Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review: Sleeker, simpler, better than ever
Samsung has come a long way. When the very first Galaxy Note launched in 2011, it felt like a quirky anachronism — wasn’t the age of the stylus over? The answer, as evidenced by the Note line’s continued existence, is a resounding “no.” In fact, somewhere along the way, the Note transformed from a curiosity into a premium device that can (and does) outshine the Galaxy S line on which it was based. This year’s attempt — the $850+ Galaxy Note 7 — builds off what Samsung learned making the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, and you know what? The company wound up making its best phone yet in the process.
Hardware
Every year, Samsung tweaks its design language for its new Galaxy S phones and applies it to whatever Note device it releases later that year. It’s no surprise, then, that the Note 7 has more in common with the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge than last year’s Note 5. Since these smartphones share so much, it’s no surprise that the subtle differences are what make the Note 7 shine.
Consider its curves, for instance. Samsung built the Note 7 with a symmetrically curved front and back; that is, the metal-and-glass body is curved the same way on both sides. As a result, there’s more of an edge for your thumb to rest on so your hand is less likely to accidentally tap something on-screen. I couldn’t count the number of times that happened to me with the S7 Edge, and it eventually got so annoying that I gave up on the phone entirely. Here’s hoping Samsung applies this knowledge to next year’s Edge. The added benefit is that these curves make the Note 7 really, really nice to hold. This symmetry of design, coupled with the phone’s light weight and lack of bezels around its 5.7-inch screen mean this is easily the nicest Galaxy Note to actually carry around and use. It’s a big phone that doesn’t feel like one.
Samsung also opted for a USB Type-C port for power and data transfer instead of the micro-USB seen on the S7. It was only a matter of time before Samsung made the switch, but I’m just a little surprised the company didn’t wait until next year. And then there’s the storage situation: The Note 7 ships with 64GB of storage, up from 32GB on both US versions of the Galaxy S7. It’s a welcome move, but maybe not a surprising one since the Note series phones were always billed as more premium devices.
The Note 7’s partner, the S Pen, has also benefitted from some thoughtful little changes. It now has a smaller, 0.7mm nib — the same size as a typical ballpoint pen — for more natural writing. You can’t stick the S Pen into its slot backward either, because Samsung really didn’t need another year’s worth of embarrassment. On the flip side, though, this year’s S Pen is slightly slimmer than the last one, which makes it just a little less comfortable to grip. Samsung couldn’t please everyone.
Some changes, however, are hardly what you’d call subtle. There’s an iris scanner above the screen for hands-free unlocking, and it works better in some situations than others. If you don’t need corrective lenses, well, congratulations: Assuming you line your eyes up properly, the Note 7 will unlock itself in less than a second. Folks who wear contacts (like I do sometimes) fall into this category too. If you wear glasses, though, expect the phone to take much longer… if it works at all.
Now, about those similarities. There are, uh, a lot of them. Most notable is the silicon, running the show, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, 4GB of RAM and an Adreno 530 GPU. All three phones also share the same 12-megapixel, DualPixel camera setups — that’s just as well since that particular sensor is arguably at the front of the Android smartphone camera pack. (The 5-megapixel front-facing camera is the same too, but that’s way less interesting.)
Now, about those similarities. There are, uh, a lot of them. Most notable is the silicon, running the show, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, 4GB of RAM and an Adreno 530 GPU. All three phones also share the same 12-megapixel, DualPixel camera setups — that’s just as well since that particular sensor is arguably at the front of the Android smartphone camera pack. (The 5-megapixel front-facing camera is the same too, but that’s way less interesting.)
There’s also a spot for a microSD card in the SIM tray, just like with the S7 line, and the phone is also IP68-rated waterproof, a first for the Note line. Meanwhile, I wish Samsung could have transplanted the 3,600mAh battery from the S7 Edge into the Note 7, but it seems Samsung could only fit a 3,500mAh cell into the Note 7’s curved body. Thankfully, the difference in longevity is minimal (as you’ll see later on).
Display and sound
As mentioned, the Note 7 sports a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display running at 2,560 x 1,440 (or Quad HD, or 2K, or whatever you want to call it). And wouldn’t you know it, this screen is just fantastic, replete with great viewing angles and the vivid, sumptuous colors that Samsung’s AMOLED panels are known for. (If the default color temperature is a little lurid, you can always change display modes in the settings menu.)
The screen’s bigger size means its pixel density (518 pixels per inch) is lower than that of the S7 and S7’s displays, but really, the difference is nigh-impossible to pick out; text and photos are rendered with excellent crispness. It’s a summertime champ too: With the brightness cranked to max, I had no trouble sifting through tweets and agonizing over potential Instagram filters under the sweltering August sun. If all of this sounds familiar, well, sorry. Samsung’s screens are typically first-rate, but the Note 7’s is especially pleasant (particularly since the weird, pulsating effect I noticed on last year’s Note 5 is nowhere in sight).
