Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 officially announced, includes DeX and costs $650

The new flagship tab launches August 10 at Amazon, Best Buy, and more.

After weeks of rumors and leaks, Samsung officially announced the Galaxy Tab S4 on Tuesday, August 1. This is the company’s latest flagship Android tablet, and while that may seem like an odd product to launch in mid-2018, there are some interesting things going on this time around.

Starting off with the specs, you’ll find a large 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display that has much slimmer bezels compared to last year’s Tab S3. There’s also a Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB/256GB of internal storage (expandable up to 400GB), a 7,300 mAh battery, and Android 8.1 Oreo.

All of that’s fairly generic tablet stuff, but the Tab S4 stands out in a couple key ways.

First off, the thing comes with an included S Pen. Just like on the Note 8, you can use the Tab S4’s S Pen for writing notes, doodling, navigating through the UI, and more.

Samsung will also be selling an official keyboard case for the Tab S4, and when this is connected, you’ll automatically transition into Samsung DeX’s desktop interface directly on the Tab S4’s screen. In this mode, you can have multiple apps open at once in desktop-style windows, drag content between them, use keyboard shortcuts, and more. It’s essentially the same DeX experience you previously needed a sperate monitor for with the Galaxy S9, and that could result in the Tab S4 being genuinely useful as a productivity machine.

The Galaxy Tab S4 officially goes on sale on August 10 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Samsung’s own website. The Wi-Fi only model with 64GB of storage costs $649.99 while the 256GB option goes for $749.99.

Samsung’s also selling an LTE-equipped model that’ll be available at Verizon on August 10 as well, in addition to US Cellular and Sprint in Q3 2018.

Pre-orders open August 9 on Samsung.com, and if you place your order between then and September 8, you can take 50% off the $149.99 keyboard cover.

See at Samsung

Bose SoundSport Free review: Breaking the chains

Bose’s first attempt at truly wireless earbuds is a success.

Truly wireless earbuds are still in their infancy, but we’re already starting to see exciting products in this category. Bose made its foray in this segment last year with the $249 SoundSport Free. The earbuds sound fantastic, offer a five-hour battery life, and provide a secure fit that makes them a great option during workouts.

Bose has since slashed the price by $50, and the SoundSport Free is now available for $199. Let’s see if it’s the right time to pick up Bose’s first truly wireless earbuds.

Bose SoundSport Free

Price: $199

Bottom line: The SoundSport Free delivers impressive sound that’s full of depth and clarity. There’s plenty to like here if you’re in the market for truly wireless workout earbuds.

The Good

• Fantastic sound quality
• Snug fit
• IPX4 certification
• Decent battery life

The Bad

• Design isn’t for everyone
• Mushy control buttons
• Bulky charging case

See at Amazon

Bose SoundSport Free What I like

The SoundSport Free is made out of plastic, and the design makes the earbuds protrude considerably from your ears. The bulky design does make the earbuds seem ungainly when you’re wearing them, but they provide a secure fit.

The key to the secure fit is Bose’s StayHear+ wingtips, which hook to the outside of your ear canal, ensuring the earbuds don’t fall out even under strenuous activity. There are three wingtip sizes to choose from, and you should be able to find one that fits snugly in the ridges of your outer ear. I went for a long-overdue run, and I gave out before the earbuds.

The right earbud is the primary, and can be used on its own for calls. It also houses the buttons for music playback and volume controls, and a long press invokes Google Assistant. The built-in microphone works very well for calls and communicating with the Assistant, even in noisy environments.

The SoundSport Free has a rather bulky design, but it sounds amazing.

While the wingtips provide a snug fit, they don’t fully isolate ambient sound — and that’s a good thing as you’ll still be able to hear traffic sounds if you’re using the earbuds when running outdoors. But if you do manage to lose an earbud during a run, there’s a feature called Find My Buds in the Bose Connect app that lets you locate them. The app essentially pinpoints the location when they were last in Bluetooth range, and the earbuds emit a tone that makes it easier to find them.

The SoundSport Free manages to deliver an impressive amount of bass considering its size, along with crisp highs and detailed mids. Boston’s More Than a Feeling sounded wonderfully rich, with the earbuds translating Tom Scholz’s soaring vocals with precision. The earbuds also did a great job balancing the synthesized and live instruments on Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories.

When it comes to battery life, I got a smidgen over the quoted five hours, and the charging case provides an additional ten-hour charge. The case itself is rather bulky — just like the earbuds — but it starts automatically charging the buds as soon as you slot them in. It takes just over two hours to fully charge the earbuds, but you’ll be able to eke out 45 minutes’ worth of juice from a 15-minute charge. There’s also an IPX4 certification, making the earbuds resistant to sweat.

