Asus NovaGo hands-on review

Research Center:
Asus NovaGo

Asus is known for jumping on board new trends in PC hardware, so it was no surprise to see the company was one of two partners with a Qualcomm-powered PC at the Snapdragon Tech Summit.

At a glance, the Asus NovaGo could easily be mistaken for a Zenbook Flip. Its 360-degree hinge design, which allows the screen to fold back until the device becomes a tablet, is virtually identical to previous Asus laptops. A glossy 13-inch touchscreen is another common sight.

The footprint of the PC is familiar, too. It’s 0.59 inches thick and weighs only 3 pounds, but it has relatively large display bezels, which leads to a large overall footprint. Other mid-range laptops from Asus have that same design quirk; Qualcomm promises that PCs built on Snapdragon hardware will be more portable than any that come before it, but the Asus NovaGo isn’t smaller than usual.

At a glance, the Asus NovaGo, could easily be mistaken for a Zenbook Flip.

That may work in the NovaGo’s favor, however. Budget laptops from Asus are among the best around –- we love the Asus Zenbook UX330, for example. The NovaGo has many of the same perks including a pleasant keyboard, large touchpad, bright display, and decent port selection. Using it feels like using any mid-range Windows laptop from Asus.

Even performance seems familiar. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor inside the NovaGo is no threat to Intel’s Core series in benchmarks, but Microsoft says it has worked with Qualcomm to optimize the Windows experience for Snapdragon. We opened OneNote, surfed the web, and created a PowerPoint without noticing any significant hitch.

That’s not say it’s identical to an Intel system. We did feel apps often took an extra second to load, and that animations associated with common tasks, like opening Start or using Cortana, weren’t quite as smooth. Most laptops like the NovaGo have an Intel Core i5 processor, and some even pack the latest 8th-gen quad-core. We don’t need a full test to know that Intel’s chips can easily outrun Qualcomm’s best in both single-core and multi-core benchmarks.

Still, we don’t think it’s enough of a difference to matter to us in everyday use, and we suspect most users won’t notice any difference at all – if you stick to the basics. Even Qualcomm admits that complex tasks, like editing video, won’t be nearly as quick on Snapdragon.

While the performance gap might be hard to detect, you may notice the battery life. Asus quotes up to 22 hours of video playback from the NovaGo, with up to 30 days of standby time. Those numbers around enough to bestow it with the title of longest-lasting Windows 10 laptop, if they turn out to be correct. The Zenbook UX330UA with 8th-gen Intel Core i5, by comparison, lasted just over 11 hours in our testing.

A quick hands-on doesn’t give us time to evaluate a battery, but Asus was confident enough to present its handful of NovaGo samples to the press without a charger in sight. The three samples we handled had over 95 percent of their charge remaining.

But battery life isn’t the NovaGo’s headline feature. That honor goes to its built-in LTE connectivity. While technical issues did arise during our hands-on time, we were able to briefly use LTE on Sprint’s network to surf the web. It works exactly as with any LTE-connected smartphone or tablet, so you’ll be able to use the device anywhere mobile data is available.

The last thing about the NovaGo that might feel different is the software: it runs Windows 10 S, rather than a full version of Windows 10. With Windows 10 S, you can only run apps downloaded in the Windows Store, which might be a bit of an annoyance if you depend on using any old application you download on the web. While NovaGo does support the full versions of Windows 10, Asus hasn’t yet provided a free upgrade like Microsoft did with the Surface Laptop.

Asus NovaGo Compared To

HP Envy x2 (2017)

Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1 (2016)

HP Spectre x360 15-bl075nr

Lenovo Yoga 720 13-inch

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

Acer Spin 7

Acer Switch Alpha 12

HP Spectre x360 13-w023dx

Huawei Matebook

Vaio Z Flip

Dell Inspiron 11 (2015)

Dell Inspiron 13 7000 Special…

Toshiba Satellite Click 2 Pro

HP Spectre 13t x2

Acer Aspire P3

Qualcomm-powered computers need to look and feel like their Intel counterparts if they hope to be successful, and the NovaGo is a proper chameleon. It will start at $600 for 4GB of RAM and 64GB of solid state storage, while the $800 model will boast 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That puts it in line with the Asus Zenbook UX330UA with 8th-gen Intel Core processor, which costs $750.

