The top 10 coolest corporate headquarters in the world, ranked

It’s no secret that many of the world’s mega-corporations have a penchant for large, lavish, and downright legendary headquarters. Whether it’s enormous buildings, provocative architecture, or outrageous amenities, Fortune 500’s love to show the world how awesome they are through their buildings. To give you a sense of what we mean, we’ve rounded up some of the biggest, baddest, and most ridiculous corporate headquarters on the planet, and ranked them according to their completely subjective level of “coolness.” Enjoy!

10. Bank of China TowerHong Kong – 1.4M square feet

Tim Graham/Getty Images

Despite having a past filled with controversy and setbacks, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, otherwise known as the BOCHK, is an impressive structure.

The building’s plot was originally occupied by the “Murray House,” until it was moved brick-by-brick to a new location. After that, the BOCHK suffered numerous construction setbacks, both structurally and politically, before and after it was finished.

The building’s sleek steel and glass exterior, when viewed from the right angle, has given the building the nickname “The Cleaver”. While not the most pretty nickname a building could have, it is frighteningly appropriate for a banking giant.

9. Hearst TowerNew York City – 861K square feet

Located in the middle of Manhattan, Hearst Tower is the headquarters of (you guessed it) Hearst Communications. It houses a multitude of publication and communication companies that collectively make up one of the world’s largest media conglomerates.

The Hearst tower, much like the BOCHK, is a shining beacon of glass and steel. With some striking design elements, the four corners of the sky-scraper feature concave diamond shapes, known as “bird mouths”.

These inset designs have caused the most controversy with the building, as cleaning all those windows became an obvious issue in 2013 when two window cleaners were trapped on the exterior of the tower, leading to a 3 year and 3 million dollar research of proper window cleaning procedure.

8. Nike World HeadquartersBeaverton, Oregon – 2.2M square feet

Plopped into the center of Beaverton, Oregon, the Nike world HQ doesn’t fail to live up to the company’s sporty image. The facilities house two soccer fields, an impressively large gym, a tennis court, a putting green, and a beautiful running court that makes it’s trail through some of the area’s native greenery.

The Beaverton facilities also house the “Nike Sport Research Lab”, or NSRL. The lab is joint owned by American Apparel and Nike, and is used for various sports equipment and apparel testing using motion capture rooms, environmental chambers, and a set of facilities known individually as “The Kitchen” and “The Oven”.

7. The GoogleplexSanta Clara, California – 3.1M square feet

In 2003 Google acquired the leasing rights to what would become known as the “Googleplex” — a sprawling campus in southern California filled with elaborate buildings, pathways, ponds, fountains, and parkways.

Since Google’s acquisition of the complex, they company has given the space a healthy dose of Google’s signature flair. The interior is adorned with shade lamps, huge rubber balls, and other interesting furniture, along with striking colors and murals that theme in tune with Google’s distinctive logo.

Besides enjoying such a lavish workplace, Google employees are also treated to a pretty sweet set of creature comforts and utilities. The facilities include multiple sand volleyball courts, eighteen cafeterias with diverse menus, two small swimming pools and free laundry, for when … you know, you just need to do your laundry at work.

6. Amazon BiodomesSeattle – 40K plants

Glenn Chapman/Getty Images

Alright, so this entry isn’t technically a full-fledged headquarters, but rather a single section of one. Amazon’s sprawling business campus in Seattle is making waves with it’s latest addition: Three steel and glass bio-domes — the tallest and most central of which stands over five stories tall.

Announced in early 2016, the domes are  now well on their way to being completed, and are already filled with a wide variety of plants. The upkeep of all these trees and bushes is monitored by Amazon’s full time horticulturalist, Ron Gagliardo.

Sure to be a welcome sight and experience in Seattle’s dense urban center, Amazon’s bio-domes already provide a fantastic splash of the natural world in the northwest’s urban jungle.

5. Lloyd’s inside out buildingLondon – 1.2M square feet

Pawel Libera/Getty Images

Central London is home to a particularly peculiar structure, often referred to as the “inside out” building. Designed by Richard Rogers and Co., the Lloyd building is the home of the insurance institution, Lloyd’s of London.

The building features an avant-garde style of construction known as Bowellism, wherein the building’s guts, such as ducting and lifts, are located on the exterior of the building in order to maximize space within the interior.

Twenty five years after its construction, the Lloyd Building received a Grade I listing, labeling it a “building of exceptional interest,” officially. Lauded by Historic England to be “Universally recognized as one of the key buildings of the modern epoch.”, it has certainly made an impact in London’s traditionally medieval architecture.

4. FacebookMenlo Park, California – 430K square feet

jitze1942/Flickr

Opened in March of 2015, Facebook’s campus in Menlo Park, California is an impressive site. The massive 430,000 square foot space houses over 2,800 employees, with the big man Zuckerberg himself positioned at a desk in the center.