Bose SoundSport Free What needs work

The SoundSport Free offers integrated media controls on the right earbud, with a single playback control button located in between the volume rocker. The buttons are housed in a rubber casing, and they lack any tactile feedback whatsoever.

The stiff buttons take away from what is otherwise a great experience, and you’re better off not using them altogether.

Furthermore, there’s no NFC, so you’ll have to use the traditional Bluetooth pairing mode to connect the earbuds to your phone.

Bose SoundSport Free Review

There’s plenty to like in the SoundSport Free, particularly if you’re looking for a set of wireless workout earbuds. The sound quality is incredible, and the bundled wingtips provide a secure fit that ensures the earbuds don’t fall out even during strenuous workout sessions.

Sure, the bulky design isn’t for everyone, and the charging case isn’t as portable as other options in this category. But overall, Bose has managed to do a great job with the SoundSport Free.

4
out of 5

The snug fit, great sound quality, and IPX4 certification make the SoundSport Free a great option if you’re in the market for truly wireless workout earbuds. They’re not exactly affordable at $200, but you’re getting your money’s worth.

See at Amazon

Today you can score a KitchenAid Pro 600 six-quart stand mixer for $219

Did someone say homemade cookies?!

Amazon, through the end of the day, has the KitchenAid Professional 6-Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer on sale for $219. You can choose from Empire Red, Onyx Black, or Silver. This usually sells for over $100 more than today’s price, and it received tons of positive customer feedback.

This mixer has a huge capacity. You could make enough dough for 13 dozen cookies if you wanted to. The bowl-lift design provides sturdy support for stability, and the 67-point planetary mixing action helps to thoroughly incorporate ingredients.

Your mixer comes with a powerknead dough hook, flat beater, and wire whip. There are more than 15 optional attachments that you can buy separately, such as a masticating juicer, pasta press, or spiralizer.

See at Amazon

Spigen Liquid Crystal Glitter Case for Samsung Galaxy S9+ review: A big name for a thin case with lots of luster

Spigen’s glitter case has style, shine, and soft color that plays well with phone grips and Samsung’s subtle details.

Spigen is known for cases that can deliver at every price point and level of protection, but unlike brands like Otterbox or UAG, Spigen is known for bodyguarding our phones without brutish bulk. While some of us may want to lock our beautiful Samsung Galaxy S9+ inside Fort Knox and forsake any semblance of thin, grace, Spigen knows that so many more of us want to keep as much of the lithe, light luxury of our S9+ as a case will allow.

Spigen’s Liquid Crystal case allows you to show off the natural beauty of your phone while still offering some extra grip and some very basic protection from scratches and scuffs. The Liquid Crystal Glitter takes all that lightweight loveliness and turns it into a glimmering gem.

Spigen Liquid Crystal Glitter case for Samsung Galaxy S9+

Price: $12.99-$13.99

Bottom line: This glittery jewel of a case gives off a subtle, shimmering shine while letting the details of the Galaxy S9+ show through its glittery guise.

The Good

• Flat back offers good grip and plays well with phone grips
• Lip around the screen is high enough to protect the glass while still allowing edge-to-edge use

The Bad

• Limited glitter colors available
• Flat back can feel dirty at times

See at Amazon

Spigen Liquid Crystal Glitter case for Samsung Galaxy S9+ What I like

The Spigen Liquid Crystal Glitter case hugs every curve of the Galaxy S9+ perfectly, with a gentle lip at the top and bottom of the screen to keep it up of a dirty desktop should you place it face-down to show off that glam glitter back.

The glitter infused into every centimeter of the Liquid Crystal Glitter’s thermoplastic polyurethane allows the more bold branding of the SAMSUNG and Galaxy S9+ to shine through its starfield while hiding the less sexy but legally required information — like the IMEI — and if you managed to scuff your Galaxy before you found this case, the glitter will help hide smaller signs of wear and tear.

The flat back of the Liquid Crystal Glitter case isn’t quite as mesmerizing or magical as the Ringke Air Prism case, which featured a geometric texture, but I’m okay with that tradeoff because the Liquid Crystal Glitter can use something the Air Prism cannot: phone grips. As I’ve said before, phone grips aren’t a frivolous accessory anymore, they’re a necessity and I’ll take a case that can use one over one that cannot any day of the week.

It’s stunning in the best way possible.

The buttons on this case are solid and still offer up that satisfying clicky feel when pressed, but I do wish that either the power or Bixby buttons were textured to better distinguish them from each other, especially when blindly reaching over to my phone to turn down my morning music. These port cutouts are just as expertly padded and rounded as they are on my new favorite case, the Spigen Neo Hybrid case, and the slope to the fingerprint sensor is small but still easily guides my pointer finger into place.