As you might expect, the Note 7 inherited the S7’s always-on display mode, and it’s as handy as eve. Samsung updated it with new designs, though: There are three more designs for the persistent clock and one new image (of constellations) that should wind up on the company’s earlier flagships before long. And while we’re on the subject of minor additions, there’s also a blue light filter mode that’s meant to reduce eye-strain and preserve the sanctity of your sleep cycle. These display modes are popping up all over the place, and whether they actually help is up for debate, but it’s a welcome touch as I write this review in the middle of the night.
As usual, though, the quality of the Note’s speaker setup lags behind that of the display. There’s a single grille etched into the phone’s bottom between the Type-C port and the S Pen’s hiding place, and it’s capable of churning out loud (if somewhat lifeless) audio. Things get better when you plug in a pair of headphones, at least: Samsung’s high-quality audio upscaler adds just a little more oomph to your tracks, with options for simulated surround sound, tube amp effects and concert hall reverb. I didn’t really love these effects when they first showed up on the S7s, but they grew on me — spacey, vocal-centric songs can benefit a lot from that faux surround sound, for example. Still, if you hated these effects the first time around, don’t expect to change your mind.
Software
Like all the other flagships that launched this year, the Note 7 ships with Android 6.0.1 onboard — that means you’ve got those new permissions controls, Now on Tap’s handy info cards and all the other core Marshmallow features we’ve been enjoying for nearly a year now. More interesting is how Samsung’s approach to TouchWiz continues to evolve: What used to be a bloated, obnoxious punchline of an interface gradually became bearable, and then eventually pretty nice. Lots of us (including yours truly) will always prefer stock Android, but Samsung has spent the past few years cleaning up its act and that’s worthy of some praise.
At first glance, not much has changed since the days of the S7/Edge — Flipboard’s Briefing lives to the left of your homescreens, and Samsung’s Edge UX is back. Quick recap if you haven’t used an S7 Edge: Swiping the tab on the right side (by default) of the screen brings up panes with shortcuts to your chosen apps, contacts and “tasks” like composing messages and taking selfies. You can flesh out your list with third-party “edges” for Yahoo Sports and Finance, but we still can’t craft macro-like tasks the way we could on a full-blown computer. Once it’s set up, the Samsung Pay tab lives at the bottom of the screen too — a flick upward loads your payment method and preps it for either an NFC or a magnetic “swipe” transaction.
The differences will become more apparent as you start digging a little deeper, and you’ll wonder why some of these changes haven’t been in TouchWiz from the start. Pulling down the notification shade, for instance, reveals a search bar, brightness slider and a distinct lack of circular icons — Samsung ditched them for a cleaner grid of quick settings icons. The app launcher has a search bar sitting up top too, making it easier for find the app you’re looking for. That sure beats the clumsy search button on the S7 and S7 Edge. This streamlined approach carries over into the Note 7’s settings page, where Samsung excised the circular icons and trademark teal in favor of a much simpler list of options. (Don’t worry, the interface is still punctuated with blue here and there, in case you’re not great with change.) And if you hate those rounded white frames encasing your app icons, you can turn them off. One word: hallelujah.
Naturally, there’s more going here beyond the Note 7’s clean new look. Let’s say you’re trying to keep your Tinder habits on the down low — you have the option to download the app directly into Samsung’s new secure folder, keeping it perpetually hidden from prying eyes. But what if it’s already installed? Easy. You can add the app to the secure folder and then uninstall the original instance, leaving an independent, fully functional copy hidden from the rest of the world. You can lock down this digital storehouse with a PIN, password, a fingerprint or an iris scan, but the latter two require you to set up a password just in case your biometric signature doesn’t pass muster. What you use the secure folder for is your business, but regardless, Samsung’s implementation is both clever and useful.
Samsung’s browser is also more useful thanks to its support for extensions, including a QR code reader and an “Amazon assistant” that’s meant to “get instant product matches while you shop across the web.” I’d love to tell you more about how Amazon is removing barriers between you and your darkest buying impulses, but this extension wasn’t live as of this writing. Then there are the updated power saving modes. In addition to dialing down the screen’s brightness and throttling performance, they’ll also reduce the Note 7’s screen resolution (down to as low as 720p) to conserve even more juice. Huawei adopted this trick first, but it’s remarkably handy for keeping your Note 7 alive when its battery level gets grim.
Thankfully, there aren’t a ton of pointlessly pre-loaded apps. We have the usual slew of Google apps, plus Samsung’s email client, browser, file manager and S Health app, along with all the Note-specific stuff, which I’ll get to in a second. My review unit is a T-Mobile model, and Legere’s crew thankfully didn’t go too crazy with the bloatware. All told, this version of the Note 7 comes with eight carrier apps pre-installed, ranging from the pretty useful (SlingTV was handy for following the Olympics on the move) to the irritating (I can manage my security fine, Lookout, but thanks).
