MacRumors Giveaway: Win an Adventure Satchel for the New MacBook Pro From Intrepid Bag Co

For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with Intrepid Bag Co to give MacRumors readers a chance to win an Intrepid Adventure Satchel that’s been designed specifically for the new 2016 and 2017 13 and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro models.

Like all of Intrepid Bag Co’s products, the Adventure Satchel is made from high-quality full grain tobacco-colored leather that will age into a unique patina, making each bag one-of-a-kind. Intrepid says the satchel is its most rugged bag yet, made with old-world craftsmanship techniques, including hand pounded copper rivets and UV-resistant nylon stitching.

The Adventure Satchel comes in two sizes to accommodate either the 13-inch MacBook Pro or the 15-inch MacBook Pro. It was designed for the new MacBook Pros, but can also fit older models and other types of notebooks.

Under the flap, there’s a dedicated laptop holder, a zippered compartment, two medium-sized interior pockets, a main interior pocket, a hidden passport pocket, 2 pen/stylus holders, and a key chain strap. At the sides, there are also two rain-proof flaps, and at the back, there’s a quick access flat pocket that’s sized to hold papers and other small accessories.

The satchel can be worn cross-body with a side mounted 1.5-inch strap made from leather and canvas, which is padded for comfort even under heavy loads, and there’s also a hand-held strap at the top.

Intrepid Bag Co’s new Adventure Satchels are on sale for a limited time, with the 13-inch model priced at $235 and the 15-inch model priced at $255. We’ve got one satchel to give away to a MacRumors reader for free.

To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

a Rafflecopter giveawayThe contest will run from today (June 9) at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on June 16. The winner will be chosen randomly on June 16 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.

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Here’s how to DIY faux granite, marble, or quartz countertops for under $100

In an updated kitchen, you’ll often see stone countertops, and granite, marble, or quartz are among the most common. According to HomeAdvisor, it’ll cost you around $5,000 to install quartz countertops in an average-sized kitchen with 35 square-feet of counter space ($2,500 for installation, and $75 per square foot for the actual quartz).

But did you know you can have countertops that look exactly like granite, marble, or quartz for under $100? Sure, it may require a bit of time and effort, but after about a weekend of work, you can have beautiful faux granite, marble, or quartz countertops without breaking the bank.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A Giani countertop refinishing kit. The kits come in a variety of colors, including white diamond (which produces a marble-like finish), black (which produces a black quartz or a black granite-like finish), and sand (which produces a brown, granite-like finish). You can also purchase the materials separately in a different brand — you’ll need a roller designed for smooth surfaces, a craft sponge, a sponge painting brush, dark-colored primer (ideally grey or black primer), metallic-colored acrylic paints in a pearl white and other colors, and a water-based Polyurethane (like Minwax Polycrylic).
• Plastic drop covers to protect your cabinets and floors
• Metallic flakes
• Painter’s tape
• A plastic bag
• A magic eraser
• 600-grit sandpaper
• Brillo pads
• A few rags
• An exacto knife

How to create faux granite, quartz, or marble countertops

Step 1: Remove everything from your counters, including all small appliances, food, and silicone caulk.

Step 2: Scrub your countertop thoroughly with a Brillo pad to remove all grease, wax, dirt, and oils. Avoid using any harsh cleaners, as this can prevent your new surface from adhering properly. Rinse the Brillo soap with clean water at least three times to ensure all of the soap is gone from your counters.

Step 3: Prep your area. Apply a liner of painter’s tape above your counter’s back splash, on any walls next to your counters, and on any cabinets that touch your counters. Also, carefully apply painter’s tape around your sink, so you don’t accidentally paint it. Cover any areas with plastic sheets that you could drop paint on, and pull out your stove and cover it with plastic.

Step 4: Apply black primer to your clean counters. Use a roller that’s designed for smooth surfaces. Apply in even, thin layers, and paint small sections at a time. Use a sponge brush to apply the primer to your corners and back splash. Apply two coats if necessary, but wait at least two to three hours between coats. Once your counters are completely coated with primer, allow them to dry completely for at least 6 hours.

Step 5: Apply your mineral paints.

For Granite: Thoroughly and randomly sponge on your pearl-white or beige color.

It should look like this:

Then, apply your other colors (metallic browns, golds, and other colors) in a similar manner. You can also use a thin artist brush to add veining to your color scheme. On top of your veining, sponge on more whites and dark colors for a more realistic look. This video by Giani provides a good visual.

For Quartz: Sponge on your white thoroughly, as you would for a granite finish. After you complete your white, go back with an acrylic color that is a similar shade to your primer. For instance, if you used a black primer, use an acrylic black, and sponge that color all over your counter, only allowing a small amount of pearl white to show through. Avoid adding too many colors, as quartz counters typically do not have a busy finish. After that, go back in and sponge on some more of your primer to add more depth.

Add random silver or gold dots of acrylic paint throughout your design for a more realistic look.

For Marble: Sponge on your white limestone thoroughly. You should have very few black undertones showing through. Sponge on your Inca gold and pearl mica. Then, sand your finish with 600-grit sandpaper. After you sand, wipe your surface with a damp cloth, and allow it to dry completely. Go back and add long, dark colored veins with an artist’s brush. Sponge back over your veining with more whites. If necessary, sand again to ensure a smooth and even surface. See the Giani video below for detailed instructions.

Step 5b: Apply metal flakes to Granite and Quartz finishes. You can find metal flakes at any craft store or on Amazon for around $10. This provides additional depth and shine, and makes your counters look more like real stone.

Step 6: Apply your top coat. This is the most difficult part of the entire process, as it is hard to get the top coat on evenly without leaving streaks. Use a roller or sponge applicator designed for smooth surfaces, work quickly, and do not roll back over the same area repeatedly. If you over-brush or over-roll, this will leave streaks or bubbles. You can sand between coats with 600-grit sandpaper if necessary. Add three coats of topcoat, and wait at least two to four hours between coats. Also, if you mess up your top coat, you can always sand it off and start over. Watch this Heirloom video tutorial for more tips on how to apply your top coat properly.

