Snap and NBC form a studio just for mobile-only TV shows

Snap, which is Snapchat’s parent company, has been having a little bit of trouble attracting new users to its service. That may be why the company is teaming up with NBCUniversal to produce content for entertainment specifically on apps. The new as-yet-unnamed studio, owned half by Snap and half by NBCUniversal, signed independent filmmakers Mark and Jay Duplass as its first creative partner.

Snap’s head of content, Sean Mills, explained to Variety, “We fundamentally believe that mobile is a new medium.” Both companies adhere to the idea that entertainment for mobile platforms needs to be produced differently than for traditional venues. “Because that creative process is so unique, we felt there was a need for a fully dedicated entity focused on that,” Mills continued. Laura Andersen, NBC Entertainment’s senior VP of current programming, will be the chief content officer for the studio, working with Mills and Maggie Suniewick, the president of NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises.

NBCUniversal cites the engagement of Snapchat’s existing audience, with its 173 million active daily users, as the reason it chose to move forward with the deal. It’s unclear how many series the studio will produce, but Mark Duplass told Variety they have about six different TV show ideas across genres. The first series is set to debut in 2018, with 8–10 minutes per episode.

Source: Variety

Roku Express will be available in Canada in November

Canada is getting a new version of the Roku Express, the company announced today. The tiny device, which is aimed at consumers new to streaming, is five times more powerful than its predecessor. It was unveiled on October 2nd as a part of Roku’s refreshed lineup. It will retail for $40 and will be available starting in November.

Roku is also making its debut in Latin America, bringing its streaming platform to all the countries in Central America, as well as Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru in South America. Content publishers in these countries will have the ability to develop custom channels for their consumers. Roku’s hardware will be available to these consumers in the next few weeks.

Back in October, Roku unveiled their new lineup of streaming devices, including the rumored Streaming Stick+, which was their first stick to be compatible with 4K and HDR. Clearly, they’re intent on continuing to expand after their successful IPO with expansion into these two markets, and likely more to come.

Source: Business Wire (1), Business Wire (2)

Microsoft Says Its New Surface Book 2 is Twice as Powerful as Latest MacBook Pro

Microsoft today introduced the Surface Book 2, the second generation of its high-end notebook and tablet hybrid.

The new Surface Book 2 is equipped with Intel’s latest eighth-generation Core processors, up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 17 hours of battery life based on video playback.

Microsoft says those tech specs make the Surface Book 2 up to five times more powerful than the original Surface Book, and twice as powerful as the latest MacBook Pro, but it didn’t specify which configurations.

Microsoft’s comparisons to its primary competitor didn’t end there. On its website, it said the Surface Book 2 has 70 percent more battery life than the latest MacBook Pro, which lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge.

The new Surface Book 2 is available with a 13.5-inch or 15-inch display that can be detached from the keyboard and used as a tablet. The display can also be folded or reattached in Studio Mode or View Mode.

Microsoft added that the Surface Book 2 has 45 percent more pixels than the latest MacBook Pro. The 15-inch model has a resolution of 3240×2160 pixels, good for 267 PPI, while the 15-inch MacBook Pro is 2880×1800 and 220 PPI.

The notebook is equipped with two USB 3.1 ports, one USB-C port, a full-size SD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It also has a proprietary SurfaceConnect port that allows a Surface Dock to be connected.

Surface Dock, available separately for $199, has two Mini DisplayPorts, one Gigabit Ethernet port, four USB 3.0 ports, and one audio out port.

As a Windows PC, the Surface Book 2 will be compatible with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update released today.

Surface Book 2 starts at $1,499 for the 13.5-inch model with a Core i5 processor, Intel HD Graphics 620, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. More powerful 13.5-inch configurations are available for up to $2,999.

The 15-inch model starts at $2,499 with a Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. More powerful 15-inch configurations are available for up to $3,299.

Surface Book 2 pre-orders begin November 9 on Microsoft’s website and at its retail stores in the United States and select other countries. Deliveries will begin when the device launches November 16.

Related Roundup: MacBook ProTags: Microsoft, Surface BookBuyer’s Guide: MacBook Pro (Neutral)
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New Rumor Suggests Apple Pay Will Launch in Sweden Next Week [Updated]

Apple is gearing up to launch Apple Pay in Sweden next week, according to a report by Swedish site MacPro [Google Translate]. The site stated that the first financial partner with Apple Pay in Sweden will be the bank Nordea, and that the two companies will jointly announce the mobile wallet collaboration one week from today, on October 24.

During its third quarter earnings call in August, Apple confirmed that Apple Pay would be expanding to Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and United Arab Emirates before the end of 2017. So far, the mobile payments service hasn’t yet appeared in any of these areas, and a rumor about Germany gaining Apple Pay functionality by September has also failed to materialize.

Currently, Apple Pay is available in the United States, United Kingdom, China, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, France, Hong Kong, Russia, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, Taiwan, and Ireland. In a future update to iOS 11, Apple Pay will also gain a new person-to-person payments feature — Apple Pay Cash — so that users can transfer money to one another within Messages. This feature will only be available in the U.S. at launch.

Update: MacPro has reported that Finland and Denmark could see the debut of Apple Pay next week as well.

Tags: Apple Pay, Sweden
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ZTE Axon M hands-on: two screens for twice the fun!

While foldable smartphones aren’t a totally new thing, a company has yet to bring bring one past the concept phase. With the ZTE Axon M, that’s all changed. This foldable phone stands out from the crowd, coming equipped with two touch screens. But is the time right for foldable smartphones? Is this the next must-have offering, or just another gimmick? We got recently got our hands on one, so let’s take a closer look.

Unlike a lot of other foldable concepts, the Axon M does not have a foldable display. Instead it uses a hinge system to connect two displays. When folded, the secondary display acts as the rear of the phone. When unfolded open, the hinge joins both displays together so you can have a much larger screen.

