5 cheaper alternatives to the Bose QC35

We’ve shown a lot of love for the Bose QC35s here on Android Central, and while we definitely recommend checking them out, we also understand that not everyone is willing to throw down $350 on a pair of headphones. If you still want a pair of quality cans but also want to save some cash, these are our five favorite cheaper alternatives!

For the bass lovers

Sony XB950N1 Extra Bass Wireless Headphones

The XB950N1 pack a big punch despite being $100 less than the QC35s. These have the most bass out of any other headphones on our list, there’s Bluetooth and NFC support, and all settings can be configured via the Sony Headphones Connect app.

$248 at Amazon

Available in three unique colors

Cowin E7 Active Noise Canceling Headphones

The Corwin E7 is Amazon’s Choice for noise canceling headphones, and for good reason. Available in three colors (black, white, and purple), the E7 offers 40mm large-aperture drivers, deep bass, active noise canceling, and Bluetooth + NFC connectivity. The battery’s also rated for 30 hours of use on a single charge!

$69 at Amazon

The cheapest pick on our list

TaoTronics Active Noise Canceling Headphones

TaoTronics’ headphones punch way above their $50 price tag. The noise canceling works great, the ear cups swivel 90° so you can get the perfect fit, and the 30 hours of battery life is fantastic. The dual 40mm drivers are powerful and a built-in mic allows for voice calls.

$53 at Amazon

The QC35s’ closest competitor

Sony WH1000XM2 Noise Canceling Headphones

For around $50 less than the QC35s, Sony’s WH100XM2 are considered to be some of the best headphones you can buy right now. You get 30 hours of battery, top-of-the-line noise canceling, Bluetooth and NFC, and plenty more.

$298 at Amazon

24-hour battery life and great Bluetooth range

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2

Last but not least, Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 offers a lot of value for well under $200. You can listen for up to 24 hours on a single charge, the Bluetooth range is up to 100 meters, and you get a free travel case. Plantronics also touts natural mid-tones rich bass, crisp highs, and superior noise cancelation.

$172 at Amazon

You’ve got options

If you’re on a particularly tight budget, the Cowin E7 and TaoTronics headphones offer some of the best bang-for-your-buck around. They might not be the most premium headphones ever, but they sound great and definitely get the job done. The Sony WH1000XM2 are still pretty expensive, but as we mentioned above, they’re widely considered to be among the best headphones at any price. No matter what you end up choosing, you really can’t go wrong.

How to enable spoken announcements in Google Fit

It can be a bit distracting to have to check your phone to see how far you’ve been biking. Fortunately, it’s easy to get Fit to just tell you your progress.

If you’re spending the day riding your bike, it’s natural to want to know how far you’ve ridden so far. But trying to open your phone when you should be focusing on the road is always a bad idea. Thankfully, it’s not hard to have your progress spoken to you.

Products used in this guide

• Any Android smartphone
• Google Play Store: Google Fit (Free)
• Amazon: TicWatch Pro ($250)

How to enable spoken announcements on your smartphone

Open the Google Fit application.
Tap Profile in the lower-right corner.

Tap the Settings icon in the upper-right corner.

Scroll to the bottom of the list.
Tap Spoken announcements.
Select when you want the announcements.

That’s it! Google Fit will let you know what your progress is, either through your phone’s speaker or your headphones.

How to enable spoken announcements on your Wear OS watch

Open the Google Fit application**.
Tap Settings.
Tap Workouts.
Tap Spoken announcements/
Select when you want the announcements.

Our top equipment picks

If you’re all in on Google Fit, it’s worth getting a Wear OS watch to track your workouts right from your wrist.

The best watch for Google Fit

Mobvoi TicWatch Pro

$250 at Amazon

The best Wear OS watch is also the best for tracking your workouts.

The Ticwatch Pro features a GPS tracker, heart-rate monitor, and NFC payments.

The Ticwatch Pro is a genuinely good watch even if you don’t care about fitness tracking. If you do, it’s even better. There’s a GPS chip to better track your jogs, a heart-rate monitor for keeping your beats in check, and an NFC chip so you can leave your phone at home and still use Google Pay.

Vizio’s new Dolby Atmos home theater sound system makes its debut at $500

Your favorite films and shows get even better with these stellar sound bars.

Earlier this year, Vizio announced that it would begin offering Dolby Atmos and Google Chromecast audio support integrated into three new sound bars. While two of the sound bars have yet to see a release, the first has just been made available for order at select retailers such as Best Buy.

