ZTE Axon 7 review
It was merely a year ago when we found out that ZTE was behind the mysterious “Axon Phone,” a promising offering which aimed to keep the consumer in mind. With its Axon sub-brand, ZTE hoped to capture more of the U.S. market by striking a balance between affordability and premiumness.
Interested in ZTE?
- ZTE Axon 7 hands on
- ZTE VR announced
- ZTE ZMAX Pro hands on
- ZTE Grand X Max 2 review
After testing the original ZTE Axon extensively, we granted it our 2015 Editors’ Choice award for its incredible value. Although the original Axon wasn’t perfect by any stretch, it did incorporate unique features like a two-year premium warranty while still making only a few compromises.
On the surface, the succeeding Axon 7 appears to be a major step forward once again, considering the many improvements ZTE has made. It is evident that the ZTE Axon 7 is more than just a minor refinement to the ZTE Axon, but in an increasingly-competitive “flagship killer” market, has ZTE really done enough to make the Axon 7 worthy of your consideration? Let’s explore that question and more with our comprehensive ZTE Axon 7 review!
Buy the Axon 7 now!
Design
The Axon 7’s design could be viewed as a normalization of that of the first Axon, as ZTE has both literally and metaphorically smoothed the edges. Although the updated design is less likely to raise eyebrows, it certainly has character. Unlike many metal smartphones, the Axon 7 does not incorporate plastic caps in its design and instead embraces an aluminum unibody free of any edges.
Although the updated design is less likely to raise eyebrows, it certainly has character
The curved back, although similarly done before, is elegant and feels excellent in the hand. The build quality is great, and it’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to get the Axon 7 to bend, even if you try. The power and volume buttons, which are now both on the right side of the device, as well as the recessed fingerprint reader are very ergonomic. The latter may seem senseless, but it is actually very nice when trying to differentiate it from the camera module.
Some of our keen-eyed readers have likely already noticed and may have even already objected to the Axon 7’s camera hump. Thankfully, it’s not thick enough to cause the phone to wobble when typing on a table, except when typing with excessive force.
ZTE has implemented antenna lines in a such a way to compliment the design rather than blemishing it. The chamfer found where the aluminum meets with the front of the device is also quite nice and feels natural, next to the very slightly curved display.
The “Designed in the USA” tag located on the rear of the Axon 7 may prompt some questions, considering that ZTE is, after all, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer. However, ZTE tells us that they collaborated with Designworks, a US-based BMW Group subsidiary, when designing the Axon 7. This can definitely be seen in the Axon 7’s design, most noticeably with the phone’s curved shape.
I wish the phone wasn’t so slippery in the hand
Although I really like the Axon 7’s design overall, I do wish that the phone wasn’t so slippery in the hand. The Axon 7’s size, smooth metal, and curved side edges combined certainly do not help make the device easier to grip. Although I eventually became accustomed to the Axon 7’s slippery profile, its height is still somewhat problematic. Reaching for the top to access the notification panel can be very interesting at times, given that any adjustment in the hand must be done very carefully due to the phone’s lack of grip.
The three non-illuminated capacitive keys on the U.S. Axon 7 do the job, but could be spaced out a bit more. I am nearly sure that the current implementation was designed to cater to aesthetics, but it can be difficult, especially at first or in a dark environment, to locate the side keys, as they are curiously closer to the center than to the edges of the display.
For what it’s worth, however, I really enjoyed the ability to change the key layout. The indeterminate iconography may be a bit jarring for first-time users, but oftentimes becomes irrelevant after a day or so of use.
Display
ZTE has definitely exceeded my expectations with the Axon 7’s display. Whereas many similarly priced options compromise on either resolution or panel quality, the Axon 7 offers one of the very best displays I have seen on a smartphone. It’s a Quad HD 5.5″ AMOLED display with a pixel density of 538 PPI, which translates to excellent sharpness, punchy and saturated colors, deep blacks, great color reproduction, and excellent contrast and viewing angles. It’s most definitely worthy of competing with the highest-end of displays, like those found on phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S7.
The edges of the display glass taper down to meet with the chamfered aluminum
Sunlight readability is also good, and the display also seems to get dim enough in darker environments. The larger screen size is great for any type of content, without being too big to hold comfortably in many cases. The Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection is also great to see, so users should not have to worry about scratching the display. The edges of the display glass taper down to meet with the chamfered aluminum, which gives the Axon 7 a consistent premium feel when swiping near the edges.
Performance
Under the hood, the Axon 7 is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, with two of the cores running at 2.15GHz and the other two running at 1.6GHz. The Snapdragon 820 has been used in every major flagship smartphone this year, and for good reason, as it is an absolute beast of a processor, offering up some of the best performance to date. It’s a notable step forward from last year’s Snapdragon 810, which was plagued by overheating rumors.
