Microsoft Surface Book 2 hands on review

Research Center:
Microsoft Surface Book 2

Don’t mess with a good thing – that’s Microsoft’s new message. The company has just unveiled the latest member of the Surface family of products, a new top-of-the-line powerhouse called the Surface Book 2. And superficially at least, it is identical to the Surface Book. It has the same unique hinged design, the same magnesium finish, the same keyboard and beautiful display. The design was fine before – why mess with it?

Under the hood, however, Microsoft has rethought all aspects of the notebook to make a faster, more efficient machine that’s meant to growl with the fury of a thousand lions. With a 17-hour battery life, the latest Intel quad-core processors, and five times more graphics horsepower than the original, the Book 2 is meant to be king of the jungle.

At a special New York City event showcasing the new Book 2 (and the Fall Creators Update), we had a chance to review the new products, a 13.5-inch and new 15-inch version of the Surface Book 2. And while it may look familiar, it’s a whole new beast.

Mind the gap! A lesson in design

“I think it’s important to not rush from one design to the next. You want your designs to feel and be timeless,” Panos Panay, VP of Devices for Microsoft, told Digital Trends in an exclusive interview following the event. “It would have been a real problem if we had looked at this product and thought, ‘Whoa, we gotta change everything.’”

That means the Surface Book 2 is virtually indistinguishable from the original Surface Book, and I should know: I’ve been carrying one around as my primary system since that first model rolled out. Hold the two units side by side as I did, and you’d be hard pressed to tell them apart, save for the HDMI port on the right-hand side, which has been replaced by a USB 3.0 port. The two are almost interchangeable, despite a remarkable under-the-hood evolution.

What’s that mean? If you liked the hinge in the Book, you’ll love the hinge in the Book 2, even though it’s been completely redesigned to account for the extra weight of the new 15-inch screen. Some people fret about the dynamic fulcrum hinge, which folds up like the spine of a book but leaves a quarter inch gap between keys and screen when closed. Won’t stuff get in there, they worry? No. It doesn’t, and this is from someone who’s used it a lot.

If you liked the keyboard on the Book, you’ll love the keyboard on the Book 2, even though the keys have again been completely redesigned to allow for changes to the circuit boards and fan placement inside the laptop. I tried typing on the keyboard and noticed no changes: I’m annoyed by how loud the keys are on the Book, and found the Book 2 equally loud and clicky, though keys do have a very satisfying depth of travel to them. You’ll feel awkward typing in a library, in other words, but you’ll be nice and accurate.

The design was fine before – why mess with it?

Like the magnesium finish? It looks the same, no new colors, no new fabrics, no new nothing, despite colorful new covers for the Surface Pro announced at more or less the same time. Burgundy? You wish.

The only change we would have liked to see is a place for the Pen. Microsoft touts the Pen as a killer interface feature, and with enough time, you’ll find its conveniences do shine through. But the Surface Book 2 still relies on magnets on the side of the screen to hold the pen – a cute gimmick that essentially means the pen will get lost in your pack. What, you couldn’t build a slot in this thing?

But overall, the lack of change makes sense. Other companies noted for their design and attention to detail have settled on one look and maintained it, come hell or high water. Apple’s newest MacBook looks just like one from three years ago, and the iPhone 8  looks a heck of a lot like the iPhone 6 .

The growl from within

The Book 2 may look and feel the same, but the guts are transformed, starting with the screen, which has finally grown to 15 inches. Yes, there’s still a 13.5-inch model, which has a 3,000 × 2,000 screen with 267 pixels per inch. But the one you’ll want is the 15-inch model, which sports a 3,240 × 2,160 display at 260 ppi. Both look just as gorgeous as earlier screens in the Surface family, such as the stunning Surface Studio, but Microsoft will tell you the brightness and contrast are boosted just a bit. (It was hard to tell.)

The addition of USB 3.0 for the display output is a nice modern touch, and the camera on the back of the screen has been boosted to 8MP with 1080p video, to facilitate Mixed Reality headsets, Microsoft says. The graphics system is far more powerful, and as the CPU is as well – we’ll hold off our judgment on performance until we can spend more time with the product. In general, the Book 2 felt like it was ready to scream.

“We changed the whole product if you will from the inside out,” Panay told me. The biggest change you’ll notice is a complete rethink of fans for the product. The 13-inch model is now fanless, yet the CPU has been pumped up with an 8th generation, Core i7-8650, with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB PCIe SSD. The older Book used a 7th generation Core i7 processor, and using it over the past year, I’ve noticed fans start whirring at the drop of a hat. A fanless system that’s also faster speaks to the engineering gruntwork that went into the Book 2.

Microsoft Surface Book 2 Compared To

LG Gram 15Z970-A.AAS7U1 Laptop

Lenovo Yoga 720 15-inch

Razer Blade Stealth (2017)

Lenovo Yoga 720 13-inch

Samsung Chromebook Pro

Origin EON17-SLX

Asus VivoBook V551LB-DB71T

Acer Aspire V7

Sony Vaio Pro 13

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2013)

HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook

HP Spectre XT TouchSmart

ASUS Zenbook UX51Vz

Sony Vaio S Series

Apple MacBook Air (11.6-inch)

The larger, 15-inch model uses a top of the line Core i7, but the more important update is the GeForce GTX 1060 discreet graphics chip. Microsoft means for you to play games on this thing, in other words, and we look forward to benchmarking performance.

Too good not to notice

“We built this product so people can create the future on it,” Panay told me, and the company has clearly poured its design and engineering might into making it as powerful as possible. He also thinks good design should fade away into the background, and that makes sense. A thing can be beautiful, but it should be functional above all else – and the Surface Book 2 promises to be enormously powerful.

But fade away into the background? Changed or not, this design remains eye catching, and this device will have a hard time fading away.

The best vaporizers for flower and concentrates (2017 update)

Smoking is out, and vaping is in. As we continue to prioritize the health of our lungs, herbal vaporizers have sprung onto the scene as a new way to get your fix without inhaling carcinogen-laden smoke. While tabletop vaporizers have long dominated this market, handheld vaporizers continue to get smaller, lighter, and more powerful.

For 2017, we’ve now had the opportunity to put several new herbal vaporizers through our rigorous testing program, and new entrants are giving market leaders like the Pax and Firefly a run for their money. In fact, one of these new entrants was good enough to knock the Pax 3 from the top spot it held in our previous list. What are the best vaporizers? Read on and find out.

Our pick

Davinci IQWhy should you buy this: Great performance and an impressively designed app.

The best

Davinci IQ

A best-in-class app and top tier vapor production makes the IQ well worth its high price.

$274.99 from Davinci

Who’s it for: Those looking for a well-built and reliable device

How much will it cost: $275

Why we picked the Davinci IQ:

When we received the Davinci IQ late last year to test, we were skeptical of its claims of superiority in performance and customizability. But the IQ performed time and time again on par if not exceeding the Pax 3 in terms of vapor production. Coming in roughly at the same price as the Pax 3, it just feels like you’re getting more.

One of the biggest downsides to the Pax 3 is its on-device UI – even though the Davinci IQ looks similarly basic, you have the capability to change and know what the temperature your vape’s at directly from the device without looking at the companion app, which the Pax is forced to rely on.

It might be a bit wider than the Pax, but it is similarly discreet and has a nice matte metallic finish. Heat up times are on par with most devices, although at higher temperatures it seemed to take a bit longer than average to get to temperature, but not by much.

What puts it over the top is the IQ app, which is by far best in class. You can use the company’s four preset heating patterns or create and store one of your own. The app is modern and bug-free, and even stores statistics on your sessions, such as average temperature, average session time, and even counts how many times you use a specific heat setting.

It matches Pax with a ten year warranty, and while it doesn’t do concentrates, it is one of the best when it comes to dry herb and flower. At least for now, we have a new top dog when it comes to portable vaporizers, for sure.

The best of both worlds (Flower and Concentrates)

Haze Dual V3

Why should you buy this: Two chambers allow you to store twice the material.

Best of both worlds

Haze Dual V3

The Haze Dual V3 not only has two independently heated chambers, but solid performance for both flower and concentrates.

$249.99 from Haze Technologies

Who’s it for: Those looking for a vaporizer that does both flower and concentrate well

How much will it cost: $250

Why we picked the Haze Dual V3:

Typically, portable vaporizers that try to do both flower and concentrate do one well and meh on the other. While the Haze Dual V3 is quite a bit wider than any vaporizer we’ve tested (we think it akin to the size of an overstuffed wallet), the bigger size allows for two independently heated chambers, and surprisingly solid performance for both.

Heating times from a cold start seemed to lag behind other devices we tested, however it heated flower well without burn at the two recommended lower settings, and concentrates were completely vaporized at the two recommend higher ones. The device did seem to noticeably slow down in heating with weak battery power, something we did not notice on either the Pax 3 or IQ.