Step 7: Remove your painter’s tape and clean up. Clean up any paint on your walls with a magic eraser. Wait until your counters are fully dry (about 24 hours) to remove the painter’s tape, though. Use an exacto knife and cut along the edges of your tape, so you don’t take take the finish off with the tape. Replace any caulk or grout, and your countertops will be complete. You can use your counters lightly, but they won’t be completely cured for a few weeks. This means you’ll need to wipe up any liquid spills immediately and treat the counters gently for the first few weeks.

A Few Tips

• You can try to use a crinkled-up plastic bag to apply your acrylic mineral colored paints. This can make your mineral paints look more like veins, and less like spots.
• Make yourself a temporary kitchen area on a table, where you can make coffee or prep food. You will need this temporary kitchen for the next two days as your countertops are out of commission.
• Use a mild cleaner after you finish your counters, and avoid harsh cleaners, like bleach or ammonia.
• Compare the cost of a pre-made kit like “Giani Granite Countertop Paint” to buying the materials individually. Some DIYers have reported being able to do their counters for as little as $50, while a Giani kit will cost you around $70 to $80 (plus an extra $20 for extra materials and supplies).

The right (and wrong) way to clean your washing machine

As much as we hate doing laundry, most of us can’t imagine life without a washing machine. These trusty machines are there for us through minor stains and major ones — food spills, sweaty socks, and even the most disgusting stains we get on our clothes. But like everything else in our homes, even our washing machines get dirty. Really dirty.

Have you ever noticed that gunk that builds up around the washing machine door jam? What about the grains of dirt and sand that accumulate inside of the machine’s drum? Let’s not forget to mention the bacteria you can’t see with your naked eye, like mold and mildew. When you have dirt and grime inside of your washing machine, this can impact your machine’s performance, and the cleanliness of your clothes. It’s time you washed your washer.

To avoid damaging your washer or your clothing, you need to maintain and care for your machine properly — and that’s true whether it’s brand new and beautiful or the reliable one you’ve had for years. We’ve put together some tips on how to correctly clean your washing machine, as well as some washer-cleaning methods to avoid. Here are the right (and wrong) ways to clean your washing machine.

How to clean a top-load washer

Step 1: Leave the door open after you remove your clothes, and allow your washer to dry out completely when you’re not using it. This helps prevent mold and mildew from growing in your washing machine.

Step 2: Use a damp cloth and a small amount of liquid detergent to wipe the inside of your machine.

Step 3: Wipe up any dirt, spills, and grime from your machine’s exterior and from the door jam with a damp cloth and mild soap.

Step 4: Change the fill hoses on your machine every five years, per the recommendation of GE. It’s a good idea to label your fill hoses, indicating the date you replaced them. Just label some masking tap with a Sharpie.

Tips: We asked GE for suggestions on how to clean top-load washing machines properly. The appliance company suggested we use Tide Washing Machine Cleaner once a month to clean and freshen the unit, and to refer to the washing machine’s owner’s manual for additional cleaning and maintenance instructions.

What not to do: It’s best to avoid using harsh cleaners, notably those that contain ammonia. You should also shy away from anything that’s too abrasive, like gritty cleaners or Brillo pads. Harsh cleaners can damage you machine.

How to clean a front-load/HE washer

Step 1: Leave the door ajar after you remove your clothes with a front-load washer as well, and allow it to dry out completely when you’re not using it. This helps prevent mold and mildew from growing.

Step 2: Clean the washer door by wiping it down with a damp cloth.

Step 3: Clean the door seal. Gently pull back the seal between the door opening and the drum, and check for foreign objects; remove any you find. After that, check for stains or dirt buildup. Clean dirt buildup using either washing machine cleaning wipes, or a solution made of bleach and water (¾ cup of bleach mixed with one-gallon of water). Make sure you remove any leftover bleach solution with a damp cloth. Finally, allow the washer to air dry completely with the door open.

Step 4: Clean and sanitize your detergent tray. Take the tray apart (if applicable) and soak it in hot water and mild soap for about 20 minutes.

Step 5: Clean the inside of the washing machine. Most HE washers have either a “clean cycle” or a “clean with Affresh cycle.” To run a clean cycle, add ¼ cup of bleach to the bleach dispenser and run an empty load. To clean with Affresh, add an Affresh cleaning tab directly inside of the washer drum, and run an empty “clean with Affresh cycle.”

Tips: It’s best to use HE detergent when you have an HE washer, and to avoid using too much detergent, as this can cause excess buildup. Lastly, use warm and hot water washes periodically (but not all of the time), as warmer water can help control soil and detergent buildup, per the recommendation of Maytag.

What not to do: Some HE washer owners run a clean cycle only, and neglect the other steps. You should try to clean your HE washing machine every 30 wash cycles, and follow all of the steps to make sure you are not allowing dirt and grime to accumulate in other parts of your machine.

How to clean a self clean or smart washing machine

Step 1: Clean the control panel with a damp cloth.

Step 2: Clean the mesh filter of the water hose once or twice a year. To do so, soak the filter in water until it is clean (make sure the threaded connector is also submerged). Then allow the filter to dry completely in a shaded area.

Step 3: Clean the dispensers. Rinse the inserts in warm water to remove traces of accumulated detergent and other laundry products. Then clean the recess with a toothbrush to remove residue.

Step 4: Clean the interior: You can wipe it with a damp cloth and a washer-safe cleaner. Also, run the self-clean cycle when the indicator light comes on. Self-clean helps get rid of mold that grows inside of your washing machine.

Notes: These instructions are for a Samsung top-load self-clean washing machine. Your machine may have different parts and cleaning instructions. It’s best to refer to your owner’s manual to obtain the specific cleaning instructions for your washing machine. If you misplaced your owner’s manual, you can likely locate it online by visiting the manufacturer’s website and searching for it using your model and serial number.

