Screen Off Pro (Screen Lock) – Certainly locks screens. [Review]
Overview
Screen Off Pro does what it sets out to do; it locks your screen at the push of a software button, negating the use of the hardware button for this use. There are a number of other options within the app, including assigning vibration, sound and animation to the screen off function, but many of these are hidden behind the paywall of the $0.99 ‘unlock’ version.
Developer: Yogesh Dama
Price: Free (Unlock: $0.99 / Unlock + Tip: $1.49)
Highlights:
- Turn off and lock screen without use of a hardware button.
- Various icons to stay consistent with your theme.
- Floating Screen Off Button. (Unlock only)
- Vibration, animation, and vibration options. (Unlock only)
Setup
Screen Off Pro requires minimal effort to set up. The app guides you through the process, which is as follows:
- Tap ‘Create Screen off Shortcut.’
- Activate Device Administrator* (Tap button, tap ‘Activate.’)
- Choose Icon and Label.
- Tap ‘Create Shortcut to home screen.’
- Enjoy.
* See below.
Opening splash screen.
Tap the first option to allow Administrator Privileges.
Features
As far as Screen Lock apps go, Screen Off Pro is pretty full-featured, if limited. Unfortunately, many of these features are hidden behind the paid version of the app. These features are not marked in any way as pro features; you’re only informed of such once you try to use them. At best, this is a minor inconvenience. Below is a list of the features as provided by the developer. My annotations follow in parenthesis.
- Number of best Screen off Shortcut icons (FREE)
- Change the label, name of the screen lock shortcuts (FREE)
- Play sound you like on screen lock (Pro Only)
- Vibrate on screen lock if you like (Pro Only)
- Lock with style, Choose the best animations (Some options free, most Pro Only)
- Notification shortcut to easily lock the screen from anywhere (Pro Only)
- Floating screen off button over all apps, with option to set transparency and size of floating Screen off button (Pro Only)
- Best UI design with minimal option for simple use
This app also requires Administrator permissions, which may be concerning to some. To see if it was an isolated incident with this particular app, I downloaded a number of other screen off apps – they all require Administrator permissions, in order to turn off the screen. Looks like if you’d like this functionality, you have to play ball. I also ran into a number of instances where the app force-closed on my Nexus 6P, possibly due to inactivity.
Lots of icon choices.
Conclusion
Screen Off Pro does what it sets out to do; provide an app that turns your phone’s screen off without using the hardware button. However, I find the app description and, indeed the app itself, to be misleading in that it does not mention that many features are hidden behind a paid app. If you’re looking for a free app that turns off your screen and little else, this app is for you; if you’re looking for a free app that does the features described, you’re out of luck.
Google Play Store – Screen Off Pro (Screen Lock)
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The 100% full wood Nexus 6P skin by Toast
I am not a huge fan of using cases for my smartphones because they add too much bulk. There is definitely a purpose to them if you’re the type who is rough on your smartphone. But if you are gentle on your devices you should strongly consider getting a skin. I have a really unique skin made by Toast on my Nexus 6P and it is pretty freaking amazing.
About Toast
Toast is a relatively new company getting its start in 2012 by a man named Matias Brecher which I had the pleasure of meeting him in person at CES 2016. My first impression was a good one. Similar to other people I know who own their own businesses, I could tell he took great pride and passion in his work. He was standing at the CES booth and actually applying real wood Toast skins to people’s personal phones.
Matias Brecher – “Papa Toast” at CES
In the 15 minutes I was at the booth, I did get a chance to speak with Matias and even though he was tired from being on the CES floor for three days straight, he took the time to tell me about his company. He even told me he was the one who designed and cut my custom AG skin.
Toast got its name by the process in which the designers engrave and cut with a laser that burns in a very precise manner. So Matias named his company after toast which also burns.
Toast is a true U.S. based company which does all of its business in Portland, OR. In just three quick years, they have already grown to a company of 10 where they handle every step of the skin creation process. They are very good people. Toast takes part in the 1% for the Planet program in which a minimum of 1% of Toast’s net proceeds are donated to help save the earth. It’s a rarity for such a new company to have a social conscience, but it does and I am happy to support a company like Toast.
“We are a small company dedicated to quality products and quality of life: for you, for us, and for our planet.”
Real wood skin made in the U.S.A.
Toast makes a wide variety of skins – mobile devices, tablets, gaming consoles and even custom skins out of real genuine wood. I happen to have the grey Nexus 6P which has an all metal body. And if you’ve owned an all metal device before you understand that metal can be easy to scratch. If you’re like me and are tired of having the same old look in a smartphone with most of them being black, white or gold, skins can offer a superior level of customization without adding bulk.
I have been a fan of the “wood” look but only a few devices employed the look. Leave it to Toast to fill that gap with real wood skins that can be applied to almost any smartphone. My Nexus 6P skin is made from Walnut with an Ebony inlay for the camera and custom laser etched AG in the center of the skin. I also have the optional Walnut front cover which rounds out skin.
Every single detail is covered when it comes to the Toast skin. The cutouts are perfect for the buttons, cameras, and sensors. The wood itself is about a millimeter thick which a sticky backing which means it is very delicate until it is actually applied to the phone. Since it does add thickness, the SIM slot, power and volume buttons are slightly recessed when the main skin is applied. But Toast provides perfectly cut out wood inserts for that too.
Every detail is well thought out and Toast even provides an alcohol swab to clean your device to make sure the skin gets proper adhesion.
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Installation
I am not a huge fan of applying skins because they can sometimes be painful, but not the Toast skin. The laser that does the cutting is perfect and I say that without exaggeration. Once you line up the rear microphone hole, found below the Nexus 6P camera, and align the buttons all you have to do is push down and it fits perfectly.
Once the main section is in place, I dropped in the Ebony AG insert as well as the camera insert. It was as simple as removing the protective covering over the glue and fitting it into the skin like a jigsaw puzzle. Following those, I then put the inserts in for the SIM card, power button and volume rocker. I was a little skeptical of the tight fit and was worried they would get stuck, but was pleasantly surprised when my buttons worked without issue. And then all I had to do was apply the front Walnut screen cover and I was done. The whole process took less than five minutes.
Results
The skin fit perfect. It gives my 6P a unique look that I have not seen before on another phone. It definitely adds grip to what otherwise is a slippery Nexus 6P, and it is 100% made in the U.S.A. and supports charity at the same time. It even smells a little like burned wood. Rather than talk up the results I am just going to provide some sweet pictures. Words can’t do it justice.
Summary
Of all of the skins I have tried, the Toast all wood skin is by far my favorite. It was super easy to apply, has a unique look and is made by a company with values that I adore. The skins start at just $34 and can work their way up to $50+ if you want custom designs and graphics. I highly recommend checking out Toast skins if you’re up for a new look. You will not be disappointed.
Learn more at Toastmade.com
The post The 100% full wood Nexus 6P skin by Toast appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Dynasty Icon Pack (Beta) – A Gorgeous Blast from the Past [Review]
Overview
Developer: Drumdestroyer
Price: $1.39 (promotional price, download it while it lasts!)
Highlights:
- 1050+ Individual Icons (More than 1900 including alternates!)
- Hundreds of Wallpapers
- Themed Clock Widget
Icon packs are a dime a dozen (actually, they average about $0.99 apiece, but I digress) – there’s an icon pack for every theme imaginable, in every color imaginable. Many of them are well done, but in the end they’re all just icon packs. Dynasty is, just like the rest, an icon pack; it is not, however just a well-done icon pack. It also has hundreds of very impressive wallpapers to match, and its very own themed clock widget.
