Alcatel OneTouch IDOL 3 4.7 review: Does it deliver?

Earlier this year, I got the chance to review the IDOL 3 5.5, and I absolutely loved it. In fact, I called it the best budget phone of the year. The display, speakers, camera, design, and performance all impressed me when I considered it costs only $250. Now, I have gotten a chance to play with its smaller, even less expensive twin, the IDOL 3 4.7. Once again, I popped the SIM card out of my Nexus 6 and switched over to the IDOL 3 4.7 for a full week. Let’s see if this little guy impressed me as much as its larger sibling.

Design

The IDOL 3 4.7 has exactly the same design as the 5.5” version, and that is not a bad thing at all. Sure, there is nothing flashy or super high end about the design, but it feels solid, well built, and nicely weighted in the hand.

The recessed speaker grills at top and bottom create a different, eye catching look, and the plastic chrome accents around the edges help distinguish this phone from every other black slab phone that is roaming the streets. Thankfully, Alcatel OneTouch kept the same brushed plastic back design from the larger IDOL 3 which looks nice and resists nasty fingerprints.

Coming from the Nexus 6, this 4.7” device seems tiny, but it is extremely easy to hold. Combine that with a weight of only 110 grams (3.8 ounces), and this phone becomes easy to manage and use with one hand.

Of course, there is still the problem with the power button that was present on the IDOL 3 5.5. The volume controls are located in a normal position on the right side of the phone, but the power button is located about the SIM card tray at the top of the left side. This proved to be just as awkward as it was on the larger IDOL 3, especially since most other phones have power buttons on the right side.

Since the IDOL 3 4.7 is a smaller device, the power button is not as difficult to reach it was on the 5.5” version, but it still does not feel natural or comfortable. Thankfully, Alcatel OneTouch included double-tap to wake and sleep, so you will not be using the power button for much more than actually turning it on or off.

Speaking of the SIM card tray, this phone uses a microSIM card (so those of us with a nanoSIM will need an adapter). More important than that, there is a second slot in the tray for a MicroSD card. With internal storage of only 16GB, a MicroSD card will definitely come in handy. The IDOL 3 4.7 spec sheet says it can handle cards up to 32GB, but I had no problem using my 64GB card in this phone.

The overall design of the IDOL 3 4.7 is nice, especially for a sub-$200 phone. Like its big twin, it is almost perfectly symmetrical from the front, which plays a key part in the Reversible UI features I will talk about in the software section of the review. The solid, simple, well-built design and feel of the IDOL 3 4.7 is fantastic and exceeds what I expected from a $179 phone.

Display

To get the cost down for the IDOL 3 4.7, the screen resolution was reduced to 720p. Although that sounds low by today’s standards, the 312 PPI screen is still plenty sharp enough for the average person. Just like the 5.5” IDOL 3, this version comes with an IPS LCD that Alcatel OneTouch says is enhanced by Technicolor. I have been just as impressed with this screen as I was with the IDOL 3 5.5. Colors look great, there is good contrast, and this display can get extremely bright. I like having my screen on a high brightness setting, but I never had to bring the brightness above 25% unless it was an extremely bright day outside. There will definitely not be a problem seeing this display outdoors.

Although AMOLED is my screen type of choice, there is no denying that this LCD panel does a fantastic job. Whites are nice and bright, blacks are dark, and viewing angles are great. Overall, this is a fantastic screen that is enjoyable to look at.

Android and UI

I still love my stock Android, and Alcatel OneTouch has done a fantastic job keeping true to it while only adding a few extra tweaks and features. This phone comes running Android 5.0.2 out of the box, and for the security conscious among us, I received the Stagefright fix immediately after setting it up.

While the device does not appear stock, after using it for a few minutes you notice that the only things that have been changed are some icons, some stock apps, and a few extra settings. When it comes to adding useful features, Alcatel OneTouch knows how to do it.

First off, you have double tap to wake and sleep which is fantastic to have, especially with that weirdly placed power button. I found that it works extremely well and I rarely had to double-tap more than once to get it to respond.

Just like on the larger IDOL 3, my favorite feature continues to be the Reversible UI. Basically, this allows the entire UI of the phone to orient itself depending on how you are holding it. So if you take it out of your pocket upside down and turn it on, the UI on the phone will be facing the correct way. With a speaker and microphone at both ends, you can answer a call with the phone upside down too and may not even know it.

If this sounds strange and useless to you, I have to admit that I thought the same thing until I tried it on the IDOL 3 5.5. It has been a feature I have missed since I switched back to my Nexus 6, and I loved having it again on the IDOL 3 4.7. I continue to hope that other manufacturers incorporate this feature into their phones too.

