Samsung Galaxy Note 9 battery review: Huge, but enough?

In most metrics, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is an impressive flagship phone. It’s got a great camera, it’s very powerful, and it’s one of the best Android phones on the market. Perhaps most importantly, it’s got one of the best batteries in the Android ecosystem.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 specifications

Before we launch into how well the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 charges, remember this battery is powering one heck of a phone. A high-powered processor, integrated GPU, lots of RAM, and a bright screen all combine for some serious power draw. As far as components go, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 — like the rest of the Note series before it — offers the most comprehensive constellation of parts out there.

Display	6.4-inch Super AMOLED 2,960 x 1,440 resolution (Quad HD+) 516ppi 18.5:9 screen ratio
SoC	Global: 10nm, 64-bit, octa-core Samsung Exynos 9810 (2.8 GHz quad + 1.7 GHz quad) U.S.: 10nm, 64-bit, octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
GPU	ARM Mali-G72 MP18 (Exynos) Adreno 630 (Snapdragon)
RAM	6 or 8GB RAM LPDDR4
Storage	128 or 512GB microSD expansion up to 512GB
Cameras	Rear: Dual camera with dual OIS Wide-angle: Super Speed Dual Pixel 12MP AF sensor with OIS, f/1.5 and f/2.4 apertures Telephoto: 12MP AF sensor, f/2.4 aperture, 2x zoom Front: 8MP AF sensor, f/1.7 aperture
Audio	Stereo speakers tuned by AKG, surround sound with Dolby Atmos technology Audio formats: MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DSF, DFF, APE
Video	MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM
Battery	4,000mAh battery Non-removable Fast wired charging compatible with QC 2.0 Fast wireless charging compatible with WPC and PMA
IP rating	IP68
Sensors	Iris Pressure Accelerometer Barometer Fingerprint Gyro Geomagnetic Hall HR Proximity RGB Light
Network	Enhanced 4X4 MIMO/CA, LAA, LTE Cat. 18
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz) VHT80 MU-MIMO 1024QAM Bluetooth v5.0 (LE up to 2 Mbps) ANT+ USB Type-C NFC Location: GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou
SIM	Single nano-SIM
Authentication	Lock type: pattern, PIN, password Biometric lock type: iris scanner, fingerprint scanner, face recognition, Intelligent Scan
Software	Android 8.1 with Samsung Experience
Dimensions and weight	161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm 201g
Colors	lavender purple, ocean blue, midnight black, metallic copper

It’s not surprising the battery inside needs to store a lot of juice. By providing charge to so many power-hungry components, the Galaxy Note 9 needs a lot more to stay competitive. At 4,000mAh, it’s a beast of a power cell. However, it’s not the only phone with that cell. The Huawei P20 Pro and the Razer Phone both have enormous batteries

Battery size (mAh)

Higher is better

Even if it was a design necessity, Samsung packed a lot of power into that chassis. Though a couple competitors match the raw size of the battery, the Note 9 has a little bit of an edge — a little weird, given how packed to the gills it is with hardware.

Battery capacity	4,000mAh	3,300mAh	4,000mAh	3,520	3,500mAh	4,000mAh
Fast Charging	Quick charge 2.0, 15W PD charger support	Dash Charge	Quick Charge 4	10.5W	Quick Charge 2.0	Quick charge 3.0
Wireless charging	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
Removable battery	No	No	No	No	No	No

So what does all that mean for daily use?

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 battery charging tests

A high capacity battery usually means charging your phone fast enough to be used for a decent amount of time is a challenge. You might be thrown a bit to see that the Note 9 is merely compatible with Quick Charge 2.0 when competing phones are already on Quick Charge 3 or 4. But in actuality, the unit uses Samsung’s proprietary management called Adaptive Charge — which can exceed USB’s power specifications if you use Samsung’s proprietary chargers. Consequently, the Note 9 can suck down juice and store it very quickly. In our tests, the Note 9 outpaced all other phones except the Huawei P20 Pro.

Charging (mAh/min)

Higher is better

That fast charging doesn’t help the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 charge to full faster than other phones, though. It still takes quite a while — though for some reason the Pixel 2 XL struggles more, possibly due to the charge speed.

Recharge times (full)

Lower is better

It’s tough to knock the Note 9 for its charging, especially considering it’s much quicker than you’d expect. That extra waiting time translates into better battery life overall, especially with common tasks.

We were unable to test how fast the wireless charging unit performs, but given the difference in charging rates, use it at work or charging overnight.

Rundown tests

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has more than enough to handle heavy daily use. Its battery rundown scores are excellent. The phone predictably handled tasks like video watching and Wi-Fi browsing quite well.

Video playback test (minutes)

Higher is better

The gigantic battery handled mixed tasks well too, and users can expect a great deal of screen-on time. If you fly a lot, the Note 9 seems like a logical choice to bring with you — especially if you need your phone to be both your in-flight entertainment and primary conduit to the world once you land.

