Here are the Xiaomi phones that will be updated to Nougat

Xiaomi will roll out the Nougat update to 14 phones.

The Mi 6 and Mi Max 2 run Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box, but a majority of Xiaomi’s devices are still on Marshmallow. The company has now confirmed that it is working on delivering the Nougat update to 14 phones, with internal testing underway for five phones: the Mi Note 2, Mi Mix, Redmi 4/4X, and the Mi 5s along with the Mi 5s Plus.

Xiaomi’s best-sellers from last year — the Redmi Note 4 and the Mi 5 — are scheduled to receive the update, along with the first-generation Mi Max and the Mi Note. Here’s a look at the list of devices that will are already on Nougat or are scheduled to receive the update:

• Xiaomi Mi 6 – Android 7.1.1 Nougat – Live
• Xiaomi Mi Max 2 – Android 7.1.1 Nougat – Live
• Xiaomi Redmi 4/4X – Android 7.1.1 Nougat – Testing underway
• Xiaomi Mi 5c – Android 7.1.1 Nougat – Scheduled
• Xiaomi Mi Mix – Android 7.0 Nougat – Testing underway
• Xiaomi Mi Note 2 – Android 7.0 Nougat – Testing underway
• Xiaomi Mi 5s – Android 7.0 Nougat – Testing underway
• Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus – Android 7.0 Nougat – Testing underway
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 4/4X – Android 7.0 Nougat – Scheduled
• Xiaomi Mi Max – Android 7.0 Nougat – Scheduled
• Xiaomi Mi 5 – Android 7.0 Nougat – Live
• Xiaomi Mi Note – Android 7.0 Nougat – Scheduled
• Xiaomi Mi 4c – Android 7.0 Nougat – Scheduled
• Xiaomi Mi 4s – Android 7.0 Nougat – Scheduled

The list comes from the MIUI team in China, and while there’s no mention of the Redmi 4A, there is a possibility that the phone will pick up Nougat down the line.

Is your Xiaomi device on the list scheduled to pick up the update? Let us know in the comments below.

Get red, white, and blue with these patriotic wallpapers this Fourth of July!

Happy Birthday, America!

Sure, the vote took place on July 2, but this is the day we celebrate starting our own country trying out this little thing called self-government. It’s hard its ups and downs, but since 1776 we’ve been going strong. Whether you’re looking for some low-key patriotism or flashy as a firework flair, we’ve got the wallpapers for you!

Fireworks may go off on other holidays, but no other day is more synonymous with lighting shiny explosives than July 4th, and while doing them at home can be dangerous, there’s no shortage of local, state, and national displays to watch the professionals strut their stuff. Fireworks make for explosive wallpapers, allowing your apps to pop like fireworks of their own against the high contrast colors. The whimsy of these corkscrew fireworks add a playful touch, as well.

Fireworks 3 by AreteStock

In a homage to Wonder Woman’s history as an American superhero (even with her international heritage), DeviantArt user Superman 8193 has taken some poses by David Despau, artfully done them up with some splashes of patriotic colors, and gifted them to the world as a beautiful wallpaper that can be patriotic and nerdy all at once! This wallpaper is also great for theming, with widgets fitting well at the top and bottom of the screen, with plenty of room to scatter your app icons in Wonder Woman’s patrotic locks in red and blue Glim icons.

David Despau – Wonder Woman 2 by Superman8193

As I said, fireworks are one of the holiday’s most treasured traditions, the reason it’s so treasured is not the highly dangerous pyrotechnics, but the people we gather with to watch them. Watching your friends’ and family’s faces light up as the fireworks light up the night is the kind of memory that can last a lifetime (why do you think Disney sets off fireworks every night?). And this wallpaper celebrates the most important part of both the holiday and the national pride behind it: building a legacy with loved ones.

4th of July by vongue

There are a lot of lovely quotes around patriotism and American pride, but it’s the understated quotes that often have the most impact. Walt Disney certainly a man with no shortage of American pride, but there are two quotes of his that I think sum up his particular brand of national love: “Laughter is America’s greatest export” and “I get red, white, and blue at times”. This simple wallpaper also plays well on a clean lock screen or a busy home screen.

It also offers some Mickey Mouse flair, possibly the most recognized American icon in the world.

I get Red, White, and Blue at times by Disney Parks Blog

Some patriotic wallpapers are a little more abstract, but this one works it remarkably well. This wallpaper also works well both vertically and horizontally, giving you an extra level of freedom with its stars and stripes. It vaguely gives me some Coca-Cola vibes, so that might explain my unnatural attraction to it.