We’re eager to see how the NovaGo fairs in our full review when it’s released in early 2017.

Qualcomm’s LTE PCs could be the biggest revolution since laptops got Wi-Fi

This morning in Hawaii, Qualcomm made a rather large announcement regarding the future of laptops. The chip company has been talking about its expansion into the PC market since Computex this summer, but today was the first day it announced what these new products will actually be all about — and it looks pretty significant.

Qualcomm will be using its Snapdragon 835 processor, a chip usually reserved to power smartphones, in a new line of Windows 2-in-1s. They’re referred to as “Always Connected PCs” or “mobile PCs,” but the idea remains the same — a computer with LTE connection and amazing battery life.

According to Qualcomm, what consumers actually want from their devices is not greater performance, but instead greater connectivity and better battery life. Both devices announced so far, the HP Envy x2 and the Asus NovaGo, will have always-on LTE connectivity and 20+ hour battery life.

A smartphone-infused laptop

That’s just the start. Terry Myerson, speaking on stage at Qualcomm’s event, said he was able to go an entire work week without charging his Always Connected PC. That may sound nuts, but great standby time is part of what makes this possible. Both the Asus and HP devices claim standby time of 700 hours or more. Put another way, these new laptops will work like modern smartphones and tablets. The battery will barely discharge when not in use.

Smartphone connectivity is also being infused into Always Connected PCs. Before Wi-Fi connectivity came to laptops, usage was fairly limited — and so was the value proposition in comparison to a desktop. Laptops were mostly used by executives who needed to work while travel, and could expect to jump from one Ethernet-connected office to the next. Wi-Fi fundamentally changed the laptop, opening it up to use in coffee shops, hotels, and airplanes.

In the same way, these Always Connected PCs might be the element that has always been missing from the 2-in-1 PC. After all, what good is portability when you have to constantly be worried about battery life and Wi-Fi? With LTE, laptops may begin to appear in places where they typically aren’t of much use — parks, bars, buses, and the backseats of cars.

Qualcomm even thinks this might lead to a fundamental shift in how everyone connects to the internet. Wi-Fi has become common because its needed to connect most PCs. What happens, then, if most PCs can connect to mobile data? Wi-Fi might suddenly become less necessary, freeing coffee shop owners to stop worrying about how to keep their hotspot working.

Carriers are the only hang-up here

If that future becomes reality, however, it means we’ll all be even more dependent on mobile data carriers. That’s the missing piece in this news. While a representative from Sprint gave a short presentation at the keynote, we weren’t clued in about what kinds of deals carriers would be making for this new line of devices.

It’s easy to imagine the use of a PC on LTE tied to a $10 or $20 per month charge on top of the data plan itself, which would price it out of reach for many people. Pricing will really make or break these new products — and determine how significant of an impact they’ll have.

Consumers already pay for an expensive LTE connection for their smartphones that can be tethered to a laptop without too much trouble. A lot of carriers offer deals to add on extra devices such as an tablets or smartwatches, so we’re assuming they’ll be doing something similar in this case, though we’re not sure carriers will be excited to treat PCs the same way as something like a smartwatch.

A representative from Qualcomm mentioned to us that “the carrier deals are so juicy that we expect most folks will want to sign up.” In a future where 5G and unlimited data plans are the norm, this could all be solved. Qualcomm seems optimistic about that scenario, but it has reason to believe.

A lot of the questions will be answered at CES next year where more manufacturers are expected to show off their PCs and more details will be announced. This could end up being another failed reboot of the 2012 ARM-based Surface all over again. But if Qualcomm has convinced carriers to jump onboard in the way they claim, this will be the biggest leap forward for the PC in over a decade.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Super-efficient Windows laptops powered by Qualcomm phone chips are here
• Asus NovaGo, the first gigabit LTE-capable laptop, promises fast download speeds
• Asus NovaGo hands-on review
• HP’s Envy x2 claims longest battery life of any detachable Windows PC
• Make some time for the best smartwatch deals available right now

HP Envy x2 (2017) hands-on review

Research Center:
HP Envy x2 (2017)

When we first head Qualcomm planned to offer its Snapdragon processor in Windows 10 laptops, our minds immediately thought of budget Chromebooks. Those inexpensive laptops can limbo under $200, but sacrifice a lot to get there.

