Inateck quick charge car charger review

Car chargers are a dime a dozen, everyone has one. But it’s unfortunate that tons of people don’t know that their phones have some form of quick charging and that their in-car charging doesn’t have to be so slow. Car electrical outlets are capable of outputting more power, but yesteryear chargers hold back because of past phone technology.

Fortunately, newer car chargers are setting the record straight. One such solution was provided to us by Inateck.

This 30W charger brings multiple ports and a Quick-Charge 2.0 compatible port to make sure you’re juiced up throughout the day. Let’s check it out.

Design

Inateck’s multi-port charger has a fairly basic design, but nothing you wouldn’t expect from a car charger. The inner channel goes into the car’s power outlet, and the body widens on where the ports reside.

The device is entirely made of glossy plastic, which gives it a nice sheen. But as typically the case with glossy material, it does catch fingerprint smudges.

Fortunately, the plastic doesn’t feel cheap. There’s no creaking, flexing plastic, or questionable seams in the build. It feels like it’ll stand the test of time.

For the power output, we have visually distinct Quick-Charge 2.0 port (colored with green) and two 2.4A ports for everything else. It’s great that Inateck made the QC 2.0 port visually distinguishable for quick recognition of which port to plug into.

Functionality

Inateck packed 30W worth of power output in this car charger. This means that even with a QC 2.0 port, it can still output via two 5V/2.4A ports at the same time.

The charger worked very well in my test runs. QC 2.0 charging was as speedy as advertised, and I could juice up the rest of my gear in tandem.

When in the power outlet, the charger doesn’t take up too much space. Inateck did well in minimizing the device’s footprint. My only complaint is that it’s unusually hard to remove from the outlet. I would recommend Inateck to ease up on the gripping force.

Inateck promises safe charging due to the use of “industry grade materials and premium circuitry” in the internal design. The packaging includes one 4ft micro-USB cable.

Final Thoughts

Inateck’s quick charging car solution is a pleasure. The design is minimal and the build is sturdy. It works as advertised and keeps multiple devices juiced up so you can avoid that dead-battery panic moment.

You can find Inateck’s car charger on its Amazon page, going for $17.99 at the time of this writing. It could certainly be a great holiday gift for someone who needs to catch up with the times.

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Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones: Great sound and touch controls for $45 (Review)

Most everyone has owned a few pairs of headphones in their lifetime. Wireless over the ear headphones are becoming more popular as wireless technology advances while prices drop. In the recent past, a variety of Bluetooth headphones has spawned with a wide range in quality and price. Over the past couple weeks I’ve had the opportunity to spend some serious time with the Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones and want to share my experience with you.

Design

The Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones look like many other headphones with a common head band with over the ear cups. They are made of plastic, cloth, and very soft faux leather.  The head band is nicely padded and comfortable both on top of your head and around your neck. There are some minor construction flaws in the pair I received – a strange small bump on the top of the headband, which is purely cosmetic but still noticeable.

The ear cups are made of a nice glossy plastic and have touch sensitive controls built into the sides. Touch sensitive controls are usually found on headphones at least five times the price of the Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones. You can play/pause music, answer/hang up on a phone call, increase/decrease volume and fast forward/rewind songs all from the side of the headphones.

Incredibly, quick touch NFC pairing is available too making connecting the headphones to your phone a breeze.

 

Usage

With ample battery life, surprisingly loud audio and prominent bass, the Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones have replaced more expensive Bluetooth name brand headphones in my daily use. They’ve been excellent for both listening to music at work, and unexpectedly handy for using as my headset while gaming at home too. With the 12-14+ hours of battery life, I didn’t have the battery die on me once through many charge cycles.

The touch controls are useful too, a tap on the left ear will pause or play, swiping up and down with one finger will increase or decrease the volume, while two fingers are used for track control. I found myself simply using the tap to pause or play the most. The same left headphone has the physical power button, physical volume controls, the USB charging port, and the audio input jack keeping all of the controls at the tips of your fingers.

The Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones sound great and get really loud. They don’t have the detail of high-end headphones, but for $45 they are quite a deal. My only issue was as good as they looked from three feet away, once I got up close I could tell there were some slight manufacturing defects. These little things matter to me and make me worry about long-term durability. Although with a good 20 hours of solid usage, I never once experienced one build-quality issue and was in awe of how many features were packed into these headphones.

Specs

• About 12 hours of hands-free talking and 14 hours wireless music playing
• Charging time: about 2-2.5 hours
• Wireless working distance: 8-10 meters
• Supports Bluetooth A2DP, AVRCP, and HS/HF profiles
• Headset line length: 120cm
• USB Cable Length: 65CM

Summary

For the $45 amazon price tag I’d recommend the Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones over many wired headphones and any wireless headphones in the same price range. Just be sure you’re okay with the trade-off of the material and build quality for the excellent sound quality and touch controls. I sure am.