WiFi browsing test (minutes)

Higher is better

All our battery tests were performed with default settings, and at the same brightness level of 200cm/m2. If you adjust the brightness higher or lower, your results will obviously vary. Additionally, changing the default resolution from the FHD setting to the WQHD+ setting results in a fairly predictable around ~5 percent drop in battery life. While the added capacity of the battery can easily absorb that kind of hit, it defeats the purpose a little bit, right?

We recommend only switching to that mode if you really need to watch a movie with your eyes closer than 16 inches to the screen. Unless you have better than 20/20 vision, you’re unlikely to notice the difference.

Among the Samsung lineup, the smaller S-series phones like the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus won’t keep a charge with high screen-on times as well, but they’re not bad. The Note 9 is just something special.

Conclusions

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has a stellar battery, and makes the most of its charge capacity. Because the phone has such a huge battery, it unsurprisingly has a similarly huge advantage in battery life over its closest peers too. Its main weakness — charge time — is head and shoulders above even some of the more popular mid-range phones out there.

There’s really no downside to the Note 9 as far as the battery is concerned.

Next: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 camera review

How to download Vimeo videos

Oleg Dudko/123RF

The rise of video-sharing services has made it easier than ever to find interesting clips and short films. Vimeo, in particular, is known as a platform for sharing high-quality, artistic shorts. As convenient as Vimeo is, however, there’s a sense of impermanence to it — all those videos are stored on a remote server, inaccessible the moment you lose your internet connection.

In days of yore, when people wanted to capture the ephemeral television broadcasts of their favorite shows, they had to use a blank tape and a VCR to record it. Today, the process is a bit easier. If you want to download and archive a Vimeo video for personal use, there are a number of ways to go about it, many of which can be done for free on your computer. If you want to download YouTube videos, we also have a guide for that, too.

Editor’s Note: Keep in mind that laws regarding the copying and distribution of copyrighted material vary by location. Copyright holders might also have their own policies about whether they are fine with people making copies of their work. If you’re going to make a copy of a video on Vimeo, be aware of the creator’s stance.

Downloading directly from Vimeo

The first (and easiest) way to get a copy of a video from Vimeo is from the site itself. After all, many of the videos on Vimeo include a download option. If a video includes that option, there will be a button located under the video description that says Download. Simply click this button and a pop-up window will give you different formats and resolution options (such as SD or HD) to choose from.

Depending on your browser setup, clicking the download button might simply cause the video to play. In this case, simply right-click the download link and select Save link as from the drop-down menu. This will prompt you to choose a location for the resulting video file. Of course, not every Vimeo video includes a download option. If you find a video like this and still feel an overwhelming desire to own a copy of it, you’ll need to put in a little more work.

If you’re a video creator who uses Vimeo, note that you can’t enable downloads for your videos unless you have a Plus, Pro, or Business account.

Using screen-recording software

There are a number of programs available on the web that allow you to record what is happening on-screen and save the recording as a video file, though most require a bit of finesse to use properly. Thankfully, freemium programs such as Ezvid (Windows) and Icecream (Windows, MacOS) aren’t too difficult to use.

The obvious thing to worry about when trying to capture a video using screen-recording software is that you can also record other stuff displayed on your screen, such as browser tabs and pop-up ads. Recording your video while in full-screen mode is the most obvious solution. Some of the programs, including the aforementioned Icecream, will also allow you to select a portion of the screen to be recorded. If you do end up recording some bits you don’t want, such as your browser, don’t worry; both options have features for editing the videos you record, allowing you to cut unnecessary details.

If you’re working on a Mac, you can also use Quicktime to record your screen activity. Simply launch the program, click File from the menu bar at the top of your screen, and select New Screen Recording. This should bring up a little gray box with a red Record button. Click that to begin recording! When finished, you can edit your recordings in any video-editing program, including iMovie.

Whichever screen recording software you use, keep in mind that because you are recording streaming video, the quality may be affected by your connection. If your connection isn’t great, you may be better off downloading the video file.

Using online video downloaders

If the previous methods don’t seem like the right ones for you, dedicated websites like ClipConverter.cc will allow you to download a copy of your desired video. The process is simple, and only takes a few moments.

Step 1: Navigate to the main ClipConvert:cc homepage. Then, copy the URL of the Vimeo video you want to download and paste it in the text field at the top of the page.

Step 2: Click the MP4 or MOV button located to the right of the film strip icon, followed by the Continue button. Afterward, choose the resulting video quality from the list of available options.

Step 3: Click Start at the bottom of the page, and the conversion process will begin. Depending on the length of the video and the options you’ve selected, this process can take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. When finished, simply click the Download button and enjoy your newly-converted video!

Keep in mind that there’s no guarantee about the quality of the recordings, however, and that sites like these sometimes have intrusive ads that will try to prompt you to download malware. If you choose to use ClipConvert.cc or a similar service, be cautious about what you click on.

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Google Maps now has group polling to help you decide where to eat

Deciding where you’re going to eat as a larger party has never been a fun task, and being paralyzed by the agony of choice has only gotten worse when we have so much information at our fingerprints. Thankfully, Google is coming to our rescue — group planning tools have started rolling out to Google Maps on iOS and Android.

