LG G7 ThinQ vs. LG G6: Out with the old, in with the new

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

LG officially launched its latest flagship — the LG G7 ThinQ. The latest addition to LG’s flagship G series, the G7 ThinQ brings a list of changes — from an updated look to a few new features. As the successor to the LG G6, how do the two stack up against each other? Let’s take a closer look and find out.

Specs

LG G7 ThinQ
 LG G6

Size
153.2 x 71.9 x 7.9mm (6.03 x 2.83 x 0.31 inches)
 148.9 × 71.9 × 7.9 millimeters (5.86 × 2.83 × 0.31 inches)

Weight
162 grams (5.71 ounces)
 163 grams (5.75 ounces)

Screen Size
6.1-inch IPS LCD touchscreen
 5.7-inch IPS LCD touchscreen

Screen Resolution
3,120 x 1,440 pixels (564 pixels-per-inch)
 2,880 × 1,440 pixels (564 pixels-per-inch)

Operating System
Android 8.0 Oreo
Android 7.0 Nougat (upgradeable to 8.0 Oreo)

Storage Space
64GB, 128GB
 32GB, 64GB, 128GB

MicroSD Card Slot
 Yes, up to 2TB
 Yes, up to 400GB

Tap To Pay Services
Android Pay
 Android Pay

Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821

RAM
4GB, 6GB
 4GB

Camera
Dual 16MP (with OIS) and 16MP wide angle rear, 8MP front
 Dual 13MP (with OIS) and 13MP wide-angle lens, 5MP front

Video
Up to 4K at 30 fps, 1080p at 30 fps, 720p at 120 fps
 Up to 4K at 30 fps, 1080p at 30 fps, 720p at 120 fps

Bluetooth Version
Bluetooth 5.0
 Bluetooth 4.2

Ports
3.5mm headphone jack, USB-Type C
 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-Type C

Fingerprint sensor
 Yes
 Yes

Water resistance
 IP68
 IP68

Battery
 3,000mAh

Fast charging, wireless charging (Qi standard)

 3,300mAh

Fast charging, wireless charging (Qi standard)

App Marketplace
 Google Play Store
 Google Play Store

Network support
 All major carriers
 All major carriers

Colors
Aurora Black, Platinum Grey, Moroccan Blue, Raspberry Rose
Astro Black, Ice Platinum, Terra Gold, Marine Blue, Mystic White, Raspberry Rose, Moroccan Blue, Lavender Violet

Price
 TBA
 Starting at $650

Buy From
 TBA

AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile

Review Score
Hands on
 4.5 out of 5 stars

Performance, battery life and charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The LG G7 ThinQ packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, which is a major upgrade from LG G6’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 821. You can expect the G7 ThinQ to be much faster and far more powerful since it’s running on one of the latest chipsets. As far as RAM, both phones offer 4GB but you can opt for 6GB instead with the G7 ThinQ if you need the extra memory.

When it comes to the battery, the LG G6 packs a larger 3,300mAh battery in comparison to the LG ThinQ’s 3,000mAh battery. But in our LG G6 review, we saw poor battery life in the beginning until a software update improved the situation. LG also says that it has reduced the screen’s power consumption over the LG G6 by 30 percent, and the new processor is more power efficient, meaning the LG G7 ThinQ could potentially offer better battery life, even though capacity is smaller.

The LG G6 only supports Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 2.0 while the LG G7 ThinQ supports QC 3.0 and 4.0. With QuickCharge 4.0, LG claims it can give you up to five hours worth of charge in only 15 minutes — but you need to purchase a specific adapter separately.

With a more powerful processor, fast-charging capabilities, and a battery-saving feature, the LG G7 ThinQ takes it for overall performance.

Winner: LG G7 ThinQ

Design and durability

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

If we’re talking trends, the LG G7 ThinQ is definitely following the latest one in the world of smartphones these days — by including a notch. But if you’re not a fan, there are options to customize it via the settings. When it comes to size, it’s only slightly longer and heavier than the LG G6 and every bit as thin. By comparison, the LG G6 looks a little dated — even with a similar rounded design, its thicker bezels along the top and bottom make it look like the cheaper option.

Another difference you’ll find is that the LG G7 ThinQ has a button on the side to activate Google Assistant. If you long-press it, you’ll activate its walkie-talkie feature which keeps Assistant listening for as long as you are pressing the button. By double-tapping the button, you will have access to Google Lens — which uses object identification with the phone’s camera. You also find the camera is placed vertically above the fingerprint sensor rather than horizontally like it is on the G6. For charging, both phones include a USB-C port but when it comes to the headphone jack, you will find it on the bottom of the LG G7 ThinQ and on the top of the G6.

As for durability, both phones are made of metal and glass with Gorilla Glass 5 on the back making them equally as delicate. The same goes for water-resistance, as both the G7 ThinQ and G6 come with IP68 water-resistance. Either way, you’re going to want to put a case on both of these phones to protect from damage.

With an upgraded design and features that are more easily accessible, such as Google Assistant via the A.I. key, the LG G7 ThinQ is designed to offer a better user experience.