If you’d like to check out the Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones head on over to Amazon.com. Over the past 12 months, HavitDirect has a 100% satisfaction rating, with over 6k reviews, at Amazon.com so rest assured that they will do everything to make you happy.

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GoGroove RCV HD Bluetooth Receiver review

In the past, we reviewed a neat little accessory by GoGroove – the RCV Bluetooth Receiver. It is essentially a solution to Bluetooth-enable an audio setup (i.e. wirelessly stream music to your car or home speakers).

Well, GoGroove didn’t quite feel like it should stop there. To address the questionability over audio fidelity using HiFi speakers, it produced an HD version of the RCV receiver.

The device didn’t just get chunkier for the HD playback, it also brings NFC and some important connectivity options on the back. Let’s check out if the RCV HD is a good solution for your home sound system.

Design

For obvious reasons, the RCV HD is a pretty basic device. It’s just meant to sit on your media console. Therefore, it is merely rectangular block.

The build is plastic with a glossy finish all over. I would’ve recommended GoGroove to use a sturdier material. The plastic is really light and feels flimsy. Although, keep in mind that you won’t be handling it on a frequent basis. It will just sit in the same place. So from that respect, it’s fine.

There a small LED light front and center. When the device is on and playing, you’ll see it solidly lit. When it wants to pair, it will strobe.

The bottom of the device has two inserts that serve as feet. However, I would’ve thought GoGroove would use that opportunity for rubbery pads (for friction to keep the device in place). But the inserts are just as smooth as the rest of the device, so it’s vulnerable to sliding around if that’s a concern for you.

On the back, you’ll find the different means by which to output audio. From left to right, we have optical, coaxial, and auxiliary ports. Power goes into the most-right port. The RCV HD isn’t meant to be mobile, so it doesn’t have a battery.

GoGroove was nice enough to include all the relevant cables for the RCV HD.

Functionality

The RCV HD was created with a more streamlined purpose – a dedicated medium for wirelessly getting music to your beloved audio system. Therefore, unlike the vanilla RCV, it is designed to be a stationary unit. The audio output options on the back of the device portray this, as the unit will compliment your home media equipment.

You may remember a similar, more-known device that was recently launched – The Chromecast Audio. The core purpose of both devices are the same, but the RCV HD ups it in a couple ways. The Chromecast Audio only has an auxiliary port. Google says it can do RCA and optical, but with special cables (not included in the box).

Also, there is a NFC tagger on the top of the RCV HD to pair with your source effortlessly. GoGroove tends to keep its accessories up with mobile trends, so we are glad that these details are thought of. As soon as you tap, your Bluetooth setting automatically turns on and the system pairs. Easy.

The RCV HD uses the Bluetooth v4.0 standard, which isn’t the latest but close. Also on board is the higher quality Bluetooth audio codec, aptX (16-bit detail and 44kHz sample rate).

A nice thing to know is that if you are streaming music from your phone and a call comes in, it won’t automatically transmit the audio through the device. The transmission is suspended while you’re on the call, and it reconnects when the call ends.

The advertised Bluetooth range is 33 feet and I found that to be accurate. Just keep in mind that if your phone is in your pocket and you turn away from the RCV HD, the range can be impacted. But that’s not an uncommon concern with Bluetooth connections.

But everything I’ve said so far doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t sound good.

Fortunately, that’s not an issue. The RCV HD does what it promises, and does it well. I connected the device to my media center receiver (which outputs to a 5.1-channel speaker setup) via optical. It sounds great, no complaints at all. Music is full and rich as I’ve ever heard out of the speakers. Sending the signal over Bluetooth doesn’t adversely affect the sound from what I can tell.

Final Thoughts

I was unsure at first, but the RCV HD ended up being a really nice addition to my media center. The NFC tap feature is so nice. Just tap on it when you want to play music. And the audio quality backs the claims about high fidelity output.

GoGroove’s devices can be found on Amazon. As of the time of this writing, the RCV HD goes for $39.99. In my opinion, that price is a little steep. But considering that it offers a bit more than Chromecast Audio (at $35), that’s reasonable. My only wish is that the build backed the price a little better.

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AudioFly AF56 in-ear headphones (Review)

I recently got the opportunity to review AudioFly’s complete performance in-ear headphone collection. There are four headphones in this collection that each fit into a consumer’s budget. There is the under $50 pair, the under $75 pair, the around $100 pair, and the around $200 pair. I recently reviewed the AF33 and the AF45 earphones that both keep their prices under $100. This time, I’m taking a look at the AF56 earphones that break into the $100 price range.