Measuring just over 12 mm thick, it’s definitely one of the thickest smartphones on the market

Both screens are LCD panels measuring 5.2-inches and offering 1080p Full HD resolution. Together they combine to form a screen that measures 6.8-inches diagonally and offers 1920 x 2160 pixels resolution.

Having two screens in this unique concept brings challenges, too. Measuring just over 12 mm thick, it’s definitely one of the thickest smartphones on the market and it feels a little awkward. It’s not uncomfortable to hold per se, but it definitely takes adjusting to, as it feels very different to any other smartphone out there.

Inside, the Axon M is powered by a Snapdragon 821 processor with 4 GB of RAM. Some may ask why ZTE didn’t go for the latest Snapdragon 835. While the company didn’t give us a concrete answer, It’s likely due to how long the Axon M has been in development. We’ve heard that ZTE has been working on this device for about a year now, and when they started, the Snapdragon 821 was the latest Qualcomm chipset on the market.

Read more: ZTE Axon M specs

Of course, the Snapdragon 821 is powerful enough as it’s less than a year old so we don’t think performance will prove to be an issue. It comes with 64 GB of storage that can be expanded by up to 2 TB using a microSD card (though the box will state it’s expandable up to 256 GB). The Axon M bucks some of the latest flagship trends, including a 3.5 mm headphone jack and opting to not get an IP67 dust and water resistance. This is more than likely due to the foldable nature although ZTE didn’t confirm their exact reasoning behind this decision, either.

Like Sony flagships such as the Xperia XZ1, the Axon M embeds its fingerprint sensor in the power button on the side of the phone. The entire package is powered by a 3,180 mAh battery which may seem a little on the small side – for a phone with two screens at least – but ZTE says its tweaks will ensure all-day battery life.

These tweaks are to the core Android Nougat experience, which has a few customizations but mostly feels like stock Android. It’s unclear when the Axon M will get Android Oreo but given the company is committed to its new Axon M range (and is planning a follow up), we’d venture a guess that it’ll be sooner rather than later.

There are plenty of possibilities for a dual-screen smartphone, so what has ZTE done to make the most of this unique form factor? You combine both screens to form one much larger screen, which may be perfect for times when you just need more screen real estate, like browsing the web or using social media.

Watching movies on the extended screen feels a little awkward given the hinge and the borders on both screens, but it seems like a pretty easy adjustment to make. The biggest benefit of the dual screen is when typing horizontally; the keyboard fills most of the bottom screen and gives you a whole screen of content, and then some.

You can also just use the Axon M as a regular phone with one display, and when you use this mode, the second screen turns off to preserve battery life. We asked ZTE if they would be willing to add an option to turn the second screen on for those who want it. They said the feature may come in a future update, but for now it’s not an option.

Both screens can run independently of each other, which is great for multitasking.

There’s also a great mirroring option which allows you to show the exact same content on both displays. As the phone is foldable, you can put the phone in a tent position and then share the same content with your friends and family, without needing everyone to huddle around the phone. This could be quite useful for sharing a movie with friends or family when on a train or somewhere where you’re sat opposite each other, allowing both sides to have a great viewing experience.

Both screens can run independently of each other, which is great for multitasking. This also provides great benefits for multiplayer gaming with games such as chess, battleship and others all available and optimized for running on both screens at once. If you often play a friend, colleague, or family member on a multiplayer smartphone game and are tired of constantly having to pass the phone, the Axon M could be the solution to your problem.

Any new form factor brings with it challenges regarding apps and the Axon M is no different. How do apps scale when you’re using it as one large screen? Most apps scale perfectly fine. It’s going to be up to the developers of those that don’t to update accordingly. ZTE has software built in to force apps to scale to the larger screen if they don’t do it on their own. Two screens have many potential uses but the success of such a form factor will rely on developer support. It remains to be seen how many developers will get on board.

The Axon M takes a slightly different approach to its camera. The second screen negates the need for a front facing camera. Instead, the phone sports a single camera with a 20 MP sensor and an f/1.8 aperture which you can use as either the front or rear camera. When using it as a rear camera, the phone enables the screen on the opposite side of the camera as the viewfinder. When using it for selfies, it uses the display that’s on the same side of the camera.

It might seem a little awkward but it actually works really well and we found no issues with switching, or enabling the correct display. It’s definitely a very different experience to traditional smartphones but it seems like a very capable shooter and it should mean you can take great pictures or selfies in every condition.

We’ve seen a lot of interesting smartphones in 2017, but the Axon M stands out as the most unique device this year, and arguably in the past few years, too. There’s no doubt the Axon M is going to catch your attention, but do you think it offers enough? What do you think of ZTE’s latest attempt at being different? Do you need two screens? Are foldable displays the next big trend or nothing more than a clever gimmick like 3D cameras?

Let us know your views in the comments below!

Fossil has two new hybrid smartwatches for women, a redesigned Fossil Q app

Why it matters to you

Fossil debuted its smallest hybrid smartwatches for women — the Fossil Q Neely and Fossil Q Jacqueline. Along with the unveiling, the company launched its newly redesigned Fossil Q app.

Fossil on Tuesday unveiled two of its latest hybrid smartwatches — the Fossil Q Neely and Fossil Q Jacqueline. The new additions have been tailored specifically for women, and feature smartwatch functionalities packed into a classic analog design.

Both the Q Neely and Q Jacqueline have a 36mm case size, interchangeable watch strap options, and battery life for up to six months depending on usage. The one difference between the two is the Jacqueline features a Roman numeral design while the Neely has tick marks.

By connecting either smartwatch via Bluetooth to the Fossil Q app, you can track your activity, sleep, and goals. The smartwatches work with Android OS 5.0 and up, along with devices running iOS 9.0 or later.

You also have the option to receive a variety of notifications, whether it’s text messages, phone calls, or apps. Whenever there’s an incoming notification, your watch will vibrate and the watch hands will point to the number you assigned.

Other features include comparing time in multiple time zones, and assigning shortcuts to the three buttons — known as pushers — on the side of the watch. By pressing one of the buttons, you can operate your smartphone camera, call your phone, control music, and more.

