Alcatel’s Idol 4S bundle is an affordable way to try out VR
This is the year of virtual reality. With the most eagerly anticipated headsets finally becoming available and many content makers creating VR material, 2016 marks the year the medium is started to go mainstream. Alcatel is looking to make it easier to embrace virtual reality by bundling a headset with its latest flagship, all for an impressively low price of $399 ($350 if you preorder). As the first phone to ship with its own VR Goggles, the Idol 4S already stands out for its value. It also has some respectable specs in its own right, including a Quad HD display, two-way speakers and sharp 16-megapixel camera. It’s even got a glossy new makeover. But hitting that price means Alcatel had to make some trade-offs, with the most notable being the CPU. Still, it’s a good phone for those who can live with middling performance.
Hardware
Props to Alcatel for its effort, and for generally succeeding in upping its style game. While last year’s Idol 3 had an unexciting, unassuming look, the 4S is the slick, dressed-up sibling. Its glass-covered body and shiny metal edges are a step up from its predecessor’s bland plastic back. But that style is strongly reminiscent of the Galaxy S6. Sartorially, Alcatel isn’t pushing any envelopes here; it’s still playing catch-up.
There’s nothing new about the Idol 4S’s flat, blocky frame and its 5.5-inch AMOLED display. Even its charging port on the bottom edge is of the older micro-USB variety, as opposed to USB Type-C.
Still, that doesn’t mean the Idol 4S isn’t a handsome handset. Just watch out: That glass covering is a heck of a fingerprint magnet. You’ll need to wipe it down frequently to keep the phone looking pristine.
I also wish Alcatel had gone with physical or capacitive navigation buttons below the Idol 4S’s screen, instead of relying on the software keys in Android. Those digital buttons take up a row of display space, and disappear whenever I play a game or full-screen video.
On the right side sits a round silver button that Alcatel calls the “boom key.” You’ll also find a circular fingerprint sensor etched into the Idol 4S’s rear, right under the camera. This placement is designed to be easy for your finger to reach while the phone is in use, but it’s not the easiest to find by touch, because the area isn’t depressed like it is on other phones.
VR box
When you first open the Idol 4S packaging, you’ll find a white rectangular box with a silver circle on the bottom. Press that, and you can pull apart the whole setup. The top half is the headset, which at first blush looks nearly identical to Samsung’s Gear VR, while the bottom half is a case that contains accessories.
The Idol 4S VR Goggles (yes, that’s the official name) differs from the Gear VR in a few ways. Alcatel placed its controls on the bottom of the viewer, as opposed to on the right edge like Samsung. The Idol 4S also comes with an extra headpiece to help the headset sit more comfortably on your head.
Most important, Alcatel’s system is based on Google’s Cardboard, whereas Samsung’s is the result of a collaboration with Oculus. Those who have never used the Gear VR probably won’t notice the difference in quality, but since I’ve spent a good deal of time with both, it’s clear to me that the Alcatel viewer is not as immersive. I’ve never noticed pixels when using the Gear VR, but a few minutes into a 360-degree video on the Idol 4S VR Goggles I started spotting the fine dots.
Otherwise, the headset, which is spongy around the eyes, feels light and comfortable enough to wear for extended periods. If you wear glasses, putting the goggles on may be a hassle, but it’s not much more difficult than with other setups.
Alcatel provides a VR launcher app that serves as your gateway to compatible content. With it, you get a basic navigation menu with seven tiles floating in a horizontal row over a starry backdrop. These icons let you see games, regular pictures and videos, 360-degree images and videos, a tutorial and Littlstar.
The latter is a third-party provider of VR video content from channels such as ABC News, Discovery VR, Showtime and other independent brands. Its offerings are mostly short, entertaining clips that occasionally look suspiciously like promotional material for those brands’ upcoming shows. In the week that I’ve had the Idol 4S, though, the Littlstar library doesn’t appear to have been updated with new stuff. But to be fair, neither Alcatel nor LIttlstar promises frequent additions to the selections.
Thankfully, Littlstar isn’t the only way to get good VR content on the Idol 4S. You can also go into the VR store app or find more media through Google’s own apps for Cardboard section. Unfortunately, the Idol 4S isn’t certified for Google’s Daydream mobile VR platform yet, so it might not be forward-compatible with upcoming media. Still, for the price, the Idol 4S Goggles and the basic content Alcatel offers is an easy and accessible way to dip your toe into virtual reality.
Display and sound
Just like its predecessor, the Idol 4S has a bright panel that’s easy to see even in direct sunlight. Its 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display is vibrant and sharp, which makes watching Netflix and playing games more immersive. Colors looked more saturated than I’m used to on my iPhone 6s screen. Even though I did eventually start noticing pixelation in VR content when looking through the viewer, high-res videos generally appeared crisp on the phone itself.
One other novelty in the Idol 4S is its dual JBL-certified speakers that pump out sound through both the front and back of the device. This prevents muffling of the audio when you put your phone down on a surface, and worked surprisingly well on both an office table and my bed. I noticed slightly clearer echo when the phone was face up rather than down, but the difference isn’t noticeable unless you go looking for it like I did.
The Idol 4S’s speakers were also satisfyingly loud, and I never had to struggle to hear it at top volume. The included Waves MaxxAudio app lets you change sound profiles for specific situations such as Music, Movie or General. You can also customize the output of bass, treble and revive, but, in general, I left these settings alone.
Software
Like any respectable phone being launched this year, the Idol 4S ships with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. The company said an update to Android Nougat is on its way, although it hasn’t given a timeframe yet.
As is its habit, Alcatel has skinned the otherwise stock OS with the company’s own icons for apps such as Messages, Dialer, Camera and Contacts. This cartoonish look won’t be for everyone, but it’s simple enough to resolve with a theme download.
A new feature for the Idol line is the aforementioned Boom key on the device’s right side. Pressing this in specific apps launch specialized tasks, such as activating photo collages in the Gallery, volume and bass boost in a music player, enhanced surround sound in a video playback and improved voice quality and loudness during a call. These are preset in the software, and you can’t change them or add more, but you can customize what pressing (or double pressing) the Boom key does when the phone screen is off and on.
The in-app Boom functions are hit or miss: I didn’t ever need photo collage mode when viewing my Gallery, but I found the volume boosts very handy. I also liked being able to open a specific app of my choice with one press while the screen is on.
Thankfully. not much bloatware comes loaded on the Idol 4S. In addition to the VR apps mentioned earlier, Alcatel also includes its fun Music app that has a Mix mode for turntable-style DJ-ing on the go. You’ll also get useful titles such as Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp, and the just-tolerable NextRadio and Swiftkey.
Camera
The Idol 4S’s 16-megapixel rear camera took decent shots that weren’t superexciting, but what did impress me was the HDR mode. First of all, turning on HDR may make snapping a pic a tad slower, but it made pictures significantly more colorful and vibrant, while retaining an impressive amount of detail. If you’re shooting a landscape and want some extra oomph, I’d recommend enabling HDR to really bring out all the hues.
Outdoor shots aside, the Idol 4S was also adept at capturing scenes inside buildings. In these situations, however, white balance can be a bit finicky. Alcatel lets you adjust this in manual mode, and you’ll also find options for Panorama, Slow Motion and Micro Video (a la Apple’s Live Photos).
In addition, you get a “Fyuse” mode for taking 360-degree panoramic videos, which you can view as a picture. It’s a little difficult to use, and that’s after a software update Alcatel issued with bug fixes. The camera often had trouble detecting the direction I was moving in and failed to record the video. When it did work, the resulting Fyuse video is basically a video that you can play by dragging on your screen or moving your phone in the corresponding direction.
In low light, the Idol 4S struggled to get a steady shot. Turning on the flash will help get clearer pictures, but it added a yellowish green hue. Until a software fix is issued, don’t expect many great photos at night.