Unboxing and Accessories

One notable upgrade from the two less expensive earphones we have looked at is the AF56 earphones come in a pretty cool box that holds closed with a magnet. Inside the box, you will find the headphones plus the normal set of several ear tip sizes and a nice metal tin for the earphones themselves.

While the metal tin a nice addition, I found it to be small. I would have to wrap the earphones tightly to fit into the case, which I am worried might wear on the cables inside resulting in them breaking. Also, there is no room to carry any accessories with you in the case. The fit is so tight that you will not be stuffing the earphones into this case; instead, you will have to carefully wind them in order of them to fit.

The box that all the accessories were packaged in is extremely nice, and has the AudioFly name embossed in silver on the top. I actually took the foam insert out and put my earphones in there when I am not using them because they are easier to fit in there than in the case they came with. Of course, if you are planning on taking these earphones with you everywhere, you will be putting them in the case for portability.

Design and Build Quality

The design of these headphones are quite interesting with the rear of the earphones being large, flat discs. This is to contain the custom 13mm drivers inside. While the design is not typical of normal earphones, I found it to be extremely comfortable. They do not fit too deep into your ears, but the large rear portions hold them there snugly like a pair of earbuds. Combine this with the comfortable ear tips that sit just far enough into your ear, and you have an extremely nice fit that feels strong but is not uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time.

The rest of the AF56’s design is fairly similar to the AF45. You have the braided cable that not only looks good but feels strong and well made which will keep these earphones from tearing or breaking easily. Unfortunately, there is still a fair bit of cable noise which can be a problem for some. There is a button where the earphones split that can be used for music control as well as making and answering calls if you have the version with an in-line mic. The mic sits about halfway up the left earphone cable which puts it in the perfect position to talk into.

The AF56 improves on the design of the AF45 with a better, more comfortable fix and keeps the strong braided cable and sleek look.

Sound Quality

AudioFly upgraded their AF56 earphones with a 13mm driver that is supposed to deliver great bass without overpowering the mids and highs. I can definitely say that the bass is extremely nice on these headphones. It is definitely powerful, but it does so without sacrificing quality. The low range is still tight and smooth.

The mids are somewhat of a different story. They are not bad by any means, but they seem to be overshadowed by the bass. The highs are paired much better with the enhanced low range, and I wish the mids were the same. At times, vocals can be lost behind the lower range. The highs, on the other hand, are well matched with the powerful bass, stay clear and crisp, and round out what I would say is a good sounding pair of earphones.

One specific thing that I did really like about the AF56 is how good they are at separation and soundstage. Listening to David Bowie’s Space Oddity is awesome one these earphones with each instrument in a definite space in the music. The separation is great with every instrument and beat resonating clearly.

For their $100, the AF56 earphones provide a great listening experience that should please just about anyone. If you listen to music that is heavy on the bass, you will appreciate AudioFly’s focus on the low end on these earphones, but even those who prefer music that is lighter on the bass will find these earphones provide a good, fun listening experience.

After using these earphones for a while, I continue to be impressed with AudioFly’s earphone collection. The AF56 earphones are well made and come with a nice set of accessories. I do wish the metal case was a bit larger, however. Even with this slightly underpowered mid-range, the earphones provide awesome sound quality that is sure to please anyone who listens to it. You can grab the AF56 earphones from AudioFly’s website or Amazon.

The post AudioFly AF56 in-ear headphones (Review) appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Nexus 6P vs Samsung Galaxy Note 5

When the Nexus 6 was released last year, Google and Motorola took the Nexus line up a notch, bringing the world a powerful Nexus device that was more comparable to its competitors than ever before, though it still lacked in a few areas such as camera, and offered a less premium plastic build. With the Huawei-built Nexus 6P, Google finally offers a pure Android experience in a premium flagship package, with the line no longer lacking in key aspects when compared to its high-end competition.

On the other hand, the latest addition to the Galaxy Note family brings with it a new look and feel, updated hardware and software packages, and of course, an even more capable S-Pen stylus. How does Google’s best fare against Samsung’s take on the high-end flagship smartphone? We find out, in this in-depth look at the Nexus 6P vs Samsung Galaxy Note 5!

Design

Each of these handsets offers a nice change of pace in terms of design, with Huawei and Samsung both introducing some new design cues with their respective flagships.

The more dramatic change is to be seen with the Galaxy Note 5. As is the case with all the other high-end offerings from Samsung this year, plastic has finally gone by the wayside, in favor of a metal frame and dual glass panels. The unibody design does mean that the backing is no longer removable, resulting in the removal of previously taken for granted features like replaceable batteries and even expandable storage. The glass backing comes with a curve along the sides that help with how the phone lies in the hand, contributing to the handling experience of this large form factor device.