The unveiling of the latest devices coincides with a redesigned Fossil Q app experience. Instead of having to switch between tabs, the app includes glanceable data, with your most used features available on its home screen.

There’s also a new customized pusher that allows you to check your commute time or estimated arrival at a predetermined location. Another new pusher option gives you the ability to activate a stopwatch.

We got to spend some time with both of the Fossil devices and interacted with the app. As the smallest hybrid smartwatch Fossil has to offer, it rests comfortably on the wrist and has a sleek look. The app also looks much more modernized than others we’re used to, with a brighter design and an interface that provides you with a lot of information when first opening it.

The redesigned Fossil Q app will be available on October 20 in the App Store and Google Play Store. Both the Fossil Q Neely and Fossil Q Jacquline go on sale starting October 22 for $155 to $175. You can purchase the devices at Fossil retail locations or on Fossil’s website.

Update: This article has been updated to reflect the correct release date of the Fossil Q app

Google to extend Pixel 2’s HDR+ capabilities to third-party photo apps

Why it matters to you

The change means that the enhanced image quality of HDR+ will soon be available inside apps that also offer manual exposure and focus control.

The Google Pixel 2 comes with a number of innovative camera features, and one of those camera features, HDR+, will soon be available to third-party photography app developers via a preview of Android Oreo 8.1, the company announced on October 17. It means that non-native apps can utilize the enhanced image quality from the Google Pixel 2 HDR+ mode.

Google’s HDR+ mode has been part of Google Camera for a few years, but the Google Pixel 2 refines that program by expanding processing power. HDR is a photo technique that blends multiple images together to keep the detail in both the bright and dark areas of the image. Since HDR involves multiple images, faster hardware is necessary in order to keep HDR from slowing down the performance of the smartphone.

The current HDR+ is made possible by Pixel Visual Core, a new System on Chip (SoC) circuit. It’s the first custom-made SoC by Google for a consumer product — a processor designed specifically for handling imaging data. Google says that using the Pixel Visual Core, the smartphone can process HDR+ photos five-times faster but with only a tenth of the battery drain when compared to the application processor, which third-party apps currently use for imaging.

“A key ingredient to the IPU’s efficiency is the tight coupling of the hardware and software,” wrote Ofer Shacham, senior staff engineer, and Masumi Reynders, director of product management. “Our software controls many more details of the hardware than in a typical processor. Handling more control to the software makes the hardware simpler and more efficient, but it also makes the IPU challenging to program using traditional programming languages.”

To ease the burden on developers with the increased complexity of the software, Google is using already-developed domain-specific languages, Halide and TensorFlow.

Once the Pixel Visual Core is switched on with the software update, third-party apps will be able to have access to that extra processing power, which means the smartphone can automatically process those HDR+ photos without slowing the smartphone down and without using the native camera app.

Third-party camera apps are popular for their extra features, often offering more controls including manual exposure controls and manual focusing. Once both the Pixel 2 software is updated and third-party developers update their own software, switching to the features inside of a third-party app will longer no mean losing the automatic HDR+ processing. Google shared several sample comparison images, with the images shot the Pixel Visual Core offering both brighter shadows like in a backlit selfie, and enhanced highlights, like a sky that’s a bit bluer.

Google says that the expansion of the HDR+ mode is just the start — Pixel Visual Core is a programmable chip and the company is already working to prepare more applications to expand the Pixel 2’s capabilities.

Exclusive: Microsoft devices guru Panos Panay on making devices that sing

“There’s no question: details matter. The amount of precision in these products absolutely matters. But here’s what’s important about that: The more precious and beautiful your design is, the more it disappears into the background. The more it fades away.”

Panos Panay is as passionate about products as a vinyl collector fussing over his records – how they’re designed, how people use them, how they can change our lives. He’s passionate about Windows, too, the software that powers his creations, but make no mistake: It’s the devices that he loves.

Over the last five years, Panay’s passion has brought to life an entire lineup of products that have helped transform Microsoft into the clear leader when it comes to innovation. The company reinvigorated the laptop world with the Surface lineup, 2-in-1 laptops with soft flexible keyboards that look unlike anything else on the market. Microsoft stuck a flag in the sand two years ago with the mind-bending HoloLens, which does augmented reality in a way nothing has yet matched, and sprang seemingly from nowhere. Last year, the devices group that Panay heads up stunned again with the Surface Studio and the Dial, an entirely new way of interacting with computers.

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

At a time when other companies reveal ho-hum product updates as uninspiring as your morning bowl of oatmeal, Panay and Microsoft are putting together banquets, writing recipes for delicacies, and rewriting the basic code on what makes for a Windows device. Bland beige box? Never again. Now it’s platinum and titanium and Alcantara (whatever that is) in colors like burgundy and cobalt blue.

At a New York City event for the launch of the new Surface Book 2 and the Fall Creators Update, Digital Trends sat down with the corporate vice president of Devices at Microsoft to talk about the new products, how device meets design, and what the future holds for Surface.

Note: Panay stresses that the Surface lineup is a team effort, and that’s clear even in our one-on-one meeting. Sitting behind him — you can see their headless torsos in the video above — are a handful of other key players. There’s Stevie Bathiche, the floppy-haired distinguished scientist with Microsoft’s Applied Sciences group, whose title doesn’t begin to describe what he does. There’s Ralf Groene, head of Industrial Design with the Microsoft Devices group and the man most responsible for the look and feel of the products. And there’s Pete Kyriacou, general manager of Program Management – one imagines him ensuring that the Surface Book 2 actually gets released on time.

Digital Trends: Tell me about this family of products you’ve developed, because over the course of the past five years, you’ve really built out a whole family.

It’s a beauty and the beast product, that’s how we talk about it

Paos Panay: So excited about it! You have the Surface Pro, it’s the most versatile product on the planet is the way I think about it. It gives you all this battery life in and out of your bag, on and off your lap, the versatility is incredible. You have the Laptop, which is just about design and beauty, and while it brings performance, it really is about when I pull this thing out of my bag, the pride that comes with that moment and beauty, and putting your hands on it is amazing.