Selfies are decent once you turn down the portrait enhancement to avoid looking muddy and fake. Unlike many other phones with so-called selfie flashes, the Idol 4S actually has a separate bulb next to the front camera to light up your portrait, instead of using the phone’s display. This selfie flash was strong enough to light up my shirt in addition to my face, while still keeping the accurate colors intact.
Performance and battery life
As an iPhone 6s owner and a reviewer of high-end devices, I’m used to blazing speeds and have little tolerance for lag. As such, I was expecting the Idol 4S with its midrange Snapdragon 652 chip to be noticeably slower than I’m accustomed to. I was pleasantly surprised, then, when the Idol 4S held up well under my torture test, during which I had AZ Screen Recorder capturing my Pokémon Go battles with a handful of other apps open.
The resulting video was smooth and had no dropped frames, while my in-game experience was close to (just slightly slower than) what I see on my iPhone without a screen recorder running. I did encounter the occasional stutter and pause, and the phone struggled when I tried to run two games concurrently with the screen recording, crashing when a Hangouts message arrived. Not the best for someone in the middle of an intense high-stakes battle for Pokéstop territory.
More-expensive phones fared better than the Idol 4S on synthetic benchmarks in general, especially when it came to graphics. But the OnePlus 3 stands out, beating the Idol 4S on all but one test despite costing the same.
Moto G4
AndEBench
9,742
13,841
16,371
16,159
Vellamo 3.0
4,831
5,202
2,819
2,762
3DMark IS Unlimited
18,051
30,058
9,851
9,841
GFXBench 3.0 Manhattan Offscreen (fps)
15
48
6.6
6.6
CF-Bench
75,760
41,653
60,998
61,030
Still, the Idol 4S’s performance is impressive for a phone that is using a slower chip than the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 820 that all the high-powered flagships are packing.
The Idol 4S’s 3,000mAh battery provided ample power to last through the day. It lasted 10 hours and 41 minutes on our battery test, which involves looping an HD video at 50 percent brightness. That’s nearly an hour longer than what we saw on the OnePlus 3, although it pales in comparison to the Moto G4’s 12-hour-and-30-minute runtime.
When you run out of juice, recharging is swift, thanks to support for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 standard. Within 15 minutes of plugging the device in, I saw the power level go up to 33 percent. By the time an hour had passed, the phone was back up to 84 percent.
The competition
With a retail price of $399, the Idol 4S goes up directly against the OnePlus 3 and ZTE Axon 7. Although we’ve yet to review the Axon, its Snapdragon 820 chip with 4GB of RAM, Quad HD AMOLED display and sexy frame already make it seem like the more promising phone for power users. Plus, ZTE says the phone will be compliant with Google’s Daydream mobile VR platform by the fall, making it a worthy consideration for virtual reality fans.
We really liked the OnePlus 3’s performance, handsome build and clean Android-based system with bonus features. It even has a USB Type-C charging port, which will delight early adopters who have already made the switch to the reversible cable. However, the OnePlus 3 has a less-sharp 1080p screen and didn’t last as long as the Idol 4S on our battery test.
If you’re looking for an even cheaper phone than the Idol 4S, Moto’s new G4 and G4 Plus pack plenty of power and more stamina for a low starting price of $200. The G4 Plus also offers better low-light camera performance than the Idol. But the trade-off is a more basic design and lower-resolution screen.
All that considered, no other company has started shipping a VR headset in and as the box of its smartphone, which leaves Alcatel with its unique proposition: Come for the aggressively priced bundle, stay for the intro to VR. And in the meantime, you may discover that the Idol 4S itself is a perfectly adequate phone.
Wrap-up
The Idol 4S is not the sort of fancy handset you’re likely to brag about to your friends, but you’ll definitely want to show off the VR bundle. The 4S may not be the fastest phone around, but its combination of rich display, superb speakers, long-lasting battery and decent cameras make up for the shortfall in speed. Alcatel needs to improve the main camera’s low-light capabilities, as well as build out more extensive library of VR content, potentially through Daydream.
Ultimately, you can’t argue against good value. The truth is, if you order the Idol 4S for $350 before Aug. 3rd, it is the best deal on the market. Miss that deadline, and you’ll have to be more invested in VR than the average buyer, but not so keen that you need a top-notch experience. The Idol 4S’s success will depend on the size of that crowd, and its ability to keep that group engaged.
Whirlpool WRT511SZDM Top Freezer Refrigerator review – CNET
The Good The Whirlpool WRT511SZDM is the most powerful top freezer we’ve ever tested, with consistently low temperatures throughout the entirety of the fridge.
The Bad Those temperatures were often too low, with main shelves falling below the freezing point even at the default setting. The design is also pretty plain, and there aren’t any features worth getting excited about.
The Bottom Line If your refrigerator’s cooling performance matters more to you than fancy features or design flourishes, then this Whirlpool workhorse deserves your consideration.
If you were to list the habits of highly effective refrigerators, pumping out cold air would sit right at the top. Thankfully, that’s what you’ll get from the $1,100 Whirlpool WRT511SZDM top freezer, and then some — it’s actually the coldest refrigerator we’ve ever tested.
How cold is too cold, though? The freezing point (32 F) seems like a fair place to start, and sure enough, this Whirlpool blows right past it, with an average body temperature of 26.4 F at the coldest setting. Even at the default setting, the refrigerator’s bottom shelf comes in at 30.1 F.
That said, it’s tough to fault a fridge for being too good at its job — especially when you can dial it up a setting or two and save a little money on your power bill. If cooling performance that errs on the cool side is what matters most, then this no-frills top freezer fits the bill. Just don’t blame me when your milk freezes.
Here’s a Whirlpool fridge that really keeps…
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There’s a whole lot of storage space in those in-door shelves.
Chris Monroe/CNET
Design and features
The WRT511SZDM is a sturdy-feeling stainless-steel fridge that’s also available in white or black for $100 less. It’s a very basic build that passes on significant design flourishes in favor of a safer, more traditional aesthetic. In other words, it’s a token top freezer.
Open it up, and you’ll find a grand total of 21.3 cubic feet of storage space, 15.2 of which are in the fridge compartment. That’s a decent amount of room as far as top freezers go, but it’s not as much as you’ll get with the king-sized LG LTCS24223S — that fridge beats Whirlpool by 2.5 cubic feet. Still, it was big enough to fit all of our test groceries, along with five out of six of our king-size stress test items (I couldn’t quite jam the party platter and the extra large pizza box inside at the same time.)
By the way, the MVP of those storage tests was the in-door shelving. The shelves are sizable enough to hold a surprising amount of groceries, and there are enough of them to make it easy to section things off and organize everything just how you like. I also appreciated that there were plenty of different spots into which I could rearrange the shelves.
Top freezer fridges for around $1,000
| 15.2 cubic feet | 17.6 cubic feet | 14.2 cubic feet | 13.5 cubic feet |
| 6.1 cubic feet | 6.2 cubic feet | 4.1 cubic feet | 4.0 cubic feet |
| 21.3 cubic feet | 23.8 cubic feet | 18.3 cubic feet | 17.5 cubic feet |
| Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel |
| No | Yes (+$100) | No | No |
| No | Yes | Yes | No |
| 443 kWh | 501 kWh | 363 kWh | 399 kWh |
| $53 | $60 | $44 | $48 |
| $2.49 | $2.52 | $2.40 | $2.74 |
| $1,100 | $1,200 | $1,100 | $1,000 |
| $900 | $1,075 | $850 | $900 |
Feature-wise, there isn’t much else worth mentioning, save for the “Flexi-Slide Drawer,” which is just a drawer that slides from left and right beneath the top shelf to make room for tall objects below. That’s really about it. No water dispenser, no spill-proof shelves, no extra bells or whistles whatsoever.