With a design focused on creating a social environment, the structure boasts wide open rooms with glass walls. The Facebook HQ also makes thorough use of colorful lighting and paint schemes, all lending to the “fun, collaborative space” theme that FB’s “Chief People Officer” Lori Goler boasts of.

Arguably the most distinguishing feature of the building is the nine acre green space adorning its roof. With a half mile walking loop, 400 full-grown trees, and tools that make it easy for employees to work in the park, it provides a nice respite from the regular office environment.

3. BMW HQMunich – 3.7K square feet

Markus Lange/Getty Images

Built between 1968 and 1972, the BMW HQ in Munich is definitely a building you won’t forget. With the main structure built to resemble the pistons of an engine, it is certainly on of the more unique offices one could ever hope to work in.

On top of that, the adjacent structure, the BMW museum, is designed to represent the head of a piston’s cylinder. Coupled with BMW’s iconic logo and striking colors, the entire complex is a site you will not soon forget.

The complex has even appeared on the silver screen a handful of times, including a cameo appearance in the 1975 film Rollerball, where BMW’s branding was replaced by large orange circles, meant to represent the fictional company featured in the movie.

2. Apple’s Space Ship (Apple Park)Cupertino, California – 2.8M square feet

Apple has always focused on being new and different, and not just with its phones. Back in 2006 Steve Jobs himself announced plans for the “Apple Campus 2,” featuring an enormous ring shaped office building as its center piece.

Nicknamed the “Space Ship” due to its size and shape, the newly completed office building features enough accommodations for 12,000 staff members — and plenty of amenities for them to enjoy. With seven cafes, an auditorium known as the “Steve Jobs Theatre,” a 100,000 square foot wellness center, and more; Apple employees will have plenty to take their minds off the daily grind when break time hits.

Besides pristine construction and employee care, the Apple Park features just that: a lot of park. The interior circle of the office space is 25 acres and covered with fruit trees and other greenery. It even has a pond!

1. MicrosoftRedmond, Washington – 14.9M square feet

Microsoft has called Redmond, Washington home since February 1986, having moved into the grounds there barely weeks before the company went public in March of the same year. Since then Microsoft and it’s home in Redmond have continued to grow, working with the community around it to accommodate increased traffic, even helping to fund construction of an overpass.

In 2009, a shopping mall was completed on the campus, which added 1.4 million square feet of retail space, including restaurants, a pub, and even a soccer field. This would be the last major renovation until 2017, when plans were announced to demolish 12 buildings and replace then with 18 new ones.

With an approval for a max height extension from six floors to 10, and a design plan that is more akin to an urban neighborhood than a business campus, the whole site is expected to be quite a spectacle when its completed sometime in 2023.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Great heights and spectacular sights: The 16 coolest buildings on Earth
• The best gifts for skiers
• Take your PC back to the ’90s with the coolest screensavers, like, ever
• HDMI ARC and eARC: What they are, how they work, and why you should care
• Everything you need to know about Apple Park

Forget lithium-ion — this graphene-based power pack recharges insanely fast

Regardless of whether you are simply whiling away the hours on a long journey with your Nintendo Switch or are left unable to work because your iPhone X or MacBook is out of juice, running out of battery charge on the go is pretty darn annoying. That’s where a new new graphene-based fast charging USB-C battery pack, currently sweeping Kickstarter, wants to help. Describing itself as the world’s first portable USB-C power bank which works using graphene-based composite packs, it is smaller than many power packs available on the market, and promises to be able to recharge in just 20 minutes.

It supports charging up to 60W, which means that a battery with a capacity of 6,000mAh can be charged in as little as 20 minutes. You can also quickly charge gadgets with 40W, allowing the iPhone X and iPhone 8 promising to reach a full charge in just 90 minutes, as opposed to the usual three hours. The USB-C connection means that it’s compatible with the power adapters for Nintendo Switch, the MacBook, or Lenovo, Dell, and HP laptops. You can alternatively use a special adapter to get it to work with old laptop chargers or MagSafe adapters.

Oh, and the smaller internal resistance and superior conductivity of the battery means that the temperature rise is lower than it would be with regular traditional batteries — thereby making it safer. This is underlined by the fact that cell swelling and burning will supposedly never happen with a graphene-based battery.

“The key part of this project is the battery cell,” Wade Lam, the product manager at manufacturer Elecjet, told Digital Trends. “Our partner CellsX has spent 13 years in graphene composite battery R&D.”

If you would like to get your hands on an Apollo USB-C power pack, you can currently place a pre-order on Kickstarter. So far, the project has far exceeded its original $10,000 funding target, with plenty of time left on the clock. Prices start at $59 for a power pack, USB-C to C cable, and instructions. Additional options — with extra adapters — are also available. Shipping is set to take place in March 2018.

So, to recap: Smaller, safer, faster, more convenient. Provided this works as promised, consider us sold!