Spigen Liquid Crystal Glitter case for Samsung Galaxy S9+ What dulls the shine

The Spigen Liquid Crystal case technically comes in seven styles, but five of them are variants of the Crystal Clear: regular Crystal Clear, Crystal Clear with three different styles of flowers printed on the back, and Glitter Crystal Quartz. The remaining 2 are the cliche but cute pink of Glitter Rose Quartz and solid snore-worthy Black.

That’s all, and that means that for anyone with a Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple, or Coral Blue, your choices here are to get a glitter case that mutes your phone’s color or a glitter case that clashes with your phone’s color.

I get that colored cases are a harder sell — especially since glitter already has a stigma of juvenile, jean-bedazzling childishness to combat — but the colors here feel especially lacking considering until the Sunrise Gold and Burgundy Red Galaxy S9+ came out this spring, the Rose Quartz didn’t really fit properly with any of the model colors.

Rose Quartz’s millennial pink hue may have felt like an easier sell since glitter cases are far more likely to be bought by women, but a cooler shade of purple or blue would’ve blended better with the launch colors that are far more prevalent, and it wouldn’t have felt so cliche.

The only other blemish on the Liquid Crystal Glitter is something that tends to plague clear cases: grime. Now, the glimmering shine of the Liquid Crystal Glitter hides the appearance of grit and grime far, far better than traditional crystal-clear cases, but the flat back of the Liquid Crystal Glitter doesn’t hide the feel of the sweat/dust/grime building up on the back.

Most clear cases come with a protective film on the back so that no dust gets on it before you apply the case, but Spigen instead includes an alcohol wipe, and while you may not need it when you apply the case, you’ll need it a week or two in. I take this case off and take a Lysol wipe to it every couple of days to help keep things feeling and looking clean.

Spigen Liquid Crystal Glitter case for Samsung Galaxy S9+

The Spigen Liquid Crystal Glitter case is perky, pink, and darn near perfect, and since the Rose Quartz version matches Spigen’s new Style Ring Pop Rose Gold model perfectly, I foresee this being a case I can rock when I’m feeling especially glam. It shows just enough of the Galaxy S9+’s style without showing off every smudge and blemish either the case or the phone inside it has picked up.

4.5
out of 5

That said, I’m dreaming of a nautical navy version that could’ve made my Coral Blue S9+ shine like an oceanic gem. Millennial pink may be everywhere right now, but some of us want a glitter case that’s a bit cooler in color and class.

See at Amazon

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

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

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Sprint

Switch up your Fitbit Versa with a Milanese Stainless Steel Band from $2

You’re just $2 away from refreshing the look of your Fitbit.

Swees at Amazon has a variety of Fitbit Versa Milanese Stainless Steel Replacement Bands on sale from $2 when you enter promo code VWZ8HYEH during checkout. There are two sizes available too so you can find the right fit for yourself.

The least expensive option on sale is the Silver band which drops to $2 with the code. Other than the look, these bands are all made and function the same way. It features a strong magnetic closure and is constructed of woven stainless steel metal.

The options without added jewels, like Black, Champagne, and Rose Gold, fall to $2.50 with the code, while the bands with jewels are priced up to $3.50. Either way, you’re getting a great deal here no matter which band you go for.

Each of these bands comes with a one-year warranty.

See at Amazon

Apple Pay Now Available at Nearly 16,000 Cardless Chase ATMs

Chase, one of the major banks in the United States, today announced that customers can now use Apple Pay and other mobile wallet services at nearly all of the company’s 16,000 ATMs, which have been upgraded with card-free access.

To access an ATM and withdraw money, customers no longer need a physical debit card or access code for authentication, with the contactless ATMs supporting a “tap” from a smartphone to use the ATM.

On its website, Chase walks users through the steps necessary to use the new ATM functionality.

For iPhone users, after adding a Chase card to the Wallet app on the iPhone, at an ATM, customers will need to open up the Wallet app, select the virtual Chase debit card and tap the iPhone on the “Cardless” symbol on the ATM, authenticating via Face ID or Touch ID.

A PIN code will need to be entered for verification purposes, so it’s not quite as simple as a standard payment with Apple Pay, but it does prevent Chase card users from needing to pull out a physical card.

Chase says that cardless ATM access is available to all customers with a Chase debit or Liquid card that’s been added to Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay. All Chase ATMs with the Cardless symbol support Apple Pay.

Chase first announced plans to update its ATMs with contactless money withdrawals in 2016, and has since then been rolling out the technology. Today’s update suggests the rollout is nearly complete and available to most Chase customers.

