Keep your new phone safe: Here are 6 of the best iPhone 8 screen protectors
So you’ve just dropped big bucks on Apple’s latest — the iPhone 8 — and you’re itching to test out the wireless charging, to put the A11 Bionic processor through its paces, and gawk at the device’s True Tone display. But as the screen goes dark, you stare into the abyss — and it stares into you. You suddenly remember all the broken screens of your past. How did that happen? How can you prevent it happening with your new phone? Pretty easily, as it turns out.
As smartphone displays have increased in both size and quality, protecting that part of your phone has become more and more of a priority. We’ve advocated for the use of a good screen protector for a long time now, and the iPhone 8 is no exception to that rule. But how do you find reliable protection that’s designed for safeguarding your phone’s display? This list of the best iPhone 8 screen protectors is a great place to start. We’ve screened the best screen protectors, so you can find the perfect offering for your iPhone 8. Read on for more details.
Note: Since Apple’s latest headset is the same size as the its predecessor, our roundup of the best iPhone 7 screen protectors is also applicable to the iPhone 8.
Otterbox Alpha Glass Screen Protector ($14)
Otterbox has long been associated with smartphone protection — and it doesn’t disappoint when it comes to the iPhone 8. The Alpha Glass exhibits Otterbox’s usual penchant for quality with a super-thin, hardened layer of tempered glass that doesn’t reduce the clarity of your Retina display. This screen protector is hard enough to resist everyday scratches, contains an oleophobic layer to keep dirt and grease away, and is simply a great all-rounder.
Buy one now from:
Amazon Otterbox
Olixar Film Screen Protector – Twin Pack ($8)
An up-and-coming name in smartphone accessories, Olixar is dedicated to helping customers to “live smart, accessorize smarter” — and the company’s range of screen protectors is indicative of that philosophy. Olixar’s screen protector is a nonsense affair, and does exactly what it says on the tin. A thin layer of film that sits close to your phone’s screen, this screen protector keeps your iPhone 8 free of scratches and even comes with a replacement film, in case your first one gets battered.
Buy one now from:
Olixar Mobile Fun
Griffin Survivor Glass Screen Protector ($35)
Griffin is another reliable name, one with a fine pedigree. The Survivor Glass is a mere 0.33-millimeters thin, rendering it one of the thinnest tempered glass screen protectors on our list. This doesn’t mean it’s lacking when it comes to protection, however. A hardness rating of 9H means the screen protector should be tough enough to stick through the hardest of times. And stick it will, thanks to Griffin’s high-quality adhesive and easy installation procedure. It’s a great choice for Apple‘s iPhone 8.
Buy one now from:
Griffin
Tech Armor HD Clear Film ($6)
This screen protector may only cover the flat surfaces of the iPhone 8, but despite this, the PET film on the Tech Armor HD Clear does a tremendous job of keeping your display scratch-free. While a film screen protector isn’t going to offer drop protection in the same way a glass protector would, the multilayer construction of the HD Clear does do a good job of keeping your device safe — and at this price, it keeps your wallet in decent shape, too.
Buy one now from:
Amazon
Anker KARAPAX GlassGuard Screen Protector – Twin Pack ($8)
At first glance, the Karapax may seem like a traditional screen protector — and in a lot of respects, it is. The tempered glass doesn’t reduce the clarity of your screen or inhibit touch sensitivity, and it contains a similar shatter guard to the one in Otterbox’s Alpha Glass, which aims to keep glass shards together should the worst happen. But Anker’s Karapax also comes with its own surprises. A double layer of strengthened glass improves the protection it offers, effectively doubling its 9H rating. Sadly, however, it only covers the flat section of your phone’s display.
Buy one now from:
Amazon
Bodyguardz UltraTough Clear ScreenGuardz ($20)
Last, but by no means least, we take a look at Bodyguardz’s screen protector. Made from a urethane film, the UltraTough Clear is specifically made to deflect scratches that would otherwise mar the surface of your phone’s screen. The urethane will even heal damage over time, essentially doing away with small scratches. If that isn’t enough, Bodyguardz‘s protector also offers edge-to-edge coverage and an anti-microbial coating that’ll keep germs from taking root on the front of your phone, which is perfect for a device you regularly hold up to your face.
Buy one now from:
Bodyguardz
Can’t get enough accessories or software for your new iPhone 8? Then check out our rundown of the best iPhone 8 cases, as well as our detailed roundup of the best iPhone apps.
How much is Spotify Premium — and how can you get it at a discount or for free?
Having access to millions of songs comes at a price — albeit, a pretty small one. Before you figure out how much Spotify Premium is going to cost you, you’ll want to see if you qualify for a discounted — or even free — subscription.
How much is Spotify Premium?
You can use Spotify for free if you’re fine with the restrictions. With a free account, you can only skip six songs every hour, and you can’t play specific songs on demand. You’ll also have to deal with ads, and you can’t listen offline. It’s limited, but it’s free, and that might be enough to sell you on it.
For you big spenders out there, Spotify Premium costs $9.99 a month. That gives you unlimited, ad-free access to the streaming giant’s more than 30 million songs, and the ability to play music offline. If you’re a student, you get an even sweeter price of $4.99 month, and it comes with free Hulu. Just make sure you re-register as a student after a year, or Spotify will assume you graduated and will start charging you the full price.
Spotify Family Premium is $14.99 a month, and lets you have up to five people under one account. Everyone on the family plan has to have the same address, but we’re pretty sure there are no Secret Spotify Spies checking to see if everyone on your account actually lives together.
How Spotify compares to the competition
Spotify’s biggest competitor, Apple Music, has the same price points, but we still suggest signing up with Spotify over Apple.
The other notable streaming competitor is the Jay-Z owned, Tidal. The service has a lot of price points, but the basic premium and family options are the same as Spotify. You can also choose to pay $19.99 a month for HiFi music, which is “lossless, high-fidelity sound” for every song in its catalog. Tidal has its perks, but we moved on from them a while ago.
How to get a discounted (or free) Spotify account
Being a student isn’t the only way to get a discounted Spotify account. If you sign up for Spotify through your Playstation 4, you can get three months of Premium for 99 cents, and if you pay for the subscription with a Capital One Quicksilver or QuicksilverOne credit card, you’ll only pay $4.99 a month until April 2018. You’ll also get Spotify’s 30-day free trial extended to three months if you sign up with a Capital One card.
T-Mobile doesn’t offer free Spotify, but it does let you stream the app without using any data if you have the Simple Choice plan. Also check if the company you work for offers Spotify for free to its employees. Starbucks does that for more than 200,000 of its employees.
FCC chairman Ajit Pai asks Apple to finally enable the FM radio in the iPhone
Why it matters to you
The FM radio can be pretty important in an emergency. While phones are physically capable of using the radio, the chips aren’t enabled in many devices.
The FM radio has long been absent from most smartphones but lately, it seems as though more and more manufacturers are enabling the FM radio chip in their devices. Now, the Federal Communications Commission is urging one of the biggest holdouts, Apple, to enable the FM radio. The news comes after new pressure from the National Association of Broadcasters.
Why is it important to enable the radio? Well, in the event of a disaster like Hurricanes Harvey or Maria, cellular connectivity can be easily wiped out. Over-the-air radio can then step in to provide invaluable and sometimes life-saving information like weather alerts to the millions of people who cannot get online.
Many might not be aware of this, but the vast majority of smartphones have an FM chip built in. In Apple phones, the chip is built on to the Qualcomm and Intel Wi-Fi and cellular chips in every single iPhone. The reason you can’t use it, however, is that manufacturers don’t enable the chip to work.