Haze gives you a variety of options including conduction and convection screens (we found the conduction screens to work best), and canisters for concentrates and dry herb. You can even swap between a metal and glass mouthpiece which are included, but again we preferred one over the other – the glass seemed to result in better taste.

Worried about heat transfer between the two chambers? There is none – we can confirm that after repeated tests even at the highest temperatures on either chamber.

What prevents us from giving the Haze Dual V3 the win is the odd size, which isn’t necessarily portable. Other dual chamber devices have been able to do this in a much smaller package. Still, for $250 this is a hell of a device.

The best vaporizer for discreteness

Pax 3

Why should you buy this: It heats up fast, vapes great, and has a great design.

Our Score

Best vaporizer for discreteness

Pax 3

High vapor production and a ten-year warranty make Pax 3 a top choice.

$249.99 from Pax

Who’s it for: Those looking for the best mix of value and function

How much will it cost: $250

Why we picked the Pax 3:

While the Davinci IQ may have knocked the Pax 3 out of the top spot, we still prefer the Pax 3 over any of our picks for discreetness – it’s even easier to conceal than the wider (but still small) IQ. It’s also got concentrate support too, although we found it performs way better with dry herb and flower instead. That said, it’s the same price as the Davinci IQ, so if you really need concentrate compatibility, this might be a better option.

The oven heats up in less than 20 seconds – half the time of the previous Pax – and it gets high marks for its solid vapor production. It also feels nice in the hand, and is easy to use even for the most novice of vapors – even though it might be a little tricky to load at first.

What really stands out to us is the device’s ten-year warranty, which should far outlast most owners use of the product. If you want to purchase something that will last you a long time right out of the gate, the Pax 3 is it. If you want to get the device cheaper ($200), you can spring for the device only option. Do note that you’ll lose the necessary parts for concentrate support, won’t have any replacement screens or tools to clean the device, and will have to pack the dry herb chamber completely full to use it.

Why’s that? The kit version comes with all this and a special oven lid that only requires you to fill the Pax 3 halfway. We strongly recommend you purchase the full kit.

Our full review: Pax 3 vaporizer review

The best vaporizer for budget buyers

Kandypens Miva

Why should you buy this: Kandypens’ Miva gives you Pax and Davinci IQ-like performance at a fraction of the price.

Best vaporizer for budget buyers

Kandypens MIVA

The Miva is the best choice for entry level consumers, with surprising performance for its relatively low price.

$129.95 from Kandypens

Who’s it for: Price conscious buyers who are still looking for quality

How much will it cost: $199

Why we picked the Miva:

We struggled to find a good budget vaporizer for under $200, but Kandypens sent us the Miva and we can now say this is it. While it’s still quite a bit of money for entry-level consumers, the fact this device works almost as well as our higher-priced picks is simply impressive, and worth it for you to spend the extra money on.

Worried about reliability? Kandypens gives you a lifetime warranty, meaning it will stand by its product as long as you own the device. That’s an attractive offer, and one of the better ones we’ve seen.

The Miva doesn’t heat up nearly as fast as higher priced devices, typically taking about 30 seconds or so. However once it does, the Miva has nearly as good vapor production – and actually has better heat insulation than some of its higher-priced competitors.

While the Pax, IQ, Haze Dual, and others got a bit hot to the touch after a minute or two, the Miva does not. That’s a big selling point for us, and possibly for most users too. There’s no bells and whistles, nor concentrate support, but for the best bang for your buck skip over any other sub-$200 portable vape and give the Miva a try. We weren’t disappointed, and you won’t be either.

The best vaporizer for concentrates

Kandypens Elite

Why should you buy this: If you don’t have a need for flower support, the Kandypens Elite is top notch.

Best vaporizer for concentrates

Kandypens Elite

Great battery life, and above average vapor production from a pen makes the Elite a top pick.

$104.95 from Kandypens

Who’s it for: Concentrate connoisseurs looking for discreteness and power.

How much will it cost: $140

Why we picked the Elite:

There are some of us who prefer concentrates and wax over flower and dry herb, but carrying around a rig is just way too obvious. Kandypens’ Elite takes the top spot for a concentrate pen for its overall solid performance and equally solid design and construction.

It also comes with two different coils, one ceramic-lined with a ceramic plate heater at the bottom, and the other one quartz-lined with dual quartz rods. Vapor production is superb, especially with the quartz atomizer, and four different heat settings make very efficient use of concentrate and wax.

We were also very pleased with battery life, which was above average when compared to other concentrate pens. While it is pricey for a vaporizer pen that does wax and concentrates only, if this is your preferred consumption method, you’d be foolish to not pick the Elite up.

The best vaporizer if price is no object

Firefly 2

Why should you buy this: It has the best vapor production and is concentrate compatible

Best vaporizer if price is no object

Firefly 2

Firefly 2’s option to choose between flower and concentrate is pretty alluring.

$329.95 from Firefly

Who’s it for: Those who don’t mind spending a little extra

How much will it cost: $330

Why we picked the Firefly 2:

While the Davinci IQ was our top choice, we’d be remiss to not consider the Firefly 2 a worthy contender. The second generation model builds upon the original, and boasts an amazing heat up time of only five seconds. Out of charge? No fear there either: the Firefly 2 fully charges in just 45 minutes.

For those of us who prefer concentrates, you’ll need to choose the Firefly over the IQ at least if you don’t like the Haze Dual V3’s bulkiness. The Firefly 2’s quick heat-up times make this possible, and also make it a more all-around versatile device. Keep in mind though that it is larger than both the Pax and the IQ, so if size and discreteness are an issue, you might want to look elsewhere.

For the more tech-savvy, the Firefly 2 also comes with an official app for both iOS and Android that allows you to change temperature and various settings with a touch of a finger.

How We Test

Features/Specs

For each vaporizer, we run down the specs and noteworthy features. No beating around the bush here — we get right to it and explain what makes a particular vape noteworthy from the competition. Does it have a unique design? Is it more modifiable than most? The standard specs/features we go over include:

• Size/dimensions
• Battery size / charging style
• Chamber/reservoir volume
• Heating element type
• Min/max temperature settings
• Connectivity options

Design and Vapor Quality

After the specs, we dive into an honest assessment of the device’s design. Can it fit in a pocket, or will you need to throw it in your bag? How does it feel in your hand? How does it feel in your mouth? Is it comfortable to hold and take a drag from? Is the button hard to find?

Then we turn to the good stuff: the vapor. What kind of temperature settings does the unit have? How accurate are they? Is the vapor smooth, or harsh? Weak, or flavorful? Does it just taste burnt? There’s no truly objective way to relay this information, so we’ve put together a special testing system that helps us land on a more rounded opinion.

Part one is a vapor comparison performed with a reference vaporizer. We puff on both devices interchangeably and take note of the differences. This side-by-side test helps us tease out the review vape’s strengths and weaknesses and gives us a base for comparison.

Part two is a visual test, where we take a good, long drag from the device in question, then exhale it in front of a plain background. We’ll put together a short, looping video of this, so you can see the thickness, color, and consistency of the exhaled vapor.

Battery Life and Maintenance

Over the course of our testing process, we keep a close watch on how long the device’s battery lasts, and let you know how our findings align with the specs listed on the box. Nobody wants to charge their vape every day (that’s what the iPhone is for, right?), so we’ll be honest with you about how long you can puff before it dies.

For higher-end vapes, we’ll also provide some notes on repairability. No matter how nice your vape might be, there’s a good chance it’ll stop working properly for some reason or another after you’ve used it for long enough. If you’re using a cheaper vape it’s easier to buy a new one; if you spent over $100, DIY repairs will be a better option. So for the more expensive vapes we test, we’ll assess how difficult it is to clean or replace parts that are most likely to break/malfunction after prolonged use.

Verdict

Finally, we bring you a TL;DR blurb. We summarize the whole test experience and plainly state our opinion. Here’s what’s cool, here’s what sucks, and here’s why you should or shouldn’t buy it. In a nutshell: Is it perfect for puffing?

Helpful terms to know

Flower: short-hand term used to describe the part of the tobacco or marijuana that you actually smoke (or in this case, vape). It’s the most common method of consumption.

Concentrate: Like it sounds, this is the concentrated form of tobacco or marijuana. Manufacturers produce concentrate by extracting the resins from the flower. This results in a much higher potency, so it’s always a good idea to start small. There are several different types: we suggest you go here to learn more.

Vaporizer: This is the term given to consumption devices that heat flower or concentrate until they turn into vapor. It’s generally accepted that this method puts far fewer carcinogens into your body that traditional methods, although it doesn’t eliminate risk.

Conduction vs. Convection: Two ways to heat up the flower or concentrate within your vaporizer. Conduction heats the outside walls of the oven to begin to vaporize your material, while convection heats up inside the chamber much like your cooking oven. Conduction allows for simple to use devices that heat up quickly, but at the risk of combusting the material. Convection negates the risk of combustion and allows for more accurate temperature control, but you’ll find these devices much more expensive and slow to heat up.