Both Wells Fargo and Bank of America, Chase competitors, have also been rolling out card-free Apple Pay access to ATMs. Wells Fargo added Apple Pay support to over 5,000 ATMs last year, while Bank of America began implementing the feature in 2016.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
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Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 62 With Bug Fixes and Feature Improvements

Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced over two years ago in March of 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.

Safari Technology Preview release 62 includes bug fixes and feature improvements for Intelligent Tracking Prevention, JavaScript, Media, Rendering, Dark Mode, Web API, Web Inspector, SVG, Web Animations, CSS, IndexedDB, and Accessibility.

The new Safari Technology Preview update is available for both macOS High Sierra and macOS Mojave, the newest version of the Mac operating system that’s currently being beta tested by developers.

Apple outlines a few known issues in this release for the macOS Mojave version of the browser. Text does not render properly in the Smart Search Field in Dark Mode and there is no usable WebDriver implementation.

The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store (or in System Preferences in Mojave) to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple’s aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
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Moto E5 Play and Moto E5 Plus review: All good things come to an end

Motorola has long dominated the U.S. budget smartphone market. For years, virtually every publication has recommended the Moto E series to those on a tight budget. It’s easy to see why. Last year’s Moto E4 offered a passable experience for just $70. Now, Motorola is back with the E5 series, so settle in for our Moto E5 Play and Moto E5 Plus review.

You’re probably wondering whether these new devices are worth your attention. Has Motorola significantly improved the E line? Has the budget smartphone landscape changed to make the E series less competitive? Sure, these phones are affordable, but are they worth it?

Don’t miss: Best budget phones ($500 and under)

About this review: Motorola’s PR department loaned us an unlocked Moto E5 Play and a Sprint-variant Moto E5 Plus review unit. I used the E5 Play with a personal AT&T SIM card and the E5 Plus with a provided Sprint SIM card. At the time of writing, our units were both running Android 8.0 Oreo with the April 1 security patch. We’ll add review scoring once we’ve run the phones through our suite of custom tests.

Design

The Moto E5 Play and E5 Plus feature somewhat different designs, so I’ll cover each separately and then offer some combined thoughts. Let’s start with the less expensive model, the Moto E5 Play.

If you’ve seen the Moto E4, you won’t be surprised by the E5 Play’s design — it’s very much iterative. The only notable change is the fingerprint reader’s move to the back of the phone, now integrated with that familiar Moto dimple.

I really appreciate this change as it makes the E5 Play seem more like a single piece of hardware, though it only seems like it. The plastic rear cover is actually completely detachable from the phone. For the time travelers reading this article or those just unaware, this is basically unheard of in 2018.

When everything is always on, always listening, and always watching, it’s refreshing to have the slightest bit of physical control.

You can not only replace the SIM and microSD cards but also remove the battery. There are two clear advantages of this design. Firstly, you can easily swap the battery if the current one runs out of juice. It’s also a win for those of us slightly paranoid about our privacy. When everything is always on, always listening, and always watching, it’s refreshing to be able to just take out the battery.

The rest of the design is pretty standard. The texturized plastic back provides a good grip, but it’s hardly premium.

The E5 Plus’ design is similar to the E5 Play’s design — in the same way you’re similar to your second cousin. The phones are pretty different but share some higher-level resemblance. The Moto E5 Plus review unit we got looks a heck of a lot like the Moto G6. The back is made of glossy plastic, meeting up with a disappointingly cheap-feeling sideband.

The E5 Plus is not designed to be taken apart like the E5 Play. Instead, the SIM and microSD cards are swappable via a tray on the top left side of the phone. Weirdly, my unit’s tray doesn’t fully close, making it not quite flush with the side. It’s a small detail and may only affect my unit, but it doesn’t look good.

With that said, I generally like the design of the E5 Plus. The plastic refracts light in a manner similar to Honor’s flagships. It’s a shame it collects fingerprints so easily, though.

Both phones are a bit heftier than I expected — the E5 Play is 150 grams and the Plus is 200 grams. I personally didn’t mind this, but some people won’t like it. For what it’s worth, most of the added weight is due to the larger batteries.

Motorola claims both devices feature a water-repellent coating. Without any official certification, however, I would be careful about exposing them to water. Still, the added coating certainly doesn’t hurt.

The fingerprint readers are uniquely less obtrusive thanks to the Moto Dimple.

I should note that I was quite happy with the fingerprint readers on both devices during the Moto E5 Play and Moto E5 Plus review period. They’re less obtrusive thanks to the Moto Dimple and they correctly read fingerprints at a good rate and speed — something most budget smartphones don’t do.