Winner: LG G7 ThinQ

Display

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The LG G7 ThinQ packs a 6.1-inch display with a 3,120 x 1,440 pixel-resolution, while the LG G6’s 5.7-inch IPS LCD touchscreen has a 2,880 x 1,440-pixel resolution. The G7 ThinQ has a bit more screen real estate, but they are identical in terms of sharpness. Rather than OLED, both phones use IPS LCD which allows for a brighter screen. The LG G7 ThinQ even has a Super Bright Display feature that allows you to boost the screen to 1,000 nits (for three minutes at a time) during days when it’s super sunny outside. As mentioned earlier, it can also limit screen power consumption (at 500 nits) so you won’t have to sacrifice battery life for a bright, vivid display.

While we found the G6 had a stunning display — filled with color, warmth, and detail — it can’t match the G7 ThinQ. Its successor has a slightly taller screen thanks to its 19.5:9 aspect ratio — in comparison to the G6’s 18:9 aspect ratio. One trait the phones do share in common is that they both have support for HDR 10.

Even though both phones have LCD displays, the tech is improving all the time, so the LG G7 ThinQ wins this round.

Winner: LG G7 ThinQ

Camera

The LG G7 ThinQ has a dual-lens camera on the back, both rated at 16 megapixels, along with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. It’s definitely an upgrade from the dual 13-megapixel lenses and 5-megapixel front-facing camera in the G6. The G7 ThinQ also has optical image stabilization and the wide-angle lens can take photos with a 107-degree angle. By comparison, the LG G6 has a wide-angle lens with a 125-degree angle, but you will see more distortion at the edges of shots. Both also have a manual mode for those who want to adjust the settings.

The G7 ThinQ also has artificial intelligence integrated into its camera — if you point at an object, the A.I. will identify what it is, whether it’s a plant, soda can, etc. There is also Portrait mode available on both the rear and front-facing cameras which we found worked well for the most part.

The LG G7 ThinQ’s camera allows you to take pictures in low light with its Super Bright Camera mode which darkens images by enlarging its pixels. We found the G6 ‘s camera seemed to struggle on days that were overcast, but took great nighttime shots, especially when using the wide-angle lens with the right lighting. Photos taken in the daytime were extremely crisp and bright as well.

When comparing both specs and photos, the G7 ThinQ is the obvious choice. The camera’s software has far more features that allow you to be even more creative with your pictures and the hardware is slightly improved.

Winner: LG G7 ThinQ

Software and updates

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The LG G7 ThinQ ships with Android 8.0 Oreo, and we didn’t experience lag or slowdown. There wasn’t too much bloatware loaded on the device either. Meanwhile, the G6 ships with Android 7.0 Nougat which launched two years ago. It was recently announced that the G6 would soon be receiving the Android 8.0 update, but it hasn’t at the time of writing. Both have LG’s user interface placed over Android with a few additions to make the experience better.

With the release of Android P coming up, it’s unclear when the G7 ThinQ will receive the update. But of the two, you’re better off with a device that comes with Android’s most recent operating system right out of the box and we would expect the newer G7 ThinQ to receive updates for longer.

Winner: LG G7 ThinQ

Special features

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

As mentioned previously, the G7 ThinQ includes an A.I. key on the left side which allows you to enable voice recognition with Google Assistant. By holding it down, you can also use the walkie-talkie feature to speak to Google Assistant for even longer. Both devices also include a headphone jack along with QUAD DAC.

Music lovers will also appreciate the boombox speaker on the G7 ThinQ. By removing the module that originally covers the speaker, LG managed to turn the whole phone into a resonance chamber providing enhanced, loud sound for audio.

The G6 isn’t as impressive — with only new software features to highlight, like the Square Camera which splits your screen, with the top half for square format pictures and the lower half for either custom shots or previews.

Winner: LG G7 ThinQ

Price

We’re still waiting on the final price for the LG G7 ThinQ but as a flagship, we do expect it to be around the same price or more expensive than its predecessor. You can purchase the G6 starting at $650, or even less if you shop around. Both phones will work on all major carriers, and those in the U.S. will be able to snag the G7 ThinQ starting the first week of June.

Overall winner: LG G7 ThinQ

As the successor to the LG G6, you would expect the G7 ThinQ to take the winning title. Not only does the G7 ThinQ have a more powerful processor under the hood, it offers a larger display, A.I. features, and an upgraded look. If you’re stuck between the two, the G7 ThinQ will provide you with the latest, high-end specifications, and a better user experience.

Editors’ Recommendations

• LG G7 ThinQ vs. LG V30: Which LG flagship phone is best for you?
• LG G7 ThinQ vs. Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus: Clash for the heavyweight title
• LG G7 ThinQ hands-on review
• The LG G7 ThinQ: Here’s everything you need to know
• The LG V30: Everything you need to know about LG’s flagship smartphone

Galaxy S9 camera tips and tricks

The tools are there — now let us show you how to get the most out of them.

The new sensor and lens combination in the Galaxy S9 is extremely capable, and the Galaxy S9+ takes it a step further with a dedicated telephoto lens as well. But in photography, the tools only get you so far — at some point, the only way to advance further is to better utilize those tools with new knowledge (and lots of practice).