“In recent years, I have repeatedly called on the wireless industry to activate the FM chips that are already installed in almost all smartphones sold in the United States. And I’ve specifically pointed out the public safety benefits of doing so,” FCC chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement. “Apple is the one major phone manufacturer that has resisted doing so. But I hope the company will reconsider its position, given the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. That’s why I am asking Apple to activate the FM chips that are in its iPhones.”
While Pai has advocated for the enabling of the FM radio in the past, it has refrained from calling Apple out by name, despite the fact that Apple has been one of the main holdouts in implementing the feature. The company has not revealed exactly why it keeps the radio disabled — though some suggest that it could be to avoid losing Apple Music subscribers. We don’t know if that’s the real reason, but either way it’s safe to say that iPhone users could benefit from the feature.
How to make ringtones for an iPhone (any generation)
For many people, a ringtone is an expression of their inner self. When it comes to iPhone ringtones, Chimes and Ripple will only get you so far. Discerning iPhone users need a ringtone that suits them, and what better choice than a song they love? After all, iTunes makes playlists of your favorite songs, so it makes sense to use one as your ringtone. Of course, nobody wants to pay for ringtones, and while there are several apps that offer to help you create ringtones, what many people might not know is that you can do this entirely with iTunes instead of having to use Garageband.
The process can be a bit circuitous — it requires you to copy files and change the names of various extensions — but once you get the hang of it, it’s quick and easy. Below is our guide on how to make ringtones for an iPhone using iTunes, whether you want to hear a mournful jazz number or the latest hit when people call.
Can’t decide which streaming service is right for you? We’ve put together an in-depth guide outlining the differences between Apple Music and Spotify, as well as a piece highlighting the best music streaming services.
Choosing your song and creating an AAC version
Step 1: Open and update iTunes
To begin, launch iTunes in Windows or MacOS and ensure you’re using the latest version of iTunes before you continue. To do so using MacOS — High Sierra or otherwise — click iTunes in the application toolbar and select Check for Updates from the resulting drop-down menu. If using the latest version of Windows 10, click the Help option housed in the menu bar below the playback buttons, and select Check for Updates near the bottom of the resulting drop-down list.
Step 2: Choose a song
Next, choose the song you’d like to use for your new iPhone ringtone. Keep in mind that iPhone ringtones continually run in 30-second (or less) loops, so don’t pick something that you are going to regret later. Once you’ve chosen the appropriate song, memorize or jot down the start and stop times for the desired, 30-second portion of the song you wish to use as your ringtone.
Step 3: Add the start and stop times
One of the lesser-known features of iTunes is the software’s ability to “crop” songs and videos, which allows you to choose specific times for them to start and end. This is how we will select a portion of a song to use as a ringtone. First, right-click or Ctrl-click the song you want and select Song Info from the resulting drop-down list.
Afterward, click the Options tab at the top of the window. There should be fields for Start and Stop. Enter the times you want. Remember that ringtones max out at 30 seconds, so keep it at or below that length. For our purposes, we’ll use a segment from 0:12 to 0:42 in the song. Once done, click OK at the bottom.
Step 4: Create an AAC version
AAC is an audio format that Apple prefers to use for its devices; essentially, it achieves the same sound quality as an MP3 while using less storage space. Recent versions of iTunes give you the option to create an AAC version of any song you choose, which is nice when you need to conserve hard drive space and create a ringtone. Once you’ve set your appropriate start and stop times, with the short version of the song selected, go to File, Convert, and Convert to AAC Version. Because we’ve altered the start and stop times for the song, creating an AAC version will create a copy of that specific section of the song. The copy will then automatically appear in your iTunes library, directly beneath the original song.
Step 5: Copy the file and delete the old one
Once created, click the AAC version of your song and drag it to the desktop or your desired save location. This will copy the file to that location.
At this point, you probably no longer need the shortened song. Unless you want to keep the 30-second snippet for some reason, you might as well delete the file to clear up any unnecessary clutter. Right-click or Ctrl-click the AAC file in iTunes, and select Delete from Library from the resulting drop-down menu. Then, click the Delete File button, if prompted.
How does fast charging work? Here’s every fast charging standard compared
Processors. RAM. Screens. They’re the way millions of people make smartphone purchasing decisions. But in recent years, another factor — fast charging — has slowly made its way to the fore. Who doesn’t want a smartphone that can charge in minutes instead of hours?
If only it were that simple. Charging standards are a complicated melange of chemistry and physics, and each have their own sets of limitations and poorly publicized incompatibilities. To make matters worse, phone makers tend to slap confusing labels on otherwise straightforward components.
So how does fast charging work? Take a deep breath. Our guide to the most popular wireless charging standards on the market breaks them down to their most basic level. Here’s everything you need to know about Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging, Qualcomm Quick Charge, OnePlus Dash Charge, and more.
The basics
How fast charging works
Before we dive into the weeds, let’s start with the fundamentals.
Every smartphone has a battery, and every battery delivers power in more or less the same way.
Cells consisting of two electrodes (one positive and one negative) and an electrolyte, catalyze reactions that convert compounds into new substances. Over time, ions — atoms with too few or too many electrons — form in the electrodes, driving a flow of electrons to the battery’s negative outer terminal and supplying your phone with an electric charge.
In non-rechargable batteries, those chemical reactions occur only once. But in the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power smartphones, the reactions are “reversible.” When the battery discharges, the chemical reaction produces electricity, and when the battery recharges, the chemical reactions absorb power.
Fast charging
So we’ve established how batteries charge and discharge. But to understand how fast charging works, you have to know a bit about something called a charge controller.
A quick side note:
Since we’ll be referring to volts, amps, and watts in the course of our discussion, here’s a refresher. Volts are a measure of voltage, amps are a measure of current, and watts are a measure of electrical power. A common analogy is a garden hose: Volts are equivalent to the water pressure in the hose; the current is equivalent to the flow rate; and wattage is equivalent to the volume of the spout’s spray. Watts, then, are the product of volts and amps — volts (V) times amps (A) equals watts (W).
Greater current and higher voltages charge batteries faster, but there’s a limit to what they can take.
Smartphone batteries charge when a current passes through them. Greater current and higher voltages charge batteries faster, but there’s a limit to what they can take. The charge controller (IC) protects against dangerous spikes in current.
The controller chip regulates the overall flow of electricity into and out of the battery. Generally speaking, lithium-ion controllers define the current (in amps) at which the battery charges by measuring the battery’s cell current and voltage, and then adjusting the current flowing in. Some use a DC to DC converter to change the input voltage, and fancier integrated circuits adjust the resistance between the charger input and the battery terminal to ramp the current flow up or down.
The amount of current the charge controller draws is generally dictated by the phone’s software.
USB charging standards
Voltage
Current
Max Power
USB 1.0
5V
0.5A
2.5W
USB 2.0
5V
0.5A
2.5W
USB 3.0
5V
0.5A/0.9A
4.5W
USB 3.1 (USB-C + USB-PD)
5V – 20V
0.5A/0.9A/1.5A/3A/5A
100W
Unless you’re still rocking a Palm Pilot from the early ’90s, chances are your smartphone recharges via USB cable. There’s a really good reason: Besides the fact that USB cables are relatively easy to find these days, USB has a really robust, well-defined charging standard called the USB Power Delivery Specification.
The USB Implementers Forum specifies four flavors in total, one for each corresponding USB specification: USB 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1.
A typical USB 1.0 and 2.0 plug can deliver up to 5V/0.5A (2.5W).
That’s the charging rate of a typical phone, and it doesn’t amount to a lot of power. An iPhone charging at 2A over USB uses 5V x 2A = 10W. The average incandescent lightbulb, by comparison, draws about 40W of power.
By default, USB 3.0 ports push 5V/0.9A (4.5W).