Unfortunately, the Moto E5 Play and E5 Plus both feature micro-USB charging ports, instead of the now three-year-old USB Type-C. I could’ve seen this as logical even a year ago, because of the target audience, but it’s 2018, people. It’s no fun having to go backward and replace cables around the home, in your bag, and in your car. As someone who has completely transitioned to USB-C, my reaction when unboxing these devices was remarkably similar to Michael Scott’s reaction to Toby’s return in The Office.

Display

The E5 Plus features a large 6-inch display, while the E5 Play has a 5.2-inch display. The display on the E5 Plus adopts the newer 18:9 aspect ratio. The E5 Play sticks with the old 16:9 format. The new aspect ratio may not have trickled down to all budget phones just yet, but it already has a strong foothold in the mid-range segment.

Both devices feature 720p panels. This is acceptable on the smaller E5 Play unit, but I’m not convinced it was wise for the E5 Plus. Since the display on the E5 Plus is significantly larger, the image on the cheaper E5 Play is actually sharper. Neither are especially sharp, but you get what you pay for.

The E5 Play’s display is not good.

To be frank, the E5 Play’s display is not good. Colors are washed out, viewing angles are poor, and it’s nowhere near bright enough for outdoor use. The glass also feels like plastic, collects fingerprints easily, and lacks a good anti-reflective coating.

Although the E5 Play’s display isn’t a great baseline, the display on the E5 Plus is noticeably better. Colors feel less dead, it gets a bit brighter, and the glass performs as expected. The display is still mediocre and I would’ve liked to see a sharper 1080p panel, but I suppose this is where we once again have to take pricing into account and recalibrate our expectations.

Performance

My Moto E5 Plus review unit also offers slightly better performance than the E5 Play, running a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435  vs. a Snapdragon 427 or 425 in the Play. Whether you get a 425 or 427 with the E5 Play depends which one your carrier decides to offer. Most of them aren’t disclosing their choice, but really the only major difference is that the 427 offers faster LTE speeds.

The E5 Plus uses a respectable Adreno 505 GPU, but the E5 Play is stuck with an Adreno 308. Casual gamers on a tight budget should get the E5 Plus if they can, or just opt for a different phone entirely. The E5 Plus is a better choice for gaming, but neither are very good.

The E5 Play only has 2GB of RAM, which makes for a less than ideal multi-tasking experience. The E5 Plus’ 3GB of memory is obviously better. Just don’t expect to do much — if any — multitasking, regardless of Motorola’s marketing.

If you’re coming from a flagship experience, expect to feel like you’ve been thrown back a few years.

Your perception of real-world performance will depend on what class of device you’re currently using. If you’re coming from a flagship experience, expect to feel thrown back a few years. If you’re coming from another cheap phone, the E5 range will likely seem fine. Just know there is a significant compromise here with the lower pricing.

Hardware

These phones will work with more carriers than their competitors

The North American models of the Moto E5 Play and E5 Plus are both single-SIM. Both offer an impressively long list of supported frequencies, meaning they will work with more carriers than their competitors.

Even after assessing everything about these phones, I’m still surprised by this level of network support. It’s difficult to deliver smartphones with wide carrier support because each added frequency means additional engineering and testing costs. Kudos to Motorola for pulling this off on such affordable phones.

Both models also support 5GHz Wi-Fi, which is essential for those like myself in areas with overcrowded 2.4GHz airwaves. It only goes up to 802.11n though (not 802.11ac), so your speeds could still be bottlenecked by the phone’s hardware. For example, my personal home internet download speed is 180Mbps. Both models showed speeds of around 25Mbps connected to my 2.4GHz network during lower-than-normal congestion. Once I switched to my 5GHz network, speeds jumped up to between 40 and 45Mbps. That’s better, but still less than a quarter of what I can access on other devices.

The E5 Play offers 16GB and the E5 Plus offers 32GB of storage. Those are pretty generous numbers given the pricing. This is especially true when you consider the microSD card expansion options, up to 128GB. It’s always nice to have that option if you start running low on storage.

As expected, there’s no NFC support with either of these devices. That means no convenient pairing with Bluetooth peripherals, no contactless payments via Google Pay, and no easy initiation of file transfers between devices.

A lot of users will appreciate Motorola’s decision to keep the 3.5mm headphone jack.

The phone keeps another legacy port users will probably appreciate: a 3.5mm headphone jack. Audio output is only of acceptable quality though.

Unfortunately, there isn’t any support for higher-end audio codecs. My pair of Bluetooth headphones didn’t sound as good when connected to either model as they did when connected to higher-end phones, despite the presence of Android Oreo.

If you’re not the kind of person who uses headphones, at least you’ll be left with earpiece audio on both devices, which also serves as a front-facing speaker. Both models perform well in this area given the pricing, mostly just because the audio faces the user — as it should.