And now the Surface Book 2, this performance powerhouse — it’s all about performance. And when you look at those three, whether you want versatility or you want just beautiful design in every piece of intent, light and thin, or you wanted that performance – it’s a beauty and the beast product, that’s how we talk about it, and I get very excited to say that – I think it’s fun to give our customers an option. And I think it’s the right set of options for them, too.

It’s clear that you’re really passionate about design. Are you in the studio with the guys, really honing the shape of things…?

The team, we have a pretty dang good team. We have this incredible diverse set of talent, and I spend a ton of time in there. If you’re into product making, you have to get into the design of these products, for sure. And that’s not just the product, it’s the storytelling, it’s the videos, it’s the detail of everything that’s not on the outside but on the inside from the engineering team. So yeah, I think that I get my time in there, and I’m pretty lucky to do so.

This family of products is interesting for what isn’t in there. The phone products and the Band products weren’t included in the family because they weren’t designed to the same caliber, perhaps. Are you seeing a space to enter into other areas besides just computers?

When you’re innovating and thinking about software and hardware together, and where the future of computing might be, and what the form factors might be, and how this world comes together, you’re always thinking about other things, for sure. Now I’m probably not going to talk about future products or anything, but I will tell you that innovation doesn’t end with the last product you ship, it really starts there.

Especially when it comes to this Mixed Reality thing we’ve been talking about today. A lot of stuff from a lot of partners, but nothing specifically from Microsoft.

I use the filter of: The Mixed Reality work we did in Windows was to coincide with the Book 2 and its launch as well. So these products were built to bring our partner headsets to life just as much as any product, and they’re tuned perfectly with Mixed Reality. It’s important to think about the camera off the back of the device, where you can use the Mixed Reality viewer and really start to integrate the world of Mixed Reality into Surface and bring it to life with the Creators Update, it’s really powerful.

What do you hear from your partners, though, from companies like Dell and HP. Is there pushback? Is there concern that you’re stepping into their space?

We’re going to innovate on the Surface line and we’re going to keep pushing innovation, we push premium products. We want to keep investing, but we want those investments to proliferate across to our partners as well. I think it’s just a great opportunity for the PC market to continue to grow and give customers what they need. Choice is awesome! You can pick one of the three Surface products or you can look at one of our partner products, and depending on exactly what you want to go for, I think having that choice is pretty cool.

There’s no question that the Surface line has done a great job elevating the overall design of the PC market.

Well, we have a lot of passion. There’s no question, Jeremy, there’s no question: details matter. The amount of precision in these products absolutely matters. How the screen comes together and the collective parts seamlessly flow is almost … it’s core. But here’s what’s important about that: The more precious and beautiful your design is, the more it disappears into the background. The more it fades away.

Microsoft Surface Book

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

And if we can do that, if we can make these products fade to the background, then it’s just about the interaction model – how your brain, how your creativity flows into the product, and nothing gets in your way, from Pen to Touch to Dial to mouse to keyboard, to Cortana and voice, if you want to mix your interactions, you need to, you don’t want to pause to think about which one you’re about to use. You want your creative brain to flow through. And a big part of that is the design.

If the design flows to the background and the hardware and software come together perfectly, these products will line up. They will light up. And then what happens is the best creation comes out of your heart onto these things, and that’s what’s critical.

What’s neat is to take the time to highlight some of the people that make these things happen.

Yeah, did you feel that today? Because I really want to make sure that … these products are a reflection of the people that make them, they’re not a reflection of themselves. They’re actually a reflection of the humans. And if you believe in people, if you believe in the mission statement, we’re going to empower — you use that word and oh my gosh, it’s so incredible! — people and organizations to achieve more. You take these things, it’s all centered around what? The person. The human. And I think it’s just as important who makes the product as it is who uses the product. I think they’re equally as important. And when that comes together, you have something that’s pretty precious.

Big picture, what does success look like? Is it building better products, is it elevating the market, is it getting happy customers? How do you quantify winning?

“We built this product so people can create the future on it.”

It’s quite simple: Do the people who use these products love them? And if they do, people will buy more of them. And they will love to use them more, and they will create the best possible things we can imagine for this world. We built this product so people can create the future on it. What better than to have the feeling that someone opens your device and makes the future happen? That’s what it’s about, if the people that use our devices love them. that’s what this is all about. And then your best creator comes out, and now we’re in a pretty healthy place.

What’s your go-to? What do you walk around with on a daily basis?

Dang it, don’t do that man! This is not fair! I have multiple teams, they’re all going to watch this interview, and they’re going to say, “What was your answer, P?” Come on!

You can say the newest is always the best…

Microsoft Surface Pro

Kyle Wiggers/Digital Trends

I can’t. I have four children at home, and I made the mistake once of saying one was maybe younger or older or … I’ve learned my lesson. What I will tell you is this: I think all four products, from Studio to Book to Laptop to Pro, they all live in my life. And they all live in ways that I’m blessed to be able to test and use and move from product to product. I love them all. Like I really do. This is the thing.

Will I probably be using Book 2? Maybe? Kinda? I don’t want to upset the team, I don’t want to upset the other kids! But probably. I’m probably jumping in. The Surface Book 2 15 inch? This transforms the desktop and laptop into one device, I can game at night … it’s a pretty extraordinary product.

As someone who’s been carrying around a Surface Book, I appreciate the little tweaks that have been made. The design looks very similar, but I understand that it’s been completely rethought under the hood.

“It would have been a problem if we had said, ‘Whoa, we gotta change everything.’”

I think it’s important to not rush from one design to the next, you want your designs to feel and be timeless. It would have been a real problem if we had looked at this product and thought, “Whoa, we gotta change everything.” But we did change the whole product, if you will, from the inside out, and that was important. We removed the fans, it’s a fanless product. It’s a quad-core Intel CPU, it’s got the GTX 1050 Nvidia part – I mean the whole thing’s been redesigned.

