At last, Archos has made a pair of smartphones to get excited about

Why it matters to you

It’s time to start paying attention to Archos, which will deliver two affordable phones with on-trend features this summer.

French technology company Archos has never made phones to get really excited about. The mostly mid-range devices have been solid, if unremarkable, entries into a crowded market; but that’s about to chance this summer. Archos has four new phones coming, and two are potential winners if they can live up to the promises made by the design, specs, and price.

The first is the Archos Sense 55S, and it has a bezel-less screen that makes it look something like the Xiaomi Mi Mix, and to a lesser extent, the new Essential PH-1. However, while those two phones will cost you at least $650 to buy, the Archos Sense 55S will cost 170 British pounds, which is around $215. That’s a huge difference, and even if the Sense 55S’s screen isn’t quite so flashy as the more expensive phones mentioned above, that’s still a whole lot of cool design for not a lot of money.

Archos Sense 55S

Surely the specs suffer? It’s not a flagship killer, but it’s still strong. We don’t know the processor inside the phone yet; but we do know the IPS screen measures 5.5-inches and has a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, and gives the phone a 78 percent screen-to-body ratio. There’s only a small bezel at the top of the phone and down the sides, but the space beneath the screen is quite large. For comparison, the Xiaomi Mi Mix has a screen-to-body ratio of 84 percent. On the back is a dual-lens camera, both of which have 8 megapixels, which sit above a fingerprint sensor. A 3,000mAh battery is inside the device, along with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage space. Android 7.0 Nougat is the phone’s operating system.

The second tempting phone from Archos is the Diamond Alpha (pictured at the top of the page), which has a sleek metal body, and a dual-lens camera. Archos has teamed up with Chinese brand Nubia on the Alpha and its sister phone the Gamma, and it shows in the minimalist design and dark color palette. We’re fans of Nubia’s phones, and a partnership with Archos is good news.

We know more about the Diamond Alpha’s specs. A Snapdragon 652 chip and 4GB of RAM provide the power, and it’s a 5.2-inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel screen on the front, with Gorilla Glass over the top. The two 13-megapixel cameras on the back are made by Sony, and like the Huawei P10, one shoots in color and the other in monochrome. There’s a 16-megapixel selfie cam above the screen. The Diamond Alpha will cost 350 British pounds, or about $450, which puts it into territory owned by Honor, a brand Archos says its targeting with these new devices.

Archos Sense 50X (left) and Archos Diamond Gamma (right)

The Diamond Alpha and Sense 55S are joined by two other phones, the mid-range 200 British pound ($255) Diamond Gamma which has also been developed in partnership with Nubia, and the 250 British pound ($320) Sense 50X, a rugged phone with a MediaTek chip inside, and an IP68 water and dust resistance rating. Neither set the heart racing like the other two models.

Archos will release all four phones this July in the U.K., but we’ve yet to hear about a wider international release.

LG’s latest 34-inch curved monitor may send gamers around the bend

Why it matters to you

Gamers have simply never enjoyed a better selection of excellent gaming monitors with G-Sync support, high refresh rates, and curved widescreen options.

It seems not a day goes by without a new display being announced. Whether you’re a creative professional looking for awesome colors and high resolutions or a gamer looking for fast refresh rates, a new monitor is sure to catch your attention.

LG has announced its own newest gaming monitor, the 34UC89G, which offers up a wide 34-inch curved display with the kind of refresh rates that hardcore gamers will appreciate. The timing is likely no coincidence given that the premier gaming conference, E3 2017, is currently ongoing and the monitor is on display at LG’s booth.

The LG 34UC89 offers a Wide Full HD (2,560 x 1,080) resolution in a 21:9 aspect ratio and with a curve for a more immersive experience. The monitor offers Nvidia G-Sync support that can dynamically sync with a GPU up to 144MHz (overclockable to 166MHz) to reduce stuttering, tearing, and lag.

LG has also stocked the 34UC89 with a number of display modes aimed at providing a strong gaming experience. Black Stabilizer improves visibility in dark scenes by automatically sensing when an image needs to be brightened. Dynamic Action Sync minimizes input lag and Crosshair literally puts a crosshair target on the display’s center to improve accuracy in FPS games.