Camera

The camera on the IDOL 3 5.5 wasn’t amazing, but it was good enough and took pictures that would look nice on social media. Since the IDOL 3 4.7 has the same camera on both front and back (5 MP and 13 MP, respectively) as its larger twin, I was expecting a similar result.

However, the camera on this IDOL 3 was extremely disappointing. Pictures always seemed to look over sharpened even without zooming in. Color reproduction was pretty nice, if you could get exposure to cooperate. I found that the camera had the tendency to over expose and highlights were extremely blown out. Turning on HDR definitely helps with this problem, but it is sad to rely on HDR for every shot.

The camera was quick to focus and usually picked the right object to focus on. When it didn’t, there is tap to focus on the default camera app.

The front facing camera suffers from the same over sharpened photos that the rear camera has. The selfies you take here are not going to win any awards but are good enough to be usable with Snapchat and other social media site.

I hate to say it, but the cameras on the IDOL 3 4.7 just are not good. They are definitely usable and can produce okay pictures, but I almost never took one that did not look over sharpened. Since this phone has the same camera as the bigger IDOL 3, I am hoping that a software update can fix the current problems and allow this phone to take better looking pictures.

Speakers

Here, we have the exact same speakers and audio tweaks that were on the IDOL 3 5.5. There are dual, front-facing speakers powered by JBL, and as you would expect, audio is great. Just like on its big twin, the bass leaves something to be desired, but mids and highs are fantastic. The speakers can get loud, but do not suffer from distortion or poor audio at those high volumes.

These are definitely the best speakers you are going to find on a phone that costs less than $200, and I would wager they could hold their ground against phones more than twice as expensive.

Performance

Along with the screen, Alcatel OneTouch also scaled back the internals of the IDOL 3 4.7 from the 5.5. Here, you will find a Snapdragon 420, 1.5 GB of RAM, and a 200mAh battery to keep it all running. You can check out the full list of specs here:

At first, I was worried about performance on the IDOL 3 4.7 because I had suffered some problems on its larger twin in the past. After using the 4.7, I have to attribute all of those other problems to the preproduction hardware and software that was running on the 5.5” version. The IDOL 3 4.7 ran like a dream, and I never suffered any performance problems at all.

I am not a heavy gamer, but I can tell you that this phone was not built for high end games. You will have no problems playing basic games on here, but do not expect to run graphically intensive games too much on this phone. The IDOL 3 was built for the average person who needs a good phone that is going to perform well and last a long time, and I can definitely say that this phone meets that challenge.

I moved my entire life onto the IDOL 3 4.7, and it took everything I could throw at it like a champ. Multitasking was quick and fluid, maneuvering websites and apps was simple and lag free, and just running around the OS was enjoyable and smooth. I am definitely impressed with the IDOL 3’s performance.

Battery

The battery for the IDOL 3 4.7 went through more than a 900mAh reduction, down to 2000mAh from the 2910mAh battery in the 5.5” version. That being said, this phone also comes with a lower resolution screen, less RAM, and a less power hungry processor. With the great battery life that I got from the IDOL 3 5.5, I was expecting similar results from its smaller sibling.

Thankfully, I was proven right. I get at least 4 hours of screen time on any phone during a normal day, and this phone was able to meet my battery life needs every day. I have 4 email accounts pulling down every 5 minutes, a love for watching YouTube and streaming music, and text message conversations that continue throughout the entire day.

Every day, the IDOL 3 4.7 lasted me the entire time, and I think it is safe to say it has great battery life. If you are an average user, you should have no trouble making it through the entire day with battery left to spare. If you use your phone more like I do, you should still make it through the day but probably with less battery left over.

If you want to check out a breakdown of battery stats over the full seven days I used it, you can check out the tabs below.

Now that I have finished using the IDOL 3 4.7 as my daily driver, I have to ask myself if I am going to miss it when I switch back to my Nexus 6. The answer is yes, but not all of it. I will not miss the camera, and I will be happy to return to my 2K screen. But there are definitely parts of the IDOL 3 4.7 I am going to miss. Most notably, the Reversible UI feature which I enjoy so much. Also, just the fluidity and smoothness of performance.

Should you go out and buy the IDOL 3 4.7? It honestly depends on your budget. If you are set on not spending over $200 on a phone, I would say definitely. The IDOL 3 4.7 is a fantastic phone with great performance and battery life, and hopefully there will be a software update to improve the camera. If you are willing to stretch your budget a little more, I would advise you look in the higher range. Perhaps even at this phone’s larger 5.5″ brother, which is an amazing phone for the price.

If you are budget conscious, I do not think you can go wrong with the IDOL 3 4.7 and using it has been a great experience. You can pick one up for only $179.99 from the Alcatel OneTouch website or Amazon!

