Moto Surround: earphones for the busy (Review)
Motorola recently refreshed many of their products, including their sound devices. Out of this came a set of headphones and a set of earphones: the Moto Pulse and the Moto Surround, respectively. I had a chance to use both, and I have already written about the Moto Pulse. So, it’s time to dive into the Moto Surround.
The Moto Surround was made for those who are active, or use their hands a lot, and don’t want their earphones to get in the way. Further, Motorola gave the Moto Surround the ability to take and make calls, as well as water/sweat resistant. Basically, this is the perfect set of earphones for those who want to be hands-free. Or are they?
Setup
Much like the new Moto Pulse headphones, setting up the Moto Surround earphones was a cinch. There was a little more haggling with Bluetooth switches with the Moto Surround than its cousin, but overall it was a much more pleasurable experience compared to most other Bluetooth devices.
Once your paired, just place the black band around your neck, and you’re set.
Usage
I must admit, I’m not the overly active type. So the benefits of a black band around your neck mostly allude me, but I’ll do my best to portray my experience for those who are active (don’t guilt me…).
The black band is fairly comfortable, and walking around my school and using them during the little exercise I do get in, I never found it to be in the way. Further, I sweat more than I’d like, but seeing as how the Moto Surround is water resistant, I never had a problem with controls are anything.
The band brought two benefits outside of keeping the earphones in my ears while moving:
- The controls are easy to get to, with most of what I used on the right side of the band at the very front. With other wireless earphones, the controls are usually on a tiny pad somewhere on the wire, which isn’t the most convenient. With the Moto Surround, you’re fumbling hands will almost always hit their mark.
- The Moto Surround has these neat magnets in the earphones themselves and the ends of the band, so that the outside of the earphone will attach to each button inside the blue circle. I’m a geek with magnets, so when I accidentally found this out, I was like a kid in a candy shop – giddy.
Going back to the controls, I found them very responsive. They are very tactile and clickable, making it easy to know if you’ve pressed a button. As I mentioned, most of them are housed on the right side of the band. On the bottom you have the power button, next to the charging port which is covered in case of rain (or sweat). Sort of on the side, or I suppose front-face of the band on the right side you have the play/pause button, with the answer/end call button on the left side. Then on the right side on the top you have the volume up/previous track button, and then the volume down/next track button.
Motorola claims 12 hours of playtime with the Moto Surround, and that’s probably accurate. I used them for about 15 hours before getting the low battery alert, but that was because I left them on accidentally for a couple of hours not playing anything. Still, it’s impressive that, again, the estimation Motorola gave seems to be rounding down instead of up.
Sound Quality
If you read my Moto Pulse review, I mentioned I am no audiophile – this still applies here. I didn’t become one overnight, sadly. However, I do have an ear that’s better than most when it comes to sound quality.
With the Moto Surround, the sound was good. Motorola claims their aptX technology allows superior sound through smaller speakers (read: earphones). I’m not sure how much the aptX technology actually applies, but I certainly enjoyed the sound I received. They got very loud, which is aided by the fact that the plug blocks any outside noise out very well. I had a coworker tell me he tried to say “Hello” as I was walking by (claiming he was shouting) him one day, and I never even noticed him.
Further, I could hear each instrument clearly during music, with distinct highs and lows. I found mids to struggle a little, but I think that had more to do with them being earphones than poor sound quality.
Basically, for $70 wireless earphones, the sound is good.
The Moto Surround is a great entry into the wireless earphones space. Not only do they offer good sound, but they allow free range movement with getting in the way. Plus, there is little to no fumbling around with them like you would with other earphones between the well-placed and tactile buttons, and the magnets on the ends of the band. Further, those who are active don’t need to worry about water/sweat ruining your earphones, as these are resistant to both! All of this for $70, which is a fair price compared to other options on the market.
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Fit in with Block Tile Puzzle (App Review)
Block Tile Puzzle is a great game for someone who loves nostalgic titles. It’s one of those click-and-play games that don’t require much and that can be played pretty much anywhere. The Tetris inspired gameplay with a twist is entertaining and doesn’t take a genius to play it.
Setup
There’s very little here. You’ll get the usual Play Games login and then you’re off. I was a bit surprised when there was no tutorial. You go straight into gameplay and don’t really need one, although it would’ve been nice to see a bit of help.
The standard volume on/off is available, along with the neat option of changing the theme color which is disguised as a night/day mode button.