The feature was originally announced way back in May, at Google I/O 2018, among other additions that sought to make Google Maps a more sociable place. When the new feature is installed, users will be able to long-press on a location to add it to a shortlist of possible locations. Long-pressing more locations will add them to the list, and once the list is complete, users will be able to share the list with friends through a variety of chat apps.

But it doesn’t stop there either — friends will then be able to vote on the choices being presented from within Google Maps, either with a thumbs up or a thumbs down, narrowing down the options. Google keeps track of the votes, and proclaims a winner once the voting is complete. Friends will even be able to add their own choices to the poll, making it even easier to put together a democratic decision. It’s a simple feature, but one that adds a simple solution to a previously complex (and annoying) problem.

The update is rolling out on Android and iOS right now, and it will be coming out in batches, so if you don’t have it yet, keep checking and it will show up eventually.

This is just one of the features that Google is rolling out to expand the usefulness of Google Maps. An “Explore” and “For You” function was added a few months ago, and these features sought to make Maps a more personal experience. “For You” is a feed of nearby restaurants and attractions that Google thinks you might be interested in, with a corresponding “Your Match” rating, while “Explore” gives the ability to easily search for nearby restaurants within a specified niche — ranging from vegan to barbecue — while also drilling down into an area’s most recommended haunts.

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Like a breathalyzer for exhaustion, new blood test can tell how tired you are

Picture the scene. It’s the early hours of the morning. You’ve been out partying with friends, and somehow the hours have just slipped by. You try and drive home as best you can, sticking to the speed limit and staying in your lane, but your reflexes aren’t what they should be. Your vision is blurry, your reactions slowed. Suddenly the lights of a cop car appear in your rearview mirror. You pull over to the side of the road and wind down your window. The cop walks over. “Excuse me,” they say. “Have you been sleeping properly?”

OK, so that’s probably not the first question they might have in this scenario, but perhaps it should be. While drunk driving is undoubtedly a big problem, the impact of sleep loss on a person can be comparable to the cognitive impairment caused by alcohol consumption. Fortunately, there may soon be a way to easily and objectively measure sleep loss — much the same way that a breathalyzer provides a non-subjective way to ascertain a person’s levels of blood alcohol.

At the Sleep Research Center at the U.K.’s University of Surrey, researchers have used a machine learning algorithm to help develop a blood test, capable of revealing signs of sleep deprivation. The resulting genetic biomarker blood test can reportedly show with 92 percent accuracy whether a sample is taken from a well-rested or sleep-deprived individual.

“The test uses a machine learning algorithm approach to identify a signature of gene expression levels in a subset of 68 genes from thousands that were measured in a single blood sample,” Simon Archer, a professor of Molecular Biology of Sleep at the University of Surrey, told Digital Trends. “This is exciting because it provides the groundwork toward developing an automated test that could determine if someone was drowsy and unfit to perform critical job-related tasks or be in charge of a vehicle.”

The machine learning tool analyzed samples of blood taken from both rested study participants and those who had skipped one night of sleep. While this is still early stages of the research, it opens up promising avenues of exploration for the future.

“Our results are far from developing a roadside test for drowsiness,” Archer continued. “What we do takes a few days in the lab to measure levels of gene expression in a blood sample. But, in theory, the signature genes that we have identified that predict sleep loss status could form part of an automated test — we just need the technological development to support it.”

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Sleep.

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Oculus Quest brings more power to untethered VR gaming

Oculus Quest is the latest addition to the world of stand-alone virtual reality headsets. The new product announcement comes from Oculus’ Connect 5 keynote and is the result of the previously named Santa Cruz project. Focusing on what Oculus notes as the future of all VR experiences, Quest provides a powerful stand-alone VR experience with hand tracking that features six degrees of freedom. Launching in spring 2019 for $400, Quest is set to occupy a space between the company’s current Go and Rift headsets offerings.

Positioned as a more powerful and capable version of the previously released Oculus Go headset, the Quest introduces additional degrees of freedom, spatial awareness, and more advanced controllers. Oculus notes that the headset is set to bridge the gap between mobile VR experiences and full-fledged desktop experiences with a promise to port many of the existing games and apps available for the Rift to the new Quest platform.

Onboard the Oculus Quest is a set of four new ultrawide sensors that allow the unit to track its surroundings from inside-out; meaning that the headset can be aware of its surroundings without the need for any sensors placed around the room. The new tracking system combined with specially designed touch controllers allows the user to explore VR without some of the limitations that were present on the Oculus Go.

Oculus says that the headset is not a replacement for the Oculus Go, but is instead part of the first generation family of VR devices. While the Go is positioned as the company’s most affordable headset and the Rift is set as the most powerful, the Quest is in a spot that attempts to offer the best of both worlds — a stand-alone experience with high-quality offerings.

The Oculus Quest is set to launch with 50 different titles available for users to jump into the world of VR. Many of the new titles might be aimed at providing experiences that were not possible on Oculus’ previous mobile offering. Fans of more intense VR games such as Beat Saber might finally be able to experience it on the powerful standalone Oculus Quest platform.