Editors’ Recommendations

• The Saber portable power pack can keep your MacBook pro running for days
• Asus VivoBook Pro N580 review
• Asus ZenBook Flip S review
• GoGoToro’s Pokémon-inspired Gamer Series Power Banks don’t skimp on style
• No matter the shape, turn any bicycle into an ebike with the Swytch kit

Forget lithium-ion — this graphene-based power pack recharges insanely fast

Regardless of whether you are simply whiling away the hours on a long journey with your Nintendo Switch or are left unable to work because your iPhone X or MacBook is out of juice, running out of battery charge on the go is pretty darn annoying. That’s where a new new graphene-based fast charging USB-C battery pack, currently sweeping Kickstarter, wants to help. Describing itself as the world’s first portable USB-C power bank which works using graphene-based composite packs, it is smaller than many power packs available on the market, and promises to be able to recharge in just 20 minutes.

It supports charging up to 60W, which means that a battery with a capacity of 6,000mAh can be charged in as little as 20 minutes. You can also quickly charge gadgets with 40W, allowing the iPhone X and iPhone 8 promising to reach a full charge in just 90 minutes, as opposed to the usual three hours. The USB-C connection means that it’s compatible with the power adapters for Nintendo Switch, the MacBook, or Lenovo, Dell, and HP laptops. You can alternatively use a special adapter to get it to work with old laptop chargers or MagSafe adapters.

Oh, and the smaller internal resistance and superior conductivity of the battery means that the temperature rise is lower than it would be with regular traditional batteries — thereby making it safer. This is underlined by the fact that cell swelling and burning will supposedly never happen with a graphene-based battery.

“The key part of this project is the battery cell,” Wade Lam, the product manager at manufacturer Elecjet, told Digital Trends. “Our partner CellsX has spent 13 years in graphene composite battery R&D.”

If you would like to get your hands on an Apollo USB-C power pack, you can currently place a pre-order on Kickstarter. So far, the project has far exceeded its original $10,000 funding target, with plenty of time left on the clock. Prices start at $59 for a power pack, USB-C to C cable, and instructions. Additional options — with extra adapters — are also available. Shipping is set to take place in March 2018.

So, to recap: Smaller, safer, faster, more convenient. Provided this works as promised, consider us sold!

Editors’ Recommendations

• The Saber portable power pack can keep your MacBook pro running for days
• Asus VivoBook Pro N580 review
• Asus ZenBook Flip S review
• GoGoToro’s Pokémon-inspired Gamer Series Power Banks don’t skimp on style
• No matter the shape, turn any bicycle into an ebike with the Swytch kit

Forget lithium-ion — this graphene-based power pack recharges insanely fast

Regardless of whether you are simply whiling away the hours on a long journey with your Nintendo Switch or are left unable to work because your iPhone X or MacBook is out of juice, running out of battery charge on the go is pretty darn annoying. That’s where a new new graphene-based fast charging USB-C battery pack, currently sweeping Kickstarter, wants to help. Describing itself as the world’s first portable USB-C power bank which works using graphene-based composite packs, it is smaller than many power packs available on the market, and promises to be able to recharge in just 20 minutes.

It supports charging up to 60W, which means that a battery with a capacity of 6,000mAh can be charged in as little as 20 minutes. You can also quickly charge gadgets with 40W, allowing the iPhone X and iPhone 8 promising to reach a full charge in just 90 minutes, as opposed to the usual three hours. The USB-C connection means that it’s compatible with the power adapters for Nintendo Switch, the MacBook, or Lenovo, Dell, and HP laptops. You can alternatively use a special adapter to get it to work with old laptop chargers or MagSafe adapters.

Oh, and the smaller internal resistance and superior conductivity of the battery means that the temperature rise is lower than it would be with regular traditional batteries — thereby making it safer. This is underlined by the fact that cell swelling and burning will supposedly never happen with a graphene-based battery.

“The key part of this project is the battery cell,” Wade Lam, the product manager at manufacturer Elecjet, told Digital Trends. “Our partner CellsX has spent 13 years in graphene composite battery R&D.”

If you would like to get your hands on an Apollo USB-C power pack, you can currently place a pre-order on Kickstarter. So far, the project has far exceeded its original $10,000 funding target, with plenty of time left on the clock. Prices start at $59 for a power pack, USB-C to C cable, and instructions. Additional options — with extra adapters — are also available. Shipping is set to take place in March 2018.

So, to recap: Smaller, safer, faster, more convenient. Provided this works as promised, consider us sold!

Editors’ Recommendations

• The Saber portable power pack can keep your MacBook pro running for days
• Asus VivoBook Pro N580 review
• Asus ZenBook Flip S review
• GoGoToro’s Pokémon-inspired Gamer Series Power Banks don’t skimp on style
• No matter the shape, turn any bicycle into an ebike with the Swytch kit

We rounded up every hot smartphone for an ultimate camera showdown

The camera has quickly and easily become one of the most important features of a smartphone. We’re capturing more and more photos every day, and it’s all largely thanks to the simplicity of tapping a shutter icon to snap a shot, as well as the abundance of the camera phone. In 2017, we saw an astounding number of excellent cameras on flagship smartphones ranging from $500 to $1,000. We took eight of our favorite smartphones of the year on a trip to San Francisco, to see which we can crown as the best.

