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8
Jan

Intel RealSense Depth Camera D415 & D435 review


In recent years the humble webcam has enjoyed something of a renaissance. Thanks to the proliferation of streaming and vlogging, there’s now a need for better cameras with more high-tech features. Webcam manufacturers have responded by putting out tons of affordable, high-quality cams designed for professional broadcasting use, and companies like Razer are even releasing streamer-centric cams with built in light fixtures.

But Intel has entered the premium-webcam arena with something of an unusual offering, the RealSense D415 and D435 webcams. There’s a bit more to these cameras than meets the eye, though — these guys are depth cameras, meaning they can distinguish you from your background.

Could they be the ultimate solution for streamers? Maybe — but here’s why they probably aren’t ready to take that title.

How they work

Normal webcams just sit on top of your monitor and record visible light, just like the front facing camera on your smartphone. Intel’s RealSense cameras go one step further, they record visible light — and invisible, infrared light. This gives these cameras the ability to create a three dimensional depth map of your surroundings. That’s right: These cams don’t just see you, they know where you are, the dimensions of your surroundings, and how perilously close that soda can is to your keyboard.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Both of these cameras feature the same output resolution and framerate, 1920x1080p at 30 frames-per-second, both feature the same tripod mount underneath the camera body, and they have solid, brushed aluminum bodies. But the similarities end there, internally, the cameras have very different capabilities.

The Intel RealSense D415 is the entry level model, starting at $149 and has a slightly pared down feature set than its more expensive cousin, the RealSense D435. More significantly, the depth sensor inside the RealSense D415 is limited to a 69 degree field of view horizontally, and ten meters of depth, which is a fairly narrow range. But it’s all right if you’re just going to be sitting right in front of it for a Twitch, YouTube or Mixer stream.

RealSense offers an intriguing glimpse at the future of depth tracking, but that’s about it.

Sure all that sounds cool, but why would one of these cameras, in the future, be worth buying? Well, like we stated earlier, the first thing that comes to mind would for professional streamers. With the right software, one of these cameras could make your surroundings disappear without the use of a green screen.

Instead, the cameras would use their depth sensors, IR blasters, and digital witchcraft to separate you from your background. Sure beats wrestling with a green sheet or collapsible greenscreen you’ll have to clamp to some kind of stand behind you.

Plus, the Intel page describing the capabilities of the cameras strongly suggests that they could be used for some really cool gesture tracking. Now have we seen them do any of these things in our time with the devices in our office? Unfortunately, not at all.

The bottom line

Here’s the truth: If you bought one of these cool cameras today, you’d end up with a device that doesn’t really do much of anything. Right now, its software suite is literally just a development kit. So, to use them in any capacity, you would have to write the software yourself.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Let’s be very up front about something: These cameras are probably not for you. If you want a new webcam for streaming, look elsewhere, these things are cool but they’re essentially just fancy development tools. I know, we were disappointed too. These cams are just development tools, and for most people, they’re just empty promises at this point.

They’re designed for developers who want to use depth sensing for a variety of different applications — all of which will not be ready to test out for quite some time. That said, we might get a closer look at Intel’s plans for the RealSense depth cameras at CES this year, so stay tuned.

Thing is, there’s a lot of cool stuff these cameras could do, but not very much they can do currently. Because of the impressive technology they’re built on, they could, for instance, be used for gesture tracking, and all kinds of Minority Report-style interactivity. There are even some apps you can download from Intel’s GitHub to test these features out. And yes, that’s right, this project is so early in its development that the software it uses is all available on GitHub rather than some clean and tidy Intel-hosted installer file.

These two cameras offer an intriguing glimpse at the future of depth tracking, but that’s about it. If you’re a developer, head over to Intel’s developer portal for the RealSense cameras and see if they might be right for your project, but for everyone else, there’s nothing to see here folks. These aren’t products, they’re tools.

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8
Jan

Intel’s new Realsense depth cameras work just as well outside as they do indoors


For its next-generation of Realsense depth-sensing cameras, Intel has upgraded them to be just as capable outdoors as they are indoors, meaning you can use them for video calls and Windows Hello logins even when you’re in your sunny backyard. They also operate at longer range than their predecessors and have their own dedicated image signal processor for adjustments and scaling color data.