Setup
As with all apps of this nature, the first thing you need is a custom Launcher from the Play Store. This particular icon pack supports a rather impressive array of them, including: Nova, Action, Aviate, CyanogenMod, Apex, GO, Inspire, Lucid, Next, Nine, Smart, Solo, Themer, and even Xposed Framework-powered Unicon and XGELS (shameless plug; that’s what I use). Once you’ve chosen a Launcher you like, the next step is to apply the icon pack. The methods of going about doing this vary by launcher, but the most universal method is actually contained within the Dynasty app. That process is as follows:
- Open Dynasty App.
- Tap the icon labeled “Apply.” (It’s a phone with a green checkmark.)
- Select your Launcher from the list provided.
- Follow the instructions provided by Dynasty. (Fun fact: if you haven’t selected a Launcher yet, Dynasty will actually guide you to the Play Store to find one.)
- Enjoy!
Step 2: Tap ‘Apply.’
Step 3: Select your Launcher.
Features
I’ve downloaded my share of Icon Packs in my time with Android (MyTouch 3G, shoutout!) and I can honestly say that this is, far and above, the most impressive one I’ve come across. In addition to supplying more than a thousand icons for individual apps, Dynasty also brings hundreds of (very high quality) wallpapers and a themed Clock widget, to boot. Drumdestroyer accepts requests, meaning he’s always adding more icons. For reference, this pack was last updated…today – February 6, 2016. The developer is on top of it.
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Icons: beautiful.
All the icons in this pack are made from scratch; no filters, copy and paste jobs, none of that. In Drumdestroyer’s words, this is “Ultra-crisp ultimate HD quality iconography.” And frankly, upon looking at the icons, I’m sold on that description. The colors are gorgeous – if understated – and the icons are masterfully crafted. It all looks very original while still looking like Android. Very, very impressive work. The clock widget, for whatever reason, doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the icon pack (I think it’s the liberal use of greys and blacks in an otherwise green, yellow, blue and red color scheme, but I’m not sure), but it’s still very well done. All the wallpapers included are gorgeous as well, most of them resembling much of what Material design calls for, and some of them even resembling previous versions of Android. Very well done. Other notable features include a dynamic calendar icon, and a built-in icon request system.
Wallpapers: also beautiful.
Notable Missing Apps (from my phone):
- IMDB
- XDA
- XGELS (I’m not sure if Xposed Modules are supported in custom icons.)
- Swype
- Groupon
- PushBullet
- Timely
- GravityBox (same as XGELS)
Notable Errors (Icons applied to the wrong apps):
- Sacramento Kings app (I’d be remiss in my duty as a fan not to report this egregious, heinous mistake)
- Wish.com
Conclusion:
If you’re in the market for an icon pack, and you like the look of the screenshots above, do yourself a favor and download this app. It’s currently only $1.39, and that support will ensure that this pack only gets better. Tons of icons, wallpapers, and a custom Clock widget ensure it’s well worth your hard-earned money.
Google Play Store – Dynasty Icon Pack (Beta)
The post Dynasty Icon Pack (Beta) – A Gorgeous Blast from the Past [Review] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Huawei Mate 8 vs Nexus 6P
Starting with the Mate 7 in 2014, Huawei proved to the world that it had the skills and resources necessary to craft a truly premium device that easily competed with more established players in the space. Since then, Huawei has continued to raise up the bar, and made history last year as the first Chinese manufacturer to partner with Google for a Nexus device.
With the Nexus 6P, Huawei merges its exceptional hardware skills with Google’s lighter, snappier stock software, and the end result is a handset that is hailed by many as the best flagship currently on the market. But what about Huawei’s Mate series? Despite the huge shadow cast by the Nexus 6P, the Mate 8 is a massive leap forward for Huawei once again, further refining the design of the Mate 7 while also offering exceptional flagship-level performance.
So how does the Huawei Mate 8 compare to the Huawei-made Nexus 6P? We find out as two of Huawei’s best creations go head to head in this detailed Mate 8 vs Nexus 6P comparison.
Design
Even at first glance, it’s pretty obvious these two flagships are related. Premium materials are par for the course regardless of which device you get, and the metallic design language looks great on both. They feel great in the hands too, despite some very minor slippage due to the materials used. Of course, there’s also some distinct differences that help set Huawei’s latest flagships apart.
The Huawei Mate 8′ design language is a direct evolution of the Mate 7, as well as the Mate S. With the Mate 8 you get a symmetrical design that might feel a bit too familiar when coming from the Mate 7, though its rounded camera and fingerprint scanner help give a more modernized look. The speaker has also moved from the rear to the bottom this time around. On the front you get a display that has relatively small bezels and on-screen keys, as well the front facing camera, the usual sensors, and the Huawei logo towards the bottom.
On the other hand, the Nexus 6P manages to stand out from both its predecessor, the Nexus 6, and its Mate brethren. The prominent Nexus logo on the back is right below the rear-mounted fingerprint reader, and the large black bar up top houses the camera and its accessories. The Nexus 6P also has some unique additions including front-facing speakers and a Type-C USB port, features you won’t find with the Mate 8.
While both phones handle pretty well for devices of their size, neither are exactly perfect for one-handed use, though it can certainly be done. Dimensions do differ a bit with the two, with the Mate 8 being a bit wider due to the 6-inch display, while the Nexus 6P is taller, thanks to its front facing speakers. Ultimately though, we’re looking at two phones that are reasonably similar in terms of size and weight, despite differences in screen size.
Which is better? The answer to that is a very personal one and, even among our team, the answer varied wildly. Some of us certainly prefer the Nexus 6P, whereas others have expressed a preference for the Mate 8. Regardless, Both designs demonstrate the very best of Huawei, delivering solid build quality across the board.
Display
For those that are spec hungry, the decision here is an easy one. The QHD AMOLED display on the Nexus 6P is certainly the better performer here when compared to the 1080p IPS display found on the Mate 8. For those that prefer larger screen real estate, however, it is worth keeping in mind that the Mate 8’s 6-inch screen is the larger of the two. Of course, it is up for debate how much of a difference that extra .3-inches really makes.
The Nexus 6P isn’t just at an advantage in resolution, but AMOLED itself is often the prefered choice for many. AMOLED displays tend to offer a better experience for those that are looking for deep blacks, vibrant, vivid, and saturated colors, as well as tons of brightness for comfortable viewing in broad daylight. The Nexus 6P also offers ambient display technology, which utilizes the AMOLED screen to bring us notification cards at a glance.
As for the Huawei Mate 8, the 1080p IPS display might not have the advantages found with the Nexus 6P, but don’t let this fool you, the display is no slouch. For starters, the Mate 8’s JDI-NEO display technology helps make up for some of the shortfall from not having QHD resolution. Overall, the Mate 8 likely has the best 6-inch 1080p on the market, and you’ll find that gaming and media is quite enjoyable here, despite its perceived disadvantages.
If you want that higher res and extra bit of color depth, the Nexus 6P will provide it for you, but for the general user that isn’t a display or spec nut, you’ll probably find little real difference in day to day use.
Performance
Despite being made by the same OEM, under the hood we find two very different SOC packages on offer.
For the Nexus 6P, we get the octa-core 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 backed by an Adreno 430 GPU and 3GB RAM. Even though the Snapdragon 810 has a somewhat mixed reputation, it performs exceptionally well here, helped along by the fact that the Nexus 6P is running stock Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
In the other corner, we find the Huawei Mate 8 rocking an in-house HiSilicon Kirin 950 octa-core CPU with 3GB RAM (or 4GB in select models), backed by the Mali-T880 GPU. Although HiSilicon Kirin chips might not enjoy the same brand recognition as Qualcomm or Exynos processors, rest assured that Huawei has proven itself more than capable of creating a great mobile SOC.