Tips: Clean the outside of stainless steel machines using stainless steel cleaner, vinegar, or Windex. When you clean stainless steel, it’s best to go with the grain. You can also use a little bit of rubbing alcohol to dissolve oily finger prints, per Better Homes and Gardens. Also, if you have a shiny metallic finish on your washer’s exterior door, you can clean that surface using a small amount of Cerama Bryte and a clean, damp, non-abrasive cloth, per the recommendation of Samsung.

What not to do: Do not use harsh or abrasive cleaners when cleaning the control panel, and avoid using bleach cleaners on stainless steel surfaces. Also, do not run self-clean cycles while you have laundry in your machine.

Logitech’s 2017 Doodle wireless mice sport up to an 18-month battery life

Why it matters to you

It’s not just gamers who have a choice of fun, good looking mice, Logitech’s Doodle budget wireless range keeps it light and has a lot of character, and characters.

Logitech has launched the ninth iteration of its Doodle Collection wireless mice, with a fun and character-laden collection of mouse skins to spice up your peripherals. Designed to work on Windows, MacOS, Chrome OS, and Linux, the little mice are ultra portable, have a long wireless range and have a battery life that can last as long as 18 months.

As much as gaming mice have a real focus on aesthetics, with fancy lighting and paint jobs, Logitech knows that gamers aren’t the only ones who like fun-looking accessories. To that end, its M317C and M325C wireless mice are now available in a variety of different colors and styles, each featuring a unique ‘doodle,’ often with a character of some sort showcased at its center.

There’s Triple Scoop the artistic ice cream cone; Sneakerhead, a trophy-winning sneaker who wears sneakers; Skateburger, who is exactly what you would expect it to be, and Lightbulb, the battery-powered incandescent bulb, among others.

Regardless of doodle design though, the mice themselves are miniature wireless rodents that make use of the 2.4GHz spectrum and can operate up to 10 meters away from the nano USB receiver. They come fitted with Logitech’s own optical sensor and have a static sensitivity of 1,000 DPI.

Beyond the unique look of the new Logitech Doodle mice, the big selling point with them is their battery life. With just a single AA battery, the Logitech M317C is capable of up to 12 months of operation. In contrast, the M325C can deliver up to 18 months of life on the same single battery.

That battery is included, and each mouse comes with a one-year limited hardware warranty. Better yet, they also come with a sheet of 15 premium stickers, so even if you found it hard to choose which Doodle design to pick, you’ll have some stickered versions to keep you company after you’ve made your purchase.

The mice are available now in the U.S., priced at $30.

Samsung’s new 49-inch gaming monitor is wonderfully absurd

Why it matters to you

Samsung’s investment in quantum dots brings a lot to the table for PC gamers seeking excellent contrast and color.

Sneaking in ahead of any big E3 announcements, Samsung is rolling out three new gaming monitors, one of which will be making a widespread appearance at the Ubisoft booth at E3 in LA, and all of which are built with quantum dot technology.

The most exciting announcement by far is the CHG90, a 49-inch display with a wicked 32:9 aspect ratio and a 3,840 x 1,080 ultra-ultra-wide resolution. We’ve grown fond of the curved 21:9 screens, but they can fall short when it comes to advanced gaming features, like adaptive sync and high refresh rates. Not the CHG90, which features a full 144Hz refresh rate, AMD’s FreeSync 2 adaptive refresh technology, and a 1ms response time. The display has no shortage of space for connections, as Samsung has packed in a DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, and a pair of HDMI inputs, as well as a two-port USB 3.0 hub.

At $1,500, the ridiculous-sounding CHG90 is expensive. Yet it’s priced competitively with other high-end options, including the LG38UC99 (a 38-inch ultrawide monitor that once held the title of world’s largest), as well as Dell and LG’s 5K offerings. It is currently being sold at Amazon and Micro Center.

Less groundbreaking, but still interesting, are the two CHG70 models, which are available in both 27-inch and 31.5-inch variations. Other than size, both screens are identical, sporting a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, 1ms response time, and 144Hz refresh rate with FreeSync 2, assuming you’re sporting a Radeon GPU.

Both screens are fitted on one of Samsung’s dual-hinge stands, which provide a surprising amount of flexibility and maneuverability. For connections, the monitors feature two HDMI inputs and a single DisplayPort connection, as well as acting as two-port USB 3.0 hubs, although FreeSync 2 currently only operates over the DisplayPort standard.

If the quantum-dot powered 16:9 screens seem more to your liking, they are now available for pre-order as well, at $599 for the smaller screen, and $699 for the larger version.

Bionik accessories improve Switch battery life, charging, and internet access

Why it matters to you

Augmenting your Switch’s charging capabilities and battery life will be a lot easier after E3.

Bionik has debuted a number of accessories for the Nintendo Switch that will augment and improve its battery life, charging, and internet access. Along with charge stations and battery packs, its Switch accessories also include a “Giganet,” adapter, which makes the Switch compatible with an Ethernet connection.

Previous Bionik accessories include replacement face plates for virtual reality headsets and new types of controllers for the Xbox One and PS4. Just a few months on from the Nintendo Switch’s release, Bionik has a number of new ways for fans of the new console to augment its abilities. With its dual home and portable console design, a big focus in Bionik’s new line up is in improving its charging and battery life capabilities.

The first two accessories Bionik is offering are the Power Plate and Power Plate Duo, which act as battery packs for not only the Switch itself, but both of the Joy-Con controllers. The big difference between the two is that the Duo offers twice the capacity of the former, though the Power Plate itself has enough power to recharge the Switch entirely, or the Joy-Cons more than three times.

The Power Plate and Power Plate Duo have been priced at $50 and $70, respectively.

If you don’t need something hefty enough to charge the Switch itself, and just want a charging station for the Joy-Cons, the Tetra offers just that in a tower design that can charge four Joy-Cons at once. It also comes with a reduced price tag of just $25.