ZTE Axon M hands-on review

Research Center:
ZTE Axon M

ZTE believes innovation is lacking in the smartphone industry, that consumers want more from the devices they use the most but companies aren’t delivering. It’s true. While smartphones offer spectacular performance and stellar cameras, there hasn’t been a game-changing feature as of late. The minute differences between last year’s iPhone 7 and this year’s iPhone 8 are a good example.

The Chinese company’s solution is a little strange, though. The next major trend it wants to start is the “foldable phone,” beginning with the ZTE Axon M. In our hands-on review, we found it’s far from what you’d expect a foldable phone to look and work like, but it certainly is unique. The Axon M kicks off a new category of devices in the Axon line — ZTE stresses that the device is not the successor to last year’s Axon 7, which we can expect in early 2018. But is this foldable phone worth bending over for?

Flip it open like it’s 2007

Unlike the patents and concepts we’ve seen of “foldable phones,” most of which rely on a flexible display, the ZTE Axon M’s design is reminiscent of flip phones like the 2007 LG Voyager.

It’s certainly as chunky as those early smartphones, and in a year where the biggest trend has been reducing the edges around the screen, the Axon M packs some of the biggest bezels out there.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

There are two screens, one on the front and one on the back. You can unfold the back screen out to have two 5.2-inch LCD screens sitting next to each other, which makes it look like you’re holding a miniature tablet. Both have a resolution of 1,920 × 1,080 pixels, and the screen is protected with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5.

When it’s unfolded, the rear of the aluminum phone looks industrial but unremarkable; there’s not much here other than the Axon logo. On the side with the two screens, the primary left display packs the only camera, on the top left edge, which we’ll get to later. On the left edge of the phone,you’ll find the volume rocker and the power button, which doubles as the fingerprint sensor. There’s also a “quick-launch button” that you can use to access the camera via a double-click, and you can customize it to launch your favorite apps with or without the second screen.

It’s not what you’d expect a foldable phone to look like.

ZTE says the Axon M uses Dolby Atmos for rich sound, and it has a similar hi-fi audio setup as the ZTE Axon 7. The main difference is the Axon 7 had dual front-facing speakers; there are dual-speakers on the Axon M, but one’s the top earpiece and the other is bottom-firing and lives next to the USB Type-C charging port. The headphone jack is at the top of the phone.

The Axon M is quite bulky — nearly double the thickness of most smartphones today – which makes sense considering you’re getting two screens. The thickness didn’t feel too unnatural, though we’ll have to carry the phone around for a longer time to see if it’s cumbersome. When the phone is folded up, only the primary screen works (with some exceptions). You can either completely unfold it, or unfold it halfway to use the second screen as a kickstand.

What’s the second screen for?

You can use the Axon M four different ways, and an “M” logo on the Android navigation bar lets you switch between these different modes. The way people will likely use the phone the most is as a normal smartphone, with the Axon M folded up and the primary screen on.

When it’s unfolded, the second screen will light up and you can tap on the M logo to swap modes. There’s a dual mode, which lets you use both screens for separate functions. Open Twitter on the left screen and Gmail on the right, for example; it’s super-handy for multitasking.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Or you can mirror the primary screen. If you fold back the phone in this mode, the second screen will stay on. This mode works best if you want to share content with someone else. For example, if you’re sitting across from someone and want to watch a movie with them, or if you want to play a game like chess with a friend.

The final mode lets you stretch the primary screen to the second screen, so you can utilize both screens as one giant 6.8-inch display. Open an app like Chrome and it will stretch to fit both screens (with a divider in the middle). This could be handy if you’re watching a movie by yourself, or you just want more screen real estate for one app.

In the brief demo I had with the Axon M, this all worked relatively well. There were a few hiccups and delays with the software, but we’ll reserve judgment for our review of a final retail unit. We like dual mode the most so far, as it felt like we could truly multitask on the phone by using two full-screen apps at the same time.

Solid specifications, single camera

The Axon M is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 processor — the same chip that was in last year’s Google Pixel smartphone — and 4GB of RAM. Performance is smooth and fast, though we’ll have to see how much of a strain the second screen puts on the processor.

The only camera is on the front, but it’s not your average selfie cam.

It comes with 64GB of internal storage, with a MicroSD card slot in case you want to add more space. Like the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, the Axon M will use Bluetooth 4.2 instead of the newer Bluetooth 5 standard.

Aside from the special modes that make use of the second screen, we didn’t have much time to check out the Axon M’s software. It runs Android 7.1.2 Nougat with ZTE’s MiFavor Android theme, and the device will eventually get the more recent Android 8.0 Oreo release, though no timeline was shared.

Packed in the chunky phone is a 3,180mAh battery that ZTE said should offer 28.7 hours of talk time. It supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 fast-charging technology, and it should be able to regain about 50 percent in 30 minutes of charging with the included cable.

ZTE Axon M Compared To

Huawei Mate 10

LG V30

Sony Xperia XZ1

Huawei Honor 9

Google Pixel 2

Essential Phone (PH-1)

Asus Zenfone AR

ZTE Blade Z Max

Moto Z2 Force

Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom

Moto Z2 Play

Motorola Moto E4

Huawei Nova 2 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S5

Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition

There’s no rear camera on the device — the only camera is on the front, but it’s not your average selfie cam. It’s a 20-megapixel camera with an f/1.8 aperture, and it’s intended to act as both the selfie and rear camera.

When you open the camera app, you’ll start in selfie mode. Tap the switch camera icon and turn the phone around: The second screen will turn on and act as the viewfinder, so you can use the same exact camera as a typical rear shooter. It’s a little jarring at first, but it’s a smart way to eliminate the need for another camera on the second screen. We’ll need to take a lot more photos to see if it’s a camera worth using.

Price and availability

ZTE has yet to announce price and availability, but the Axon M will exclusively be sold through AT&T. It will be more widely available internationally through many carriers, but you’re out of luck if you’re not on AT&T in the U.S. The company hinted the price could be around $600, which makes it slightly cheaper than most flagship 2017 smartphones.

The Axon M offers some unique and interesting features, but the design holds it back. Imagine if you could do everything mentioned above with a gorgeous, thin phone with slim bezels, and a second screen that’s flexible rather than a separate display unit. That’s ideally the future of this Axon M series, and it’s a shame we can’t experience it yet.

This is very much an early-adopter device for the tech-enthusiast. But it’s a phone that will make you do a double take, and we certainly need more time with it in our hands to offer up a final verdict.

Acer Switch 3 review

Research Center:
Acer Switch 3

The Acer Switch 3 has an attractive price tag. At just $450, it’s well below what you’d pay for nearly any other Windows-based tablet or laptop — it’s even cheaper than most smartphones.

Your money buys an Intel Pentium N4200 processor, onboard Intel HD 505 graphics, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage space, and a 1,920 × 1,200 display. On paper, it seems like a good deal. You get a decent, if underwhelming, tablet and stylus, plus a keyboard cover, all for almost the same price as just the keyboard cover and stylus for the Microsoft Surface Pro.

But as our Acer Switch 3 review proves, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

Can’t stand on its own two feet

The Switch 3 is inoffensive to look at, at the very least. Its simple design of black and silver plastic doesn’t draw attention to itself, and its bezels aren’t overlarge, as they can be on some tablets and 2-in-1s. It feels physically robust, and doesn’t crack or creak when you apply pressure or give it a good shake.

Unfortunately, once you start to use the Switch 3, it’s clear why this is a $450 tablet.

Like most tablet-based 2-in-1 laptops, the Switch 3 literally can’t stand on its own. There’s a kickstand around the back which folds out. The Surface Pro shares a similar design, but executes it much better than the Switch 3 does. The stand on the Switch 3 is fine when it’s sitting on a table, but it’s almost impossible to use as an actual laptop because it doesn’t fold back far enough for comfortable use. The stand is flimsy, too, which makes the Switch 3 feel unstable if it’s not on a perfectly flat, level surface.

Instead, you’ll want to flip the keyboard around to the back and just use it in tablet mode. Unfortunately, the included keyboard cover doesn’t adhere to the back of the tablet in any way, and often stays active when you fold it back.

The Acer Switch 3 feels physically robust, and doesn’t creak when you give it a good shake.

That means you’ll often end up pressing unintended keys unless you pop the keyboard off entirely. This isn’t a problem we had with the Samsung Galaxy Book, a 2-in-1 with a similar folio design. The keyboard stuck to the back of the tablet and always managed to deactivate itself when in tablet mode.

For the Switch 3, the keyboard is also the only place for the stylus to attach. If you’re using the tablet with the stylus, but without the keyboard, you’ll have to tuck the stylus behind your ear when you’re not using it — or risk losing it to the couch cushions.