More top freezer fridges
- Lots of storage space: LG LTCS24223S
- Exceptional performance: Kenmore 79432
- Style on a budget: GE GTE18GMHES
- Fingerprint-resistant: Frigidaire Gallery FGTR1845QF
- Compact size: LG LTNC11121V
Despite the sturdy exterior, certain parts of the interior also felt a bit flimsy to the touch. The crisper bins don’t glide out as smoothly as you’ll see in nicer refrigerators, and some of the door shelves didn’t snap into place as tightly as I’d like. The bar that blocks off the bottom in-door shelf was particularly annoying, popping out of place enough times during my tests that I was forced to tape it into position.
It all adds up to a fridge that doesn’t do very much to set itself apart from the competition. That’s somewhat forgivable in the top-freezer class, but still disappointing given that this is a $1,000+ refrigerator we’re talking about.
Asus ZenPad Z8 review | A spec-heavy $249 Verizon tablet
This post originally appeared on our sister site TabTimes.com where you can find benchmarks and additional screenshots
It’s not too often we see an affordable tablet compatible with a cellular network like Verizon deliver an experience nearly free of compromises. Although the affordable smartphone market has been more competitive as of late, with a sometimes even overwhelming number of excellent affordable options, budget tablets often leave something to be desired.
- ASUS ZenPad S 8.0 review
- Laptop, tablet or both, ASUS has you covered at Computex 2016
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the same company that brought us the remarkable Zenfone 2, various affordable tablets, and the Nexus 7 is now offering what appears to be one of the best “bang for your buck” tablets.
Where does the ASUS ZenPad Z8 excel and where does it fall short? Let’s find out in our comprehensive ASUS ZenPad Z8 review!
Buy the Asus ZenPad Z8 now!
Design
ASUS has undoubtedly delivered a clean and simplistic design with the Z8. Its textured plastic rear is subtle to the eye yet impressionable in the hand, and makes the tablet easier to grip. Unfortunately, the plastic band running along the edges of the tablet doesn’t seem to help with the ZenPad’s structural integrity, which is notably weak. The tablet’s plastic construction does lend to a nice handling experience in both portrait and landscape orientation, however.
The power and volume buttons, found on the right edge, are tactile and positioned well. ASUS has implemented a fairly inconspicuous flap towards the top of the left edge, which covers the microSIM card slot, for data connectivity, and the microSD card slot, for expanding the tablet’s 16 GB of storage, up to 128 GB.
The front of the Z8 features a Verizon logo on the bottom, as well as a 2 MP front-facing camera on the top. Capacitive navigation keys are absent, and navigation is instead handled by on-screen keys. Although the iconography follows ASUS’ ZenUI design language, the layout matches what Google has defined as standard.
Display
The ZenPad’s 7.9″ QXGA (2048 x 1536) display offers a high pixel density of 324 PPI, which is a pleasant surprise at this price. The display’s sharpness is very important when consuming text-heavy content, such as webpages or ebooks. Viewing angles are also good and the display’s color reproduction is fairly accurate.
ASUS’ Splendid app is also worthy of praise, as it offers granular control over the display’s color temperature, in addition to several screen color modes. If you’d like to bump up the display’s vividness, for example, you can simply select the “Vivid” mode.
Sadly, the display’s glass is very reflective and the highest brightness setting is still relatively low, which makes reading the display in direct sunlight challenging in many cases. I also noticed that auto-brightness tended to dim the display too much, which eventually became so frustrating that I had to turn it off completely.
One other attribute to keep in mind is the display’s 4:3 aspect ratio, which makes the tablet seem a bit too tall in landscape mode when watching 21:9 movies or even 16:9 TV shows or videos. Put simply, you may see some letter boxing when consuming this type of content. I should note that the 4:3 aspect ratio does work well, however, when reading or web browsing.
Performance
Under the hood, the ASUS ZenPad Z8 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 650, which offers performance comparable to that of the Snapdragon 808. During my time with the Z8, I did not notice much lag nor did I find app load times to be unreasonably long.
I did, however, have some minor trouble multitasking with more than a couple of apps. Unfortunately, the Z8 includes just 2 GB of RAM, which although often enough for some low-end smartphones, was not enough to keep up with my tablet usage demands. If you plan on using the tablet for simple tasks like video streaming and reading, however, this should not be an issue.
The Adreno 510 delivers great gaming performance and users should have no trouble playing higher-end games like Asphalt 8: Airborne. This is great to see, as tablets in this price category often skimp in this department.
Hardware
Unlike many sub-$300 tablets, the ASUS ZenPad Z8 allows you to receive 4G LTE data on the Verizon Wireless network. It’s also compatible with Verizon’s strong XLTE network, meaning that you’ll receive more reliable and faster data coverage in congested areas. And, although band support is limited to the Verizon network, the tablet itself is unlocked and can be used on other compatible LTE networks.
It’s great to see ASUS adopt the newer USB Type-C standard with the ZenPad Z8. Unlike the now outdated microUSB, USB Type-C is reversible so you won’t have to worry about plugging the cable in “the wrong way” when attempting to charge the device.
The ASUS ZenPad Z8 features dual front-facing speakers, which is something that we all love to see, especially on tablets. In terms of actual audio quality, they sound pretty good with some minor distortion and tinniness at full volume. But for the price, it’s really difficult to complain here.
Battery Life
Battery life with the Z8 was good, thanks to the tablet’s large non-removable 4680mAh battery. I was able to consistently achieve over five hours of screen on time with a minimum of twelve hours of standby. Although there are tablets out there offering better battery life, this should be more than enough for almost all users. ASUS’ power saving profiles can also help squeeze just a bit more juice when you are running low on battery.
Camera
ASUS has implemented an 8 MP rear camera on the ZenPad Z8, but you should really avoid using it whenever possible. Although it certainly is nice to have and may come in handy in some situations, the images it produces are soft, noisy, and lack detail.
Camera samples from the ZenPad Z8:
With that said, color reproduction is excellent, saturation seems to be good, and autofocus is reliable and fairly fast. Low-light performance is poor, although ASUS’ Owl mode does help bring up the brightness by reducing the image quality. Chances are, however, that the camera on your smartphone is simply better in most conditions.
Software
Shipping with ASUS’ ZenUI skin over Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, the ZenPad Z8 provides a great software experience. The user interface does feel a bit cartoonish, but the overall mechanics are very similar to stock Android. Overall, there’s nothing terribly out of the ordinary if you’ve used Android in the past.
There are some nice software additions, however. The screen color settings and audio equalizer are very nice to have, apps like Do It Later and Quick Memo can be helpful, and the included Help app could come in handy, especially for those who are not yet comfortable with Android. Thankfully, bloatware is also kept to a minimum, with only a few Verizon apps and four Amazon apps.
Sadly, the selection of tablet apps available on the Google Play Store is still very limited compared to Apple’s App Store. Many of the apps available on Android are simply not optimized for tablets, which is certainly a bummer. You’ll still have a wide selection of apps, but do be aware that not all will run as smoothly as they do on the iPad.
Gallery
Price & Conclusion
The ASUS ZenPad Z8 is now available through Verizon Wireless for $250 off contract (or $10.41/mo. for 24 months). That’s a very competitive price, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a comparable cellular connected tablet.
You can also purchase the Z8 for $150 with a two year contract. You should, however, consider how you’d like to use the tablet before agreeing. Although there are certainly use cases where paying for data makes sense, you may end up mostly relying on Wi-Fi, especially if you don’t plan on taking the tablet outside of your home often. By paying an extra $100 up front (or by financing the device), you can avoid any headaches down the road.
- ASUS ZenPad S 8.0 review
- Laptop, tablet or both, ASUS has you covered at Computex 2016
There is little complaining that can be done once you factor in the Z8’s affordable pricing. Although the display could be less reflective, there could be more RAM, and the camera could produce better images, there’s a lot to love about this tablet. With its dual front-facing speakers, excellent high-resolution display, and very good performance, the ZenPad Z8 is yet another home run for ASUS.
Buy the Asus ZenPad Z8 now!