Elsewhere in the Bionik range, the Lynx is a highly-durable, USB Type-A to Type-C cable designed to make charging and playing at the same time easier. At 6 feet in length, you can even do so at a reasonable distance from the charger. When it goes on sale, it will cost $15.

The Switch Rapid Charge Kit is compatible with a variety of voltage outputs and lets you charge your Switch on the modern USB standard. It comes with its own charging cable and will be priced at $25.

The final accessory Bionik announced ahead of debuting them all at E3 in the coming week is its Giganet Adapter. For $25, it adds an Ethernet port to the Switch, giving users the option of a wired internet connection for the console.

If you’re attending E3 next week, you can find these accessories and more in the West Hall at Bionik’s booth alongside other accessories for the Xbox One, PS4 and VR.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium review: $799 of lust … and disappointment

Sony gets more right than ever before, but continues to have a few key stumbles that keep it from being in the conversation in the U.S.

Sony’s march of alphabet soup phone names continues on with the Xperia XZ Premium, and as you’d expect from such a name this one’s all-out high-end. It has the specs and features to match the flagship competition released in 2017, plus undeniably unique hardware design and a few extra tricks up its sleeve.

And despite Sony’s continued floundering in the U.S. high-end market — relying on its mid-rangers to provide any glimmer of hope in sales growth — the Xperia XZ Premium is launching here with an ever-so-Sony price of $799. With a price tag like that, the Sony has to nail everything if it’s going to win over buyers who rarely break the $700 point — particularly for a brand they haven’t likely bought a phone from in some time.

See how it all comes together in our complete Sony Xperia XZ Premium review.

See at Sony

About this review

I (Andrew Martonik) have been using a U.S. unlocked Xperia XZ Premium for one week in the greater Seattle, WA area on T-Mobile. The phone arrived on Android 7.1.1 (45.0.A.1.219) with the April 1, 2017 security patch and was not updated during the course of review. The phone was provided to Android Central for review by Sony.

Polarizing

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Hardware

Sony’s phones really are something else. It has gone well beyond the several iterative takes on “Omni-Balance” to a fresh design that feels new while clearly still having those deep Sony design roots that make it unmistakably a Sony phone. At 156 x 77 x 7.9 mm it’s large considering its 5.5-inch display, and at 195g it’s downright heavy. For a sense of scale, it’s a couple millimeters larger than the HTC U11, and a hair smaller than the LG V20 — that’s big.

You don’t need to read the dimensions to know it’s a big phone.

You didn’t need to read the dimensions to know it’s big — just look at a photo or pick it up. Sony’s longstanding “don’t really care about ergonomics” attitude toward design is still here, and that starts with large bezels on both ends of the display and barely-rounded corners. The sides are comfortably curved and the buttons are in just the right places, but the perfectly flat back mixes with the tall frame and heavy weight to give you a phone that’s a literal handful.

It’s not rational, but I adore the overall design of the Xperia XZ Premium.

But for all of those illogically large dimensions and hand-unfriendly details, I adore the overall design of the Xperia XZ Premium. It’s not rational, I know, but Sony’s designs are so iconic, so unique that I am just drawn to them. The blocky corners, the symmetry and balance of the design, and the perfect fit-and-finish all appeal to me. It feels perfectly built … almost hand-made in a way. The heft and feel of the phone absolutely match the price tag. Yes the Gorilla Glass 5 back is “reflective af,” as Daniel Bader originally put it back at MWC 2017 (especially the “chrome” model), but it looks great to me — particularly in this handsome “Deepsea Black” color with hints of blue and green in it.

At the same time, I know Sony’s designs are also polarizing: I feel like everyone I show a Sony phone to is either enamored with it or appalled. I’m in the former camp, and Sony’s mobile designers are obviously proud of what they do — but this doesn’t seem to be a design that appeals to a wide enough audience.

Now, the main attraction: that nice 4K resolution 5.5-inch display. It’s Sony’s second 4K display, but this time around it also includes HDR support — but in general day-to-day use, the important thing is the screen looks great. It still exhibits some of the generic LCD downsides like increased glare in sunlight and less-than-perfect blacks compared to AMOLED, but that aside I’m super happy with its overall tuning. The resolution makes everything look pristine, and the colors, brightness and viewing angles are great as well.

Audio experience

Sony is one of the last manufacturers offering straight-up dual front-facing speakers in what it calls “S-Force Front Surround.” The benefits are simple: the speakers are facing toward you, therefore you get a better sound experience. The speakers do indeed sound good, and there’s a far lower chance you’ll inadvertently block them like bottom-firing speakers, but they don’t get quite as loud as I would like — falling beneath the HTC U11’s new BoomSound setup. Thankfully the dual openings haven’t compromised its waterproof rating, which stands at IP68.

With Sony’s heritage in sound quality there’s of course a 3.5 mm headphone jack here, too, which sadly is becoming something I actually have to point out in a review as a positive. Sony talks a lot about its audio tuning on its website, including its high-res output, automatic headphone adjustments and compatibility with its Digital Noise Cancelling headphones. But I’m hardly an audiophile — it all sounds just fine to me with any headphones I’ve plugged in.

Clean and fast

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Software and experience

I quite enjoy Sony’s take on Android, mostly because the company seems to be a good steward of Google’s vision for the platform and doesn’t want to mess about with its underpinnings. In the past couple of generations Sony’s software additions have boiled down to a different lock screen, a few icon changes and some pre-installed apps — everything else is pretty much what you get from Google in Android 7.1 Nougat.

Sony’s launcher is effectively a lightly themed stock Android launcher, even going so far as to integrate the Google Now feed on the leftmost pane, though it hasn’t quite jumped up to speed with the more modern Pixel-style app drawer or long-press shortcuts for apps — I would expect that to come soon enough. Sony subtly themes many of its own apps — contacts, phone, etc. — and also includes a handful of bloat-ish ones — News, AVG protect, Xperia Lounge, etc. — that you can disable or uninstall. Nothing out of the ordinary here.