Although once the reserve of spy movies, facial recognition technology is as simple today as sticking a stereoscopic 3D webcam on your laptop, and Intel’s Realsense depth-sensing cameras have proved one of the most popular ranges. The latest generation is likely to continue that trend with significant improvements to all of their most important features.

Indeed making sure you’re running the latest hardware and software can make Windows Hello much more secure.

The two new options in the D400 range, the D415 and D435 cameras were shown off at this year’s CES and are available to buy now from Intel’s store. No word yet if they’re going to end up helping Intel make VR movies, though.

Intel Realsense D415

Key Specs


Use environment: Indoor/Outdoor


Depth technology: Active IR Stereo (Rolling Shutter)


Depth FOV (HxVxD/degrees): 69.4 x 42.5 x 77


Depth output resolution: 1280 x 720


RGB resolution: 1080p @ 30 fps


Maximum range: 10m+


Physical dimensions (LxDxH): 99mm x 20mm x 23mm

The D415 might be the lower-end model of this new generation of depth-sensing cameras, but that doesn’t mean it lacks for features. Like its bigger brother below, it sports the same 10-meter maximum range in ideal conditions, and full depth output of 1280 x 720 up to 90 frames per second. For more standard video calling and images, it goes up to 1080p at 30 fps.

Whatever you use it for, it’s powered by just a single USB connection and has a UNC screw mount should you wish to mount it on a tripod and a pair of M3 thread mounting points.

Those stats combined make this a very capable camera for both facial detection systems like Windows Hello and more traditional video calls. The fact that it works so well outdoors now will be a boon to those who like to work and play on their system in their yard. Instead of having to step back inside for a video call on a bright day, you can stay where you’re most comfortable and enjoy the outdoors while conversing with someone anywhere in the world.

As well as end users, Intel is marketing this camera to professionals, suggesting that integrators and developers should consider utilizing the camera to integrate depth sensing into their new application. Any such developers will be able to leverage the support of Intel’s RealSense SDK 2.0, too.

Available now on Intel’s store, you can pick up one of these cameras for $150.

8
Jan

iHome Voice is a Google Assistant-powered alarm clock that adds a dot-matrix display and buttons


This feels like a natural expansion.

Google Assistant is poised to be a major talking point at CES 2018, and iHome is taking a swing at its own device running Google’s AI experience. The iHome Voice is basically a wide-looking Google Home with a few extra buttons and a dot-matrix style display on the front that makes it perfectly positioned to be an alarm clock.

ihome-alarm-clock-press-render.jpg?itok=

Just like the old iHome docks we all know, it has a set of buttons on the top to perform basic functions, but it also has this simple display on the front showing the time, upcoming alarm and volume level. This immediately makes it more appealing as an alarm clock than the all-voice Google Home and Home Mini. It also has a USB port on the back to charge your phone at night, and since it’s only a 1A output it won’t be useful for more than overnight charges anyway.

The rest of the experience rounds out basically like a regular Google Home. It has far-field array mics for voice commands, and a big speaker in the base for music, podcasts or news reports in the morning while you get your day started.

Pricing is set at $139, a $10 premium over the standard Google Home. That may be a slightly steep price to pay for something that’s not as sleek and versatile as the Home in terms of placement, but getting an actual display and some physical buttons that make it far better as an alarm clock is probably worth the extra money if that’s your plan for this kind of device.

See at iHome

8
Jan

What’s in Hayato Huseman’s gear bag?


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It takes a lot of gear to be a versatile and efficient tech blogger.

I do a decent amount of moving around for my job here at Android Central. When I’m writing or editing video, I usually stay home, but it can be hard to stay on task with my games and guitars sitting just a few feet away — so when I get stir-crazy, it’s time to pack up and migrate to the local coffee shop. Then there’s the trade shows and press events that pull me away from Indianapolis entirely for days at a time.

No matter where I am, I need to be able to carry all of my gear with me. You never know when a photo or video opportunity might arise, and there’s never a bad time to write or listen to music. Here are the things I carry whenever I travel for work.