The post Alcatel OneTouch IDOL 3 4.7 review: Does it deliver? appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Ankway Home & Office Super Charger (review)

Chargers, chargers, chargers. They’re boring. But they are essential to our lives almost as much as the food we eat. Without chargers we don’t have our smartphones. Without our smartphones we don’t have access to the phone, texting, Instagram, Facebook, camera, and everything else our we need our device for. So yeah chargers are boring, but you might as well get the best one you can to simplify your life.

Ankway Super Charger x 5 USB Smart Ports

Ankway sent me a charger to review and to be honest, these things can be boring. I mean, who really wants to read about a charger? Well, you probably do because you actually want to spend your money wisely while making sure your devices get the best charge. Chargers in store can easily cost 30 dollars these days and that is just for a single port charger. But for less than 30 dollars, you can get the Ankway Home & Office Super Charger which has five USB ports and two surge protected power outlets. It is perfect for setting on your desk or nightstand if you have more than one device to charge. And with today’s gadgets, smartphones, smartwatches, pedometers, tablets, and so on having five ports can be a blessing. It gets old moving individual chargers from outlet to outlet.

Design

The Ankway charger has two three pronged standard outlets with five USB smart ports for charging your portable devices. If you are using an iPhone, Moto X, or FitBit pedometer, the Ankway charger will make sure to charge your devices at the optimal speeds without over-charging your devices. It doesn’t have quick-charge built-in, but if you need that, you can use your quick charger like I have set up in the picture below. I also have my laptop charger plugged in which is perfect for your desk or table.

Ankway also put a power switch on the side so you can turn the power strip off and eliminating phantom electricity usage keeping your energy bills down.

The power strip also comes built in plastic that is sure to last a long time.

Specs

• Technical Parameters: AC 100~250V
• Surge Protector Energy: 1700Joule
• Peak Current: 15000A
• Power Capacity: 1250W
• Response Time: 1NS
• USB Charger Power Rating: 5V/8A 40W
• USB Charger Output : 5 USB ports (Max: 5V 2.4A)
• Outlet quantity: 2 universal outlets+ 5 USB ports
• Material: Fireproof ABS plastic, PVC copper cord
• Product Dimensions: 3.9 x 2.8 x 3.9 inches ; 10.6 ounces

Summary

Chargers are essential to our daily lives as we rely on our electronics more each day. Every device we get comes with a charger but individual chargers can consume your wall outlets quickly. For less than $30, I suggest you pick up this Ankway power strip as it is highly functional and well-built and will make charging your plethora of devices much simpler.

Check it out on Amazon.com

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Glean promises a quality news experience (App Review)

The news department has been heating up a bit as of late. Apple included its own news app in iOS 9, and FlipBoard has been improving their own service, not to mention all the Material Design overhauls. Now we have come across something called “Glean”, which is another newsstand-style app. I was initially rather dubious at how Glean can compete against the bigger services, but as soon as I opened up the app up, my view on that changed completely.

Setup

Although the setup can take some time, it’s a necessity as the app wants to deliver relevant news and topics of interest to you. You begin by signing in, either creating an account or with an existing Google or Facebook account. I chose the Google account, and then was greeted by an interesting screen that allowed me to choose my topics of interest. I am not lying when I say that the list is vast and full of subjects, and there is guaranteed to be something that you can think of.

Once you’ve selected your topics, you go straight into the news area. There aren’t much options setting wise, you can only read the Privacy T&C’s and log out of your account.

Features

The function of Glean is to obviously provide news that is of interest to you. Like the competitors, you can browse a large amount of any topics pulled from the web, along with some neat options like bookmarking articles, changing text size and sharing to your various social media accounts.

Glean is packed with these features. It offers most of the things that its competitors do, but unfortunately doesn’t seem to offer anything unique against the competition. Glean does, however, do the job well and at no point was I disappointed at what it had. This is made even better by the Material Design that the developers have incorporated into Glean to create an aesthetically pleasing experience.

Is it for me?

As Glean is a bit late on the scene, it is likely you already have a dedicated app for news topics. Regardless, Glean is something you should still try out and perhaps replace your existing app.

What we liked

• The incorporated material design
• Packed full of features
• Customization of topics
• No adverts

And not so much…

• Not much options for the app in the settings

Glean certainly has the potential to fill the market with its great service. With a decent mobile app, features and service, we can expect to see more people take it on as their main source of news.

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Hoops: a challenging yet fun, free-to-play, puzzle game

We’ll take a look at Hoops, an indie, puzzle game developed by Pedro Gilabert for this review. As of the time of this post, Hoops appears to be new to Google Play. Let’s find out if there is enough room for it to succeed in this saturated market.

Setup

There is nothing to worry about here. Head over to Google Play or Playboard, download, and install.

Gameplay

Hoops features a story mode of 10 worlds, an arcade mode, and a head-to-head mode.

In each, the player must use his or her puzzle pieces and match them to pieces located within the hoop. Match all of your pieces before the timer runs out or before your opponent does depending on the situation, and you win.