The place Sony has most substantially changed the phone is in the settings, where it has peppered in quite a few extra options, tweaks and intelligent controls for things like storage, battery and system management. None of it is in your face or gets in your way, though, and this is nowhere near the piles of settings you’d see on a Galaxy S8. It’s all thoughtfully sorted and slots right into the typical Android settings framework.

Performance is great, and consistent as well.

The Xperia XZ Premium gives you industry matching specs, with a Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It all adds up to superlative performance, which is extra impressive considering that 4K resolution it’s pushing around. Much like its software isn’t far removed from stock, its performance isn’t far off from a Nexus or Pixel.

Everything I did on the phone absolutely flew without any slowdown or hiccup, with great app performance and consistency. Subtle things like touch response and scrolling speed were also spot-on. That’s great to see because coming in I was worried that the 4K display resolution was going to be a drain here — but it doesn’t seem to be. Now I’m not entirely sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Sony was doing some sort of scaling down to a lower resolution in some instances to both make things look good and keep fluidity up. But for what it’s worth, I could never tell when that was happening.

Battery life

Sony continues to emphasize battery life, and with a 3230mAh battery, a power-efficient Snapdragon 835 processor and some optimization the XZ Premium is a great performer. I wasn’t worried about my battery running out a single time on the phone, and ranged from ending lazy weekend days with over 50% battery to more hectic weekdays with still 25% left in the tank. That means I never got anywhere near needing the “stamina” mode to extend it artificially, nor did I ever have anxiety about remaining battery in the evening with outings planned for the night.

Sony continues to make battery life a priority — the XZ Premium lasts a long time.

I think the most impressive part about the XZ Premium’s battery performance is just how consistent it was throughout the day. There were no deep drop-offs during heavy use — it pretty consistently drained so matter what I did with it. Sony gives you a bit of a humblebrag meter under the battery icon with the notification quick settings expanded that estimates hours of life remaining — it so frequently estimates over 10 hours left, even when at something like 30% battery, that it seems like it’s lying … but it’s actually true.

Clever charging technology inside the phone — branded “Qnovo” for whatever reason — also aims to prolong the life of the battery cell inside by keeping the phone from sitting on a charger at 100% overnight. Instead, it watches when you typically charge your phone and keeps it around 90% charge, only to bring it up to 100% before you normally unplug. Little things like that are really nice to see implemented seamlessly and smartly.

That fingerprint sensor situation

Yup, we know Sony still can’t sell a phone in the U.S. with a fingerprint sensor. It has to do with some sort of contractual obligation it made (or backed out on) that legally prevents it from shipping the feature. And yes, the Xperia XZ Premium sold everywhere else in the world has a fingerprint sensor built into that side-mounted home button.

It sucks, really bad, to not have such a standard feature on this $799 phone — particularly when you can get it on a $199 phone — but there’s nothing Sony can do right now. It’s probably a deal breaker for most of us, and it was surely a pain point in reviewing the XZ Premium — more so for securely accessing my password vault and banking apps than necessarily unlocking the phone. We all hope that this ends soon, but right now we’re stuck.

Short of flagship quality

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Camera

In 2017, Sony’s actually made the decision to lower its camera sensor resolution to 19MP, which has increased pixel size to 1.22-microns for improved low-light performance; the lens remains a relatively standard f/2.0 aperture. Sony continues to go on about its “5 axis” image stabilization, but this is still all-digital stabilization and not hardware-based stabilization (OIS).

Sony has finally got the camera speed up to a flagship level.

This new camera arrangement does have some tricks up its sleeve including a hybrid auto focus system, predictive photo capture and and anti-distortion shutter. They’re all focused on trying to capture photos as quickly as possible, but also give you the shot you wanted rather than the exact frame you captured when the shutter was pressed.

Sony has finally, absolutely, consistently figured out the speed aspect of its camera app. The Xperia XZ Premium camera opens in a flash, focuses quickly and captures immediately every single time. It’s finally a camera experience that doesn’t feel like it’s laboring every time you use it, which is something other companies figured out a couple generations ago. The camera app itself is still fine, though not perfect: it still wants to separate functions out oddly into different modes (like 3 shooting modes for different video types, why?), and lock everything down if you shoot in “superior auto” mode, leaving you to go to Manual to tweak something as small as toggling on HDR.

Sony’s insistence that its superior auto mode is The Best Thing Ever™ is unfortunately an incorrect assumption. When shooting in this mode, the software is super aggressive about switching into different scenes and swapping around settings … that feel like they’re incorrect for what you’re shooting. Far too often the XZ Premium didn’t expose properly or didn’t apply HDR, leaving you with a dull and uninteresting shot. The biggest issue, though, was edge detection and sharpening: in superior auto, all fine detail is aggressively over-sharpened and ground down to a mush. Photos so often looked unnaturally smooth to a point where it put me off right away.

Shooting in Manual mode, you can get great photos — but Sony still isn’t competing enough.

Things are fortunately much better when shooting in manual mode, where the over-sharpening was dramatically reduced. Even when not needing to tweak any settings, I would 100% recommend shooting in manual mode simply to keep the camera from over-thinking (incorrectly) how it processed shots. I took some really good photos with the XZ Premium in manual mode, but even still it had bouts of inconsistency in the way it metered or was able to properly expose for the scene — even HDR couldn’t make up for some scenes that were just too dark. Late at night, the lack of OIS combined with the weak processing to result in just decent photos.

The one thing that truly frustrates me about Sony’s camera strategy is that it throws so many brands at you — Motion Eye, Exmor RS, G Lens, BIONZ, SteadyShot and probably more — that you’re lulled into thinking this must be the best camera ever. But the proof is in the pudding, and Sony’s phones still aren’t up to speed with what the flagship competition can do — instead, you get a camera befitting a phone that costs $300 less.