What do you think of the ASUS ZenPad Z8? Will you be picking one up? Let us know in the comment section below!
This post originally appeared on our sister site TabTimes.com where you can find benchmarks and additional screenshots
Sony XBRZ9D series Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Sony’s 100-inch Z series TV unveiled by company execs.
Lexy Savvides/CNET
For people who can afford it, Sony’s latest high-end TVs could actually outperform the current kings of picture quality, LG’s OLEDs. If nothing else, they’re certainly brighter.
Unveiled at an event in Los Angeles today, the Sony Z series is available for preorder from Sony now and will ship by the end of summer. The price of entry for the 65-inch size is $7,000US, and it will also be available in the UK and Europe, where it’s called the Bravia ZD9 and costs 5,000 EUR (about £4177). Australian pricing and availability was not announced. The Z series also includes a 75 inch size ($10,000US, about £6682) and a crazy 100-inch model (pricing not available).
By comparison, LG’s 65-inch E6 OLED TV costs $6,000, and Samsung’s best 65-inch set, the 65KS9800, is $4500. I wouldn’t be surprised if the new Sonys performed better than the Samsung, but to justify their prices, the Sonys need to deliver a better picture than OLED.
Given Sony’s excellent track record with picture quality, and the mouthwatering Z series specifications company reps shared with me, that might actually be possible.
Sony’s Z Series TVs go big and bright
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LED backlight dimming goes even more local
So how could an LED backlit LCD TV like the Z series hope to beat an OLED-based TV? Its dimming is more local.
The best current LCD TVs use a technology called local dimming, where the groups of LEDs that comprise the TV’s backlight can be brightened, dimmed or turned off independently of one another. Generally the more of these dimming zones a TV has, the better its image quality.
The Z series takes local dimming to its logical conclusion: every LED in its backlight can be dimmed individually, discrete from its neighbors. Doing so should further reduce the amount of blooming, or stray illumination, that plagues local dimming TVs that rely on groups.
Sony’s rep declined to specify how many LEDs the Z series uses, beyond telling me that it’s “a lot more than is normally utilized, so blooming on axis is minimal.” The press release also talks up a “calibrated beam LED design” that focuses the light emitted by the LEDs more narrowly, to further combat blooming.
OLED is immune to blooming because every one of its 8 million-odd pixels (in its 4K screen) is basically its own zone that can be brightened or dimmed individually. The Z series certainly has much fewer LEDs than that–LEDs are not pixels, they’re basically the light bulbs that illuminate the pixels–so it will likely still suffer some blooming compared to OLED. To see exactly how much, we’ll have to wait to review one.
A prototype TV demonstrates Sony’s Backlight Master Drive local dimming technology at CES 2016.
Sarah Tew/CNET
At CES in January during a closed-door demo, I did get the chance to see an 85-inch prototype that uses the same so-called Backlight Master Drive as Z series. I remember being impressed by the black levels and color of the demo, but mostly I remember how blindingly bright the picture felt. Indeed, Sony claimed the prototype could reach 4,000 nits, between three or four times as bright as the brightest current LED LCDs, while the best OLEDs are significantly dimmer.
Sony again didn’t specify how many nits the shipping Z series can achieve, beyond assuring me its brightness is “unprecedented.” Raw light output is an important component in making next-generation high dynamic range (HDR) content look impactful, but in my tests comparing OLEDs to LCD TVs with HDR, OLED’s superior contrast was more important than light output. On paper, the Z series’ combination of precise dimming (deep black levels) and high light output seems like a stiff challenge for OLED, at least from on-angle.
Sony also discusses the Z series’ improved processing, including noise reduction said to better differentiate between details and film grain, a system that makes standard dynamic range content look more like HDR with object-based remastering, and 14-bit mapping to combat banding with both high-def (8-bit) and 4K (10-bit) sources.
Sony’s rep assured me most processing options can be turned off, in case you don’t like the effects, and confirmed that like other Sony TVs, this one only handles HDR10, not Dolby Vision HDR content. I also asked what percentage of the DCI/P3 color gamut the Z series would cover, but the rep declined to specify. For reference, the superb Sony XBR-X930D I reviewed earlier measured 91 percent, a bit short of the Samsung SUHD set I measured.
Like the X930D and other recent Sony sets, the Z series uses the Android TV operating system, with 4K and HDR-compatible Netflix and Amazon apps. It also includes Sony’s exclusive Ultra app with Sony Pictures films in 4K and HDR available for purchase.
We look forward to seeing how the Z series actually performs against today’s best TVs in our full review.
Alienware 13 (OLED) review – CNET
The Good The OLED screen on this 13-inch gaming laptop looks amazing. Gaming performance is very good for a mainstream gaming laptop, and there’s even an (expensive) option for adding VR-ready desktop graphics.
The Bad The display is not as finely tuned as high-end OLED televisions, the graphics options don’t go past mainstream, and battery life while gaming is short.
The Bottom Line For something truly different and eye-catching, the OLED display on this “limited edition” Alienware 13 gives it great visual punch, but keep in mind this is not a top-end gaming rig.
There are thinner gaming laptops out there. There are more powerful gaming laptops out there. But, this updated version of the Alienware 13 has something almost no one else has, at least not yet.
The headline here is an OLED screen, which is the super-bright, super-clear display technology now found in only the highest-end big-screen televisions. Why is that important? As we said in our OLED TV explainer: “OLEDs work by putting electricity through certain materials that glow in specific colors. No other TV technology creates light directly like this…OLED TVs will be thinner, lighter, more efficient, and better-performing than any current television technology. Each pixel can be shut off, for an absolute black (no other tech can do this, save CRT), meaning an actual infinite contrast ratio, not just marketing hype.”
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And just like on big OLED TVs, the effect here is pretty stunning, as OLED gives you bright colors and deep, nearly invisible blacks. If I were buying a new TV today, there’s no way I wouldn’t make the extra investment in an OLED model. For a laptop, even a gaming one, the benefit is not as clear-cut, but it’s still a great extra feature to have.
While it would be great to have an OLED display as at least an option in a totally top-of-the-line gaming PC, it’s currently only available in a single version of the 13-inch Alienware 13 (with a handful of configuration options) the company labels a “limited edition.” The components inside, including a U-series low-voltage Intel Core i7 CPU and Nvidia’s GeForce 965M GPU, make this a mainstream gaming machine, so you’ll be playing newer games on medium, rather than ultra, settings on the 2,560×1,440 screen.
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Fortunately, even though an OLED television will set you back anywhere from $2,500 to $6,000, the OLED version of the Alienware 13 is reasonably priced, even with its high-end screen. Starting at $1,299 in the US, it’s a bit of a premium over other laptops with Intel GeForce 960-series GPUs (the 965M is a newer variant, and this is the first time we’re testing it), but it costs less than I initially expected.
The configuration we tested, with an Intel core i7-6500U processor, 256GB SSD, the OLED display and the Nvidia GeForce 965M, works out to $1,799. The OLED display version of the Alienware 13 isn’t currently available in the UK or Australia, but similar non-OLED configurations run £1,498 or AU$2,816.
Alienware 13 (OLED)
| $1,799 |
| 13-inch, 2560 x 1440 OLED touchscreen |
| 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-6500U |
| 12GB DDR3 SDRAM 1600MHz |
| Nvidia GeForce GTX 965M |
| 256GB SSD |
| 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.1 |
| Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit) |
OLED display aside, this looks and feels like the same Alienware 13 that’s been around for past couple of years. It’s thinner and lighter than gaming laptops of years past, but it’s also not on the bleeding edge of gaming laptop design. Razer, MSI and others do slimmer, more modern-looking gaming laptops.
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Like every other Alienware laptop in recent memory, a programmable backlit keyboard offers plenty of color customization and the closely spaced, tapered keys feel more like a traditional gaming desktop keyboard than the standard island-style keys found on most other laptops, gaming or otherwise.