Gameplay
Gameplay is nothing new, being based on Tetris, you goal is to piece the pieces together and make a complete row, but there are a few twists. Firstly, there isn’t a time limit to get the piece in the right place. It’s slotted at the bottom and you have time to choose where you want to place it, although you can still only have that one piece until you use it. Secondly, the pieces are a bit different to the normal configurations. This opens it up a bit to how you can build your rows. And lastly, you can place pieces mid-board, so they can float and not be touching other pieces. Altogether you’d think that this would make the game way too easy, it doesn’t actually. It was still a bit challenging, although you obviously get better each time.
Overall, the game was entertaining and was good enough to have me coming back for more.
Is it for me?
Unless you don’t play games or prefer hardcore games, then it’s likely Block Tile Puzzle will entertain you. It’s really suitable for anyone, thanks to its simplicity and ease o use.
What we liked:
- Entertaining gameplay
- Ease of use
- Clean UI
And not so much…
- Lack of levels/in game challenges
Block Tile Puzzle is one of the better games out there. With entertaining gameplay, ease of use and simplicity, it sure gives its Play Store competitors a run for their money.
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EasyAcc 2nd. Gen Brilliant Power Bank (review)
With a 4.5 star rating on Amazon.com from almost 4k reviewers, I didn’t have much doubt that the EasyAcc 2nd generation power bank would let me down when I had the opportunity to review it. I love to review these portable power banks. There are still many people who don’t know what they are and once they find out about them, they are life savers. I have many friends and family who are constantly running low on battery and wait to get home to charge their devices. They will stop using their phones while they are out just because they need to save that 5% remaining power for an emergency.
In my arsenal of techie stuff, I own at least 5 power banks at any given time. Us writers usually have a lot of stuff, and our friends and family are always oohing and ahhing at our stuff so we end up giving it to them at some point. But this power bank from EasyAcc is going to stay in my arsenal and here is why.
Design and Usage
A few years ago, when phones had much smaller batteries, portable chargers didn’t need to be excessively large. I remember my first power bank being very small by today’s standards. It was made by Mophie and easily fit in my pocket. Today, with phones like my Samsung Galaxy Note Edge and Galaxy Note5, 3000mAh is what I am used to which means I need a decent sized backup battery if I want more than one charge.
The EasyAcc battery pack is not much larger than my Amazon Fire phone, which makes this a pretty small package at 10000mAh. It makes for easy carrying when I don’t have my backpack with me and just need to throw it in my back pocket.
The battery has a micro USB on the side of it, with a flashlight in the front, flanked by two USB charging ports. It definitely has a solid construction and is coated with a matte plastic cover which doesn’t attract fingerprints. I simply love the design. In order to turn on the flashlight, all you have to do is click the power button twice and it will provide about as much light as the flash on your smartphone.
The EasyAcc 2nd generation Brilliant 10000mAh bank fits just in the right spot where I can charge my phone three times on one battery charge, or I can charge my Note Edge and Note5 at the same time. The other cool factor of this battery is that you can charge this battery while also charging a phone connected to it at the same time. Most other batteries usually can only do one at a time. This is great if you need to charge your battery, while on a trip, and your phone at the same time. It eliminates the need to have a second wall charger on yourself, keeping traveling as light as possible.
10000mAh is not too big and is not too small. Just like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, this battery is just right.
I recently brought the EasyAcc battery pack with me on a 3 day camping trip. By no means was I on my phone much during the trip, but with a weak signal, my battery on my Note5 drained rather quickly. This battery pack provided me enough power to make it through 2 nights and 3 days without needing to hop in my truck for a recharge.
The version I tested was the orange and black model, but there are also 5 other colors available through Amazon.com.
Specs
- 10000mAh
- Smart charge technology
- Auto on/off
- Output 5V/2.4A(max)
- Input DC 5V/2A
Summary
For less than 20 dollars, you can get the EasyAcc 10000mAh 2nd generation battery pack on Amazon.com. You really can’t go wrong with this battery pack – with a superb price, excellent build, and incredible specs, the EasyAcc Brilliant battery pack is perfect. It has little features like a built-in flashlight and big features like the ability to smart charge your devices quickly making it a well rounded device.
Battery packs are typically a dime a dozen, but there are instances like this where it is easy to recommend to anyone. This battery pack is mine and will stay mine – if any of my friends and family ask for my EasyAcc battery pack I will simply point them to Amazon.com where they can order their own.