One look at the HP Envy x2 and you’ll know it’s a different animal. The 12.3-inch detachable PC wraps the tablet portion in a luxurious blue leather keyboard cover that provides protection and serves a stand. Unwrap the Envy from the cover, and even the tablet alone proves formidably luxurious. Its smooth metal edges wrap around a beautiful 1,920 x 1,200 display that’s protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. It’s a sleek device, even down to details like the stand hinge, which is exposed and coated in eye-catching chrome. In fact, the Envy x2 is the most handsome Windows 10 detachable we’ve ever laid hands on. That includes the Surface Pro which, though undeniably solid, is nowhere near as suave.

The Envy x2 is the most handsome Windows 10 detachable we’ve ever laid hands on.

Unlike Asus’ NovaGo, the other Qualcomm-powered PC shown at the Snapdragon Tech Summit, HP’s Envy x2 looks built to capitalize on the LTE connectivity and long battery life promised by its mobile-first hardware. The tablet alone weighs just 1.5 pounds, and is less than 0.3 inches thick, putting it not far off the benchmark the iPad and most Android tablets. Adding the keyboard cover tacks on just an extra 1.1 pounds. Together, the entire device is well under the 3 pound weight of the NovaGo. It’s also a few tenths of a pound lighter than the Microsoft Surface Pro and Apple iPad Pro.

Surprisingly, the keyboard feels good despite its minimal weight. It’s not quite equal to the excellence of the Surface Type Cover, but it’s close — and certainly better than Apple’s Smart Keyboard. Key travel is quoted at 1.3mm, which is on par with most slim ultrabooks and 2-in-1s. The touchpad is quite large relative to the Envy x2’s svelte dimensions and it felt extremely responsive. We had no trouble waggling through Windows 10’s multi-touch gestures.

Matt Smith/Digital Trends

Inside you’ll find Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, a dramatic departure from the Intel Core chips normally found inside 2-in-1s. Opting for mobile hardware does mean sacrificing some performance, as even Qualcomm’s own metrics show. That said, the HP Envy x2 didn’t feel slow at first blush. Apps do seem to take a moment longer to load at times, and some Windows 10 animations seemed not quite as smooth. Once loaded, though, applications like Edge, PowerPoint, OneNote, Calendar, and Calculator felt just as they do on any Intel Core device.

The optimization of Windows 10 S is partially to thank — but remember that unlike Windows 10 Home and Pro, it will keep you locked into using Windows Store software. We know that Qualcomm’s hardware can run Windows 10 Home and Pro, but we don’t know if HP intends to offer them with the Envy x2.

Battery life and wireless connectivity are the Envy x2’s priority, and the numbers look good on paper. HP says it can manage 20 hours of 1080p video playback and over 700 hours (or 30 days) of standby time. Microsoft’s Terry Myerson supported those claims with his own statements during the Snapdragon Tech Summit, claiming he was able to use a Snapdragon laptop all week without charging. The limited time we used it means we couldn’t test that claim, but we can say that HP presented all its demo units without chargers, and the one we saw easily retained over 96 percent of its charge.

Speaking of which, there appears to be only one place to charge -– or plug anything in. A single USB-C port. A headphone jack is also included, but like the 12-inch MacBook, that appears to be it for ports.

HP Envy x2 (2017) Compared To

Asus NovaGo

HP Spectre x360 15-bl075nr

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

Acer Spin 7

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

Acer Switch Alpha 12

HP Spectre x360 13-w023dx

Huawei Matebook

Dell Inspiron 11 (2015)

Toshiba Satellite Radius P55W

Toshiba Satellite Click 2 Pro

HP Spectre 13t x2

HP EliteBook Revolve

Acer Aspire P3

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge Twist

LTE connectivity was not operable on the unit we tested, but we don’t need to use it to know why it’s important. Like the Asus NovaGo and other unannounced Snapdragon-powered PCs, the HP Envy x2 can connect to your mobile data plan. That’s particularly useful with the Envy, since its tablet portion can be separated from the keyboard and is light enough to throw into your bag worrying it’ll drag you down. In fact, the Envy x2 is so small that we can see it becoming an “everyday carry” item for some people, just as like an iPad with LTE.