The bag: Peak Design Everyday Backpack

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I’ve been searching for the perfect backpack for years, and I think I’ve finally found the one from Peak Design. The Everyday Backpack comes in two sizes — 20 liters or 30 liters — and boasts one of the cleverest designs I’ve ever seen in a bag.

The Everyday Backpack is clever, convenient, and weather-sealed.

The Everyday Backpack features three adjustable dividers for organizing your things, with foldable subdividers that help keep smaller items from moving around. They attach with velcro, meaning you can move the dividers around to best fit the contents of the bag. You can unzip the Everyday Backpack from the sides, making it easier to access your things at the bottom without having to take everything else out first. The top of the bag is attached by a large magnet, making it easy to attach but locking it in place to prevent unwanted access.

If backpacks aren’t your style, Peak Design makes a few other bag styles, too. Andrew Martonik uses the Everyday Sling, and the company offers a number of messenger bags, totes, and pouches.

See at Amazon

The laptop: MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (Late 2016)

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Around this time last year, Apple released the first iteration of its new lineup of MacBook Pros … yep, the ones with the weird Touch Bar that replaces the function row. It’s usually not recommended to buy first-gen products, but my previous laptop was on its last leg, so against popular advice I ordered one as soon as it was available. While it’s certainly not perfect, I’m glad I bought it — especially now that I’m regularly editing 4K video.

I’ve gone all-in on USB-C, so the lack of Type-A ports doesn’t bother me, but a year later I’m still constantly frustrated at the omission of an SD card reader on an otherwise professional-grade laptop. Still, the specs inside are plenty capable for my workflow; a 2.6GHz Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and an Intel HD 530 GPU.

Despite what you might’ve heard about the Touch Bar MacBook Pro’s battery life, I’ve actually been really happy with how long mine lasts. When it does finally run down, I absolutely love that I can charge it with a USB-C cable, since that allows me to carry just one charger for my laptop, my phone, and pretty much everything else I use. Touch ID is super convenient as well, though it doesn’t always work as well as I’d like.

The Touch Bar MacBook Pro is unconventional and often inconvenient, and if Final Cut Pro X worked on Windows I might’ve opted for something like a Dell XPS 15 instead, but overall I’m happy with my purchase. It handles large 4K videos seamlessly, and it’s light enough that I hardly notice it in my bag.

See at Amazon

The phone: OnePlus 5T

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It doesn’t have the glitz of the Galaxy Note 8 or the insane camera of the Pixel 2, but the OnePlus 5T has been my phone of choice for the last few months. Before it, I carried the OnePlus 5, so I’ve been spending a lot of time with OxygenOS this past year. It’s almost identical to stock Android, but a bit more customizable without having to go as far as flashing a custom ROM.

Face Unlock has been great for the winter.

I love the 5T’s 2:1 aspect ratio, and I’m surprised at how much I’ve really been enjoying the new face unlock software — especially now that we’re regularly dipping into subzero temperatures here in Indianapolis, and fingerprint sensors aren’t exactly known to work through gloves.

The rest of the phone is stellar, too; the Snapdragon 835 and 8GB of RAM mean that it’s going to take a lot to slow the 5T down, and its upcoming Oreo update will bring some nice features over from the Pixel, like picture-in-picture Google Maps and YouTube. If you’re shopping for a new phone and you’re sitting around a $500 budget, it’s really hard to go wrong with the OnePlus 5T.

See at OnePlus

The carrier: T-Mobile

As far as the SIM card that goes into my phone, that duty belongs to the Un-carrier. Full disclaimer: I worked for T-Mobile off and on for nearly four years. While I don’t get the employee pricing anymore, I do still appreciate features like free WiFi on airplanes and free international data roaming (though the speeds you’ll get overseas are abysmal).

It also helps that I have a GSM carrier handy for this job, since most of the review units we handle won’t work with CDMA carriers like Verizon or Sprint. Luckily, T-Mobile works great in most of the parts of Indianapolis and Chicago that you’ll normally find me … but I’d be lying if I said it’s good everywhere. My last few visits to Manhattan and Brooklyn were full of 3G speeds. I don’t want to talk about it.