If you would like to read more about this battery pack head on over to EasyAcc.
If you would like to purchase your own battery pack, you can order it here.
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CHOETECH Circle Qi wireless charger (review)
CHOETECH seriously makes quality accessories for your mobile devices. They recently sent me the Circle Qi wireless charger to review, in addition to the quick charger for my car, and due to my experiences with their products. I even spent my own money buying more of their products for my personal use like their home quick charger. This happened to work out perfectly for me, as I have an AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note5 to review which has wireless charging built into the device.
Let’s get into the review.
Design and Usage
Out of the box, the CHOETECH Circle Qi wireless charger feels like every other product they make – premium. The disk is compact but not so compact that it is a pain to find the right spot to charge your device. It is about as wide as the Note5 which makes for easy placement, and it’s not so big that it takes up an unnecessary amount of space on my desk.
The other nice touches CHOETECH put into this charger are silicon rings around the bottom and top of the charger. The rubber provides grip for the phone and the desk, keeping this unit in one place, and prevents your phone from sliding off the top. It’s a simple feature that pays huge dividends when it comes to ease of placement.The rubber grips onto the phone making it super easy to put the phone down in the right spot.
The other nice touch that they built into this charger was a blue light that lights up to show your device is charging.
I’ve owned several other wireless chargers and ended up putting them in a closet and disconnecting them, because their indicators lights were so bright that they kept me awake at night. CHOETECH knew this was a concern and built in an ambient light sensor, so when I turned off my lights so did the charger’s light. It’s a nifty feature that was well thought out and prevents me from putting electrical tape over the light.
Overall, I couldn’t have been happier with this wireless charger.
Specs
- Input – 5V/2A
- Output – 5V/1A
- Charging distance – 0-5mm
- Dimensions – 3.3×3.3x.7in
- Weight – 64g
- Conversion – >70%
- Qi compliant
- Lighting sensor
- 18 month warranty
Summary
Not all products are built equally. I’ve owned many wireless chargers before but never found one that I loved. I actually really enjoyed testing this review unit and purchased another for my office(lab). As much as I love having the ability to swap batteries on my phones, I enjoy not having to plug my phone in to charge it almost as much. CHOETECH converted me into a wireless charger type of user. The CHOETECH Circle Qi wireless charger is only $19.99 on Amazon.com and comes with a micro USB cable. It’s a much cheaper alternative to Samsung’s official wireless charger which retails for $49.99.
CHOETECH builds some of the most high quality accessories you can get your hands on and I trust all of my devices with their products.
This device is compatible with the Galaxy S6/S6 edge/S6 edge+/Note5/Nexus 4,5,6 and all other Qi enabled devices.
If you want to pick on up, do so here at Amazon.com.
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TextSecure: a privacy-oriented, text messaging client (App review)
There is a vast selection of text messengers on Google Play. However, not all of them are as privacy-oriented as the one for today’s review. TextSecure is able to encrypt messages, so long as each person involved in the conversation uses the client.
For those of you who already have a text messenger, switching to another one could be a tall order, I understand. That’s especially true when you and the other person need to use TextSecure in order to get the full benefits. For now, let’s examine the app and see if it is worth your consideration.
Setup
Setup is quick and simple. Head over to Google Play and download and install the app.
When you open TextSecure, it will ask for you for your phone number, so that it can be registered for an identity key. This will send an SMS to your device for confirmation.
Functions and Features
At first glance, TextSecure behaves like other text messengers.
You can start a new conversation by clicking the icon at the bottom right.
Speaking of conversations, you’ll easily know that your connection to another person is encrypted when a lock icon appears underneath both your messages.
Click the lock at the top right in order to view everyone’s identity keys or to end the secure session. The lock indicates you are messaging someone who is using the app, by the way.
From the main screen, use the search button at the top right to look up existing conversations of your contacts.
Located next to this is a menu icon. Within it, you can create a group chat, mark all conversations as read, import and export conversations, view your identity key, and go to settings.
There are settings for SMS and MMS, notifications, privacy, appearance, deleting old messages, and advanced settings.
Most of these are quite standard, like WiFi calling compatibility mode, a selection of visual and auditory notifications, and a light and a dark theme.
One of the most noteworthy features of TextSecure is the privacy settings.
You can create a password for messages, which can be changed at anytime. Set a time interval if you don’t want to enter in your password each time you bring the app to the foreground.