Stars and Stripes

HTC allegedly working on a mid-range U11 powered by the Snapdragon 660

HTC is working on a Mini variant of the U11.

The HTC U11 is one of the best phones you can buy today, and it looks like the Taiwanese manufacturer is working on rolling out a Lifestyle or Mini variant that’s targeted at the mid-range segment. According to a series of tweets by noted HTC leaker LlabTooFeR, the device is codenamed Ocean Life, offering a 5.2-inch 1080p panel, 16MP rear and front cameras, Android 7.1.1 Nougat with Sense 9.0, and a 2600mAh battery.

The phone is said to be powered by the Snapdragon 660, and like the U11, it will feature a squeezable frame that lets you perform actions by pressing down on the sides of the device.

Device will also be featured by Sense 9.0Edge Sense HTC USonic

— LlabTooFeR (@LlabTooFeR) July 4, 2017

The Snapdragon 660 is built on the 14nm node, and it features eight Kryo 260 cores clocked up to 2.2GHz. The battery is smaller at 2600mAh when compared to the 3000mAh unit on the 5.5-inch U11, but the smaller screen size and the Full HD panel should balance things out. Interestingly, it looks like HTC will bundle its USonic earphones with the device.

Not much else is known about the upcoming mid-ranger, but we’ll let you know once we hear more. In the meantime, what do you think of a smaller variant of the U11?

Best External Battery Packs for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge

Give your GS7 and GS7 edge a second life with a battery pack.

Our phones just keep adding new capabilities, but their batteries never feel like they last any longer than the day they came out of the box. A year on, the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are still great phones — but if you find your battery is dying earlier than you’d expect, you may want to check out a portable battery pack for those heavy days.

They’re entirely portable, relatively inexpensive, and could keep your phone going when you need it most. We’ve rounded up the best battery packs to use with your Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

• Aukey Portable Power Bank
• EasyAcc Monster
• Samsung Fast Charge Battery Pack (5,200mAh)
• Unifun 10,400mAh Waterproof Power Bank

Aukey Portable Power Bank (10,400mAh)

This portable battery is Aukey’s bread and butter — a simple 10,400mAh pack with a single USB port to charge up your phone. It has enough juice to charge up your phone twice with a bit left over, and still manages to remain relatively compact.

The metal construction means it can stand up to plenty of bumping around in your bag or pocket. And with Quick Charge tech on board it’ll charge up your phone as fast as a wall plug can. Not a bad deal for just under $30.

See at Amazon

EasyAcc Monster (20,000mAh)

Charge your Galaxy S7 and up to three other devices at the same time with the EasyAcc Monster. They’re not kidding about the name. This thing has enough juice to charge your GS7 around six times over, which makes it great if you’re headed out of town for a few days and aren’t sure if you’ll see a wall socket any time soon.

It has a built-in flashlight and can auto-detect components and adjust the maximum output accordingly, which makes it great if you want to charge up multiple devices on the go. Does the whole family have Galaxy S7s? Charge them all at the same time for just $32 with this battery.

No need to worry about overcharging and shorting, since the EasyAcc has a built-in surge protector, which is ideal since you’ll have to wait 6 hours for this one to charge back up fully.

See at Amazon

Samsung Fast Charge Battery Pack (5,200mAh)

This is actually not the latest battery pack from Samsung, but that doesn’t mean anything when it comes to actually using it. But it does mean you can get a great deal on a really good battery from the same company that made your phone.

With 5200mAh capacity it’s only good for a little more than a full charge of your phone, but in return it’s light and svelte — it’s roughly the same dimensions as a Galaxy S7 edge. That means it’s super easy to slide in a pocket with a USB cable for when you need to top up your phone in the evening.

You can find Samsung’s battery for about $40, or sometimes a bit less if you shop around.

See at Amazon

Unifun 10,400mAh Waterproof Power Bank

Calling all campers! Unifun’s power bank is rugged and waterproof, so you can charge your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge when you’re really on the go. It’s rated IP66 for water and dust resistance, while also having anti-shock and anti-skid protection.

This pack even has a strap hole, so you can attach to a belt loop or clip, which is great if you’re working outside all day or constantly on the go; just run a cord to your pocket and away you go.