There’s no mistaking this for anything other than a Samsung smartphone however, with the general elements of the Galaxy Note 5 remaining familiar, including the button layout and the signature home button up front. The S-Pen can be found in its usual spot as well, but this time, the stylus itself comes with a click-y top that pops out just enough to make it easy to slide out.

On the other hand is the Nexus 6P, a metal-clad smartphone that is much more blocky and flatter in all the expected places. The Nexus 6P takes on a slate design, with flat sides housing the buttons, and the front remaining without blemish, given the use of software navigation keys in stock Android.

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. As was the case with Nexus’ past, the Nexus 6P doesn’t feature removable batteries or expandable storage either, so its unibody design isn’t going to be greeted with much controversy. On the bottom is the USB Type-C port, which adds yet another layer of difference between these two flagships.

While the Galaxy Note 5 features a very sleek design, the Nexus 6P is almost industrial in its design language, but when choosing between these two devices, it does come down to whether it is glass or metal that you prefer. No matter your choice, premium is definitely the appropriate adjective here, and unless a specific build material speaks more to your tastes, there won’t be anything to complain about in terms of design.

Display

These two smartphones actually manage to have some really similar display specs, with both featuring 5.7-inch screens with Quad HD resolutions, resulting in pixel densities of 518 ppi.

The Samsung Super AMOLED display is the company’s signature tech, and brings with it all the highly saturated colors that people might expect. While this has become run of the mill for Samsung, the company’s display prowess is undeniable, and the Galaxy Note 5 display is a powerful performer, for both work and play. If you really want to have a unique display experience however, the Edge variants bring curved sides, and a little-added functionality, to the mix.

On the other hand, the regular AMOLED display of the Nexus 6P features largely the same good color reproduction, and in our testing, we didn’t see too many instances where the display of the Galaxy Note 5 was truly that much more “super” than the screen of the Nexus 6P. The Nexus 6P takes better advantage of AMOLED as well with Ambient Display, where the screen shows a minimal look at the notification cards. As nice as the idea is however, it is quite hard to trigger this feature easily and consistently.

If features matter, the curved edges of the Galaxy S6 Edge+ might make a little more sense, but when looking at these two smartphones, we are getting some pretty great display experiences no matter which flagship you decide to pick.

Performance

In terms of performance, both of these phones have different takes when it comes to power, with Samsung now favoring their in-house processor, while Snapdragon remains the name of the game as far as the Nexus is concerned.

Under the hood, the Galaxy Note 5 comes with the octa-core Exynos 7420 processor, clocked at 2.1 GHz, and backed by the Mali-T760MP8 GPU and 4 GB of RAM. This is a powerful processing package that has been made specifically for the Galaxy platform, and as expected, does a great job. Even though TouchWiz has been toned down, plenty of software features still make it back, including multi-tasking features like S Window and Multi-window, and the processing package gets the job done without any real problems. Of course, the toned down software gets a lot of credit for looking and feeling cleaner than ever before, which also helps the Exynos processor really shine.

On the other hand, the Nexus 6P comes with the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, clocked at 2 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 430 GPU and 3 GB of RAM. This processing package has been used with a lot of other current generation flagships as well, with somewhat varying degrees of success. This time around, the Snapdragon 810 in the Nexus gets the benefit of the latest Android optimizations available with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, resulting in an incredibly smooth experience. The Recent Apps screen is the only way to multi-task here, but there have been no issues with jumping in and out of different applications. Gaming has also been a blast, but that has also been the case with the Galaxy Note 5.

When you want stock Android, the best way to experience it has been the Nexus 6P, and while TouchWiz might still have its quirks, it doesn’t take away from what has been an equally good time with the Galaxy Note 5.

Hardware

With the current generation Samsung flagships all featuring the new metal and glass unibody design, replaceable batteries and expandable storage are no longer available, but there are definitely some nice extras still to be found with the Galaxy Note 5, starting with the S-Pen. The S-Pen is a great stylus for users who actually want that experience, and the clicky top and symmetrical design allow for as good and realistic a feel in the hand as ever. Of course, you still have to remember to be careful when putting the stylus back in its slot, as putting it in backwards has resulted in breaking its functionality (though this is really a non-issue for pretty much everyone with common sense).

Samsung’s fingerprint reader is once again embedded into the home button up front, which means that pressing the button and leaving the finger there is the way to wake and unlock the device, and it is certainly a good and fast way to do so. The bottom mounted single speaker unit isn’t ideal, but it still provides a decent amount of body and volume to the sound. The Galaxy Note 5 is also not lacking when it comes to connectivity options, and includes NFC, to take advantage of mobile payment systems like Samsung Pay and Android Pay. The Galaxy Note 5 also retains the heart rate monitor from previous Samsung flagships, found next to the camera unit on the back.