The camera: Panasonic GH5

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I spent every day of 2017 going back and forth between sticking with Panasonic or moving to Sony for my next camera upgrade. My Panasonic GH3 was still a great workhorse video camera, but it didn’t shoot in 4K — an increasingly desirable feature these days, even if you export in 1080p. It also didn’t have a lot of the software features many filmmakers today would consider essential, like focus peaking or histograms.

The GH5 is one of the most versatile cameras I’ve ever used.

When I started at Mobile Nations, one of my first assignments was pretty video-centric, which meant it was time to finally upgrade. It made the most financial sense for me to stick with Panasonic since I already had a fairly expensive lens for my GH3, so I finally decided on the GH5, and I’m really, really glad I did.

The GH5 has just about everything you could want on a prosumer level; 4K video at 60 frames per second, a flat color profile for more flexible grading in post, dual SD card slots for redundancy, and even USB-C so I can copy my footage to my computer without a stupid dongle. The image quality looks incredible, and with a fast enough lens, it’s even pretty decent in low light.

Most of the time, I carry my GH5 with a Peak Design Slide Pro strap. It connects with small quick-release anchors attached to the camera, and the adjustment system is designed for one-handed use, which is super convenient.

See at Amazon

The lens: Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8

Yep, just one lens. I’ve been using Panasonic’s popular 12-35 exclusively for the last couple of years now, and it’s been an incredibly versatile piece of glass. With an f/2.8 aperture, it’s bright and sharp, and you can really pull some great bokeh out of it under the right conditions. On top of that, it’s relatively compact, and I absolutely love the built-in stabilization.

I won’t lie, though — I’ve been eyeing Sigma’s new native 16mm f/1.4 lately. Maybe it’ll show up in my next bag post.

See at Amazon

The mic: RodeLink Wireless Filmmaker Kit

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It’s hard to beat the convenience of wireless audio. When I was with Daniel Bader and Andrew Martonik for the OnePlus 5T event a few months ago, we used Daniel’s wireless lav kit from Rode for all of our audio, and it worked out great. The sound quality was excellent, and to my surprise, the wireless signal had no discernible latency, so I was still able to monitor audio directly from my GH5’s onboard headphone jack.

The RodeLink lav kit comes in three parts: a receiver that attaches to the hot shoe mount on your camera, a transmitter that clips onto the talent, and of course the lavalier microphone itself. All three pieces fit pretty easily into my bag, so I never have to go anywhere without a way of capturing high-quality audio.

See at Amazon

Everything else

For the sake of versatility, I like to carry as much video gear as I can without weighing my bag down too much, and the Edelkrone SliderOne is a perfect example. It’s a 6″ video slider that I can use either on a table or on my tripod to get smooth movement in my shots.

Attached to the bottom is the Motion Module, which adds a bit of heft to the SliderOne but allows me to automate its movements with an app on my phone. It’s a bit finicky, but this combo has helped me get some nice-looking shots in my videos, and being able to carry a slider around with me is just so damn cool.

If you have a USB-C laptop, you owe it to yourself to get a portable battery bank like this.

I also don’t go anywhere without my Tylt Portable Battery 10X, which carries a whopping 20,100mAh and charges in and out with USB-C. It’s a hefty battery and takes up more space in my bag than I’d sometimes like, but the massive capacity means I’m never worried about running out of juice on any of my gadgets — it even charges my 15″ MacBook Pro, which has been a lifesaver for mobile video editing.

Speaking of lifesavers, Sony’s newest noise-canceling headphones, the WH1000XM2, have become an essential part of my everyday life — backpack or not. Like the Bose QC35, these cans have incredible active noise-canceling, which is especially handy for working in loud coffee shops or blocking out engine noise on a plane. On top of that, they sound great, too, and the battery lasts for days at a time.

Once you try the Samsung T5, it’s hard to go back to slower storage.

For storage, I carry around a 1TB Samsung T5 SSD. It’s lighting fast, well-built, and it’s about as small as a credit card. I was hesitant to pick one of these up because of the hefty price, but the first time I transfered a 20GB file in less than a minute … well, it’s pretty hard to go back to anything else after that. The T5 plugs in through USB-C, and comes with both a double-sided Type-C cable and an A-to-C cable.