For more information on the Quest, be sure to stay tuned to Digital Trends as we go hands-on with the future of stand-alone VR at Oculus Connect 5.

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This spinal electrical stimulation implant let a paralyzed man walk again

Here at Digital Trends, we’ve covered some amazing high-tech wheelchairs and even exosuits that can help people with lower body paralysis to walk again. Adding to (and, in some ways, potentially surpassing) that amazing assistive technology is some astonishing new work coming out of the Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic researchers recently demonstrated how an implanted electrical stimulator was able to help a man paralyzed four years ago in a snowmobile accident to regain the ability to stand — and even walk the length of a football field.

“This report is the first to show a man with complete loss of sensory and motor function of his lower body able — using epidural spinal stimulation and intense physical therapy — to step independently on a treadmill and step over ground with the help of a front-wheeled walker,” Dr. Kendall Lee, a neurosurgeon who directs the Mayo Clinic’s Neural Engineering Lab, told Digital Trends. “These findings support the concept that, after severe injury, spinal networks can be modulated and adapt to training with spinal stimulation to regain some control of function.”

While technology is a crucial part of this demonstration, however, this is by no means a story of tech as a magic “fix-all.” In order for the patient, Jered Chinnock, to be able to perform the miraculous feat he had to carry out a strenuous rehab regimen lasting for 43 weeks.

Mayo Clinic News Network

Interestingly, the researchers involved in the study aren’t exactly sure why the spinal stimulation is as effective as it is — although they have working hypotheses.

“The implant is placed below the injury over areas of the spinal cord that communicate sensorimotor signals to the legs,” Dr. Kristin Zhao, a biomedical engineer involved with the research, told us. “Epidural stimulation may enhance spinal network activity so these networks can receive weak, descending signals. Those signals may be crossing the injury and integrating incoming signals from the legs resulting in coordinated, robust motor functions.”

Having demonstrated the potential of spinal neuromodulation, the Mayo Clinic hopes to improve its understanding of spinal cord physiology and how emerging technologies can be used as part of treatment. “We want to better understand how this is happening, what is happening, and who it is most appropriate for,” Zhao continued. “We are also interested in the secondary effects of spinal cord injury on overall health and wellness — including bowel and bladder function, sexual function, and musculoskeletal changes — that otherwise would not be reversed with just exercise.”

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Nature Medicine.

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iPhone XS vs. LG G7 ThinQ: Can LG swing past Apple?

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The iPhone XS is here, and it’s Apple’s best iPhone yet. It’s also the smallest iPhone of the new crop, but it’s still equipped with Apple’s powerful new processor, a stunning design, and improvements to make you sit up and take notice.

But it’s not all about Apple. LG has a solid reputation, and the LG G7 ThinQ is a fine phone with much to recommend. If you’re an LG fan, should you consider jumping ship to the new iPhone XS? Or, if you’re an iOS user, does LG’s flagship deserve your attention? We took a look to find out.

Specs

iPhone XS

LG G7 ThinQ

Size
143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7mm (5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 inches)
153.2 x 71.9 x 7.9 mm (6.03 x 2.83 x 0.31 inches)

Weight
177 grams (6.24 ounces)
162 grams (5.71 ounces)

Screen size
5.8-inch Super Retina HD OLED True Tone display
6.1-inch IPS LCD

Screen resolution
2,436 x 1,125 pixels (458 pixels per inch)
3120 x 1440 pixels (564 pixels per inch)

Operating system
iOS 12
Android 8.0 Oreo

Storage space
64GB, 256GB, 512GB
64GB, 128GB

MicroSD card slot
No
Yes, up to 2TB

Tap-to-pay services
Apple Pay
Google Pay, LG Pay (in South Korea only)

Processor
Apple A12 Bionic
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

RAM
4GB
4GB, 6GB

Camera
Dual 12MP (with dual OIS) rear, 7MP TrueDepth front camera
Dual 16MP (with OIS) and 16MP wide-angle rear, 8MP front

Video
4K at 30 frames per second. 1080p at 60fps. Optical image stabilization.
Up to 4K at 30 frames per second

Bluetooth version
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.0

Ports
Lightning
3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C

Fingerprint sensor
No (FaceID instead)
Yes

Water resistance
IP68
IP68

Battery
2,658mAh

Fast charge capable (additional charger needed)

Qi wireless charging

3,000mAh

QuickCharge 3.0 (4.0 with adapter not included)

Qi wireless charging

App marketplace
Apple App Store
Google Play Store

Network support
T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint
T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint

Colors
Silver, space gray, gold
Aurora Black, Platinum Gray, Raspberry Rose, and Moroccan Blue

Price
$1,000
$750

Buy from
Apple
LG, Amazon, Best Buy

Review score
4.5 out of 5 stars
3.5 out of 5 stars

Performance, battery life, and charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Thanks to powerful specs, you’ll get great performance from both of these phones. The G7 ThinQ is powered by the Snapdragon 845, and it provided strong and stable performance throughout our review period. The same is also true of the iPhone XS’s A12 Bionic processor, which provided super-smooth performance during intensive games and swapping between apps. There’s a clear gulf in terms of pure power though, and the iPhone XS’s A12 Bionic processor absolutely demolishes the Snapdragon 845 in benchmarks. The G7 ThinQ isn’t slow, but the iPhone XS is greater in pure power, and will be able to handle more intensive tasks with ease.