While both of these packages couldn’t be more different on paper, what they have in common is some of the best performance you’ll find in the mobile world. Speed is great on both of these handsets and no matter what we did with either, we haven’t been able to slow them down one bit. Gaming and media are going to be a blast with either one of these phones, and for those wondering about how the Mali graphics compare to the Adreno 430, we really didn’t see a big real world difference between the two.
Summing it up, the Nexus 6P’s familiar stock interface is exactly what you’d want from a Nexus device, and the Snapdragon 810 is more than capable of providing a high-end stock experience. The Mate 8 also moves along swimmingly, despite its more intensive UI.
Hardware
In the past, the Nexus line has generally offered a more barebones experience when compared to OEM flagships. With the Nexus 6P however, this gap has been reduced significantly.
For starters, the current Nexus smartphones now feature fingerprint readers on the back. Given that both the Mate 8 and Nexus 6P are Huawei devices, it’s no surprise that both these fingerprint readers are some of the best in class, and are impressively fast and accurate. The position on the back makes the scanner very easy to use, since your index finger naturally rests around that spot when holding the device. These scanners provide a seamless, reliable, and fast way to unlock your phone, making them an indispensable tool.
32 GB and 64 GB are built-in storage options available with both, with the Nexus 6P also adding an 128 GB iteration, which power users will have to depend on, given the lack of microSD expansion. The Mate 8 does offer expandable storage, but it does require use of the second SIM slot, leaving it up to the users to make the choice between more storage or dual SIM capabilities. Also of note is the fact that which storage option you opt for with the Mate 8 also dictates what RAM the device packs, either 3 GB or 4 GB.
As far as the audio is concerned, the dual front-facing speaker setup of the Nexus 6P provides a great sound experience, which is unsurprisingly better than what is on offer with the bottom mounted speaker of the Mate 8. Granted, the latter does provide good body, but doesn’t get nearly as loud as the former, and is certainly a few steps back from the experience you get from the Nexus.
Both phones feature a standard suite of connectivity options, including NFC. The Mate 8 comes with every radio possible, allowing for the phone to be used pretty much anywhere in the world, and it’s great that you don’t have to worry about compatibility if you have to import the device. The Nexus 6P has seen a world wide release, and you can find versions that are compatible with every major carrier in the markets it has been released in.
Of course, the hardware aspect that everyone talks about when it comes to Huawei devices is power. On one hand, the Nexus 6P comes with a 3,450 mAh battery and Google adopting the new USB Type-C standard means that the battery can be charged very quickly. Granted, Type-C cords are harder to come by, and there will be some growing pains associated with getting used to something new, but that will change quickly as more and more OEMs make the switch.
On the other hand, the Mate 8 packs a larger 4,000 mAh battery, and EMUI does a very aggressive job of letting you know what apps are being power hogs, with you also having the option to blacklist these in the optimizer, to help get that little bit of extra juice. All things considered, the Mate 8 comfortably allows for 2 full days of battery life. Providing that extra bit of icing on the cake, the device also comes with fast charging capabilities of its own, giving you a full day’s worth of battery after charging it for just half an hour.
A day and a half of battery life is possible with the Nexus 6P, by taking advantages of features like Doze, and you can’t go wrong with either phone when it comes to power, but if you are a power user that really needs your phone to last the extra mile, the Mate 8 may be exactly what you’re looking for.
Camera
On paper, you might assume that the Mate 8 has the Nexus 6P soundly beat when it comes to the camera, with the former featuring a 16 MP rear shooter with OIS, compared to the 12.3 MP primary camera of the Nexus 6P, with optical image stabilization unfortunately missing here. Of course, the on-paper specs never tell the full story. Before we dive into camera performance, let’s talk about the camera software.
Taking a look at the respective camera applications first, they couldn’t be more different. While the Nexus 6P camera app does come with different options and a few modes, simplicity is the order of the day here, with a “what you see is what you get” user interface, with the only mode prominently used here being Auto HDR. With the Mate 8, you get a lot more features and modes built in, including a manual mode that allows for a lot of granular control over key aspects, and it works really well to let you cater the shot to exactly how you like it.
Nexus 6P camera samples
As we get into actual camera samples, we do find a bit of discrepancy between the two. The Nexus 6P’s larger pixel sizes just barely make it that much better than the Mate 8 in brighter situations. There’s a bit more color depth in Nexus 6P photos, and when using HDR, it simply has a much better way of interpreting the scene than the Mate 8, which sometimes doesn’t look like it is doing much at all when HDR is enabled. While it is a tough call between the two when in ideal lighting conditions, things are a lot more clearer, quite literally, in dimly-lit situations. You get much darker and noisier photos with the Mate 8, and nowhere close to the same type of quality available with the Nexus 6P in these conditions.
Huawei Mate 8 camera samples
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It was a bit disheartening to see the Mate 8 provide a lackluster camera experience overall, especially when considering Huawei is capable of a good one, as seen with the also Huawei-manufactured Nexus 6P. As far as the camera is concerned, the Nexus 6P is certainly the better companion to have in your pocket.
Software
Finally, we have software. This is one of those categories that will be really easy for a lot of people to pick between, because either you’re a stock Android purist or you actually enjoy all of the extra features that might come in an Android skin.
Android 6.0 Marshmallow is seen with both smartphones, so a number of the same features can be found, such as Google Now on Tap. That said, the stock Android experience is definitely far more streamlined, even if its simplicity is what sometimes turns some people off. You do get an app drawer here though, which is something that a lot of people gravitate to, and is unfortunately once again not a part of the EMUI experience.
Stock Android provides exactly what you need for a great mobile experience, without too many extras, but if extras are what you need, the Mate 8 might be worth a look. However, it has be to be said that while EMUI is not lacking in features, a great number of these additions aren’t particularly useful. Knuckle sense, for example, is a feature that you seemingly can’t trigger without sometimes practically punching the device, and really ends up being slower than if you would have just done things “the old fashioned way.” The dual window function is also fairly useless, given that there aren’t too many apps that can take advantage of it, with only eight apps offering support, many of which really don’t pair all that well together.
Of course, many of these extras can be ignored if they aren’t right for you. But let’s talk about what’s missing from EMUI: the app drawer. With no app drawer to be found, users are left dependent on folders to keep things organized and clutter free. This works for some, especially those coming from an iPhone, but it certainly goes against the traditional Android approach. It also needs to be pointed out that the multi-tasking menu, notification tray, and settings are all a good deal different than what you’d get with stock Android. Whether that’s better or worse is down to your own personal preferences.
That said, one area of software where Huawei truly shines is EMUI’s power consumption features, as these are the reason its battery can go the distance. Not only are there difference modes such as a ultra power saving mode that turns off everything but calling and texting, there’s also a smart mode, a performance mode, and a variety of tools that help you better regulate what apps are allowed to work in the background, and which aren’t.
For those that aren’t pleased with the out-of-box look and feel of EMUI, you’ll be happy to know that custom themes and plenty of settings options exist that can help you customize the experience to make things a little bit more to your liking. Ultimately though, we find ourselves installing third party launchers, just so we can bring a bit more of a traditional Android experience to the Mate 8.