The company hasn’t ignored color quality, either, offering 99-percent sRGB color gamut support. Color depth comes in at 8-bits or 16.7 million colors, and brightness is promised at 300 nits with a 1000:1 contrast ratio.

Input connectivity includes an HDMI 1.4 port and DisplayPort 1.2. USB up- and down-stream support is also on hand. On-screen controls provide a window allowing for quick and easy adjusting of a variety of system settings including volume, brightness, picture mode and more — and mouse control is now provided rather than relying on monitor buttons.

The LG 34UC89 is available today at $1,000 at a variety of retailers including Amazon, Newegg, Fry’s Electronics and others. If you’re looking for a quality gaming monitor that also provides solid color support, then you’ll want to give LG’s newest model a look.

Firefox 54 speeds up browsing by splitting things apart

Why it matters to you

If you’ve been hating Firefox’s performance, then take heart: things should now be much faster with less memory use.

Google Chrome continues to dominate the browser market, and Microsoft is pushing its new Edge browser as the best choice for Windows 10. But Mozilla’s Firefox is a veteran choice that has been battling it out for longer than either of these options.

Today, Mozilla announced what it’s calling the best Firefox ever, with a particular emphasis on making the browser faster while using less memory. Whereas previous versions ran all of its tabs using a single operating system process, Firefox 54 splits the load into multiple independent processes for improved responsiveness.

Mozilla is calling this project “E10s,” referring to the chemical process of electrolysis whereby water is divided into its core elements of hydrogen and oxygen. The E10s project has been ongoing and has now reached its next major phase with this release that now uses up to four processes for running web page content on all open tabs.

Now, a particularly complicated page will have a reduced impact on the speed and responsiveness of other browser tabs. The E10s project means that Firefox makes better use of a system’s hardware to provide a significantly improved experience, including finding the best balance between memory use and performance and thus optimizing browsing on systems with less memory.

According to Mozilla, Firefox now uses less memory than its competitors on Windows 10, MacOS, and Linux. On Windows 10, for example, only Microsoft’s obsolete Internet Explorer 11 uses less memory than Firefox 54 while Edge and Chrome use significantly more.

Firefox 54 brings some other improvements as well, including a simplified download button and status panel. The usual security fixes are also on hand, along with a change to where the mobile version keeps its bookmarks folder.

Faster browsing that uses less memory is always a good thing, and that makes Firefox 54 a good choice as an alternative to Edge or Chrome. If you’ve been thinking about giving another browser a try, you can download the newest version of Firefox here.

The Fi Fit Quiz lets you quickly see if Project Fi is right for you

See if it’s economical for you and your family to switch to Project Fi.

Google is making it easier for consumers looking to switch from their current carrier to Project Fi. The Project Fi website now features a Fi Fit Quiz, a tool that lets you figure out if the MVNO is a right fit for you. The tool lets you enter your home pin code to determine if Project Fi is available in your area, and lets you get an estimate of your monthly bill should you make the switch.

You can select the number of people on your plan, amount of data consumed per month, and the cost of your current plan. You’ll also be able to see if your device is compatible with Fi — the service only works with Pixel and Nexus devices, so if you don’t have a Fi-ready phone, you’ll need to factor that into your decision to switch to the MVNO.

The quiz gives you a breakdown of the coverage map for your area, as well as a sample statement with net savings. If you don’t have a Fi-ready phone, you’ll be able to pick one up directly from the page. Overall, it’s a nifty tool if you’re considering switching to the MVNO.

Interested in seeing your potential savings? Take the quiz from the link below.

Take the Fi Fit Quiz

Google Project Fi

• What is Project Fi?
• Get the latest Project Fi news
• Discuss Project Fi in our forums
• Phones: Google Pixel | Nexus 6P | Nexus 5X | Nexus 6
• Sign up for Project Fi

Kodi: The ultimate guide

Cord cutters are raving about Kodi.