The first release from the new line is Vizio’s 5.1.2-Channel Soundbar System. At the $500 price point, it’s one of the more affordable Dolby Atmos sound bars on the market currently compared to options like Sony’s HT-Z9F sound bar and the LG SJ9 sound bar. It features two upward-firing speakers that send sound above and around you for a more realistic surround sound experience, while its wireless subwoofer along with the five front-firing speakers help to balance the sound further.

The new sound bars also feature Google Assistant built-in for voice control, as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Chromecast so you can stream your favorite tracks directly to the speakers. Their metal-finished woven covers provide a sleek look for your entertainment setup, and there are also one-touch controls on the sound bars themselves in case you don’t have the remote or the Vizio SmartCast Mobile app handy.

The 5.1.2-Channel version of Vizio’s Home Theater Sound System with Dolby Atmos is now available at Best Buy for $500; Sam’s Club has it too with an exclusive $50 discount, though it’s currently out of stock there. Soon enough, you’ll also be able to locate 3.1.2 and 5.1.4-Channel versions priced at $800 and $1,000 respectively via Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.

See at Vizio

Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance partners with Google to fix infotainment

We should start seeing the results of this deal in 2021.

It’s no secret that the various dashboards and infotainment consoles in cars are almost universally bad, plagued with clunky software and laggy performance. Android Auto tackled this problem by letting your phone take over the in-car display, but it’s hard to beat a system that just works on its own.

That’s why Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, the largest automotive alliance in the world whose member companies sold over 10 million vehicles just last year, is partnering with Google in a multiyear agreement to integrate Android services into its vehicles’ infotainment systems.

Scheduled to start in 2021, the systems in new vehicles made by Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi will run on Android, featuring services like Google Maps, Google Assistant, and even the Play Store. Just as you’d find different forked versions of Android on phones from different manufacturers, each brand will have the freedom to customize the Android experience to their liking — for better or worse.

This shift towards Android and Google services is part of the Alliance’s 2022 mid-term plan to better equip its vehicles with “next-generation technology,” which it’s hoping will help reach its increased sales goal of over 14 million units per year by the end of 2022.

All About Android Auto

• Getting started with Android Auto in your car
• Using Android Auto natively on your phone
• Android Auto news
• Waze on Android Auto
• Join the Android Auto discussion!

Take control of your smart TV with the new Logitech K600 keyboard

Time for some 70-inch gaming.

Logitech is no stranger to wireless keyboards, and the newest product is just improving on what the company already does best. Available in October for $69.99, the new Logitech K600 TV Keyboard is designed especially for use with Smart TVs. You can check to see if your TV is compatible here. You can also get your pre-orders in. Remember that this will work just as well with other Bluetooth-compatible devices like your computer.

This has a trackpad along the side of the QWERTY keyboard as well as a ton of buttons for media controls. You can even use the directional pad to make your keyboard a full remote control. The K600 also has a 15-meter wireless range and a year-long battery life. While the new model will be pricier than its predecessors, such as the K400 keyboard, the additional price is arguably worthwhile since it takes your keyboard from a regular old wireless model to one with way more features. Make sure to sign up for the Thrifter newsletter to be alerted when it goes on sale, and remember that you can pre-order now if you’re interested.

See at Logitech

Amazon’s Fire 7 tablet, standing desks, and more are discounted today

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on Amazon’s Fire 7 tablet, Flexispot standing desks, Sugru moldable glue and much more!

View the rest of the deals

If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

Canada Daily Deals: Anker charging gear, Zolo true wireless earphones, more

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on a range of Anker charging accessories, Zolo truly wireless earphones, mobile device storage, Contigo travel mugs and much more…

View the rest of the deals

Each day, the Thrifter Canada team scouts out and shares amazing deals on products you know and love, helping you find the best prices on the ‘net.

For more Canadian deals coverage, be sure to keep an eye on Thrifter CA and follow the team on Twitter.

Google Maps Updated With Support for CarPlay in iOS 12

Google today updated its popular Google Maps navigation app, introducing support for CarPlay. With iOS 12, third-party mapping apps work with CarPlay for the first time, giving CarPlay users an alternative to the built-in Apple Maps app.

Prior to iOS 12, CarPlay users were forced to use the Apple Maps app as other mapping apps were not supported. Google’s update release notes:

Things we’re excited about: rainbows, puppies, and navigating with Google Maps on Apple CarPlay. Check it out to get the best of Google Maps right in your car’s built-in display!