USB-C, the oval-shaped reversible plug on newer smartphones, is a different animal altogether. It’s technically capable of carrying the USB 2.0 spec, but most manufacturers opt for USB 3.1, which can potentially deliver a much higher voltage.
Many USB 3.1 devices take advantage of the USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) spec, which has a maximum power output of 20V/5A (100W). Smartphones don’t typically draw that much power — manufacturers commonly stick with a lower amperage (like 3A), but it’s a boon for USB-C laptops like the MacBook Pro and Google Chromebook Pixel.
Slightly complicating things is the Battery Charging Specification, which deals specifically with power drawn from a USB port for charging. The most recent spec, Rev 1.1, defines three different sources of power: Standard downstream port (SDP), charging downstream port (CDP), and dedicated charging port (DCP). CDP, the spec in modern smartphones, laptops, and other hardware, can supply up to 1.5A.
Fully compliant smartphones and chargers respect the limits of USB 2.0 and BC1.1, but not all phones and chargers are compliant. That’s why, generally speaking, smartphones always default to the lowest charging speed.
The USB specs are more like guidelines than dictum, though. Fast charging standards like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge and Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charging exceed the USB spec’s voltage parameters, but on purpose — that’s why your phone is able to recharge in minutes, rather than hours.
Fast charging standards: What’s the difference?
Apple fast charging
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Voltage
Current
Max Power
USB-PD
14.5V
2A
29W
Pros
- USB-PD, an industry standard, works with a growing number of devices.
Cons
- You’ll have to shell out a few bucks to take advantage — Apple doesn’t include USB-PD-compatible chargers in the box.
The Apple iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus implement USB-PD, the same industry standard used by the iPad Pro, the 12-inch MacBook, Google’s Chromebook Pixel, and Lenovo’s X1 Carbon. Inter-compatibility is its biggest advantage — USB-PD doesn’t require any special cables or wall adapters.
Supported outputs, cables, and adapters
You’ll have to shell out for accessories if you want to take advantage of the iPhone’s USB-PD compatibility, because Apple doesn’t pack USB-C cables or adapters in the box. And you’ll need to buy a Lightning to USB-C cable that supports USB-PD — if you use a standard Lightning cable with a USB-C to USB-A adapter, the charger will default to the lowest wattage.
Here’s what Apple recommends:
- Apple 29W, 61W, or 87W USB-C Power Adapter.
- A comparable third-party USB-C power adapter that supports USB Power Delivery (USB-PD).
Charging speed
No matter which USB-C charger you buy, you’ll have to put up with iPhones’ hard-coded safety limits. Fast charge kicks in when the capacity is between 0 and 79 percent, but stops when it reaches 80 percent.
If you don’t mind forking over a few extra dollars for charging accessories, you get much faster charging than you would otherwise. The iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X can charge from 0 to 50 percent in 30 minutes using USB-PD, which equates to about an hour of battery life.
Qualcomm Quick Charge
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Voltage
Current
Max Power
Quick Charge 1.0
5V
2A
10W
Quick Charge 2.0
5V/9V/12V
1.67A/2A
18W
Quick Charge 3.0
3.6V – 20V (200mV increments)
2.5A/4.6A
18W
Quick Charge 4.0
N/A
N/A
N/A
Quick Charge 4.0+
5V/9V (USB-PD), 3.6V – 20V (200mV increments)
3A (USB-PD), 2.5A/4.6A
27W (USB-PD)
Pros
- One of the most widely implemented charging standards.
- Backwards compatible with older versions of Quick Charge.
- Built-in safety features prevent overheating and short circuiting.
Cons
- Quick Charge 3.0 isn’t USB-PD compliant.
Chipmaker Qualcomm’s Quick Charge is one of the most widely implemented charging standards on the market. That’s no mistake — it’s an optional feature of Qualcomm system-on-chips like the Snapdragon 820, 620, 618, 617, and 430, which power phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, HTC U Ultra, and LG V30. But the technology isn’t tied to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors — any smartphone manufacturer is free to license Quick Charge’s power controller technology.
Tech specs and compatible adapters
Quick Charge achieves fast charging by upping the charging voltage, which in turn boosts the wattage. Qualcomm hasn’t published the specs on Quick Charge 4 and 4+, the newest revision, but Quick Charge 3.0’s voltage range is common knowledge. It’s 3.6V minimum and 20V maximum, which Quick Charge 3.0 increments or decrements using Intelligent Negotiation for Optimum Voltage (INOV) to identify the most efficient voltage at any giving point during charging. At its peak voltage, Quick Charge 3.0 can deliver 18W of power.
Quick Charge 4 and newer have the added bonus of compatibility with USB-PD chargers, but Quick Charge 3.0 and older only work with Quick Charge-certified accessories. Still, Quick Charge’s ubiquity means there are plenty to choose from. Qualcomm’s website has a partial list of the most popular options.
Charging speed
Qualcomm claims the latest version of Quick Charge 4+ can recharge smartphones to 50 percent in just 15 minutes. The more ubiquitous Quick Charge 3.0 delivers about 50 percent capacity in half an hour.
In our testing, Quick Charge 3.0-compatible phones like the LG G5 took about 1 hour and 18 minutes to reach 100 percent.
Safety measures
Quick Charge’s intelligent thermal balancing moves current via the coolest path, and device sensors monitor the case and connector temperatures to prevent overheating and short-circuiting.
Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Voltage
Current
Max Power
Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
5V/9V
2A
18W
Pros
- Built into all Samsung devices.
- Compatible with Quick Charge 2.0.
Cons
- Tends to be conservative.
Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charging is exclusive to Galaxy devices like the Note 8 and Galaxy S8. Unlike Quick Charge and other competing fast standards, it’s fully compatible with Exynos, the system-on-chip commonly found in international variants of Samsung’s devices.
Tech specs and compatible adapters
Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charging has a theoretical peak of 9V/2A (18W), but tends to be a bit more conservative in practice. Tapping into Adaptive Fast Charging’s speeds requires buying a certified charger, but most Samsung devices support Quick Charge-compatible accessories.
Charging speed
Samsung doesn’t publish charging times for Adaptive Fast Charging. But in our testing, the Galaxy S8, which has a 3,000mAh battery, took about two hours to fully recharge. Barring a revision to the Adaptive Fast Charging standard, that’s about the charging time you can expect for comparable devices.
Safety measures
Adaptive Fast Charging technical stats are hard to come by, but anecdotally speaking, it’s on the conservative side. According to XDA’s detailed analysis of fast charging standards, the Galaxy S8 Plus maintains the coolest temperature of any fast-charging flagship on the market.
Motorola TurboPower
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Voltage
Current
Max Power
TurboPower 15
9V/12V
1.2A/1.67A
15W
TurboPower 25
5V/9V/12V
2.15A/2.85A
25W
TurboPower 30
5V
5.7A
28.5W
Pros
- Built into all Motorola devices.
- Compatible with Quick Charge 2.0.
Cons
- Not as fast as some charging standards.
Motorola’s TurboPower standard, a tweaked version of Quick Charge 2.0, ships on Motorola devices like the Moto Z2 Force and Moto G5 Plus.
Tech specs and compatible adapters
TurboPower adapters come in three flavors: TurboPower 15, TurboPower 25, and TurboPower 30. The fastest, TurboPower 30, delivers 5V and up to 5.7A for roughly 28.5W of power.
There’s more to TurboPower than the charger. Motorola says it works with manufacturers to design custom batteries, and that its power management software monitors battery state and health, then adjusts the incoming charge accordingly.
Much like Samsung Adapative Fast Charge, you don’t need a TurboPower adapter in order to fast charge a TurboPower-equipped smartphone. Motorola’s charging standard is compatible with any Quick Charge 2.0 (or newer) adapter.