The overall experience is remarkably smooth
In addition to a Snapdragon 820, however, the Axon 7 includes 4 GB of RAM, which is enough for even the heaviest of multitasking. Day-to-day performance was absolutely wonderful and the overall experience is remarkably smooth. The Adreno 530 GPU is also more than enough for mobile gaming.
Although benchmark scores aren’t everything, it is clear that ZTE’s software optimization and selective component choices have paid off. The ludicrous 140,393 score in Antutu is undoubtedly incredible as it reflects actual performance quite well.
Hardware
Last year, we were slightly disappointed that the Axon was only available with 32 GB of non-expandable storage. With the Axon 7, however, ZTE has included not only double the amount of storage (now 64 GB), but has also included a microSD card expansion slot, which accepts up to 256 GB.
Please do keep in mind, however, that you will need to give up one of the SIM card slots if you’d like to take advantage of microSD card expansion. Regardless, this is an invaluable inclusion for those needing lots of space, and may just give the Axon 7 a slight edge over much of the competition.
The ZTE Axon 7 is an unlocked dual-SIM device which works with all major carriers in the United States, so regardless of whether you’re on T-Mobile’s Band 12 or Verizon, you’ll be receiving full coverage. Since the Axon 7 isn’t officially supported by Verizon or Sprint, however, you will need to contact ZTE if any issues arise.
Even when plugging in a pair of $8 earbuds, the difference in audio quality is noticeable
Although ZTE did implement high-quality audio with the first-generation Axon, the Axon 7 takes it to the next level. With dual independent Hi-Fi audio chips, the AKM AK4961 and AKM AK4490, both recording and listening to audio on the Axon 7 is an excellent experience. Even when plugging in a pair of $8 earbuds, the difference in audio quality is noticeable, especially when streaming at higher bitrates. The audio sounds fuller and the volume isn’t as limited as it is on other devices.
If you’re interested in how the Hi-Fi audio recording sounds, you should have a listen of our video review found above, as the voice over was recorded using the Axon 7 and a Rode smartLav+ microphone. For informal recordings, ZTE states that the dual noise cancelling internal microphones are able to clearly capture voices up to eight meters away from the phone, which is quite impressive.
The listening experience with the Axon 7 is extraordinary
Unlike its predecessor, the ZTE Axon 7 features dual-front facing stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos surround sound technology. The listening experience with the Axon 7 is extraordinary; the sound is impressively clear, loud, and full. There’s very little distortion, even at full volume, and the audio is surprisingly immersive. The quality is nearly unmatched, and gives the speaker found on the HTC 10 a run for its money. Whether you choose to listen to music, play a mobile game, or watch a movie, the Axon 7’s speakers will impress you.
The fingerprint reader on the back of the Axon 7 is both fast and accurate, easily beating out comparable devices like the Huawei Nexus 6P. The reversible USB Type-C port is also great to see, and Quick Charge 3.0 (QC3.0) delivers on its promise of providing a 50% charge in just a half hour. Unlike some manufacturers, ZTE has included a QC3.0 complaint charger in the box, so you won’t have to worry about buying one yourself.
Need an extra charger? Best USB Type-C Cables14
Battery Life
The Axon 7’s 3250mAh non-removable battery may seem somewhat small after factoring in the powerful processor and high resolution display, but it actually holds up quite well. Battery life with the Axon 7 is excellent; I was consistently able to achieve upwards of five hours of screen on time with a full day of heavy use. With moderate usage, six hours of screen on time was achievable.
I was consistently able to achieve upwards of five hours of screen on time with a full day of heavy use
Overall, battery life is very comparable to that of the Galaxy S7, which is excellent considering the phone’s price. It does lack wireless charging, unfortunately, but that’s because of the Axon’s metal body. Thankfully for ZTE, many users prefer the much faster QC 3.0 wired charging anyway.
Camera
ZTE has included a 20 MP f/1.8 rear camera with optical image stabilization and phase detection autofocus. In good lighting conditions, the camera does quite well. Images come out sharp and detailed with good contrast and accurate color reproduction. It doesn’t always set exposure correctly, however, and some images can look a bit washed out. Otherwise, the camera is a great performer in good lighting. The 8 MP front-facing camera also performed very well.
ZTE Axon 7 camera samples:
With its fast f/1.8 aperture and OIS, it seems that the Axon 7 would offer great low-light performance. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case; images taken in darker conditions were soft with muted colors. This seems to be more of a software issue as there is an excessive amount of noise reduction taking place in most images. The good news is that this may be able to be at least partially corrected with a software update as the hardware doesn’t seem to be the issue.
The camera performance is where the Axon 7 feels most compromised
It’s difficult to deny that the camera performance is where the Axon 7 feels most compromised. The camera is great, but it’s simply not as excellent as those found on the Galaxy S7 or even Xiaomi Mi 5.