Specs comparison
| Huawei Mate 8 | Nexus 6P | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6-inch IPS LCD display Full HD resolution, 368 ppi |
5.7-inch AMOLED display Quad HD resolution, 518 ppi |
| Processor | 2.3 GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 950 Mali-T880MP4 GPU |
2 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Adreno 430 GPU |
| RAM | 3/4 GB (depending on storage option) | 3 GB |
| Storage | 32/64 GB (also dictates amount of RAM) expandable via microSD card by up to 128 GB |
32/64/128 GB not expandable |
| Camera | 16 MP rear camera, f/2.0 aperture, dual LED flash 8 MP front-facing camera |
12.3 MP rear camera, f/2.0 aperture, 1.55µm pixel size, dual LED flash 8 MP front-facing camera |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.2 GPS + GLONASS FM Radio NFC USB 2.0 (microUSB) |
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.2 GPS + GLONASS NFC USB 2.0 (USB Type-C) |
| Battery | 4,000 mAh | 3,450 mAh |
| Software | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Dimensions | 157.1 x 80.6 x 7.9 mm 185 grams |
159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3 mm 178 grams |
Gallery
Pricing and final thoughts
The Nexus 6P is available unlocked through the Google Store and through select retailers globally, priced at $499 for the base model. On the other hand, the Huawei Mate 8 is not offered in North America, though it is avaliable in Europe and parts of Asia. For those interested in picking it up in the US, the good news is that the Mate 8’s variety of bands means it will play nicely with US LTE networks. You can find imported international models for around $600 on Amazon, alongside a number of other e-tailers.
There you have it for this comprehensive look at the Nexus 6P vs Huawei Mate 8! These are two of the best devices that Huawei has ever released. Both handsets provide a great experience underneath the hood, as well as great materials on the outside, and it really shows you just how much Huawei has matured over the years. In reality, neither choice is a bad one, as it really comes down to what you really need in a flagship.
The 6P provides stock Android experience that is very smooth, snappy, reliable, and offers a good battery experience. You also get front facing speakers and promise of quick updates that Google provides with its Nexus devices. But if power is what you need, there’s really no other device out there that can compete with the Mate 8. The Mate 8 also has a few advantages like dual-SIM functionality and microSD. On the downside, the Mate 8 lacks front facing speakers and offers a software experience that may not be for everyone.
Which handset best matches what you’re looking for in a flagship? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned to Android Authority for more great comparisons, reviews, daily news, and so much more.
Buy Nexus 6p on Amazon
Buy Huawei Mate 8 on Amazon
Next:
Shortcut Launcher – So much more than the name implies. [Review]
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of launcher-replacement apps out in the wild; Nova, Google Now, Apex, Launcher X, to name a few of the more popular ones. Shortcut Launcher, though, takes a different approach than any of those. Rather than revolutionizing the way your launcher looks, Shortcut Launcher wants to change the way you use it.
Setup
Shortcut Launcher is totally painless to set up. You download it, set it as your default launcher (when prompted), and then watch as it imports the homescreen from whatever launcher you were using prior. You may get a prompt to approve Shortcut to use Widgets, which you should grant. Other than that, there’s no accounts to make, no logins to keep track of, and no other setup. Very convenient.
Features
Shortcut Launcher looks very similar to Google’s basic Material Design styling, so it shouldn’t have any problem fitting in with the rest of your phone. It eschews the standard dock and app drawer in favor of a full-screen layout with a slide out “App List” that’s only a right-swipe away. This List contains three tabs; Apps, Widgets, and Settings. It also has a quick-scroll bar on the right side.
No Dock!
App List just one right-swipe away!
Shortcut Launcher’s bread and butter, though – which is, unfortunately, hidden within the launcher itself – is the search system, which generates “Cards” of information based on your searches; much like what Google Now is doing. The search engine seeks out your information across many media, among them Google itself, and your device, to find the relevant data and present it first.
‘Link,’ for instance, pops up with an app and a band.
These cards come in many forms; movies, music, apps from the Play Store, contacts, TV shows, places…it’s very impressive. These cards don’t always have all the information you need, but they often have information that’s relevant – and the style of them is very Google-like, and very well done. Further, any of these cards can be long-pressed and placed on your homescreen as shortcuts.
Note the Rotten Tomatoes Rating.
It even pulls up Uber prices! (I don’t have Uber installed)
The app itself is very lightweight and snappy; custom options are slim, but the launcher is very pretty and functional right out of the box. The only UI complaint I have is that Folders show very small icons of the contents, making it tough to see what’s in the folders if you don’t already know what’s in them. Labels are a must. I’ve encountered no stability issues or crashes in the 48 hours I’ve used it, though I did notice that if I long-press on the search bar, the “Paste” option gets stuck on the screen until I click on it. Odd little bug.
Conclusion
Download this. Give it a try. Shortcut Launcher’s universal search, cards, and ability to create a homescreen shortcut from almost anything you can imagine are rather impressive.
Things I like:
- The universal search function is really cool.
- Cards are awesome.
- Stable, snappy, and lightweight.
- Gesture navigation works every time.
- 100% Free!
Things I didn’t:
- Very minor bugs.
- Folders could use a different style; like Google’s stacks, for instance.
Google Play Store – Shortcut Launcher
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Five for Friday: Apps to make your photos beautiful
Without question, documenting our lives from our smartphones has become so commonplace that we forget when we actually had to use film just 20 years ago. Some of you have probably never used a film camera, and are used to endless photos that you never have to delete.
We take pictures of our hikes, cats, dogs, bunnies, babies, flowers, scenery, food, and the list goes on and on. For the photos we choose to share there are tools available to make them even better with simple edits. We have selected five powerful and easy to use photo editing apps you can use on your Android smartphones and tablets.
Without further ado, here’s five Android apps you should consider right now if you like to make your photos look spectacular. We’ll let you know some of the main details as to what you can expect, but trust in knowing they are all excellent.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
- Photo details just one, two-finger tap away.
- Unfortunately suffers from some laggy input.
- “Flick to rate” – rate your pictures from 1-5 stars with a vertical swipe.
- Extremely varied array of options; more fine-tuning than any of the other apps in this list.
Adobe Photoshop Express
- Adobe ID support.
- Lots of frames and trim to choose from.
- Manual red-eye correction – select the red eyes, and they vanish like magic.
- Blemish correction – works like a dream. Very impressive.
- Option to “view original” – handy for the times you’re making a lot of changes all at once.
Pixlr
- Collage Creator – tons of layouts to choose from, built into the app.
- Ad-Supported.
- Text Additions – add captions to your photos with ease.
- Lots of frames, lots of editing options.
Snapseed
- Best interface of the bunch. Completely swipe-based, very smooth.
- Perspective options – unique to this app.
- Manual modifications using brushes – also unique.
- As with the others, many vignettes and filters.
Adobe Photoshop Mix
- Remove backgrounds and mix photos.
- MUST log in with an Adobe ID.
- Only basic editing tools. More about picture modification.
- Ability to combine two different photos with ease.
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Seed4.me VPN Review (Bonus: Six months free!)
If you are security conscious, it’s likely you use VPN’s on a regular basis. It’s also probable that you jump between different VPN apps on the Play Store to find which one is the better of the lot. If this sounds like you, Seed4.me VPN and Proxy is the ideal app for you. Available on the Play Store, it is free and has a 4.5 star rating.
Setup
I was quite surprised when I first opened the app. It took me straight to the VPN connect screen. No setup or registration was required. And yes, other apps may offer the same but Seed4.me seems different, perhaps because there are no annoying adverts that pop up everywhere. The app works without registration for seven days while your trial is active. If you decide to create an account later on, you can use that same VPN account for all your devices on Android, iPhone/iPad, Amazon Kindle and Desktop. Furthermore, the design is fairly aesthetic and simple to navigate.
Other than the ability to select your VPN location, there isn’t much settings-wise. You can only white list Wi-Fi networks as trusted, meaning that the VPN won’t activate once you connect to Wi-Fi. It’s really just what you will expect from a VPN app.
Overview
Seed4.me is simple to use. This is mainly due to the fact that the user interface is clean and straightforward. I say this first because it really stands out to me. There is literally one panel that you work with.
It’s super easy to connect. You just click the connect button, and it silently lurks in the background, 
leaving you free from disruptions. Unfortunately, the lower network speeds that we experienced were a reminder that we were actively using a VPN. Most of the time it was fairly fast, but occasionally you’ll get a hitch along the way. I suppose this is inevitable and that all VPN’s experience this, to be fair.