We’re testing the cameras on the iPhone X, LG V30, Google Pixel 2 XL, Samsung Galaxy S8, HTC U11, Huawei Mate 10 Pro, and the OnePlus 5T. But before we dive in, we should clarify our process behind this test.

Our goal is to test the experience of using the cameras on these phones as the average person. We didn’t dive into the settings to make some tweaks, and we made no edits to photos other than adjusting their size. We treated all phones the same — taking them out of a bag, pointing them at a subject, tapping on the subject, and pressing the shutter icon. We tried to mimic what the average person would do, which is simply opening the camera and taking a photo, without dealing with any specific camera settings.

Identifying the “best” photo is also a very subjective task. Sometimes there are clear winners, but there are disagreements as well. When we say we like a particular photo the most, that doesn’t mean it’s undisputedly the best. You may like something else, and that’s fine.

The test spans a few popular photo categories, but we’ll start first with the camera apps on these smartphones first.

Camera launch speed and interface

A phone that lets you access the camera quickly is a winner, and we’re happy to say all eight of these phones let you snap in seconds. Most Android phones, including the Pixel 2 XL, Note 8, S8, OnePlus 5T, and the HTC U11, let you double tap the power button to jump into the camera. The Huawei Mate 10 Pro and LG V30 mix it up by requiring you to double tap the volume down key (this is not the default function on the Mate 10 Pro). Alternatively, you can swipe up from the camera icon on the lock screen for both. The iPhone X is simply a swipe to the left from the lock screen. We found the most convenient and fastest way to launch the camera is with phones that opted for the default Android approach.

Which phones launch the camera app the quickest? It’s impossible to say — all the cameras launch instantly with next to no delay. It’s easier to spot shutter lag, which is the delay from when you tap the shutter icon to when the camera captures a shot. We found the iPhone X, Pixel 2 XL, and the Note 8 outperform the rest, but it’s a small win; the other devices are still incredibly quick. The LG V30 does seem to have the longest shutter lag, but not by much, and it’s far from a deal-breaker.

We believe the iPhone X, Pixel 2 XL, OnePlus 5T, LG V30, Galaxy S8, and the U11 all have the simplest camera interfaces. The Note 8 comes close, but it makes no mention of what you can access by swiping left or right (unlike the S8). The Huawei Mate 10 Pro’s interface has improved from earlier versions, but it’s still the weakest on the list; Pro mode is difficult to find at first, and there are a few features that aren’t fully explained. The Note 8, iPhone X, Mate 10 Pro, V30, S8, and U11 all take the cake for offering the most varied features, and the OnePlus 5T is easily the most bare bones camera app of the lot.

Photo categories:

Broad daylight

The clock tower at the San Francisco Ferry Building stood out as a ripe target for a camera comparison, and right off the bat we’ll say we like most of the photos here. It’s putting them next to each other where you see the subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences. The Pixel 2 XL and the HTC U11 shot our favorite images, because they capture a lot of detail and have good color accuracy. Of the two, we’d pick the U11’s photo as the Pixel 2’s photo looks a tad muted in comparison.

Take a look at the lines of the clock tower — they’re almost invisible on the rest of the phones. The California Republic flag right below the clock tower is another good point of focus: The flagpole is almost invisible on the iPhone X and the OnePlus 5T. Barring the Pixel 2 XL, the U11, and the OnePlus 5T, most of the skies have a slight purple-ish tint; it’s very faint on the iPhone X, but it’s obvious on the Mate 10 Pro. The Pixel 2 XL’s photo looks the most realistic here, but we would share the U11’s photo because the sky and the clock tower are a tad brighter and more vibrant.

The losers here came from the Huawei Mate 10 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S8. The photos are bland, there isn’t as much detail, and there are too many purple hues.

We take a lot of photos indoors, and the Christmas tree at Neiman Marcus in San Francisco made an ideal example. It’s easy to pick a winner here: The Pixel 2 XL. The Pixel’s photo just feels like Christmas: It’s warm, has brilliant detail, and there’s good dynamic range — you can see the blue sky through the oval dome at the top.

The HTC U11 is a very close second, and we wouldn’t be surprised if people thought it was better than the Pixel 2 XL. It has cooler tones, and ever-so-slightly better dynamic range at the dome. To clarify, poor dynamic range appears when one part of the photo that’s overexposed or too white, while another part of the photo is underexposed, or too dark. Good dynamic range can balance out the two, allowing you to see details in both bright and dim areas. The U11 and the Pixel 2 XL do a great job in this environment. We like the added warmth in the Pixel’s photo — the colors just pop — which is why it’s our favorite.