With that said, ZTE’s camera app is very nice and easy to use. The automatic mode will automatically turn on HDR and night mode for you and the manual mode is very comprehensive. There’s also a bunch of filters and additional modes like Panorama and Timelapse. The simple “capture” and “cheese” voice commands to take a picture worked surprisingly well, and using the fingerprint reader on the back as a shutter button is ingenious.
Software
Although the Axon 7 runs ZTE’s MiFavor UI 4.0 over Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, a “stock Android” theme is available and selected by default. When using the stock Android theme, the launcher is like the Google Now Launcher with a transparent app drawer and a few bonus features like the ability to change the home screen transitions. The multitasking menu is pretty much the same as well, but with a very handy “clear all” button.
ZTE’s software feels like stock Android with a very slight tasteful twist
Overall, ZTE’s software feels like stock Android with a very slight tasteful twist. I found myself really enjoying the full screen notification panel and editable quick toggles, and the “frequently used” settings page seems like a nice touch.
Many of the other changes made are either too subtle to mention or purely functional. The latter changes include, for example, a lock screen wallpaper which changes each time you unlock the device. We haven’t seen that feature here in the U.S. yet, but it works quite well and is a nice differentiation. There are also gestures like double tap to wake and shake for the flashlight which are always nice to have, and the power saving modes are comfortably advanced.
You can simply hold the phone up to your ear and the phone will ask who do you want to call?
My favorite addition, however, is the “My Voice” app, which allows you to use genuinely useful voice commands throughout the interface. For example, as long as the screen is on, you can simply hold the phone up to your ear and the phone will ask “who do you want to call?” You can say the phone number or a contact name and the dialer app will place the call. It’s a really cool and unique feature that I wish Google themselves would take note of.
While this is the best software we’ve seen from ZTE to date, there are still areas that could use some additional polish. For example, some translations are grammatically incorrect, the dialer app doesn’t work with third party services like Google Voice, and functional changes like My Voice could be better integrated within Android. With that said, the minor changes needed are just that: minor.
Gallery
Price
The ZTE Axon 7 is available in the United States for $399.99 from Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo, Newegg, and directly from ZTE. That’s a surprisingly low price for what the Axon 7 is, considering that it is unlocked and compatible with every major 4G LTE network within the United States.
There are two color options available: ion gold and quartz gray. The Ion Gold model ships on July 27th and the Quartz Gray model ships on August 17th. Both models are now available for pre-order.
Unlike virtually every other smartphone out there, the Axon 7 includes a two-year warranty. ZTE’s Axon Passport 2.0 program provides everything from upgrade, replacement, and setup assistance to unlimited out-of-warranty repairs for a deductible. Each repair, whether in or out of warranty, will include a free advanced exchange and free two-way shipping. There’s also a 30-day risk free trial period, during which you can return the phone to ZTE for a full refund if you’re unhappy with it.
Conclusion
ZTE’s Axon 7 blows past the competition by providing amazing hardware, great audio fidelity, an exceptional display at a price point that should worry the competition.
It is clear that ZTE has put a massive amount of time and effort into the Axon 7, making it one of the best smartphones we’ve encountered. It’s surprisingly similar to popular offerings like the Galaxy S7 and HTC 10, while costing much less. It’s one of the very few smartphones that feels largely uncompromised, even next to the very best. If you’re looking for a flagship smartphone and don’t need the absolute best of cameras, we cannot recommend the ZTE Axon 7 enough. Simply put… ZTE’s Axon 7 blows past the competition by providing amazing hardware, great audio fidelity, an exceptional display at a price point that should worry the competition.
Interested in ZTE?
- ZTE Axon 7 hands on
- ZTE VR announced
- ZTE ZMAX Pro hands on
- ZTE Grand X Max 2 review
So, what do you think of the ZTE Axon 7? It will certainly be interesting to see how ZTE’s strategy plays out. Are you considering purchasing the Axon 7? Do you already have one on pre-order or does another device take your fancy, and if so, which one? Please do let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Buy the Axon 7 now!
SanDisk iXpand Memory Case review – CNET
The Good The iXpand Memory Case has built-in storage to expand the capacity of an iPhone 6 or 6S. The bundled application makes it easy to transfer photos and video from from your phone’s internal memory.
The Bad The port placement is awkward and the case itself is bulky, especially when the optional battery is attached.
The Bottom Line While the design could be better, the iXpand Memory Case is one of the only solutions for expanding iPhone storage.
There’s nothing worse than getting an “out of storage space” pop-up on your phone when trying to capture a once-in-a-lifetime moment. And once you’re locked into a small-capacity iPhone (I’m looking at you, 16GB owners) there’s no easy way to expand the storage space — unlike with, say, an Android phone with an SD card slot. Sure, you can back up to iCloud Drive or Dropbox, but the cost can add up.
SandDisk’s iXpand Memory Case, available only for the iPhone 6 and 6s, offers a novel cure for the storage space blues. It builds extra flash memory right into an iPhone case that connects via the lightning port on the phone. And it works very well, although it’s much more expensive than an SD card and isn’t as good as many cases I’ve used.