With the story mode, you will be introduced to new mechanics as you progress through each world. These include obstacles and battle rules. Battle rules allow for the likes of time extensions and shortcuts.

You also earn credits as you play. These cannot be used to make purchases in the shop since that is reserved for real-world currency. Instead, you enter games using them.

What We Like

• Good mechanics that builds on themselves
• Whimsical soundtrack
• Decent, replayable tutorials
• Game manual included
• English or Spanish dialogue option

What We Don’t Like

• Can’t replay a world’s maps until that world is completed
• Paywall appears relatively early
• Occasional grammatical errors
• Exit menu is in Spanish even if English has been selected
• Albeit rarely, it crashes

To conclude, I believe Hoops is a fun game in part because I feel accomplished when I beat what I think of as difficult maps. Your experience may vary. What I found to be difficult is what you might find to be easy.

It’s too bad I couldn’t progress far without hitting a paywall, which I met in the second world. A free-to-play game still has to profit somehow, I suppose.

At least there still are the arcade and the two-player modes, although much of the former has to be unlocked through the story mode.

There are also a few, minor, technical issues due to occasional, grammatical errors in the dialogue, Spanish appearing where English should, and rare crashes.

That aside, I admire the fact that Hoops builds on itself. Until I met the paywall, I thought the increasing difficulty was appropriate.

I know there is an equal amount of aspects of the game that I like and do not like. Hoops scores as high as it does because I believe all but one of its cons are quite minor (the paywall).

Also, as mostly a gamer of non-mobile platforms, I admit that I have become more tolerant to paywalls at least within free-to-play games like this.

The budgets of mobile games generally are not nearly as high as console or PC games. However, I realize free-to-play games and many others with micro-transactions have to undersell themselves initially in order to establish a consumer base and then entice the more dedicated consumers to want to pay further.

They just will not be able to offset development costs, achieve their bottom line, and produce apps and other games if they don’t do this.

Therefore, this is why, in spite of the presence of Hoops’ paywall in the second world, it’s value score was not as sharply affected.

That aside, don’t expect to beat all of Hoops’ maps easily, especially if you play beyond the first world. Although, I wouldn’t think the game would be as fun as it is if it wasn’t challenging.

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GoGroove BlueSYNC RST Alarm Clock Speaker review [with coupon code for our readers!]

I love when products evolve to keep up with the times. With the success of the smartphone came the death of some dedicated devices for many people, such as the compact camera, mp3 player, and home phone system. Also, remember the days you had a dedicated alarm clock by your bedside? Where you could satisfyingly slam on the snooze button whenever that dreadful sound started up?

Well, GoGroove is trying to see if that dedicated alarm clock could make a comeback, packed with a multitude of modern functionality. Allow me to introduce the BlueSYNC RST.

At its core it’s an alarm clock, but it doubles up as a bluetooth speaker. And for another modern touch, you can effortlessly tap your phone on the top of the device and quickly pair via NFC (if your smartphone has it – I’m looking at you OnePlus). Let’s check it out.

Design

The design of the RST is fairly basic. We essentially have a cube (almost). Display is on the front, controls are on the top, speakers fire from the sides, and I/O is on the back.

The build is plastic, as one would expect. It’s a suitable plastic, I don’t get a feeling of cheapness or that the device will fall apart whatsoever. Although, it’s just meant to sit in one place, primarily being an alarm clock. GoGroove has been in the accessory game for a while, and quality with this device meets expectation.

I like the feel of the plastic up top, which is great because this is where you’ll interact with the RST the most. It’s a smooth, soft-touch material. The buttons are large, which I appreciate, so they’re clear to tell and easy to press. They also have a satisfying click when pressed.

Most of the buttons are clear to their functions, such as the “Zzz” to snooze, volume up/down, or power button. For a couple of them, such as the “S” button, a quick look at the manual got me up to speed (it’s a Source selection button). The NFC button stands out most of all, distinctly colored in blue.

The display on the front is big and bright. The font is in a digital clock form and has a blue-hue. The different functions light up as they’re activated, such as Bluetooth pairing or a set alarm. No complaints here, the display does its job.

You may have noticed a small structure sticking out from the top. It is conveniently a smartphone/tablet dock. GoGroove did not forget the fact that your phone is still going to be by your bedside, so there’s a nifty place for it to rest.

While this is a nice and thoughtful addition, I wish GoGroove would’ve incorporated wireless charging somehow. This could’ve been a significant selling point. There is a wired way to charge your phone, via a USB outlet from the back of the RST. Just bear in mind you may need to rest your phone horizontally on the dock, if the placement blocks your microUSB port.

Functionality

There is a slight learning curve for setting up the alarms and settings, but nothing a quick look at the manual doesn’t solve. There are two alarms, which is great for redundancy in my case. I’m a heavy sleeper and sometimes don’t remember turning off the alarm.