In battery, the Galaxy Note 5 comes with a 3,000 mAh unit, which has proven to be good enough for users to get more than just one day of work out of this device. Fast charging is also to be had here, which helps the battery get back to full capacity in a small amount of time. Speaking of charging, the Galaxy Note 5 also comes with wireless charging, which Samsung claims is the fastest iteration available.

When it comes to the Nexus 6P, what this device does have over the Galaxy Note 5 is a dual-front facing speaker setup, with the stereo sound it offers always a welcome addition. The fingerprint reader on the back of the phone is also one of the best we’ve used, given that it doesn’t require any other input. With the phone display off, setting a finger in the area will make the device simultaneously wake and unlock, in record time. Every connection, including NFC, is there in the Nexus 6P as well.

The main change comes in the new USB Type-C standard, and it still takes some getting used to. Despite there being the omission of Qualcomm Quick Charge, Type-C still provides a higher current, so fast charging is very reliable. The 3,450 mAh battery of the Nexus 6P does last for a very long time anyway, especially when taking advantage of Android 6.0 Marshmallow’s Doze feature, and when charging needs to be done, the large battery can be fully charged in about 90 minutes.

Hardware does favor the Nexus 6P, unless extras like the S-Pen, heart rate monitor, and wireless charging are compelling enough to draw users away from front-facing speakers, a larger battery, and a slightly faster fingerprint reader. The Galaxy Note 5 is still able to provide really good, and more, features of course, but the Nexus 6P seems to do a better job with the essentials.

Camera

The cameras of these two phones have seen the proper upgrades, but the Nexus 6P does feature the more significant increase in quality from its predecessor. Despite a smaller megapixel count, a larger sensor hopes to also make up for the lack of OIS, in order to provide the best pictures possible with a device from the Nexus line. The Nexus 6P does, however, come with a laser auto focus system, and a powerful 8 MP front-facing shooter as a companion.

Taking a look at the camera applications, the Nexus 6P camera app doesn’t provide much more than a good automatic interface, with no manual controls available, and only a few modes like Lens Blur and Photo Sphere included. Auto HDR+ takes the guesswork out of using the feature in particular situations, and there is also a great slow motion mode that captures video at lower resolutions.

On the other hand, the camera app of the Galaxy Note 5 provides a lot of extra features to complement its powerful 16 MP shooter, which also comes with optical image stabilization, and a 5 MP front-facing unit. The app is definitely saturated with plenty of modes, including its own slow motion capture, panorama, and even a GIF creator. Shutterbugs will be able to get a little more out of their photos using the manual controls in the Pro mode, which include minute increments for aspects like white balance and ISO. The HDR on the Galaxy Note 5 is also capable of Auto and Live features, which do help in certain situations.

Nexus 6P camera samples

HDR is a little more profoundly used in the Galaxy Note 5 than the Nexus 6P, but in either of these cases, they allowed for very usable and enjoyable pictures. As far as image quality is concerned, though differences can be observed, the main take away here is the slight increase in sharpness with the Nexus 6P pictures. The Galaxy Note 5, on the other hand, tends to go for a warmer tone in its pictures, which can be alleviated in the Pro mode. In low-light conditions, the larger sensor of the Nexus 6P does a good job propelling it over many other flagship shooters out there, but it does fall just short of surpassing the combination of a steady hand, OIS, and the Night mode of the Galaxy Note 5.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 camera samples

The big story here is how the Nexus 6P has closed the camera quality gap, while its previous iterations were simply inferior to Samsung’s shooters at the time. If you are looking for a more feature-packed experience, the Samsung camera will certainly provide that, but the Nexus 6P is still a very viable and enjoyable shooter to have on the daily.

Software

Finally, on the software side of things, the purest form of Android goes up against one of the most used versions of skinned Android out there, TouchWiz.

The Nexus 6P brings a few features to this year’s iteration of Android, but the most felt change is its smooth and speedy movement optimizations. The app drawer now includes a row of most used applications up top, and the vertical scroll did take some getting used to. App Permissions now allows for a good look at all the different features that apps want access to, and they even ask for permission again when they are first triggered, making for a nice layer of security for those who have wanted it. The flashiest of the new features is Now on Tap, which searches for key terms on the screen. It isn’t the most consistent performer, but is really nice to have when quick searches are required.

On the other hand is TouchWiz, a historically over-saturated software suite that has been toned down this year. That said, plenty of features do still make it in, including Multi-window and the floating S Windows for multi-tasking. They work well enough when the user wants to get multiple things done at once, but going through the Recent Apps screen still remains a viable option. Themes are now available, allowing users to change the look of the interface if they don’t enjoy the default look.