Battery life

It’s easy to get a day to a day and a half of use out of these phones.

Like most smartphones in this category, both the Moto E5 Play and E5 Plus offer excellent battery life. You can get considerably more usage out of the E5 Plus thanks to its large 5,000mAh battery. Either way, it’s easy to get a day or more out of these phones.

While the E5 Play’s 2,800mAh battery is of a lower capacity, you can swap it out if needed. If you plan on camping or something, you could just take an extra battery or two and not have to worry about your phone dying. That way you can focus on preventing nature from killing you instead.

Both phones support “fast charging,” though only the E5 Plus qualifies for Motorola’s TurboPower Charging speeds, which is essentially a rebranded Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0. Thankfully, Motorola includes a TurboPower charger in the box. With this, you can start taking advantage of fast charging from day one (or two).

Camera

It has long been the case that if you wanted a good smartphone camera, you must spend more money. Developing good cameras is complicated and expensive. I didn’t have very high expectations for either phone’s camera performance.

It should first be noted that these phones have different cameras. The E5 Play sports an 8MP camera, while the E5 Plus has a 12MP camera, both featuring an f/2.0 aperture. In practice, I found the E5 Plus outperformed the E5 Play even more than I expected.

The difference is apparent even if we focus only on daytime camera samples. Both cameras really struggle with dynamic range, accurate color reproduction, and software over-sharpening. These issues are much more visible in my E5 Play camera samples, shown below.

While the E5 Plus’ camera isn’t amazing, it produces better daytime photos, shown below.

What’s interesting about both the Moto E5 Play and E5 Plus is that they feature front-facing cameras with a flash. So you could theoretically take better selfies in dark conditions thanks to the added light source. The front-facing cameras are 5 and 8MP, respectively. Both are about average for this price point.

Motorola’s cameras seemed to perform a little bit above average up until I tried taking photos in low-light conditions (E5 Play above, E5 Plus below). The issues present in daytime photos become more pronounced. As the sensor captured even less light, images came out blurry and noisy. The camera’s software seems to do a good job at detecting low-light conditions, but the end result is still abysmal.

The camera on the E5 Plus performs better in low-light conditions than the E5 Play’s camera, but it’s still pretty bad. My camera samples were taken about twenty minutes after sunset in mostly well-lit areas, yet the camera still struggled.

I wouldn’t want to rely on either phone’s camera to capture important moments.

All things considered, I strongly discourage trying to use either of these phones as your primary camera. These phones may work in emergencies or for simpler Instagram photos, but I wouldn’t rely on either to capture important moments.

Software

The Moto E5 Play and Moto E5 Plus ship with Android 8.0 Oreo. Given Motorola’s historical update record, it’s very unlikely these devices will ever be updated to a future version of Android, like Android P. It’s sad, but very typical at this price.

Motorola phones have had a software experience very similar to stock Android for years, and these phones are no different. The overall user interface is pretty much the same. The big changes come in the form of a few added features.

Moto Actions are probably the most recognizable. There’s a number of added gestures like three finger screenshot and chop twice for flashlight. There’s also the ability to turn on a blue light filter or enable Moto Display, which is similar to an always-on display, except it’s not always on. The display illuminates with the time and new notifications whenever motion is detected or notifications come in.

I am sure these added features will be welcome additions for most people. The one major complaint I have about the software is that the multi-tasking view is minimized so an unnecessarily large area can be dedicated to instructions on how to use the split-screen mode. I was expecting this to go away once I used split-screen for the first time, but it’s still there even after multiple uses.

Motorola has delivered a strong software experience overall.

This added text and surrounding area is unfortunate because it means less room for the app preview cards. I personally don’t understand the reasoning behind this. Despite that, I feel Motorola delivered a strong software experience overall.

One last warning regarding the software: expect bloatware if you’re buying from a U.S. carrier. Our Sprint-variant Moto E5 Plus shipped with a whopping 27 extra bloatware apps.

I’ll call this “Sprintware,” as Sprint appears to be the only carrier to install so many unnecessary apps. Not only is Sprint profiting off agreements to install all of these different apps (most of which can’t be uninstalled), but it’s also charging the most for these phones out of all of the other carriers. Talk about a bad deal.