But it hasn’t lost the essence of what it’s supposed to be. It’s three times more powerful than the previous Book and it has 17 hours of battery life – like that’s crazy! And so, by virtue of the performance of this machine, we shouldn’t be having this conversation.

The aesthetics of the product had to stay consistent, that was part of this timeless design ethos that our design team drives, but the performance had to evolve if we’re going to help people create the future.

You’ve talked a lot about how the Surface team has pulled together different aspects of Microsoft, that the software team and the hardware team are working in concert. But what I’m curious about is where Mixed Reality fits in, because it feels like a new project that maybe hasn’t been fully integrated.

Maybe I’m not projecting it right. Think about Surface Book. I’m going to give you the very simple example of the camera off the back and how tuned that is and how perfect that had to be to bring the Mixed Reality viewer to life. We could have very easily removed that camera, could have treated it like a normal laptop. But that versatility of that product, the Mixed Reality viewer, to come take that top off and move with it – that’s an integral part of our designs together. We are one team.

“Mixed Reality is going to sing. It’s going to SING. It’s going to come to life.”

Same thing with the performance of this product, how we tuned it to bring Mixed Reality to life on the product. So if you’re going to use one of our partner headsets on this product, it’s going to sing. It’s going to SING. It’s going to come to life. (Actually I’m using one at home right now. I’m not going to tell you which one, so don’t ask.)

But I absolutely love it and that was part of the design intent. And keep in mind, the same Devices team that builds the Surface builds the HoloLens. And that is Mixed Reality at its purest form. So when you say that I say, “Whoa, hold on!” I gotta tell you, I gotta tell you everything! We’re completely committed, from the hardware to the software to the silicon and all the way down to the steel. We make our own silicon in those products and that’s the same team that works on these products, as well as Xbox. So that’s really core and fundamental, when you think about Xbox and the thermal capacity on the Xbox One X pushing the teraflops that pushes versus the 15-inch pushing teraflops, that’s not an accident.

I love that you have these facts at your fingertips!

But it’s so important to understand how these things come together. If we’re going to move air perfectly through one product, we’d better dang well take that lesson and put it in this one. And that’s what gets you to, somebody says, “Well, how did you get 17 hours of battery life pushing 75 watts off these products with a 1060 GTX in that form factor? Is that possible?”

Well, yeah, it’s possible, because it’s right here!

But it doesn’t come without the learnings of the Xbox One X, it doesn’t come without the learnings of the history of all of these devices to bring that to life. So you think about HoloLens and these products, you think about Xbox and these products, you think about Surface and HoloLens … these all come together. They may not look perfectly symmetrical, because they’re different brands, but they are actually quite in line … and they feed off each other.

So, do you feel that Mixed Reality is an evolution or is that really the future? Is that something that’s going to transform computing?

If you think about Mixed Reality, you liken it to artificial reality, you see quantum computing, you see these ideas that (Microsoft CEO) Satya (Nadella) talks about in his book, come to life. These are real parts of our future, this is interaction models going to the next level, and I think that’s part of what’s happening now. Look at Office today on Surface. We have this product, PowerPoint, and all of the sudden, you can put a pen down or a finger down at any time and interact, and you don’t have to switch modes or slow down or change your thinking. I can put my hand on a dial or my hand on a mouse or my hands on some keys and work through it, or I can speak to my machine … these interaction models are collaborating, they’re working together, they don’t get in your way, and they make you a creator.

Then take the next level of AI, take the next level of Mixed Reality, and what you start to see is the world’s transforming right in front of us. And yeah, it’s absolutely the future.

Check out the best audiobook apps for iOS, Android and more

A good audiobook deserves a great app player, but there are a lot of audiobook players out there—most with very similar names—so choosing one can get frustrating. We’ll make it easy: Here are the best audiobook apps, what audiobook services they work with (not all are dog-compatible), and what features we especially like.

Note: These audiobook players are free, but some may require a subscription service to download particular books.

Audiobooks.com – iOS, Android

With more than 100,000 titles, Audiobooks.com has shown a lot of growth recently, making it easier to recommend than ever. The service operates on a “credit” system that works out to $14.95 per month for one credit each month to get a new book, with the first book free. It’s not the greatest purchase method, but the expanded library is excellent and you can keep all your purchased books, even if you cancel your subscription. We also like the speedy interface, which has a good bookmarking system (plus compatibility with the Apple Watch). However, the controls are pretty tiny and not very suitable for in-depth control while driving or exercising.

Audiobooks from Audible – iOS, Android

Audible is a popular audiobook publisher (owned by Amazon and compatible with Amazon devices like newer Kindles), and its own player is worthy of consideration, especially if you’re content to stick to Audible’s 180,000 volume audio library. That’s one of the largest available, and includes the most recent and bestselling books, as well as plenty of newspaper and magazines. As a paid service, you will have to dish out $15 per month to access Audible’s top-notch collections, but there’s a 30-day trial that’s a great opportunity to test out the player first. While the audio player is functional, it’s essentially the same as the Audiobooks.com interface, and not very driver-friendly.

LibriVox – iOS

LibriVox is a free access service where all audiobooks are free to download and listen to, no strings attached. The library is a little small at 25,000, but you’ll find most of the classics here, along with plenty of biographies, histories, and other public domain publications (the rating system helps when looking for high quality options). The audio player doesn’t have a ton of features, but it is well designed and gets the job done, with variable speed options plus a sleep timer. When possible, listen to a sample of the audio before you make a download, since all voice work is done by volunteers. We also have more info on free audiobooks and free book downloads including downloads for the iPad if this is your jam.

Listen – Android

Listen is one of the universal audiobook apps, a.k.a. an audio player without its own library of audiobooks to choose from, but it is designed to work with DRM-free audiobook files from any source. This is an advantage for listeners who like to review all available sources for their free book fix, but want one central location to hold them all. Listen’s interface is also very good, with options to adjust speed, remove silences, add bookmarks, switch to Bluetooth, set sleep timers, and even create your own skip times.