The main software experience here centers around the S-Pen. The S-Pen, when removed from its slot, opens up the Air Command menu, which shows the main functions available. The Action Memo can take handwriting and insert it into a number of applications, but it is mainly an easy way to make a note for S Note, where it can be pinned to the homescreens for easy reminders. Smart Select simply cuts out any defined portions of the current screen, but its best feature is how easily it makes sharing these cutouts. Finally, Screen Write take a whole screenshot that can be edited using the S-Pen, but adding to this is the ability to scroll paginated content for one really long clip.

The most useful addition for S-Pen fans has to be Screen Off Memo however. Remove the S-Pen when the screen is off, and the black screen activates into a quick memo pad. Writing anything here, like phone numbers or quick information, will be saved in S Note, where it can be easily accessed later.

No matter how you look at it, the Samsung flagship provides more options for just about any task, especially when taking full advantage of the S-Pen. If you are, however, able to get all your work and play done easily with stock Android, there is no reason why the Nexus 6P wouldn’t cut it as a workhorse as well.

Specs comparison

	Nexus 6P	Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Display	5.7-inch AMOLED display Quad HD resolution, 518 ppi	5.7-inch Super AMOLED display Quad HD resolution, 518 ppi
Processor	2 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Adreno 430 GPU	2.1 GHz octa-core Exynos 7420 Mali-T760MP8 GPU
RAM	3 GB	4 GB
Storage	32/64/128 GB no expansion	32/64 GB no expansion
Camera	12 MP rear camera, 1.55 micron pixel size, laser auto focus, dual LED flash 8 MP front-facing camera	16 MP rear camera with OIS and LED flash 5 MP front-facing camera
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.1 GPS + GLONASS NFC USB 2.0, USB Type-C	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.2 GPS + GLONASS NFC USB 2.0
Software	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
Battery	3,450 mAh	3,000 mAh fast wireless charging
Dimensions	159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3 mm 178 grams	153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6 mm 171 grams

Gallery

Pricing and final thoughts

The Nexus 6P is available unlocked, mainly through the Google Store, priced at $499 for the base model. On the other hand, the Galaxy Note 5 is available across all major network carriers, for monthly payments or contracts, depending on where you are. Using T-Mobile payments as an example, the Galaxy Note 5 will set you back $699 for the base 32 GB edition.

See also: Nexus 6P review94

So, there you have it for this comprehensive look at the Nexus 6P vs Samsung Galaxy Note 5! A common adage with the Nexus line used to be “you get what you pay for,” but as the prices got higher, Google and its partners got a little bolder, and started to provide what they thought was the true Android flagship experience. That is certainly the case with the Nexus 6P, with its premium body, front-facing speakers, high-end specs, and the best camera a Nexus device has ever featured. For Android purists, the Nexus 6P is indeed the very best way to experience the latest and greatest, with it also being updated at a much faster pace than pretty much any other Android smartphone out there.

See also: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 review37

The Galaxy Note 5 does make a very compelling case for itself though. The S-Pen is still a good, albeit slightly niche, productivity tool, and Samsung’s own take on Android tries to provide a lot of features for the general user. It is no less premium, but employs different materials, which we think were a good change for the Galaxy line. What it comes down to is how you want to get your work and play done, and in the case of the Galaxy Note 5, how many different ways you want to get it done. All said and done, no matter which device you pick, you will be getting a beastly phone for just about any situation.

Buy Nexus 6p on Amazon!
Buy Galaxy Note 5 on Amazon!

 

Texture by Next Issue: All you can read magazine subscription [App Review]

You may have heard of Netflix and all you can eat buffets before. If you haven’t, come out from under that rock and live a little. Netflix and all you can eat buffets offer unlimited video content and food for a fixed price. You can digest all you want for a flat fee until you want no more.

Like both of those services, Texture aims to bring you well known magazines for a fixed price of $9.99 or $14.99 per month with back issues included. That subscription includes unlimited access to over 100 titles which include some of the most read magazines like Time, Cosmopolitan, Motor Trend, CNET, Wired, Men’s Health, Self, Real Simple, Popular Science and many more.

Texture offers a free 30-day trial and all that is required is a credit card or PayPal account. No strings are attached, as you are free to cancel at anytime within the trial period, and if you happen to enjoy your subscription you just let Texture bill your account. I opted in for the $14.99 per month subscription which differs from the cheaper plan by offering unlimited access to the entire catalog of content. The $9.99 subscription plan is limited to monthly titles, so magazines like Time and Businessweek which are weekly publications are off limits.