I had a slight hiccup with getting connected the first time. I placed my phone on the NFC symbol, but it wasn’t pairing. I figured out that you have to press the power button first (then the bluetooth symbol lights up), and then you can pair. I’d argue that the RST should automatically turn on bluetooth as soon as it detects an NFC contact. After all, the point is to be effortless and intuitive. But it was a minor hiccup.

Setting the alarm is another area I wish was a little more intuitive. When you press the button, it shows “rad” on the display. Press it again and it shows “bu”. I didn’t know what to think of it. Looking in the manual and you’ll find that those are two different sources of which to wake you, “rad” for radio and “bu” for a buzzing sound. You then press “Source” to be able to start setting the alarm time with the +/- buttons. Not the most intuitive system.

As expected, there are buttons to control playback:  Back track, next track, pause/play, and volume. You can also answer/end calls. GoGroove included a remote with the RST. It’s a nice addition if you mess with the device a lot and don’t want to keep walking up to it. It is compact and includes has control for all the functions.

On the rear we have a USB port (to charge your phone/tablet), Aux In (if you prefer to use a wired audio signal), time setting button, volume buttons, antenna (for FM radio), and power input.

The bluetooth range is great. I managed to get about 50 feet before the signal started cutting out.

Sound Quality

The RST has considerably sized speakers, which shoot out from the sides. This isn’t GoGroove’s first crack at bluetooth speakers. With that in mind, I can say that the sound quality was good. It won’t blow you away or replace your more expensive sound system. It gets the job done.

There is considerable loudness, it is good at filling the room. The sound quality is a little on the thin side, but not too bad. Bass is particularly done well in my opinion. It can deliver a satisfying punch.

When I held my ears close to the speakers, I can hear a little static. It may have to do with the antenna, because this thing can also output FM radio. But when giving it a little distance, the music takes over and it’s clear.

Final Thoughts

The GoGroove BlueSYNC RST is an interesting device. It’s been a while since I’ve had a dedicated bedside clock. The modern touches adds new life to the purpose.

Once I learned how to set it up, it was smooth sailing from there. Although, I would urge GoGroove to make it even simpler, since you might meet some hesitance in asking people to go back to the old ways.

I don’t see everyone buying into this concept, but if you listen to music in your bedroom a lot, the RST should be a consideration. I like how well the sound fills the room, the ease of mind from a redundant alarm, and nice place for my phone to sit.

*GoGroove was kind to include a discount code for our readers (purchasing the RST through this Amazon link). Enter “RSTSAVER” at the checkout and it’ll get you $10 off.  The discount only lasts until Monday, Oct. 5th.

The post GoGroove BlueSYNC RST Alarm Clock Speaker review [with coupon code for our readers!] appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Organize your phone using File Expert with Clouds

If you are an Android power user, then you know how important a good file manager is. Unfortunately, most OEM’s file managers are pretty basic. They give you the ability to move, copy, and delete files, but lack more advanced features. Today we’ll be taking a look at File Expert with Clouds.

File Expert with Clouds overview

File Expert with Clouds follows Google’s Material Design. This makes the navigation for the app simple and easy. There is the standard sidebar menu that contains your settings, disk analyzer, and account upgrade options.

The home screen is the first thing that you will see. This screen is set up in a feed format. This is a unique take on accessing your files. In the feed are customizable shortcuts to various  parts of the app, recently added photos, a news article or two, and advertisements.

There are also 3 other tabs that you can slide between. The categories tab is where you will spend your time managing your files. There are 3 sections to this tab. The first section is your basic file manager.

Of course, you can copy, paste, and move files around, but you can also compress folders into Zip files, create shortcuts to files on your launcher’s home screen, tag files, and add files to your favorites section.

The next section is for the advanced features of the app. This is basically where you will find files that you have tagged, placed in favorites, and put in the recycling bin.

The last section is for categories. This basically organizes your apps into categories. The categories are Apps, Gallery, Music, Video, Documents, and Compressed files. This makes it easy to find files that would fit into one of these categories.

The next tab over is the Clouds tab. This allows you to access your files in various cloud-based services. The Gcloud service comes preinstalled within the app, but for any of the other services, you will need to install an additional plugin. One of the impressive things about the app is how many different cloud services are supported. Supported cloud services are Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, SugarSync, Yandex, MediaFire, Vdisk, and Kdrive.

The last tab is tools. In tools, you’ll find Safebox, a tool that will allow you to secure certain files on your phone. Super Downloader is a tool to help you manage your downloads. FTP Server allows you to access your files on your desktop computer. Memory Manager allows you to place limits on how much memory apps can use, with 4 presets you can select or manual sliders that you can adjust to your taste.