Another year, another S Pen
Weird as it sounds, the Note 7 is so well put together and pleasant to use that it’s sometimes easy to forget there’s a stylus hidden inside. This year’s S Pen doesn’t look dramatically different from the Note 5’s but the changes are there if you look closely enough. As mentioned earlier, the nib is smaller for more fluid writing and sketching, and the S Pen’s body is ever so slightly narrower and lighter. You wouldn’t think a change this minute would be apparent, but it sort of is — despite near-identical dimensions, this S Pen feels a little flimsier than the one we got last year. Funny how big a difference this stuff makes.
Still, the Note 7’s S Pen still has few clear advantages. For one, it’s water resistant just like the phone itself. Since the entire package is IP68-rated, you can actually write things on the Note 7’s screen while underwater, though I’m not sure when anyone would ever actually need to. (Getting phone numbers at the beach? Who knows.) Speaking of the screen, the Note 7’s can now recognize up to 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, or double what the Note 5 was capable of. It’s one of those differences that’s only really noticeable when you have the two devices side by side: light strokes that didn’t register on the Note 5’s display showed up just fine on the Note 7, making it a better choice for artsy types who value precision. If all you’re going to do is dash off notes and reminders, though, you probably won’t notice the change much.
While we’re talking about the screen, I’m pleased that one of the Note 5’s best features has made it over to the Note 7. Removing the S Pen while the display is off brings up a dark interface for (appropriately enough) screen-off memos. Here, you can draw or leave yourself a note, and then pin it to the always-on display for easy reference throughout the day. The inherent lack of friction in this process means anyone who picks up your phone can pin doodles to your display, which in my case led to lots of juvenile drawings all over my sleeping screen. Thanks, guys.
Samsung is all too aware that the S Pen isn’t for everyone, so it cooked up a few new Air Command features to make its stylus more versatile. My eyes are pretty terrible, so it was neat being able to magnify anything on the screen up to 300 percent when pinching-to-zoom wasn’t an option. Cool? Sure. Consistently useful? Eh.
You can now translate words on-screen from one language to another too, though the translations aren’t as elegant as I’d wanted. Here’s the thing: The feature only lets you translate one word at a time, rather than sentences or paragraphs. As such, it’s handy for picking up bits of a language you don’t know, and lousy for interpreting lots of information.
And then there are the GIFs. The “smart select” feature has been updated to let you choose parts of the screen with the pen, record them and turn them into GIFs. I didn’t have high hopes for this process since making GIFs on a regular computer is sort of a pain, but it turned out to be surprisingly elegant. Once the recording is done (you can capture up to 15 seconds), it’s simple enough to doodle on top of them, change how they loop and share them everywhere. Meanwhile, Samsung’s software cleaning spree continues with S Pen stuff: Four(!) separate S Pen-specific applications have been combined into a single one called Samsung Notes. This is where you’ll do most of your note taking and doodling, and it’s perfectly serviceable; it’s good enough that I didn’t miss any of the old standalone S Pen apps.
All of these tweaks are steps in the right direction, but I wonder whether they’ll actually change anyone’s mind about the S Pen. The fact that Samsung keeps churning these devices out must mean a lot of people out there dig using a stylus, but if you weren’t sold before, you probably won’t be now.
Camera
We can keep this part brief: Both of the Note 7’s cameras are identical to the ones in the S7 and S7 Edge, and are therefore really damned good. The photos I shot over the course of a week were almost uniformly well exposed, with lots of detail (they really pop on this AMOLED screen) and vibrant, accurate colors. It’s damned fast at focusing too, thanks to the camera’s DualPixel setup. If you’ll pardon the extremely unscientific explanation, every 1.4 µm pixel on that 12-megapixel sensor is split into two photodiodes that are used to gauge the distance between the camera and the subject. Since every single pixel is used to for these focus calculations, the Note 7 is super fast at locking onto whatever’s in front of it, even when the subject is a finicky, adorable toddler celebrating her second birthday.
It goes without saying that smartphone cameras tend to suck in the dark, but the Note 7 fares well thanks to the size of the pixels on its sensor. There’s surprisingly little noise, even in shots taken outside at night, and the always-there exposure controls help reduce the influence of extra light that could otherwise soften a shot’s sharpness. In short, the Note 7 is a very impressive all-around shooter, ranking alongside the S7 and S7 Edge as one of Android-powered cameras to beat. Meanwhile, the 5-megapixel camera up front takes respectable selfies with enough verve to please all the but the most terminally vain. I just wish Samsung had bumped up the resolution a bit this time around.