At $14.99 per month, that works out to about $180 per year which isn’t a bad deal if you read lots of magazines. For various reasons, I am still subscribed to print media as well as magazines on the competitor app Zinio. Zinio is a digital magazine app as well which offers a la carte subscriptions or single issue purchases. After totaling my subscription fees for Men’s Health, Wired, Saveur, National Geographic and Maxim I easily fall under $100 dollars for my subscription fees. But if I consider sharing my account with my mom, you can access Texture on up to five devices, who pays for Better Homes and Gardens, bon appetit, Martha Stewart, O The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Sunset and Consumer Reports the subscription to Texture makes a little more financial sense.

Free 30-day trial

I went ahead and downloaded the app from the Google Play store. The app is free to install and set-up required me to input my PayPal information. A credit card would have worked too, but the PayPal option was much quicker. As soon as Texture verified my information, I was off to explore the digital library.

Beyond making financial sense, having access to more magazines naturally piqued my interest. I have always enjoyed reading magazines since I was a child and if they’re in front of me I will read them. After a solid week of having access to Texture, I found myself reading every night before bed and ignoring Netflix. Netflix is usually my go to entertainment app before bed and quite frankly I get tired of watching movies and TV. Magazines are a great alternative as I find myself reading about backpacking trips from Backpacker, or reading about Northern Canada in National Geographic Traveler and considering my next vacation destination. I’m not limited to current issues and I found myself looking up back issues from publications soaking up tons of useful information.

I’ll be hosting my lovely sister and brother-in-law for Thanksgiving this year and I learned why the most important thing on the plate is Thanksgiving gravy and how it is so easy to screw up. I kind of already knew this because I always let my older sister make the gravy. I’ve extracted a few recipes for Thanksgiving, from Texture’s Thanksgiving Central category, which include Cornmeal Butter Cake with Pomegranate sauce, Buttermilk Cardamom Pumpkin Pie, Cheesy Brussels Sprouts and Chorizo Bake and the one I am looking forward to most – Roast Turkey with Polenta stuffing.

 

I don’t use tablets anymore now that phones are easy enough to read with 5.7″ displays. I have been using the Google Nexus 6P and actually have enjoyed reading magazines on my device. Texture intelligently breaks each magazine up into a table of contents and you can read each category or title without having to turn through each page. This feature makes it incredibly quick to browse through magazines and see what is worth reading. The layout of the articles are just like actual magazines so you will have to zoom in to magnify the text. The articles aren’t like web pages where they automatically resize to adjust to your screen. I found this to be a little cumbersome initially, but got used to it pretty quickly and can see Texture providing a much better experience on a tablet. Maybe a Nexus 9 would be worth picking up if there’s a good price for Black Friday.

I have a few business trips planned over the next three months, and one thing I always do when I am waiting for my flight at the airport, is go and browse the newsstand and buy a magazine or two for the flight. I usually end up spending $5-15, read the magazines and leave them on the plane for the next passengers. Now I can go ahead and download a bunch of magazines for offline use, and not spend an extra penny at the airport. I’ll probably even download a couple for the time I spend at the dog park while my pup plays with other dogs.

Conclusion

Texture brings back the nostalgic feeling of being in a book store like Barnes and Noble, where there are rows of magazines broken up into categories. I’m in my 30’s and grew up frequenting book stores and my favorite area was always the magazine section. I would read the magazine title, look what was on the cover, and if it grabbed my attention I would flip through it and purchase the magazine to read at home.If the magazine was a complete joy to read, I would most likely sign up for a subscription. The downside to yearly subscriptions is that there are times when you no longer read the magazine and they continue to auto charge your credit card. This can also be quite painful if you happen to switch addresses.

With Texture, for $14.99 per month I not only to browse the aisles of every magazine, but I get to read them all at my leisure. I get to read them at the airport or in bed, and if I decide I no longer want to read magazines for a bit, I can cancel at any moment. My mailbox no longer needs to get stuffed with magazines and I can help save trees too.

When my free 30-day trial expires I will most likely be switching to the $9.99 plan as I rarely read weekly publications. I do believe I will easily get my money’s worth in entertainment and will definitely be sharing my account with my mom.

If you like reading magazines, you should at least give Texture a try for 30 days.

If you want to download Texture head on over to the Google Play store and install the app or go to Texture.com to learn more.

The post Texture by Next Issue: All you can read magazine subscription [App Review] appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Upgrade your audio setup with Koloss from Thonet & Vander [Review]

Thonet & Vander is a fairly new addition to the audio market, but they are definitely trying to make a name for themselves in the US. I have been able to spend the last few weeks listening to their Bluetooth-enabled, high-end speaker set dubbed Koloss. With a name like that, you would assume that these speakers would be powerful, large, and beastly. Thonet & Vander sure hope you think so, but let’s take a look and see if they actually live up to that name.