Slow motion video

I don’t often do breakouts to talk about the video performance of phones unless it really stands out one way or another. With the Xperia XZ Premium, Sony has a really awesome feature it’s touting, 960 fps slow-motion video, that I just had to spend time with.

Super-slow-motion is a neat trick, but still requires far too much compromise.

From the start, it’s tough to initially figure out how to use the slow-motion mode. We’re so used to “typical” slow-motion video at 120 or 240 fps where we just press record after switching into that mode, and it slows it down. With something as high frame rate as 960 fps, you can only record a very short burst (about 0.15 second) that’s then slowed down. You can choose to record that second of 960 fps video in the middle of a regular 30 fps video, or on its own with a single tap. Because it’s such a short duration, it really takes some practice to nail the moment when you want to capture slow motion.

Then there’s the issue of how far the camera has to crop in on the sensor to record the slow motion. It already crops in tightly to shoot 1080p video at 30 fps, then a bit more for 60 fps, and even more for 4K — but it crops in really far to record 960 fps. In order to capture a full scene as you’d expect, you have to take a few full steps back from where you would normally be to take a photo holding your phone. With the lack of OIS on the camera, cropping in this far introduces lots of motion from hand shake as well — you need to steady yourself or use a tripod for great results. Remember you’re also only getting 720p output here, so there isn’t any wiggle room.

The results are amazing to see out of a phone. So long as you get the hang of recording in order to capture things that are moving fast enough to actually look good in super-slow-motion, it’s something you just don’t get anywhere else. The issue is the handful of compromises involved with capturing such slow video that make it more of a novelty in the end rather than a truly differentiating feature.

Lust … and disappointment

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Bottom line

In many ways, I’m a huge fan of the Xperia XZ Premium. It isn’t slick, small, light or ergonomic, but it isn’t trying to be — Sony’s hardware design is unique, beautiful and stands out from every other smartphone available today, and that’s why I love it. Beyond the design, the Xperia XZ Premium gets a lot of the flagship features down: a really nice display, fast and consistent performance, and all of the right internal specs. The battery life, which is always a top feature for today’s smartphone buyers, is top-of-the-pack.

The issue, as is so often the case with Sony’s phones, is twofold: it’s too expensive, and there are a couple of head-scratcher shortcomings.

The Xperia XZ Premium is the absolute top-of-the-line smartphone for the company, and therefore has a retail price of $799. Outside of a Galaxy S8+ or iPhone 7 Plus, people just don’t often pay that kind of money for a phone. And they particularly don’t pay that much for a phone that in the U.S. doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor, and still sports a camera that doesn’t get anywhere near the competition.

At a lower price, in a market where it’s okay to miss a couple of features but still provide a good value in order to sell, that would be manageable. But at $799, people expect to get just about everything — and even though the Xperia XZ Premium gets so close, it’s missing just enough that it’s instead an exceptionally tough sell in the U.S.

See at Sony

Speed up your home Wi-Fi with discounts on select TP-Link gear today only

Our friends at Thrifter are back again, this time helping you make your Wi-Fi faster for less!

If you’ve been looking for some new networking gear, you’ll want to check out Amazon’s Deal of the Day which discounts a variety of TP-Link’s products. From gigabit Ethernet switches to network extenders and Wi-Fi routers to cable modems, there is a deal here for just about everyone.

With these prices, today is a great day to stop renting your existing modem from your ISP. Most cable companies charge around $10 per month to rent the modem from them, and today you can have your own for as little as $70 (which means it pays for itself in just 7 months!).

Some of the best deals include:

• TP-Link TC-7650-E Cable Modem – $69.99 (normally $99.99)
• TP-Link AV1200 Gigabit Powerline Adapter – $47.99 (normally $69.99)
• TP-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender – $31.99 (normally $59.99)
• TP-Link AD7200 Wi-Fi Tri-Band Gigabit Router – $269.99 (normally $349.99)
• TP-Link 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Smart Switch – $19.29 (normally $29.99)
• TP-Link Smart Plug – $22.99 (normally $39.99)

Be sure to check out the full list of products that are on sale as well to see if any of the others will work for you.

See at Amazon

For more great deals on tech, gadgets, home goods and more, be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!

How do you listen to music on your phone?

There are plenty of ways to listen to music with your phone. Here’s how we do it.

Phones have doubled as music players since forever. But we’ve come a long way since V cast Music and Motorola’s ROKR iTunes days.

Between streaming services, subscriptions, FM radio and your own collection of songs there are plenty of ways you can use your phone to jam out a little bit. And most of us do, at least every now and then. Chances are, most of us do things a little differently, too.

We’re no exception. Everyone at AC likes to listen to listen to some tunes every now and then, so this week we went around the table to find out how we do it.

Russell Holly

Regardless of the phone I’m using, I split time between Google Play Music and Soundcloud. The latter is where I go for songs from artists that aren’t really ready for publishing an “album” or folk artists who are mainly live performers. When I’m in the house, I’m either using a Chromecast to a nearby television or Google Home if I’m in the bedroom.

A mix of Chromecast, Bluetooth speakers and LG Tone neckbuds get me my music fix.

Outdoors is a little different. If I’m out cooking in the backyard, I’m usually using my Tylt Tunz speaker. It’s not much, but it’s cheap and lets me use NFC to pair. If I’m out and about and need music, I usually go with the LG Tone Ultra neckbuds. They’re lightweight enough that I can wear them without really noticing, and the battery will never not get me through an entire day. I wish the sound was a little better, but not enough to justify buying into the next tier pricing for these neckbuds.

Ara Wagoner

I’ve been a Google Play Music power user for years, and while I have a tendency to moan about it needing an overhaul, and needing a dark theme, and an alarm function, it’s still the service I want to use. The radio stations have improved over the years (though I still miss the ‘Instant Mixes’ that would limit themselves to my personal library), and Play Music is accessible basically everywhere, and mixes uploaded and purchased music in ways few other music services allow. I limit myself to using Google Play Music on one phone at a time to help avoid hitting that five phone limit in my device list, and right now that phone is the Samsung Galaxy S8, where I’ve been seeing an unfortunate error where I lose the ability to control my music via Bluetooth controls and Android Wear, forcing me to open the app, pause my music, then force close and re-open the app.