The HDR setting on many camera apps allows you achieve good dynamic range by taking multiple shots and combining them with software. We allowed the phones to use it if they turned it on automatically, but did not go out of our way to engage it, because average people simply don’t shoot that way. Some of the phones also offer extra options, under a “Pro” mode, that let you tweak all the settings to capture the perfect shot. It’s great that it’s available, but again, it’s not how a vast majority of people use their smartphone cameras. Most people take their phone out, launch the camera, and tap the shutter icon. That’s how we did it, and that’s how we’re judging these photos.

The iPhone X comes third, and it’s certainly a great photo. It’s has even more blue tones than the U11, and great dynamic range, but it does start to lose some detail in the Christmas tree — likely because the tree is a lot darker. The rest of the phones don’t do as well, but there are some merits: The Note 8 gets points for maintaining a little more detail, and the OnePlus 5T offers decent dynamic range. The poorest photos come from the Mate 10 Pro, because the colors look muted and almost grayscale, as well as the LG V30 and Galaxy S8, because the domes are way too overexposed.

Low-light

Taking photos in low light is even more challenging for a phone than in daylight. High-end smartphones have continued to get better in this category, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

In this photo of the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, the iPhone X, Galaxy Note 8, and the Galaxy S8 offer the sharpest photos, with solid detail. Take a look at the neon curls at the top of the “Castro” sign — they are sharpest on the photos taken by the aforementioned phones. The Google Pixel 2 XL is a close second, but there are elements of the photo that look slightly fuzzier and soft.

Our outright favorites come from the iPhone X, the Google Pixel 2 XL, and the OnePlus 5T. The rest of the photos are somewhat overexposed, and some are too yellow. We love the cool, dark nightclub vibes the Pixel photo gives off, but our top pick here is the iPhone X. Take a look at the yellow buildings to the left of the theater — the iPhone illuminates them more than the Pixel 2. We should note, the Pixel does have slightly better dynamic range; you can see more things inside the stores below the yellow buildings, as well as see the faint outline of the horizon in the distance.

The Mate 10 Pro does a solid job here as well, alongside the OnePlus 5T. Our least favorite photo goes to the HTC U11, which is too warm and slightly overexposed. The LG V30 isn’t great either — the static neon sign and several parts of the photo are blurry.

Food

Good lighting:

We’ve all taken our phones out before a delicious meal to snap a photo and share it on social media. You want your phone to accurately capture your beautifully plated meals. It’s difficult to choose a winner in our first test — a delicious meal at Darren’s Cafe in Fisherman’s Wharf — they’re all great photos.

Zoom into the details, and it becomes slightly easier to choose winners. Our overall favorite pick is the Pixel 2 XL and the OnePlus 5T, but they win at a very, very small margin. There’s good contrast in both photos, a spectacular dash of color, and excellent detail.

The HTC U11 also offers great detail, with the Mate 10 Pro and the Galaxy S8 coming in behind. The Note 8 is a tad blurry if you zoom in on the fried chicken, and so is the iPhone X. The worst offender is the V30 — you don’t need to zoom in to see the blur.

Color-wise, it’s an even tougher choice. The photos where the egg yolks pop are our favorites, including the Pixel 2 XL, U11, iPhone X, Galaxy S8, and the OnePlus 5T. The Note 8, V30, and the Mate 10 Pro were a tad bright, but it’s really hard to tell the difference at a first glance.

Our winners remain the Pixel 2 XL and the OnePlus 5T, but we’re incredibly impressed by the output of all these phones here.

Poor lighting:

It’s easier to draw out winners in a more challenging test — low-light food photography. Most restaurants have dim lighting, which can be problematic for food photographers. We had delectable ramen from Waraku in Japantown, but there’s very little lighting in the restaurant. We have a standout winner, though, and it’s the Pixel 2 XL. It manages to capture a great deal of color, very little noise, and good details, offering a photo we’ll be happy sharing on Instagram.

The runner up is the iPhone X. There’s an overall red tint, but it still manages to capture some color, with a good amount of detail — it’s just not as sharp as the Pixel 2 XL. Close behind the iPhone are Samsung’s Note 8 and the Galaxy S8. The color balance is OK, and there’s a decent amount of detail. Next up is a tie between the V30 and the Mate 10 Pro, both of which also have a red tint, but colors are more muted. There’s not an egregious amount of grain, as the details are similar to the Note 8 and the S8.

Our poorest of the lot are the HTC U11 and the OnePlus 5T. The photos are blurry and too grainy, with muted colors; we likely would not share these if we had a choice.

Portrait Mode

It’s almost a requirement now to have some form of a Portrait Mode on flagship smartphones. Portrait Mode is when the subject stays in focus, and a blur effect (bokeh) is added to the background. Most flagship phones have some type of Portrait Mode in place, but there are still those that don’t. You won’t find a photo from the HTC U11 or the LG V30 here. The Galaxy S8 and Pixel 2 XL don’t use dual cameras to identify depth and add a blur — it’s purely software.

That being said, our top picks are the iPhone X, the Pixel 2 XL, and the Galaxy Note 8. The iPhone’s Portrait Mode photo is perhaps a tad too bright for us, but the colors feel natural and the blur is strong and DSLR-esque. The top of the subject’s head is a tad out of focus, but it works because the blur radiates as a circle from the main focal point.