Other options include an FTP and SMB client for browsing networked file locations. There is also a Web PC Suite download that is a stand alone app by the same developer. File Expert with Clouds integrates with the app and allows you to transfer files between other devices and platforms.

The basic account is ad supported and gives you all the basic functionality of the app. There are 3 other versions that are paid.

Professional Version $2.99

• Remove all ads
• Secure file locker
• Retrieval of deleted files
• Unlimited file tags

Premium Version $6.99/mo

• Adds to Professional Version
  • 1T of Gcloud storage
  • Support for Dropbox data sync
  • Login required to use app

Flagship Version $19.99/mo

• Adds to Premium Version
  • 5T of Gcloud storage

File Expert with Clouds setup

In order to fully be able to utilize the potential of the app, there are a few additional steps that you will need to follow in addition to downloading it from Google Play. Those steps involve downloading the plugins required to use your favorite cloud services and network locations. From there, you will need to login into the various cloud services that you use.

File Expert with Clouds usage

I found File Expert with clouds very easy to use. At first I wondered why they wouldn’t just bake the plugins into the app, but realized that this was probably a way to save space on your phone without compromising the functionality of the app.

The one thing that I had trouble with was moving files from one location to another. I tried to consolidate some videos on my SD card into the same folder, but I was greeted with an error message everytime I tried. I was able to delete files and use every other function of the app without any problem. I’m not sure what the hang up was. I even tried it in multiple locations. I was able to get it to work on my 1st gen Moto G, but for some reason it didn’t want to cooperate with my Asus PadFone X.

I also liked that they included a root explorer functionality.

What we liked:

• Feed
• Cloud services integration
• Material design

What could be better:

• Include the functionality of the plugins into the app

File Expert with Clouds summary

If you’re looking for a feature-rich file manager and you use a lot of cloud storage then I highly recommend that you download this app. I was initially a little underwhelmed, mostly because I am very happy with my current file manager. But as I delved deeper into the app, I was left feeling very impressed and contemplating whether I would make the switch or keep what I have. What do you think? Are you going to give the app a shot? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Organize your phone using File Expert with Clouds appeared first on AndroidGuys.

ASUS Zenwatch 2 review

The ASUS ZenWatch was one of the best looking Android Wear smartwatches to be released last year, bringing elegance and class to this category, while also being priced very competitively. We have seen quite a few different smartwatches since then, but ASUS is hoping to recapture some of the magic with a follow-up to the original Zenwatch, while managing to decrease its price point even further.

Given the far more intense competition it faces, is ASUS’ latest smartwatch worthy of a place on your wrist? We find out, in this in-depth review of the ASUS ZenWatch 2!

Design

Given the fact that most Android Wear smartwatches tend to perform quite similarly and feature almost identical software experiences, it is mainly in the design that some significant distinction can be seen. As was also the case with its predecessor, design continues to be an area in which the ASUS ZenWatch 2 shines.

Made from a high quality stainless steel, the smartwatch looks and feels beautiful and elegant, with a design language that somewhat resembles a traditional luxury watch, albeit maintaining a nice and simple form. It’s not particularly flashy, which is a good thing in a world that is still adjusting to the idea of smartwatches. There are some options available as far as the color scheme of the stainless steel body is concerned, including silver, gunmetal, and rose gold.

Another choice that is now available to users is with regards to the size, with there now being two variants of the ZenWatch 2, a 49 mm version featuring a 1.63-inch display, as well as a smaller 45 mm model, that comes with a 1.45-inch screen. Featured in this review is the larger of the two iterations, but even with my small wrists, this version does still feel very comfortable. A big contributing factor to this comfort on the wrist is the thickness of the watch, which is thinner than, and therefore not as bulky, as most other smartwatches currently found in the market.

Swapping out the watch bands is also extremely straightforward, and done easily by using the sliding mechanisms found next to the body of the watch. It is one of the better implementations out there, and makes changing the watch strap a very simple task. Speaking of watch straps, a few color and material choices are available here as well, with the default being a black rubbery band, that has a slight texture to it, and feels quite nice. Leather and metal bands are also available as well, with 22 mm and 18 mm band sizes available for the larger and smaller variants respectively.

Display

As mentioned, the ASUS ZenWatch 2 features either a 1.63-inch or a 1.45-inch display, with the AMOLED screens coming with 320 x 320 or 280 x 280 resolutions respectively. The quality of the display is quite nice, with colors having a nice vibrancy to them, and while the resolution may not seem impressive, it’s certainly more than enough to get the job done. A nice curved Corning Gorilla Glass 3 panel protects the display, which should be able to hold up over time.

Unfortunately, the large bezels around the display that were seen with the original do make a return this time around as well, which is quite disappointing. With the display being of an AMOLED construction however, black watch faces do seem to blend into these bezels, but that is still not entirely enough to make up for how the bezels will otherwise end up looking.