The camera sensors might not have changed, but the camera interface sure has. Remember all the different mode and settings icons that used to pepper the main view of the camera app? Many of them have been moved out of sight to give you a cleaner interface. All of the photo modes from the S7 — Pro, panorama, selective focus, slow motion, hyperlapse and more — are back and still available by swiping to the right. Instead of tapping a separate button to switch cameras, though, you’ll have to swipe up.
Camera resolution options and the timer has been moved into a separate settings menu, while live filter effects can be applied by swiping to the left. Trust me: It’s all much more intuitive than it sounds, and the “out of sight, out of mind” ethos here is fine by me. After all, just about every photo I took on full auto looked great. Shooting video was similarly painless and yielded accurate, handsome footage no matter what resolution I picked. (Fair warning: Tracking autofocus doesn’t work when shooting 4K video, so be prepared to handle it yourself).
Performance and battery life
Because of those shared internals, the Note 7 performs almost exactly like the S7 and S7 Edge, which in turn behave much like the rest of this year’s flagship smartphone heap. That means this year’s Note is a smooth operator thanks to the quad-core Snapdragon 820 and 4GB of RAM. I spent my week multitasking lots, playing games like Hearthstone, Asphalt 8, Republique and generally doing my best to make the 7 stutter or slow down. I succeeded, but only rarely and never for long. If you’re concerned about whether the Note 7 can stand up to your hellacious routines, don’t be: This thing brings the heat (sometimes literally, but never to the point of discomfort).
Then again, were you expecting anything else? Qualcomm’s near-monopoly on the mobile chip business has led to a détente where one high-end device more or less performs the same as any other. That makes it hard to write about these things over and over, but it’s still a win for everyone reading this — there’s almost no such thing as a bad choice, at least as far as performance is concerned.
HTC 10
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
AndEBench Pro
13,601
16,673
13,030
14,152
Vellamo 3.0
4,589
4,876
4,152
4,104
3DMark IS Unlimited
29,697
26,747
26,666
26,981
GFXBench 3.0 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (fps)
47
48
47
47
CF-Bench
49,256
49,891
46,290
36,488
Because their internals are the same, differentiating factors like battery life are more important than ever. Now, the Note 7 might not have the biggest battery in Samsung’s lineup — that distinction goes to the S7 Edge — but it’s still one of the best day-to-day performers I’ve used in some time. When it came to our standard rundown test (looping a high-def video at 50 brightness), the Note 7 lasted just over 14 hours. That’s about a half hour less than the S7 Edge, just a few minutes more than last year’s Note 5, and on par with the Moto Z Force. Not the type to watch the video until your eyes bleed? That’s fine: I routinely got two full days of consistent, mixed use out of the Note 7. With the help of Android Marshmallow’s Doze feature, my runtime stretched closer to three days with more sporadic use, though your mileage may vary.
The competition
It goes without saying that if you’re looking for a phone you can use with a stylus, you can’t do better the Galaxy Note 7. That said, if you’re looking for a great phone-and-stylus combo, I’ve found that the Galaxy Note 5 still holds up really well. It’s been updated to run Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and put up benchmark figures that were surprisingly close to this year’s model — a testament to the power of the octa-core Exynos chipset lurking inside. Alas, it’s not waterproof and lacks any expandable storage options, though you could easily find a good deal online.
The Note 7 also faces some stiff competition from its cousins, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. They have the same brains, after all, not to mention the same waterproofing, the same punchy AMOLED screen technology and the same overarching design language. I still think the S7 Edge is too prone to accidental touches, though, a problem that frankly drives me up the freakin’ wall — I’d definitely take the Note 7 over the Edge (especially since they share those edge-centric features), but the GS7 remains an excellent choice for those who want Samsung’s best in a more compact form factor.
Meanwhile, fans of first-rate build quality should consider the HTC 10, a phenomenal smartphone that offers power and style in spades. It, too, makes use of the Snapdragon 820 chipset, but the company’s attention to detail is what really makes the HTC 10 shine — the build quality is impeccable, the phone packs a low-latency touchscreen, and it’s the first Android phone that natively supports Apple’s AirPlay streaming standard. The 10’s battery and camera aren’t quite as good as the Note 7’s, though, so you’ll have to love HTC’s design and its approach to software.
Wrap-up
When I reviewed the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge earlier this year, I was already convinced Samsung was operating at the top of its game. After using phones as well crafted as those, I didn’t think it would be possible to love the inevitable follow-up as much. I was wrong. The Note 7 isn’t a perfect phone: It’s expensive and there still isn’t a hugely compelling reason to buy into the S Pen lifestyle if you haven’t already. Even so, by combining the updates that went into the S7 siblings with a number of subtle improvements to the Note’s design and software, Samsung has built its finest phone yet. The Galaxy Note 7 isn’t just the best Galaxy Note ever — it’s a strong contender as the best Android phone you can find right now.