That’s where we come in: we want to help you take better photos with your Galaxy S9 or S9+, starting with the simplest of tweaks and going up to using more advanced features. Whether you use one or all of these tips and tricks, you’ll be taking better photos than you were before.

Clean your camera lens

Samsung has thankfully moved its fingerprint sensor from the insane side-mounted position it had before, but the oblong-shaped sensor is still lacking considerable separation from the camera lens(es) directly above it. That means you’re still likely to smudge your camera lens over time when you use that fingerprint sensor, on top of the general grease and grit it’ll pick up from the rest of your daily use.

The easiest thing you can do to improve every photo you take with any phone is to just clean the camera lens. You don’t have to bring a microfiber cloth around with you, either — just give the lens a little wipe with the edge of your shirt or pants pocket. Anything will be better than leaving it look like you just smeared a piece of pizza across it.

Customize your shooting modes

Samsung’s new camera interface introduced with Oreo has a clever swiping mechanism to switch between different shooting modes like Auto, Pro, Super slow-mo and more. One of the best parts about it is your ability to customize the order and placement of these modes, keeping the ones you use the most close to Auto and leaving the rest further away or completely disabled. Go into your camera settings and find “Edit camera modes” to get started. (Note: you can configure modes for the rear and front cameras independently.)

Once in the settings, you have check boxes on the left side to completely disable individual modes. Perhaps you don’t want to see Food or AR Emoji modes because you never use them — easily done! The only one you can’t remove is Auto.

On the right side, you can use these arrows to drag the shooting modes around and choose their order. Note that Auto will always be the default that your camera opens to, so the modes on either side of it will be just a swipe away in either direction. I keep Pro to the left and Super Slow-mo to the right, flanked further by less-used modes like Panorama, Live focus and Hyperlapse.

Turn on viewfinder grid lines

Any time someone wants a quick tip to help improve their smartphone photography, I tell them to turn on viewfinder grid lines. They will help you align horizons to get the perfect perspective on a shot (and not just on sunset photos!), but also help you properly proportion a scene so it inherently looks great. By having a simple grid on your viewfinder you can get your subject set right where you want it, and have it well-positioned to have the rest of the shot complement it.

To turn on viewfinder grid lines on the Galaxy S9, go into the camera settings and scroll down to find Grid lines. Most people will benefit from the “3 x 3” option, but Samsung also has a somewhat-odd “Square” option that simply frames in the center of the viewfinder as a square for moderate scene composition help.

Tap to focus when shooting at f/1.5

The camera’s physically adjustable aperture is an engineering marvel, and it lets the Galaxy S9 take great low-light shots at f/1.5 by letting more light hit the sensor. And the camera actually uses f/1.5 far more often than you’d think, as Samsung sets the threshold for switching to the f/1.5 aperture at any ambient light condition less than bright outdoor sunlight.

f/1.5 has many benefits, but the shallow depth of field can be a downside.

The one downside of shooting at this wide of an aperture is that the depth of field is extremely shallow, meaning the amount of the photo that’s in focus front-to-back is very small. Sometimes if you’re taking a macro-style shot, or even a portrait, the camera can focus on something you don’t want it to, and because the depth of field is so shallow it can actually make your subject soft or de-focused. So when you take a photo and you think it looks soft or blurry, don’t just check your camera lens for smudges — you can fix it in your next shot.

The way to fix this for certain is to just tap on the portion of the scene you want the camera to focus on before capturing. This is extremely important in macro shots where a differing focal point can make a huge difference in the look of the photo. Provided you’re not too close to focus, the camera will always focus on the point you tap until you move the phone and re-frame entirely.

Zoom using the shutter button

One of Samsung’s smartest camera interface elements is one you don’t know is there until you stumble across it: you can slide the shutter button back and forth to zoom the camera in and out. This function is not-so-transparently noted by the two dots on either side of the shutter button.

When holding the camera in landscape, just slide the shutter button up (zoom in) or down (zoom out) until you get to where you want to be, anywhere between 1X and 10X zoom. In portrait, sliding to the right (zoom in) or left (zoom out) accomplishes the same thing. On the Galaxy S9+, it will automatically switch to the secondary camera (light permitting) for anything beyond 2X.

You’ll never want to zoom in the camera any other way once you get used to this. It’s particularly useful when using the camera in one hand, so you don’t have to fumble around to hit the screen or use a volume key to zoom.

Tips for shooting in 960 fps slow-mo

The Galaxy S9 introduces super-high-frame rate slow-motion video, and while Samsung makes it pretty easy to switch to this mode and capture, there are a few things you should keep in mind when using 960 fps.