Eyes on with OLED
The big deal here is that 2,560×1,440 OLED display. I took the system to our in-house television testing lab, manned by TV testing expert David Katzmaier, and we viewed a variety of video and game content on the screen. What we saw was performance that’s very visually appealing, but not as dead-on as a great OLED television.
Which printers are worth buying?
You probably don’t print as much as you used to, if at all. However, on the rare occasion that you need a crisp copy of your resume to bring to an interview or want some framed photos of the kids for your office, a printer can be pretty handy. But not every printer works for every job, so we’ve scoured critics’ reviews across the web and assembled a list of some of the best devices currently out there. Whether you’re looking to send out photo cards for the holidays or just need an everyday workhorse of a machine, check out the gallery below to see which printer might be up to the task.
Bosch SHS63VL5UC review – CNET
The Good This $800 Bosch dishwasher has the best cleaning rating of any machine we’ve tested so far, including some $1,200 models. It tops that off with great drying performance that limits water spots. Your dishes will actually come out shiny, no matter what’s covering them when they go in.
The Bad $800 isn’t cheap for a dishwasher, yet the Bosch has minimal features and a plain design. Inflexible racks also make it a pain to use.
The Bottom Line You can throw anything you want at the $800 Bosch SHS63VL5UC as long as you can find a place where it fits. If you’re willing to adapt to a tedious rack setup, it’ll reward you with cleaning performance that far outclasses its pay grade.
I have a love-hate relationship with the $800 Bosch SHS63VL5UC. With only a few cycle options and no extras such as a third rack, there isn’t much about this dishwasher’s feature list to lure you in. The adjustable height and fold down tines of the top rack are a plus, but you get no other flexibility, making it hard to fit any large or oddly shaped dishes. Plus, the plain color pallette and push buttons on the dishwasher’s upper lip make it look outdated, so forget about a cutting-edge design.
For all of that, this Bosch unit does do one thing consistently well: clean dishes. This $800 dishwasher tackled everything we threw at it. It handled tough stains like chili and spinach, and water spots on glassware were almost non-existent. In fact, it out-cleaned our previous champ — the $1,200 LG LDT9965BD — by a couple of percentage points making it the best cleaner we’ve seen so far. It finished our trials with an average clean score of 93 percent. That’s amazing.
I wish there were more features on the Bosch SHS63VL5UC for its price, but seeing sparkling dishes after each cycle makes this dishwasher hard to ignore. If all you care about is dish-cleaning performance and you’re willing to spend for an upper-midrange appliance to get it, the Bosch SHS63VL5UC is an easy recommendation.
Boss your dishes around with this Bosch dishwasher
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Design
The stainless finish of the Bosch SHS63VL5UC reminds me of many other modern large appliances, but the scoop handle provides a pleasant change of pace. Above the handle, a lighter steel color borders the rest and curves up to the control panel on the upper lip. As with every other built-in dishwasher with hidden controls, you’ll need to pull open the door for the control panel to work. But unlike most other dishwashers with hidden controls, the Bosch SHS63VL5UC actually has physical buttons instead of touch controls.
The buttons are responsive, I just found them strangely out of place on a hidden control panel. There’s nothing outright wrong about the design of the SHS63VL5UC, but there’s no color accents on the interior, and as a whole it struck me as plain and a little old fashioned.
A little old fashioned, but not necessarily ugly.
Chris Monroe/CNET
You can purchase the Bosch SHS63VL5UC 300 Series dishwasher at AJ Madison and other large appliance dealers. Like most large appliances, you’ll find it cheaper than the $800 list price. Right now, AJ Madison has it for $715. The SHS63VL5UC is not available overseas.
Features
Open the dishwasher and press the On-Off button, and you’ll be able to select from a pretty standard selection of cycle options — Heavy, Auto, Normal and Rinse — each with their own respective buttons. I found the lack of creative cycle options on an $800 dishwasher more egregious than the presence of buttons themselves — especially given that Bosch doesn’t even give you an express cycle if you need to wash a load quickly.
Not many cycles to choose from.
Chris Monroe/CNET
The $900 LG LDF7774ST lets you vary the water pressure from the top rack to the bottom with one of its cycles. It doesn’t have a true express either, but it comes closer with a Quick & Dry cycle that takes a little over an hour. Bosch’s shortest cycle other than Rinse is more than two hours long.
The $900 LG’s time display stays on as it runs, keeping you up to date with how much longer it will run. As you select your cycle, the display on the Bosch SHS63VL5UC blinks an estimate that updates as you add options such as “ExtraDry,” then turns solid as you hit start on the right to show you it’s ready to go. But once you close the door and the SHS63VL5UC whirs into action, the display turns off.
The InfoLight lets you know the dishwasher is running.
Chris Monroe/CNET
A red info light shines on the floor to let you know the dishwasher is running, so the SHS63VL5UC is sure to delight your family’s cat, but I’d have liked a few more features aimed at humans for the $800 price.
Usability
The interior of the SHS63VL5UC doesn’t have a lot going on in terms of features either, and I don’t like most of what it does have.
You can lift the upper rack to adjust its height to any of three possible positions. Once it’s all the way up, press the triggers on either side of the rack to lower it back down to position one, but even that is cumbersome as you’ll need to prod and jostle the rack to actually get it to drop.
Teal Drone Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Teal is more than just another quadcopter: It’s a platform.
As it stands in 2016, consumers can pick out a ready-to-fly drone for aerial photos and video or for racing or just to fly casually. Teal is meant to appeal to all of these buyers, regardless of skill level, and eventually to commercial pilots, too.
Behind Teal — the company and the drone — is 18-year old George Matus who has been flying quads since he was 11 and built his first one at 14. The drone is the result of an evolving list of dream features he’s been making since then.
The quad can go fast at up to 70 mph (112 kph) in up to 40 mph (64 kph) winds, it’s weatherproof, can be controlled with an iOS or Android device or a regular radio controller and is small enough to slip into backpack. In front is an electronically stabilized 13-megapixel camera that can record video at 4K resolution.
Teal is also modular, and that doesn’t only mean removing the battery. Each arm can be popped on and off, as can the drone’s top section. With other drones, if you were to break one of the prop arms you would have to send the whole thing in for repair. With Teal you’ll be able to easily replace it on your own. Plus, this opens the possibility for specialized arms for specific tasks. Teal is also currently planning to release modules for the top section including thermal imaging, obstacle avoidance (something it currently can’t do on its own) and a secondary camera for first-person-view racing.
Here’s where it gets even more interesting, though. Inside Teal is an Nvidia TX1 computer with an octa-core processor to handle machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies. The idea here is that by having the modular design, powerful hardware running the drone’s Teal OS as well as making an SDK available, it can be a platform to be developed for consumer and commercial uses.
For the moment the drone is targeted at consumers and will have three apps available at launch: one for flight control, another for a Follow-Me mode for automatic subject tracking and a racing application so you can compete against other Teal pilots. Matus hopes after an app store has been built and grows, that licensing of the platform with other hardware manufacturers will soon follow.
The biggest downsides we see are the same things we see with a lot of drones: battery life and price. Teal has a 1,800mAh lithium polymer battery that will provide around 10 minutes of flight time. This is shorter than larger camera drones, but is in line with most racing drones. Teal should be releasing extended batteries at some point after launch, too.
The other issue is that Teal is a new comer and at $1,299 the unit is not cheap and it is far off with the earliest units shipping right before Christmas 2016. While the rest of the orders placed by August 15, should ship by early 2017, which is quite some time. And that’s if all goes according to plan.
The company is accepting preorders on Teal Drones site and you won’t be charged until the drone ships.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review – CNET
The Good The 5.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a brilliant high-resolution screen and takes excellent outdoor shots on its 16-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization. Using the stylus is more convenient, and the battery charges very quickly.