Charging speed
Motorola claims TurboPower 30 can deliver up to 15 hours of battery life in 15 minutes.
Safety measures
TurboPower’s thermal management hardware is designed to avoid charging slowdowns due to heat, Motorola says, and to maintain a steady and fast charging rate.
MediaTek Pump Express
Voltage
Current
Max Power
MediaTek Pump Express 2.0+
5V – 20V (0.5V increments)
3A/4.5A+
15W
MediaTek Pump Express 3.0
3V – 6V (10-20mV increments)
5A+
25W/30W
Pros
- Built-in safety measures prevent overheating, short circuiting.
- Compatible with Quick Charge 2.0.
Cons
- Potentially slower than some standards.
MediaTek, a Taiwan-based chip manufacturer primarily focusing on budget and midrange devices, has its own charging standard: Pump Express. Pump Express 2.0+ and Pump Express 3.0, the two newest revisions, coexist — Pump Express 2.0 targets lower-cost MicroUSB and USB-C devices, and Pump Express 3.0 targets high-end USB-C phones.
Tech specs and compatible adapters
Pump Express + 2.0 charges between 5V and 20V versus Pump Express 3.0’s 3V – 6V, which might sound like an advantage. But Pump Express 2.0+ maxes out at 4.5A compared to Pump Express 3.0’s 5A+, and charges in three stages — Regular, Turbo 1, and Turbo 2 — the fastest of which only supports 15W (1.67A).
Pump Express 3.0 has other advantages over Power Express 2.0. It’s compatible with any USB-PD adapter that supports 3V to 6V at 5A+, and any cable that supports 5A.
Charging speed
Pump Express 3.0 devices can charge up to 75 percent in 20 minutes, according to MediaTek. Pump Express 2.0+ devices take about 30 minutes to reach the same capacity.
Safety measures
Pump Express implements more than 20 safety mechanisms to prevent short-circuiting, MediaTek says. System-on-chip technology from Richtek, a company it recently acquired, protects against fluctuating battery and device temperature.
OnePlus Dash Charge and Oppo Vooc
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends
Voltage
Current
Max Power
Dash Charge
5V
4A
20W
Oppo Vooc
5V
5A
25W
Pros
- Keeps phones cooler.
- One of the fastest charging standards.
- Adapters included with compatible smartphones.
Cons
- Highly proprietary.
Shenzhen, China-based OnePlus licenses Dash Charge from Oppo. It’s based on Oppo’s VOOC (Voltage Open Multi-Step Constant-Current Charging) system, and is a headline feature in the OnePlus 5, OnePlus 3T, and OnePlus 3.
Tech specs and compatible adapters
Dash Charge operates at a peak of 5V/4A (20W), slightly lower than Vooc’s 5V/5A (25W). By bumping the charger’s amperage instead of the voltage, it’s able to achieve a more even distribution of electrical current at higher levels. That’s thanks to a special wall adapter that modulates the amperage in real time. A microcontroller monitors charge level and syncs with the phone’s circuitry to regulate voltage and current, and a custom-designed cable delivers greater current while minimizing power fluctuations.
It’s all proprietary. Dash Charge works only with OnePlus phones and compatible wall adapters and car chargers. Dash Charge-certified external batteries are hard to come by, and OnePlus’ fast charging standard doesn’t work with off-the-shelf USB cables — Dash Charge cables are slightly thicker to accommodate the extra voltage.
You won’t have to shell out extra if you buy a OnePlus phone, though. Every OnePlus smartphone comes with a Dash Charge-compatible wall adapter and charging cord.
Charging speed
OnePlus rates Dash Charge at 60 percent capacity in 30 minutes, a stat that a number of publications have corroborated. In our testing, the OnePlus 3 charged from 2 percent to 100 percent in 1 hour and 14 minutes. And XDA found that Dash Charge was 10 minutes quicker than every fast charging standard it tested, including Quick Charge and Adaptive Fast Charging.
Oppo claims Vooc-enabled phones can charge to 75 percent in 30 minutes.
Safety measures
Dash Charge is designed to dissipate heat quickly. Because the charger transforms the high voltage from the adapter’s power source into a lower voltage, most of the heat from the conversion never reaches the phone, and the consistent current reduces the potential for thermal throttling.
Dash Charge-compatible devices also have heat management and dissipation hardware that undergo a thorough five-point safety check.
Huawei SuperCharge
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends
Voltage
Current
Max Power
Huawei SuperCharge
4.5V/5V
4.5A/5A
25W
Pros
- Compatibility with USB-PD.
- Thorough safety measures.
- Adapters included with compatible smartphones.
Cons
- Potentially slower than some standards.
SuperCharge, Chinese smartphone maker Huawei’s proprietary charging standard, is built into phones like the Mate 9 and the Huawei P10. It’s is somewhat akin to Quick Charge in that it uses higher-than-average voltages to achieve faster charging, but there’s slightly more to it than meets the eye.
Tech specs and compatible adapters
SuperCharge automatically adapts the incoming wall voltage and current based on the condition of the phone’s battery and the phone’s internal temperature. SuperCharge-compatible wall adapters and car chargers support three charging modes — 5V/2A, 4.5V/5A, and 5V/4.5A (up to 22.5W) — and use an in-charger chipset to regulate voltage, eliminating the need for heat-producing in-phone voltage transformation.
Unlike proprietary charging standards like Pump Express and Dash Charge, Supercharge is compatible with USB-PD. That’s thanks to Huawei’s Smart Charge protocol, which intelligently switches between charging modes depending on which charging adapter is plugged in.
Tapping into Huawei’s SuperCharge technology requires buying a compatible wall adapter, but native compatibility with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge standard means any SuperCharge-compatible devices can take advantage of Quick Charge. Every SuperCharge-compatible smartphone comes with a compatible wall adapter.
Charging speed
Huawei doesn’t provide charging estimates for SuperCharge, but third-party findings put it on par with Oppo’s Dash Charge and Vooc. XDA recorded 90 percent charge after 60 minutes with the Mate 9, and PCMag reported a total charge time of 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Safety measures
Huawei’s Smart Charge protocol, a proprietary part of the SuperCharge spec, identifies the load capacity of the charger and cable and reduces the voltage to match.
In addition, SuperCharge uses specialized components that are “optimized” to handle higher currents, including an 8-layer cooling system and special lining that keeps devices up to 5-degrees Celsius cooler than other fast-charging standards. Huawei says that SuperCharge devices undergo a year’s worth of testing and 10 reliability tests covering everything from short-circuits to extreme temperatures.
The future of fast charging
Fast charging technology is in a constant state of flux, no pun intended. Advancements in integrated circuitry, charge controllers, adapters, and cables could mean smartphones that recharge in minutes rather than hours.
Meizu Super mCharge
Guangdong, China-based smartphone maker Meizu’s promising new standard, Super mCharge, can charge a battery from zero to 100 percent in 20 minutes. Its 11V/5A charging adapter delivers a whopping 55W of power, and sophisticated circuitry inside Super mCharge-compatible devices prevent the internal temperature from exceeding 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Better yet, Meizu says Super mCharge won’t impact battery longevity — the average 3,000mAh battery will have 80 percent of its capacity available after 800 cycles.
Buy there’s a catch: Super mCharge will require a specific charger, cable, phone, and battery.
Oppo Super Vooc
Oppo Super Vooc, the evolution of Oppo’s Vooc charging technology, can charge a battery even faster than Meizu’s Super mCharge: From zero to 100 percent in 15 minutes. It uses a low-voltage system that doesn’t produce as much heat as other fast charging standards, and its algorithm regulates the charging current and voltage dynamically to prevent short circuits.