• Light is the most important factor: By taking video at nearly 1000 fps, you dramatically reduce the amount of ambient light getting into that camera sensor, which considering its size is already hard-pressed to get enough light. For the best 960 fps video, you need to ideally shoot outside or in an extremely well-lit room. Don’t be surprised if you see grainy, soft 960 fps video when shooting in anything but absolutely great lighting.
• “Auto” mode is usually best: The camera will let you switch to a “Manual” capture mode where you choose where to slow down the video capture, but because the window for capture is only 0.2-seconds, it’s incredibly tough to do right. Using the “Auto” mode to let it capture on its own when motion is detected in the designated portion of the screen is typically best for those dramatic shots of fast-moving objects.
• Choose multi-take or single-take: In the camera settings, you can switch between being able to take one burst of super slow-motion or multiple in the same clip. The single-take is the easiest to manage and edit, but multi-take is useful if you don’t want to stop and start a new recording for each slow-motion clip you plan on capturing.
• Edit the clip after capture: Even in Auto capture mode, your super slow-motion may not come off perfectly the way you want. But that’s okay, because you can edit it! Just open up your video clip in Samsung’s own Gallery app, and you can actually trim and manage the slow motion parts as well as the bookend pieces of normal-speed video. You can also turn off the sometimes mismatched auto-generated music overlay on the clips.
• Don’t be afraid to drop to 240 fps: 960 fps seems fantastic, but it has limitations like needing lots of light and only outputting 720p resolution. If you don’t need that dramatic of a slow-motion effect, you can move to the regular slow-mo mode and capture at 240 fps, which is still very slow and will let you record for much longer at a higher resolution.

Press and hold the record button to preview video

This one’s another hidden feature you won’t know about unless someone tells you. Other than slow-motion, there’s no dedicated “video” mode in the Galaxy S9 camera — you just get a video record button in the main interface, right next to the regular photo shutter button. The problem is that photos are taken in a 4:3 aspect ratio, but video is recorded at 16:9, so when you tap that record button the interface switches over and so does your perspective on the scene.

To save yourself from having to edit out the first few seconds of every video you take because you’re re-framing your shot, press and hold the video record button when you want to start shooting video. As you hold the button, the interface will switch to a “video” mode and show you what you’ll actually be recording — and when you release the button the recording will actually start.

It’s a small thing, but one that will save you frustration (and editing time) with every single video that you record on your phone.

Take these tips and get out there taking better photos with your Galaxy S9!

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Galaxy S9 review: A great phone for the masses
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

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Best Star Wars games for Android

May the Force be with you always — on your phone!

There are a ton of Star Wars games for Android. Like, so many.

In honor of May the Fourth (be with you), we’ve rounded up the best Star Wars games available for Android — along with a few unreleased games still in early development that might be worth keeping an eye on!

Keep in mind that any AR-experiences or lightsaber simulators won’t make this list because despite how cool they might be, they’re not full-fledged games. Also, a game like Galaxy of Heroes has been omitted because while, yes, it was one of the best Star Wars games for Android a few years ago, the grind for new players to compete against those who have been playing and paying for years is way too steep.

Beyond that, here are the best Star Wars games to play for Android!

Star Wars: Force Arena

MOBA-style games are still all the rage, and this Star Wars version is totally worth checking out.

First you need to build out your heroes and troops. You control your Star Wars hero and cast troops onto the playing field who automatically follow the different lanes and attack advancing enemies. Each hero has their own special abilities and skills to master, so it will take some time to find the character that fits your play style best. Battles are fairly balanced no matter whether you choose to fight for the Rebellion or join the Dark Side, and there are solo and team-based match modes available.

It’s an outstanding game that’s only slightly hampered by in-app purchases, but still fun to play without spending a dime!

Download: Star Wars: Force Arena (Free w/IAPs)

Star Wars: KOTOR

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is one of those legendary games that fans still speak highly of 15 years after its initial release. This is an epic RPG set in the Star Wars universe that has you play as a force-sensitive character feeling the pull from both the Dark Side and the Light Side of the force.

Initially developed by BioWare and LucasArts, it features a story that takes place 4,000 years before the rise of the Galactic Empire, where Sith Lord Darth Malak has unleashed an assault on the Republic and left the Jedi unorganized and scattered. It’s a fresh story from the movie trilogies which, depending on the choices you make in the story, have you either fighting for the Light side and try to defeat Malak — or going full-on sith and try to become the baddest MoFo in the galaxy.

Keep in mind that this game was initially released for the Xbox and PC back in 2003, so the graphics haven’t aged very well. But the gameplay is still fantastic and it’s still regarded as one of the best games set in the Star Wars universe.

Download: Star Wars: KOTOR ($4.99)

LEGO Star Wars games

I don’t know if anyone expected the LEGO Star Wars games to be as good as they are, but they’re some of the best Star Wars games you can play on console, or on mobile!

The beefiest game is LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, which all six games released from the original and prequel trilogies within one app. There are 36 story mode levels to play through along with 120 playable characters to unlock, and no in-app purchases because this is a paid app ($6.99)

There’s also a couple free LEGO Star Wars games available: Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens and LEGO Star Wars Microfighters. Both are free to play but not as complete a collection as the paid collection of games, so we’ll highlight that game instead. But if you love these quirky LEGO games with their cheeky dialogue and just the fun of smashing LEGO about, definitely check out these games on Android!