The Pixel 2 XL’s Portrait Mode doesn’t radiate, but it accurately identifies the subject and does a great job of applying the blur around them — only a few strands of hair are blurred. The blur isn’t as strong as the Note 8 or the iPhone X, but it’s solid. The background is a little too muted, whereas the iPhone’s is vibrant and colorful. The Pixel’s photo does look the most natural.

The Note 8 doesn’t handle the subject’s skin tone very well — it’s a little pasty, but the blur is very strong and fairly accurate. There is an overall reddish hue we’re not too fond of in the photo. The Mate 10 Pro comes next, though is perhaps too saturated, and the blur can be a little jarring (look at the top of the subject’s head). The OnePlus 5T does a solid job with placing the blur around the subject, but the effect is very weak. The background looks oversaturated, and the skin tone is worse than the Note 8.

The worst, unexpectedly, is the Galaxy S8. Samsung never emphasized this mode in the phone, and for good reason. The result looks photoshopped, and the blurring is visibly wrong in some places.

In lesser lighting, Portrait Mode may not work as well. Our photo here is in front of the Golden Gate Bridge, as the sun started to make its way down. We were largely in the shade, though, so the lighting isn’t as strong as the previous photo. We left in photos taken with the HTC U11 and the LG V30, so you can compare the difference between a standard portrait photo and one taken with Portrait Mode.

Our top choice is the iPhone X, which offers excellent dynamic range (the background is perfectly exposed). The background is also vibrant and colorful with a strong blur, and you can see a lot of detail on the subject: great details, great blur. The Pixel 2 XL is the runner up. There’s a bit of grain on the subject, but it’s well-detailed, and offers excellent dynamic range like the iPhone. The background isn’t as vibrant or colorful, though.

The rest of the photos are largely just OK. The OnePlus follows behind the Pixel due to its good dynamic range and solid details, but the blurring isn’t as accurate around the subject. The overall photo is a tad too dim. The Mate 10 Pro is next, with a detailed photo and good blur, but the background is overexposed. The subject’s skin tone is a little too pasty.

The poorest Portrait Mode photos came from the S8, which has poor blur accuracy, jarring bokeh, and the photo is just too dim. The Note 8 is not good at all either — the background is completely overexposed, and that ruins the rest of the photo.

We’re not going to compare the photos from the LG V30 and the U11, because they did not have a Portrait Mode. The photos are good, but it highlights what Portrait Mode can do to make them great.

Selfie

But what about selfies? Selfies may be one of the most popular uses of camera phones, but unfortunately most smartphones don’t put a lot of focus on the front camera as much as the rear one.

Our pick is easy here: The Pixel 2 XL. It offers a great amount of detail and looks sharp, and best of all there’s still a good dynamic range in the background. The iPhone X, HTC U11, Note 8, and V30 follow suit with solid detail, but the U11 stands out for its brilliantly blue sky, and great dynamic range. The overall photo is a little too dim, though. The rest of the phones in the aforementioned list have overexposed backgrounds.

We like the Mate 10 Pro’s details on the subject — it even surpasses some of the phones we just mentioned, but it’s ruined by its pathetic attempt at dynamic range. The background is far too white. The Galaxy S8’s photo is too soft, and it suffers from a very white background as well.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

iPhone X

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Google Pixel 2 XL

Two phones stand out even further for offering a Portrait Mode with the selfie camera — the iPhone X and the Pixel 2 XL. The Pixel blows the iPhone out of the competition here. The photo is rich in detail, it’s sharp, has great dynamic range, and a solid blur. The iPhone’s blur feels out of place, and the overexposed background is disappointing.

Special features

Some of these smartphones have special features, like the Huawei Mate 10 Pro’s black and white mode; the LG V30’s wide-angle lens; the iPhone X’s studio lighting features for a more personalized portrait; and the Note 8, Mate 10 Pro, and iPhone X’s 2x optical zoom. We explore these features in our full-length reviews of these phones, and we recommend you check them out there.

So which is the best?

If you haven’t noticed, there’s one phone that’s been in our top picks for almost every category, and that’s Google’s Pixel 2 XL. It’s truly the best camera phone of the year, with its spectacular dynamic range, great color accuracy, brilliant details, and overall reliable performance in all types of lighting conditions.

The iPhone X is our runner up, stealing the show with the rear camera Portrait Mode. HTC has cemented third place, and we honestly think it’s one of the most underrated smartphones of the year.

The rest of the phones in our comparison are by no means bad camera phones at all. They take excellent photos, and have genuinely good features that make them fun to use. But they’re not the cream of the crop.

These smartphones may have great cameras, but there’s a lot more to a phone. Check out our smartphone reviews to learn more about what each phone has to offer.

Editors’ Recommendations

• OnePlus 5T review
• Google Pixel 2 XL review
• HTC U11 Life review
• LG V30 review
• OnePlus 5T vs. Pixel 2: Battle of the Android superstars

Oreo for the OnePlus 5T coming as early as this week

The wait will soon be over.