Gallery

Specifications

Display	5.2-inch LCD, 1280×720 (16:9)	6-inch LCD, 1440×720 (18:9)
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 or Snapdragon 427 Adreno 308 GPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 Adreno 505 GPU
Storage	16 GB (expandable via microSD card, up to 128 GB)	32 GB (expandable via microSD card, up to 128 GB)
RAM	2 GB	3 GB
Rear camera	8 MP, f/2.0, 1.12um pixels	12 MP, f/2.0, 1.25um pixels
Front camera	5 MP LED flash	8 MP LED flash
Software	Android 8.0 Oreo	Android 8.0 Oreo
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11n, 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, FM radio MicroUSB GPS, GLONASS	Wi-Fi 802.11n, 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, FM radio MicroUSB GPS, GLONASS
Battery	2800mAh	5000mAh
Dimensions	151 x 74 x 8.85 mm 150 g	161.9 x 75.3 x 9.35 mm 200 g

Price

The pricing and availability of these phones is remarkably complicated. Unlike last year’s Moto E4, neither phone is available unlocked in the United States. Instead, you can find the Motorola Moto E5 Play at seven different carriers and the Motorola Moto E5 Plus at four different carriers. If you’re on Cricket Wireless, the E5 Play is named the E5 Cruise and the E5 Plus is named the E5 Supra. I have no idea why Cricket rebranded them.

The E5 Play is available in dark lake, flash gray, and black. The E5 Plus is available in flash gray, mineral blue, and black. The color availability is completely dependent on the carrier though, and most carriers offer only one color. Hopefully it’s one you like.

If this is already getting confusing, wait until you see how each carrier sets its own pricing. The Moto E5 Play can cost as little as $40 on Cricket Wireless to $70 on Verizon Wireless Prepaid to an insane $192 on Sprint. The Moto E5 Plus is only sometimes more expensive; it costs $150 on Boost Mobile, $225 on T-Mobile, and a once again insane $288 on Sprint.

In Europe, the E5 Plus is priced at 170 euros (~$199), significantly less than Sprint and T-Mobile. I couldn’t find any international pricing on the E5 Play, but the variation from $40 to $192 should be enough to raise some alarm bells on carrier pricing practices. To add to the confusion, our European friends can also buy the regular “Moto E5” model, which won’t even launch in the U.S.

The lack of control that Motorola has over its own launch is staggering

This launch strategy undoubtedly will push the phone in front of more everyday consumers. However, the confusion surrounding pricing and availability of both of these phones is unprecedented. The lack of control Motorola has over its own launch is staggering.

The U.S. gets different models than Europe, Cricket gets to change the names, Sprint gets to install over two dozen bloatware apps, and each carrier sets their own pricing. There’s also no unlocked model available. This is not something I expected from a large company with nearly five decades of experience.

Conclusion

I wish I could give a simple conclusion on whether you should buy these phones or not. However, as you probably guessed, the potential for people to pay anywhere from $40 to $288 for these phones complicates things. This is the first phone launch I’ve seen where one carrier can charge more than four times as much than another.

If we only consider these budget smartphones for what they are, the many positive attributes become clear. Both phones offer excellent battery life, great software experiences, and impressive network support. There are a bunch of compromises too, but you can’t expect a high-end experience at a low-end price. The main issues I see are the low-resolution displays, average camera quality, and the huge differences in what you might pay. In everyday use, however, I am sure both will be generally pleasant.

I don’t see why the E5 Play and E5 Plus should co-exist

However, I don’t see why both the E5 Play and E5 Plus exist. The Moto E5 Play is basically just a Moto E4 with updated software. Only the E5 Plus feels like a new phone.

Those targeting the $100-ish market will receive a poor return on investment for the marginal improvements the E5 Play offers. In a bizarre twist, it feels like the E5 Play and E5 Plus are competing with each other. The budget smartphone market needs a new $70-80 smartphone that ideally pulls from both the E5 Play and E5 Plus, not two separate and erratically priced phones.

If your heart is set on using a Motorola device, I can see the E5 Play being a good deal at no more than $60 or $70. If your carrier is asking more than that, chances are you can get a much better deal on last year’s Moto E4 instead.

I think even the E5 Plus’ cheapest price of $150 makes it difficult to recommend. If you can spend $150, you can probably save up a little bit more and spend $200 for a better budget phone like the Moto G6 Play, Honor 7X, or Nokia 6.

Personally, I would buy a year-old higher-end device or a two year-old used or refurbished phone. You can easily find something like the LG G6, which was a flagship phone in 2017, for less than $200. If that doesn’t sound appealing to you and you’d rather have something new, try to hold out to see what happens with the E5 Play and E5 Plus — especially if your carrier is Sprint. I cannot imagine its inflated pricing will last for very long.

How to unpair an Apple Watch

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

If the time comes to part with your beloved Apple Watch, you’ll want to make sure it no longer contains any of your personal data, and can no longer connect to any of your iOS devices. Apple has made the process quite straightforward, so here’s how to unpair an Apple Watch.

Step 1: Prepare your devices

Make sure your Apple Watch and iPhone (or other iOS devices compatible with the Apple Watch app) are charged and close together before you begin. The unpairing process will erase all content and settings on your Apple Watch, which is handy for preparing your Apple Watch for resale, gifting, and so on, but what happens to all that personal data?