It’s a little bulky, at 6 inches by almost 3 inches, but you’d expect something so rugged to be a little on the bulky side. Especially at the price: under $20 for all those features is great.

See at Amazon

What’s your favorite?

Which battery packs are you using to charge your Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge? Sound off in the comments below!

Update July 2017: Updated with the latest battery packs, pricing and links for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• U.S. unlocked Galaxy S7
• Should you upgrade to the Galaxy S7?
• Best SD cards for Galaxy S7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

Unlocked
AT&T
Sprint
T-Mobile
Verizon

The Morning After: July 4th, 2017

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Happy Independence Day! After everyone else sets off fireworks today, Elon Musk and the crew at SpaceX will turn attention to their next rocket launch on the 5th or 6th. But, of course, the big news is Tesla’s Model 3, and we even have a new iPhone rumor.

It’s happening.Tesla will deliver the first 30 Model 3s on July 28th

Over the years, Tesla hasn’t always delivered vehicles on time. Recently, problems with building its 100kWh battery packs hampered Tesla’s deliveries, but those issues appear to be resolved, and CEO Elon Musk says the Model 3 is almost here. In fact, there will be a “handover party” for the first 30 sedans on July 28th, and Musk is promising 20,000 cars per month by December.

A long time coming.The (re)making of ‘Crash Bandicoot’

Three years ago, Sony promised gamers another trip to N.Sanity Beach, and last week it delivered. We took a peek behind the scenes with developer Vicarious Visions as team members explained their love for the game, and how they tried to stay true to Naughty Dog’s original vision throughout the myriad changes. Bonus: Check out exclusive footage from an early version of the iconic first level from 2015.

One of these makes sense.Two video-game-turned-TV shows debut this week

Netflix is getting ready to release season one of its animated Castlevania series, but the other game coming to TV is more of a surprise: Candy Crush. The Mario Lopez-hosted game show will premiere on CBS Sunday night.

Goodbye, TouchID?The next iPhone reportedly scans your face instead of your finger

The latest iPhone 8 rumors suggest that Apple is having trouble slipping a fingerprint scanner underneath the new phone’s OLED screen. As a result, it may rely on 3D facial recognition instead of TouchID for password-less unlocking

Running late.Windows 10’s ‘Timeline’ feature won’t arrive this fall

We were expecting to see Microsoft’s new Timeline feature in the next big Windows 10 update, but a tweet from VP Joe Belfiore reveals that is not to be. It’s not cancelled, but users can expect to see it first via Insider beta builds after the Fall Creators Update drops.

But wait, there’s more…

• What we’re using in July: Google WiFi
• ‘Baby Driver’ is an ode to iPod nostalgia
• SpaceX’s capsule ‘re-flight’ is a space travel milestone

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you’ll miss if you don’t subscribe.

LeEco’s assets frozen by Chinese court as debts mount

Chinese firm LeEco’s financial situation is deteriorating rapidly. A Shanghai court has frozen $180 million in assets owned by co-founder Jia Yueting, his wife Gan Wei and three subsidiaries, according to Chinese news site Tencent and the Financial Times. The order was carried out on behalf of the China Merchants Bank, reportedly because of missed interest payments by LeEco’s mobile, watch and other divisions.

Not long ago, LeEco was a relatively unknown consumer electronics giant in China. After the company and its founder launched not one, but three different EV projects (Faraday Future, the LeEco LeSee and Lucid Motors) the firm developed a much higher profile.

Signs of trouble started popping up last October, however. LeEco was planning to build an EV plant in Nevada, but after doing some due diligence, the state’s treasurer told Bloomberg that LeEco didn’t seem to have the money to build a billion dollar plant. A former Lucid Motors executive also told The Guardian that he left because LeEco was “being run like an old-school Hong Kong company.”

The Lucid Motors Air, revealed in December 2016 at the LA auto show (AOL)

The next month, Jia admitted that LeEco had a cash problem. “We blindly sped ahead, and our cash demand ballooned,” he said. “We got over-extended in our global strategy. At the same time, our capital and resources were in fact limited.”

Things started getting worse at an alarming speed after that. First, the LeEco Nevada plant was delayed, then LeEco revealed it was selling its Silicon Valley US headquarters and later, a planned purchase of TV maker Vizio was cancelled. Shortly after that, Jia stepped down as LeEco CEO, the company laid off much of its US workforce and, most recently, LeEco admitted it was still losing massive amounts of money, despite a $2.4 billion emergency loan.