The iXpand comes in four colors (gray, blue, red and teal) three capacities: a 32GB model for $60 (roughly £45 or AU$80), a 64GB model for $100(£76, AU$133) and a 128GB version for $130 (£98, AU$174). I tested the largest size in teal. An optional 1,900mAH battery, which magnetically latches onto the back of the case, is also available for $40 (£30, AU$53).
SanDisk iXpand Memory Case (pictures)
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You’ll need to use SanDisk’s well-designed companion app to transfer photos from the phone’s internal memory to the case, but fortunately that’s an easy process. After the transfer is finished, the app automatically offers the option of deleting images from the iPhone, thus freeing up space. The dashboard for the application organizes all the content stored on the drive and makes it easy to move files back and forth and find the ones you need.
Oppo R9 Plus review – CNET
The Good For a moderate cost, the Oppo R9 Plus give a surprising high level of power and a battery level to match.
The Bad The design isn’t going to win any awards for originality and it’s not a pure Android experience.
The Bottom Line If you want a big screen phone that lasts and lasts, the Oppo R9 Plus has the right price.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
It seems that these days one of the worst insults you can deliver to a phone is that it looks like an iPhone. My colleague Aloysius Low called out the smaller size Oppo R9 for this, as did Daniel Van Boom on the Meizu Pro 6.
The Oppo R9 Plus keeps the Apple-esque trend going, but unlike my colleagues I actually think the phone looks great, even if the rose-gold shade isn’t my favourite.
The R9 Plus has a 6-inch screen, compared to the 5.5-inch of the R9. The bigger screen has the same 1,920×1,080-pixel resolution, which means a slight reduction in pixels-per-inch from the R9 (367 vs 401), but you’re not going to notice. The rear camera has been upped from 13-megapixels to 16-megapixels but, again, that’s not going to change your world. (The front camera is the same 16-megapixels as the R9 — it’s a selfie-lover’s dream.)
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What you will notice is the big in both battery and processing power that the R9 Plus offers over the R9. The Plus has the Snapdragon 652 CPU. It’s a 1.8GHz octa-core chip, but what matters is that it has a big uptick in both general performance and graphics processing power over the basic R9 model. In fact, in our benchmark testing, it was up there with the Sony Xperia X and the Huawei Mate 8.
Battery life is the other big bonus. With a 4,120mAh battery, I was expecting something good, but the R9 Plus exceeded my expectations with a test result of 17 hours and 30 minutes. That makes it one of the best batteries we’ve seen this year.
Take a look at the Oppo R9 Plus powerhouse
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More importantly, all this is coming at just AU$100 more than the R9 — AU$699. That’s around $530 or £395, although we’re still waiting for official pricing and availability outside of the Asia-Pacific region.
It may be an iPhone clone, but the Oppo R9 Plus packs enough power in to make it a worthwhile option for a mid-range Android phone. And unless you’re absolutely against using a 6-inch screen, it’s a better option than the R9 given its small additional cost.
Windows 10’s Anniversary Update makes a great OS better
“It’s nice, for once, to be able to recommend a new version of Windows without any hesitation.” That’s how I summarized my review of Windows 10 last year, and for the most part, it’s lived up to my expectations. Other than Microsoft’s bafflingly forceful automatic upgrade policy (which has led to lawsuits and plenty of ticked off users), the operating system’s first year on the market has been relatively smooth.
Microsoft says the software is now running on over 350 million devices worldwide, and it’s seeing the highest customer satisfaction ratings ever for a Windows release. So expectations are running pretty high for the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, which arrives August 2nd. But while it definitely delivers some useful upgrades to key features like Cortana and Windows Ink, don’t expect any massive changes to Windows 10 as a whole.
Cortana
Expect to see Microsoft’s virtual assistant just about everywhere in the Anniversary Update. Cortana is accessible through the lock screen, allowing you to ask simple questions or do things like play music, without even having to log in. She’ll also control some apps like iHeartRadio and Pandora, with voice commands. (Unfortunately, there’s no Spotify support yet.)
Perhaps most intriguingly, Cortana will also work across different platforms, with the ability to talk to Windows Phone and Android devices. You’ll be able to see notifications from your phone right on the Windows desktop, as well as alerts like when your phone is running low on battery. While there’s a Cortana app on iOS, this extensive integration won’t be available to iPhone users just yet. Microsoft reps say one reason for that is that it’s simply harder to implement it on Apple’s platform.
Cortana is also getting the smarts to act like a real assistant. Just like before, you can send her reminders and have her recall them at any point. Now, you’ll also be able to add photos to those reminders, as well as create them from Windows apps directly. And yes, those reminders carry over to Cortana’s mobile apps too. They’re particularly useful for things like frequent flyer numbers or complex parking spot locations, where asking your phone to look it up is easier than searching through your notes manually. She can also search within your documents for specific bits of text.