There are a reasonable amount of locations to choose from. Twelve, actually. It may not be the most available out of all VPN’s, but you should be absolutely fine. At least, if you live in or near the US, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Russia, Netherlands, Ukraine, Spain, Germany, France, Italy or Canada. If there’s none for your country, you simply just pick the nearest one and all should be good.
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Now’s also a good time to mention the price plans. For a very limited time only, Seed4.me comes with six months absolutely free, for a day after publication of this review. The usual price would be $20 for that period, with a seven day trial period. You can use Seed4.me on Android, iOS and PC.
How does it compare to the competition?
Quite well, I’d say. There are more professional VPN’s out there, but Seed4.me is suitable for virtually anyone, especially if you’re looking for a no-nonsense quick fix.
Pro’s:
– Clean, crisp interface
– Easy to use and setup
– Decent range of locations available
Con’s:
– A bit slow at times
Rating: 4,8
Conclusion
Seed4.me is a great, easy to use VPN. Definitely one of the better ones available on the market, it will have no trouble serving your needs. We particularly liked the clean interface and minimal disruptions. This is a great app for anyone seeking a good, solid VPN.
Download links:
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Honor 5X vs Nexus 5X vs OnePlus X
A prominent, and understandably well-received, trend last year was the availability of relatively inexpensive smartphones without the compromise in quality that used to be seen. The number of fantastic smartphones that you can get your hands on priced around or below $300 is certainly impressive, though some stand out more than others. Three of the most intriguing budget-friendly phones on market right now are arguably the Honor 5X, OnePlus X, and the Nexus 5X.
The first two phones stand out primarily for pushing build quality farther than you’d expect given their low price tags. As for the Nexus 5X? It stands out both for its pricing, and for the fact that it is, well, a Nexus. All three of these handsets offer different experiences (as well as their own pros and cons), but in this in-depth look will we aim to give you a better idea of how these smartphones compare.
Design
We start off with the Honor 5X that was introduced recently during CES 2016, and while we know that the device is priced at $200, that’s certainly not the price point you’d expect when you first look at this phone. Featuring a metal unibody construction, you get a premium looking device that offers a solid feel in the hand, with the brushed hairline finish really adding to the overall aesthetic. The slightly curved back and flat sides makes for a phone that is comfortable to hold, and for a device that is made primarily of metal, it is surprisingly light, and not slippery either.
Another feature that isn’t usually expected from an affordable smartphone is a fingerprint scanner, but one is to be found with the Honor 5X, which works surprisingly well. It may not be the fastest fingerprint reader Huawei has put on a smartphone, but it is fast and accurate enough to not cause any problems at all.
On the other hand, the Nexus 5X is a complete opposite in terms of build materials and the feel it offers in-hand. The Nexus 5X continues where its spiritual predecessor, the Nexus 5, left off, touting a minimalist design that is completely plastic-clad. The plastic build and smooth matte finish doesn’t compare favorably when pit against the phones that feature metal or glass, but the plastic body is actually quite sturdy. The matte finish allows for a very soft and nice feel, and given its overall size, the one-handed handling experience of the Nexus 5X is very comfortable.
Just like the Honor 5X, the Nexus 5X also comes with a fingerprint scanner on the back, and Google really did an amazing job with Nexus Imprint. The setup process requires just a few taps to register a fingerprint, and once you are up and running, the scanner is extremely fast and accurate. It is very reliable, and you can pretty much have your smartphone unlocked even before completely pulling it out of your pocket. You also get USB Type-C with the Nexus 5X, which is slowly and surely becoming the new standard, even if the other devices seen in this comparison continue to utilize the older microUSB standard.
Finally, there is the OnePlus X, an even more affordable alternative to the already budget-friendly OnePlus 2. However, despite its low price tag, OnePlus has managed to offer a high quality experience with the OnePlus X. The device features a familiar sandwich design with glass on the front and back held together by a metal frame, and with it being smaller than the Nexus 5X, the handling experience is far more comfortable with one hand. The metal frame also features a series of micro cuts that allow for a better grip of the phone, and helps alleviate any concern with the glass construction resulting in a slippery phone. It has to be said that the glass is prone to fingerprints though, but it won’t be as noticeable with the white version of the phone.
Unlike the other two devices in this comparison, there is no fingerprint scanner to be found here, but the OnePlus X does have at least one of its own unique additions with its Alert Slider. a feature that makes its way over from the OnePlus 2. It allows for a quick and simple way to easily toggle between the various notification priorities, and even though it isn’t a feature seen with other Android smartphones, it certainly should be, given how useful a feature it is.
Display
All three of the devices feature displays with 1080p resolutions, but that is all that is common between them, as differing screen sizes and underlying technologies translate into very different experiences for each of the phones.
The Honor 5X is the largest of the group, boasting a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, resulting in a pixel density of 401 ppi. If you like big screens, the Honor 5X may be the way to go, and you get really nice and vibrant colors, very accurate looking whites, and good viewing angles. You’re not going to get very deep blacks, but it gets the job done in most aspects, and is a pretty enjoyable display for your multi-media experience.
The Nexus 5X comes with a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display, with a pixel density of 423 ppi. While both the Nexus 5X and Honor 5X feature LCD screens, the display of the former unfortunately doesn’t offer colors that are quite as vibrant, with whites that are a little bit pink in comparison, along with a visibly lower overall brightness. It is still a decent looking panel, but as seen, it certainly isn’t the best 1080p screen out there.
Moving on to the OnePlus X, it comes with a 5-inch AMOLED display, resulting in a pixel density of 441 ppi. This display is my personal favorite of the lot, and as is expected from any AMOLED screen, you get vibrant and saturated colors that pop, and solid viewing angles, along with the deep inky blacks that you simply won’t find with an LCD display. In this media-consumption age, the 5-inch display may be too small for some, but for those who are looking for smaller devices that help with aspects like one-handed usability, the OnePlus X certainly fits the bill.
Performance and hardware
Qualcomm processors are the order of the day with all these devices, with the octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor powering the Honor 5X, backed by the Adreno 405 GPU and 2 GB of RAM, while the Nexus 5X comes with the hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor, backed by the Adreno 418 GPU and also 2 GB of RAM. Finally, under the hood of the OnePlus X is the older quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, backed by the Adreno 330 GPU and 3 GB of RAM.
When it comes to performance, none of these devices are really going to blow you away in terms of raw power or benchmark test results, but they are not really meant to, given the fact that these are budget devices. As far as handling everyday tasks go, all these devices perform admirably well though, and while the Snapdragon 801 is the oldest of the lot, it still remains a very capable processor. You will notice some slowdown if you try to push these devices too hard, but the phones handle gaming pretty well, including those that are more graphically intensive.
Despite packing very different Qualcomm chips, for the most part, I haven’t noticed much difference between these three smartphones as far as real world performance is concerned.
If NFC is a part of your requirements from a smartphone, the Nexus 5X is the only choice here, but if storage is a more prominent concern, the Honor 5X and the OnePlus X are the way to go, with the availability of expandable storage. Of course, the lack of a microSD card slot with the Nexus 5X isn’t particularly surprising, as that has been the case with Nexus smartphones for several years now.
One really important aspect that needs pointing out is that the Honor 5X and OnePlus X lack full LTE support in the US, more so in the case of the OnePlus X, which is missing support for both band 12 and band 17 on a hardware level. This doesn’t mean that you won’t get access to high speed data, but it isn’t going to be as reliable as you may like, and in some areas you may be stuck with HSPA+ speeds.
As far as battery life goes, you can’t expect anything more than a full day’s worth of battery out of any of these devices, but the way they go about achieving that are all very different.