The G7 comes roaring back with a longer-lasting battery though. After a day of heavy use, the G7 got home with 45 percent remaining. On a similar workday, the iPhone XS got home with just 24 percent remaining. The G7’s 3,000mAh battery could definitely be used for two days on light usage, which isn’t something we can really say of the iPhone XS’s 2,658mAh battery.

Thankfully you can plonk either of these on a wireless charging pad for little top-ups, or charge up properly with fast charging. However, the iPhone XS doesn’t come with a fast charger in the box — you’ll need to fork out extra money for that. The G7 comes with a QuickCharge 3.0 charger in the box. However, dealing with a smaller battery life is something iPhone users are used to, so it probably won’t put anyone off.

The G7 has a longer-lasting battery and a fast charger, but it’s hard to argue with the iPhone XS’s pure processing power.

Winner: iPhone XS

Design and durability

• 1.
  iPhone XS
• 2.
  LG G7 ThinQ

Both phones have notched displays and modern designs, but most of the similarities end there. The iPhone XS is more or less a carbon copy of the iPhone X, so fans of that design will likely love the XS. The XS has a new gold color, but it’s otherwise that same gorgeous, bezel-free design. The LG G7 ThinQ has a similar design, but with a bit more bezel and less of the visual flair you’ll get from the iPhone. Sadly, the G7 has less of a “wow” factor when compared with the XS — even if it is packing a headphone jack.

Both phones come with IP68-rated water-resistance to withstand complete immersion in water (or beer, in the iPhone’s case) for up to 30 minutes. They’re both glass though, so you might want to be careful with your grip — glass shatters, and it can be expensive to replace. Grabbing a case is usually a good idea.

Both of these phones are good lookers with similar durability — but we reckon the iPhone XS is going to be the more attractive phone for most people.

Winner: iPhone XS

Display

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The G7 ThinQ packs a 6.1-inch IPS LCD running a 3,120 x 1,440 resolution, with a super-sharp 564 pixels per inch. It’s a great display with HDR10 support and some wonderful color depth. The iPhone XS’s display isn’t as sharp, measuring 458 pixels per inch — but it makes up for it with a truly gorgeous Super Retina custom OLED display with a stunning depth of color and deep, inky blacks. The blacks are so dark that you won’t notice the notch at the top if you have a sufficiently dark wallpaper. It’s easily one of the best screens Apple has ever used.

The G7’s IPS LCD is a fine piece of screen tech — that can even get super bright to help in sunny conditions — but it’s not on the level of the XS’ screen.

Winner: iPhone XS

Camera

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The LG G7 ThinQ has two 16-megapixel lenses on the back, one of which is a super-wide angle 107-degree lens. It’s a great little setup that excels at wide shots of landscapes — but it really struggles with lower-lit areas, despite the f/1.6 aperture on the main lens, and the Super Bright Camera mode. That’s not an issue with the iPhone XS, which uses two 12-megapixel lens to produce some stunning shots in a variety of situations.

LG’s camera also comes with AI Cam, which recognizes scenes, and adjusts settings with artificial intelligence. It’s not the best implementation of an A.I.-powered camera we’ve seen, and it’s nowhere near as good at post-processing as is Apple’s Smart HDR, which combines several photos to produce a more balanced photo. There’s the ability to take 4K video on both phones, too, and similar levels of selfie cameras on each.

While the G7 has a good set of shooters, it can’t match the iPhone XS.

Winner: iPhone XS

Software and updates

You’ll find Android 8.0 Oreo on the LG G7 ThinQ, with LG’s custom skin laid over the top. It’s not laden with bloatware like some other Android skins, and it comes with some nice customization options that many will enjoy. It’s not stock Android, but it’s a good software experience anyway.

The iPhone XS comes with iOS 12, and it’s a great operating system. Apple focused hard on performance for this update, and it shows. Day-to-day performance is buttery smooth, and Apple has made modifications that further improved its responsiveness. Your choice between operating systems will be very personal, and will likely come down to whichever you’re more familiar with.

There’s a clearer winner when you look at update speed. Since Apple controls iPhone hardware and the software, it’s very easy to push out new updates for iOS as and when they become available. Since LG needs to take the time to add its own spin onto Android, it can take longer for LG phones to update. While LG’s phones are nowhere near the slowest to update, the iPhone XS will be updated far quicker than the G7 — and probably for longer, too. That wins the iPhone this round.

