

It’s unacceptable that battery life is so abysmal. I usually take off my watch when I get home, and the Watch Sport goes straight on the charger. Charging it every night isn’t an issue — it’s the fact that I have to think about my watch’s battery constantly that bugs me. People are already having a hard time justifying a smartwatch purchase. You know what makes it worse? Seeing a dead smartwatch that can’t even tell the time.

Batteries degrade over time, too. I imagine a year from now I’ll be coming home with an even lower amount of battery left — that’s worrying and makes it hard to recommend the watch.

Availability and warranty

The LG Watch Sport is exclusively available on AT&T’s network, and prices start at $250 for a two-year contract, or $350 outright. The device was originally to be released on Verizon as well, but after months of delays, the carrier has confirmed to Digital Trends that the watch’s release has been canceled. In response, Verizon is now offering those who pre-ordered the Watch Sport $100 off a connected smartwatch of their choice.

If you’re a Verizon customer looking for something similar on the network that supports LTE connectivity, there’s the carrier’s exclusive, just-released Wear24 smartwatch. There’s also LG’s own Urbane Watch 2nd Edition, which has not yet received Android Wear 2.0, but should get an update sometime in May. Samsung’s Gear S3, which runs the company’s proprietary Tizen operating system, should be launching soon on the network as well.

LG offers a limited warranty that covers your device for one year from the date of purchase, and you’re only protected from manufacturing defects.

Our Take

The LG Watch Sport is a good smartwatch, mostly thanks to Android Wear. If you’re interested, go to an AT&T store to see how it fits your wrist first, as that can make or break your decision.

For $350, you get the latest features of Android Wear plus GPS, an IP68-rating, three buttons, and NFC. Smartwatch enthusiasts will enjoy the device, but I think Android Wear still won’t incite the curiosity of the average person. That’s not necessarily a fault of the OS but an issue with smartwatches in general.

The DT Accessory Pack

LG Watch Sport screen protector

$2

Fugoo Sport portable Bluetooth wireless speaker

$150

Born to Run

$12

I find myself liking the device the more I wear it, but battery life is what kills it. If this can be fixed via a software update, we’ll update our review, but not being able to handle a day is inexcusable. The Apple Watch and Samsung Gear S3 can, and they cost around the same.

Are there better alternatives?

If you’re an iPhone user, there’s no reason to go for any smartwatch other than the Apple Watch — it’s the best hands down. The Samsung Gear S3 is also a solid option too.

There will be an onslaught of smartwatches powered by Android Wear this year due to the release of version 2.0. If you’re unsure about the Watch Sport’s design or battery life, you can always wait to see what’s coming from other manufacturers. The nice thing about Android Wear is the software experience will always be the same.

How long will it last?

Smartwatches aren’t like traditional watches. There will be a time when they will no longer get software updates (presumably around two years), and then it largely depends on how long the device’s battery will survive. Don’t expect to keep one for more than two to three years.

Should you buy it?

No. If you’re into smartwatches and Android Wear, you will likely enjoy the Watch Sport if you can get past its size. It easily lets you respond to notifications, you can track various activities, wear it while you swim, make calls, and send texts. It handles all these core functionalities well enough that you won’t need to rely on your phone all the time. But all of that’s pointless if you’re constantly worrying about the battery life.