The Honor 5X relies on a large 3,000 mAh battery to give itself enough juice to get you through the day. There are, however, Huawei’s standard power saving features built-in that adjust CPU and network usage for longer battery life, including an ultra power saving mode that disables most things, except for basic functions like calls and messaging. This, of course, can be really useful in those times when you just can’t get to a charger and you need to stretch out those last few percentages for as long as possible.
With the Nexus 5X, you’re getting a slightly smaller 2,700 mAh battery, and battery life during normal usage is pretty good, but where the 5X really shines is in standby. This is due to Doze, one of the newest features of Android introduced with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which puts the phone in a deep sleep and limits unnecessary app activity anytime the phone is idle for long time. It makes a huge difference, and you can really see how little power is being consumed when looking at the battery life statistics. Something else that the Nexus 5X has is fast charging capabilities, which isn’t available with the Honor 5X or the OnePlus X.
The OnePlus X has the smallest battery out of the bunch, with a capacity of 2,525 mAh hours, but the smaller 5-inch AMOLED panel is much more battery life-friendly compared to an LCD screen, and the OnePlus X comes with a system wide dark mode that is enabled by default, to help you get the most out of your battery life.
Camera
On paper, the cameras of all these smartphones seem pretty close to each other, purely in terms of numbers, with the Honor 5X and the OnePlus X featuring 13 MP rear cameras, while the Nexus 5X comes with a 12 MP rear shooter. However, we all know that megapixels aren’t everything, and the actual quality of the sensor, pixel size, and image processing are some of the aspects that make a big difference.
Nexus 5X camera samples
When comparing the quality of the images side by side, there is really not much of a competition here. The Nexus 5X easily overshadows the Honor 5X and the OnePlus X. Of course, this may not be much a surprise, considering the fact that the Nexus 5X features the exact same camera setup as the flagship Nexus 6P. In normal to good lighting conditions, the Nexus 5X consistently produces sharper images, with better color accuracy and dynamic range.
OnePlus X camera samples
The OnePlus X takes hold of the second spot, with decent color reproduction and good amount of detail seen in images. However, dynamic range is still lacking, even if it isn’t nearly as bad as seen with the Honor 5X, that comes a distant third. What you get is a lot of overexposed highlights and crushed shadows, with many of the images taken with the Honor 5X camera having a noticeably warm cast.
Honor 5X camera samples
The story remains largely the same when taking pictures in low light conditions. The Nexus 5X does a really good job in these situations, making for images that are well detailed and with very little noise, and highlights that aren’t overexposed, as is the case with the Honor 5X and the OnePlus X. The Honor 5X is also quite slow in poorly lit situations, and images can come out slightly blurry if you don’t maintain a perfectly steady hand. The camera does try to add some sharpening in post processing to bring out more detail, but with photos being muddy and soft as is, it doesn’t make much of a difference.
Software
These are all Android smartphones, but as is the case with most other Android smartphones out there, the software experience will vary, sometimes greatly, depending on which device you pick.
The Honor 5X is running Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, with Huawei’s Emotion UI on top, and if you find the experience similar to what is found with iOS, you wouldn’t be entirely wrong. Like iOS, the interface is filled with a lot of very colorful icons, wallpapers, and transparency effects, along with the lack of an app drawer, which can take some getting used to, and leaves users dependent on folders to stay organized. Emotion UI does bring a few interesting features to the software package, but for the most part, it feels like it is interfering with the Android experience, instead of adding to it.
If you are looking for the purest Android experience out there, a Nexus smartphone has always been the way to go, and that certainly remains the case with the Nexus 5X. With the Nexus 5X, not only are you getting the latest features introduced with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, such as Doze, Google Now on Tap, and user defined permissions, but you will also be first in line for future software updates. Stock Android is generally faster and more responsive when compared to its skinned counterparts, so if you are looking for a smooth, streamlined, and clean user experience, stock Android is going to be your best bet.
If you are a fan of the stock Android look, but are interested more in terms of customization and features, that is exactly what you get with the OnePlus X, with it running Oxygen OS, based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. Oxygen OS comes with a lot of interesting and useful features baked in, such as the system-wide dark mode and various gesture controls, like double tap to wake, drawing an O to launch the camera, and so forth. You also get custom app permissions here as a part of Oxygen OS, despite it being based on Lollipop.
One of the biggest features of Oxygen OS is called Shelf, a pane that lives to the left of your main home screen, and stores your frequently used apps, favorite contacts, and any app widgets of your choice, which can make a big difference in keeping things organized. The biggest downside here is the fact that there is a lot of bloatware to deal with, including anything from speed boosters to junk file cleaners, along with a plethora of other apps that produce notifications that are often difficult to swipe away.
Specs comparison
| Honor 5X | Nexus 5X | OnePlus X | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.5-inch IPS LCD display 1080p resolution, 401 ppi |
5.2-inch IPS LCD display 1080p resolution, 423 ppi |
5-inch AMOLED display 1080p resolution, 441 ppi |
| Processor | 1.5 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 Adreno 405 GPU |
1.82 GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Adreno 418 GPU |
2.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 Adreno 330 GPU |
| RAM | 2 GB | 2 GB | 3 GB |
| Storage | 16 GB, expandable via microSD card up to 128 GB | 16 GB, no expansion | 16 GB, expandable via microSD card up to 128 GB |
| Camera | 13 MP rear camera 5 MP front-facing camera |
12 MP rear camera 5 MP front-facing camera |
13 MP rear camera 8 MP front-facing camera |
| Battery | 3,000 mAh | 2,700 mAh | 2,525 mAh |
| Software | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop |
| Dimensions | 151.3 x 76.3 x 8.2 mm 158 grams |
147 x 72.6 x 7.9 mm 136 grams |
140 x 69 x 6.9 mm 138 grams |
Gallery
Final thoughts
So there you have it for this in-depth look at the Honor 5X vs Nexus 5X vs OnePlus X! When it comes to making a choice between these, the important question is with regards to what is important for you from your smartphone experience. The Honor 5X offers a solid metal build quality and a fast and accurate fingerprint scanner, along with expandable storage, while the Nexus 5X brings to the table NFC, a fantastic camera, a stock software experience, and a very reliable fingerprint reader as well. Finally, the OnePlus X also features a great build quality and a software experience that overshadows stock Android in certain aspects.
With sub-$300 price points across the board, it would be unfair to expect perfection from this lineup of devices, but in most cases, any shortcomings won’t be completely off putting. For those looking to save some money, it’s also worth noting that the Honor 5X is the most affordable at $200, with the OnePlus X next in line at $250. Finally, we have the Nexus 5X, priced at $299.
See also: Best cheap Android tablets (January 2016)
Get the Honor 5X
Get the OnePlus X
Get the Nexus 5X
Aprenda inglés / learn Spanish Nglish Translator
A fun fact about me is that I’m bilingual. I spent a couple of years tromping through the jungles of El Salvador and in the process learned Spanish. That was a little over 15 years ago, and because I live in Arizona I have had ample opportunity to keep up with and even improve my Spanish vocabulary. It is from this perspective that I write my review.
Una cosa que no todos saben es que soy bilingüe. Pase un par de años en las selvas de El Salvador y en el proceso aprendí hablar español. Eso fue un poco mas de 15 años pasados, pero por vivir en Arizona he tenido mucha oportunidad de seguir practicando el Español. Es de ese perspectivo que escribo esta revisión.
Nglish Translator overview / visión general
Nglish Translator is a free, but ad supported, Spanish to English and English to Spanish translator app published in conjunction with Merriam-Webster. You can remove the ads through a one-time payment of $7.90.
Nglish translator es un aplicación de traducir gratis, pero es apoyado por anuncios. Se traduce Español a Inglés e Inglés a Español y es publicado junto con Merriam-Webster. Puedes quitar los anuncios por medio de un solo pago de $7.90.