While I still find Google Now to be more accurate at listening to voice commands, Cortana stands out as the only voice-powered digital assistant on a desktop OS. Apple’s Siri will be the highlight of MacOS Sierra this fall when it’s officially released (though you can try it in beta form now), but Cortana still has that beat feature-wise.
Windows Ink
With the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Ink finally steps out from behind the scenes for stylus users with an interface all its own. Clicking the eraser button on the Surface Pen, for example, brings up a new menu on the right side of the screen. From there, you can create a Sticky Note (basically a digital Post-It), access a blank sketch pad or jot notes down on a screenshot of whatever you’re looking at. Other active stylus models will have access to the feature too, and you’ll even be able to use it with a keyboard and mouse (right-click on the taskbar and choose “Show Windows Ink Workspace” button).
While it’s still fairly rudimentary, the current Ink interface is a lot more useful than what Microsoft offered in the past. Previously, hitting the Surface Pen’s eraser button would simply open up a blank OneNote document. It was great for people who liked to sketch or jot down handwritten notes, but that was about it. I’ve found myself using the stylus even more now with the Surface Pro 4 to create Sticky reminders, or simply caption an image to share with friends.
Just like Cortana, you can also access all of the new Ink features from the lock screen. So if you have to take some emergency notes for class, or simply want to jot down a burst of inspiration, you won’t have to wait to log into Windows to do so.
Windows Hello
Microsoft’s biometric authentication feature is branching out from the lock screen to let you sign into apps like DropBox and iHeartradio. It’ll even log you into some websites when you’re using the Edge browser. Hello was one of the best additions to Windows 10, so it was only a matter of time until its zippy login capabilities spread throughout the OS.
Still, the problem with Windows Hello is actually being able to use it. Fingerprint sensors and depth-sensing cameras (like Intel’s RealSense) still aren’t all that common. You’ll find them on the Surface machines and some high-end notebooks and tablets, but you can forget about them if you’re on a budget. And if you’re using a desktop, you’re even worse off. You can buy a third-party fingerprint sensor, but it won’t be as fast or accurate as the hardware used inside phones. And, for some reason, external depth-sensing cameras are still practically non-existent (unless you pay through the nose for a RealSense developer device).
At this point, Microsoft doesn’t have an answer to the lack of Windows Hello-compatible hardware out there. But company reps say they hope that once Microsoft adds more features to Windows Hello, manufacturers will feel more compelled to add the necessary hardware.
Microsoft Edge
Remember all the promises of browser extension support on Edge? Well, they’re finally here with the Anniversary Update. You’ll be able to choose from a handful of popular options like LastPass, AdBlock, Pocket and Evernote’s Clipper. The selection was pretty limited during my testing, but hopefully developers will adopt Edge’s extensions quickly. Microsoft claims that Edge is more power efficient now (something it already touted over its competitors), and it has even more support for newer web standards.
Start Menu
Rather than just highlighting a few apps in the Start Menu, the Anniversary Update brings all of your installed apps into a single (and very long) drop-down list. It might seem a bit overwhelming to new users, but it saves power users an extra click when they need to peruse their apps. Live Tiles are smarter now as well: If you click on a news app displaying a specific story, you’ll be directed to that story once the app launches. Sure, neither change is as drastic as the return of the Start Menu, but they’re still helpful tweaks.
Wrap-up
If you were expecting a huge change with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, then you’ll probably be disappointed here. But, in a way, its lack of any major additions says a lot about how much Microsoft got right when it first launched Windows 10. It’s a stable, secure and fast OS. The Anniversary Update simply makes it better, and that’s something I think every PC user will appreciate.
SpeedX Leopard Pro Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
In March, a new bike company known as SpeedX launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. The company was looking to raise $50,000 to help launch the first-ever smart aero road bike. Within two hours, the campaign surpassed the initial financing goal, going on to raise over $2.3 million from over 1,200 backers. This made it the most funded bike in Kickstarter’s history.
SpeedX was offering a high-end road bike with better components than brands such as Trek, Cannondale and Cervelo for thousands less. The campaign and product were both intriguing. I was close to becoming a backer myself, but had second thoughts. There was no way this no-name company would be able to deliver the bike on time, let alone deliver a product that lives up to the hype.
I was wrong. The SpeedX Leopard Pro is as elegant as the campaign originally promised. Even more impressive, the company will begin shipping the bike to backers this August.
The SpeedX Leopard Pro is available for preorder now through the SpeedX website for $2,500 (about £1,900, AU$3,350). A more affordable model with a slightly different components, called the SpeedX Leopard, can be had for $1,400 (about £1,000, AU$1,875). Preorders are slated to ship in September.
What are the specs?
Despite the $2,500 price tag, the SpeedX Leopard Pro seems like an incredible value. The frame and fork are made from a mix of T1000 and T800 carbon fiber. The handlebars and seat post are also made from carbon. This makes the bike incredibly light, with a weight of just over 17 pounds.