Interestingly, screenshots can be blocked in the app, as well.
Lastly, under advanced, you will find an option called “TextSecure messages.” Enabling this option allows for free private messaging to TextSecure and Signal (the iOS counterpart) users.
What we liked
- Simple, modern design
- The ability to change the accent color for contacts
- Using a passphrase to lock the app
- Optional, secure text sessions for TextSecure users
- Optional, private (group) IMs for TextSecure users
- Choice between a light theme and a dark theme
What we don’t like
- Nothing
Depending on what you want from a text messenger, TextSecure may not be the best. By that, I mean it does not have the most extensive customization, for example. You won’t be able to make an image the background of a thread or change the fonts of each individual thread. Although you can change the accent color of each conversation, I’d consider other options should you want customization.
On the other hand, TextSecure caters to a privacy-oriented niche, one which it does really well. Users who prefer this may also like the fact that it is open source. Sure, you and your friends and family will need to switch in order take advantage of its features, and for a lot of people, that’s not worth it. However, if you want an option to keep your texts encrypted, TextSecure is one of a few, great options at the moment.
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Moto Pulse: a wonderful wireless widget
Alliteration aside (see what I did there?), I had the opportunity to spend some time with the Moto Pulse wireless headset. And let me tell you, I now want to buy a pair. Why is that, you ask? Well my friend, that’s what I’m here to do, to answer such questions!
Setup
Setup was surprisingly easy for a Bluetooth headset. Almost perpetually the first time setting up a Bluetooth device to my phone is an arduous process of turning Bluetooth on and off, searching for a device, making both visible, so on and so forth.
However, turning the Moto Pulse on and pairing to both my smartphone and laptop was an instantaneous action. I was listening to audio without any qualms.
And that, is a beautiful thing.
Usage
Again, using these headphones could not have been an easier thing to do. Any time I did struggle was because I was actually complicating things (I know, surprising).
On the right-ear cup are a myriad of buttons to control the audio from your device. Starting from the top going down, you have the power button, which also acts as the answer/end call button, then volume up/previous track, volume down/next track, and lastly play/pause button.
Usually when devices have buttons with dual purposes, it is a pain in the butt to perform the action you need. 
However, again I found that following the directions to perform an action would translate perfectly to the device. Skipping tracks, pausing sound, answering calls, everything was a seamless experience. What’s great is this seemingly works across all apps. At least the play/pause button worked with Google Play Music Joyride and YouTube. I can’t guarantee this per se, but it certainly seems hopeful.
Another great thing about these headphones is just how light they are. If it weren’t for the fact that I live in Phoenix, Arizona where the heat makes anything noticeable, I probably would have hardly noticed I had them at all. So, traveling with them was a breeze, whether it was around my neck or in my bag. A neat design choice Motorola added was that the headphone cups will turn so that the headset lays flat, making storage in a bag much better than just about any other set of headphones. I definitely preferred this method over headphones that fold in, but that might be personal preference. Add with all of this the fact that these are wireless headphones, and the Moto Pulse is the perfect set of headphones for travel.
Now one hesitation for wireless headphones is battery life. I’ll tell you straight-up, battery life is no problem for the Moto Pulse. Motorola claims 18 hours of usage for these, and yet, in some miraculous form of black magic, I’ve gotten about 24 hours of use. Generally a manufacturers claim for battery life rounds up, but for these they rounded down! Have you figured out yet why I love these so much?
Sound Quality
Now, I should front this section by saying this: I don’t necessarily consider myself an audiophile, however, I do drive my wife nuts by complaining that sound from our TV, car, etc doesn’t sound very good when she thinks it’s fine (maybe that’s just typical spousal bickering…). Point being, I don’t want audiophiles to come back with their torches and pitchforks when something I said wasn’t right.
With that out of the way, I thought the Moto Pulse sounds great. I can hear each instrument clearly, with good highs and lows. If anything, there were times where I wanted to feel the bass a bit more, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t fix with an equalizer on my phone. When listening to podcasts (with voices only), I could hear each voice crisply, and never felt as though I was missing something because I couldn’t understand someone.
So, these $60 pair of headphones isn’t going to win any audio awards necessarily, but I think 99% of the world is going to love the sound that come out of the headphones. If you need something more, then stop looking at $60 headphones!
Overall
Ask anyone I’ve been bugging the last few weeks, I love these headphones. They sound good, feel good, are easy to setup and use, have a long battery life, and travel well. Further, they look good, and have no wires!