There is one piece missing from the puzzle. Pricing. While we know the HP Envy x2 will arrive in spring of 2018, we don’t know how much it’ll cost. Given its 8GB of RAM and “up to” 256GB of solid state storage, we imagine it won’t be cheap — $1,000 looks entirely possible. That sounds like a lot for a device that doesn’t have Intel inside, but we think a long look is all you’ll need to start wondering where you can pre-order.

HP Envy x2 (2017) hands-on review

Research Center:
HP Envy x2 (2017)

When we first head Qualcomm planned to offer its Snapdragon processor in Windows 10 laptops, our minds immediately thought of budget Chromebooks. Those inexpensive laptops can limbo under $200, but sacrifice a lot to get there.

One look at the HP Envy x2 and you’ll know it’s a different animal. The 12.3-inch detachable PC wraps the tablet portion in a luxurious blue leather keyboard cover that provides protection and serves a stand. Unwrap the Envy from the cover, and even the tablet alone proves formidably luxurious. Its smooth metal edges wrap around a beautiful 1,920 x 1,200 display that’s protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. It’s a sleek device, even down to details like the stand hinge, which is exposed and coated in eye-catching chrome. In fact, the Envy x2 is the most handsome Windows 10 detachable we’ve ever laid hands on. That includes the Surface Pro which, though undeniably solid, is nowhere near as suave.

The Envy x2 is the most handsome Windows 10 detachable we’ve ever laid hands on.

Unlike Asus’ NovaGo, the other Qualcomm-powered PC shown at the Snapdragon Tech Summit, HP’s Envy x2 looks built to capitalize on the LTE connectivity and long battery life promised by its mobile-first hardware. The tablet alone weighs just 1.5 pounds, and is less than 0.3 inches thick, putting it not far off the benchmark the iPad and most Android tablets. Adding the keyboard cover tacks on just an extra 1.1 pounds. Together, the entire device is well under the 3 pound weight of the NovaGo. It’s also a few tenths of a pound lighter than the Microsoft Surface Pro and Apple iPad Pro.

Surprisingly, the keyboard feels good despite its minimal weight. It’s not quite equal to the excellence of the Surface Type Cover, but it’s close — and certainly better than Apple’s Smart Keyboard. Key travel is quoted at 1.3mm, which is on par with most slim ultrabooks and 2-in-1s. The touchpad is quite large relative to the Envy x2’s svelte dimensions and it felt extremely responsive. We had no trouble waggling through Windows 10’s multi-touch gestures.

Matt Smith/Digital Trends

Inside you’ll find Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, a dramatic departure from the Intel Core chips normally found inside 2-in-1s. Opting for mobile hardware does mean sacrificing some performance, as even Qualcomm’s own metrics show. That said, the HP Envy x2 didn’t feel slow at first blush. Apps do seem to take a moment longer to load at times, and some Windows 10 animations seemed not quite as smooth. Once loaded, though, applications like Edge, PowerPoint, OneNote, Calendar, and Calculator felt just as they do on any Intel Core device.

The optimization of Windows 10 S is partially to thank — but remember that unlike Windows 10 Home and Pro, it will keep you locked into using Windows Store software. We know that Qualcomm’s hardware can run Windows 10 Home and Pro, but we don’t know if HP intends to offer them with the Envy x2.

Battery life and wireless connectivity are the Envy x2’s priority, and the numbers look good on paper. HP says it can manage 20 hours of 1080p video playback and over 700 hours (or 30 days) of standby time. Microsoft’s Terry Myerson supported those claims with his own statements during the Snapdragon Tech Summit, claiming he was able to use a Snapdragon laptop all week without charging. The limited time we used it means we couldn’t test that claim, but we can say that HP presented all its demo units without chargers, and the one we saw easily retained over 96 percent of its charge.

Speaking of which, there appears to be only one place to charge -– or plug anything in. A single USB-C port. A headphone jack is also included, but like the 12-inch MacBook, that appears to be it for ports.