Performance and hardware

Under the hood, the ASUS ZenWatch 2 packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, backed by 512 MB RAM, which continues to be the standard processing package for almost every Android Wear smartwatch out there. Given the identical nature of the processor and the software experience, performance on this smartwatch is as expected, with their being no obvious hiccups or struggles with the UI. The watch does a very good job of remaining snappy and smooth while navigating through the various cards and menus, with very few stutters being noticeable.

The ZenWatch 2 can connect to your mobile device using Bluetooth 4.1, and can also connect to a Wi-Fi network. Bluetooth connectivity is very good, and the range is surprisingly impressive as well. In other hardware, also available is a six-axis gyroscope, that helps to pick up subtle wrist gestures. One such gesture that is available across the board is the ability to bring up the device to glance at it, allowing for a quick look at any information. This works pretty well for the most part, and very rarely will it not detect your motion and fail to light up the screen.

A welcome change between iterations is the relocation of the power button, which is now found on the right side, instead of on the back, which allows for the addition of a few more capabilities as well. Pushing the button will turn on or turn off the display, and pressing and holding it will bring up the menu that houses your applications, contacts, and Google Now. Another way to turn off the display, which is also a lot more fun and easier to use, is by just tapping the screen with the palm of your hand. This gesture works perfectly, and you feel a little vibration on your wrist, after which, the display will turn off, or go into a dimmer or non-color mode depending on your setting.

The ASUS ZenWatch 2 comes with an IP67 certification for resistance to dust and water, which means that along with complete protection from dust, the device can also be submerged in up to 1 meter of water, for as long as 30 minutes, without a negative impact on performance and usability. Keep in mind is that this water resistance applies to fresh water only, and not salt water.

Battery

The larger variant of the ZenWatch 2 comes with a 400 mAh battery, while the smaller version features a 300 mAh unit. As is often the case with an Android Wear smartwatch, the battery life is surprisingly disappointing during the first couple of days and charging cycles, after which it drastically improves. Initially, it was difficult to get through a full day without the watch dying, with it lasting just around 10 hours, with the brightness set to 3, and the screen always on ambient mode. That changed significantly after a few charging cycles, with the watch now lasting comfortably for at least a full day, which should be even more if you don’t use ambient mode.

The charging experience has also been vastly improved, with there being no dock or cradle anymore, but instead a magnetic pogo pin connector, that makes making the connection for charging very easy. The device also charged quite fast, and it was possible to get up to 50% of the charge back in just 30 minutes.

Software

On the software side of things, there is not a lot you are going to find to be different when compared to the other Android Wear smartwatches out there, with Google not allowing for any significant tweaking or skinning of their smartwatch operating system.

One way to offer some distinction here comes in the form of watch faces, and there are a lot of options pre-loaded with this device, with some being more customizable than others, and offering varying degrees of information, including battery life, step count, weather, and a lot more. Of course, there is also a slew of watch faces available for download from the Google Play Store as well.

The software experience is, of course, the same across the board. After syncing the watch with your Android smartphone, and now even iOS device, via Bluetooth, you will start to receive notifications on your wrist, that you can browse through by swiping up or down, with a swipe left bringing up more options to deal with a notification you want to interact with further. While the screen is on, you can initiate voice commands by saying “OK Google,” that features the same functionality as Google Now. Voice recognition is very reliable, and makes it extremely easy to reply to messages, and do a lot more, using your voice.

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You will need to download the Android Wear application from the Google Play Store to get started, but ASUS has some great apps of their own on offer, which gives you some extra freedom, and further enhances the smartwatch experience. With the ZenWatch app, you can trigger a “find my watch” alarm, send emergency messages to close contacts, and even launch a flashlight. Another available app is called Remote Camera, which allows you to view what your phone camera can see through the watch. Another ASUS app worth mentioning is the Wellness app, which can be an alternative to the Google Fit application.

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Pricing and final thoughts

Quite a lot of Android Wear smartwatches that are currently available do offer the look and feel and of a luxurious traditional time piece, but that luxury usually comes at a price. Fortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case with the ASUS ZenWatch 2, which is priced extremely competitively, given the quality that it features, with a price point starting at just $129.

So there you have it, for this in-depth look at the ASUS ZenWatch 2! There are a lot of great looking smartwatches out there, but one that offers such quality at such a competitive price point is rare. If you’re looking to get into the smartwatch game, the ZenWatch 2 is a great option, with it sporting a beautiful, luxurious look, while still having very simple aesthetics. It is customizable enough, with different choices for colors, sizes, and watch bands, that makes finding your own style very easy. You might have to end up charging this smartwatch more often than any others, but if that is the only compromise that has to be made to accommodate the inexpensive price, you can’t go wrong with the ASUS ZenWatch 2.