The Bad Low light and indoor shots aren’t as good as they should be. The Note 4 costs significantly more than some other phablets, like the LG G3.
The Bottom Line The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will thrill anyone who loves a fast phone with a large screen, but it’s best for compulsive scribblers willing to pay a lot for its winning stylus.
Editors’ note: Samsung will be revealing the Galaxy Note 7 at an event in New York City on August 2. The successor to the 2014 Galaxy Note 4 (reviewed here) was 2015’s Galaxy Note 5, but Samsung is skipping the Note 6 moniker in order to bring its product line in sync with the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, which were released earlier in 2016.
To stylus or not to stylus, that is the question.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4‘s S-Pen — the narrow stylus tucked handily inside Samsung’s surprisingly successful, giant 5.7-inch Galaxy Note phone — stands out in a crowd. No other popular phone comes with a stylus, and this one makes the most of its mouselike properties, and an ability to write and draw on the screen. Every day, I’ve used it instinctively to jot a list or note, and to keep the screen clean from finger smudges.
The Note 4’s specs also earn outstanding marks across the board, including its eye-poppingly vibrant display and a mostly-excellent 16-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization. Rapid LTE data speeds and a robust processor join a host of other specs and features that easily make the metal-rimmed, Android-powered Note 4 easily equal to other top-rated handsets — and often better. The phone’s drawbacks, though present, are minor and few.
As someone who enjoys the physical act of writing, I love the Note 4’s stylus skills. However, if the act of putting digital pen to paper baffles you, skip this handset in favor of other big-screen phones that potentially cost less and perform core tasks just as well. This year’s Galaxy Note makes only incremental improvements over last year’s runaway Note 3 , and if you don’t use the S-Pen heavily, the Note “phablet” costs too much compared to competing large-screen phones like the LG G3 .
The Note 4 sells for $300 on-contract and $600 off-contract in the US; £600 or £650 in the UK; and AU$940 in Australia. Scroll to the end for price comparisons.
Framed! Samsung Galaxy Note 4 now metal-trimmed…
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Design and build: Metal over plastic
Achieving the zenith of premium design has long eluded Samsung, whose polycarbonate handsets are usually attractive if not drool-worthy. Earlier this year, Samsung broke the all-plastic mold with its metal-rimmed Galaxy Alpha , a move repeated on the Note 4. Silver accents around the rim and buttons look sharp on both the white and black versions we saw; they should class up the gold and pink tones as well.
So how does it all look? Very good, and a lot better than pretty much every other Samsung phone you can buy, except perhaps for the Alpha. The backing is slightly more textured (and thankfully free of last year’s cheesy, chintzy faux stitching). The straight sides are comfortable to grasp and easy to hold onto. You can easily find physical buttons with your fingertips.
View full gallery The Note 4’s straight sides make it easy to hold.
James Martin/CNET
Despite the improvements, though, the Note 4 still falls short of the LG G3 and HTC One M8’s luxe metal contouring and finishes, and the Sony Xperia Z3 ‘s modern edges. Metal also structures the iPhone 6 Plus, which maintains a more seamless build quality than the Note 4 (although you can’t remove the iPhone’s backplate.)
After spending several months using the phone, I found that it holds up well to daily wear and tear.
Size and portability
There’s big and then there’s big, and the definition seems to swell by the day. You’ll find the Note 4’s exact dimensions and weight in the chart below, but what I think you really want to know is what it’s like to hold and carry around, especially compared to other supersize phones.
Size-wise, it’s a hair taller and thicker than the Note 3 and almost identical to the iPhone 6 Plus . The LG G3 feels much more compact by comparison, even though its screen size is just 0.2-inch smaller.
View full gallery Seeing double? The Note 4 (left) and iPhone 6 Plus are closely matched in height and size.
Josh Miller/CNET
As a relatively short person with smaller hands, the Note 4 technically squeezes into my back pocket, though it looks comical sticking out of it. The same scenario goes for its palm-stretching effects: I find one-handed use pretty much pointless and almost impossible, even with Samsung’s software modes turned on. However, several CNET editors with larger mitts and pockets didn’t have much trouble with the Note 4’s size, commenting on how nice it feels to grip.
Size and weight
| 6 x 3.1 x 0.34 inches (153.5 by 78.6 by 8.5mm) | 6.2 x 3.1 x 0.28 inches (158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 mm) | 5.76 x 2.94 x 0.35 inches (146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm) | 5.75 x 2.83 x 0.29 inches (146 x 72 x 7.3mm) |
| 6.2 ounces (176g) | 6.07 ounces (172g) | 5.26 ounces (149g) | 5.36 ounces (152g) |
Ultra HD display
Although it’s got the same 5.7-inch display as last year’s model, the Note 4 has jumped in display resolution, from 1080p HD up to a 2,650 x 1,440p quad HD AMOLED display. Its pixel density of 515 ppi soars over the Note 3’s 386 ppi and the iPhone 6 Plus’ density of 401 ppi (but is less pixel-packed than the slightly smaller LG G3’s at 538 ppi).
These are big, impressive numbers on a big, impressive display that is undoubtedly clear and sharp. I spent a lot of time scrutinizing the Note 4’s presentation of many HD images, Web sites, and even 4K video against the iPhone 6 Plus and LG G3, all of them with brightness cranked to the max. I also threw in the Note 3 for good measure. Apart from predictable differences in color temperature and tone between the LCD iPhone and G3 versus the AMOLED Notes, differences in lettering and image quality were minor, if visible at all.
Display resolutions, compared
| 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED (2,560×1,440) | 5.5-inch 1080p HD LCD (1,920×1,080) | 5.5-inch Quad HD LCD (2,560×1,440) | 5.2-inch 1080p HD LCD (1,920×1,080) |
| 515 ppi | 401 ppi | 538 ppi | 524 ppi |
I will say, though, that the G3 looks noticeably dimmer at full brightness than the rest, and that the Note 4 exhibited smooth color gradients and strong contrast. It was perhaps just ever so slightly better than the rest, but not nearly enough to warrant a rowdy debate. Even when viewing 4K video, hawk-eyed CNET editors and photographers gathered around the phones could only tell slight differences in the amount of detail on display.
Other external features
If you’re familiar with Samsung’s Galaxy S5 , you pretty much know what you’re getting with the Note 4. A physical home button and two capacitive soft keys rest below the screen, each with a secondary function when you press them down. The power/lock button decorates the right spine, with the volume rocker on the left. A rapid-charging port at the bottom edge balances out the 3.5 millimeter headset jack and IR blaster up top.
Below the camera lens, an LED flash module combines with the heart-rate sensor that is rapidly becoming another Samsung hallmark. The back cover pulls off to access the battery and microSD card slot, which you can fill with an up-to-64GB card (but not the 128GB you see on some other phones). The S-Pen holster bores into the back as well.
View full gallery There’s a lot of power inside the Note 4, just no waterproofing.
James Martin/CNET
One thing you won’t notice is a rubber gasket surrounding the internal parts to help keep them free of water, unlike on the Galaxy S5. This isn’t a deal-breaker by any means, though some folks find that “waterproof” phones (also like the Xperia Z3) are a little more convenient for their hydrophilic lives.
Music plays nice and loud out of the speakers, though its certainly passable audio quality is a little tinny and thin, not quite the rich, rounded audio of the HTC One M8, for example. Behind the scenes, the Note 4 supports Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC.
OS and apps
Android 4.4 KitKat is practically a given on this phone, as is Samsung’s custom TouchWiz layer. If anything, Samsung seems to have scaled back from the Galaxy S5 rather than piling more on top like it usually does.
My Magazine, the newsfeed that lives to the let of your home screen, has morphed into Flipboard (which powered it anyway). The Toolbox feature that was introduced with the S5 is also gone. I also enjoyed color-coding app folders on the home screen, which is another relatively tiny Note 4 omission. Google Search’s always-listening ear is off by default, but you can turn it on in the app’s settings menu under “Voice.”