For CarPlay to work with third-party apps, those apps need to introduce CarPlay support through an update. Google is the first mapping app to have done so, but other apps like Waze and TomTom are expected to debut support for CarPlay in the near future.

CarPlay is available in the Google 5.0 update that can be downloaded from the iOS App Store starting today. [Direct Link]

Related Roundups: CarPlay, iOS 12
Discuss this article in our forums

Missing Some Activity Awards on iOS 12? Apple Says They’ll Be Restored in a Future Software Update

If you updated your iPhone to iOS 12 this week and noticed that some Activity Challenge awards are missing, you’re not alone.

In a new support document, Apple has acknowledged that five limited edition awards may be temporarily unavailable in the Activity app after updating to iOS 12, presumably due to a minor software bug of some kind.

They include:

• Thanksgiving Day Challenge 2016
• Mother’s Day Challenge 2017
• Veterans Day Challenge 2017
• Thanksgiving Day Challenge 2017
• China National Fitness Day 2018

Apple is aware of this issue and will address it in an upcoming software update, according to the support document.

MacRumors has been affected by this issue on at least one of our iPhones, with a few awards missing on both iOS 12 and the first beta of iOS 12.1, seeded to registered Apple developers earlier today. There’s a chance the awards could be restored in a subsequent beta version of iOS 12.1 in the days to come.

Of note, the Mother’s Day Challenge award was still visible on another one of our iPhones running Monday’s publicly released version of iOS 12, so it appears that not everyone is affected to begin with.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 5, iOS 12Tags: Activity Challenge, ActivityBuyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
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Code in iOS 12.1 Update Hints at Landscape Face ID Support for Upcoming iPad Pro Models

Code in the iOS 12.1 beta released this morning suggests Face ID has built-in support for landscape orientation, according to information shared by developer Steven Troughton-Smith.

A rendering of the upcoming iPad Pro said to be based on leaked CAD drawings
According to Troughton-Smith, landscape support for Face ID has likely been built into the update for upcoming iPad Pro models that are expected to offer Face ID.

Face ID has support for landscape orientation (presumably for iPad only), and iOS 12.1 seems to care a lot more about whether an external display is connected (perhaps due to iPad USB-C rumors; it won’t have the Lighting HDMI adapter as an intermediary for video-out)

— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) September 18, 2018

Troughton-Smith says that landscape Face ID requires a different alignment for the front-facing sensors of the TrueDepth camera system, which is why it won’t be available for iPhone models that have Face ID.

From what I gather, landscape Face ID would require a realignment of the front-facing sensors, so you won’t see it on existing hardware https://t.co/gVyB4Hz3pW

— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) September 18, 2018

Previous iPad rumors have also suggested Apple would introduce Face ID support for landscape orientation specifically for the new iPad Pro models, because being able to unlock only in portrait mode would be inconvenient with a larger tablet form factor that’s most often used in a horizontal orientation.

Right now, Face ID on the iPhone X and the new iPhone XS and XS Max devices works only in portrait mode, with the devices unable to recognize a face when held in landscape mode.

There has been some confusion over how Apple will implement Face ID in the iPad Pro models, though, as some rumors have pointed towards the inclusion of a new mystery port that’s supposedly a Smart Connector located at the back of the device in leaked cases and CAD drawings.

A rendering of the upcoming iPad Pro said to be based on leaked CAD drawings
According to Japanese site Mac Otakara, which has somewhat of a mixed track record when it comes to rumors, the Smart Connector allegedly works with a new vertically oriented Smart Keyboard. Mac Otakara believes Face ID in the iPad Pro will work only in vertical orientation, but both today’s information and prior hints of horizontal Face ID support suggest that’s inaccurate.

Troughton-Smith shared a few other tidbits he found in the beta. There appears to be code to support an upcoming change to MFi game controllers that will offer up compatibility with clickable thumb sticks, and iOS 12.1 “seems to care a lot more about whether an external display is connected,” which could be related to rumors of a switch from Lightning to USB-C.

Apple’s iPad Pro models are rumored to feature edge-to-edge displays with no Home button, no headphone jack, and a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port. We’re expecting Apple to introduce the new iPad Pros before the end of the year, perhaps at an upcoming event in October.

Related Roundups: iPad Pro, iOS 12Buyer’s Guide: 10.5″ iPad Pro (Don’t Buy), 12.9″ iPad Pro (Caution)
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