Better yet, Super Vooc doesn’t have Super mCharge’s strict compatibility standards. It requires a custom battery, but it works with Micro USB and USB Type-C chargers.
It’s just a click to a wink: How to get emojis on your Mac
Are you missing emojis on your favorite Mac app, email, or messaging service? If you are used to emojis supplementing your witty banter, it can be tough to give them up! Fortunately, Macs have their own built-in emojis that you can tap into at any time. They’re waiting in the Character Viewer, and we’ll show you just how to get emojis on your Mac with this simple tool.
Accessing and using the Character Viewer
Fabian Irsara/Unsplash
The Character Viewer is a small window of emojis that is built into the latest MacOS. The advantage of this little window (compared to emoji options within many individual apps) is that the same emoji options are available everywhere you want to use them on your Mac, including places you may have never tried them before. Accessing this Character Viewer is very simple. Place your cursor where you want the emoji (such as a messaging service), and then follow these steps.
Press the Control, Command (⌘), and spacebar keys on your keyboard. You only need to hold them down for a moment. This should bring up the Character Viewer in the window in which you are working. The Viewer pop-up will stay connected to that program even if you navigate to another app and return. You can also move it between windows of the app or browser you are using.
Alternatively, you can usually find the Character Viewer by going to the Edit tab at the top left of the screen. The last option in the Edit drop-down menu will say “Emoji and Symbols,” and will open the Viewer when you click on. It’s not always as reliable as the key shortcut, but it’s a lot easier to see where you’re going for the first few times.
Now you will see a list of emojis you can use. At the bottom of the window are several icons that allow you to pick specific emoji categories like sports, light bulbs, and so on. Select the emoji that you want, and the Character Viewer will tell you how popular that emoji is, then paste it into the character field that you are currently using.
Note: If the Character window is too small for you, select the icon in the upper right corner of the window. This will expand it to a larger version that has text-based lists of the categories, allows you to search for specific emoji types, and lets you pick out favorite emoji. It’s a good way to search the limits of Mac emojis when you are first beginning to use the Character Viewer. An even larger version of the Character Viewer is available in System Preferences for more detailed customization.
You can take advantage of the expanded window to choose several favorite emojis, the ones that you tend to use frequently with social apps like Facebook or Instagram. Simply choose an emoji and select “Add to Favorites.” These will appear on a Favorites bar at the top of the window whenever you open it, even in its smaller version. This can help you save a whole lot of time after you find the emojis that you really look.
Macs with Touch Bars
If you have a newer MacBook that includes a Touch Bar, you have additional emoji options. The standard setup of the Touch Bar will offer an emoji icon when you are in text-friendly apps like Mail or Messages, etc. Touch the emoji, and it should pop up a mini version of the Character Viewer on the Touch Bar showing popular emoji.
As you choose emoji across your Mac apps, the Touch Bar will start to show your favorite options more frequently. This method is a little hit or miss, but when it works it can help you save a lot of time if you aren’t used to the keyboard shortcut.
Limitations of the Character Viewer
Character Viewer is particularly handy in situations where another emoji option isn’t available, or when you are switching between different apps/conversations and want the same emojis for everything. However, this does not make the Viewer entirely universal. There are still instances where you will not be able to use it, such as:
- Older software, or apps that don’t support many Mac functions.
- Text boxes that don’t support much formatting, such as search fields.
- Browsers that aren’t compatible or have plugins that interfere with Character Viewer.
When in doubt, update your OS to the latest version, browser, and apps to see if this helps. Otherwise, you may need to find another emoji option for these cases.
And if you were curious about mobile options, there are ways to access an emoji keyboard on iOS as well.
Energy from evaporating water could power 70 percent of the U.S.
Why it matters to you
Evaporation could provide renewable energy when the likes of solar and wind power can’t.
With very good reason, there is a big drive to promote sustainable energy sources around the world, but could one of the most efficient possible renewables be being ignored? That is what a new study carried out by researchers at Columbia University suggests. Based on their calculations, the United States could harvest 325 gigawatts of power — around 70 percent of the power it currently produces — by using evaporating water from U.S. lakes and reservoirs.
“Evaporation is a fundamental process taking place in nature,” Ozgur Sahin, a biophysicist at Columbia who served as the study’s senior author, told Digital Trends. “Wet surfaces and open bodies of water release the heat coming from the sunlight via evaporation. It is an important part of the water cycle. In principle, one could capture energy from evaporation occurring in nature by, for example, using materials that respond to water vapor by changing size. We wanted to determine theoretically how much energy can be captured from evaporation by taking into account the weather conditions. Understanding its energy generation potential could help motivate development of new technologies to harness energy from this important natural phenomenon.”
One of the researchers’ main findings is that the amount of power which can be generated from a given area of water surface is comparable to the current state of other sustainable energy methods, such as wind and solar power. However, what gives evaporation-based renewables the edge is the fact that it is less intermittent than other sustainable energy types — meaning that it can generate power when they are unable to.
Of course, for evaporation to really take off (no pun intended) as a renewable energy source, it’s necessary to have the right technology to harvest it. Fortunately, Sahin’s team can help there, too, since it has spent the past several years developing a muscle-like material called HYDRA (short for hygroscopy-driven artificial muscles) that’s able to capture energy from evaporating water. To do this, it uses plastic bands strategically imbued with bacteria spores, which expand when they are exposed to moisture and contract when dried out.
“These are micron-sized dormant cells that respond to changes in relative humidity particularly strongly, which makes them good candidates for creating materials that harness energy from evaporation,” Sahin said. “Our goal is to create these spore-based materials. If these materials are sufficiently efficient and durable, then the technology might be ready to transition to industry.”
A paper describing the research was recently published in the journal Nature Communications.
How does fast charging work? Here’s every fast charging standard compared
Processors. RAM. Screens. They’re the way millions of people make smartphone purchasing decisions. But in recent years, another factor — fast charging — has slowly made its way to the fore. Who doesn’t want a smartphone that can charge in minutes instead of hours?
If only it were that simple. Charging standards are a complicated melange of chemistry and physics, and each have their own sets of limitations and poorly publicized incompatibilities. To make matters worse, phone makers tend to slap confusing labels on otherwise straightforward components.
So how does fast charging work? Take a deep breath. Our guide to the most popular wireless charging standards on the market breaks them down to their most basic level. Here’s everything you need to know about Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging, Qualcomm Quick Charge, OnePlus Dash Charge, and more.
The basics
How fast charging works
Before we dive into the weeds, let’s start with the fundamentals.
Every smartphone has a battery, and every battery delivers power in more or less the same way.
Cells consisting of two electrodes (one positive and one negative) and an electrolyte, catalyze reactions that convert compounds into new substances. Over time, ions — atoms with too few or too many electrons — form in the electrodes, driving a flow of electrons to the battery’s negative outer terminal and supplying your phone with an electric charge.
In non-rechargable batteries, those chemical reactions occur only once. But in the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power smartphones, the reactions are “reversible.” When the battery discharges, the chemical reaction produces electricity, and when the battery recharges, the chemical reactions absorb power.
Fast charging
So we’ve established how batteries charge and discharge. But to understand how fast charging works, you have to know a bit about something called a charge controller.
A quick side note:
Since we’ll be referring to volts, amps, and watts in the course of our discussion, here’s a refresher. Volts are a measure of voltage, amps are a measure of current, and watts are a measure of electrical power. A common analogy is a garden hose: Volts are equivalent to the water pressure in the hose; the current is equivalent to the flow rate; and wattage is equivalent to the volume of the spout’s spray. Watts, then, are the product of volts and amps — volts (V) times amps (A) equals watts (W).