Samsung’s new Gear VR is its most comfortable and immersive yet
Samsung’s Gear VR has always been an anomaly among the company’s dizzyingly diverse product lineup. Ever since the first “innovator edition” of the headset debuted alongside the Galaxy Note 4 in 2014, it stood out as something potentially more useful than the company’s various wearables, experimental phones and other gadgets. And, thanks to Samsung’s partnership with Oculus, the Gear VR’s usefulness has only grown over time — in fact, we named last year’s model a “no-brainer” purchase for Samsung owners. Now we have yet another Gear VR model, coinciding with the launch of the Galaxy Note 7, and it’s an even better introduction to virtual reality than ever before.
From afar, the new Gear VR just looks like a color-swapped version of what came before. But the new dark blue shell actually has a legitimate use: It helps to keep images from your phone’s screen from reflecting off of the headset. That was an issue some users had in the past with the white Gear VR models, according to Samsung. And given that the last few models looked fairly similar, it’s about time the company made a big design shift to differentiate its latest and greatest headset.
There are also a handful of small, but genuinely useful, ergonomic tweaks. There’s a new material that rests against your skin that feels as soft as a fleece blanket meant for babies. And Samsung also made the strap that goes over your head significantly longer, which could be useful for some. Those upgrades, coupled with the Gear VR’s light design, make it something you could easily wear for hours on end. After testing both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, I noticed that small comfort differences go a long way towards making VR feel more immersive, so I appreciate Samsung’s efforts in this regard.
As for other changes, Samsung increased the field of view in this latest headset to 101 degrees from 96 degrees in previous models. That might not sound like a major difference, but it’s yet another tweak that puts you deeper into virtual experiences. And it brings the Gear VR even closer to the wider 110-degree field of view from dedicated headsets like the Oculus Rift and Vive. Other headsets, like the Star VR, claim to offer even more expansive coverage, but they’re not actually on the market yet.
If you look closely, you’ll also notice some upgrades around the new Gear VR’s inputs. The biggest difference? There’s a dedicated “Home” button that takes you right back to the Oculus home screen. Previously, you had to hold down the “Back” button to return home. Doing that now brings up a screen that gives you quick access to your settings and friends list. Samsung also cleared out the directional pad from the last headset, so that it’s now a free-flowing touchpad area which you can swipe at without worrying about exact accuracy.
In a nice move for the Samsung faithful, the new Gear VR is compatible with a handful of the company’s older handsets, in addition to the Note 7. Its support stretches back to the Galaxy Note 5, and also includes the S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, S7 and S7 Edge. Basically, if you’ve bought a Samsung phone recently, you’re covered. While the headset supports USB-C by default (for the Note 7), you can easily swap out that connector with an included micro-USB adapter. You can also adjust the position of the arms holding your phone in place to fit phablets like the Note, or the more sensibly sized Samsung phones.
Since our senior mobile editor Chris Velazco is still hogging the Note 7, I tested out the new Gear VR with the Galaxy S7. Setting up the headset was simple: I removed the faceplate, swapped in the micro-USB adapter, plugged the phone in, and made sure the Gear VR’s arms were positioned for smaller devices. The phone felt securely attached to the headset, even while I shook it vigorously (far more than you would with your head, at least).
When I first plugged in the S7, I was prompted to remove it from the Gear VR and install a bundle of Oculus software. If you don’t have an Oculus account yet, you’ll be asked to create one. Once all that was set, I shoved the S7 (along with a pair of headphones) into the headset and prepared to get my VR on. Within a few seconds, I reached the Oculus Home screen and started shopping around for some apps.
I settled on NBC’s Sports app (featuring the Rio Olympics), Jaunt’s collection of 360-degree videos, Eve Gunjack and Adventure Time: Magic Man’s Head Games. When it came to 360-degree video playback, I definitely noticed the Gear VR’s larger field of view. It still feels like you’re looking through a pair of binoculars, rather than being completely transported somewhere else, but it’s far better than previous models. Unfortunately, the low resolution of most 360-degree video is an an even bigger detractor (it’s hard to follow the Olympics when you can’t determine which fuzzy blob is which).
When it came to games, though, the new Gear VR shined. Both Eve Gunjack and Adventure Time were easier to control with the less restrictive touchpad, and they were also more immersive than on previous Gear VRs. I also loved being able to quickly readjust the volume and brightness setting by holding down the “back” button, as I couldn’t reach my phone’s volume controls when it was plugged into the headset.
Mostly, I appreciated the fact that I could wear this Gear VR for a long time without getting fatigued. Even though it’s powered by mere phones, Samsung’s headset actually has an advantage over desktop VR platforms since it’s completely wireless (well, if you don’t count headphones). This latest model is simply the most comfortable VR headset on the market. It never felt like the headstraps were crushing my skull, or that the headset was resting too heavily on my nose (looking at you, HTC Vive).