Winner: iPhone XS

Special features

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Apple tends not to introduce new features until it has polished them to a mirror-finish, so the iPhone XS doesn’t come with the quantity of special features you’ll find in many Android flagships. However, it’s still got some fun stuff up its sleeve. There’s the impressive Face ID unlocking system — which now allows for two faces in iOS 12, along with the Animoji and Memoji AR emojis, Siri Shortcuts, and other tools to dig into in iOS 12.

The G7 may have a small advantage here though. As well as Facial Recognition, you’ll find LG’s sound-boosting and impressive Boombox speaker that turns the phone into its own resonance chamber. There’s also close integration with the Google Assistant, with a dedicated button for the A.I., as well as access to Google Lens from the camera.

We think the G7’s special features are just a bit more useful.

Winner: LG G7 ThinQ

Price

The iPhone XS starts at $1,000 for 64GB of storage, with prices rising all the way to $1,350 for 512GB. As Apple’s major flagship it will work on every major U.S. carrier. The LG G7 ThinQ costs $750, but expect to pay more for more storage — though there is a slot for a MicroSD card. Like the iPhone, the G7 works on all major U.S. carriers.

Overall winner: iPhone XS

It’s almost a clean sweep for Apple’s latest iPhone, and it’s easy to see why. The iPhone XS’s power and performance is off the charts, and the improvements made to the camera and design make it a stunning improvement over last year’s iPhone X.

But it’s no shame for the G7 to lose the way it did, and it’s not hugely behind in most of the categories. If you’re more of an Android fan, and you don’t mind the slightly boring design of the G7, or you love the wide-angle camera and headphone jack, then you’ll be more than happy with LG’s flagship.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple iPhone XS vs. Samsung Galaxy S9: 2018’s biggest flagships clash
• LG reveals its first Android One phone and a cheaper LG G7
• Apple iPhone XS Max vs. HTC U12 Plus: Does more expensive mean better?
• LG G7 ThinQ review
• Apple iPhone XS vs. iPhone XS Max vs. iPhone XR

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 leak shows similar design, new Intel processors

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Microsoft’s next upcoming hardware event is scheduled for October 2 and the technology world is waiting for information about the company’s latest Surface Pro. However, a recent leak from a Vietnamese website of the Surface Pro 6 means that we don’t have to wait as long as we thought to get a closer look at the all new Windows tablet hybrid. The Surface Pro 6 has arrived earlier than expected and boasts some surprises that we weren’t expecting.

In a recent roundup, we noted all of the most prominent rumors for the new Surface Pro — some of which have panned out, while others have fizzled. The Surface Pro 6 is by no means a massive overhaul, but instead, an interaction that has focused on upgrading its internals; this most likely concludes that the possible redesign we have heard about for 2019 is the Surface Pro 7 iteration, and not the upcoming Surface Pro 6.

Keeping the external design of the unit similar means the tablet has had merely a slight rounding of its edges and nothing more. When Microsoft introduced the Surface Go, it showed off a new redesign with rounded corners; the Surface Pro 6 doesn’t seem to share the same design, but the smoother edges do show that the company’s lineup may be moving in that direction at some point in the future.

Keeping with minimal external changes means that the leaked Surface Pro 6 doesn’t sport a newer USB-C port. Microsoft has made the position clear that it doesn’t believe the world is ready for a complete USB-C takeover, such as with Apple’s new MacBook lineup, but it was rumored that the company might add a single port to the device. Users looking to take advantage of Thunderbolt speeds may need to wait for another generation for the opportunity.

On the inside, the new Surface Pro 6 is sporting Intel’s latest eighth-generation processors, which offer more performance and higher energy efficiency for users on the go. Due to the power of the chips inside the unit, the Surface Pro has yet to drop its fans, needing the extra cooling for the powerful processors locked inside.

While previous rumors have also laid out evidence for a possible new Surface Pen, there have yet to be any sightings of the accessory. All in all, it looks like 2018 might be an exciting opportunity for individuals seeking to grab a power upgrade over their existing Surface Pros, but don’t expect or want a complete redesign.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Microsoft Surface Pro 6: Everything we know
• Microsoft may go back to black with 2018 Surface Pro and Surface Laptop
• What to expect from Microsoft’s October 2 Surface event
• Refreshed Surface Pro 6 could arrive at Microsoft’s October 2 event
• Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL: Everything we know

Review: Crazybaby Air 1S Wireless Earphones Offer Decent Sound, but Cheaper Air Nano Model Disappoints

As more and more smartphones ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack, the market for true wireless Bluetooth earphones has become increasingly flooded with numerous options for customers to buy. Apple has its own first-party earphones with the AirPods, which fit conveniently in the Apple ecosystem thanks to the W2 chip’s simple device pairing and a straightforward charging solution with the included carrying case.

Sony, Jabra, Bang & Olufsen, Anker, and more all provide similar true wireless earphones (a term that means there is no wire at all between each earbud), usually priced anywhere between $80 to $200. Now, wireless accessory company Crazybaby — which first made a splash with the introduction of a “levitating” Mars Bluetooth home speaker — has introduced a few AirPods-like products of its own with the Air Nano ($79 for MacRumors readers using code RUMORSNANO, $99 normally) and Air 1S ($129 for MacRumors readers using code RUMORS1S, $159 normally).