Kodi is an open-source media center app that’s been developed and built out over the past decade. Its latest build is one of the most complete media centers you’ll find, allowing you to consolidate all your media — videos, music, and photos — into a single destination with a customizable interface that’s both stylish and easy to use. There’s also a slew of third-party add-ons available within Kodi, which grant you access to all sorts of streaming options from around the world. Kodi is widely available, with builds available for nearly all operating systems and devices. The latest version of Kodi, codenamed Leia, will be released soon. You can read more about the new features being included here.

Kodi makes it easy to organize and watch your favorite media from your computer, smartphone, or TV via a Kodi-enabled device. Available in the Google Play Store, Kodi can be installed on pretty much any Android device. While it’s pretty easy to setup Kodi on your own (and we’ve got guides to help you set things up for yourself, there’s been increased interest in Android TV boxes that come with Kodi pre-installed. Simply connect these boxes up to your TV, connect them to your Wi-Fi and you’re pretty much ready to start streaming content. Depending on how much you’re planning to invest, these boxes can come loaded with 4K capabilities.

See at Kodi.tv

Quick guide to Kodi for beginners

• How to set up and use Kodi on your own Android device
• How to set up and use Kodi on an Android TV box
• How to set up Kodi on an Amazon Fire TV Stick
• How to install Kodi on a Raspberry Pi
• How to set up Kodi profiles
• How to create playlists in Kodi
• Best legal add-ons for Kodi
• Top Kodi Tips and Tricks

Top picks for pre-installed Kodi boxes

Given how versatile and easy it is to get Kodi, you may already have a device that’s ready to roll — whether you’ve got a computer hooked up to your TV, an Android TV device such as the NVIDIA Shield or the Xaomi Mi Box, or you’re looking for a new project for your Raspberry Pi.

But all these options take some setting up and tweaking, which is why many smart TV boxes are coming preloaded with Kodi. Sometimes referred to colloquially as “Kodi boxes,” these devices range drastically in terms of quality and security, but they’re also extremely affordable and requires very little setup. Take a look at some of these options available from Amazon for under $100.

Q-Box Amlogic S905 Smart TV Box

This Android TV box supports up to 4K playback, runs on Android 5.1, and comes pre-loaded with a bunch of popular apps, including Kodi — though you’ll probably need to do some tweaking to get everything up to date with the latest versions. You’ll be able to update and get more apps for other streaming services you might be subscribed to via the Google Play Store. There’s 16GB of internal storage available for your own media, along with an SD card slot on the back. The Q-Box comes with a remote but also features two USB ports on the back if you’d prefer to control it with a mouse and keyboard.

Aesthetically, this box has a ring of pulsing light around the perimeter, which might feel a bit gaudy to some, but it can be disabled in the preferences.

See at Amazon

MX3 Advance Android TV Box

The MX3 Advance also is capable of supporting 4K playback and should handle all your binging needs without feeling sluggish. It also comes with Kodi installed and preloaded with a bunch of popular add-ons. There’s 16GB of internal storage along with an SD card slot so you can load up your personal media, and there’s also two USB ports on the back.

Those ports might come in handy since the included remote control has a very limited range and is not so good. You’d be better off getting a wireless controller (See the suggestions on the Amazon page for good options with built-in QWERTY keyboards) or using those USB ports for a keyboard and mouse combo.

See at Amazon

Amlogic S912 Octa Core Android 6.0 TV Box

As recommended by a commenter below, the Amlogic S912 is a great newer Kodi box option that you can buy for around $70. It’s running on Android 6.0 and comes with Kodi and a bunch of other useful media apps pre-installed. There is 16GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM, and connectivity support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi — and everything is packaged in a rather stylish package.

Each box comes with standard accessories including an IR remote, HDMI cable, power adapter and user manual. You have the option of connecting up your own keyboard and mouse to make searching for content easier. It’s a great, affordable option that should be ready to roll right out of the box.

See at Amazon

Your picks?

What are your favorite ways to access Kodi? Let us know in the comments below!

Update June 2017: Added the Quick Guide to Kodi for Beginners.

Samsung Pay comes to the budget segment with the Galaxy J7 Pro

Samsung is aggressively expanding Samsung Pay in India.