Greater current and higher voltages charge batteries faster, but there’s a limit to what they can take.
Smartphone batteries charge when a current passes through them. Greater current and higher voltages charge batteries faster, but there’s a limit to what they can take. The charge controller (IC) protects against dangerous spikes in current.
The controller chip regulates the overall flow of electricity into and out of the battery. Generally speaking, lithium-ion controllers define the current (in amps) at which the battery charges by measuring the battery’s cell current and voltage, and then adjusting the current flowing in. Some use a DC to DC converter to change the input voltage, and fancier integrated circuits adjust the resistance between the charger input and the battery terminal to ramp the current flow up or down.
The amount of current the charge controller draws is generally dictated by the phone’s software.
USB charging standards
Voltage
Current
Max Power
USB 1.0
5V
0.5A
2.5W
USB 2.0
5V
0.5A
2.5W
USB 3.0
5V
0.5A/0.9A
4.5W
USB 3.1 (USB-C + USB-PD)
5V – 20V
0.5A/0.9A/1.5A/3A/5A
100W
Unless you’re still rocking a Palm Pilot from the early ’90s, chances are your smartphone recharges via USB cable. There’s a really good reason: Besides the fact that USB cables are relatively easy to find these days, USB has a really robust, well-defined charging standard called the USB Power Delivery Specification.
The USB Implementers Forum specifies four flavors in total, one for each corresponding USB specification: USB 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1.
A typical USB 1.0 and 2.0 plug can deliver up to 5V/0.5A (2.5W).
That’s the charging rate of a typical phone, and it doesn’t amount to a lot of power. An iPhone charging at 2A over USB uses 5V x 2A = 10W. The average incandescent lightbulb, by comparison, draws about 40W of power.
By default, USB 3.0 ports push 5V/0.9A (4.5W).
USB-C, the oval-shaped reversible plug on newer smartphones, is a different animal altogether. It’s technically capable of carrying the USB 2.0 spec, but most manufacturers opt for USB 3.1, which can potentially deliver a much higher voltage.
Many USB 3.1 devices take advantage of the USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) spec, which has a maximum power output of 20V/5A (100W). Smartphones don’t typically draw that much power — manufacturers commonly stick with a lower amperage (like 3A), but it’s a boon for USB-C laptops like the MacBook Pro and Google Chromebook Pixel.
Slightly complicating things is the Battery Charging Specification, which deals specifically with power drawn from a USB port for charging. The most recent spec, Rev 1.1, defines three different sources of power: Standard downstream port (SDP), charging downstream port (CDP), and dedicated charging port (DCP). CDP, the spec in modern smartphones, laptops, and other hardware, can supply up to 1.5A.
Fully compliant smartphones and chargers respect the limits of USB 2.0 and BC1.1, but not all phones and chargers are compliant. That’s why, generally speaking, smartphones always default to the lowest charging speed.
The USB specs are more like guidelines than dictum, though. Fast charging standards like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge and Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charging exceed the USB spec’s voltage parameters, but on purpose — that’s why your phone is able to recharge in minutes, rather than hours.
Fast charging standards: What’s the difference?
Apple fast charging
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Voltage
Current
Max Power
USB-PD
14.5V
2A
29W
Pros
- USB-PD, an industry standard, works with a growing number of devices.
Cons
- You’ll have to shell out a few bucks to take advantage — Apple doesn’t include USB-PD-compatible chargers in the box.
The Apple iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus implement USB-PD, the same industry standard used by the iPad Pro, the 12-inch MacBook, Google’s Chromebook Pixel, and Lenovo’s X1 Carbon. Inter-compatibility is its biggest advantage — USB-PD doesn’t require any special cables or wall adapters.
Supported outputs, cables, and adapters
You’ll have to shell out for accessories if you want to take advantage of the iPhone’s USB-PD compatibility, because Apple doesn’t pack USB-C cables or adapters in the box. And you’ll need to buy a Lightning to USB-C cable that supports USB-PD — if you use a standard Lightning cable with a USB-C to USB-A adapter, the charger will default to the lowest wattage.
Here’s what Apple recommends:
- Apple 29W, 61W, or 87W USB-C Power Adapter.
- A comparable third-party USB-C power adapter that supports USB Power Delivery (USB-PD).
Charging speed
No matter which USB-C charger you buy, you’ll have to put up with iPhones’ hard-coded safety limits. Fast charge kicks in when the capacity is between 0 and 79 percent, but stops when it reaches 80 percent.
If you don’t mind forking over a few extra dollars for charging accessories, you get much faster charging than you would otherwise. The iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X can charge from 0 to 50 percent in 30 minutes using USB-PD, which equates to about an hour of battery life.
Qualcomm Quick Charge
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Voltage
Current
Max Power
Quick Charge 1.0
5V
2A
10W
Quick Charge 2.0
5V/9V/12V
1.67A/2A
18W
Quick Charge 3.0
3.6V – 20V (200mV increments)
2.5A/4.6A
18W
Quick Charge 4.0
N/A
N/A
N/A
Quick Charge 4.0+
5V/9V (USB-PD), 3.6V – 20V (200mV increments)
3A (USB-PD), 2.5A/4.6A
27W (USB-PD)
Pros
- One of the most widely implemented charging standards.
- Backwards compatible with older versions of Quick Charge.
- Built-in safety features prevent overheating and short circuiting.
Cons
- Quick Charge 3.0 isn’t USB-PD compliant.
Chipmaker Qualcomm’s Quick Charge is one of the most widely implemented charging standards on the market. That’s no mistake — it’s an optional feature of Qualcomm system-on-chips like the Snapdragon 820, 620, 618, 617, and 430, which power phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, HTC U Ultra, and LG V30. But the technology isn’t tied to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors — any smartphone manufacturer is free to license Quick Charge’s power controller technology.
Tech specs and compatible adapters
Quick Charge achieves fast charging by upping the charging voltage, which in turn boosts the wattage. Qualcomm hasn’t published the specs on Quick Charge 4 and 4+, the newest revision, but Quick Charge 3.0’s voltage range is common knowledge. It’s 3.6V minimum and 20V maximum, which Quick Charge 3.0 increments or decrements using Intelligent Negotiation for Optimum Voltage (INOV) to identify the most efficient voltage at any giving point during charging. At its peak voltage, Quick Charge 3.0 can deliver 18W of power.
Quick Charge 4 and newer have the added bonus of compatibility with USB-PD chargers, but Quick Charge 3.0 and older only work with Quick Charge-certified accessories. Still, Quick Charge’s ubiquity means there are plenty to choose from. Qualcomm’s website has a partial list of the most popular options.
Charging speed
Qualcomm claims the latest version of Quick Charge 4+ can recharge smartphones to 50 percent in just 15 minutes. The more ubiquitous Quick Charge 3.0 delivers about 50 percent capacity in half an hour.
In our testing, Quick Charge 3.0-compatible phones like the LG G5 took about 1 hour and 18 minutes to reach 100 percent.
Safety measures
Quick Charge’s intelligent thermal balancing moves current via the coolest path, and device sensors monitor the case and connector temperatures to prevent overheating and short-circuiting.
Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Voltage
Current
Max Power
Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
5V/9V
2A
18W
Pros
- Built into all Samsung devices.
- Compatible with Quick Charge 2.0.
Cons
- Tends to be conservative.
Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charging is exclusive to Galaxy devices like the Note 8 and Galaxy S8. Unlike Quick Charge and other competing fast standards, it’s fully compatible with Exynos, the system-on-chip commonly found in international variants of Samsung’s devices.
Tech specs and compatible adapters
Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charging has a theoretical peak of 9V/2A (18W), but tends to be a bit more conservative in practice. Tapping into Adaptive Fast Charging’s speeds requires buying a certified charger, but most Samsung devices support Quick Charge-compatible accessories.