HP Envy x2 (2017) Compared To

Asus NovaGo

HP Spectre x360 15-bl075nr

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

Acer Spin 7

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

Acer Switch Alpha 12

HP Spectre x360 13-w023dx

Huawei Matebook

Dell Inspiron 11 (2015)

Toshiba Satellite Radius P55W

Toshiba Satellite Click 2 Pro

HP Spectre 13t x2

HP EliteBook Revolve

Acer Aspire P3

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge Twist

LTE connectivity was not operable on the unit we tested, but we don’t need to use it to know why it’s important. Like the Asus NovaGo and other unannounced Snapdragon-powered PCs, the HP Envy x2 can connect to your mobile data plan. That’s particularly useful with the Envy, since its tablet portion can be separated from the keyboard and is light enough to throw into your bag worrying it’ll drag you down. In fact, the Envy x2 is so small that we can see it becoming an “everyday carry” item for some people, just as like an iPad with LTE.

There is one piece missing from the puzzle. Pricing. While we know the HP Envy x2 will arrive in spring of 2018, we don’t know how much it’ll cost. Given its 8GB of RAM and “up to” 256GB of solid state storage, we imagine it won’t be cheap — $1,000 looks entirely possible. That sounds like a lot for a device that doesn’t have Intel inside, but we think a long look is all you’ll need to start wondering where you can pre-order.

Xiaomi’s Mi 7 will be powered by the Snapdragon 845

Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship will be one of the first phones powered by the Snapdragon 845.

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun joined Qualcomm’s executive vice president Cristiano Amon at the Snapdragon Tech Summit in Hawaii to announce that the Mi 7 will be powered by the Snapdragon 845. Calling Qualcomm Xiaomi’s “most important partner,” Jun talked about the collaboration between the two companies, which stretches back all the way to the Snapdragon S3-powered Mi 1 from 2011.

Rumors from earlier this year suggested the Mi 7 would be one of the first phones to be powered by the Snapdragon 845. We don’t know a lot about Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship, but it is expected to feature a 6.0-inch Samsung-made display with thin bezels, and be available with 6GB and 8GB of RAM. Xiaomi is likely to unveil the device at Mobile World Congress.

As for the Snapdragon 845, all we know for now is that the chipset will be manufactured by Samsung Foundry, like this year’s Snapdragon 835. With the week-long conference just kicking off, we should have more details on the Qualcomm’s next-gen chipset in the coming days, so stay tuned.

Microsoft’s Whiteboard Preview app is all about collaboration

In the quest to release better collaboration tools, Microsoft released its Whiteboard Preview app in a private beta. The software lets teams mark up multiple boards with cute skeumorphic details to ease users into working on a shared digital canvas. Now Microsoft is publicly rolling it out for all Windows 10 users to download, which will soon go live on the Windows Store.

As one would expect, the app lets users draw, erase, edit and otherwise mark up boards, essentially simulating the group meeting-with-a-white-board experience for distant coworkers. Any work is automatically saved and users can see their peers making their additions, ideally preventing coworkers from writing over each other.

Anyone with a Windows 10 device can use Whiteboard Preview for free, but multiple collaborating users will need at least one person with an Office 365 subscription. This app will eventually replace the existing whiteboard app running on SurfaceHub, but for now, they’ll run in tandem. The Windows 10 Whiteboard Preview is out for English users with plans to expand it to more languages in the coming months.

Via: The Verge

Source: Microsoft Office Blog

Apple Accidentally Promotes Amazon Prime Video for Apple TV in App Store, Launch Could Be Imminent

There are 26 days left until the end of the year, which is the deadline for when Apple said the highly-anticipated Amazon Prime Video app would be coming to the Apple TV. A launch could perhaps come as soon as this week, and maybe as even as early as tomorrow, based on an App Store leak spotted on reddit.

After setting his iPhone date to December 6, a redditor opened up the App Store and allegedly saw an Amazon Prime Video story as the top feature in the “Today” section. He linked the section on reddit, which other users were able to see temporarily before the content was pulled by Apple. The “Today” App Store description in question specifically referenced Amazon Prime Video for Apple TV.

Apple pulled this a few minutes ago. (Hi Apple?)

As said, my time/date is set to tomorrow. That is relevant because I saw the story at the top of the “Today” tab when I opened the App Store. That is how I obtained the link.

Thus my guess is that the story is ready for launch on the App Store tomorrow, and sometime around midnight Eastern or PST, both the story and the updated app itself will go live. That’s approx 9-12 hours from now. We’ll see.

If the App Store leak is genuine, and it appears to be based on multiple reports from different reddit users, it means Apple already has content written up for the Amazon Prime Video release. That the content was visible on December 6 suggests a launch could be imminent.