Dan Graziano/CNET
As for the groupset, it’s Shimano Ultegra Di2, which features electronic shifting. My only complaint about the bike is that it lacks disc brakes, which I prefer for better stopping power, although a few commenters were quick to point out that most racing bikes don’t include them.
The more affordable Leopard model swaps out the Ultegra groupset for a Shimano 105 groupset. The handlebars are also aluminum rather than carbon fiber, although the bike still has the same carbon frame as the more expensive model, with a weight of about 19lbs.
I’m a big fan of the overall look of the bike. Both models feature full internal wiring to give them that clean look. There’s also an integrated rear LED light that will automatically turn on when it gets dark, which I thought was a great idea.
Dan Graziano/CNET
What makes this bike smart?
You may hear the word “smart bike” and assume there’s an electric motor, but that’s not the case. What makes the Leopard smart is the built-in GPS, altimeter and speed sensors, which essentially replaces the need for a separate Garmin or Polar bike computer.
These sensors are used to measure moving time, distance, speed, altitude, cadence, calorie burn and can provide navigation. There’s also Bluetooth and ANT+ built-in for connecting a power meter or heart-rate sensor. All of this data can be viewed in real time on the 2.4-inch color screen, which can also display incoming calls and notifications when your smartphone is connected.
Dan Graziano/CNET
Post-ride data can be viewed in the SpeedX mobile app. In addition to viewing a map of the ride and all of the recorded data, the app is similar to Strava and includes online challenges and leaderboards.
What about battery life?
Yes, the bike has to be charged, but it won’t be very often. The battery, which powers the built-in display, will last up to 40 hours of continuous usage. Charging is done through a small microUSB port on the back of the bike (our model didn’t have a protective flap covering it but the company says the final ones will).
This isn’t the kind of bike you would leave outside, at least not in New York City, and it only takes 30 minutes for a full charge, but it would have been cool if you could charge it simply by pedaling.
Dan Graziano/CNET
Is it too good to be true?
I didn’t get to ride the bike for an extended period, but I was impressed with the ride in the short time I did spend with it. The electronic shifting was smooth, and it felt as if I could really get some speed on the bike. The seat wasn’t the most comfortable, but that’s pretty standard. While my first impressions were positive, further testing will be needed to make a final conclusion.
My only concern is with the company itself. While SpeedX offers a lifetime warranty on the frame and a 30-day money back guarantee on the entire purchase, this is still a company we know little about. A lifetime warranty could mean only a few months if business were to go south.
The Leopard and Leopard Pro are an incredible value. SpeedX has said it can offer these low prices by cutting out the middleman to deliver high-quality bikes cheaper than the competition, but a part of me wonders if you are better off going with a true and tested bike from a reliable brand.
Only time will tell how SpeedX and the Leopard bikes continue to perform, but it is a company I plan to keep my eye on.
Jabra Halo Smart review – CNET
The Good The Jabra Halo Smart is a sturdily built neck-band style headphone that performs very well as a headset for making cell phone calls, offers good battery life, and decent sound for music if you get a tight seal. Neckband vibrates when a call comes in.
The Bad You may not get a secure, tight seal from any of the included ear tips, which leads to a poor fit and a reduction in sound quality.
The Bottom Line While it doesn’t do much to distinguish itself from other neckband-style headphones from a design standpoint, the Jabra Halo Smart seems sturdily built, performs very well as a headset for making calls and offers decent sound quality for music if you get a tight seal.
Welcome another neckband-style headphone to the world: the Jabra Halo Smart, which retails for $80 (sorry, UK and Australian readers, no word on international pricing yet).
What’s special about it? Well, since it’s from Jabra, you’d hope it would work really well as a headset for making calls. And it does, with multiple microphones and noise reduction technology that helps tamp down ambient noise like wind. It’s also water-resistant and has very good battery life, with up to 17 hours of talk time and 15 hours of music listening.
What you get in the box.
Sarah Tew/CNET
It also has a few notable extra features. The ear buds adhere magnetically to each other, which keeps them from flopping around when they’re not in your ears. You end up wearing them sort of like a pendant or you can affix the buds to a spot on the neckband to eliminate any dangling altogether (the manual shows you exactly where on the neckband the tips can be pinned magnetically).
When a call comes in, there’s a vibrate feature in the neckband, and you can answer the call by pulling the ear buds apart. You then stick one or both buds in your ears.
The free Jabra Assist app for iOS and Android works with the Halo Smart. It doesn’t do all that much, but you can enable a message readout feature that allows you to hear incoming notifications. These include calendar events and incoming emails (just the subject name and subject). There’s also a “Find my Jabra” feature that allows you to locate your headset should you lose it.
Three sizes of ear tips are included, but I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t get a tight seal and secure fit with any of them. I had to pull off a set of extra large tips from another in-ear headphone I was testing. Those bigger tips made a big difference.