Finally, let’s touch on the loose ends. I carry a few cables around; the two cables included with the T5 SSD, and a longer USB-C cable to charge my laptop or phone with the Tylt battery bank. I also use that longer cable to plug the GH5 into my laptop for file transfers, but I also carry a Hootoo Shuttle USB-C hub with a built-in SD card reader just in case.

There are always a few spare batteries in the side compartment of my bag — two Canon LP-E6 batteries for my slider, and a Panasonic BLF19 battery for my GH5. I also carry a variable ND filter from Platinum in case I need to shoot in direct sunlight.

That’s everything I carry when I’m traveling for work! Have any recommendations for new gear I should try, or how your carry might differ from mine? Spill it in the comments!

8
Jan

What Pixel 2 color do you like the best?


Just Black and Black & White take the cake for most buyers.

Similar to the first Pixel, the Pixel 2’s design has proven to be a bit polarizing. Some people love the look of the phone, but others aren’t so keen on it.

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The use of glass and metal on the back certainly is unique, and one of the things that help to keep the phone looking as good as can be are the different colors that you can choose from. Between the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, available colors include Just Black, Clearly White, Kinda Blue, and Black & White.

Some of our forum users recently got to talking about which color they preferred and why, and this is what they had to say:

default.jpghallux
01-07-2018 10:15 PM

I have a “Panda” with a clear Spigen Liquid Crystal case on it. Liking it. I haven’t been a fan of white phones before because of the white bezel on the front, with this now having a black bezel I decided to take a leap…

Reply

avatar2545374_4.gifEMGSM
01-07-2018 05:49 PM

I got the black one and love it. If I want a different look, I’ll just put a skin on it. It’s your money and your choice.

Reply

avatar2993012_1.gifPrath09
01-07-2018 06:55 PM

I like the Black look actually. Although I have had the cement fabric case on it since I got it. The colour plus the mint button is nice ;), although id prefer it naked but i’m not risking it :p

Reply

avatar2394457_1.gifoks10
01-07-2018 07:33 PM

I have the panda bc I just don’t like black phones. My last phone was an S7 Edge. Had to get black in order to meet a promo deadline so I ended up putting a skin on it. I got a skin for my Panda one too but just for the back glass piece to keep dust/dirt from scratching it if it happened to get in the case.

Like others said though, get what you like and if you don’t want to trade phones then…

Reply

What about you – Which Pixel 2/2 XL color is your favorite?

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8
Jan

International Huawei P10 and P10 Plus get Android Oreo beta


Here’s how to join.

Save for the strangely absent oleophobic coating underneath the pre-installed screen protector, the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus proved to be excellent phones in early 2017 with great cameras, long battery life, and strong hardware design. Both phones shipped with Android 7.0 Nougat, but now in January 2018, Huawei is rolling out an official Oreo beta.

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Android Oreo’s already arrived in a stable form to the P10 and P10 Plus in China, so this beta is for the international variant of the phones. Supported units must have software versions VTR-L09C432B180, VTR-L29C432B180, VKY-L09C432B181, or VKY-L29C432B181, and assuming you have one of the following, enrolling in the beta is quite simple.

With your P10 or P10 Plus, install the Huawei Beta app, open it and log into your account, and then go to Personal -> Join project -> Available projects. Once you do this, you’ll receive an OTA update for the Oreo beta to immediately download and install onto your phone.

Huawei hasn’t said when a stable version of Oreo will launch for the international P10 and P10 Plus, but seeing as how there’s already a beta, our guess is that it should be here within the next few weeks.

Huawei P10 + P10 Plus review: Great phones, with one fatal flaw

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8
Jan

Asus ZenFone Max Plus launching in North America for $229


And I cannot lie.

We saw a load of mid-range phones released in 2017, and unless there’s a big shift in the market, we’ll likely see a lot in 2018, too. The Asus ZenFone Max Plus was a mid-ranger that first announced in late November, but now during CES 2018, Asus has announced that it’s bringing the phone to North America.

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Asus’s ‘Max’ series of smartphones is best-known for having large batteries, and the ZenFone Max Plus is no exception to this rule. There’s a 4,130 mAh battery that’s promised to offer 26 days of standby time, and while that is smaller than the 5,000 mAh unit included on the ZenFone Max that came out in 2016, the Plus appears to be a much nicer all-around phone.