If nothing else, the Switch 3 does an excellent job of proving why the Surface Pro is the premiere Windows-based tablet on the market. It solves all of the aforementioned issues, so you’ll never have to worry about where you put your stylus. With the Surface Pro, you can just stick it to the side of the tablet. Problem solved. Plus the Surface Pro’s stand allows a wide range of viewing angles, and it’s lap-friendly.

One port shy

The Acer Switch 3 features one USB type-A, an SDXC card slot, a power jack, a headphone jack … and that’s it. To be fair, it is a relatively slim device and the sides are mostly taken up by the kickstand, so there’s not much real estate to work with. Still, at least two USB ports would’ve been nice, and would’ve put it in league with the Samsung Chromebook Pro, which offers two USB Type-C ports.

Touch all the things

As a 2-in-1, the Acer Switch 3 features a few notable input methods – the touchscreen, the stylus, and the keyboard cover with touchpad. The touchscreen is responsive, quick, and accurate. We never had any issues when using our fingertips or the stylus. You’ll see a bit of input lag if you tap on icons quickly, open too many apps at once, or even type too fast with the on-screen keyboard, but the touchscreen itself is high quality.

Tomas Patlan/Digital Trends

Moving on to the keyboard and touchpad, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the included keyboard cover. The touchpad is small and a bit cramped, but thanks to Windows Precision Touchpad support, it’s quick and accurate and recognizes multi-touch gestures well enough. The keyboard is a joy to use on a flat surface, though when at an angle or on your lap, it flexes a bit too much to type comfortably for long periods of time.

Acer Switch 3 Compared To

Samsung Galaxy Book

Samsung Chromebook Pro

Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

Acer Spin 7

Lenovo Yoga Book

Dell Inspiron 17 7000 2-in-1 (2016)

Acer Switch Alpha 12

Huawei Matebook

Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro

Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro

Dell XPS 12 (2013)

Lenovo ThinkPad Helix

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13

Last and least, the included stylus was serviceable at best. It didn’t add much to the usability of the Switch 3, and it’s not sensitive enough or quick enough to capture that fluid note-taking experience you get using the Surface Pro, or even the iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil. You can take handwritten notes with the Switch 3, but you might not want to after you spend time with the stylus. There are better stylus options.

A display that gets the job done

The Acer Switch 3’s display is sharp, vibrant, and at 1,920 × 1,200, it’s a slight step above the more common 1,920 × 1,080 resolution, offering a little more real estate to work with. Movies and videos look nice on this display, shadows are dark without losing definition, and we didn’t notice any visible banding.

[Display graphs]

Compared to a few other 2-in-1s, the Acer Switch 3 holds its own with a respectable contrast ratio of 640:1. It’s not the highest out there, but for $450, the Switch 3 doesn’t skimp on image quality. The color gamut is right around what we’d expect at this price point, and right around what you’ll see even on mid and high-end laptops.

Color accuracy is a bit off, but it’s not very noticeable to the naked eye. You’d notice it if you were doing any professional photo editing with the Switch 3 — provided you could get a professional photo editing software suite to even run on the Switch’s underpowered Pentium processor. More on that, later.

The Switch CPU’s low power draw is great for battery life — but not anything else.

Next to similarly priced systems, the Switch 3 has a better display overall than the Acer Swift 3, but it still falls behind the Asus Zenbook UX330UA, and the Microsoft Surface Pro. That’s not too surprising since both are more expensive than the Switch 3.

While 2-in-1s like the Samsung Galaxy Book are more expensive than the Acer Switch 3, the display is one area where the extra cash pays off. The Galaxy Book, for instance, hits 98 percent of the AdobeRGB spectrum, and its Super AMOLED display is ludicrously sharp with a reported contrast ratio around 300,000:1. That number might seem high, and it is, but that’s what you get with OLED displays – unbelievable contrast.

While some competitors perform better, we think the display is arguably the Switch 3’s best feature. It looks good in day-to-day use, rendering both documents and movies with pleasant colors and a vibrant look. Yes, better displays are available, but we doubt you’ll find one on a $450 Windows 2-in-1.

The Asus Chromebook Flip, for instance, comes in at just $300, and the display is clearly one of the corners Asus cut to hit that price point. With a low-quality display barely capable of hitting 50 percent of the NTSC color space, the Chromebook Flip is a cheap laptop with a cheap display. The slightly higher price on the Switch 3 is clearly justified in this regard.

Underwhelming, underpowered, and insufficient

Normally, when we bemoan a processor’s speed, we’re talking about a minor shortfall of some kind. Maybe a 6th-generation Core i5 doesn’t quite keep up with a 7th-generation Core i5, or maybe a laptop takes a little longer to run through a 4K video encode than it should. It’s rare during our testing that a recently released laptop or Chromebook will exhibit significant slowdown during everyday tasks like web browsing or running Microsoft Word. The Acer Switch 3 is a trailblazer in that respect.

With its Intel Pentium N4200 processor, which has more in common with Atom processors than full-power Intel Core processors based on the latest Kaby Lake and Coffee Lake hardware, the Switch 3 is severely underpowered.

[Geekbench Graph]

The Switch 3’s Pentium N4200 scores poorly in Geekbench, despite technically being a quad-core processor. Just to put it in perspective — your smartphone likely has more horsepower than this CPU. For instance, using the iOS version of Geekbench, the iPhone 7 Plus scored 3,537 in single-core performance, and 5,967 in multi-core performance. The Switch 3 hit 1,385 in single-core, and 4,502 in multi-core.

The Chromebook Flip, another cheap 2-in-1, also features a mobile processor, and it too was easily outperformed by the iPhone 7 Plus and the iPad Pro — even the Switch 3 edged it out in overall performance. The Chromebook Flip hit 1,333 on the single core test, and 3,200 on the multi-core test.

Tomas Patlan/Digital Trends

If you’re in the market for a low-cost travel PC, the Switch 3 might seem like a good choice, and might seem to have a leg up over Chromebooks because it’s running a full version of Windows. Because the Switch 3 is so underpowered, however, running those Windows-specific apps you might want to run — like Microsoft Word and Excel — is a bit of a chore.

With the Switch 3 we experienced input lag, slowdown, and shoddy performance any time we attempted to do even some light multi-tasking — like opening a few of browser tabs. Moving on to another real-world test, and cautionary tale, let’s look at Handbrake. This test encodes a 4K video from h.264 to h.265. It’s a heavy-load test that stresses all available cores.

[Handbrake Graph]

Ouch. That score isn’t a typo. The Switch 3 took about an hour to encode a 4K movie trailer, while even the most modest laptops can blaze through this benchmark in about 20 minutes.

Your phone has more storage space, too

The Acer Switch 3 ships with 64GB of storage space, about the same amount as most entry-level smartphones. It’s not much, but thankfully you won’t have to worry about it filling up with big apps and games, because the Switch 3 doesn’t really have the horsepower for that kind of use. Let’s see how quick its onboard storage is.

[Hard Drive Graphs]

Hitting a read speed of 269 megabytes per second, and a write speed of 143MB/s, the on-board storage isn’t as quick as it could be. You’re definitely going to notice how long it takes to move large files around.

These are the kinds of speeds you’d expect out of a mechanical drive as part of the trade-off of getting a large amount of storage at a low price. On the Switch 3, it’s hard to forgive, since the amount of storage is so low to begin with. At the very least it could be quick.

The perils of onboard graphics

The Acer Switch 3 doesn’t have a discrete GPU, which isn’t surprising given its slim profile. What is a surprise, though, is just how poorly the Intel HD 505 graphics perform in day-to-day use. Just look at these numbers.

[3DM Graphs]

In 3DMark, the Acer Switch 3 and its Intel Pentium N4200 processor achieve some of the lowest scores we’ve seen in recent years. When the benchmarks were running, even comparatively lightweight Sky Diver was a slide-show.

[Gaming Graphs]

Just to make sure the benchmarks weren’t misleading, we gave the Acer Switch 3 another shot. We fired up Civilization VI, turned the settings down to Medium, and gave its internal benchmark a whirl. The results were, well, less than satisfactory. The Acer Switch 3 managed about 4 frames per second on average.

To be fair, that’s probably about what you’d get out of a Chromebook — if there were a Chrome OS version of Civilization VI. Still, it’s always disappointing to see a Windows system fail this badly at games. It definitely limits the appeal of the system overall, since it means the Switch 3 can only be used for work, not play.

Lightweight, but not long-lived

The Switch 3 is compact, lightweight, and easy to carry around — even its power cord is small and unobtrusive. The keyboard cover stays shut even when it’s jostled around in a bag with a few other items, and during our time with the Switch 3, it never inadvertently turned itself on or woke from sleep while being carried around in a messenger bag.

In that way it’s very portable, but when it comes to actual battery life, its portability starts to fall apart.