Jia and some of his family have also put up their own holdings as collateral for the loans. A bond sale to raise funds was canceled, however, after regulators questioned the company’s ability to pay them back. As FT points out, the freezing of some LeEco assets is a possible sign of a looming bankruptcy, as it may kick off an avalanche of similar demands from other creditors.

Source: Financial Times, Tencent (translated)

Xiaomi Redmi 4 review

Three years after it set foot in the Indian market, the Xiaomi juggernaut is unstoppable, and with each budget smartphone, the company sets new benchmarks in terms of value for money offering as well as sales figures.

After the huge success of Redmi Note 4 and Redmi 4A, the company has recently launched the successor of Redmi 3S that was launched last year – Redmi 4. Apart from being an iterative upgrade, the Redmi 4 packs in a fingerprint sensor this time around and comes in three memory variants.

The Redmi 4 looks like a capable phone on the specifications sheet in the budget smartphone market where some compromises are certain. Can Redmi 4 rise above those to offer a great value-for-money smartphone and hit new sales records? Let’s find out in this comprehensive review.

For this review, I took the mid-variant of the Redmi 4, the one with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage, for a spin. The retail unit was provided by Xiaomi for the purpose of this review.Show More

Design

With a unibody metal construction, the Redmi 4 follows the design language of Redmi Note 4. There are curved edges with a curved 2.5D glass on the front which aids the ergonomics. The highlight of the design is of course the compact form factor owing to the 5-inch display. It fits quite well in one’s palms and single-handed usage is a breeze.

The build quality is excellent and it feels solid, and the matte black variant looks great and gives a very premium feel.

However, the three capacitive buttons behind the display are not backlit. It is disorienting at first, but you impulsively know where your thumb needs to go after a few days of usage.

The Redmi 4 might be a budget phone but there’s no compromise on the aesthetics. In fact, with this outing – like before – the company sets the standards for what affordable smartphones should look and feel like in 2017.

Display

The Redmi 4 sports a 5-inch HD display with a 1280 x 720 resolution. There’s a 2.5D curved glass, similar to the Redmi Note 4. It’s toughened glass, although there’s no Gorilla Glass protection.

While the specifications sheet watchers would’ve liked a Full HD display, I think it would’ve been an overkill on a 5-inch budget smartphone and obviously hurt the battery life.

The HD display nevertheless looks fantastic in terms of color reproduction and viewing angles. The images and text looks sharp, and it is clearly one of the best displays on smartphones in this price segment. Maintaining a perfect balance, it is a crisp and vivid display without the colors looking oversaturated.

Performance

Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 octa-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz coupled with Adreno 505 GPU, the Redmi 4 comes in three memory variants – there’s one with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage, another one with 3 GB of RAM along with 32 GB of storage, and the top variant with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage.

The mid variant that I used for this review had just over 25 GB free memory out-of-the box.

The Snapdragon 435 is a pretty snappy chip, and the Redmi 4 chugs along nicely in daily usage. In my three weeks of usage, I haven’t really encountered any sluggishness or lags. You can also play most of the graphic-intensive games, albeit with a few frame skips here and there or graphic settings turned down. One of the impressive things is that even while gaming, the phone did not get hot.

The 4,100 mAh battery on the Redmi 4 saves you from the constant battery anxiety. A day and a half on a single charge is easily manageable for most casual users which is impressive really. Even on moderate to higher usage, the phone managed to offer more than a day of battery life.

Hardware

Just like the Redmi Note 4, the Redmi 4 packs in an IR blaster that you can configure to use your phone as a remote control for several electronic appliances at your home. The fingerprint scanner located at the back is quite good, and apart from authentication, can also be used to take photos, especially those selfies.

The dual SIM smartphone features a hybrid slot, so essentially, you can either use two SIM cards or one SIM card and one microSD card. If you need to use two SIMs and are a content hog, maybe you’d like to opt for the top variant that offers 64 GB internal storage.

While the battery life on the Redmi 4 is stellar, it is disappointing that there is no fast charging support on the device. The issue is magnified in phones which pack in larger batteries because it takes even longer to charge the phone completely.

Camera

Xiaomi Redmi 4 packs a 13MP rear camera with LED flash that can manage some great shots with good color reproduction and sharpness.

Outdoors in daylight, the phone really surprises with details it manages to capture and overall clarity. Even the macro shots and close-up portraits turn out to be great. The PDAF works quite well and the camera focuses on subjects in a snap.