The tip issue was really my only major gripe. Otherwise, the headphone performed well, and I encountered only a minimal amount of Bluetooth hiccups.
GE GTW485ASJWS review – CNET
The Good At $650, the GTW485ASJWS is one of GE’s most entry-level washers. It also boasts 13 cleaning modes and a Deep Fill feature that lets you add as much water to a cycle as you want.
The Bad Its traditional agitator wasn’t gentle on clothes.
The Bottom Line The GE GTW485ASJWS is fine if you’re looking for an affordable top-load washer — just keep in mind that its agitator isn’t forgiving when it comes to wear and tear.
The $650 GE GTW485ASJWS might be one of the simplest washing machines you can buy today. It doesn’t have a ton of advanced settings, an LED-bedazzled digital display, or on-board Wi-Fi connectivity. You won’t find a second washer tucked inside a hidden compartment like the LG Twin Wash or a built-in sink like the Samsung WA52J8700.
But what the 485 lacks in pizazz, it makes up for with a traditional agitator — something folks nostalgic for the days of laundry-past will like. The downside, of course, is that agitators tend to be tougher on fabric than the impeller-style designs you’ll find on most pricier top-loaders. It did do a decent job removing stains, though. Yes, GE’s GTW485ASJWS will do fine overall, but you might want to spend a little more for an impeller washing machine if you’re concerned about wear and tear.
A budget washing machine for laundry traditionalists
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A simpler wash
While the 485 doesn’t exactly do anything innovative in terms of design, it’s a nice looking machine considering its price. Available in a glossy white finish, it features the same 13 cleaning cycles as more expensive GE washers. They include:
- Active Wear
- Bulky Items
- Casuals
In other washer news:
- How we test washing machines
- The tech behind our washing machine testing
- 16 washers to help you clean up your laundry routine
- This Samsung washer has everything, including the kitchen sink
- Cold Wash
- Colors/Normals
- Dark Colors
- Delicates
- Drain + Spin
- Heavy Duty
- Jeans
- Speed Wash
- Towels & Sheets
- Whites
It also has a Deep Fill setting, which lets you add more water to a cycle. This isn’t great in terms of efficiency, but it does let you customize the fill level if you think the washer isn’t adding enough water on its own. Press the Deep Fill button at the top of the display panel either before a cycle begins or after it has finished auto-filling. Press it again to stop it.
The straightforward display features one dial each for soil level, temperature, cleaning cycles, options (this includes things like Auto Soak and Extra Spin), and stain pre-treat.
Here’s a look at the 485’s basic specs compared to other top-load washers:
Comparing washers
| $650 | $900 | $1,200 | $1,199 |
| White | White, metallic (for $1,000) | Metallic, white (for $1,100) | Stainless platinum |
| 4.2 cubic feet | 5.1 cubic feet | 5.1 cubic feet | 5.2 cubic feet |
| 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 |
| 152 kWh/year | 152 kWh/year | 152 kWh/year | 165 kWh/year |
| 27 x 44 x 27 inches | 28 x 44.5 x 29 inches | 28 x 44.5 x 29 inches | 27 x 46 x 29.3 inches |
| 1 year, limited | 1 year, limited | 1 year, limited | 1 year, limited |
| 120V 60Hz | 120V 60Hz | 120V 60Hz | 120V 60Hz |
| No | Yes, Android and iPhone | Yes, Android and iPhone | No |
The main difference here is bin capacity. Where models like the GE GTW810SSJWS, the GE GTW860SPJMC, and Samsung’s WA52J8700 all have capacities over 5 cubic feet, the 485 has just 4.2 cubic feet of space. This is mainly due to the built-in agitator, although its dimensions are also slightly smaller.
New in our buyer’s guide: All the phones (just the good ones)
It took us a while, but now that we’ve reviewed the Moto Z, we think we’re done testing flagship phones until the iPhone 7 or next Galaxy Note come out (whichever arrives first). With that in mind, we can now confidently say that the following phones belong in our buyer’s guide: the Samsung Galaxy S7, the HTC 10 and the iPhone SE. (Sorry, LG, maybe next year.) While we were at it, we also inducted the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive VR headsets, since we likely them more or less equally. And, in the less-expensive realm, we added the Roku Streaming Stick in the A/V category. Head over to our buyer’s guide hub for all the details on these and many more. That’s it for now, but stay tuned — who knows what we’ll add after the next gadget-reviewing frenzy.
Source: Engadget Buyer’s Guide
GE GAS18PSJSS Top Freezer Refrigerator with Autofill Pitcher review – CNET
The Good The Autofill Pitcher is a unique feature that works well and seems practical for daily use — a rarity with top freezers. Despite the plain-looking design, the fridge feels sturdy and well-constructed.
The Bad Storage space is cramped to begin with, let alone with the Autofill Pitcher taking up space on the top shelf. Cooling performance was also pretty unexceptional.
The Bottom Line The Autofill Pitcher is a borderline ingenious fridge feature, but the GAS18PSJSS isn’t well-rounded enough to be a top pick.