Charging speed
Samsung doesn’t publish charging times for Adaptive Fast Charging. But in our testing, the Galaxy S8, which has a 3,000mAh battery, took about two hours to fully recharge. Barring a revision to the Adaptive Fast Charging standard, that’s about the charging time you can expect for comparable devices.
Safety measures
Adaptive Fast Charging technical stats are hard to come by, but anecdotally speaking, it’s on the conservative side. According to XDA’s detailed analysis of fast charging standards, the Galaxy S8 Plus maintains the coolest temperature of any fast-charging flagship on the market.
Motorola TurboPower
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Voltage
Current
Max Power
TurboPower 15
9V/12V
1.2A/1.67A
15W
TurboPower 25
5V/9V/12V
2.15A/2.85A
25W
TurboPower 30
5V
5.7A
28.5W
Pros
- Built into all Motorola devices.
- Compatible with Quick Charge 2.0.
Cons
- Not as fast as some charging standards.
Motorola’s TurboPower standard, a tweaked version of Quick Charge 2.0, ships on Motorola devices like the Moto Z2 Force and Moto G5 Plus.
Tech specs and compatible adapters
TurboPower adapters come in three flavors: TurboPower 15, TurboPower 25, and TurboPower 30. The fastest, TurboPower 30, delivers 5V and up to 5.7A for roughly 28.5W of power.
There’s more to TurboPower than the charger. Motorola says it works with manufacturers to design custom batteries, and that its power management software monitors battery state and health, then adjusts the incoming charge accordingly.
Much like Samsung Adapative Fast Charge, you don’t need a TurboPower adapter in order to fast charge a TurboPower-equipped smartphone. Motorola’s charging standard is compatible with any Quick Charge 2.0 (or newer) adapter.
Charging speed
Motorola claims TurboPower 30 can deliver up to 15 hours of battery life in 15 minutes.
Safety measures
TurboPower’s thermal management hardware is designed to avoid charging slowdowns due to heat, Motorola says, and to maintain a steady and fast charging rate.
MediaTek Pump Express
Voltage
Current
Max Power
MediaTek Pump Express 2.0+
5V – 20V (0.5V increments)
3A/4.5A+
15W
MediaTek Pump Express 3.0
3V – 6V (10-20mV increments)
5A+
25W/30W
Pros
- Built-in safety measures prevent overheating, short circuiting.
- Compatible with Quick Charge 2.0.
Cons
- Potentially slower than some standards.
MediaTek, a Taiwan-based chip manufacturer primarily focusing on budget and midrange devices, has its own charging standard: Pump Express. Pump Express 2.0+ and Pump Express 3.0, the two newest revisions, coexist — Pump Express 2.0 targets lower-cost MicroUSB and USB-C devices, and Pump Express 3.0 targets high-end USB-C phones.
Tech specs and compatible adapters
Pump Express + 2.0 charges between 5V and 20V versus Pump Express 3.0’s 3V – 6V, which might sound like an advantage. But Pump Express 2.0+ maxes out at 4.5A compared to Pump Express 3.0’s 5A+, and charges in three stages — Regular, Turbo 1, and Turbo 2 — the fastest of which only supports 15W (1.67A).
Pump Express 3.0 has other advantages over Power Express 2.0. It’s compatible with any USB-PD adapter that supports 3V to 6V at 5A+, and any cable that supports 5A.
Charging speed
Pump Express 3.0 devices can charge up to 75 percent in 20 minutes, according to MediaTek. Pump Express 2.0+ devices take about 30 minutes to reach the same capacity.
Safety measures
Pump Express implements more than 20 safety mechanisms to prevent short-circuiting, MediaTek says. System-on-chip technology from Richtek, a company it recently acquired, protects against fluctuating battery and device temperature.
OnePlus Dash Charge and Oppo Vooc
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends
Voltage
Current
Max Power
Dash Charge
5V
4A
20W
Oppo Vooc
5V
5A
25W
Pros
- Keeps phones cooler.
- One of the fastest charging standards.
- Adapters included with compatible smartphones.
Cons
- Highly proprietary.
Shenzhen, China-based OnePlus licenses Dash Charge from Oppo. It’s based on Oppo’s VOOC (Voltage Open Multi-Step Constant-Current Charging) system, and is a headline feature in the OnePlus 5, OnePlus 3T, and OnePlus 3.
Tech specs and compatible adapters
Dash Charge operates at a peak of 5V/4A (20W), slightly lower than Vooc’s 5V/5A (25W). By bumping the charger’s amperage instead of the voltage, it’s able to achieve a more even distribution of electrical current at higher levels. That’s thanks to a special wall adapter that modulates the amperage in real time. A microcontroller monitors charge level and syncs with the phone’s circuitry to regulate voltage and current, and a custom-designed cable delivers greater current while minimizing power fluctuations.
It’s all proprietary. Dash Charge works only with OnePlus phones and compatible wall adapters and car chargers. Dash Charge-certified external batteries are hard to come by, and OnePlus’ fast charging standard doesn’t work with off-the-shelf USB cables — Dash Charge cables are slightly thicker to accommodate the extra voltage.
You won’t have to shell out extra if you buy a OnePlus phone, though. Every OnePlus smartphone comes with a Dash Charge-compatible wall adapter and charging cord.
Charging speed
OnePlus rates Dash Charge at 60 percent capacity in 30 minutes, a stat that a number of publications have corroborated. In our testing, the OnePlus 3 charged from 2 percent to 100 percent in 1 hour and 14 minutes. And XDA found that Dash Charge was 10 minutes quicker than every fast charging standard it tested, including Quick Charge and Adaptive Fast Charging.
Oppo claims Vooc-enabled phones can charge to 75 percent in 30 minutes.
Safety measures
Dash Charge is designed to dissipate heat quickly. Because the charger transforms the high voltage from the adapter’s power source into a lower voltage, most of the heat from the conversion never reaches the phone, and the consistent current reduces the potential for thermal throttling.
Dash Charge-compatible devices also have heat management and dissipation hardware that undergo a thorough five-point safety check.
Huawei SuperCharge
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends
Voltage
Current
Max Power
Huawei SuperCharge
4.5V/5V
4.5A/5A
25W
Pros
- Compatibility with USB-PD.
- Thorough safety measures.
- Adapters included with compatible smartphones.
Cons
- Potentially slower than some standards.
SuperCharge, Chinese smartphone maker Huawei’s proprietary charging standard, is built into phones like the Mate 9 and the Huawei P10. It’s is somewhat akin to Quick Charge in that it uses higher-than-average voltages to achieve faster charging, but there’s slightly more to it than meets the eye.
Tech specs and compatible adapters
SuperCharge automatically adapts the incoming wall voltage and current based on the condition of the phone’s battery and the phone’s internal temperature. SuperCharge-compatible wall adapters and car chargers support three charging modes — 5V/2A, 4.5V/5A, and 5V/4.5A (up to 22.5W) — and use an in-charger chipset to regulate voltage, eliminating the need for heat-producing in-phone voltage transformation.
Unlike proprietary charging standards like Pump Express and Dash Charge, Supercharge is compatible with USB-PD. That’s thanks to Huawei’s Smart Charge protocol, which intelligently switches between charging modes depending on which charging adapter is plugged in.
Tapping into Huawei’s SuperCharge technology requires buying a compatible wall adapter, but native compatibility with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge standard means any SuperCharge-compatible devices can take advantage of Quick Charge. Every SuperCharge-compatible smartphone comes with a compatible wall adapter.