View full gallery Android 4.4.4 is the backbone beneath Samsung’s TouchWiz layer.
James Martin/CNET
Otherwise, you’ll find a slew of ways to customize things from motion control to the notification panel. Blocking mode and private mode are present, and those who find the UI a little too frenetic can switch to a simpler Easy mode. As a security measure, the biometrically-minded can set up the fingerprint scanner as well (though its time-saving property is dubious).
Large phones like this one often come with settings to turn on one-handed operations. New in the Note 4 is a persistent panel hosting icons for your home-button functions, plus one to shrink down the application window for theoretically better one-handed use. You can expand or hide it on any screen, and of course, customize the icons.
Features that would help me use the phone one-handed are some I’d like to like, but in order for it to work, you have to be able to comfortably grip the phone and navigate with a thumb, something I had problems with while grabbing a pole on the bus and giving blood, both activities that really test these claims by taking an arm out of commission. Also, though it’s meant to be temporary, shrinking the app window defeats the purpose of having such a large display in the first place.
View full gallery Shrinking the screen is one way to use the Note 4 when you’ve only got one free hand.
Josh Miller/CNET
Just two more notes on apps before we move on. You may notice a few tiny changes to S Health. In the US at least, S Health gets a new optional “coach” you can use that’s sourced by healthcare provider Cigna. In addition to checking your heart-rate, the app can also monitor your blood-oxygen level (SpO2).
You might also notice fewer bundled Samsung apps in general, like the Kid’s Mode that came pre-installed in the S5. These haven’t disappeared, they’re just packaged into Galaxy Apps and include partner apps (many that comes with deals) like Dropbox and Kindle for Samsung. Any other bloatware you find on your phone is most likely courtesy of your carrier.
Multitasking and more
The Note 4 still supports a split-screen mode that lets you resize two app windows from a list of supported programs. You can now launch it several ways, including from the Recents tab, and can also create smaller pop-up windows to drag around the screen.
Even more, you can shrink the size of a popup to float it around the screen as a persistent bubble — a lot like a chathead in the Facebook Messenger lexicon, or like the Toolbox bubble found in the Galaxy S5.
(Watch the video below for examples.)
Google Nexus 6P review – CNET
The Good One of the first two Android 6.0 phones, Google’s metal Nexus 6P has a sharp, high-resolution screen and a solid camera, an accurate fingerprint reader, loud speakers and works with every major carrier. Its lower cost makes it a good top-tier value buy.
The Bad It’s big, a bit boxy and top-heavy, the fingerprint reader’s position isn’t always convenient and the 6P ditches the wireless charging of previous models.
The Bottom Line The Nexus 6P doesn’t have the most inspiring design, but when it comes to hardware prowess, value for money and Google extras, this best-ever Nexus is hard to beat.
Summer ’16 update
After struggling to find its footing in recent years, HTC, manufacturer of the Nexus One and Nexus 9 tablet, is rumored to be hard at work building the next Nexus smartphone for Google. And a series of leaked images and rumored specs published in recent months paint an increasingly vivid picture of what we might expect.
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An image of what is said to be the forthcoming Google Nexus phone. Credit: Android Police.
Android Police
In April 2016, veteran leaker Evan Blass reported that HTC was building devices that would run Android Nougat, Google’s yet-to-be released operating system, following 6.0 Marshmallow. In fact, HTC is believed to be making two devices with similar specs but different screen sizes. The larger phone, which is code-named Marlin, is expected to be equipped with a 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display with a 2,560×1440-pixel resolution. Meanwhile, the smaller device, referred to as Sailfish, is said to feature a 5-inch Full HD display with a 1,920×1080-pixel resolution. The rumors suggest that the next Nexus will feature a curved aluminum exterior.
Other specs include a quad-core Qualcomm processor, 12-megapixel rear camera, 8-megapixel front camera, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a USB-C port and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.
Editors’ note: The original Google Nexus 6P review, published in October 2015, follows.
In my mind, there are two things that a Nexus-branded phone is supposed to do, and the Google Nexus 6P does them both very well. First, it’s meant to showcase the very newest Android software. Check! (So does the cheaper, smaller LG-made Nexus 5X.) Second, it should package together very capable hardware for a lower sticker price than more familiar brand-name competitors. Yep, that it does. (See our pricing chart below.)
And then the weighty, 5.7-inch Nexus 6P goes further. It adds a metal frame (a Nexus first!) and a crisp, high-resolution display; a spot-on fingerprint reader; a capable 12-megapixel camera; and strong stereo speakers. It also introduces China-based Huawei, which made the phone, to a whole new audience of people, Google’s Nexus fans. (Although I have to say, this breakthrough, while significant for Huawei, is only a passing curiosity for a buyer who’s focused on finding the right handset.)
This year’s Nexus phones are also compatible with most major carriers, which is terrific, and support Google’s own unique Project Fi wireless service — meaning you can switch among carrier plans without swapping your SIM card or phone. You don’t actually need Fi to do that, though, you can seamlessly carrier-hop on your own without Google’s specialized SIM card, too.
Here’s what I’m saying: the 6P here is the most ambitious and advanced Nexus phone Google has put its stamp on, and it comes closer than previous Nexus devices at meeting and beating premium handsets, big and small — like the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Edge+ , Sony Xperia Z5 and Z5 Premium — with its combination of internal performance and relatively low cost.
Like all phones, this one isn’t without flaws. It’s still a large, heavy device. I’m not wild about the design, which is completely fine, but a little generic. The position of the fingerprint reader isn’t always convenient. The native camera has fewer options and controls than many rivals. And unlike the Nexus 6 and other Nexus phones, this refresh lacks wireless charging, which would be extra useful backup if you leave your new Type-C charger at home. The 6P also won’t have the Note 5’s stylus, the Edge+ curves or the Xperia’s waterproofing. You have to decide how important those finishing touches are to you.
Feast your eyes on the Marshmallowy Google…
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A little warning for those who want to buy the 6P to mine the Android 6.0 Marshmallow software for all its goodies: while the new operating system brings a few interesting and somewhat useful tools — like contextual searching through the Now on Tap feature and battery life boosting that works quietly in the background — the 6P’s real take-home value is less about the wonders of Android 6.0 and more about your total bang for the buck.
Android 6.0’s nice-but-not-astounding bag of tricks may not have been as successful as past Nexus’ braggable features ( Android 5.0 Lollipop was quite the overhaul), but the 6P’s Marshmallow status still nabs you certain advantages, like fewer preloaded apps (“bloatware”) and being first in line to receive Google’s forthcoming software updates. “Pure” Nexus phones are also free from vendors’ custom take on Android, which can be good, bad or neutral depending on your stance. On the one hand, custom layers eat up storage space and delay upgrades, but on the other, they can also add handy features and snazzy design layouts.
Personally, I like the the Nexus 6P quite a lot — it does everything right and very little wrong. While it doesn’t grab me the way the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge’s unique design does, it’s still a phone I’d heartily recommend. As a utilitarian workhorse, the Nexus 6P does the job for less cash, and that’s smart.
Pricing and availability
The Nexus 6P is available for pre-order in the US, UK, Ireland and Japan from Google’s online store, and will be ship in October. Check out pricing for the US, UK, and Australia in this handy chart below:
Google Nexus 6P pricing
| $499 | $549 | $649 |
| £449 | £499 | £579 |
| AU$899 | AU$999 | AU$1,099 |
To sweeten the deal, Google tacks on a 90-day subscription to Google Play Music (plus a $50 credit for its Play Store for US buyers).
Google also wants to sell you a two-year warranty that covers breaks and water damage, which it’s calling Nexus Protect. It costs $89 in the US. If something goes wrong, you can get a new device as soon as the next business day.
In the US, the Nexus 6P works on all major carriers. It’ll also support Project Fi , the company’s SIM card that uses Wi-Fi hotspots for a network connection, falling back on T-Mobile and Sprint networks.