After launching Samsung Pay in India earlier this year, the South Korean manufacturer is now making its digital payments service more accessible by bringing it to the budget segment —with the Galaxy J7 Pro the first device to feature the service. Samsung also rolled out another device in the Galaxy J series — the Galaxy J7 Max — which offers Samsung Pay Mini for UPI and Paytm transactions.

The Galaxy J7 Pro has specs similar to that of the standard variant of the Galaxy J7 2017, including a 5.5-inch Full HD display, Exynos 7870 chipset, 3GB of RAM, 13MP front and rear cameras, microSD slot, fingerprint sensor, 4G with VoLTE, and a 3600mAh battery. What’s new is 64GB storage, and the aforementioned Samsung Pay.

Everything you need to know about Samsung Pay in India

The Galaxy J7 Max — as the name suggests — is geared toward multimedia consumption, offering a 5.7-inch Full HD display, Exynos 7870 chipset, 4GB of RAM, 32GB internal memory, microSD slot, 13MP front and rear cameras, 4G with VoLTE, and a 3300mAh battery. Both phones come with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, and retain the Smart Glow feature that made its debut last year on the Galaxy J2 2016.

It’s immediately not understandable why the larger J7 Max doesn’t offer the full-fledged version of Samsung Pay, but it looks like the retail pricing was a factor. The Galaxy J7 Pro will be available in mid-July for ₹20,900 ($320), whereas the J7 Max will be up for sale starting June 20 for ₹17,900 ($275).

The Galaxy J series is Samsung’s best-selling lineup in the country, and the availability of Samsung Pay in the budget segment has the potential for a huge uptick in the service’s adoption.

Exclusive: New OnePlus 5 render shows there’s more to the design than dual cameras

We get it, you think it looks like an iPhone 7 — but let’s be rational for a second.

Once OnePlus put out a rather revealing teaser of the OnePlus 5’s hardware, showing off its dual cameras, the focus quickly turned to one discussion: “it kind of looks like an iPhone.” A fresh render of the top-right corner of the back of the phone, obtained by Android Central, shows a few subtleties that paint a bit of a different picture.

A few shared design elements doesn’t make one phone a ‘copy’ of another.

Unfortunately we don’t have a complete look at the phone from multiple angles here, but the zoomed-in take gets the point across: this isn’t just an iPhone 7 clone. Yes it’s black, metal and curved, but the details are clearly different. Take a look at that render above — see the way the metal subtly curves from the flat back then transitions along a straight line to a flat side. That flat side carries all the way down the side of the phone — and based on previous leaks the way it meets the front glass is entirely different from the iPhone as well. It may seem like making a mountain out of a mole hill, but these are differences that will have a big influence on how the OnePlus 5 feels in your hand every day.

Thankfully the Alert Slider (which lets you switch between configurable Do Not Disturb modes) is back, and looks to be nicely crafted with a tight diamond pattern to make it easy to toggle even when you’re not looking at the phone. Yes I will grant you the fact that the wide embedded antenna lines look familiar — but you have to get antennas in there somewhere, and if that’s the best way to do them right now, so be it.

There are clearly features that make it more than just a design lifted from a competitor.

Based on the views we have right now, does the OnePlus 5 give you feelings that it shares some design elements with the iPhone 7? Sure it does — but to my eyes, it doesn’t seem to share much more than any other modern black aluminum smartphone does. You can point to specific parts of any phone out there today and find similarities to another phone.

Yes it seems as though OnePlus is going to stick with an understated, almost generic look for the OnePlus 5 — and once we see the whole thing revealed we can make those assessments. But there are clearly design flourishes and attentions to detail here that make it more than just a basic hardware design lifted from a competitor.

OnePlus 5

• Latest OnePlus 5 rumors
• OnePlus 5 confirmed to have Snapdragon 835
• OnePlus 3T discontinued to make room for OnePlus 5

OnePlus

Nokia 8/9 flagship Android phone: Release date, rumours and specs

Nokia announced three Android handsets at Mobile World Congress 2017, marking the company’s return to smartphones. It also announced the new Nokia 3310.

Missing from this line-up of devices is anything that breaks out of the affordable end of the market. The Nokia 6 offers premium design, but in many cases the specs don’t climb out of the end of the market that’s entry- or mid-range.