[Battery Graph]

To be fair, it did last through most of a day when it was left idle, with the brightness turned way down and with the power saving options enabled. When using the tablet, though, we only got about three hours of mixed use before it started to redline.

In Basemark, a heavy load benchmark, the Switch 3 managed around two and a half hours, which was a bit more than the Asus Transformer T304, which managed a little over two hours. The ultra-lightweight Asus Chromebook Flip, on the other hand, managed just over five hours on the same test.

The Switch 3 is well behind the Samsung Chromebook Pro, the Galaxy Book, and the Microsoft Surface Pro, all three of which managed to last for around five hours before going flat.

Almost bloatware-free

The software included with the Acer Switch 3 is minimal, with one exception. The Acer Switch 3 ships with a trial version of Norton antivirus that continually reminds you that you need to scan your system – and that you need to buy a license because your trial expires in a few days.

Warranty information

The Acer Switch 3 is covered by a one-year limited warranty, covering parts and labor in the event of any manufacturer defects. That’s a fairly standard warranty for a 2-in-1, no matter its price.

Our Take

The Acer Switch 3 is lightweight, affordable, and runs Windows. But it’s not great at taking advantage of what Windows offers, lacking the power needed to use Windows-specific productivity apps with any real success.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. If you need an inexpensive, reliable laptop, you really should look no further than the Samsung Chromebook Plus. It’s stylish, well-built, and quick despite its low price. If Google’s G Suite doesn’t offer enough flexibility for you, and if you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, you’ll be able to use Microsoft Word and Excel right in your browser.

If you’re just looking for a good tablet as an in-between device to bridge the gap between your phone and your computer, then the iPad Pro 10.5 is probably your best bet. It’s a bit more expensive than the Acer Switch 3, but it’s a lot more powerful, a lot more capable, and it benefits from Apple’s massive app ecosystem. Even the standard iPad is a step up in everyday performance.

You even have a wealth of options in the Windows 2-in-1 market. The Asus Transformer T304 offers a similar experience with a beefier processor, and the Samsung Galaxy Book gives you just as much versatility with a much better display. Both are more expensive than the Acer Switch 3, but your money goes further.

How long will it last?

Given that the Acer Switch 3 is already having trouble keeping up with everyday tasks, that Pentium N4200 CPU is going to show its age very quickly. We’d be surprised if you manage to make it through the year without returning and replacing the Switch 3 with something a bit quicker.

Should you buy it?

No. If you need an inexpensive travel laptop, there are plenty of options available, the best of which is the Samsung Chromebook Plus, which runs circles around the Acer Switch 3.

Lawnchair comes to Google Play with Pixel-y goodness

Getting a Pixel-y home screen is as easy as grabbing a lawnchair.

Lawnchair Launcher has been around for a while on XDA Developers, where the app has slowly refined and developed into a more complete and unique launcher rather than just a Pixel Launcher clone. Now, that app has made the jump from forums to the Google Play Store, where it can be exposed to millions of users.

The launcher is still listed as Unreleased, with the warning that might be unstable. The app takes a while to load the first time you run it, but once it’s up and running, things are relatively smooth. As with other launchers before it, in order to accommodate Google’s rules on Google Now panes, has had to add a companion app, cutely named Lawn feed. Lawnchair has plenty of Pixel-y and Oreo goodness in it, but it hasn’t quite gotten the Pixel 2’s awesome new home screen features, but that will undoubtedly be on the horizon.

Read more: ‘Lawnchair’ is the best new Android launcher you (probably) haven’t tried yet

Deal: Purchase an LG V30+ on Sprint Flex Lease and get a second V30+ free

New and current Sprint customers who are interested in upgrading their device can purchase the new LG V30+ on the 18-month Sprint Flex lease program and get a second LG V30+ free on Sprint.

The LG V30+ Sprint Flex lease is an 18-month payment program. Those with eligible credit will pay 0% down and $38/month.  With this deal, you would pay $38/month on the Sprint Flex lease for your first LG V30+ handset and receive a monthly bill credit for your second LG V30+ — making the second device free.   

In addition, you’ll also get a free new Google Daydream headset and a Top VR Content bundle (a $144.95 value) while supplies last. 

Deal need-to knows

• Requires two new lines of service or one new line and one upgrade 
• Both phones need to be purchased on 18-month leases, Sprint Flex
• Well-qualified customers are eligible
• There are taxes on any device you go with and you’ll have to pay that up front
• If you cancel your service, the remaining device balance will become due
• Offer ends 11/16/17 while supplies last

What happens after the Flex leases are up?

With this deal, at the end of the 18-month lease, you will have paid $684 (18 x $38) for your first device and nothing on the second device. From there, you have three options:

• Trade-in your devices and start new leases on new devices  
• Pay off the remaining $229 balance ($912-$684) on each phone and own both devices. The deal is the free lease of the device so only 18 months of payments are covered by Sprint.
• Keep making monthly payments of $38 for both devices and after 6 months you’ll own both devices. 

See at Sprint

What do you consider to be a “premium” smartphone?

A matter of personal preference.

Earlier this month, a discussion broke out in our forums over the use of metal vs. plastic in regards to smartphone design. Some people were of the mindset that metal was preferable to cheaper plastics, whereas others preferred the function and utilitarian nature of the latter. During this debate, the phrase “premium feel” popped up quite a bit when users were discussing their preferred material of choice.

However, just what does “premium feel” actually mean? Is it a way of describing a phone that feels solid and durable, or one that has a more luxurious construction?

Here’s what some of our forum users had to say on the matter.

I Can Be Your Hero
10-15-2017 07:06 PM

“

Just means that it feels like an expensive piece of hardware, because it is an expensive piece of hardware. The materials the exterior of the body is made of, the heft of the device etc.

Basically if you’re buying a $650-$900 phone, you don’t want it to feel like a cheap Fisher Price toy.

What feels premium is subjective, but generally, phones with a build of metal or glass generally are…

Reply

Zendroid1
10-16-2017 08:24 AM

“

Premium is very subjective so I think that’s the issue some people have with calling devices premium and saying so and so phone is more premium than the other guy. If it’s subject you can’t make statements like this. Yes people will say things like well aluminum and glass IS more premium than cheap plastic, but again, it’s all subjective. I have no problem with people saying what they like and…

Reply

sulla1965
10-15-2017 09:54 PM

“

Basically metal or glass backs. Off course the downside to “premium feeling” phones is the loss of removable backs and batteries. Do you recall when Samsung made plastic phones and lots of people swore off Samsung if they didn’t do like Apple and make a “premium feeling” phone. Well Samsung and HTC saw the writing on the wall and switched to glass and metal. Of course even budget and mid range…

Reply

Jeremy8000
10-15-2017 10:02 PM

“

To me, premium feel simply means that it feels exceptionally well constructed. Buttons have good tactile response with no loose ‘wiggle,’ phone body is solid with no creaking it forcing under moderate pressure, and seams are tight. I’ve held metal, glass, and plastic body phones that feel premium, and held devices of each that don’t, so don’t rule out a material based on prejudice.

Reply

dov1978
10-17-2017 07:22 AM

“

People think that premium has to mean Metal or Glass. Some of the most premium and robust phones I even owned or held were Nokia Lumia’s. Polycarbonate phones were gorgeous, solid and felt indestructible. But then there were Samsung’s like the S3 that were plastic with painted sides to look like metal that just felt cheap for their price tag. I really wish a manufacturer would take a risk and try…

Reply

There’s no “right” answer to this question, but we’re interested in knowing what you think – what do you consider to be a “premium” phone?

Join the conversation in the forums!

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL review: The new standard for Android

This is no longer a hobby or a half-assed project — Google hardware is getting serious.

Google’s smartphone division is in a very interesting, even precarious, position. At once, it’s trying to appeal to two disparate ends of the market: the design and experience-focused high-end phone buyer who is typically drawn to the iPhone; and the Google-loving Android enthusiast that wants a very different set of features and desires the “purest” Google experience. The latter comes from years of selling Google-sanctioned Nexus phones that were so often the dream devices of Android diehards, while the former comes from Google’s goal to capture the most lucrative and sought-after group of consumers in the market.

The solution, as was the case last year with the canonical Pixels, comes in the form of “one” phone that’s actually two — this year, it’s the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Starting at $649 for the base model Pixel 2 and going up to $949 for the top Pixel 2 XL, these things are costly — and Google thinks it has both the hardware and software chops to make them worth it. A refined emphasis on in-house hardware design and a compelling story about deep integration with Google’s bevy of services make the Pixel 2 and 2 XL rather unique among Android phones — and, of course, quite similar to Apple’s playbook with the iPhone.

Google’s hardware division isn’t a project or a hobby anymore. It’s the real deal. Let’s see if the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL live up to that standard in our full review.