Apple first announced the Amazon Prime Video app for Apple TV at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. At the time, Apple said the app would be coming later this year, but months have passed since then with no sign of it. There have been continual launch rumors, though, all of which have been incorrect.

Amazon Prime Video is one of the only major streaming video services absent from Apple’s set-top box. The service is provided as a benefit to Amazon Prime members who subscribe to Amazon’s $99 per year Amazon Prime service. Amazon Prime Video features thousands of TV shows and movies, along with original content produced by Amazon.

Related Roundup: Apple TVTags: Amazon, Amazon Prime VideoBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)
Discuss this article in our forums

Netgear recalls Arlo outdoor camera power adapters over fire risks

If you bought one of Netgear’s Arlo outdoor cameras and then snapped up an extra power adapter just in case, you may want to sit up and take notice. Neetgear and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are recalling Arlo’s aftermarket power adapter after receiving seven reports of the cord overheating and melting, in one case leading to a fire. Only 7,700 affected adapters were sold in North America between June and October, but that still presents a sizeable risk.

This shouldn’t affect the adapter that came with your camera, so you can keep using it as long as you didn’t have to swap out the original. Still, this underscores the usefulness of having a backup for a security camera — you don’t have to leave your backyard unguarded, even if it’s just for a short while.

Source: CPSC

Honor 7X vs. Moto E4 Plus: Big-screen budget battle

Honor, a subsidiary of Huawei, focuses on mid-range and budget smartphones for the younger generation. The devices often look good, packing great selfie cameras and multimedia features — and that’s exactly what we’ve seen in our Honor 7X review. With an enormous HD display that measures almost 6-inches, you get a lot of phone for your money. But how does it weigh up against the current king of the budget devices, the Moto E4 Plus?

Specs

Honor 7X

Moto E4 Plus

Size
156.5 x 75.3 x 7.6mm (6.18 x 2.96 x 0.30 inches)
155 x 77.5 x 9.6mm (6.10 x 3.05 x 0.38 inches)
Weight
165 grams (5.82 ounces)
181 grams (6.38 ounces)
Screen
5.93-inch IPS LCD display
5.5-inch IPS LCD display
Resolution
2,160 x 1,080 pixels (407 pixels-per-inch)
1,280 x 720 pixel (267 pixels-per-inch)
OS
EMUI 5.1 (over Android 7.1 Nougat)
Android 7.1 Nougat
Storage
32GB for U.S., 64GB for international
16GB, 32GB
MicroSD card slot
Yes, up to 256GB
Yes, up to 128GB
NFC support
No
No
Processor
HiSilicon Kirin 659
Qualcomm Snapdragon 427
RAM
3GB for U.S., 4GB for international
2GB
Connectivity
GSM / LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Camera
Dual sensor 16MP & 2MP rear, 8MP front
13MP rear, 5MP front
Video
1080p@30fps
1080p@30fps
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 4.1
Bluetooth 4.1
Audio
Headphone jack
Headphone jack
Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes
Other sensors
Accelerometer, proximity, compass
Accelerometer, proximity, compass
Water resistant
No
No
Battery
3,340mAh
5,000mAh
Charging port
MicroUSB
MicroUSB
Marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store
Colors
Black, Blue, Gold, Red
Iron Gray, Fine Gold
Availability
HiHonor

Amazon, Best Buy, Motorola, Verizon

Price
$200
$180
DT review
4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5 stars

It’s always a good idea to temper expectations where budget phones are concerned; you’re not going to get the best performance in the world. But that doesn’t mean either of these phones are processing power slouches. The Moto E4 Plus is equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 427 chip, and though this isn’t the most powerful chip, it consistently exceeded our expectations in our Moto E4 Plus review, providing smooth and snappy performance.

But can it can stand up to the Kirin 659 processor in the Honor 7X? Our benchmark scores show the Honor 7X obliterates the Moto E4 here, and we’ve generally seen good performance from Honor’s phone.

The Honor 7X also has the edge in RAM, with 3GB in the U.S. model and 4GB for the international variant, both exceeding the 2GB offered on the Moto E4 Plus. While RAM isn’t the be-all and end-all for dictating phone performance, it does help with multi-tasking, running lots of apps at once, and switching between active apps. Storage options offer a similar story, with the Honor 7X offering twice the available base storage than the Moto E4 Plus. Both phones have MicroSD storage expansion.