Air Nano

Starting with the cheaper Air Nano model, Crazybaby sells this pair of earphones in 10 bright colors and the company sent me the Volt Green option. While I typically enjoy having an array of colors to choose from for most products, I personally prefer something a bit more subdued for headphones. Air Nano definitely stands out when in your ear, and they pulse with a white glow in a breathing rhythm (red when charging in the case), drawing more attention to them.

Overall, the Air Nano earphones lack a feel of quality in day-to-day use. While the pill-shaped charging case is svelte, when it’s fully open the caps dangle off the sides. There is a helpful magnetic click once the case is closed, but it doesn’t seem like the case will stay completely closed in a purse or backpack since it doesn’t take much force to open it. On the outside of the charging case, you’ll find a very minuscule charging status light and a USB-C port, which I definitely appreciated since I charge my MacBook nearby and could easily swap out the cable for the Air Nano without digging for another cord.

When open, you’ll find the earphones themselves, charging inductively in tiny grooves carved out in the center of the case. Crazybaby says the Air Nano charging case supports eight to 12 hours of charge on the earphones, which themselves last for around three hours of listening time. I found this to be largely on point, but the information that Crazybaby feeds to the battery widget on iOS was far from helpful. The earphones stuck to percentage estimates before updating, so it would only notify me when it hit 80 percent, 60 percent, 40 percent, etc, with nothing in between.

As a major bonus to Crazybaby’s Air Nano earphones, I found them to have really solid in-ear stability, which has been a problem for me with past true wireless earphones, including AirPods. The device comes with a multitude of different sized ear tips for working out and running, and I found the sports-focused wing tips to be mostly favorable running companions, as long as my workouts remained around 30 minutes or shorter. With these on, however, the buds don’t fit in the charging case.

But that’s not to say the Air Nano earphones are particularly comfortable. Each earphone has a tiny “L” or “R” on it to know which ear to put them in, but even with that the buds can be a hassle to figure out the exact right positioning for in your ear. Once they are in, the circular outer edges of the earphones always hit the rim of my ear in a frustrating way, and any time I’d take one earphone out to fiddle with the positioning, when I put it back in I’d consistently activate one of the tap controls that reside on the outside of each bud.

In terms of power controls, the Air Nano definitely takes some getting used to. You turn on the earphones by holding each bud’s button for two seconds, and turn them off by holding the left bud for three seconds. Sometimes I’d only press the left bud for two seconds thinking this will activate both buds simultaneously, but this input instead activates a Bluetooth search for new connected devices. In terms of pairing with my iPhone X, I had no trouble finding the Air Nano for the first Bluetooth search, and they automatically paired each time after the initial setup.

Thankfully, playback controls are more straightforward: when music is playing, one tap on the right bud plays/pause the song, two taps skips the track, and three taps skips backwards in the tracklist. On the left bud, one tap answers or hangs up phone calls, and two taps brings up Siri — which responds well to voice requests, but oddly I only heard Siri’s voice in my left ear. You can’t control volume directly from the buds, so you will have to ask Siri or pick up your iPhone/Apple Watch for that — something that hindered the Air Nano’s usefulness when working out.

Most of the Air Nano’s negatives would be easier to overlook if the audio quality was good, but I also ran into issues here. The best aspect was the range, which stretched through about two rooms in my apartment before one of the buds began popping in and out. Unfortunately, problems emerged over longer periods of listening, when Air Nano’s connection to my iPhone would waver in one bud before fixing itself. I also found that songs playing from my iPhone sounded more tinny with Air Nano than the headphones I most often use (like BeatsX), and had difficulty adjusting the volume to hit a more comfortable level.

As it stands, the Air Nano are not the earphones you’re looking for if you enjoy deep bass. Even trying out the alternative ear tips didn’t much improve the experience. I live next to a relatively busy street, and for all of the tips provided with the Air Nano, a faint trace of low rumbling came through my music when it was at a safe and manageable volume. The workout-focused wing tips were also the most uncomfortable of the bunch, so even if they had helped a lot I probably wouldn’t have been able to listen for very long.

Air 1S

In essence, the Crazybaby Air 1S are the Air Nano earphones with a slightly more premium feel and enclosure. Instead of plastic, the Air 1S have an aluminum finish that only comes in Star Gray (which is the color I received) and Space Silver. Apple’s influence is apparent in the Air 1S, from the all-white packaging that has a subtle outline of the product on its top, to the use of the “S” terminology marking this version as the update to Crazybaby’s original Air earphones.

I found the Air 1S to perform better and feel better than the Air Nano in all categories, but in some areas it was only nominal improvements. The charging case feels sturdier, and it has a useful (if somewhat finicky) locking mechanism to ensure that the ear buds won’t escape into a bag.

The stainless steel finish of the case and the buds themselves is quite nice, coming in as a darker shade when compared to the Space Gray finish of a 2015 12-inch MacBook. The Crazybaby logo also blends in better than it does on the Air Nano case.