Bookmobile – iOS

Bookmobile is designed to work with all audio files from iTunes, Audible, public library downloads, and other popular sources. It’s also incredibly useful for drivers, with a simple interface that features large buttons and intuitive controls for skipping backward or forward with minimal effort. You can adjust play order priorities, combine multiple files into one archive file for easier management, customize skip settings, and more. That said, Bookmobile works best with iTunes, and it may take a bit more work if all your audio files are elsewhere.

Free Books Ultimate Classics Library – iOS

Free Books is a hybrid app that combines free domain books in both eBook and audiobook form. This is particularly beneficial for those who want to read some books on their own time but listen to others without switching between apps. However, there are some tradeoffs for the hybrid model: Free Books has a simplistic player without all of the customization features more advanced apps provide, and the audiobook selection is a little limited at around 5,200.

Voice Audiobook Player – Android

Voice is an independent, open-source audio player designed to pick up any Android audiobook folder and let you play the books it finds there: The interface lacks some of the customization options of other players, opting instead for a more visually pleasant and minimalist approach. Lots of screen space is given to cover art and controls are focused on basic play, pause, and fast-forward. However, you can still add book markets, use a sleep timer, switch between day and night modes, and adjust playback speed as you prefer.

Audiobooks Now – iOS, Android

Audiobooks Now is another subscription service. It’s somewhat smaller than Audible or Audiobooks.com with an 80,000 strong library, but also significantly less expensive at only $5 per month with the Club Pricing plan. Plus, it has a strong stock of free and discounted books, with options available to stream or download as you choose. The player itself is, like other subscription players, easy to understand but tricky to use when driving. There are sleep timer controls, playback speed options, bookmarking, and other standard features. The search function, however, is worth calling out for its easy browsing and the ability to play samples of the books you are viewing.

Smart Audiobook Player – Android

What makes this player “smart”? There are a few features not usually found on audiobook players, features that make the experience…well, more fun. Sure, the standbys like playback speed control and sleep timers are present. But the app also offers interesting tools like the ability to manually create your own list of characters while reading, or easy ways to divide books into “started” and “haven’t started yet” categories. Note that in this particular case, you will have to pay $2 to unlock the full version of the app, but it’s well worth it.

Google Pixel 2 XL review

Research Center:
Google Pixel 2 XL

Google has done it again. Despite impressive competition this year, the Pixel 2 XL is the best Android smartphone in the world. Now before you start jumping at its faults (the lack of a headphone jack; the edges around the screen; or the missing MicroSD slot when the competing Galaxy Note 8 and LG V30 both have one) we’ll admit, the Pixel doesn’t have the best hardware. Google is a software company at heart — and as we explore in our review, that’s where the Pixel 2 XL shines.

A 6-inch window to a blissful Android world

The Pixel smartphone line began last year as Google abandoned the Nexus brand, signaling its intention to exercise more control over hardware. What used to be a collaboration with a manufacturer is now a phone designed completely by Google.

There was never a singular, iconic look to Nexus phones. The Motorola-made Nexus 6, for example, aped the look of other Motorola phones. That’s not the case with the Pixel 2 XL, which carries forward the design of last year’s Pixel XL. It’s becoming easier to distinguish a Pixel in a market flooded with lookalikes. That’s important if Google wants the average person to remember what it’s trying to sell.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

What’s nice is it doesn’t look like your average smartphone, thanks to the two-tone glass and aluminum rear design. A quarter of the phone top on the rear is glass, while the rest is metal. This year’s Pixel 2 XL is slightly different, with a bigger camera that sadly sticks out a tad, and the glass stops before the fingerprint sensor. Gone are ugly antenna lines, now masked in glass. It looks a lot more refined and mature than last year’s Pixel XL, in part because Google has left the edges more angular, rather than rounding them off.

We really love the Pixel 2 XL’s design, and we liked last year’s model as well, but this is subjective. We’ve already heard “ugly” thrown around the office, and some friends just aren’t sold on the design. The metal on the back, which has a unique matte texture, is particularly polarizing. It’s almost like a smooth chalkboard. We think it feels nice to the touch, but hold an iPhone 8 Plus or a Galaxy Note 8 and you’ll feel as though the Pixel 2 XL isn’t made of similar, high-quality materials. The Pixel is far lighter, and the all-glass design on Apple and Samsung’s phones screams premium.

Flip the phone over, and you’ll find what makes the Pixel 2 XL the better phone to buy over the regular Pixel 2: A large, display with small bezels. It’s the smartphone design trend of the year, and any phone that doesn’t minimize the edges around the screen easily looks dated against the likes of the Galaxy S8, the LG V30, the iPhone X, and the Essential Phone.

That said, the Pixel 2 XL’s bezels aren’t as slim as that crowd’s, and the sides don’t blend the display into the rear like the Note 8. Still, you get something close, and we like how the screen’s edges are rounded, like the LG G6. It looks like a 6-inch window into pure Android bliss.

It’s becoming easy to distinguish a Pixel phone.

The Pixel 2 XL benefits from a gorgeous pOLED screen, with a high 2,880 × 1,440 pixel resolution. With 538 pixels per inch, this screen looks sharp, and colors just pop off the screen. When compared to an iPhone 8 Plus, the color temp is cooler, and blacks look far darker. The screen gets bright enough to view outside, but just barely.

Google opted for an 18:9 aspect ratio instead of the traditional 16:9. Most Android apps are designed to scale, but you will run into issues where some apps look a little strange, almost like they’re cut off at the top and bottom because they do not scale. We’ve only seen this with a handful of games, but strangely Google does not offer an option to force an app to scale, as LG and Samsung do.

While last year’s Pixel phones had an ambient display that would flash in and out when there was a new notification, the Pixel 2 XL has an always-on display similar to the V30 and the S8. It always shows the time, date, whether the phone is charging, and notification icons. Double tap the screen to wake the display, or double tap a notification to go right into the app.

The reason to buy the Pixel 2 XL over the 5-inch Pixel 2 is the display. It looks great, especially with a wallpaper from Google’s Living Universe collection, which add eye-catching movements to the screen like waves crashing onto a beach. The minimal edges around the screen really do improve the overall design of the phone, making everything feel far more immersive.