SportScore helps you stay ahead (App Review)

There are various apps out there to help you keep up with your favorite sport team, and today we’ll be looking at one app in particular, namely SportScore. Although the name states “Sport”, it only offers Soccer matches from English clubs, so it may not fulfill your expectations.

Setup

As soon as you open the app for the first time, you are prompted to sign in with your account. As it’s likely you don’t have one, you will obviously need to create one. While inconvenient, this allows you to save your selected teams and fixtures if you decide to use the app on a different device. It should be mentioned that you can also log in with your Facebook account.

Other then that, you are free to go ahead and start using the app. It is simple enough to go right in without a tutorial.

Functionality

The app is designed to be used for keeping up with what’s happening in the world of English Soccer clubs. You are able to bookmark upcoming matches, select your favorite teams and generally be able to see what’s up with your clubs of interest. Live scores are fed into a dedicated panel, and provide scores as the game is played.

The simple UI is relatively enjoyable; the banner advert at the bottom is perhaps the biggest inconvenience, and I could not find any way to remove them with in-app purchases. Putting your phone in airplane mode will not help as the app unfortunately requires an internet connection. There is also a ‘Save’ button that appears permanently in the view, instead of just when you are saving any changes you made to your subscribed clubs. Otherwise, results are posted quickly and accurately, and I found the app easy to use. It will certainly come in handy for any fans who keep a close eye on clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United.

Is it for me?

Only if you are a supporter of English football. The clubs are all based in Britain, and is really ideal if you are the right person.

What we liked:

• Simple UI
• Wide range of actions you can do with the app
• Ability to keep track with your account

And not so much..

• Annoying ‘Save’ button

Granted, if you like English football clubs, SportScore is likely to bring convenience to your daily life. With a host of handy features, you’re guaranteed to never miss a score and always know who is on top of their game.

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CHOETECH Iron Stand wireless charger 3-coil charging pad (Review)

CHOETECH’s Iron Stand wireless charger is perfect for those of you who love wireless charging. Many new phones in 2015 are compatible with Qi wireless charging, but manufacturers have yet to include a wireless charger with your compatible devices. Why they have yet to include wireless chargers is beyond me, since phones like the Samsung S6 and Note 5 have the feature built into the phones. Instead they still give users a charger with a microUSB cable that is needed to charge the device.

Wireless chargers from manufacturers can cost over 75 dollars, and if you’re a savvy shopper, you look to sites like Androidguys to provide reviews on third party accessories to get the most bang for your buck.

CHOETECH Iron Stand wireless charger build and usage

The CHOETECH Iron Stand wireless charger is built out of what feels like aluminum, or another lightweight metal or metal alloy. It stands just an inch shorter than my Samsung Note 5 and is just slightly wider. It is solid and as the name suggests, it is strong as “Iron”. There are four LED lights to indicate that it is charging your Qi compatible device and a mirror finish in the front giving this charger a very premium design.

As much as I hate to admit, it looks perfect next to my Apple wireless keyboard and trackpad. Apple has won many design awards and CHOETECH’s Iron Stand wireless charger looks great on my desk.

Within the wireless charger, CHOETECH included three charging coils to give you trouble-free charging that disk style chargers can cause. The disk or flat style wireless chargers are typically much smaller than the device it charges meaning the device needs perfect placement. With the CHOETECH Iron Stand wireless charger you can charge your device at any angle and in landscape or portrait mode. As you can see in my pictures, I am watching a movie while typing on my laptop.

The wireless charger powers up my Note 5 as I type this review and watch a movie in the background. I don’t have to plug my phone into a microUSB cable and I have the device in the perfect angle for viewing. It is my favorite wireless charger to date. CHOETECH put the customer in mind when they designed and built the Iron Stand wireless charger.

Also a top priority for CHOETECH is their reputation. With the charger CHOETECH offers an 18-month warranty, which is six months longer than typical. They promise to charge your device with technology to prevent overheating and overcharging.

Product Specifications :

What I liked

• Build quality
• Metal build
• 3-coil charging system for charging at any angle
• Compatible with all Qi enabled devices like the Nexus 6, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 etc.
• Included 2-amp charging plug
• Price

What I didn’t like

• That I only have one and I need to buy another for my office and lab at work

Summary

For less than $40, the CHOETECH Iron Stand wireless charger offers a premium design and build for your Qi enabled devices. A stand is much easier to use than a flat charging pad and has converted me into a stand lover. It is especially useful for those times you want to watch a movie or TV show while it charges. Simply set on the charger and stop worrying about trying to plug that little microUSB cable into your device.

If you want to pick up a CHOETECH Iron Stand wireless charger hit the link below. Please let me know if you order one and tell me how you like it. I hope you found this review helpful.

Amazon.com or check it out at CHOETECH.

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