See at Verizon
See at Google Store

About this review

I am writing this review after six days using the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. They were used on both the Project Fi and Verizon networks in the greater Seattle, WA area. The software was not updated during the course of our review.

For our video review, Alex Dobie has also been using both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL for a total of five days in Manchester, UK, and Munich, Germany on the EE and Vodafone networks (roaming on Telekom.de and Vodafone DE while in Germany.) The phones were provided to Android Central for review by Google.

Because of their considerable similarities, we’re grouping together both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL into a single review. The opinions and observations expressed in this review are applicable to both phones, except in specific places where one model is mentioned in particular.

In video form

Pixel 2 and 2 XL Video review

For the full visual take on these new phones from Google, be sure to watch our complete video review put together by our very own Alex Dobie. For the specific details on the pair, you’ll want to read our entire written review here.

Keep it simple

Pixel 2 and 2 XL Hardware

2016’s HTC-built Pixel and Pixel XL were identical phones simply built at two different scales. This year, despite Google’s insistence on branding of the “Pixel 2” as a single phone, things aren’t so simple. Sure, from a glance, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL look like the same phone in two different sizes. But pick them up, and each is clearly unique.

The larger Pixel 2 XL is getting a majority of the attention, and rightfully so.

The Pixel 2 XL is getting a majority of the attention, and I’d say rightfully so. The big 18:9 display, rounded corners and smaller bezels just feel more modern, looking very similar to the LG V30 (wonder why) and Galaxy S8+. In stark contrast to the smaller Pixel 2, the 2 XL’s front glass is steeply curved on all sides to flow over the edges and meet the metal sides further down. It feels and looks absolutely fantastic, and the lack of any sharp edges or right angles on the entire front just feels “right.”

The problem, from my perspective, is its overall size that will be too big for some to manage. It’s basically the same size as the Galaxy S8+ — just under 2 mm shorter, but also over 3 mm wider and the same weight. For another comparison, the Pixel 2 XL is larger (and not just a little bit) in every dimension than the LG V30. It teeters on the edge of being too big to reach across, and is definitely too big to comfortably reach the top quarter of the display when holding it in one hand. Thankfully, the Pixel 2 XL has a flat display that doesn’t have accidental palm touch issues, and a fingerprint sensor in a perfect position to reach in any case.

The Pixel 2, on the other hand, harkens back in so many ways to the Nexus 5X — the proportions, the curves, the overall look from the front. Its metal sides come up further and to a sharper beveled edge where they meet front glass, and the glass itself is nearly flat with only a minor amount of “2.5D” curving at the edges. The 16:9 display obviously isn’t as tall as the 2 XL, but the bezels on the top and bottom add enough height that the overall proportions are very similar to its larger sibling.

Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL specs

Once you get past the front and how the glass curves, the phones are almost identical.

For all of this typing focused on the differences between the two, there is so much shared in the hardware of the Pixel 2 and 2 XL. Once you get past the front and how the glass curves into the sides, things are as close to identical as possible. The aluminum frame feels thick and finely constructed, with a textured coating that gives you far more grip — albeit at the expense of feeling a bit less like metal than the 2016 Pixels, a compromise I feel is worthwhile. The glass insert at the top of the phones is smaller now and inset perfectly, but now marred by a small camera bump that makes the taller 2 XL wobble on the table a bit when you’re tapping the screen.

There isn’t much else to say about the design of these phones, particularly when you have them both in black as I do. Like their predecessors, and even more so this time around, the Pixel 2 and 2 XL are monolithic, near-featureless and quite basic in their overall hardware. They don’t have the stunning curves, flashy polished metal or distinctive lines of many other phones out there. The best you get here are the offset colored power buttons on “kinda blue” Pixel 2 and “black & white” Pixel 2 XL.

The hardware is clean, efficient and beautiful — but not flashy.

Mercifully, Google has added IP67 water- and dust-resistance to the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, which is downright table stakes at this point (and some would argue it was last year). Whether directly related or not, this has also coincided with the loss of the headphone jack — which was something Google specifically mentioned as a benefit on the original Pixels. (Ugh. C’mon.) It includes a USB-C to 3.5 mm headphone adapter in the box, and sells extras in the Google Store for $20 $9, but frustratingly doesn’t put USB-C headphones in the box. The industry is leaving the 3.5 mm headphone jack behind, I get that — but I really wish Google didn’t cheap out here, particularly on the $849 Pixel 2 XL, and chose to include some headphones considering how few people have USB-C headphones right now.

Adding to the frustration is attempting to navigate the world of USB-C adapters and headphones. At this point there’s no clear or consistent way to know if when you buy them that they’ll actually work with your phone. For example HTC’s headphones don’t work with the Pixel 2, but its headphone adapter does. And Motorola’s adapter doesn’t work with Google’s phones at all.

A tale of two displays

Alright, back to the differences again — let’s talk about displays. Google’s biggest selling point on the Pixel 2 XL’s display was its color accuracy and the fact that it could reproduce 100% of the DCI-P3 color space. And to my eyes, that’s clearly where all of the tuning time went: accuracy above all else. Because this screen, I hate to say, looks a bit dull and washed out. Being used to Samsung’s vibrant and colorful displays — which by default exhibit punchier, more saturated colors — the 2 XL is kind of disappointing when you first look at it. No matter how you feel about the colors you’ll notice an apparent color shifting when viewing the phone off-axis at all, to the point where holding the phone at an angle the colors at the top of the display (further from you) are more blue/green than what’s at the bottom.

The Pixel 2 XL’s display is actually disappointing, but the standard Pixel 2 surprises.

The 2880×1440 resolution is plenty high, but the Pixel 2 XL exhibits the same sort of soft grain and grit as the V30 on white backgrounds when scrolling — one of those things you can’t un-see once it’s been pointed out. It’s something we expect to see on super low-end phones, but not anything remotely high-end in the past few years — and it’s surely not a problem that Samsung has with its OLED displays nowadays.

Thankfully over time your eyes get used to its calibration, as they do with any other phone, and you start to see some of the benefits compared to last year. The Pixel 2 XL gets much dimmer in low-light situations where you want it to, peak brightness is higher — though it is, of course, not as bright as a Galaxy Note 8 — and daylight visibility improved because of it.

Funny enough, it’s the smaller, lower resolution, less-accurate and ostensibly lower-end Pixel 2 display that actually looks better to my eyes. Its brightness (both high and low) is very similar to the 2 XL, but it doesn’t exhibit the grain on white backgrounds or the color shifting at angles that are annoying on the larger phone. At the same time, its colors have a bit more punch and depth to them — mostly due to the display just being a tad warmer overall.

I don’t think the display quality differences are so big that they alone should make you want to choose one phone over the other. There are other factors like the actual physical size of the screen and the design of the phone that are likely bigger purchase drivers. But it’s certainly worth noting that just because the Pixel 2 XL is bigger and more expensive doesn’t mean it has the better display.

The best around

Pixel 2 and 2 XL Software and experience

For the vast majority of people out there, the best Android experience comes directly from Google on a Pixel phone. If there’s one thing we’ve seen play out consistently over the years, it’s new high-end phones coming out with piles of bells and whistles to appeal to as many people as possible, only to eventually hurt the daily experience because of how they were saddled with all of this superfluous crap. Google’s Pixel phones are the exact opposite: in having fewer features and options for customization, they offer a superior daily experience for almost every kind of smartphone user today.

Google has gotten really good at this whole user experience and interface design thing.

Loading up your Pixel 2 or 2 XL for the first time, you won’t be greeted by a super-long setup process, duplicate apps, extra account permissions or clunky backup and restore settings. Google’s default apps are some of the best in the business — many of which you’d likely install on any Android phone — so for many people, they won’t feel like they have to go hunting for anything from the Play Store from the start. As it turns out, Google has gotten really good at this user experience and interface design stuff — everything just flows and makes sense. Android 8.0 Oreo has a lot of nice features that will be great for any Android user, but it’s absolutely fantastic to see it all working as intended by its creators with no additional changes.

That’s not to say that the Pixel 2 and 2 XL give you the same type of empty, spartan experience of old Nexuses. Google has consistently added little features and changes to its software in the last year, but for the most part they are both simple and noninvasive. Just look at the new feature that passively identifies any ambient music and displays it on your lock screen — that isn’t something that gets in your way, but it’s a neat bit of magic to see when you glance down at your phone on the table. The same goes for Google Assistant being available with a squeeze of the phone, or being able to back up as many photos as you want in their original quality (for three years) to Google Photos. It’s all of these “small” things that are both out of your way and hugely impactful to the overall experience of the phone when you add them up.

And of course Google’s core competency of having guaranteed update windows for these phones is something that will always differentiate it. With the Pixel 2 and 2 XL it has promised three years of platform and security updates, meaning if you buy one of these you just won’t have to worry about having up-to-date software — that’s important if you care about that sort of thing, but really important if you’re someone who doesn’t.