I’ve been a Google play Music power user for years.

I’ve been a big Bluetooth user for years, and since I’ve moved to the S8, I’ve been using a pair of Samsung Level On Pro Headphones, which have Bluetooth, Active Noise Cancelling, and some interesting controls, seeing as they use a “Smart Touch” touch pad rather than traditional button controls for both volume and media controls. There’s the aftermarket Bluetooth head unit in my 2003 Honda Odyssey for during trips, and another Bluetooth receiver in the bedroom. I’m also using Google Home to listen to music in my apartment… mainly the shower, where I can take full advantage of those sweet, sweet music controls like “Play it again” and “Fast forward 90 seconds”.

There’s also the small matter of using Google Play Music as my alarm clock.

Marc Lagace

I recently made the switch to Spotify Premium and I don’t know why I didn’t switch earlier. I tried out Google Play Music for a bit after it acquired Songza, but ended up relying on Apple Music for the bulk of my music streaming needs and subscribed as soon as it became available in Canada. I stuck with Apple Music for so long as I did because I appreciated the curated playlists and also didn’t want to have to re-add my carefully crafted music library on another platform. Nevertheless, I decided to give Spotify a shot and have found it superior in nearly every way (especially the inclusion of podcasts).

Unlimited data plus Spotify lets me take my music everywhere.

I’m on an “unlimited” data plan with my carrier, which pairs really nicely with streaming music services and lets me take my music everywhere I go. I use a GoGroove FlexSmart X2 in my car to stream tunes, but I’m actually at a bit of a crossroad for all my other music accessories. My Bluetooth headphones I used for working out just fell apart on me this week, and I’m currently on the search for a quality portable Bluetooth speaker for the summer. For now, I’m good using the Galaxy S8 earbuds which are more than servicable.

Florence Ion

How do I listen to music? Well, I ditched having a well-curated music library years ago. Listening to music is still a major priority in my life, but with the dissipation of physical media, actually archiving and collecting it fell by the wayside.

I ditched the idea of having a curated music library years ago.

The only thing I tend to these days is the one playlist I have on Spotify. I don’t need anything else. If it’s radio I require, I’ll pop into TuneIn to capture my favorite overseas radio station. I’m also a longtime subscriber to Digitally Imported, which delivers fresh electronic tracks my way on an almost-daily basis. I can’t work with lyrics in the background either, so DI’s variety of ambient chill out stations are typically on rotation while I’m plugging away writing about smartphones or whatever.

I will consume music in two ways: with these slightly dorky Bose SoundSport headphones hanging around my neck or through one of the two Google Home units in my house. But truthfully, I enjoy relative silence at home. If I’m really feeling in the need of a jam session, I’ll hop into my car, connect my phone to the stereo, and go for a cruise around town. I pretend for a second that I’m back in high school with a newly acquired driver’s license, and that there’s nothing up ahead except for the open road and my one Spotify playlist.

Daniel Bader

For a long time, Rdio was the best place on the web and mobile to listen to music. It took me a long time, after it was ignominiously purchased and tossed aside by Pandora, to find a new equilibrium but today I can happily say I’m a Spotify devotee.

Spotify covers the music and the small things like lyrics and liner notes.

Spotify is also a much better service today than it was when Rdio was acquired in 2015, thanks to updates to its core streaming tech — it’s a lot more reliable — and its new interface refresh, which, while remaining dark as a late-90’s emo song, looks much better on Android than it used to. Spotify is also smarter: it has finally incorporated the next song prediction technology that it acquired from The Echo Nest, making it easy to begin listening to an album or even a single and not have to worry about selecting something else, since it has so much data from my previous sessions. Small things, too, like integration with Genius to display lyrics and important notes on popular tracks, make the app worth using instead of minimizing. And, finally, its algorithmically-generated playlists, like Discover Weekly and Release Radar, are ridiculously good.

As for the hardware, I don’t really have a single pair of headphones I turn to; it all depends on the situation. Yes, I like AirPods with my Android phones; they sound pretty good and, better yet, they’re extremely convenient to just place and forget. But when I don’t want to look like a total dork in public, more recently I turn to the in-box Galaxy S8 headphones with some Comply Foam Earphone Tips, which I highly recommend for anyone with weirdly-shaped ears like mine, since they achieve a better seal by slowly expanding to fill the space in your earhole. Gross but awesome.

When I’m more serious about listening to music, I rotate between two pairs of over-ear cans: V-Moda’s Crossfade M-100s sound incredible and are, though compact, incredibly comfortable to wear for hours. They’re probably my favorite pair of wired headphones I’ve ever used. When I’m wireless, or need noise cancellation to drown out the sorrows of the world, I need my Blue Satellites, a delightfully chunky set of headphones with a few quirks and some awesome sound.

Andrew Martonik

My music app of choice is Google Play Music, mostly because I latched onto it early before going to Spotify or something else, and I’m invested, in terms of my playlists, library and familiarity with the interface. When I don’t want to make any decisions, I flip over to the TuneIn Radio app to listen to a few different radio stations. I like that it can stream live but also record for listening later.

I’m invested in Google Play Music but can mis it up with TuneIn Radio.

As for hardware, an increasing amount of my listening is coming in through my Bose QC35 headphones over Bluetooth. When I first got them I thought they’d just be for travel, but I’ve ended up using them daily — even out of the house. They’re super comfortable, sound good (don’t @ me) and the noise cancellation is top-notch. Anytime I have a bag with me I also carry a cheap pair of earbuds — currently the OnePlus Bullets V2 — for a backup.