Design

There is no looking past the fact that these speakers are absolutely enormous compared to the normal Bluetooth speakers we see pass through here at AndroidGuys, but then again, these are not really meant for portability. At almost 2-feet tall, each speaker makes its presence known in whatever room it’s in. I had a nice place next to my television that I planned on putting them, but when they arrived, I was worried that they might be too large to fit where I had planned. Thankfully, the fit was perfect, and they were setup within minutes.

In the box along with the Koloss, you will find a 3.5mm to RCA cable, a cable for connecting the left and right speakers, a European and US power cable, and a remote control. I was hoping for another cable for connecting these to my television, but thankfully I had an optical cable that I used instead.

The overall design and build quality of the Koloss is pretty nice. They feel sturdy and well built when you pick them up, but they are not so hefty that you will have difficulty moving them around if needed. Each speaker comes with two 6.5″ woofers made of “aramid fiber,” basically Kevlar, topped with a silk 1″ tweeter. The speakers have mesh covers on the front to protect the drivers from damage, but it is easily popped off. I immediately took the covers off because the woofers have this awesome yellow color that contrasts well with the black wood body.

One great thing about the Koloss is that it has a bevy of ways to connect it to devices, there are both digital and analog inputs on the back of the device and you can also connect wirelessly over Bluetooth 4.1. All the buttons are on the left side of the left speaker, which is where you will find the “Pair” button to pair your Bluetooth devices.

Usability

Setting up the Koloss is fairly simple even with the almost useless instructions and paring over Bluetooth is a snap, but using the Koloss proved less user friendly that I expected. First of all, the remote included in the box uses a CR2025 battery that was not included, and I had to do volume adjustments and source selections on the speakers themselves. This sounds like a first world problem, but I would expect a battery to be included with a set of high-end speakers.

Once I actually had the remote powered, using it was extremely challenging. The sensor for the remote is on the left speaker, and it has a tiny field-of-view in which the remote is picked up. Do not expect to change the volume or source from any extreme angle using this remote. Furthermore, there is no display on the speakers to show you a volume level or anything else. When you are using the remote, there is no way to tell if you are actually changing the volume until you hear it increase or decrease. You also have to memorize the source order since there is no display to tell you which source the Koloss is using for audio. All together, this proved to be a pretty frustrating remote experience.

Sound Quality

So after all of that, how does the Koloss actually sound? To put it briefly, extremely nice. Let me preface this section by saying that I am not an audiophile, and these speakers are definitely not reference speakers. That being said, the sound you get out of the Koloss is going to be enjoyable for pretty much anyone who hears them. I had numerous friends and family members come listen to the Koloss, and the unanimous result was that the sound is awesome. On the side of the speaker and on the remote, you have the option to adjust treble and bass to your liking. Although, this does prove to be somewhat difficult with the lack of a display to look at.

Thonet & Vander tout the Koloss’ ability to provide a perfect balance of purity and power, but I found that the speakers sometimes put power over purity. With 160W of power (80W per speaker), these speakers can crank out some serious volume. The bass on the Koloss is occasionally overpowering to the mid and high range when listening to music, but that was pretty much remedied by playing with the bass levels a bit. At normal listening levels, the clarity of sound is great and separation is quite nice. Crank these bad boys up into party volume territory and you begin to lose some of the clarity, but most people will likely not mind or even notice.

This experience seems to be pretty similar between both Bluetooth and digital inputs. I never suffered from any drops or stutters when playing over Bluetooth from my Nexus 6, but I found the range to be pretty poor. I could only go about 30 feet away before music just stopped playing. I was hoping for a slightly larger Bluetooth range, but I guess I will just have to leave my phone when I need to grab a drink.

Overall, the sound that I got out of the Koloss was extremely pleasing, but definitely not perfect. It will definitely not blow anyone away, but the sound from these speakers are fun and can get loud enough for whatever you need. Be careful not to shake your house to the ground.

As my first foray into Thonet & Vander, the Koloss has me interested in the company and makes me want to check out some of their other offerings. These speakers are far from perfect, but they provide a fun listening experience and would be a great addition to many people’s speaker setup.

The range of audio inputs available, the enjoyable sound quality, and the cool design make the Koloss an awesome set of speakers for the average person. The poor remote control experience, absence of a display for volume/inputs, and lack of audiophile sound will probably make this system a turn-off for those looking for a purer sound.

At the $400 price point, I think that the Koloss speaker is a definite contender for the average customer’s speaker needs and would recommend it to anyone looking to get into a quality speaker setup. You can check out the Koloss at Thonet & Vander’s website or on Newegg.

 

The post Upgrade your audio setup with Koloss from Thonet & Vander [Review] appeared first on AndroidGuys.