Download: LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga ($6.99)

X-Wing Flight

It’s a damn shame that Android doesn’t have a direct port of any of the Star Wars flight simulator games such as the X-Wing vs Tie Fighter form the late ’90s or even a remake of Rogue Squadron from the N64. I’m not sure who owns the rights to those games, but man, what a missed opportunity.

Instead, we get this unlicenced flight simulator that’s not half bad but could be way better if Disney through gobs of money behind the concept.

You get to jump into the cockpit of an X-Wing, A-Wing or other Rebel ships (including the Millenium Falcon which is teased as an unlockable ship) and there are 30 attack missions to play through before unlocking harder levels.

The framework for an amazing game is there, it just needs a bit more fleshing out. Certainly worth checking out if you crave a Star Wars space battle on your phone.

Download: X-Wing Flight (Free w/Ads)

Star Wars: Rivals (Unreleased)

We’ll finish off this list with a couple unreleased games that you can play in early access. The first is Star Wars: Rivals, which promises PvP combat featuring the most iconic character from the Star Wars universe. It’s a real-time game that has you bouncing around behind cover and blasting away enemies.

Once you’ve completed the tutorial and have amassed your first selection of characters, you’re able to take on human opponents. First player to 200 points wins.

This is essentially another squad-based third-person cover shooter game in the same style as Hero Hunters except set in the Star Wars universe with all your favorite Star Wars heroes. Pretty fun, but also still very much a work in progress.

Download: Star Wars: Rivals (Free w/IAPs)

Star Wars: Rise To Power (Unreleased pre-Alpha)

Star Wars: Rise To Power is a new real-time strategy game in development by EA for Android, and it’s still quite early in development.

You need to sign a non-disclosure agreement to play test the game, so I can’t devulge much information or screenshots, but here’s a description of the game from it’s Google Play page:

Players will form or join an alliance and engage in epic galactic warfare with other players from around the world in the hopes of emerging victorious. Power is earned by outwitting adversaries in carefully orchestrated attacks and by building a mighty coalition through the loyalty of other players. In Star Wars: Rise to Power, players embrace destiny by engaging in diplomacy or deception to ultimately become a leader of the Empire or New Republic. 

This game is still in a closed pre-Alpha status, so even downloading it might be tough — the Google Play page says that they limit the number of downloads available each day. Check it out If this sounds up your alley and feel like helping crush some bugs.

Download: Star Wars: Rise to Power (Free)

What’s your favorite?

Let us know your favorite Star Wars game in the comments, or which games you’d love to see ported to Android in the future!

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Lenovo Mirage Solo review: Two steps forward, one step back

Lots of cool ideas, but very little to actually do right now.

Ask people who have not yet bought a VR headset why they don’t have one and you usually get one of three answers. Either the headsets are too expensive when you add in the cost of the still-necessary powerful PC, the cable connecting you to a big box is awkward and not fun, or the headset requires you to use your phone and your phone is too busy being your phone to also be your VR computer. (There’s a fourth set of people who say VR headsets “look funny” but I’m not talking to those people right now.)

For the willing remaining group, Daydream Standalone is made for you. A reasonably-priced headset with its own computer and no external tracking hardware to worry about. You put the headset on, the VR world appears before you to interact with, and when you take the headset off, your phone has the same amount of battery it had when you started. It’s the natural evolution of Google’s vision of VR for Everyone, a headset that can deliver an experience good enough to encourage you to wear it for hours at a time without any of the big drawbacks currently associated with the “desktop” VR headsets.

After HTC took its Daydream Standalone headset to China as the Vive Focus, Google partnered with Lenovo to deliver the first of these new VR experiences. It’s called the Lenovo Mirage Solo, and it’s launching with some seriously big expectations to meet.

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Not what you’re used to

Lenovo Mirage Solo Hardware

Forget everything you know about Google’s Daydream headsets. The all-fabric design, removable plush faceplates, and multiple color options to choose from. This is a Lenovo-made headset, which means Lenovo’s design language is on display, for better or worse. That means what you’re getting is functionally much closer to Lenovo’s other VR headset, the Windows Mixed Reality-based Explorer headset.

This headset is almost entirely white plastic with some silver accents and black padding. Instead of straps, there’s a plastic halo with a big gear on the back to help mount it to your occipital bone. This halo design is great for people who don’t like having a VR headset putting pressure on their face, but it also means if you’re in a well-lit room, the light around you can leak in. Some manufacturers solve this problem with dark fabric or matte black plastic to keep the light from being distracting, but Lenovo didn’t do either of these things, so the white plastic really sticks out if there’s a lot of light behind you.

Looking at the Mirage Solo head-on, you’re faced with a pair of big round eyes. These cameras on the front of the headset don’t do any fancy Augmented Reality tricks, but instead power the WorldSense part of the headset to make the inside-out tracking work. That means the headset can figure out where it is without needing any external trackers like the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, which is great. It also works well in a bunch of different lighting situations, including a dark room and direct sunlight. In fact, you can completely cover one of these sensors and it mostly works the same for a little while.