The app is primarily meant for Spanish speakers to learn English, but it can be used for English speakers to learn Spanish as well. However, it works better the other way around.
La aplicación es principalmente para personas que hablan Español para aprender Inglés, pero puede ser usado también de las personas que hablan Inglés para aprender Español, pero funciona mejor de la otra manera.
The app features a series of quizzes designed to help you learn the various parts of the English language. Quizzes include prepositions, articles, phrasal verbs, and verb tenses.
La aplicación tiene una serie de pruebas diseñado para ayudarle aprender las varias partes del idioma Inglés. Las pruebas incluyen preposiciones, artículos, verbos frasales, y tiempos verbales.
There are also vocabulary games that range in difficulty from a basic level to a superior level. The superior level features words that are less commonly used in English. I only scored eight out of ten at my best and five out of ten at my worst.
También hay juegos de vocabulario que varían en dificultad desde un nivel básico hasto un nivel superior. El nivel superior tiene palabras usados en Inglés que son menos común. Aún yo nomas logré ocho de diez puntos a mi mejor y cinco de diez puntos a mi peor.
Lastly, you can save words to review later as well as your previous translations and vocabulary mistakes.
Finalmente, puedes guardar palabras para revisar en otro tiempo, tal como sus traducciones anteriores y errores de vocabulario.
Nglish Translator setup / preparación
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The only setup required is to download and install the app from the Google Play store. There are no accounts or sign ups needed.
La única preparación que se requiere es de bajar e instalar la aplicación de la tienda Google Play. No hay cuentas o necesidad de registrar.
Nglish Translator usage / uso
I found that most of the translations that Nglish Translator offered up were mostly correct. Of course, English and Spanish don’t always have exact translations, for example, Bart Simpson’s famous catch phrase from the 90’s: “Don’t have a cow, man” translates to the equivalent of “We don’t have a cow, man”. Unique phrases and slang words are Nglish Translator’s biggest struggle.
Encontré que la mayoría de las traducciones de Ngish Translator estaban correctos. Claro, las traducciones exactos de Inglés y Español no siempre tienen los mismos entendidos. Por ejemplo el eslogan de Bart Simpson en las 90’s: “Don’t have a cow, man” se traduce exactamente a “No tenemos una vaca, hombre,” pero el sentido es más como “Cálmate.” Frases únicas y palabras modismos son los problemas mas grande de Nglish Translator.
Where Nglish Translator excels is translations that are straightforward. The quizzes and vocabulary games were also very enjoyable, but if you are trying to learn Spanish from English, then you’ll need to have a basic understanding of the language in order to fully take advantage of the app’s potential.
Las traducciones que son más directos y menos de modismos es donde Nglish Translator excedece. Las pruebas y juegos de vocabulario también eran muy agradables, pero si tu intención es aprender Español de Inglés entonces necesitarás un entendimiento básico del idioma para poder maximizar el potencial de la aplicación.
One thing that I would like to see implemented is an account system where your progress is saved in the cloud and accessible from other devices.
Una cosa que me gustaría ver es un sistema de cuentas en donde su progreso es grabado en la nube y es accesible en otros dispositivos.
4 out of 5 stars
If you are using this app for translation purposes only, then I would recommend that you stick with a web-based service like Google Translate. If you are an English speaker looking to learn Spanish, then something like Duolingo may work better for you. If you want an app that does both Nglish translator is a great option.
Si estás usando la aplicación no mas para traducir, entonces recomendaría que quedas usando un servicio basado en la red como el Google Translate. Si eres alguien que habla Inglés y quieres aprender el Español entonces algo como Duolingo seria mejor. Si quieres una aplicación que hace los dos, entonces Nglish Translator es una opción buenísima.
The quizzes and vocabulary games make things fun, but they start from the assumption that you already know some words. Overall I think it’s a good option and definitely worth checking out.
Sus pruebas y juegos vocabularios hacen las cosas más divertidas, pero empiezan desde la suposición que ya sabes unas palabras. Sobre todo pienso que es una buena opción y vale la pena probarlo.
Google Play Store – Nglish by Britannica
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honor 5X vs honor 7 quick look
Chinese OEM honor may have only been around for a couple of years, but the Huawei subsidiary has recently been trying to make a splash in global markets. Last month, it introduced the new honor 5X to the US market at CES and today at an event in Germany, the honor 5X made its Western European bow.
It’s been a year since honor released the honor 6 and honor 6 plus and last August, we saw the first switch to metal with the honor 7. Now, the honor 5X aims to offer a premium experience at a very affordable price, but how does it compare to honor’s flagship and which one should you buy? Join us below for a quick look.
Specs
Before we dig into our first look, let’s take a look at the specs of each of these smartphones:
| honor 5X | honor 7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution, 401ppi TP & LCD full lamination |
5.2-inch IPS LCD Full HD, 424 ppi |
| Processor | Octa-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 Adreno 405 GPU |
2.2 GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 935 processor Mali-T628 GPU |
| Memory | 2GB | 3 GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB expandable up to 128GB via microSD |
16/64 GB expandable up to 128GB |
| Software | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop EMUI v3.1 Planned upgrade to Android Marshmallow |
Android 5.1.1 Lollipop EMUI v3.1 Planned upgrade to Android Marshmallow |
| Dual SIM | Yes, 2 SIM cards and microSD card | Yes, 2 SIM cards or 1 SIM + micro SD |
| Camera | 13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, SmartImage 3.0 image processor, 28mm wide angle lens with flash 5MP front camera with f/2.4 aperture, 22mm wide angle dual LED flash 5MP front, no flash |
20 MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, 1/2.4″ sensor size, phase detection autofocus dual LED flash 8 MP front,with flash |
| Connectivity | WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4QG Bluetooth 4.1 microUSB 2.0 GPS, AGPS, Glonass |
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.0 GPS+GLONASS NFC IR blaster USB 2.0 |
| Sensors | Fingerprint sensor, Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Digital compass | Fingerprint sensor, Accelerometer, Gyrometer, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Digital compass |
| Battery | 3000mAh, non-removable | 3100mAh, non-removable |
| Dimensions | 151.3 x 76.3 x 8.15mm 158g |
143.2 x 71.9 x 8.5 mm 157 grams |
| Colors | Dark Grey, Daybreak Silver, Sunset Gold | Gray, Silver, Gold |
Design
Both handsets adopt a similar design with large displays and equally large bezels dominating the front of the handset. As you might expect, they adopt a similar design to Huawei’s own smartphones, albeit with enough tweaks to have their own identity. Put close together, you might struggle to distinguish them apart, however, as you might expect from two similar yet unique smartphones, there are certain things that can help you tell them apart.
On the front is the most noticeable difference: the display. The honor 5X has a 5.5-inch 1080p IPS display while the honor 7 sports a smaller 5.2-inch IPS-Neo display of the same resolution, but crucially, this comes with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. In actual usage, the honor 7 display is noticeably more vibrant with colours and while the honor 5X display is definitely inferior, it still provides a good experience. Each handset comes with a screen protector applied out of the box, and while you’ll have few issues if you remove the protector on the honor 7, the honor 5X display does scratch quite easily.
One of the most noticeable differences is the Smart Key on the left of the Honor 7, which lets you set customisable shortcuts to launch certain apps or features but has been left out of the honor 5X. Given the lower price of the 5X, certain sacrifices are to be expected and as useful as the Smart Key can prove to be, it’s an acceptable sacrifice.
Each phone sports a metal frame, where on the bottom, you’ll find the speakers – a mono speaker in the honor 7 and stereo speakers in the honor 5X – and microUSB ports. On the left, you’ll find the SIM card tray and a key difference: the honor 7 has two independent trays, with the first used for SIM cards and the second for a microSD card or a second SIM card. In comparison, the honor 5X has just one tray but gains an extra slot; while many handsets do offer dual SIM support, only a handful allow you to use two SIM cards and a microSD card at the same time.