Apple creates a backup of this Watch data and stores it on iCloud. If you pair your account with a new Apple Watch, all that data will be transferred over, so you won’t lose anything important as long as you plan on getting another Apple Watch sometime in the future. This makes the process ideal if, for example, you damaged your Apple Watch but intend to replace it.

Step 2: Navigate to the right watch on the Apple Watch app

Once you are ready, open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone — this is the app you use to manage settings for your Watch. Select the My Watch tab to view all Watches that are connected to your device. Tap the Watch that you want to unpair so that it is checked (if there’s only one Watch in your iOS family this will be an easy choice).

Step 3: Unpair the Apple Watch and confirm

Next your checked Watch, you should see a small red “i” to the right of the Watch title. Select this icon, and you will be taken to another screen where you can choose to either find a missing Apple Watch, or Unpair Apple Watch. Select the Unpair option. Prepare to enter your Apple ID and password if necessary.

Step 4: Consider your data plan

If you have a later model of the Apple Watch, starting with the Series 3, you have the option to create a Watch cellular plan. If you have one of these plans, then the app will ask you if you want to keep it or remove it. Since this plan can be easily applied to a new Apple Watch, you should keep if you are planning on buying a new model. However, if you are planning on leaving the Apple Watch life, it’s best to remove any associated data plan immediately.

No iPhone handy? Do this instead

If you can’t navigate to the Apple Watch app on another device, you can still unpair the Apple Watch with a different method.

Step 1: On your Apple Watch, head to Settings. In the General section, choose Reset.

Step 2: Confirm you want to Erase All Content and Settings.

Step 3: As indicated above, you may have to make some choices about your data plan at this point. Then confirm you want to erase all content. This will unpair your Watch and restore it to factory settings.

Editors’ Recommendations

• How to install Windows on a Chromebook
• How to factory reset an iPhone, from X on down
• How to connect your phone to an Xbox One
• Switching to the ‘Un-carrier?’ Here’s a breakdown of T-Mobile’s plans
• How to sync a Fitbit tracker or smartwatch

AMD B450 chipset offers Crossfire, better overclocking to mainstream Ryzen users

Motherboards sporting AMD’s new B450 chipset are now officially available and they upgrade the last generation B350 chipset with some exciting features that were previously exclusive to the X470 platform. Featuring support for multiple AMD graphics cards over Crossfire and its enhanced overclocking XFR2 feature, the new boards aren’t necessarily a worthy upgrade for those with existing Ryzen systems, but could be a new baseline for new Ryzen buyers in the future.

One of the big features of AMD’s overarching Zen platform is that the two existing generations of processors use the same sockets. Where the last-generation B350 and X370 motherboards required a BIOS update to support the Ryzen 2000 series CPUs though, the new B450 chipset — like the x470 — supports the newer Zen+ CPUs right out of the gate.

In many ways, the B450 chipset is more like its more powerful X470 cousin than it is the B350 predecessor. It does share USB support with that older chipset (two x USB 3.1, six x USB 3.0, and six x USB 2.0), and both of them only have six PCIExpress 2.0 lanes, but in terms of SATA connections (six SATA III, two SATA Express) and features, it’s more like the X470. Both have support for multiple AMD graphics cards with Crossfire (no SLI on the B45) and they also support the new StoreMI feature, which lets users with SSDs and hard drives create their own caching drives from a pair, whereby all of the regularly accessed files are placed on the SSD and less commonly used files on the hard drive.

A more exciting feature for performance-minded users though is the overclocking support that the B450 offers. Along with XFR2, the second-generation of AMD’s automated overclocking tool, the B450 chipset also supports AMD’s Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO). That allows the system to automatically adjust frequencies and voltages to push the chip to its absolute maximum speed whilst maintaining stable performance. Since that could result in quite aggressive settings, despite overall stability, not all motherboard manufacturers are likely to provide support for it themselves, but the feature is an exciting addition to what is otherwise being marketed as a mainstream chipset.

The B450 looks set to offer much of what Ryzen enthusiasts have been paying much more for with X470 motherboards and could represent a shift in what is most recommendable for Ryzen CPU owners. Expect to see at least one B450 motherboard appear on our best of list in the near future.

Editors’ Recommendations

• AMD’s Ryzen desktop CPUs for 2019 may double the core count
• Intel may debut a Core i9 desktop CPU for the general market in 2018
• AMD’s next batch of Ryzen desktop CPUs may focus on better power efficiency
• Sony’s next PlayStation may have an AMD Ryzen processor
• AMD will only release Ryzen APU graphics drivers every three months