Continuing the theme, Air 1S fit better in my ear than the Air Nano and were more comfortable for longer periods of time, which appears to be because the buds have a far more comfortable oblong shape that molds into your ear better than the Air Nano’s awkward circular build. You also get the same array of different-sized ear tips if the ones they come with don’t work for you.

Similar to Air Nano, you’ll get three hours of listening time on one charge of Air 1S, and the case can provide up to 12 hours of backup time. I’d average about 30 minutes of listening time on the earphones per day for the few weeks I tested them, and one thing I never had an issue with was battery life (save for the ongoing iOS battery widget annoyance). With average use you can easily get three to four days of charge out of the Air 1S before you would need to place the buds back in the charging case.

One problem that remains with Air 1S is the poor user controls while you’re wearing them. The buttons on the side of the earphones require so much force to press them that it can be downright painful in certain positions. There are also still a few leftover connectivity hiccups that Crazybaby hasn’t ironed out, resulting in only one bud waking up when you turn the devices on.

Fortunately, the Air 1S sound better than the Air Nano, solving the annoying tinniness of the cheaper headphones with deeper bass and a clearer soundstage. I still wouldn’t put these earphones up to task against competitors in the market, but their improvements upon the Air Nano were definitely welcome.

Final Thoughts

If you’re on the hunt for true wireless earphones, Crazybaby has a bit of a mixed bag to offer customers with the Air Nano and Air 1S, one that turns up enough negatives that I couldn’t recommend the former device. My overall experience with the $79 Air Nano was fraught with uncomfortable listening sessions and poor quality music playback, so even though they stayed in my ear I never quite enjoyed my experience with them.

The $129 Air 1S fared better, staying in my ear as well as Air Nano, but feeling more comfortable and with better sound while doing so. Because of this, the Air 1S could be positioned as a decent entry-level pair of earphones for anyone who wants to try out true wireless earphones for the first time, as long as they’re okay with a few concessions in the overall user experience.

Still, the price causes some apprehension. At $129 for the Air 1S, you’re about $15 under the average sale price of Apple’s own AirPods, and Crazybaby’s price is even slightly more expensive than the AirPods can be in certain sitewide sales at Rakuten, when they’ve been priced at $127. It’s obvious Crazybaby wanted to be seen as a potential competitor in the true wireless earphones market, but with this generation at least the company still has a ways to go.

Note: Crazybaby provided MacRumors with a pair of Air Nano and Air 1S earphones for this review. No other compensation was received.

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Hands-On With the New Depth Control Feature in iPhone XS and XS Max

Apple’s iPhone XS, XS Max, and upcoming XR come equipped with a new Depth Control feature enabled through camera upgrades that include a new image signal processor, an improved sensor, and the A12 Bionic chip with next-generation Neural Engine.

Depth Control, which we’ve featured in the video below, lets you adjust the amount of blurring in the background of your Portrait Mode images, giving you more control over how your images come out.

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Depth Control can be accessed after you take a Portrait Mode image by tapping on the “Edit” button of a Portrait Mode photo in the Photos app. At the bottom of the editing interface, you’ll see a new Depth slider, which is what you use to adjust the blurring or depth of field of the image.

In a traditional camera, a larger aperture means more background blur and a shallower depth of field, while a smaller aperture results in less background blurring. This system is what Apple is mimicking with Depth Control.

No background blurring with Depth Control set at f/16
If you’re new to photography, it’s a bit confusing, but a larger aperture is represented by a smaller number, while a smaller aperture is represented by a larger number. So in the Depth Control slider, which ranges from f/1.4 to f/16, f/1.4 is the maximum amount of blur while f/16 essentially eliminates all background blur for an image that’s sharp throughout.

Default/medium Portrait Mode background blurring with Depth Control set at f/4.5
By default, all Portrait Mode images on iPhone XS and XS Max start at f/4.5, and from there, you can move the slider along the bottom to the left or the right to add more or less background blur. Being able to adjust the depth of field is useful because you can tweak exactly what you want blurred, and it can save some photos that otherwise would have had key details (like the edges of hair or fur) blurred out by Apple’s Portrait Mode software.

Maximum background blurring with Depth Control set at f/1.4
Depth Control is limited to Portrait Mode images taken with the front or rear-facing cameras because there needs to be blur to adjust in the image. Right now, editing the depth of a photo is limited to images that have already been captured, but starting in iOS 12.1, it will work in real time too.

In the iOS 12.1 beta, when capturing a Portrait Mode image with the front or rear facing camera, you can tap on the little “F” in the upper right hand corner of the display to access the Depth Control slider to see how more or less background blur looks in real time before taking an image. The camera app will also remember your preferred Depth Control settings from photo to photo, so you can always set it at the depth of field that you like best.

Live Depth Control lets you get the perfect angle and the perfect amount of depth for the portrait that you want to capture so you can make all of your real-time adjustments before snapping the photo.

What do you think of the Depth Control feature in the iPhone XS and XS Max? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundup: iPhone XSBuyer’s Guide: iPhone XS (Buy Now)
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