In low light, the camera manages to click some decent shots, but there’s a lot of noise in the pictures. Even indoors, the photos take a hit and are average at best. But this is a budget smartphone we’re talking about and it does better than what most in this segment manage to achieve.

Xiaomi deserves credit for its impressive camera algorithms that makes the Redmi 4 a fast and dependable shooter.

The 5-megapixel front-facing camera manages decent selfies that are good enough for social sharing. There’s nothing special there, although most would not expect that anyway.

Software

The Redmi 4 runs MIUI 8 on top of Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. MIUI is Xiaomi’s proprietary customization layer on top of Android. It is heavily skinned, and a totally different UI altogether than stock Android.

My biggest grouse with this phone is that it runs Android Marshmallow in the second quarter of 2017. Xiaomi does offer a beta version of Android 7.0 Nougat for users interested in testing the same, and expectedly it would be released to the general public soon enough.

Thankfully though, MIUI 8 is one of the better Android skins out there and has a lot of fans. There’s evident attention to detail and unlike most skins from Chinese players, the user experience is polished and quite cohesive.

See also:

What’s new in MIUI 8

May 10, 2016

MIUI packs in several useful apps like FM radio, recorder, compass, torch, and more. There’s also a security app which bundles a lot of utilities for maintenance and optimization of the software.

If you’ve used a Xiaomi phone in the past, MIUI is a comfortable territory for you. However, if this is your first one, getting comfortable with MIUI is not much of a task. It is an intuitive interface packed with nifty little features everywhere.

Specifications

Gallery

Pricing and final thoughts

The Redmi 4 is definitely the new benchmark for other budget smartphones to match up to.

Starting at ₹6,999 ($108) for the base variant, the Redmi 4 ticks all the right boxes and there is hardly anything to complain. It’s a great package with solid chassis, Qualcomm’s newer chipset, decent camera, and great battery life. The only shortcoming of the device is lack of Android Nougat out of the box.

If you can up your budget, the middle variant at ₹8,999 ($139) is the best pick of the three since it offers just the right balance of performance and price. The top spec’d variant at ₹10,999 ($170) is of course great too, but you can also look at other options in the market at that price or go for it only if you need all that storage.

In all likelihood, Xiaomi’s got another winner on its hands in terms of sales. If you’re planning to pick up a budget smartphone right now, it’s hard to look further than Redmi 4. At this stage, one can safely say that it’s hard to go wrong with a Xiaomi.

BBC to spend £34 million to win kids back from Netflix

The BBC is set to announce £34 million worth of new incentives in order to win back kids from streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Video.

Falling viewing figures of children’s TV has forced the Beeb to assess kids’ viewing habits and it has realised that they no longer sit and watch linear programming.

It will therefore “respond” by investing heavily in online entertainment, including video, live online programme extensions, blogs, vlogs, podcasts, quizzes, guides, games and apps.

The £34 million of new investment, which will be on top of existing budgets for CBBC and CBeebies programming, will be spread across the next three years.

• You now need to register and sign in for BBC iPlayer: Here’s why

A BBC source explained to BBC.co.uk that the rise of US technology firms and streaming companies has forced the broadcaster’s hand: “The way children and young people are watching and consuming programmes and other content is changing fast, and the BBC needs to respond,” he said.

“This investment will mean we can reinvent how we serve our youngest audience in the years ahead, while continuing to produce outstanding programmes on CBeebies and CBBC.

“Investment in British content – particularly for the young – is vital, unless we want more of our culture shaped and defined by the rise of West Coast American companies.”

It is thought BBC iPlayer will become even more key in delivering new kids content.

The best Apple Watch straps you can buy right now

The Apple Watch strap is really easy to change, and the choice of alternatives is huge, so checking to see what the best Apple Watch strap you can buy is research that will pay off. Apple makes its own Apple Watch Series 1 and Apple Watch Series 2 straps, but the official straps it sells are very, very expensive. Beautiful though they are, there’s no need to be limited to Apple’s range of replacement bands, regardless of how much you have to spend.

Like putting your phone inside a case, changing the strap on your watch is the quickest way to give it an entirely new look, and it’s easy to build up a collection that goes with different outfits, or for when you’re doing certain activities. We’ve gathered together a list of our favorite straps and bands for the Apple Watch here.