As great as the Gear VR is, though, it could have some serious competition from upcoming headsets supporting Google’s Android Daydream VR platform. That’s basically attempting to do what the Gear VR did, but for handsets from multiple manufacturers. If Samsung were smart, it would work together with Google’s platform, but it’s unclear if the company’s deal with Oculus would prevent that.
Even with Daydream headsets on the horizon, though, I don’t have any problem recommending the new Gear VR to Samsung owners. In fact, it’s solid enough that it’s worth considering moving to a Samsung device just for the privilege of using the Gear VR. But the arguments against the Gear VR, and waiting for Daydream, are strong as well.
ICYMI: Temporary tat yourself for user interface
Today on In Case You Missed It: Microsoft and MIT built a computer interface that drops a touchpad into a shiny, golden temporary tattoo. Just as fantastic as you’d imagine, people can use them to input commands, get notifications and store data like NFC tags.
Meanwhile, scientists in Brazil led an international charge for research into the Walk Again project, which took eight paraplegics and did extensive research using VR headsets, exoskeleton suits and robot aids for walking. Three years after announcing the project, all started to regain the sense of touch and movement below their injury site. The work will continue.
If you want to learn more about the ISS competition for 3D printing, that’s here. And the smell-o-vision Ubisoft Nosulus Rift is here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
John Sculley’s Company Obi Worldphone Launches New ‘MV1’ Device in UK
After first launching in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America, Obi Worldphone is now expanding availability to the United Kingdom with the launch of its flagship £99 smartphone, the Obi MV1. Former Apple CEO John Sculley is one of the co-founders of Obi, which “is in the business of making more affordable devices,” as opposed to Apple’s higher-cost iPhones (via Engadget).
Images via Engadget
In terms of specs, the Obi MV1 has a 720p display that measures 5 inches, a front-facing (2-megapixel) and rear-facing (8-megapixel) camera, a 2,500mAh battery, one 1.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 212 chip, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The MV1 does support microSD cards, however, that could potentially boost storage up to 64GB.
The design of the MV1 hopes to differentiate from the crowded “jungle” of the Android smartphone market, according to Obi executive Ankush Chatterjee. To do this, the company created the smartphone’s “signature floating glass display,” which is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 and sits a few millimeters above the body of the device. The MV1 also has contrasting edge design, with rounded corners on the bottom of the handset and more angular, sharp edges on the top.
Whether it’s to your tastes or not, the MV1 is comfortable enough in the hand, though the raised display isn’t a particularly elegant feature. It’s a thin, sharp edge after all, which your fingertips come into contact with regularly. Also, since the screen sticks out, it draws attention to how big and bulky the MV1 is for a 5-inch device, though that does help it feel robust.
Based on Android 5.1 Lollipop, the MV1 has an operating system called Cyanogen OS 12.1.1, allowing for “easy customization” by the user. The UI is said to be “colorful,” while sporting a feature called Lightspeed UI that lets users access various widgets on the MV1’s lock screen, like the phone’s dialer, camera, and web apps.
For those users in the United Kingdom, the Obi MV1 can be purchased for £99 in black or white from the company’s official website, or from Amazon.
Tag: John Sculley
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Tim Cook Announces R&D Center to Be Built in China ‘By the End of the Year’
Apple is planning an all-new research and development center in China, attempting to boost its presence and market share in the country following multiple reports of the iPhone’s dwindling returns as users flock towards low-cost alternatives. The R&D center, said “to be built by the end of the year,” will mark Apple’s first location of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region (via Reuters).
The announcement comes from Apple CEO Tim Cook, on a visit in China this week, who spoke with Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Tuesday and detailed the company’s plans for the center. Those details weren’t specifically disclosed to the public, so it’s still unclear where the new R&D center will be located, or how many employees it might house.
Apple’s new research and development center will be built by the end of the year, Cook told Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, one of China’s most senior officials, according to the official Chinese state broadcaster.
The pledge comes after the head of China’s industry and technology regulator in May told Cook he hoped Apple could deepen its cooperation with the country in research and development and stressed information security.
Cook’s August trip marks his second visit to China this year, following a tour of Beijing in May where he met with App Store developers and Didi Chuxing president Jean Liu. Although once Apple’s second largest market in the world, the company announced during last month’s earnings report that its revenue in China dropped 33 percent year-over-year, ultimately allowing Europe to overtake China as its second biggest market, following the United States.
Concern about Apple’s future in China stems from the country’s heavy focus on potentially invasive foreign products and services, leading to events like the closure of the iTunes and iBooks store earlier in the spring, due to the launch of a controversial dystopian film. Apple has faced lawsuits due to similar occurrences as well, making it hard for the company to focus solely on helping the iPhone gain traction against China’s plentiful low-cost smartphone options.