Charging speed
Huawei doesn’t provide charging estimates for SuperCharge, but third-party findings put it on par with Oppo’s Dash Charge and Vooc. XDA recorded 90 percent charge after 60 minutes with the Mate 9, and PCMag reported a total charge time of 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Safety measures
Huawei’s Smart Charge protocol, a proprietary part of the SuperCharge spec, identifies the load capacity of the charger and cable and reduces the voltage to match.
In addition, SuperCharge uses specialized components that are “optimized” to handle higher currents, including an 8-layer cooling system and special lining that keeps devices up to 5-degrees Celsius cooler than other fast-charging standards. Huawei says that SuperCharge devices undergo a year’s worth of testing and 10 reliability tests covering everything from short-circuits to extreme temperatures.
The future of fast charging
Fast charging technology is in a constant state of flux, no pun intended. Advancements in integrated circuitry, charge controllers, adapters, and cables could mean smartphones that recharge in minutes rather than hours.
Meizu Super mCharge
Guangdong, China-based smartphone maker Meizu’s promising new standard, Super mCharge, can charge a battery from zero to 100 percent in 20 minutes. Its 11V/5A charging adapter delivers a whopping 55W of power, and sophisticated circuitry inside Super mCharge-compatible devices prevent the internal temperature from exceeding 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Better yet, Meizu says Super mCharge won’t impact battery longevity — the average 3,000mAh battery will have 80 percent of its capacity available after 800 cycles.
Buy there’s a catch: Super mCharge will require a specific charger, cable, phone, and battery.
Oppo Super Vooc
Oppo Super Vooc, the evolution of Oppo’s Vooc charging technology, can charge a battery even faster than Meizu’s Super mCharge: From zero to 100 percent in 15 minutes. It uses a low-voltage system that doesn’t produce as much heat as other fast charging standards, and its algorithm regulates the charging current and voltage dynamically to prevent short circuits.
Better yet, Super Vooc doesn’t have Super mCharge’s strict compatibility standards. It requires a custom battery, but it works with Micro USB and USB Type-C chargers.
How to take a screenshot on an iPhone
The short answer is: Press the Home and Lock buttons on your phone at the same time to capture a screenshot. For a more in-depth explanation on how to take a screenshot on an iPhone using alternative methods, read on.
Apple has never made taking a screenshot a tough task. Doing so allows you to capture what’s displayed on your smartphone as a PNG file, allowing you to quickly edit and share the image among friends via email, text, or on popular social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Hell, you can even send screenshots to tech support for further analysis, or use them to make a guide rounding up various Pokemon Go tips and tricks. Regardless of the reasoning, here’s everything you need to know.
Are you a MacOS user? If so, we have also have a comprehensive guide on how to take a screenshot on a Mac.
Taking screenshots with physical buttons
Step 1: Locate the necessary buttons — You’ll want to locate the Home button and the Lock button on your iPhone. Chances are, you probably know where these are because they’re literally the only physical buttons on the phone. If not, don’t sweat it. The Home button is circular and appears on the face of the phone, directly below the screen. The Home button has occupied the same real estate on every model of iPhone. The Lock button — also known as the Sleep/Wake button — is located on the right-hand side of your phone, at least if you’re using an iPhone 6 or newer. Otherwise, it’s located on the top of your device.
Step 2: Capture the screenshot — Press the Home and Sleep buttons at the same time when you see what you want to capture. The iPhone display will then briefly flash white, signaling that the screen capture worked correctly. You’ll also hear a faint shutter noise, so long as your device isn’t in silent mode.
If you press the Sleep button a fraction of a second before the Home button, your iPhone’s screen will turn off. If you press and hold the Home button for too long, then you will activate Siri. Timing is everything here, so if this is the first time you’ve done it you may have to try it a couple of times to get the timing right.
Step 3: Edit the screenshots — Once you’ve successfully captured the screenshot, a small preview will appear in the bottom-left corner of your screen. This preview will automatically disappear in about five seconds, but you can also swipe it to the left to dismiss it. Tapping the thumbnail will allow you to crop or magnify the image, or mark it up with a pen and various shapes. When you’re finished making edits, tap Done in the upper-left corner, and choose whether you’d like to save the new image or delete it.
If you take a screenshot, tap the preview and select Done. You can also select Delete Screenshots and quickly delete a screenshot you didn’t mean to take, which is very convenient.
Step 4: View and share the screenshots — Once captured, your iPhone will automatically save the screen capture directly to the camera roll (aka the Photos app). Simply tap the Photos app, which is represented by a multi-colored sunflower icon of sorts, and scroll to the bottom of the photo stream to view the recently-captured screenshots. Then, tap the thumbnail to enlarge said images, or the box in the lower-left corner while viewing the image to access options for sharing the screenshot via text, email, AirDrop, Facebook, Twitter, and other services.
The Asus ZenFone V is an impressive midrange smartphone exclusive to Verizon
The ZenFone series from Asus’ has always been a bit confusing. Take the ZenFone 4, for instance, which was subsequently spun off into six models — the Deluxe, the Laser, the Zoom, the Selfie, the Selfie Pro, and the Max — before launching in the U.S. as the Asus ZenFone 4. Asus pared things back for the ZenFone 4’s sequel, the ZenFone V, but took a slightly different tack. Instead of launching the phone unlocked, it signed an exclusivity deal with Verizon Wireless.
Here is everything you need to know about the ZenFone V, including the hardware specs, price, and release date.
Design, display, and speakers
The ZenFone V’s design won’t take home any trophies, but it’s as slim, sleek, and shiny as you’d expect given the phone’s price point. Diamond-cut curved corners glimmer like jewelry in direct light, and the rear cover’s concentric Gorilla Glass radiates outward from the ZenFone V’s square-shaped camera.
The ZenFone V’s 5.2-inch AMOLED, Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) screen dominates the front. At a 74.8 percent screen-to-body ratio, it’s not quite edge-to-edge — the ZenFone V’s bottom bezel is wide enough to fit a fingerprint sensor and two touch-sensitive navigation buttons — but you won’t have to worry about your thumbs cramping up.
Rounding out the screen is a five-magnet speaker that’s 20 percent louder and has 42 percent lower distortion than its predecessors. Asus claims that the the ZenFone V’s proprietary AMP technology can achieve up to 17 percent deeper bass than the competition, which sounds impressive.
Cameras
The ZenFone 4 featured pretty darn good cameras for the money, and the ZenFone V is no different. Its 24-megapixel f/2.0 sensor — Sony’s IMX 318 — uses a combination of optical image stabilization (OIS), electronic image stabilization (EIS), and the company’s in-house TriTech autofocus to home in on subjects in 0.03 seconds. The ZenFone V’s deep trench isolation technology prevents light from leaking from one pixel to another, and an RGB color correction sensor optimizes the camera’s settings for ambient light.
The ZenFone V takes great videos, too, thanks to a noise-reducing OIS technique that lets the camera use shutter speeds up to four stops slower than normally possible and EIS that corrects for shakes and sharp movement. It can shoot up to 4K resolution, and up to 92-megapixel stills using Asus’s photo-stitching Super Resolution mode.
Specs
Under the ZenFone V’s hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor paired with 4GB of RAM, which isn’t the newest system on chip out there — the Samsung Galaxy S8, LG V30, and Google Pixel pack the Snapdragon 835. But the 14nm, 2.15GHz chip is enough to boost the ZenFone V’s performance 50 percent from the previous generation while reducing power consumption by 35 percent.
Powering the processor is a 3,000mAh battery that supports fast-charging technology. Asus says that a compatible charger can deliver up to 60 percent capacity in 37 minutes.
Price and release date
The ZenFone V is a Verizon Wireless exclusive. It’s available now starting at $16 per month on a payment plan, or $384 full retail price.
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