The OnePlus 5T is one heck of a phone, and while there’s not much to complain about, one slight annoyance is with the fact that it shipped with (and is still running) Android Nougat. OnePlus has already updated the OnePlus 3, 3T, and 5 to 8.0 Oreo, and it looks like the 5T will soon get its own taste of Android’s latest.

OnePlus’s Germany Twitter account sent out a Tweet on December 27 with a message that translates to “Christmas is over, but we still have a present for you! 😉 How about the Open Beta for Android Oreo on the #OnePlus5T?”

We’d expect the Oreo open beta to be available for the 5T within the next few days, and when this happens, OnePlus should launch it in all of its supported countries (not just Germany).

Weihnachten ist zwar vorbei, aber wir haben trotzdem ein Geschenk für euch! 😉 Wie wär’s mit der Open Beta für Android Oreo auf dem #OnePlus5T! pic.twitter.com/LvKR3A6duC

— OnePlus Deutschland (@OnePlus_DE) December 27, 2017

The OnePlus 5T’s software experience is already pretty fantastic, but additions like picture-in-picture, Google’s Autofill API, and adaptive notification icons will only make it better.

Oreo stable update now rolling out to the OnePlus 5, Face Unlock coming soon

OnePlus 5T and OnePlus 5

• OnePlus 5T review: Come for the value, not the excitement
• OnePlus 5T specs
• Should you upgrade from the OnePlus 3T?
• OnePlus 5T vs. Galaxy S8: Beast mode
• All of the latest OnePlus 5T news
• Join the discussion in the forums

OnePlus
Amazon

Connect Anker’s compact Bluetooth keyboard to your phone for $19

Freshen up your desk space with some new accessories by Anker

Anker’s ultra compact Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard is now on sale at Amazon for just $18.99 when you enter promo code ANKERKYB at checkout. This deal saves you $5 off its regular price.

This slim keyboard has a rechargeable battery that lasts for six months between charges (based on two hours of use per day). It can be used with your smartphone, tablet or computer via Bluetooth or with the included USB cable.

If you’re in need of a wireless mouse, the Wireless Vertical Mouse by Anker is on sale for $13.99 when you enter promo code ANKERMIC at checkout.

These products all come with an 18-month warranty.

See at Amazon

Instagram now shows posts from accounts you don’t follow in your main feed

Like it or not, recommended posts are now part of your feed.

Throughout December alone, Instagram’s made some fairly big updates to its main feed. The middle of the month saw a new option to follow hashtags to keep up to date with trends/topics that you’re interested in, and just about a week ago, Instagram started rolling out an in-line comment feature to make it even faster to leave your thoughts on photos/videos.

Now, Instagram is launching a new “Recommended for You” section in your main feed that shows posts from accounts you don’t follow that it thinks you’ll like. Instagram has made sure this section of posts looks different from regular accounts/hashtags you follow, and TechCrunch says Recommended for You shows between three and five posts at a time.

Instagram’s been showing recommended content in the Explore tab for a while now, but this is the first time we’ve seen the social network push these recommendations into the main feed. You can’t permanently remove the recommended posts, but tapping on the three dots and then the “Hide” option will make these disappear until you’ve gone through all of the new ones from who you’re actually following.

It’s good that Instagram isn’t completely forcing this new feature down users’ throats, but we can’t imagine this is a change that’ll be welcomed with open arms. What are your thoughts on all of this?

Instagram’s Android app gets ‘add a comment’ button in main feed

New ThinQ Speaker brings LG into the smart home game using Google Assistant

This was basically an inevitability.

LG is continuing its tradition of pre-announcing things ahead of big trade shows, and has just dropped details on some of its home audio lineup for CES 2018. There are some new portable speakers and sound bars, but the most interesting part of the announcement is the new “ThinQ Speaker.” The ThinQ Speaker brings Google Assistant in yet another package, joining the ranks of several other companies that announced similar devices earlier this year.

LG had announced Google Assistant compatibility with its appliances and other devices as well, so it was only a matter of time before we got a Google Home-like speaker running Assistant as well. It makes sense that LG would want to have something from its own brand out there as the voice conduit for controlling your other LG devices. If that “ThinQ” brand looks familiar at all, it’s because LG announced that would be its brand going forward for its connected and “smart” home products. Presumably that’s pronounced as “think” — we sure hope so.

Beyond simply being a Google Assistant device, LG is touting that its partnership with Meridian Audio will provide better quality than comparable speakers out there. To that point, LG calls the ThinQ Speaker a “premium audio product” and refers to it offering “high-quality sound in addition to its smart capabilities. Despite its focus on quality, given what looks like a relatively compact size we can only guess it’ll land somewhere above the standard Google Home but obviously well under the Google Home Max.

LG naturally isn’t giving us pricing or availability information, which is standard for one of these pre-CES announcements, but we sure hope it comes in competitively as this market gets increasingly saturated.