Prior to the launch of the Nokia 6, Nokia 5 and Nokia 3, there were plenty of rumours of a high-end device. With that device not seeing launch at MWC 2017, we’ve been keeping track of where all the rumours now sit for Nokia’s future flagship.

Nokia 8, Nokia 9 or Nokia P1: The name

• Formerly Nokia P1
• Now known as Nokia 8
• Might be Nokia 9

Nokia has done a good job on keeping its device names quiet. Rumours originally focused on the D1C and the P1, with the thinking that the D1C become the Nokia 6. The Nokia 5 and Nokia 3 didn’t feature in rumours, but that could be because lower tier phones are often ignored, while flagship phones are often over inflated by expectation.

The name Nokia 8 first came from a leak claiming to be the forthcoming handset, but it was firmly rebuked by Qualcomm, who said this was just a Snapdragon prototype. But the Nokia 8 name stuck. Nokia Power User then obtained information from an unnamed source, which referred to the new flagship as the Nokia 9, while another Nokia Power User post said the Nokia 8 will in-fact be a premium, mid-range device instead. 

In reality, we have no idea exactly what Nokia’s future device will be called.

Additionally, it’s worth pointing out that P1 was never clarified either: it could easily have been the working name for Nokia 5.

• Nokia 6 preview: A solid start for the new Android Nokia

Pocket-lint

Nokia 8/9 design

• IP68 protection suggested
• Metal build rumoured

In terms of design, it’s said that the Nokia flagship phone will offer a premium metal design. In terms of details, apart from metal, there’s been talk of IP68 water and dust protection in the Nokia 8 flagship device.

All the Nokia Android phones so far have started life as a block of 6000 series aluminium, so we’d expect a flagship to be exactly the same to maintain the same story about quality that HMD Global – the company making the new Nokia phones – has been telling. Some of the early rumours about Nokia 8 were based on Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 shell leaks, so there’s currently very little to go on when it comes to design. 

There’s an unsubstantiated rumour that it will be based on the Sharp Aquos P1 – hence that codename that’s been circulating – but that seem very unlikely: with HMD putting so much work into the entry-level devices, it’s unlikely to rebadge a Sharp phone for the flagship.

There’s also a continuing rumour that the Nokia flagship will come in two sizes with similar specs, taking a similar approach to Apple, Huawei and Samsung.

YouTube user Concept Creator has posted a video showing an in-depth look at what they he expects the Nokia 8/P1 to look like. It’s certainly a gorgeous design, combining glass and metal to produce a high-end, premium device. It places the SIM-card and Micro SD card tray on the bottom left edge and a complex camera on the back with a glass covering – but it’s just fan art for the time-being.

• Nokia through the years: 30 best and worst phones, in pictures

Nokia 8/9 hardware specs

• 2560 x 1440 pixel display
• 5.5-inch display, could be two sizes
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
• 4 or 6GB RAM

There’s a possibility that the Nokia will come in different sizes, although a rumoured 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 resolution display will put this device in flagship contention. The existence of two different sizes has been suggested a number of times, although there may be been confusion caused by the Nokia 6 and Nokia 5.

The Nokia 8 will likely opt for something powerful under the hood like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, a new chipset for 2017, and that’s a rumour that’s already appeared, backed by 6GB of RAM. This rumour continues, although Snapdragon 835 is turning into the holy grail of chipsets in 2017 and its longer development cycle is thought to be governing the scheduling of a number of devices.

There’s talk of different RAM quantities too and there’s some logic there perhaps: when launching the Nokia 5, the company said it didn’t need 3GB of RAM because of the size (unlike the Nokia 6). The Nokia 6 has 3GB RAM, but the Nokia 6 Arte Edition has 4GB of RAM, so we can already see a trend of fluctuating the RAM around devices.

Nokia’s current Android devices all feature Micro-USB, but most other recent launches have moved to USB Type-C. The existing Nokia Android phones also all offer microSD card slots, so we’d imagine that convenience feature will be on the Nokia 8 too, perhaps with dual SIM as standard too. 