Goodbye headphone jack

There’s only one port on the Pixel 2 XL: USB Type-C. After poking fun at Apple’s controversial decision to remove the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 Plus last year, Google has followed suit. It’s a dealbreaker for a lot of people, understandably. Removing the 3.5-mm headphone jack forces Pixel owners to use a dongle they may likely lose, or shell out for wireless buds, which are often pricier than wired ones.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The only silver lining comes in the form of dual front-facing stereo speakers. No longer do your fingers block the sound from the bottom-firing speakers. They easily get loud, and sound well balanced. Unlike the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, there’s thankfully Bluetooth 5 on board. That should bring better range, less interference, and lower battery consumption for wireless headphones.

Speedy performance

Last year’s Pixel smartphone had an edge over the competition. It was the first to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 processor, which was a tad better than the Snapdragon 820 found on many 2016 flagships. Despite rumors suggesting the Pixel 2 XL would use a new Snapdragon 836 chip, it’s powered by the same Snapdragon 835 that’s in the likes of the Galaxy S8, leveling the playing field.

But there’s still an edge the Pixel has over the Android competition. As Google designed the hardware and software, it’s able to optimize the operating system closely — far more than most manufacturers. It also helps that Google’s software is pure, bloatware-free Android. As such, performance is blazing fast and we’ve yet to run into any issues. Launching apps and moving through the OS is fluid and fast, and games such as Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Transformers: Forged to Fight, and SUP performed without a hitch.

Take a look at the benchmark scores:

• AnTuTu: 111,112
• Geekbench 4: 1,179 single-core, 4,413 multi-core
• 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme: 2,318

Our Pixel 2 XL scores were surprisingly lower than many other Snapdragon 835 devices. Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8, which has the same processor, got an AnTuTu score of 167,946, and the LG V30 scored a 171,669. Unsurprisingly, the iPhone still reigns king with the A11 Bionic processor and an unrivaled score of 222,462. Benchmarks scores aren’t the be-all end-all of performance, and all these devices offer plenty of horsepower. We’ve been blown away by the Pixel 2 XL’s speed, and it will likely be just as fast a year down the line like our 2016 Pixel XL.

The Pixel 2 XL comes with 4GB of RAM, and a choice of 64GB or 128GB of storage. There’s no MicroSD card slot, but you do get unlimited high-quality photo storage via Google Photos.

An elegantly simple Android 8.0 Oreo experience

The best part about Pixel smartphones is the software experience. Namely, you’ll get three years of version and security updates with the Pixel 2 XL. That’s important, as it keeps your device secure and brings you the latest features for a longer time than most Android phones.

Google’s version of Android is simple, uncluttered, elegant, and fluid. The home screen has been slightly refreshed over last year’s Pixel: The Google Search bar moves to the bottom of the screen, making it easier to access; and a neat new calendar widget shows you your next meeting and the weather. Swipe to the right and you’ll access the Google Feed, which sports a transparent background. Swipe down to access the notification drawer, which now adds a shade the color of your wallpaper.

Google’s version of Android is simple, uncluttered, elegant, and fluid.

Press and hold the power button, and you’ll see the Power Off and Restart options look a lot nicer, similar to the design of app shortcuts (the options that pop up when you long-press an app). The Settings menu has been condensed greatly, largely thanks to Android 8.0 Oreo, which introduces a host of new features such as Notification Dots, Picture-in-Picture mode, and more. To learn more, read our in-depth Android 8.0 Oreo review.

Google Assistant is mostly unchanged, but Google has taken a page out of HTC’s book with a feature called Active Edge. Like Edge Sense on the HTC U11, you can squeeze the edges of the phone to trigger an action. It works really well, but it’s tough remembering it’s a feature we can use. It’s handy when you’re out in public, your hands are full, and you don’t want to say “OK Google” out loud. Still, we would have liked the option to customize the trigger to do something else, like open an app. This is possible on the HTC U11, but it looks like Google wants to keep it strictly for Assistant, like Samsung forcing people to use its Bixby button for the Bixby assistant.

One of our favorite additions is Now Playing. It’s a rather simple feature that detects what song is playing in the background and it will add the name and artist to the Always-on Display. Don’t worry, Google isn’t listening to what you’re saying 24/7 — the phone looks up the audio fingerprint of the song in a database that “lives on the phone.” The database is updated with new music each week, and if it’s there the Pixel 2 XL can tell you what song’s playing. It all happens offline, on the device. You can tap on the song name and Assistant will open it, and allow you to view it in your music app of choice.

It generally picked up pop songs within 10 to 20 seconds of entering a restaurant or store. It took about a minute for songs a little more obscure, and sometimes it just couldn’t identify it. Google Assistant, though, can finally identify what’s playing.

“Now Playing isn’t intended to be an “on-demand” music recognizer,” a Google spokesperson told Digital Trends. “Instead, we mean for Now Playing to be glanceable and ambient. Assistant Sound Search (asking “what’s this song?”) will offer on-demand song recognition.”

The recognizer runs once per minute when continuous music is playing to conserve power, and we didn’t notice much of a dip. If you don’t like it or think it’s affecting battery life, you can turn it off.

All-in-all the software experience is the bread and butter of the Pixel phone, and Google nails it yet again.

The best camera on a smartphone

There could not be a better example of Google’s software strengths over hardware than the camera on the Pixel 2 XL. While nearly every other manufacturer has gone with a dual-camera setup on their smartphones, Google boldly said it just needs a one.

What blew us away, though, is Portrait Mode — specifically on the selfie camera.

Last year’s Pixel quickly got a reputation for having an excellent camera. While we thought so too, and said it was often better than the iPhone 7 Plus at the time, one of our complaints was how it tended to oversaturate images. That’s not a problem with the 12-megapixel camera on the Pixel 2 XL.

Colors are impressively accurate, images are always brilliantly detailed, and best of all the camera app is incredibly fast and simple to use. There’s virtually zero shutter lag.