In addition to a metal body that comes in three colors, the ZenFone Max Plus has a 5.7-inch ‘Full View Display’ with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The bezels aren’t the slimmest we’ve ever seen, but they’re also far from obnoxious.

A fingerprint sensor is on the back of the phone for quickly unlocking it, but of course, Asus is also including its new Face Unlock feature just a few months after the iPhone X’s launch. It remains to be seen how well this actually works, but phones like the OnePlus 5T have proven you don’t need to be Apple to create a genuinely good facial recognition system.

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The Asus ZenFone Max Plus will launch in North America in February for $229 with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

See at Asus

8
Jan

Build-your-own-computer maker Kano now lets kids build their own cameras


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Kano wants to teach kids how cameras work next!

My favorite pieces of kid tech over the last two years have come from the folks at Kano. This team is dedicated to teaching kids how electronics work through a combined hardware and software approach, and the results in my household are undeniable.

This week at CES the Kano team is showing off their next big kid, the Camera Kit. Like the computer kits, this new setup is all about giving kids the ability to explore and create once they understand how everything works.

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Kano’s early prototypes for the upcoming Camera Kit are on display at CES, and it’s easy to see how this is going to work. Kids will assemble a basic kit with a sensor, microphone, flash, and of course a durable casing with big, friendly buttons. The sensor is surrounded by the same LED ring you can find on the classic Kano computer kits, which means kids will be able to choose how the colors are displayed and learn how to use software to choose which lighting is best. This kit includes software to teach kids how to build their own photo filters and GIFs as well. The USB port on the side of the kit makes it easy to transfer photos back to your PC when picture time is over, making it easy for kids to see their creations.

There’s no launch date or pricing for this Camera Kit just yet, but Kano has a registration page open for anyone who wants to get their hands on this kit as soon as it is available. After that launch, it’s likely this kit will join the other Kano kits on shelves at stores all over the world.

See at Kano

8
Jan

JBL announces three headphones with Google Assistant built-in


Available this spring.

Bose was one of the first companies to release Google Assistant-powered headphones last year with the QuietComfort 35 II, and now JBL is trying its own hand at this with three new headphone options coming in at prices for just about everyone.

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At the lowest end is the Everest 110GA. These are in-ear headphones that promise eight hours of battery life, and they come with small, medium, and large ear-tips to help give you the best fit possible. The price of $99.95 isn’t necessarily cheap, but it’s considerably more affordable than Google’s own Pixel Buds.

Stepping up to $199.95 will get you the Everest 310GA. The biggest difference here is that these are on-ear headphones as opposed to the in-ear style of the 110GA, and you’ll also find much more battery life at 20 hours. The Everest 710GA (pictured above) is the most expensive of the bunch at $249.95, and it offers the best sound quality and battery life with a rating of 25 hours.

jbl_everest_ga%20110_mountainsilver_fron

All three of the headphones come with Google Assistant built-in, Bluetooth 4.1, JBL Pro Audio Sound, and ShareMe 2.0 (minus the 110GA).

You’ll be able to buy the headphones this spring from both JBL’s website and select retailers.

iHome Voice is a Google Assistant-powered alarm clock that adds a dot-matrix display and buttons

8
Jan

MrMobile’s frugal phone favorites


A thought occurred to me as I was reviewing the Galaxy Note 8 last year, and then it popped up again when I took a look at the iPhone X. A lot of people think you need to pay almost a thousand dollars for a good smartphone these days. And while you, the astute Android Central reader, might know this already, it bears repeating: you don’t.

For the past few weeks I’ve been using the Honor 7X, HTC U11 Life, and Motorola Moto X4, three midrange smartphones that bring a slew of special features not seen before in this price bracket (which runs from $200 to $400 unlocked). That’s not the most affordable collection of smartphones you can get, nor is this roundup at all exclusive – but at the top of 2018, I believe it to be the sweet spot between frugality and a solid Android experience.

Join me for my take on the Best Midrange Smartphones at the top of 2018 – and be sure to check out the full Android Central reviews of the Honor 7X, HTC U11 Life and Moto X4 for the full story on these phones.

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