Now I know what you’re thinking: how much do I need to spend to enjoy these great headphones? $60. Yup. When it comes to wireless headphones that work well and sound good you’re generally looking to spend over $100. The Moto Pulse? Nope. $60.
Have I mentioned I love these headphones?
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Cheats for Minecraft Pocket Edition (app review)
Cheats for Minecraft Pocket Edition isn’t what the title seems to indicate. It isn’t an app that allows cheats in Minecraft PE via the app. Instead, it’s the mobile app for the website minecraftpecheats.com. The web developer used the Mobiloud Wordpress plugin to create his app out of his web page. I wanted to mention that upfront because it’s important to judge this app based on what it is and not on what it seems to be.
Cheats for Minecraft PE overview
As I mentioned this app is simply a repacked version of their website with push notifications. To me, this is the biggest disappointment. My opinion on mobile apps is that they should offer up a significant feature or improvement over what is available on the mobile site. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The push notifications are the only improvement over the website, but I can get those with my favorite RSS reader.
As I mentioned earlier this is basically minecraftpecheats.com reframed into a mobile app. I feel like the rest of the review is basically a review of the site, but I’ll refer to it in the context of the app.
This is basically a Minecraft PE blog. There are articles that are broken down into categories. These articles showcase maps, seeds, world designs, guides, mods, skins, and news. The app will allow you to filter the articles, based on the aforementioned categories.
Cheats for Minecraft PE setup
Other than installing it from Google Play, there is no other setup required.
Cheats for Minecraft PE app usage
At first I didn’t like the app. I didn’t understand what the app was. I was thinking that the app would enable cheats on Minecraft PE. After all there are a few Minecraft apps that enable mods, so why not?
I soon noticed that the cards were actually articles, so I googled “Cheats for Minecraft PE” and the website popped up. As I’m looking at it, it dawns on me that it’s the same exact thing as the app.
From there I started questioning why the app was even necessary, but I realized that I would have never found the web page if I had never found the app. I imagine that the developer uses the app as a discovery tool.
While there is nothing that I can access on the app that I can’t access on the website, the app does seem to load much quicker than the website. The interface is also easier to use than on the website. However, there are plugins for WordPress that the developer can use to make the website look more like the app.
What we liked:
- Easy to use interface
- Fast loading
- Interesting reads
What could be better:
- Different functionality than the website
Cheats for Minecraft PE summary
Overall I found that the articles were interesting to read. The app loaded quicker than the web page and there are push notifications, but these are features found in most RSS readers. I believe that the purpose of this app has more to do with providing another avenue to discover minecraftpecheats.com, than to make it easier to read on mobile devices.
Nevertheless, if you are a Minecraft PE fan, then you will probably enjoy using this app. There is a lot of cool information in the app that fans will appreciate.
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Zorloo Z:ero Digital Earphone review: Move over everyone!
Since earphones came out, they’ve constantly been increasing in quality, sound and price. Bluetooth earphones were the last milestone in the technology, and we haven’t seen much change since. But a company from China, Zorloo, is set to change that with their latest offering: A set of digital earphones at a great price.
What exactly are ‘digital’ earphones? Rather than route an audio signal through an audio jack and then on up to the drivers, Zorloo’s earphones are plugged into the micro-USB port of an USB OTG-capable smartphone or tablet. This diverts the audio signals from its normal path, bypassing the phones own amp and running it through the Z:ero inline control unit, which also splits the connection to the two earbuds.
This is where all the magic happens
Inside the control unit is a six layer PCB sporting a Cortex-M3 processor and a Wolfson WM8918 DAC and headphone amp, and is said to produce up to three times the output power of a regular smartphone’s audio jack. This also means that any audio processing strain is taken away from the phone.
What does all this mean? Quite simply, the quality is considerably better, arguably the best in the market. With a price tag of $39, the Z:ero earphones look set to change the market.
In the Box
For a $39 set of earphones, you get quite a decent amount of goodies. They are available in either red or gold, and come in a handy little carry pouch with:
- 3 Sets of different sized eartips
- A USB to micro USB converter (To use with a PC)
- 6 month warranty slip
- Instruction leaflet
And some Silica gel, just to top it off. I quite like the little carry pouch. It’s sturdy and just the right size to carry around.