The Honor 7X will offer you better performance, and it takes the win here.

Winner: Honor 7X

Design and display

Impressive for budget phones, both the Honor 7X and the Moto E4 Plus come with all-metal bodies that feel great in the hand. However, that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

We’ll start with the displays. As a larger version of the Moto E4, the Moto E4 Plus rocks a large 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, running a 1,280 x 720 resolution. It’s a decent screen, but with a pixels-per-inch (ppi) measurement of only 267 you’re not getting the sharpest display. The Honor 7X’s screen is IPS LCD as well, but the screen is a lot sharper thanks to the 2,160 x 1,080 pixel resolution (407 pixels-per-inch).

The Honor 7X also follows 2017’s biggest trend: The bezel-less design. Honor has somehow crammed a massive 5.93-inch HD display into a phone slightly larger than the 5.5-inch E4 Plus. The Moto E4 Plus has chunky bezels on the front, and it’s thick. It’s not a bad look, but it is a tad dated next to the svelte and skimpy bezel-ed Honor 7X.

In terms of physical durability, you’re probably going to withstand the same sort of damage with each phone. Neither have any water resistance, and there’s glass protecting the screen. It is worth pointing out the larger screen on the Honor 7X means it has a larger amount of glass to smash, even if it is Gorilla Glass. Honor said its phone is a little more durable, though, because of its airbag-style internal design. The company dropped the phone in front of us a few times and it survived without a scratch. It’s not shock-proof, but it certainly helps.

The Honor 7X wins again this round. It’s looks gorgeous, has a bigger, higher resolution screen, and it may edge out over the Moto E4 Plus in terms of durability.

Winner: Honor 7X

Camera

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

There’s not a huge amount to say about the camera on the Moto E4 Plus. It’s a rear-mounted 13-megapixel camera that takes hit-or-miss photos. It’s not the most reliable camera. The front 5-megapixel camera is serviceable, and should provide you with some decent selfies. It’s not bad for a budget snapper, but you shouldn’t expect too much of it.

The cameras on the Honor 7X deserve a little more time. There’s two of them on the rear: A 16-megapixel lens sits next to a 2-megapixel lens, giving the Honor 7X the ability to create “bokeh” (blur) shots you see in professional photography, like the iPhone X’s Portrait Mode. The pictures are pretty good, though it does suffer in poorer lighting. The front houses an 8-megapixel camera, and it takes solid selfies with live filters you can apply to your face and other fun effects.

We’ve found the photos from the Honor 7X to be better, and it’s overall a more reliable smartphone camera. It takes the win here.

Winner: Honor 7X

Battery life and charging

Adam Ismail/Digital Trends

The Honor 7X comes with a respectably-sized 3,340mAh battery. That should be enough to take you through a day, maybe a day-and-a-half with Huawei’s strict power management settings. That’s good for a smartphone, and you likely won’t be disappointed with the battery’s lifespan.

The Moto E4 Plus easily blows it out of the water. It packs an enormous 5,000mAh battery — which is why it’s so thick — and it excelled at our review’s battery tests. After a day of heavy streaming, YouTube videos, and constant Bluetooth, we only managed to knock 20-percent off the battery by the end of the day. After 36 hours off the charger, the battery still had just over 50-percent left.

The Moto E4 Plus’s battery is staggeringly good. It takes this category easily.

Winner: Moto E4 Plus

Software

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Motorola’s Moto E4 Plus software is fairly close to stock Android. There are a few quality-of-life additions, such as Moto Display, which fades notifications in and out of the lockscreen, and also lights up when the phone is picked up. The bad news is the E4 Plus isn’t running Android 8.0 Oreo — it runs Android 7.1 Nougat, last year’s version of Android — and there’s been no word as to whether it will be getting an update either.

The Honor 7X is similarly burdened with an older operating system, running Android 7.1 with Huawei’s EMUI 5.1 over the top. This device is far more likely to receive an EMUI 8/Android 8.0 Oreo update from Huawei, though when that will be is questionable. It’s far from stock Android, and you’ll be disappointed if that’s what you want. EMUI 5.1 is an improved and simpler version of the EMUI interface, but EMUI 8 is better and we can’t wait for the Honor 7X to receive it.