Third-party straps

Nomad Sport Strap ($50)

To accompany its Rugged Strap, Nomad has introduced the Sport Strap, a silicone Apple Watch band with built-in lugs that extend all the way across the Watch’s body, a strong stud-and-hole fixing, and a similar sporty design to Nike’s strap. It’s made from super soft LSR silicone which comes in a two-tone color scheme, in either black and grey, or black and green. It’s hypoallergenic and resists sweat nicely, while staying cool underneath thanks to a channel for airflow. It’s definitely suited to fitness-types, and is quite a large, statement-making strap. It costs $50 but unfortunately, it’s only for the 42mm Watch.

Buy one now from:

Nomad

Burkley 3-in-1 Double Tour/Cuff/Band ($130)

If you’ve lusted after a Double Tour strap for your Apple Watch, but don’t want to splash out on a Hermès model, then take a look at Burkley’s version. The Double Tour strap is actually part of a three-piece set, with a standard leather band, and a cuff-style strap. It’s possible to mix-and-match the set to make a Double Tour Cuff strap, too, so it offers plenty of versatility. Burkley’s genuine leather is soft, but does take a while to work-in, and the Double Tour gets more comfortable over time. It’s $130 for the set, making it good value for three leather straps. It’s available in several colors and for both the 38mm and 42mm Apple Watch.

Buy one now from:

Burkley

Burkley Holo Strap

Burkley’s Holo Strap for the Apple Watch is perfect for those weekends out in your sports car, with the top down, headed towards the coast. Or, at the very least, imagining you’re doing that. The classic styling makes it a beauty, while the soft, padded, genuine leather, and is lightweight and comfortable. We love the little design touches, such as Burkley’s logo stamped on the strap loop. It’s sold for $100 at the time of writing, and comes in several colors, for the 38mm and 42mm Apple Watch.

Buy one now from:

Burkley

Native Union Active Strap ($100)

A clever mix of style and function, the Native Union Active Strap has water-resistant leather on the outside and a fluroelastomer grip on the inside. This hypo-allergenic material’s pattern also keeps sweat from building up underneath the band during exercise, while the classy leather ensures the watch is suitable for everyday wear. It’s very comfortable and extremely lightweight, too. We love the hint of yellow that peeps through, which gives the subdued color scheme some punch.

Buy one now from:

Native Union

Southern Straps Nato Strap ($25)

A more textured nylon strap than the Nyloon example below, the Southern Straps band also has stitching running down each section, giving it a different look. It feels very hard-wearing, and has been double bonded and heat sealed to make sure it doesn’t just fall apart under tough conditions. We love the khaki and red version seen here, which comes with a choice of colors for the Apple Watch connectors, and in either 38mm or 42mm sizes. Let down slightly by the strap loop, which sometimes pinched wrist hairs.

Buy one now from:

Amazon Southern Straps

Nyloon Watch Band ($39)

Nyloon’s nylon watch band feels like it’ll last a while and withstand some rough treatment, which is just what you need from this popular style. We’ve been wearing the Napier design, which comes in navy blue and red, and found it comfortable and stylish. The shiny hardware is attractive, and the Apple Watch adapter pieces have spring-loaded bars, so you can swap out the strap for another 20mm or 22m version of your own choice.

Buy one now from:

Nyloon

Nomad Leather Strap ($60)

Nomad’s classic leather strap received a makeover recently, losing the stitching for a sleeker, flatter look. We particularly love Nomad’s straps due to the custom designed Watch adapters, which change the look of the Watch’s face considerably. Both the adapters and the buckle have a matt finish and also come in black, ready to match your Watch model. It’s still quite a masculine design, but less so than the previous strap. The Horween leather is wonderfully supple out of the box and needs only a few hours to bed in.

Buy one now from:

Nomad

Nomad Rugged Strap ($40)

If you like the stylish custom Nomad Watch adaptors, but don’t want a leather strap, then its new silicone strap may appeal. Incredibly soft, completely waterproof, and friendly to the skin, it’s the ideal accompaniment to the new swim-proof Apple Watch Series 2. The hardware comes in sliver or black, and the latter attached to a black watch gives a very cool stealth look. Unlike some silicone straps, the Nomad doesn’t get sweaty thanks to a special channel on the underside of the strap, but it did catch the hair on my arm occasionally.