Performance

This is what people who are “in the know” buy a Pixel for: the performance. And not just in terms of synthetic benchmarks, but in real-world “live with this every day” speed that you just don’t get in any other Android phone. With the new processor and another year of optimization, Google picks up right where it left off with last year’s Pixels. Both of these phones are ridiculously fast, smooth and consistent in everything you do.

People who are ‘in the know’ buy a Pixel for the performance.

It’s something I’ve obviously come to expect from Google’s own phones, but after using other phones that are fast but still have hiccups now and then, it’s just so refreshing to have something this consistently good in your hands. The thing about speed like this is that you don’t have to be a smartphone nerd to appreciate it. Everyday people who are used to their slightly old and stuttery phone will be blown away by the Pixel 2 and 2 XL.

I figured this is as good a place as any to mention audio performance — namely, how both of these phones come with front-facing stereo speakers. I’m never going to say that the addition of stereo speakers is a fine trade-off for not having a headphone jack, but these speakers are really good. I’d put them right up next to the HTC U11’s in terms of quality and volume, which means they both totally blow away the single speaker on phones like the Galaxy S8. The phones obviously aren’t big enough for real stereo separation, but having audio coming right at you when watching video is far better than blowing out one end.

Battery life

With a 3520mAh battery and super-efficient Snapdragon 835 processor, the Pixel 2 XL is poised to have really good battery life. And indeed it lives up to expectations. In my first full day out of the gate with the 2 XL it made it through a 16-hour day with 5 hours of “screen on” time when I tossed it on the charger at 5% battery before bed, which was surprisingly good considering how much I used it throughout the day. This was with everything turned on, syncing and notifying me, with the default “living” wallpaper (a clear increase in power drain), auto screen brightness, plenty of podcast listening over Bluetooth, and time spent in the camera. In subsequent days things were even better as I went easier on the phone.

The Pixel 2 XL’s battery life is exceptional, and the Pixel 2 is actually a full-day phone as well.

There’s plenty of rational concern that the Pixel 2’s 2700mAh battery, being 23% smaller, isn’t large enough considering it has the same overall specs and capabilities, with the only change being a smaller 1080p display. Thankfully things seem much better than last year’s Pixel with its 2770mAh battery. With a more efficient processor, the Pixel 2’s battery is actually really solid. Using the Pixel 2 the same way as the 2 XL, It’s good for a full day of use — at least 16 or 17 hours, albeit with less than the 5 hours of “screen on” time … more like 3 to 4 hours instead. But that’s just fine for me — it means I don’t really have to worry about battery life, even with what is admittedly a really small battery for a 2017 flagship.

New benchmark

Pixel 2 and 2 XL Cameras

Even a year after their release, the Pixel and Pixel XL were easily still some of the best available smartphone cameras. That was due in no small part to Google’s excellent photo processing, which paired with camera hardware that lacked the typical assistance of OIS (optical image stabilization) and produced fantastic photos regardless. This year, Google has added OIS, widened the aperture to f/1.8 and improved its processing, with the only downside (if you could call it that) being slightly smaller pixel size on the 12.2MP sensor.

The results are utterly fantastic. Google hasn’t strayed from its core philosophy on photography, which is to give you a mostly accurate photo but also crank up the colors and use HDR techniques to give you a beautiful shot. To that point, HDR+ is now on permanently by default, leaving you to jump into the advanced settings to give yourself a toggle to turn it off. But I’m not sure why you would — HDR+ processing is great, and even faster than before.

So this is what happens when you take Google’s great photo processing and add it to even better hardware fundamentals. Shots are crisp with great detail, and some close-up shots have just unreal levels of fine detail in lines. In situations where the smartphone-sized sensor simply can’t work out a scene you get some high ISO noise that looks totally normal and expected — not over-processed and gross. Colors are just punchy enough to grab your eye without being crazy. And best of all, shot-to-shot consistency is fantastic. I don’t think I took a single photo that was “bad” — I either took “good” or “great” photos.

Portrait Mode

The perfect example of Google flexing its software processing muscle is the inclusion of a Portrait Mode even though it only has a single camera. The camera uses the distance between individual pixels on the sensor to determine depth, then defines the foreground and background in software and applies a background blur in the final photo. Like all of these modes from other companies Google’s isn’t perfect, but shockingly it’s just as good as the rest — and in many cases I found it to even be better.

Portrait Mode still struggles with stray hairs on people’s heads, and sometimes with extra accouterments like glasses or big over-ear headphones. But I didn’t find that it had issues with inanimate objects that have solid, straight lines on their sides like I sometimes saw on the Galaxy Note 8. Portrait Mode simply won’t activate if the software thinks that it can’t apply the effect properly on the subject, and in any case gives you a “standard” photo alongside your portrait shot.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Google’s Portrait Mode system is that it also works extremely well on the front-facing 8MP f/2.4 camera. The effect can sometimes feel a bit overboard, but its edge detection is still top notch on the front-facer. The extra processing leads to really stand-out selfies — some of the best I’ve taken with a phone.

Video

Alex does a fantastic job actually illustrating how well the new Pixel 2 and 2 XL do with their video mode in our video review. In short, the addition of OIS to Google’s already fantastic EIS (electronic image stabilization) produces great results. The video is so stable it seems impossible that it’s coming from a phone with no extra stabilizing hardware assistance.

This year’s Pixels seem to be a bit better about letting some of the natural movement of your hand come across in the video, though, which is particularly noticeable when walking and panning the camera. It means that the video remains stable, but doesn’t look so artificially stabilized that it bothers your eyes. The Pixel 2 and 2 XL may not have all of the crazy video capabilities of the LG V30 when it comes to tweaking and utilizing specific effects, but for simple “point and shoot” videography it’s amazing.

Google does it again

Pixel 2 and 2 XL Bottom line

Google has, once again, made the best pair of Android phones you can buy today. If someone has at least $649 to spend, knowing nothing else about what they want from a phone, I will be able to recommend they buy a Pixel 2 and have no worries about them enjoying the experience.

In either phone, you get hardware that’s well-built and beautiful with all of the requisite specs and base hardware features, paired with an unrivaled software and user experience that you’ll enjoy every day. You’re also getting a smartphone that’s likely to produce the best photos you’ve ever seen come out of a phone, in just about any situation you put it in. Then you get the smaller things you only notice over time — very strong battery life, loud stereo speakers, IP67 water resistance, software that’s well hedged against slowdowns over time, and three years of guaranteed updates.

Google has, once again, made the best pair of Android phones you can buy today.

The Pixel 2 XL’s display quality is objectively not good enough to match its $849 starting price, but the smaller Pixel 2’s is more than good enough for $649. The lack of a headphone jack is troubling for many, myself included. And the software doesn’t have the massive number of specialized features you’ll find on other phones.

But those few cons are washed away in just a couple of hours of actually using either phone; and that excellent experience will stay strong for months — and even years — to come. Google has outdone itself this year. It has made the phones that everyone should be considering, even if its sales will end up being tiny in comparison to the big names.

The only question, really, is which size you should buy. The Pixel 2 XL is probably too expensive for many people, and its 6-inch display may actually be too big as well. The Pixel 2, with a very attainable price, offers excellent value for the money — it also has a better display and more manageable size. Unless you feel like you need the extra screen size or battery of the 2 XL, pick the Pixel 2. You’ll love it.

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Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL hands-on preview
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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Daydream View 2017 review: Mostly successful refinement

Daydream View is sleeker, lighter, cooler headset thanks to a dozen little changes.

Alongside the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, Google refreshed its VR headset to line up with the rest of the new products. At first glance, you could be forgiven for not noticing the many small changes which make this headset stand out. By design, it looks and feels nearly identical to the original Daydream View headset. It works in the same basic way as well, which is good news for people who aren’t ready to upgrade their phone but want the latest VR headset.

What makes this headset so special? It comes down to four big changes you can see and several others you have to feel to appreciate.

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About this review

I am writing this review after five days with the new Daydream View headset, adding up to 22 hours of actual use. This “Fog” variant of the Daydream View headset, as well as the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL used for most of the testing, were provided by Google for review. During the review period, a Pixel XL, Galaxy Note 8, and Moto Z Force were also used in the headset.

Tweaks tweaks and more tweaks

Daydream View Hardware

If Google’s original goal for Daydream was to explore a higher quality form of VR everyone could enjoy with their phones, it’s clear the next phase of this plan is to encourage users to stay in the headset longer. The refresh to Daydream View is entirely focused on making it easier for people to enjoy Daydream longer, and it’s working. Each of the small changes made to this headset make it much easier to enjoy VR where you are, and in most cases stick around in VR for longer.

New materials

One of the things setting Daydream View apart from others with the original release was the use of fabric for nearly every part of the headset. The new Daydream View still uses fabric almost everywhere, but Google has swapped out the sweatpants-like material for a more durable-feeling stitch. This is the same unique material Google is using on many of its new PIxel 2 cases, as well as the Google Home Mini. It’s just as flexible as the original Daydream, but seems far less likely to fray or stain over time.