However, the unnamed source that leaked the supposed full specs of the new flagship, didn’t mention a microSD card slot at all, and also claimed the battery would be non-removable. It’s possible the Nokia 8 will therefore have a unibody design. 

Pocket-lint

Nokia 8/9 camera

• 23 or 24-megapixel camera
• Zeiss optics?

There’s a passing mention of a 22.6-megapixel camera early on in Nokia rumours, although the rest of the specs are wildly out of touch. However, this rumour has since been repeated in the form of a 23-megapixel camera, likely to be the Sony hardware launched in the Xperia Z5. That has since been replaced by a 19-megapixel sensor in the Xperia XZ Premium, which would appear to be more advanced.

Nokia’s Symbian swansong before the whole Microsoft thing was the 808 PureView. In some ways this was demonstrative of everything that was going wrong at Nokia, presenting a slightly under-specced phone that was too expensive, sitting on an operating system that lacked the consumer ease of the iPhone and the maturing Android (we’re talking 2012, remember the burning platform?)

But it gave us the 41-megapixel PureView camera and that trumped everything else around at the time. PureView, with Zeiss lenses, continued into the Lumia line and the next big hit was the Lumia 1020 (pictured above) again punching hard with the camera in 2013. PureView is a Microsoft trademark, however, and still appears to be registered to Microsoft.

Aside from the talk of a 23-megapixel sensor, there’s some flip-flapping around Zeiss. Zeiss lenses were a common feature on Nokia phones and as Zeiss still provides plenty of lenses, there’s nothing to stop Nokia exploring this option. When asked on Twitter, Nokia clarified that its current phones don’t have Zeiss lenses, but didn’t go as far as confirming that they will be on future phones.

Pocket-lint

Nokia 8/9 software

• Pure Android Nougat 

One of the underlying themes of the new Nokia phones is that they all run pure Android Nougat, with Google Assistant. Nokia was keen to point this out and Google was keen to say how happy the were that Nokia was doing this. They even made a special pin badge to celebrate.

On the Nokia 6, 5 and 3, the only change from stock Android is the tweaked camera. There’s no bloatware, no pre-installed apps or anything else. We’d expect the Nokia 8 to be exactly the same.

Nokia 8/9 release date and price

• June 2017 suggested

With Nokia launching three handsets already in 2017, all due for launch in Q2 2017, there are few rumours around about when to expect a flagship device launch.

However, rumours have fallen into line with the rest of the Snapdragon 835 rumours, suggesting June. There’s also a price of 4000 yuan for the smaller handset and 4500 yuan against the larger, suggesting that this phone might be launched into China first.

An unnamed source has told Nokia Power User that the Nokia 8 will be released in Q3 of 2017, perhaps July or August, with an asking price of €749/$699.

Perhaps in-keeping with these dates, a device from HMD Global has passed through the FCC. There’s very little detail, but this could be the Nokia 9 getting certification.

We’ll keep our eyes peeled for rumours and update you when we know more.

Apple 3D Touch tips and tricks: Get the most out of the your iPhone

Apple’s pressure sensitive display technology, called 3D Touch adds a vast array of options to the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, iPhone 7, and iPhone 7 Plus.

Thanks to the technology, the displays on board the newer iPhones don’t just recognise gestures like tap, swiping and pinching, but force too, allowing for clever shortcuts into and within various apps.

Pressing and holding icons will launch menus and the pressure at which you press also affects what you see and the selections you are offered. Here are just a few things 3D Touch allows you to do and some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your iPhone everyday.

• Best 3D Touch apps for Apple iPhone
• These are the coolest hidden features in iOS 10

Apple

Don’t miss the slo-mo moment

A deep press of the Camera app, followed by a slide of your finger down to the Record Slo-mo option will make sure you don’t miss any crucial cat moments.

Go back in time

No, sadly Apple has not invented a time machine but you can reminisce about what you were doing a year ago. A deep press on the Photos app will allow you to select One Year Ago, taking you to all the images you took 12 months previous.

Sketch away

The Notes app doesn’t just have to be for writing shopping lists, it can also be for sketching them. Deep press on the Notes app, hit the New Sketch option in the menu and draw away.