The Pixel 2 XL’s image processing can do some wonders in taking out or minimizing grain in low-light photos as well. The always-on HDR+ makes sure photos are never overexposed or underexposed in certain areas — and if they are, a brightness slider usually lets you correct the look. Occasionally, photos can look like someone cranked the clarity a little too high, but the images are always something we’re still likely to share.

What blew us away, though, is Portrait Mode — specifically on the 8-megapixel selfie camera. Portrait Mode is now a feature on many dual-camera phones, as the data from both cams help create a DSLR-like blur (or bokeh) around a subject. Google had a version before called Lens Blur, but it required you to raise the camera up after snapping a shot so it could capture depth data. It’s now much simpler: Just tap the shutter icon.

Google uses software to determine depth. The results are most often accurate, and images are processed much faster than last year’s Lens Blur on the Pixel. Sure, there’s the odd photo or two where the blur wasn’t quite right, but we’re genuinely impressed with them when it works. It frequently manages to do a great job of correctly picking out even small strands of hair that should not be blurred out (with exceptions, of course). Take a look at the comparison between the iPhone 8 Plus Portrait Mode vs. the Google Pixel 2 XL’s Portrait Mode. The iPhone 8 Plus has stronger bokeh and a brighter picture, but the hair strangely has a slight blur. The Pixel photo is a littler darker with weaker blur, but you can see strands of hair that are in focus.

Two other smartphone photography tricks Google has added are more gimmicky than useful. Motion Photos mimics Apple’s Live Photos — tap on the shutter icon and the phone will take 3 seconds of video. Google’s software picks the best place to start and stop the video, and then loops it. It’d be nice to see some iOS 11 effects here, like Long Exposure and Bounce.

iPhone 8 Portrait Mode

Pixel 2 Portrait Mode

The other is Google Lens, which is still in a preview program. When you activate it on a photo in your library, Google will try to detect what’s in the image. It’s not terribly useful right now as it’s limited to what it can detect. We tried to get it to detect crab rangoon, but it just ran an image search for “food.” Google told Digital Trends Google Lens works best right now with detecting landmarks, books, artwork, movie posters, album covers, video games; and you can “take action on text,” like email addresses, phone numbers, addresses and URLs. We think the latter feature is the most useful at the moment, and you can use it to scan barcodes and QR codes. Google said more options will be added over time.

The best part of the Pixel’s camera is that it just works reliably 99 percent of the time, and it does a bang-up job in most lighting environments. Portrait Mode is our favorite feature, and you’ll fall in love with it if you frequently take selfies. The only other phone that will let you take Portrait Mode selfies is the unreleased iPhone X.

Nearly a day’s worth of battery

Battery life is perhaps one of the more disappointing areas for the Pixel 2 XL. It’s not awful, but with heavy usage we hit 20 percent by 8 p.m, after pulling it off the charger around 8 a.m. That’s with streaming music, web browsing, using social media, watching YouTube videos, taking photos, and more.

We’ve certainly seen better battery life in other smartphones

On a lighter day of mostly browsing the web and taking a few photos, we hit about 45 percent by 9 p.m. We’ve certainly seen better battery life in other smartphones such as the LG V30. Like most flagship devices, you’ll still need to charge your phone every day, but the Pixel 2 XL did make us feel anxious whenever we didn’t have a charging cable on hand as a precaution.

At idle, the Pixel 2 XL only lost a little under 10 percent after leaving it on for most of a day. And when you need a boost, it charges up incredibly fast with the included charger. We watched it shoot from 39 percent to 79 percent in only 40 minutes.

Price, availability, and warranty

The Google Pixel 2 XL costs $850 for 64GB of storage or $950 for 128GB. It’s available on the Google Store, though some models may be out of stock. It’s also being sold via Best Buy, and the only carrier selling it is Verizon. Beware the “exclusively on Verizon” signs though, as purchasing the phone from Google means it will work on any major U.S. carrier.

Google offers a standard limited warranty that protects the device from manufacturing defects one year from the date of purchase. If you’re paranoid, you can add Preferred Care for $130 extra, and it gives you “worry-free protection for your phone for two years,” including two claims for accidental damage. It also adds access to walk-in centers for screen repairs, priority access to specially-trained agents 24/7, and unlimited expert sessions to learn tips to use the phone.

Google Pixel 2 XL Compared To

LG V30

Google Pixel 2

Maze Alpha 4G

ZTE Blade Z Max

Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom

Moto Z2 Play

Motorola Moto E4

Huawei Nova 2 Plus

ZTE Max XL

Meizu M3 Max

ZTE ZMax Pro

Blu Pure XL

Huawei Mate 8

ZTE Grand X Max+

LG G Flex

Our Take

Blazing-fast speed, a brilliant camera, an uncluttered and beautiful Android experience, all in a futuristic, edge-to-edge design. A headphone jack would have been icing on the cake, but this is still the Android cake to own.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes, the iPhone 8 Plus is a great alternative that matches the Pixel 2 XL on a lot of fronts. It has a great camera, a buttery smooth software experience, and the fastest mobile processor around. If you don’t have a preference towards an operating system, the iPhone 8 Plus is worth a look — though you may also want to glance at the upcoming iPhone X.

If you want to stick to Android, we think the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is a stellar option. It has dual optical image stabilization on its cameras, and it can take excellent photos as well. It’s a little pricier at $930.

The LG V30 is a nice middle ground, costing around $800, and it has a headphone jack, as well as a fun wide-angle camera if you want something unique.

How long will it last?

The Google Pixel 2 XL is finally IP67 water-resistant, which means you can take it underwater up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. This helps with durability, but there’s not much stopping the phone from shattering if you drop it, unless you grab a case. The Pixel smartphones receive software updates instantly from Google, and the Pixel 2 XL should get them for three years. Expect this device to last four to five years.

Should you buy it?

Absolutely. If you don’t care much for the missing headphone jack, the Pixel 2 XL is the best Android phone around.