Jen Karner

I’ve always been a huge fan of music, which is why my external hard drive still has well over 50GBs of music…and hasn’t had anything added since 2014. So it took me quite a while to pick between the different apps for music until I found the one I liked the most.

I’ve had subscriptions to most every service at one time or another but keep coming back to Spotify.

This means over the years I have held subscriptions to Google Play Music, Pandora, and Spotify at one time or another. Somehow though, I just keep coming back to Spotify. It gives me radio stations like Pandora, while letting me build my own playlists and easily share new music finds with friends. I also love the fact that Spotify will create new playlists for me filled with music I already love, and new finds that I may have known about prior.

I still occasionally jump over to iheartradio, since I’m a glutton for punishment, and if Spotify’s radio stations aren’t giving me what I want to hear, I still have some hard core curated stations on Pandora. However, at this point Spotify is where I listen to most of my music, and pay for a membership so I can rock out in the car, or when I’m going for a run.

Where I sort of fall off the wagon though is in terms of headphones. I’m not really the type of gal who runs out to buy a pricey pair, since I tend to accidentally destroy or lose my headphones more often than not. Right now I’m using the earbuds that came with my Galaxy S8, but before that I had a $30 pair of skullcandy headphones that had been treating me well for a few months.

Jerry Hildenbrand

I listen to music most all day, every day. I’m one of those people who needs the background noise to keep sane, and music helps. Mostly.

At home I use my phone to do it, but not as the source itself. Whatever phone is in my hands is automatically a Chromecast remote and I have Chromecast Audios in my office, the living room, the bathroom (don’t judge) and the back porch. With the audio group feature, I can have my music follow me wherever I am and a whole-house solution is easy and cheap to build.

I still use my HTC10 and beat up old Sony headphones when I want to really enjoy the music.

On the rare occasion I do leave the house (sunlight burns and you can’t play any Elder Scrolls games) I listen two different ways. Most times I just use whatever phone I have running (right now that’s the BlackBerry KEYone) and these Aukey Arcs earbuds to listen to Amazon Music. I use Amazon because it doesn’t care how many different things I want to use the service on, unlike Google Play Music and its seemingly random device authorization limits. I hate earbuds, but the Aukeys are over-ear so they stay in and aren’t uncomfortable. And they were cheap af.

If I’m going to be somewhere that I know i want to escape into my own little world with some good music or on an extended jaunt away from home, I still use the HTC 10 and my old beat up Sony over-ear headphones. I’ve got better headphones here, but those just work really well with the amp in a (good) phone and are easy to drive. When they die, I’ll buy another pair to replace them. The music that goes through them is my own collection played through PowerAmp. My next buy is going to be a wireless USB hard drive so I can bring all my music when I need it.

Harish Jonnalagadda

I started using Spotify a year and a half ago, and it has most things I’m looking for in a streaming service. It has a majority of the albums I listen to, and the curated playlists are amazing. The main limitation is that there’s no ability to stream lossless music, but I have a workaround in the form of a Synology DiskStation DS414. I loaded up the NAS with four 4TB WD Red drives (one for music), giving me access to my entire music library wherever I go. DS audio — Synology’s audio streaming service — natively supports the FLAC audio format, and it transcodes on the fly on devices that don’t have the codec.

I’m very particular when it comes to the music I listen to, and my hardware reflects that. The Jaybird X2 is the go-to headset for the gym, and while there’s a new variant out, my X2 is still going strong. I switched out the bundled Comply ear tips with the Comply sport, which gives me a better fit.

A combination of Spotify and a Synology NAS server gets the job done.

When I’m home, I switch between two pairs of over-ears: the Sony MDR-7506 is what I turn to when listening to classic rock or metal, and the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x for bass-heavy tunes.

I recently picked up the Sony MDR-1000X mostly for travel, but I’m using the headset more and more in the house. I tried out the Bose QuietComfort 35, but the MDR-1000X blows it out of the water when it comes to the sound quality. The headset features Sony’s excellent LDAC codec, which transmits over three times as much data over Bluetooth as other devices. While you need a compatible Hi-Res certified device to take full advantage of the codec roght now, it is baked into Android O.

How do you do it?

Jump into the comments and let everyone know how you listen to your favorite music with your phone!

When you’re done, catch up on all the previous AC roundtables!

Six Great Father’s Day Tech Gifts Under $50

Not sure what to get Dad this year? Check this out.

We’ve all been in this situation. It’s time to get Dad a gift, but you’re drawing a blank. Worse, you’re on a budget and gift cards aren’t really his thing. Not to worry, we’ve got a few quick suggestions that should appeal to everyone!

An app-controlled grill companion for maximum relaxation

The iGrill Mini is a good thermometer for single pieces of meat, and relays the information recorded to an app on your phone via Bluetooth. It’s a solid, inexpensive thermometer that keeps you from needing to walk up and check the grill every couple of minutes, which means more time can be spent relaxing.

See at Amazon

Sleek, durable insulation for every cold drink

Everyone is familiar with the classic beer koozie, but Thermos steps things up a bit with stainless steel insulation. This makes the drink a little more difficult to spill, and does a better job keeping that precious liquid as cold as possible.

See at Amazon

A robe worthy of a true hero

Who doesn’t want to be Captain America sometimes? This robe lets Dad walk around with a shield on his back and a desire to stand up for those who look up to him.

See at ThinkGeek

Loud, outdoor-friendly speaker that can handle being splashed

There are many, many Bluetooth speakers for outdoor enjoyment, but this Villain combines loud and waterproof speakers with a 7,000mAh battery to charge dad’s phone.

See at Amazon

A tool he’ll never use but always love

These hammers can be personalized with whatever you want to say on it, which means you have the opportunity to bring a tear to Dad’s eye. Don’t waste it!

See at Etsy

Something that will finally listen to him every time

Even if Dad isn’t the biggest gadget geek, Amazon’s Echo Dot is an inexpensive way to keep track of many different things and integrate your digital life in a convenient little speaker.

See at Amazon