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Both handsets offer metal unibody designs, with the honor 7 sporting a matte finish, and the honor 5X a brushed design. While the honor 7 feels premium in every sense of the word, the honor 5x… doesn’t. It’s difficult to explain why, but despite being very well built, the honor 5x doesn’t feel like a premium metal smartphone. That being said, it’s still a very nice design and more than solid in the hand.
Underneath the camera, each device has a square fingerprint sensor and this is an area that Huawei – like we saw with the Nexus 6P – and subsequently, honor, definitely excel in the smartphone market. The honor 7 bought a range of features to the fingerprint sensor including being able to launch a call or app and the honor 5X also has a few tricks up its own sleeve. Different taps and swipes on the sensor can be used to navigate back to the home screen, access recent apps, dismiss your alarm, answer calls, take a photo and much more.
It’s worth noting though that while both fingerprint sensors do offer a lot of features, and are exceptionally fast at unlocking your phone, you won’t be able to use them for Android Pay. As both devices also run Android 5.1.1 at their core – although, the honor 7 is expected to get the Marshmallow update in the coming weeks – you won’t be able to access any apps that use Marshmallow’s built-in fingerprint API.
Overall, hardware has been a strength for Huawei for a few years now and as we’ve seen with the honor 7, and now the honor 5x, the company can offer great hardware at an affordable price.
Software
An issue that’s faced both honor and Huawei devices, is the interface with EMUI proving to provide polarized opinions. Both devices run on EMUI v3.1 atop Android 5.1.1 Lollipop but is it any better than previous interface and have some glaring issues been fixed?
One of the biggest differences between EMUI and a more traditional Android approach is the home-screen and launcher, where Huawei has opted to ditch the traditional app drawer and place all your app icons on your home screens. While some of you may find this disconcerting, it does become usable after you get used to it and you can always install a launcher to change some of these elements.
EMUI also heavily customises the notification menu, with it adopting a dark opaque colour that also takes on the colours from the home screen in the background. The notification menu comes with two tabs, one for Notifications and the other for Shortcuts, and a particularly neat feature is that it will automatically open the shortcuts tab if you swipe down and have no notifications.
See also: Huawei, I love your phones — just fix your software, please
The differences are minimal between the two on the software front, but the honor 7 does come with a range of software features that are – oddly – missing on the honor 5X. These include the Knuckle Sense feature that let you capture a screenshot or launching an app by drawing a letter or tapping with your knuckle on the display.
Also absent is the voice command feature that allowed you to locate your phone from a distance, and while missing features are always worth mentioning, it’s worth noting that these features aren’t the most reliable. Instead, the honor 5X offers a more simplified experience that is actually more pleasing to use than EMUI on the honor 7.
Overall, EMUI is certainly not stock Android, but Huawei’s approach does have its fans and the software experience from the honor 7 to the honor 5X has definitely been improved. The latter offers a more refined interface and while both do still have their issues, it’s good to see that Huawei is making progress in the software department. Neither smartphone runs the latest Marshmallow OS, but the update is already available as a beta for the honor 7 and is expected to launch for the honor 5X in the coming months.
Hardware & Performance
Under the hood is where you’ll find a major change from the honor 7 to the honor 5x; the processor. With the former, honor opted to use Huawei’s own HiSilicon Kirin processor, while the latter is powered by a Qualcomm processor.
The Kirin 935 inside the honor 7 features eight Cortex-A53 cores, with four clocked at 2.2GHz and four at 1.5GHz, while the Snapdragon 616 inside the honor 5X has the same amount of cores at lower clock speeds of 1.5GHz and 1.2GHz respectively. The honor 7 sports 3GB RAM under the hood while the honor 5X has just 2GB but a crucial difference is also the GPU; the Kirin 935 has a Mali-T628 GPU while the honor 5X has an Adreno 405 GPU, which should, in theory, offer better graphics performance.
Both smartphones also come with expandable storage and the honor 7 has either 16GB, 32GB or 64GB storage depending on which model you go for. The honor 5X meanwhile offers 16GB storage across all models, meaning you’ll most likely need a microSD card to expand the measly storage.
See also: Best cheap Android phones (January 2016)
Given the price differences between the two devices, some concessions were to be expected, and under the hood is where honor has attempted to scale back some of the features. The honor 7 offers Wi-Fi n/ac, a wide range of Bluetooth profiles, NFC, infrared and LTE Cat 6, which offers download speeds of 300Mbps on the go. In comparison, the honor 5X offers just Wi-Fi n and doesn’t come with support for 5GHz wireless, has no NFC or infrared capability and supports the slower, yet still very fast, LTE Cat 4.
Where both smartphones certainly excel is the battery, with the honor 5X offering a large 3000 mAh battery, and the honor 7, a 3100mAh battery. Compared to other devices at the same price point as these devices, the battery capacity is definitely on the larger side of the market and each smartphone should easily last you a full day’s usage.
Camera
On the back, each handset has a square camera sensor and the honor 5X follows on from the honor 7’s camera fantastic camera, albeit not without some compromises. Budget smartphones aren’t known for having fantastic cameras, but honor has sought to break the mould by equipping the honor 5X with a 13MP shooter with f/2.0 aperture, 28mm wide-angle lens, blue glass infrared filter, anti-reflective coating and Huawei’s SmartImage 3.0 image processor for low light shots.
In comparison, the honor 7 comes with a 20MP 27mm wide-angle lens with f/2.0 aperture, 1/2.4” sensor size, phase detection autofocus and a range of software features including the super-night and light-trail modes. Both handsets offer dual LED flash and Full HD video recording but only the honor 7 offers HDR in video.
honor 5X camera samples
On the front, the honor 5X has a 5MP sensor with 22mm wide angle lens, f/2.4 aperture while the honor 7 has an 8MP sensor with 26mm wide angle lens, f/2.4 and an LED flash. Both devices also come with Huawei’s Beauty Mode feature that lets you apply effects and filters to your selfies to bring out your face’s natural features.
honor 7 camera samples
Overall, both cameras are certainly impressive for their respective price points and there’s no doubt that the honor 7 camera is one of the best at the price point. Where honor have done exceptionally well however, is in the camera on the honor 5X; it’s rare that budget smartphones have cameras worth talking about, but, despite its shortcomings, the honor 5X camera definitely breaks the theory that budget smartphones should have poor cameras.
Verdict
There’s no doubt that the honor 7 is a smartphone that’s helped honor capture the mid-range market and to follow it up, the company has attempted to take on the budget segment. With a 5.5-inch 1080p display, metal build, excellent fingerprint sensor and impressive camera, there’s a lot to like about the honor 5X before you even see its price point.
Throughout this quick look, we’ve been talking about the price without mentioning it and there’s a very good reason for that; the honor 5X feature set may seem like it should cost $300 or more for an unlocked device, honor’s latest smartphone costs just $199 unlocked, direct from the Chinese OEM. In comparison, the honor 7 isn’t officially available to buy in the USA – not least from honor directly – but can be had for approximately $350 to $450 depending on where you choose to buy from.
Which smartphone should you buy? It’s a rather straight forward decision; at its price point, the honor 7 has a lot of competition from a lot of more established devices, including last year’s flagships and becomes a lot harder to recommend. However, at its $199 price point, there’s very few devices that can compete with the honor 5X’s feature list and none that offer the same metal build and ultrafast fingerprint sensor.
Read more:
For more on each handset, be sure to head over to our honor 7 and honor 5X reviews. Let us know what you think about each smartphone and which you’d buy in the comments below and over in our honor forum, where you’ll find more discussions around honor and the company’s devices.
AIVAnet 