Press release:

LG UNVEILS 2018 SPEAKER LINEUP WITH PREMIUM SOUND, EASE OF USE AND SMART CAPABILITIES

Latest Audio Products Bring Great Sound and Advanced Intelligence to Audiophiles and Casual Listeners Alike

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Dec. 27, 2017 — LG Electronics (LG) is announcing its premium lineup of audio products that promises to change the way people think about home speakers. New for 2018 is Meridian Audio’s advanced high-performance audio technology that delivers more natural and warm sound. From immersive Dolby Atmos® sound bars to portable Bluetooth speakers and its latest artificial intelligence (AI) speaker, LG has something for everyone this year.

“Sound technology has come a long way since LG introduced the first radio to the Korean market almost 60 years ago,” said Tim Alessi, head of product marketing at LG Electronics USA. “Our latest lineup of audio products has been designed for those listeners who value premium sound with smart-enabled capabilities, and demonstrates how LG continues to push the boundaries on how people enjoy music and movies.”

The Next Wave of Sound Bars

The new SK10Y sound bar delivers 550W of powerful output and supports 5.1.2 channels by harnessing the power of Dolby Atmos technology. A unique aspect of the technology is that “sound objects” can be precisely placed anywhere in a three-dimensional space for an immersive sound from all directions, including the ceiling, which enhances realism and the effect of being in the middle of the action. To create such powerful, textured sound, the SK10Y is equipped with multiple speakers – including a pair of powerful up-firing speakers – to surround the listener from every angle. Users can adjust the volume of the up-firing speakers to optimize the sound with the height of the ceiling in room.

With LG’s partnership with Meridian Audio, the SK10Y speaker benefits from innovative audio enhancements designed to deliver an unsurpassed listening experience. As a pioneer of high-performance, high-fidelity audio and an authority on Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and the field of psychoacoustics, Meridian equipped the SK10Y with a high level of performance including its Bass and Space technology that gives listeners a rich, uncompromising sound. Meridian’s Height Elevation technology raises sound above the sound bar to the level of the screen, bringing extra clarity to speech and music. The LG SK10Y is also compatible with high-quality lossless audio files to perfectly recreate sound recorded in the studio.

From a design perspective, the SK10Y’s harmonious, modern-looking edges and slim profile allows it to seamlessly fit underneath many of LG’s 2018 OLED or SUPER UHD TV models. The device is also extremely accessible, with full connectivity to hubs, speakers and other smart devices supporting Chromecast. Simply say “OK Google” to easily request to begin playing your favorite song, podcast or audio clip from your favorite online streaming service.

Portable Speakers for Any Occasion

LG’s portable PK series speaker enables premium sound and mood lighting features in a fun, convenient package that can be taken anywhere. And with Meridian Audio’s advanced technologies, the PK speakers offer powerful and undistorted bass, as well as optimized speech and vocals. Furthermore, these speakers are compatible with the APT-X HD Bluetooth standard for streaming 24-bit music over a wireless connection for a listening experience that comes close to the original.

Premium Speaker with Google Assistant

LG is also announcing its first premium smart AI audio product, the LG ThinQ Speaker, which not only produces high-quality sound but comes with Google Assistant built in. LG teamed up with Google to ensure that the LG ThinQ Speaker delivers all the conveniences that come with having a digital assistant at your side. And LG ThinQ Speaker isn’t only a smart companion, it is also a personalized voice-activated interface for LG’s smart home appliances.

Speakers for Getting the Party Started

For all the party-goers and music producers, LG has several speakers that combine powerful audio capabilities. These all-in-one speakers offer a variety of features designed to get everyone on the dance floor moving, such as 1,800W output, DJ capabilities, karaoke modes and lights. What’s more, the newest party speakers feature durable form factors, easy-to-use interfaces and many connectivity options to download or stream an unlimited number of dance tracks.

Hackers say Nintendo’s hidden golf game on Switch is gone

Back in September, intrepid hackers prying into the Nintendo Switch found a game hidden in the system’s code: FLOG, a version of the classic NES title ‘Golf.’ After further examination, the dataminers found that you could only access it on July 11th, and guessed that the game was a tribute to the late, great Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, who passed away on that day earlier this year. In other words, you could play it if you fudged the date on your console and didn’t connect it to the internet — until now. Hackers reported that the latest Switch update (4.0.0) wipes FLOG from the console’s firmware.

Switch update 4.0.0 stubs “flog” — all code to launch it removed, and flog executable overwritten with (signed) garbage. https://t.co/6Q47sHn7Ud

— Michael (@SciresM) December 24, 2017

Nintendo had previously refused to acknowledge FLOG, let alone say whether it was a conscious tribute to Iwata (more proof: You can only access it by pointing your Joy-Con controllers outward, as Iwata had done during Switch demonstrations). Sadly, it seems the old golf simulator game is gone, along with any notion whether it was part of a larger effort to emulate games from the NES.

Via: Polygon

Source: SwitchBrew