Start Timer

Whether you want make sure you get a perfectly boiled egg, or ensure you hold a plank for 30 seconds, there’s a deep press for that too. Unsurprisingly, it’s the Clock app you need to deep press this time, no pun intended, followed by Start Stopwatch or Start Timer in the menu.

Take a selfie

Just as you can start recording Slo-mo video with a deep press of the Camera app, you can also take a selfie. Gives you a couple of extra seconds to get the perfect one at least.

Mark your location

Ever lost your car in a carpark? If yes, this is the shortcut for you. A deep press on the Maps app will allow you to mark your location down to the inch so you’ll never forget where you parked again.

VIP access

If your inbox is inundated with emails, put the ones that matter to you into the VIP list. Following this, a deep press of the Mail app will show you the VIP section and how many unread messages you have in it without opening the app.

Call a favourite

Need to call one of your top four favourite contacts quickly? A deep press of the Phone app will allow you to call them with another tap, as well as create a new contact or search for one.

Record meetings or classes

Perfect for the times when your attention span may not be working at full capacity. A deep press of the Voice Memos app will allow you to select New Recording, meaning that Monday morning meeting or lecture will be recorded for you to play back later. Warning, it is not likely to be any more interesting the second time round.

Private browsing

Search history is great, sometimes. For the times you’d rather not have everything recorded, a deep press of the Safari app will bring up the option of New Private Tab. Your browsing history won’t be saved and the website you visit is asked not to track you.

Redeem an iTunes gift card

If you’ve been lucky enough to receive an iTunes gift card, deep pressing the iTunes Store or Apple Store app will bring up a menu, one of the options of which is Redeem enabling you to spend away.

Access your recent books

Want to carry on reading your book on your commute? A deep press of the iBooks app will bring up a menu giving you access to your recent books, as well as the search feature.

Create the perfect photo

There are several third-party apps that also support 3D Touch, with YouCam Perfect being one of them. This app allows you to touch up your photos, as well as take photos. A deep press on the YouCam app will take you to straight to the camera or the editing screen depending on your selection.

Upload a photo to Facebook

Just taken a new profile picture for Facebook? Deep press the Facebook app and tap the Upload Photo/Video option. The Facebook menu also offers a search option, status upload option and the option to take a photo directly.

Get yourself home missing the traffic with Waze

Need to get home quickly after work and avoid as much traffic as possible? Deep press on the Waze app and hit Drive Home. The app will then navigate you home the fastest way possible providing you’ve previously set your home address in the app. There is also the option to Drive to Work in the menu, along with searching an address and sending your location. 

Send a Tweet

Want to send a quick Tweet? Deep press the Twitter app and hit New Tweet to get your 140-word thought out super quickly. The menu also offers the option to send a new message and search.

Log your water intake on Fitbit

For those who use Fitbit to monitor their activity, you can use a deep press to quickly add your water intake. It’s also possible to log food and weight, as well as track an exercise.

Scan a barcode on MyFitnessPal

If you’re calorie counting and logging through MyFitnessPal, 3D Touch comes in very handy. A deep press on the MyFitnessPal app will allow you to Scan a Barcode to instantly log what you’re about to eat. The menu also has an option to log food and weight, as well as search for restaurants.

Upload a photo to Instagram

Just like Facebook, Instagram also has 3D Touch built in allowing you to upload your latest picture with a deep press and a tap on New Post. The Instagram 3D Touch menu also consists of viewing activity, searching and viewing direct messages.

Start a new WhatsApp chat

Good old WhatsApp supports 3D Touch too, allowing you to start a New Chat, Take a Photo or Video, Search or visit your Starred Messages. It also pulls up your recent four chats so you can access them easily.

Continue watching with Netflix

Want to carry on watching the next episode of House of Cards on your commute? No problem. A deep press on the Netflix app will give you a Continue Watching option taking you straight to where you want to be. There’s also the option to visit Trending Now, your lists and Search.

Get yourself somewhere with Citymapper

Citymapper is an amazing app for getting you around and 3D Touch makes doing that just a little bit faster. A deep press on Citymapper will give you the option to Get Me Somewhere, Get Me Home, Nearby Stops and Share My Location on WhatsApp. Simples.