If you’re a fan of the uncluttered, stock Android experience, then you’ll find yourself drawn to the Moto E4 Plus. If you don’t really care about the interface much, then you’ll probably find the Honor 7X the richer of the two.

Winner: Tie

Price and availability

Adam Ismail/Digital Trends

The Moto E4 Plus is out now, with prices starting from $180, with the extra storage available for an additional $20. It’s available from Verizon for a bargain $130, but you won’t be able to take that to any GSM carriers like AT&T or T-Mobile.

The Honor 7X will be launching on December 15, with prices starting from $200. There’s no word on whether any U.S. carriers will be selling this device yet, though it does bear mentioning the Honor 7X — like many Huawei or Honor phones — does not work on Verizon or Sprint.

We have to give this round to the Honor 7X. For $200 you could get the Moto E4 Plus with 32GB of storage, or you could get the Honor 7X with the same amount of storage. Despite the lack of support for Sprint or Verizon, the Honor 7X represents pure value for money.

Winner: Honor 7X

Overall winner: Honor 7X

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The Honor 7X is one of the nicest looking budget phones we’ve seen in a long time. The screen-heavy look of a bezel-less phone is very welcome in a market that often consists of bulky and ugly phones. It helps the Honor 7X has the power to back its looks up, with processing power and memory in spades.

That’s not to say the Moto E4 Plus doesn’t have its areas where it shines. Despite losing out in performance and camera, its battery life is phenomenal. If you need a phone that lasts and don’t care too much about style, then the Moto E4 Plus is the phone for your needs. Still, the Honor 7X is a well-rounded smartphone.

If you’ve not been excited by either of these phones, but you’re still shopping for a cheaper phone, check out our list of the best cheap phones.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best cheap phones you can buy
• HTC U11 Life vs. Moto X4: Who rules the midrange smartphone market?
• HTC U11 Life review
• Honor 7X review
• LG X Venture review

This app will track disease-carrying mosquitoes by listening to their buzz

Our smartphones are pretty darn good at recognizing our voices and the contents of what we say. Could they also be good at recognizing the sounds of different mosquitoes? Absolutely, suggest researchers from the University of Oxford. With the goal of helping identify the select mosquito breeds responsible for spreading diseases like malaria, they developed a machine-learning algorithm and app that can identify the acoustic signature of different mosquito species, and categorize them accordingly.

“We have developed a set of algorithms that go some way toward detecting the presence of mosquitos by ‘listening’ to the sound of their wingbeat,” Dr. Davide Zilli, one of the researchers on the project, told Digital Trends. “On top of this, we have developed several prototype sensors, in particular, an Android app designed to run on budget smartphones. The smartphone prototype app allows us to make mosquito recordings and upload them to our servers, where we can analyze them further and use them in the ongoing training process in our algorithm development. Collecting these recordings also goes towards another goal of the project: A database of free-flying species-specific mosquito recordings that will be made openly and freely available.”

At present, the tool developed by the team can accurately identify the Anopheles species of mosquito, responsible for spreading malaria, around 72 percent of the time. Going forward, the team hopes to extend that accuracy to cover all 3,600 different mosquito species in existence — a task that requires high-quality sound recordings for them to train their system on. To help with this, the researchers are launching a citizen science project on the Zooniverse platform to help process the raw data and label it correctly.

“This is very time-consuming and we hope to use Zooniverse volunteers to help us with this classification,” Dr. Marianne Sinka, a member of the team from the department of zoology at Oxford, told us. “These labeled data are then used to directly train the algorithm to detect mosquitoes within a variety of background environments. We would also hope to use citizen science to help with first level curation of incoming recordings when the app becomes available to the wider public.”

Additional researchers on the work included Dr. Yunpeng Li, a postdoctoral researcher in machine learning, and others. A paper describing the research, “Mosquito Detection with Low-Cost Smartphones: Data Acquisition for Malaria Research,” can be read here.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Satellite data from NASA could be the key to predicting malaria outbreaks
• Robotics startup could fight Zika by dumping mosquitoes from a drone
• Smart sensors will make sure you lift with your knees bent and back straight
• Tell me where it hurts: MIT app diagnoses car issues by listening, analyzing sounds
• Tweet-analyzing algorithm can detect depression sooner than a human doctor