Build and Quality
The first time you pick them up, it becomes immediately obvious that Z:ero is made out of premium materials. The eartips are cold to the touch, something that can be attributed to the Aluminium build. When placed in the ear, they are surprisingly comfortable for the straight shape they have, although I do think they could improve by having an angle to them.
Speaking of Aluminum build, I’m relieved they aren’t plastic. Very often plastic headsets break for no reason, or split in half exposing the wires, something I’m confident will not happen to Z:ero.
With a length of 4.2 feet, they’re not gonna limit you
The wire also feels premium, and after a few tugs and twists at the base of the ear tips, I doubt that they’re going to come out or be damaged anytime soon. Perhaps this is in part thanks to the plastic coating around the wire, which bounces back if twisted. The only doubt I have is regarding the micro USB connection. Especially when it’s at the bottom of your phone, it may be prone to damage and the connector lacks any reinforcement. So far it is sturdy and resilient, but I’m not sold with what the long term effects may have on it.
Sound
While I’m no audio expert, I can say with certainty that Z:ero offers some of the best audio playback available today. High’s and low’s are equally good, with the bass side probably having a slight advantage. Neither were overdone, but were rather at a sweet spot. Andy Ho, the developer behind Z:ero said they optimized the control unit for pop and electronic type music, as their market is primarily focused on the youth. Luckily for him, that happens to apply to me and can honestly say that this is the best I have heard music before.
You will still be able to hear outside noise a little bit if they aren’t playing loud (Which I do not recommend). Speaking of volume, Z:ero works a bit differently to your conventional headset as the volume up/down on the earphone works independently of your phones. This basically means that you should put your Android’s media volume on 100%, and use the provided controls on the unit.
Similary, this works across all devices. My Windows 10 laptop had no problem playing audio with the provided adapter, and provided more bass, probably due to the drivers.
Daily Usage
I should start off here by saying that Z:ero’s are not compatible with a lot of phones. If your phone supports USB OTG (On The Go), you’ll most likely have no problem using them. Please don’t fool yourself here: They will not work with just any old phone that’s lying around in your cupboard, and most likely won’t work with a phone that doesn’t support OTG. Head over here for an incomplete of supported phones.
Now that I’ve got that off my chest, I’d like to blow it away and carry on, but I can’t quite yet. There are several other small issues that are compromises, and there is no real fix to them.
Firstly, you obviously cannot charge your phone while using them. This is going to be a problem for some, while for people like me, it’s not really going to change anything. Secondly, they drain more battery than a conventional pair, thanks to the built in DAC unit. On my LG G4, I did not really experience any drain. Mr Ho claims that about 50mAh will be consumed, which makes up 1/60th of my battery life, or 1.67%; an amount so pathetic you shouldn’t worry about it.
And lastly, you can’t just go anywhere and plug them in a headphone jack like you would before. As someone with an iPad, I had to watch my YouTube videos with my old headset, a minor inconvenience. Zorloo is bringing out a pair with the Lightning connection for those interested, and with the USB adapter, this should soon become a non-worry.
Overall, there was not much hassle using Z:ero. Perhaps my biggest obstacle was having to find which one bud went in which ear each time. There are markings, but they’re small and impossible to see at night.
Conclusion
Z:ero offers some of the best audio playback currently available. You’d expect to pay thousands of Dollars, but that is not the case at $39. The highs, bass and treble are perfected. Put together with quality hardware, Zorloo’s Z:ero earphones are the best you can get your hands on. Go get a pair now!
The post Zorloo Z:ero Digital Earphone review: Move over everyone! appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 review
Consumers were pleasantly surprised when Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note in early 2014, with the extremely affordable smartphone offering specifications and features beyond what its price point would suggest. A year later, and the affordable smartphone segment has become increasingly competitive. At a price range below $200, where the original Redmi Note was once king, its successor, the Redmi Note 2, may have a harder go of it.
The follow up brings some key enhancements over the original, but is it enough to stand strong against the tough opposition? We find out, in this in-depth Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 review!
Design
Like its predecessor, the Redmi Note 2 features a large 5.5-inch display, but borrows its design language cues from Xiaomi’s newer releases, like the Xiaomi Mi 4i. There is a striking resemblance between the two smartphones, including the soft touch plastic rear with a matte finish, but while the smaller smartphone comes with an unibody design, the rear cover of the Redmi Note 2 can be removed, allowing for access to the battery, microSD card slot, and dual micro-SIM card slots.