The sides of this headset give you access to power and volume buttons, as well as a headphone jack, microSD card slot, and USB-C port. There are no built-in speakers, though, and you can’t use Bluetooth headphones, so the earbuds included with the headset are a big deal. They also sound nice.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say there’s no screen-door effect at all, but the lines in the display are way, way less noticeable than on the competition.

Inside the Mirage Solo you’ll find specs that sound an awful lot like a phone. A Snapdragon 835 processor is paired with a 4,000mAh battery and a 5.5-inch 2560×1440 LCD display. Lenovo is particularly proud of this display, due to its low latency and 75Hz refresh rate. It’s the first LCD display Google has ever approved for use with its Daydream platform, and this display is pretty great. There’s no noticeable motion blur when moving the headset around, the colors are plenty vibrant, and the 75Hz refresh rate means all of the animations feel a lot closer to the experience I am used to on a desktop-class VR headset. I wouldn’t go so far as to say there’s no screen-door effect, but the lines are way, way less noticeable than any Daydream or Gear VR experience I’ve used.

Your controller (because you absolutely need one) is the standard Daydream version, which you will be immediately familiar with if you’ve used Google’s version. The same three-button setup exists in the same flat white plastic, and it still charges through a USB-C port on the bottom.

It’s difficult to see the Mirage Solo as anything other than generic-feeling after the vibrant, textured experiences I’ve had with Google’s own Daydream, but there’s no denying it is plenty capable on a technical level. This hardware does away with things like display alignment, overheating, and battery concerns simply by removing the phone from the equation, and that removes the barrier to entry tremendously.

Shifting awkwardly to the left and right

Lenovo Mirage Solo Software

Using my Pixel 2 XL in my Daydream View headset is a multi-step process. I need to clean off the display, load it into the headset correctly so the NFC tag picks up and the Daydream app auto-launches, fit the headset to my head, and grab the controller to get started. This is every time I put it on, so switching back and forth between the virtual world and the real world multiple times isn’t something I’m likely to do.

Daydream Standalone, through the Lenovo Mirage Solo, reduces these steps to two: slipping on the headset, and tapping the power button. Daydream is the operating system, so as soon as the display lights up I’m at the Daydream Home menu and ready to do something. And if you’ve ever used a Daydream headset before, this menu system will be immediately familiar. What is special now is you can walk around in this virtual menu. Leaning forward makes you closer to the menu options, squatting down makes you look up at the menu options. You are actually moving in the virtual environment, which isn’t really a thing mobile VR headsets have ever done before.

And as soon as you take more than one step in any direction, the OS ruins the ride by turning everything black and giving you a warning message. This headset operates with what is known to VR folks as Six Degrees of Freedom (6DoF), but has no way to keep you from walking into walls or people. Instead of giving you the ability to create a temporary virtual boundary for yourself like Windows Mixed Reality does, Daydream creates a small square for you to live in automatically. You can’t control the size of this square, and the only way you can turn this square off is if you disable it in developer settings, which Google only recommends for Enterprise applications.

What does this mean for Daydream Standalone apps? Basically, you can lean comfortably in any direction and you can duck. That’s about it. And the collection of 40 games Google has available at launch reflects these limitations quite clearly. You can lean to dodge incoming projectiles from a snowball fight, but as soon as you step out of the box everything goes dark and the game pauses. I talked a little about these limitations with John Linden of Seismic Games, creator of the Blade Runner experience available at launch, and he saw it as a way to give people a little more realism where it mattered most. When you’re flying around in the Spinner, you can actually lean around and see things just like you would if you were actually sitting in the vehicle for real. Linden sees WorldSense as a great way to add immersion to puzzles in VR, by encouraging people to really explore every aspect of the world around them.

Unfortunately, very few of the 40 apps Google has prepped for launch deliver this experience, and the other 250 apps available on Daydream right now are designed for sitting still and consuming media. The good news is this headset does that well, but it also means the overall experience isn’t appreciably different from standard, phone-based Daydream right now. Google promises that more apps with 6DoF WorldSense are on the way, so this problem may be short-lived.

Should you buy it? Not Yet.

In a few important ways, Daydream Standalone is not ready yet. One of those things is the headset itself — Lenovo’s Mirage Solo headset is just not great. The light leak against white plastic in the headset is a step backwards for Daydream, and the rest of the headset isn’t very comfortable. Also, none of the padding is user-serviceable which means when it inevitably gets marred from sweat or from sharing with others it’s going to stay that way. Lenovo seems happy to anticipate third-party accessories to fix this instead of addressing it head-on, which is consumer-hostile.

The software also needs some serious work. Limiting my ability to move is a weird decision given how many great VR experiences there are for desktop-class VR that would have been amazing on here. I put this headset on my son, and his first question was, “Can I play Job Simulator on this?” When he asked why not, I didn’t have a good answer. This headset should absolutely be able to deliver that kind of experience with its WorldSense equipment, but instead, it limits me to a box the size of my office chair and tells me how great my new freedom is.

And then there’s the price. At $399, this headset is double the cost of the Oculus Go. While the Mirage is certainly more technically capable with its WorldSense features, apps load a little faster and the display is a touch nicer, the experience is not $200 better than what Oculus is offering.