Send money with PayPal

A deep press on the PayPal app will allow you to view your PayPal activity, as well as request money and send money. Once you’ve selected the option you want, you’ll need to sign in but it saves the faff of trying to find the app in the first place.

The Morning After: Wednesday, June 14th 2017

Welcome to the middle of the week. It was Nintendo’s turn to dominate E3, the world’s biggest gaming show. Super Mario Odyssey is coming to the Switch this October, Intel is making VR better and the Atari 2600 is back. Kind of.

The sequel the series deserves is coming to Nintendo Switch.
‘Metroid’ is really, truly back

Oh boy. We thought Nintendo’s E3 showcase would center entirely on Super Mario Odyssey, but it had another bombshell for us. A decade after the last main title, Metroid is truly coming back. We’re getting Metroid Prime 4.

We built a base at E3 to help you go beyond the show floor.
Live from Engadget’s E3 2017 stage: interviews, panels and more!

Every year at CES we build a stage, invite fascinating people to chat with us, and take a closer look at what really matters at the show. It’s a blast! In fact, we have such a good time that we decided to do it again, only this time at E3 — the epicenter of the gaming universe for the next few days. Join us as we discuss the news of the day and issues facing the industry, accompanied by a mix of masterminds and developers. Oh, and don’t worry: We’ll have plenty of time to play some new games too. You’ll find our full stage schedule right here.

Cut the rope.Intel’s HTC Vive add-on offers the best wireless VR connection we’ve seen

Meet DisplayLinkXR, the WiGig-based setup that uses those gigabit data speeds to connect your PC and VR headset wirelessly. We still don’t know how much it will cost or when it will be available, but the technology is impressive. No matter how ridiculous the action got in Space Pirate Trainer, Devindra Hardawar reports that it was indistinguishable from his wired HTC Vive setup at home.

Something to look forward to?
The Xbox One X is aspirational in the purest sense of the word

The Xbox One X is the world’s most powerful console (even though we didn’t see one in operation as all demos were running on the white dev kits), but to get the most out of it, you’ll probably need to make some upgrades. Beyond the box itself, you’ll want an HDR-compatible 4K TV, and Dolby Atmos-ready audio system. Of course, if you’re buying one, you probably already have that stuff and are just waiting to plug it all in.

Time to dust off those old carts, just leave E.T. where it is.Atari 2600 fans get the revival console they deserve

If you want to play retro Atari 2600 games, there’s plenty of options, but a new console offers support for the original cartridges with all the modern day perks. The RetroN 77 plays most, if not all, of the original game cartridges in glorious 1080p, at a modern aspect ratio right out of the box.

Hunt to your heart’s content early next year.‘Monster Hunter: World’ is the series’ first worldwide unified release

Monster Hunter X sold 3.2 million copies in roughly its first month, and while the series hasn’t been nearly as popular here in the States, however that could change early next year when the newest title, Monster Hunter: World, drops worldwide, all at the same time.

Huh, is there a reason you might be shopping for a new TV?
Vizio’s color-rich M- and P-series 4K TVs go on sale

Right on time, Vizio announced that its new M- and P-series Ultra HD sets are arriving on store shelves. You can run down to Best Buy or Walmart or wherever and check them out for yourself before bringing them home to feather your Xbox One X (or PS4 Pro, or Switch… we guess) nest.

New console. New worlds. New hat.

‘Super Mario Odyssey’ comes to the Switch October 27th

When Nintendo teased Odyssey as a refreshing return to form, it didn’t give us a lot to go on. We knew Mario would explore an Earth-like metropolis named New Donk City. We knew he could dance. We knew he had a magic hat. Now, we know when we’ll be able to play it all: Today at E3, Nintendo announced that Super Mario Odyssey would launch on October 27th. (And we got to play it: hear our thoughts on it very soon.)

But wait, there’s more…

• Tesla Model X earns a perfect NHTSA safety rating
• E3 hasn’t forgotten about PC gaming
• ‘Yoshi’ on Switch is more cardboard, less yarn
• This worm grew a second head after a trip to space
• Uber board member makes sexist joke on sexism conference call, Uber board member resigns