Tags: China, Tim Cook
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Best tempered glass screen protectors for OnePlus One
What’s the best way to protect the screen on my OnePlus One?
The OnePlus brand is all about beautifully designed products using the best build materials. It even has an aspirational motto, Never Settle. But even the best built phone have glass screens that need an extra layer of protection from the scratches, falls, and everything else life throws your way.
Your best bet for saving your screen is a tempered glass screen protector for the OnePlus One, so let’s get to it.
Note: This post is about the OnePlus One, not the OnePlus 3. We have your OnePlus 3 accessories, too!
- Orzly Oneplus One Premium 0.24mm tempered glass screen protector
- amFilm OnePlus One tempered glass screen protector
- iFlash three-pack of OnePlus One tempered glass screen protectors
- PThink 2.5D Round Edge 0.3mm Ultra-thin tempered glass screen protector for OnePlus One
- Nillkin Anti-burst tempered glass screen protector for OnePlus One
Orzly OnePlus ONE Premium 0.24mm tempered glass screen protector
With a thickness of 0.24mm, this offering from Orzly is the thinnest tempered glass screen protector you will find for your OnePlus One. Featuring an industry-standard 9H hardness rating, it should easily withstand scratching if you put your phone in the same pocket as your keys. Orzly also included an oleophobic coating to ensure your screen stays fingerprint and smudge-free and rounded edges to prevent chipping and improve the in-hand feel of your phone.
See at Amazon
amFilm OnePlus One tempered glass screen protector
Claiming to offer 99.9% transparency, you may well forget you’ve installed amFilm’s tempered glass screen protector on your OnePlus One. One thing that separates this option from the competitors is the decision to cut out around the sensors and earpiece speaker instead of leaving a slim bridge of tempered glass that’s susceptible to cracking. It still covers the front-facing camera, but due to that transparency, you shouldn’t notice any effects on your selfies. Package includes the screen protector, Micro-Fiber Cleaning Cloth, Plastic Squeeze Card, Installation and User Guide, and a lifetime replacement warranty.
See at Amazon
iFlash three-pack of OnePlus One tempered glass screen protectors
We use tempered glass protectors to take the brunt of the daily abuse our phones endure. As such, if a nasty fall occurs it’s the screen protector’s job to shatter first. iFlash offers the best value here with a three-pack of tempered glass screen protectors — featuring the hardness and oleophobic coating you’d want — so if you smash one up you don’t have to live with a cracked screen protector. It’s like an insurance policy on your insurance policy. Package includes three complete sets for installation: screen protector, alcohol cleaning wipe, microfiber cloth, bubble removal card, and a dust-removal adhesive strip. iFlash also offers a one-year manufacturer replacement warranty.
See at Amazon
PThink 2.5D Round Edge 0.3mm Ultra-thin tempered glass screen protector for OnePlus One
PThink offers another reliable, quick-to-install option for protecting your OnePlus One screen. At 0.3mm, it’s thin enough to be barely noticeable, with rounded edges offering a precise fit and avoid chipping. If and when this screen protector gets damaged, the nano glass cracks behind a film to prevent the glass edges from being exposed, which allows you to continue safely using the screen protector even when cracked. Package includes a cleaning kit to prepare your screen ahead of installation. Hammer and disembodied hand sold separately.
See at Amazon
Nillkin Anti-burst tempered glass screen protector for OnePlus One
Another outstanding option for protecting your OnePlus One screen is this offering from Nillkin. Made of AGC glass material rated to the standard 9H hardness rating and featuring HARVES nano-technology to repel water and grease, your phone will be well protected. Along with the screen protector itself, the package includes a wet wipe, electrostatic dust film, de-dusting cleaning film and a professional screen wipe cloth to make installation a breeze.
See at Amazon
What do you use?
Have you had any experiences with the screen protectors we’ve recommended? Let us know in the comments!
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Oculus Rift available at UK retailers from 20 September, here’s where
Oculus announced this morning that its high-end VR headset, the Oculus Rift, is going to be available to buy from UK retailers starting on 20 September.
Customers will be able to purchase the Oculus Rift from Amazon, John Lewis, Curry’s PC World, Game and Harrods for £549 from that date.
If you want to be sure to get one on the first day, you can pre-order from the aforementioned online retailers from today.
- Oculus Rift: Price, shipping date and everything you need to know
- Oculus Rift: The best experiences and games available right now
As with all Rift purchases, the headset comes with a popular VR title called Lucky’s Tale as well as a large collection of free 3D 360-degree videos and VR movies. Of course, you’ll get access to the entire collection of Oculus Store apps and games too.
Between now and the retail launch, Oculus is going to roll out several demo experiences in a number of retail locations across the country. These experiences include VR films and games, one of which is a film called Henry, narrated by Elijah Wood.