Going around the device, the volume rocker is found above the power button on the right side, and the headphone jack and microUSB port are placed up top and at the bottom respectively. The Redmi Note 2 also adds an IR blaster, and the capacitive navigation keys up front below the display are now illuminated and of a red color. The power button and volume rocker don’t offer as much tactile feedback as one may hope for, but there are certainly no issues as far as responsiveness is concerned.
Despite featuring the same display size, Redmi Note 2 comes with a smaller footprint when compared to its predecessor, and manages to be significantly thinner and lighter as well, allowing for a far improved handling experience. The matte finish on the rear helps with the grip as well, and some users should also be able to manage comfortable one-handed use with the device.
Display
The Redmi Note 2 comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display like its predecessor, but sees a bump in the resolution from 720p to Full HD, resulting in a higher pixel density of 401 ppi. This is a significant upgrade, but a necessary one, given the fact that some of the competition in this price range also feature 1080p screens. The display is of course, sharp and offers excellent viewing angles, but the contrast and vividness of the colors could have used a boost. It’s definitely not a bad display by any means, but it certainly isn’t the best out there, even when compared to other similarly-priced smartphones like the Meizu M2 Note.
Performance
Under the hood, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 comes with an octa-core MediaTek MT6795 Helio X10 processor, clocked at either 2 GHz or 2.2 GHz depending on the version of the device you pick, backed by the PowerVR G6200 GPU and 2 GB of RAM. The processing package is another marked improvement from its predecessor, and as such, addresses all the performance concerns that plagued the original.
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Day to day performance with the Redmi Note was excellent, and everything remained smooth and snappy throughout, and things should get even better with the upcoming rollout of MIUI 7. The device also handles multi-tasking well, but there were a few instances of stutter and lag when it came to gaming, which is a bit of a let down. The phone also did heat up during processor-intensive tasks, but it wasn’t so much as to make the device uncomfortable to hold.
Hardware
The Redmi Note 2 comes with either 16 GB or 32 GB versions, with the top-end model featuring 4G LTE connectivity with both SIM slots, and also comes with a standard suite of connectivity options. Given that this is the Chinese model of the phone, there is expandable storage available via microSD card by up to 32 GB, but it is unclear whether the international version will have this feature. With this version, it was possible to only get HSPA+ connectivity on the AT&T network, so it is a good idea to check for compatibility with your home networks before picking up this phone.
The IR blaster functions as expected, although the in-built Mi Remote app may not be compatible with some televisions. Third-party apps are available however, to allow for support with many other TVs. Overall, this is a very nice addition, which isn’t expected with a device that falls in this price range. The rear speaker of the Redmi Note 2 sounds really good, and offers adequate volume to be heard even in somewhat noisy environments. The distortion isn’t as much as seen with previous Xiaomi smartphones, and the only drawback here is its placement on the rear. This is certainly one of the better audio experiences that can be had when compared to other devices that are priced at below $200.
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The Redmi Note 2 comes with a 3,060 mAh battery, but despite its size, the battery life isn’t as good as expected. With Wi-Fi on for most of the day, and the screen brightness set to auto, the phone was able to manage 4 hours of screen-on time at most, and lasted for around 12 hours overall. Toning down the usage resulted in the battery life going up to 15 hours, but with only 2 hours and 15 minutes of screen-on time. The battery drain is surprisingly significant when the phone is in the idle state, but hopefully, this is a software issue that can be fixed in future updates. If battery life is a concern, the battery of the Redmi Note 2 is removable, which gives you the option of carrying around a spare.
Camera
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 comes with a 13 MP rear camera with a LED flash and phase detection auto focus, and also packs a 5 MP front-facing unit. While the auto focus is very fast, the actual performance of the camera itself is just about average, as there is a noticeable lack in detail and sharpness in images. As far as the camera application is concerned, there are many different camera modes available, and the manual mode allows for more granular control over aspects like white balance and ISO.
Software
The Redmi Note 2 ships with MIUI 6 based on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, but will soon receive an official update to MIUI 7. MIUI is a very different experience from stock Android, but does have a lot of positives, such as the ability to re-organize the quick toggles, adjust the brightness even when auto brightness is on, and also customize what information is seen in the status bar, along with the option to change the display color temperature or contrast.
You can also change the look and feel of the user interface by taking advantage of the robust theme store that is available, as well as change the functions of the capacitive keys. Useful applications that are pre-installed include the Mi Sound Enhancer and the Xiaomi Backup app, that lets you back up app data, as well as launcher layouts, settings, and account information, without requiring root access to do so.