Price being one of the big things keeping people from buying more advanced headsets in the desktop-class, this headset is not ready to wow people right now.

See at Amazon

Lenovo Mirage Camera review: Simple, solid VR photography

Google is giving everyone the tools they need to make this great.

Capturing photos and videos for VR is a lot of work. It’s a common misconception that all you need is one of the nice 360-degree cameras that are available today, but those cameras aren’t actually great for viewing in VR. While you can turn your head and see the whole world from a unique perspective, you’re still only seeing a 2D image in a headset built for showing you depth. Google’s JUMP program has made spectacular progress in making tools for creators eager to capture depth in that 360-degree format, but that is hardly something you can slide into your back pocket.

Google’s VR180 program is something different, a way to encourage creators to capture images for VR with easy-to-use software and comparably inexpensive hardware. The first effort in this program is powered by Lenovo, called the Mirage Camera, and it’s a solid step forward in making VR capture a lot better for everyone.

See at Amazon

There’s not much to say about this camera when it comes to looks. It’s a block, roughly twice the thickness of an average phone, but not nearly as tall or wide. That makes it not quick pocket-sized for me, but easily small enough to toss in a bag when I’m on the go. There’s no display on the back, but after using it for a week I didn’t really feel like I needed it. It’s a simple little box, and the little shot of color Lenovo added to its logo looks great.

Everything about the Mirage Camera is about ease-of-use. You’re ready to go as soon as you take it out of the box. Insert the battery (two are included), tap the power button, and hit the shutter when you’re ready. The camera has 16GB of onboard storage for local things, or you can toss in up to 256GB of microSD storage for larger projects. You charge the camera from the USB-C port on the side, and that’s… it. Point the two lenses on the front in the direction you want to capture, and use it like any other point-and-shoot. There’s a toggle on the camera for switching between photo, video, and live streaming, and the lights down the back side make it very clear which mode you are on.

If you want to do something with a little more planning, like maybe framing the shot before capturing or mounting the camera somewhere unusual, you can pair your phone to the camera and use it as a remote viewer. The VR180 app connects via Bluetooth for remote capture, and gives you a quick look at what you’ll be capturing before you do. You can use this as a remote shutter, but you can also control the resolution of the images and video, too. Settings allow you to go up to 4K for video and 9MP for video, including live streaming. Naturally, you can also use the app to see what you’ve captured, as well.

Lenovo’s hardware gets out of the way of Google’s software brilliantly.

While you can sync to your phone via Bluetooth if you like, the app offers a few different options. If you’re near a Wi-Fi network, you can connect the camera and set it to auto-backup to Google Photos. If your phone is on the same Wi-Fi network, it will use it to transfer the photos or video to local storage as well, which would obviously be much faster than Bluetooth. The biggest feature here is simplicity, and Google has absolutely nailed it. Even software updates for the camera happen with ease, and only happen when you’re on Wi-Fi.

Capturing with this camera takes some getting used to. Some lessons from 360-degree cameras apply, like being aware of where your fingers are. With 360-degree cameras you hold with your hand there’s always a risk of that gross hairy knuckle suddenly very close to the camera. With VR180, you just have to make sure your fingers don’t slide over the front edge of the camera body. You really are capturing a 180-degree image, but you adjust quickly.

Google’s software for video capture is a little different than what you may be used to with 360-degree videos as well. There’s nothing going on behind you when you start watching, and the user is standing still. This means if you move the camera, the person watching in VR will be rotated into darkness unless they move their head to match. Google said this was done intentionally to dramatically reduce nausea in motion videos, and in my testing, it works very well. It means the person watching in VR has to do a little extra work to move around, but that is much better than the alternative.

The only place the camera tends to struggle a little is when capturing audio. The microphones struggle with spatial audio, so hearing voices from multiple directions isn’t quite as obvious as it should be. When outdoors, the microphones tend to handle wind poorly as well. You’ll get roughly the same audio you get with your phone, which can be great in some places but not everywhere.

Since everything backs up to the Google Photos app, sharing is simple, too. If you share a Photos link with someone, the recipient can see everything in either 2D on a flat screen or in VR with just about any headset. Even if all you’re doing is passing around Google Cardboard with your phone in it at a family event, the VR immersion takes a huge step in making the viewer feel like they were there.

I would happily buy one of these over a 360-degree camera in most situations.

In a way, this camera feels like a larger sibling to the fairly recent Google Clips camera. Where that camera focuses on being the photographer while you are busy, VR180 is all about putting you in that moment again so you feel like you were there. While it may be cool to see these two ideas merge at some point in the future, the big thing these products share is how dead simple they are to use. Lenovo’s hardware gets out of the way of Google’s software brilliantly, and the soft carrying pouch included in the box encourages me to bring this thing with me everywhere.

This is a great, simple camera. Lenovo’s hardware is comfortable to hold, and Google’s software couldn’t be easier to understand. I would happily buy one of these over a 360-degree camera in most situations, and with its $300 price tag that’s the decision a lot of would-be owners will be making. I probably wouldn’t recommend this camera as a replacement for action cams like some folks do with 360-degree cameras, but for most everything else this camera is the one I will be recommending for quite a while.