Before ordering a Rift, you do need to be sure that you have a PC powerful enough to run the VR headset. You’ll need a video card as good as (or better than) the NVIDIA GTX 970/AMD R9 290, an Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater processor, at least 8GB RAM, HDMI 1.3 video out, three USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port. You’ll also need Windows 7 SP1 64 bit – or newer – software.
If you want to schedule your own demo, head on over to the Oculus Live website to check when and where your nearest demo experience is.
If you’re not sure whether the Rift is the best VR headset for you, be sure to check out our extensive feature comparing all the best headsets out there right now.
Samsung Gear S3 launch date confirmed for 31 August, and you can watch live
There’s now no doubt that Samsung is going to be launching the Gear S3 in Berlin on 31 August. The next version of the Samsung’s smartwatch is set to launch as IFA 2016 opens in the German capital, with Samsung choosing the same venue it used to launch the Gear 2 in 2015.
Hitting its social channels, Samsung has invited the world to watch as the latest Gear is unveiled. On Twitter, Samsung posted a gif showing the moving hands of a watch, with the tagline “talk about 3”. If you’re doubting it’s Gear S3, Samsung has helpfully put the Gear branding in the bottom corner.
Stay tuned for a timely innovation. August 31. Berlin. pic.twitter.com/kUMG3l6BEs
— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) August 15, 2016
Using its own press channel, Samsung again repeated that message, running with the title “Samsung’s New Gear Launch Event”. So that’s that.
Samsung will be live streaming the event, confirming that you can watch on Samsung’s news channel as well as on Samsung.com. We will of course be attending to event to bring you all the details from Berlin as they happen.
- Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch: What’s the story so far?
- What to expect at IFA 2016
The Samsung Gear S3 is the latest version of Samsung’s Tizen-based smartwatch. Rumours suggest that it will retain the rotating bezel that made its debut on the Gear 2, but that the watch will carry more sensors. There’s said to be several different versions of the Gear S3, and we’re hoping that it feels a little more substantial than the last version.
We’ve been tracking the rumours over the past year, so you can catch up on everything expected come launch day.
Google Duo, insanely simple video calling app for Android and iPhone now available
Google has announced that its new FaceTime and Skype competitor, Duo, is available to download. With Duo, the aim is to make video calling as easy and reliable as possible. No complicated sign up procedure, no remembering usernames and no unintuitive user interfaces.
Google first introduced its innovative new video calling app, Duo, in May at its I/O conference in San Francisco, and the company claims the app takes all of the complexity out of video calling.
- Google Duo for iPhone and Android takes on Skype and FaceTime
- The Google I/O 2016 announcements that matter: Assistant, Home, Android N, Instant Apps, Allo, Duo and Daydream
The entire user interface is designed to be intuitive and simple to use. Even the set up process is simple and requires just your phone number, according to the search engine giant. Once set up, a video call can be initiated with just a single tap.
Part of the attraction of Duo is that Google built in the capability to stay online and connected even when you’re on a slower network. The video quality is reduced “gracefully” to ensure that calls aren’t disconnected, and don’t break up. And you won’t have to wait ages for the call to connect either. It’s quick, regardless of your network’s reliability.
One of the most interesting features of Duo is Knock Knock, which lets you see a live video of your caller before you answer. Then to answer the call you slide up the icon and dive right in to the call without any interruption or delay.
For those worried about security, Google says that all calls are end-to-end encrypted, so that no one can listen in on your calls.
Duo is rolling out for Android and iOS from today, and will be live across the globe within the next few days. It’s free to download and free to use, as with pretty much all of Google’s services.
Hyperloop One could build its first commercial route in Dubai
While Hyperloop One isn’t quite done building its test structure, it already has a potential location for its first ever commercial route: Dubai. The company has teamed up with DP World, one of the biggest port operators, to examine whether building a route for Port Jebel Ali would make it more efficient. To be exact, they plan to conduct a feasibility study assessing the use of high-speed Hyperloop tubes to ferry cargo from ships straight to a separate container depot. That would allow the operators to free up space at Jebel Ali for other (profitable) uses. Company CEO and ex-Cisco president Rob Lloyd told TechCrunch that the wealthy city certainly has “the infrastructure, regulatory movement and kind of capital in place needed” to make it happen.
A Hyperloop route is essentially a network of tubes big enough for passenger or cargo pods to pass through. Those pods are expected to float slightly above the surface of the tubes, similar to a maglev train, and to reach speeds up to 750mph. To put that in perspective, Japan’s maglev train only reached 366mph when it broke its own world speed record.
If Dubai and the company determine that the port will benefit from a high-speed cargo route, they’ll build a network that’s partly submerged in the ocean and partly suspended in the air, as you can see in the render above. It might not be the only Hyperloop route in Dubai, as well — the city is also thinking of building a network that can ferry people to Fujairah, which is on the other end of the UAE, within 10 minutes.
Source: Hyperloop One