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Of course, MIUI is not without its drawbacks either, such as the fact that you cannot dismiss notifications from the lock screen, or access any other app from it other than the camera. There is also no app drawer, leaving users dependent on folders to keep things organized and clutter-free. A significant drawback with this Chinese version of the phone is also the lack of any Google Apps, but if you pick up the device after its official release in international markets, this won’t be an issue.
Specifications
| Display | 5.5-inch IPS LCD, 1920 x 1080 resolution, 401 ppi |
| Processor | 2/2.2 GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6795 Helio X10 PowerVR G6200 GPU |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Storage | 16/32 GB, expandable up to 32 GB |
| Camera | 13 MP rear camera with LED flash 5 MP front camera |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, FM Radio, IR Blaster |
| Battery | 3,060 mAh |
| OS | MIUI OS 6 based on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop |
| Colors | white, yellow, pink, grey, blue |
| Dimensions | 152 x 76 x 8.3 mm 160 grams |
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Pricing and final thoughts
The Chinese version of the device starts at just $140, with the Prime version, which comes with 32 GB of storage and both SIM slots capable of LTE support, priced at $156, and the price point is expected to be quite similar with the international version of the phone itself. Available color options currently include white, black, yellow, blue, or pink.
So there you have it for this closer look at the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2! This smartphone is an excellent option, especially when considering its price, with it featuring a nice design, powerful processing package, and great software experience. The average camera performance is to be expected, but the disappointing battery life is certainly a letdown however. Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 is one of the better options available in this price range, and things should be even better with the international version of the phone, which will come with Google Apps pre-installed as well.
iClever foldable, portable, and chargeable Bluetooth keyboard (review)
I’ve never used a Bluetooth keyboard until the iClever Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard. Let me tell you that I was impressed. It reminded me allot of typing on my old Asus 10″ Eee PC.
iClever Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard overview
When I first unboxed the iClever keyboard I noticed that the body felt cold. This is because the iClever Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard is encased in aluminum. This gives is a solid quality feel in the hand. Also in the box was a felt carrying bag for the keyboard. It fits the keyboard perfectly. Unfortunately, it fits a little too perfectly. It fits so snug that it can be a pain to put it in and take it out of the bag.
The keyboard opens up in a tri-fold configuration. This makes it extremely portable. In fact, you could fit it in your pants pocket if you wanted to.
When it’s open it rests on the two hinges. This makes it a little unstable sometimes when you put pressure on the outside of the keyboard. I found that as long as I had the keyboard directly in front of me it didn’t wobble unless I pressed too hard on the shift keys.
The keys are spaced a little bit from each other, which makes it feel good to type on. My only gripe on the keys is the location of the backspace button. The placement made it too easy to press the “” instead of the backspace.
iClever Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard setup
Setting up your iClever Bluetooth Foldable Keyboard is as easy as pairing the device. All you need to do to get it into pairing mode is to press the blue Fn key and the Bluetooth icon. From there you search from your device to find the keyboard and viola, you are good to go.
iClever Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard usage
Generally I hate typing anything other than quick messages on my phone. Even with keyboards like Swype and Swift key, I prefer the tactile feedback that you get from a keyboard. In fact I’m writing this review using the iClever keyboard.
Don’t get me wrong, I still prefer a larger full sized keyboard when I write, but this keyboard makes things a lot easier when I’m on the go. When I’m at work I leave it out on my desk to easily type responses to texts and emails.
The keyboard is pretty good at conserving power. I’ve been using it for a week and I’m still going on the charge that was on it when I took it oot of its box. They keyboard will go into a hibernation mode to conserve power when it’s not in use. When you press a key for more than 3 seconds it comes out of hibernation mode and connects back to your device really quickly.
What we liked
- Portability
- Battery life
- Build quality
What could be better
- More stable design
- Better placement of the backspace key
iClever Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard summary
Overall, this is a great Bluetooth keyboard. It’s compact and relatively easy to type on. It has a great build quality to it and the battery life leaves nothing to be desired. If you’re looking for a Bluetooth keyboard, then you could do a lot worse. You can buy the iClever Bluetooth Foldable Keyboard on Amazon for $35 and free shipping for Amazon Prime members.
What do you think? Will you be buying one? Let us know in the comments below.
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