See at Amazon

Take 15% off almost any eBay order of $50 or more today only

Shopping spree.

Today only, eBay is having a flash sale and offering 15% off orders of $50 or more site-wide with promo code PMAY4TH. You can only save up to $100 total and you can only use the code once. However, you can use the code on multiple items in the same cart to get the maximum discount, so do all your shopping in one go.

The main exclusions that always apply to codes like this are in the Coins & Paper Money, Gift Cards & Coupons, and Real Estate categories. Unlike most of the other eBay coupons we’ve seen, this deal is not limited to specific sellers! You can use it on any order over $50 as long as the items aren’t in those excluded categories. This sale will go from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time.

Use this flash sale as an opportunity to grab a deal on a pricey device you’ve had your eye on for a while. You could get a brand new Nintendo Switch for just $246.49 from antonline or an Xbox One X from Best Buy for $424.99. Fitbit’s newest fitness tracker the Versa, along with plenty of others, is on sale thanks to eBay right now as well.

I highly recommend using major retailers like Best Buy and Newegg if you aren’t a regular eBay shopper. Plenty of other retailers, including Dyson and BuyDig, have eBay storefronts as well. This code should work with all of them.

Here’s a few deals we like:

• BeatsX wireless headphones – $76.49 (from $90)
• Philips Hue A19 starter kit – $57.79 (from $68)
• Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones – $297.49 (from $350)
• Logitech C920 webcam – $62.89 (from $74)

Remember this sale is site-wide, so be sure to browse to your heart’s content and then buy everything at once.

See on eBay

Solo: A Star Wars Story tickets are on sale now!

Find out what the scruffy looking nerf herder was up to before he met Luke.

In celebration of Star Wars Day – May the Fourth, tickets for Solo: A Star Wars Story have finally gone on sale. You can get tickets online right now through Fandango for showings as early as 7:00 PM on May 24. Yes, that’s the day before the movie’s official May 25 release date. Don’t ask.

See at Fandango

May the Force be with you when getting your tickets!

The newly-released Oculus Go is already down to just $169 at eBay

Not much time to save.

Using the coupon code PMAY4TH at eBay you can pick up the all-new Oculus Go for just $169.15. It was only just released earlier this week, so this is the first discount we’ve seen on it. The standalone headset normally sells for $200, but this limited time eBay sale offers you a way to pick one up for a little less. This discount is available on both the 32GB option and 64GB version. It’s designed to sit between a Gear VR headset and the Oculus Rift, giving you an awesome experience without the need to dock your phone or strap to a computer.

Both listings are via Newegg’s official eBay storefront, so you don’t have to worry about it being a sketchy retailer that you are buying from. Getting the Oculus Go set up can be a bit tricky, but we have a great guide to get you started.

See at eBay

How many connected devices are in your home?

There’s plenty of home tech these days, but not everyone finds it all that useful. Where do you stand?

Smart home accessories are becoming more ubiquitous every year, and these days you can find them everywhere from specialized stores like Best Buy to more broad locations like Target and Walmart. Some home tech, like connected security cameras and smart thermostats, offer immediately obvious benefits for home security and automation. Other gadgets like smart lightbulbs seem a bit unnecessary to some, but can help achieve certain aesthetics in a room.

The one smart home gadget that almost everyone has sitting around is an assistant-powered speaker. Whether it’s an Amazon Echo, a Google Home, or even an Apple HomePod, smart speakers are a great addition to any home that can do anything from playing music and podcasts to controlling other smart home devices, all with a simple voice command. Smaller speakers like the Google Home Mini are often bundled in for free with phones and tablets, making them a great, easily accessible first smart home device for general consumers.

See Amazon Echo (2nd Generation) at Amazon

For those more concerned about security than voice commands, a connected camera or doorbell can be a great addition to the home. Nest is one of the biggest players in this realm, with excellent products like the Cam IQ and the Hello doorbell, but there are plenty of other great alternatives from brands like Ring and Canary. A security camera is only useful as long as you can see the feed, and smart cameras let you see what’s going on directly from your phone — most products in this category even let you hold conversations with people on the other end.

Then there are the more aesthetically focused products. Smart lights from brands like LIFX and Philips Hue have become extremely popular lately, with the ability to set specific colors and color temperatures for each individual bulb. Some can even be set up to flash different colors to notify you of new messages on your phone or incoming weather alerts.

See LIFX A19 Smart LED Light Bulb on Amazon

Of course, we can’t leave out home monitoring and automation tools. This is where Nest got its start, with products like smart thermostats and smoke alarms. Ecobee has also gained some traction with its own line of thermostats. The focus of all of these products is to save you money and, in the case of the Nest Protect smoke alarm, potentially save lives.

See Ecobee4 Thermostat with Sensor on Amazon

This only scratches the surface of the unending selection of smart home tech, and whether you’ve equipped your home with a full range of cameras, lights, thermostats, and more, or you’re only just now dabbling in smart speakers, we want to know.

What are some of your favorite smart home gadgets? If you could only keep one smart device around, which would it be?