Specifications versus top rivals
Specs comparison
| 5.7-inch AMOLED with 2,560×1,440-pixel resolution | 5.2-inch LCD with 1,920×1,080-pixel resolution | 4.7-inch IPS with 1,334×750-pixel resolution | 5.7-inch AMOLED with 2,560×1,440-pixel resolution | 5.5-inch IPS with 3,840×2,160-pixel resolution |
| 515ppi | 423ppi | 326ppi | 518ppi | 806ppi |
| 6.27×3.06×0.28 inches | 5.78×2.86×0.31 inches | 5.44×2.64×0.28 inches | 6.03×2.99×0.29 inches | 6.07×2.99×0.31 inches |
| 159.4×77.8×7.3mm | 147.0×72.6×7.9 mm | 138.3×67.1×7.1mm | 153.2×76.1×7.6mm | 154.4×76.0×7.8 mm |
| 6.27 ounces (178 grams) | 4.80 ounces (136 grams) | 5.04 ounces (143 grams) | 6.03 ounces (171 grams) | 6.34 ounces (180 grams) |
| Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Apple iOS 9 | Android 5.1 Lollipop | Google Android 5.1 Lollipop |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 12.3-megapixel, ultra HD video (4K), 240fps slow motion video | 12.3-megapixel, ultra HD video (4K), 120fps slow motion | 12-megapixel, ultra HD video (4K), 240fps slow motion video | 16-megapixel, ultra HD video (4K), 120fps slow motion video | 23-megapixel, ultra HD video (4K), 120fps slow motion video |
| No | No | No (only 6S Plus) | Yes | Yes |
| 8-megapixel | 5-megapixel | 5-megapixel | 5-megapixel | 5-megapixel |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 | 1.8GHz 6-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 | 64-bit A9 chip with M9 | Octa-core Exynos 7420 | Octa-core Snapdragon 810 |
| 32GB, 64GB, 128GB | 16GB, 32GB | 16GB, 64GB and 128GB | 32GB, 64GB | 32GB |
| 3GB | 2GB | 2GB | 4GB | 3GB |
| No | No | No | No | Up to 200GB |
| No | No | No | Yes, PMA and Qi | No |
| Nonremovable 3,450mAh | Nonremovable 2,700mAh | Nonremovable 1,715mAh | Nonremovable 3,000mAh | Nonremovable 3,430mAh |
| $499, £449, AU$899 | $379, £339, AU$659 | $649, £539, AU$1,079 | ~$700 (but varies), N/A, AU$1,100 | N/A, £630, AU$1,200 |
Google’s first metal Nexus
- 5.7-inch screen with 2,560×1,440-pixel resolution
- USB-C charging port
- Fingerprint reader
- Stereo forward-facing speakers
- Dimensions: 6.3 by 3.0 by 0.29 inches (159.3 by 77.8 by 7.3mm)
- Weight: 6.3 ounces (178 grams)
Big and aluminium with rounded edges and a fingerprint reader on the back, the Nexus 6P embraces quite a few trends of the day. The 5.7-inch display is a skosh more sizeable than the 5.5-inch iPhone 6S and right on par with the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ . Its high-resolution AMOLED display, sometimes referred to as 2K, fits in with the times as well, lending the 6P a sharp and clear screen, with high contrast. (Sony is already pushing boundaries with its world’s-first 4K display , which is probably overkill in most scenarios.)
View full gallery The Nexus 6P is a solid slab of aluminum, a Nexus first.
Josh Miller/CNET
Shape-wise, the Nexus 6P is smaller and narrower than Motorola’s 6-inch Nexus 6. Still, it’s a two-hander. Not the easiest jumbo phone (or, phablet, if you prefer) for my smaller hands to hold. Its slim, straight sides challenged hands larger than mine when I passed the phone around. Some combination of the straight edges and smooth back made the 6P seem unwieldy, slippery, even a little top-heavy. The similarly sized Samsung Galaxy Note 5, S6 Edge+ and iPhone 6S Plus seem proportioned and contoured to fit my mitts better.
Its unibody build means you won’t be able to access the battery, and there’s no microSD card slot for extra storage either. This is a typical trade-off in full-metal phones. During some of my testing, the Nexus 6P’s backing felt warm to the touch, but not dangerously or uncomfortably so.
Since I grip the bottom half of the device to use it, the placement of the Google Imprint fingerprint reader was often a stretch; I sometimes had to shift my grip in order to unlock the phone. If you have larger hands, you probably won’t have the same concerns.
View full gallery Double-click the power button to launch the camera.
Josh Miller/CNET
I like that double-pressing the lock key launches the camera, but I’m not a fan of the haptic jiggle that confirms you’ve opened it, and I haven’t found a way to turn it off.
You can pick up the Nexus 6P in three colors: aluminum (silver), graphite (black) and frost (white), our favorite of the trio. Japan gets it in gold, too. My all-black model looks nice in a generic way, with subtle chamfered edges around the rims, though the design isn’t inspired.
Loud stereo speakers
Audio quality from the dual front speakers was pretty great for a phone. I played a lot of music videos from YouTube. The highest volume setting filled a room, and songs sounded clear. Compared to a set of good headphones or a decent Bluetooth speaker, though, the 6P’s audio still sounded jangly and two-dimensional, where my over-ear In Case headphones sounded rich. But the 6P is still notably better than you’ll get from the default speaker in most rival smartphones.
Type-C marginally better
I like the reversible USB Type-C charging port in theory, and once more phone-makers start using it, charging cables will be easier to come by. If you forget the Type-C to Type-C fast-charger and Type-C to USB cables that arrive in the box, you’ll be hard-pressed to find one lying around — it’s not compatible with your other devices’ cables. Wireless charging would be a convenient backup here, but unlike the 2013 and 2014 Nexus models, that feature is absent.
View full gallery Better keep an extra Type-C cable.
Josh Miller/CNET
If you get the 6P, prepare to also buy a few extra chargers and a micro-USB to Type-C adaptor that fits over the tip. (For Type-C fans, keep in mind that the Nexus 6P uses the Type-C charging shape, but not all the features that also support faster file transfers and charging for other devices. Read more about that here.)
Android 6.0 Marshmallow: Now on Tap is not great
- “Pure” Android software
- Google Now on Tap
- Android Pay support
- Doze function saves battery
A Nexus phone is the first to debut Google’s latest Android software. Always. In our case, that’s the Android 6.0 build , codenamed an ooey-gooey Marshmallow. It promises, as always, to be faster and smoother than the previous generation and filled with more tricks and treats.
The most enticing of these is Google Now on Tap, which is an obscure name for an extra layer of software that lets you more deeply interact with whatever’s on the screen. The classic example is asking Google simply, “Who sings this?” when listening to any given song, without having to specify the track’s title.
View full gallery Google Now on Tap is essentially a shortcuts bar within Android 6.0.
Josh Miller/CNET
Let’s say you’re on a restaurant menu and you press and hold the home button. Mini “cards” pop up on the bottom half of the screen with buttons you can press (shortcuts) to search on Google, open a menu, make a reservation, call the business, navigate there and see Google Street View. You can also use voice search to ask for additional information (“show me her tour dates” for example) without having to reframe the question.
CNET will do much more Now on Tap testing, but in my initial tests, I threw a barrage of questions and commands at it, and opened the Now on Tap cards from a variety of Web pages. Some scenarios seem to work better than others. For example, contextual voice searches usually worked, but interrupted the songs I asked about, which made for a pretty disruptive listening experience, since getting search results on-screen essentially stops the music, at least with YouTube.
Other times, Now on Tap presented useful information, like a restaurant menu link and icon shortcuts to other apps, other times, I didn’t get what I wanted. Also keep in mind that clicking a link from Now on Tap whisks you away to a new page. Either way, Now on Tap cards took about two seconds to load, which felt slow.
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