Buy one now from:

Nomad

Pad & Quill Field Strap ($100)

Pad & Quill’s Field Strap is an interesting take on the fabric Watch strap, combining very hard wearing Cordura fabric with classy and comfortable leather, along with nickel hardware. The leather is stitched to the fabric on the underside, making the strap very easy to wear. Leather is also incorporated into other areas to give the band some visual excitement. The black and gray color combo is our pick, as it’s versatile enough to match most outfits and situations. Next to Nomad’s silicone strap, this is one of the most comfortable Apple Watch straps we’ve worn recently.

Buy one now from:

Pad & Quill

Ullu Watch Band ($100+)

Using sustainable leather sourced from Italy, Thailand, Africa, and the U.S., these handcrafted leather bands are beautiful, and come in a wide range of rich colors. Available for both Apple Watch sizes, there’s a choice between premium or hand-colored leather, or moving up to the more expensive options of ostrich, stingray, or alligator leather. You can pick a case for your iPhone or iPad in the same color, for a complete matching look.

Buy one now from:

Ullu Shop

Lunatik Epik Apple Watch Kit ($46+)

If just changing the strap isn’t enough to transform the look of your Apple Watch, how about wrapping the body up in a chunky case at the same time? That’s the solution provided by Lunatik and its crazy Epik watch straps. The body is made from aluminum and protects the Apple Watch, while still allowing the sensors room to work, and the strap is made from silicone. It all works and fits together as one, giving your Watch a look like no other.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Incipio Premium Leather Band ($30+)

Made from leather with stainless steel metalwork, Incipio’s Watch strap is more subtle than many other leather options, with a slimmer, sleeker profile. Made for the 38mm and 42mm watches, the strap comes in a choice of two shades of brown, or a darker black color. Incipio’s smartphones cases are great, and this strap has a classic design that’s sure to appeal to anyone who doesn’t want too much flash on their wrist.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Pad & Quill Lowry Leather Cuff ($130)

Renowned for its high quality, great looking leather Apple accessories, Pad & Quill makes three different straps for the Apple Watch, but we’ve singled out the Lowry Leather Cuff. Made from full grain leather in black, chestnut, or tan colors, with hand finished stitching and nickel buckles, the look is rugged yet classy. Suede on the underside of the strap makes it comfortable to wear. The one problem? It’s only for the 42mm Apple Watch.

Buy one now from:

Pad & Quill

Monowear Design Nylon Strap ($25)

Monowear Design has a wide range of straps for the Apple Watch, but its Nylon range stands out as good value, plus there are several customization options to ensure it perfectly matches your own watch. The strap comes in various colors, while the buckle and adaptors come in stainless steel, silver, space black, rose gold, or gold. Straps are sold for the 38mm and 42mm Apple Watch.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Fitbit’s smartwatch project hit by staff walkouts

Fitbit has been developing its very own smartwatch, and has been buying companies such as Pebble to strengthen its team and to ultimately produce a product that consumers will want to buy.

• Fitbit GPS smartwatch rumours: Everything we know so far about Project Higgs

However, according to a Bloomberg report, the smartwatch project is having a tough time after several people working on the project have left, which has affected development of the dedicated app store. Fitbit’s smartwatch will run its own operating system, rather than something like Google’s Android Wear.

This means it needs its own OS and its own app store and because the Fitbit watch will have formidable competition in the form of the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Gear watches and various other Android Wear watches, coupled with the fact that wearables in general are not as popular as first thought, developers are less keen to produce apps specifically for Fitbit.

Damian Mehers, who developed a version of Evernote for the Galaxy Gear, has been quoted as saying: “I’m more focused on the big boys like the Apple Watch and Android Wear. I could consider developing for Fitbit if there was a compelling device and a large enough user base”.

However, Fitbit says the smartwatch project is still on track and the app developer program has been well-received. The upcoming smartwatch is “well positioned to succeed”.

Apps for the Fitbit smartwatch will be written in JavaScript, which should in theory make it easy for developers to create apps, but going down the Android Wear route would have immediately given the smartwatch access to a vast store of apps and a large community for support.

The app store may in fact be downloaded to an iOS or Android device, where users can then download apps and send them to the watch via Bluetooth.

• Fitbit delays launch of GPS smartwatch and wireless headphones until autumn

Fitbit’s smartwatch is expected to adopt a square shape, similar to the Apple Watch, but according to Bloomberg’s report, several people inside the company don’t believe it will succeed. They consider it substandard to the Apple Watch 2, the product it was initially meant to go up against, but now that its release has been pushed back to at least the fall, it will end up going head-to-head with the Apple Watch 3 instead.