The inside of Daydream View is the same plush material from the previous generation, but reshaped to better fit your face. It still handles prescription glasses great, but the tighter fit means far less light is coming in from behind you to distract from the virtual environment you’re playing in. It’s a massive improvement over the original, especially if you are prone to headaches when exposed to rapid multi-focal situations like glare on your lenses.

One other small detail worth mentioning — the pull tab on the front of the headset is no longer made of fabric. This little tab is designed to help lock a phone into place when you are trying to enter daydream, and the new rubbery material makes it easier to find when wearing the headset and much easier to grip. It’s a small change, but for the sake of comfort will likely make a big difference for many.

Bigger, better lenses

Without a doubt, the most important change made to Daydream View is its lenses. Google has ditched the small lenses from the Google Cardboard days and upgraded to a pair of hybrid Fresnel lenses. The design is noticeable at an angle, when you see strange circles inside the lenses on the headset. These lenses offer a noticeably wider field of view, which means you get more of the VR world for your eyes to soak. In games, it will mean less turning back and forth to see objectives, and in videos it will mean you can lean back and really soak in the view.

Fresnel lenses have a downside, and Daydream View is not immune to this. Where the original, smaller lenses offered a crisp viewing experience through the entire lens, these wider fresnel lenses will tend to blur a bit around this edges of your field of view. In games and movies this won’t be particularly noticeable, but text in your periphery will be either too blurry to read or feature slight chromatic aberration that looks almost like there’s a separate set of text in a different color just beside the white text.

The compromise here is undeniable, but welcomed for the noticeably superior field of view. These lenses are also a great deal easier to deal with when fitting the headset to your face. There’s no “sweet spot” where everything is perfect, the wider lens ensures many different viewing positions are possible.

Passive heat-sink

Unfortunately, your Daydream Controller no longer tucks away inside the front flap. Instead, there’s a new safety strap on the back of the headset for it, and it really does do a great job keeping the controller secure and in place. The same can not be said of the side strap Samsung includes in the Gear VR kit with its controller, so it’s great to see Google making sure this was a priority.

This change may seem like a bummer at first, but it really is the best possible option. The space where that little indent used to be is now the home of a passive heat-sink, designed to whisk away any heat from the outside of your phone. According to Google, this lets people stay in VR longer when overheating becomes a problem.

Having been previously using Daydream with a Pixel XL and Note 8, heat management already wasn’t a problem for me. However, when testing several phones in Daydream in direct sunlight, it was clear the phones were running cooler. That means they are also performing better, which is appreciated. Unfortunately, this heatsink does not work on your face, so heat can still be a problem there.

One size fits more

New Daydream View has a top strap, which helps distribute weight a bit and makes the whole headset feel lighter on your face. This strap is easily removed if you prefer the original form factor Google designed with Daydream, and with exception to the side straps having a new middle piece to connect them the design is the same. There are two adjustment pieces, and to fit the headset to your head all you need to do is squeeze and pull. It’s the same simple design, and the strap material is just as sturdy as the original headset.

You will also find this headset design fits more people with smaller heads. Google is quick to point out that does not mean the headset is child-appropriate, and in fact still recommends you be above age 13 to use Daydream, but if you are of smaller stature this headset will absolutely fit you better. For those of us with larger heads, that’s a bit of a downside. The side straps are slightly smaller than its predecessor, and that means people with larger heads may feel pressure across the eyebrows that was not there on the original Daydream headset.

Overall the straps are an upgrade, but if the goal is making the headset wearable for longer stretches of time, Google missed the mark a bit for those with larger heads. On average, I found myself needing to adjust the position of the headset after about 20 minutes of use due to discomfort. I never felt the need to remove the headset entirely, and Google’s new lenses makes it easier to adjust the headset without losing that focal spot, but it did make long-term use less convenient for my giant skull.

You guessed it, the big one is better

Daydream View Pixel 2 vs Pixel 2 XL

While not the focus of this review, it’s appropriate to add in a quick note here on how the phones Google built specifically for Daydream and ARCore perform in this headset. Google’s VP of VR made it clear the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are both purpose-built for VR experiences, just like the original Pixel and Pixel XL. Both have advanced motion sensors and fantastic displays to ensure the best possible experience when in Daydream, with similar expectations on battery drain despite the difference in display size and resolution.

For obvious reasons the Pixel 2 XL is the phone you want for the absolute best Daydream experience.

And for the most part, this is largely true. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are the best phones you can use in Daydream right now. The displays are rich and vibrant, the battery drain is minimal by comparison, and since both phones have front-firing stereo speakers it is possible to enjoy spatial audio experiences without headphones. Which is great, because there’s no headphone jack on this phone to headphones for Daydream becomes a little more work than it used to. All told, if you’re already a fan of Daydream and you are getting a Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL, get ready to enjoy a solid upgrade.

That having been said, for obvious reasons the Pixel 2 XL is the phone you want for the absolute best Daydream experience. The display not only looks great, its 538ppi display makes the whole “screen door effect” thing you see so often with phone-based VR disappear. There’s a little grain you may notice with text, but far from the grid lines from the days of Google Cardboard. If you’re eager to get the best out of VR and you’re on the fence about which Pixel 2 is the one for you, the bigger one will absolutely be better.

A worthy upgrade

Should you buy it? Absolutely

This year’s Daydream View is an upgrade over the original in ways that will encourage people to bring VR with them and explore for hours on end. It’s the next step in realizing VR as a platform for everyone, with the barrier to entry set at $99 if you already have a phone. Paired with a Pixel 2 XL, Daydream View becomes the best mobile VR platform available today, a title it is unlikely to lose anytime soon.

The only real choice you have to make here is color. Are you Team Fog, Team Carbon, or Team Coral?

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The Pixel 2 camera’s secret weapon: A Google-designed SoC, the ‘Pixel Visual Core’

A custom built eight-core processing unit that can run three trillion operations each second powers Google’s camera — and it has even more planned.

We’ve been using the Pixel 2 and it’s bigger sibling the Pixel 2 XL for a bit. While getting things ready for a review and testing all the things there was one consistent discussion, and it centered around the photos the Pixel 2’s cameras were churning out. What we were seeing from both the 12.2MP rear camera and 8MP front-facing was just so much better than any other phone we’ve ever used. And we’ve used a lot of them.

Read the Pixel 2 review

And that’s before Google enables its secret weapon. Google has designed and is using a custom imaging-focused SoC (system on chip) in the Pixel 2, and it’s called Pixel Visual Core.

We don’t have all the details; Google isn’t ready to share them and maybe isn’t even aware of just what this custom chip is capable of yet. What we do know is that the Pixel Visual Core is built around a Google-designed eight-core Image Processing Unit. This IPU can run three trillion operations each second while running from the tiny battery inside a mobile phone.

Google says the chip isn’t currently enabled — that will happen in a future software update. When it does happen, Google’s HDR+ routines will be processed using this IPU, and it runs fives times faster while using less than one-tenth of the energy than it would if it ran through the standard image processor in the Snapdragon 835.

Google says this is possible because of how well the software and hardware have been matched with each other. The software on the Pixel 2 controls “many more” details of the hardware than you would find in a typical processor to software arrangement. By handing off control to software, the hardware can become a lot more simple and efficient.

Google is a software company first and foremost. It’s no wonder that its first custom mobile SoC leverages software the way other companies use hardware.

Of course, this means the software then becomes more and more complex. Rather than use standard methods of writing code, building it into a finished product and then trying to manage everything after all the work is finished, Google has turned to machine learning coding languages. Using Halide for the actual image processing and TensorFlow for the machine learning components themselves, Google has built its own software compiler that can optimize the finished production code into software built specifically for the hardware involved.

Even when’s it’s turned on later this year, the only part of the camera experience using the Pixel Visual Core will be the camera’s HDR+ feature. It’s already very good; this is what comes next.

HDR+ is only the beginning.

Google says we should expect to see the Android 8.1 developer preview in the coming weeks and Pixel Visual Core will be opened up as a developer option. The goal is to give all third-party apps access through the Android Camera API. This will give every developer a way to use Google’s HDR+ and the Pixel Visual Core, and we expect to see some really big things.

For the one last thing we always love to hear about, Google says that we should remember the Pixel Visual Core is programmable and they are already building the next set of applications that can harness its power. As Google adds more abilities to its new SoC, the Pixel 2 and 2 XL will continue to get better and be able to do more. New imaging and machine learning applications are coming throughout the life of the Pixel 2, and we’re ready for them.

Update: An earlier version of this article said that Google’s Visual Core is already turned on and working in the Pixel 2. That isn’t the case, as it will be enabled in a future software update. We regret the error.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL hands-on preview
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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