As refrigerator categories go, top freezers are the least exciting. They’re safe, they’re simple and they typically miss out on the kinds of cool features and eye-catching designs you’d expect to find in fancier, French-door models.
Enter GE, which saw an opportunity to stand out by giving the $1,000 GAS18PSJSS top-freezer fridge an intriguing new feature that you won’t find anywhere else. It’s called the Autofill Pitcher, and it’s exactly what it sounds like: a pitcher that the fridge will automatically fill with fresh, filtered water whenever you dock it in place on the top shelf. It’s an admittedly cool feature that works well and makes a lot of sense, especially if you already like to keep a pitcher of filtered water on hand on the fridge.
The Autofill Pitcher is appealing enough for this appliance to earn my approval, but it’s really all the GAS18PSJSS has going for it. It’s a smallish refrigerator for the price, it was fairly mediocre in our cooling tests and, like most top freezers, it isn’t anything special to look at. Autofill is worth it, but only if you can forgive this fridge’s shortcomings.
GE’s Autofill Pitcher top freezer is a glass-half-full…
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As soon as you dock the pitcher in place, Autofill will begin filling it up.
Chris Monroe/CNET
A killer filler pitcher feature
If you’re wondering why no one thought of an auto-filling water pitcher before now, you should know that this isn’t the first time we’ve seen it. The Autofill Pitcher was actually the very first project to come out of FirstBuild, which is essentially a collaborative, open-door R&D department for GE. Back then, the Autofill Pitcher was a DIY retrofit kit that you could buy and incorporate into your existing GE fridge.
“We hypothesized that people in the maker movement would be willing to take a refrigerator and drill a hole, tag on our electronics, and add this feature,” said GE director of Research and Development Natarajan “Venkat” Venkatakrishnan when I interviewed him for a piece in CNET Magazine. “It didn’t go so well. We made about 15 and we sold about 4.”
GE didn’t give up on the idea, though — and it’s a good thing. The Autofill works like a charm, filling the pitcher to the brim in about 30 seconds. And don’t worry about overflowing: The dispenser shuts off automatically when the water level hits a clever floating sensor at the top of the pitcher. There’s also a timer at play, so if the water runs for longer than usual for some reason, it’ll shut off on its own before flooding your fridge. I’d advise patience, though — if you pull the pitcher out of place halfway through a fill-up, the dispenser dribbles.
Top-freezer fridges for around $1,000
| 13.5 cubic feet | 17.6 cubic feet | 14.2 cubic feet | 15.2 cubic feet |
| 4.0 cubic feet | 6.2 cubic feet | 4.1 cubic feet | 6.1 cubic feet |
| 17.5 cubic feet | 23.8 cubic feet | 18.3 cubic feet | 21.3 cubic feet |
| Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel |
| No | Yes (+$100) | No | No |
| No | Yes | Yes | No |
| 399 kWh | 501 kWh | 363 kWh | 443 kWh |
| $48 | $60 | $44 | $53 |
| $2.74 | $2.52 | $2.40 | $2.49 |
| $1,000 | $1,200 | $1,100 | $1,100 |
| $900 | $1,075 | $850 | $900 |
Still, it’s a great feature, and one that makes a lot of sense if you’re already used to storing a pitcher of water in the fridge. With Autofill, you’ll never need to nag your kids or your roommate to fill it back up after emptying it.
Pocket Drone by Odyssey Toys review – CNET
The Good About the size of a smartphone, the Pocket Drone’s arms fold into its frame for easy travel. It has an HD-resolution camera and auto takeoff and land, auto return and a headless mode. It can also automatically hold altitude.
The Bad The camera can’t be tilted. Battery life is the typical 6 to 8 minutes. The plastic frame feels a bit flimsy.
The Bottom Line For quick stable flights indoors or outside, the Pocket Drone by Odyssey Toys is an excellent option for its features and cool, collapsible design.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
The Pocket Drone by Odyssey Toys is unique among pint-size toy quadcopters because it is actually designed to put in a pocket.
With just a simple twist of each motor mount, the Pocket Drone’s propeller arms collapse into its body for travel, leaving you with just the main frame, which is essentially the size of a smartphone. The controller is about the same size, too, with control sticks that pull out and store in its body.
The design might be its most interesting selling point, but it’s not the only one. Priced at around $100 (that converts to about AU$135 and £75), the quad has an HD 720p-resolution camera in front between its bright LED headlights. Buttons on the controller snap photos and AVI video clips, and everything gets stored on the included 4GB microSD card. The quality is good, but it’s not going to rock your world, and since there’s no stabilization, the video rocks with every move. There’s no tilt, either, so you’ll only capture what’s directly in front of the drone.
A camera quadcopter that truly does slip…
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The controller also has buttons to instantly start and stop the motors, one for auto takeoff and landing and another to trigger a headless mode, so the drone will always travel forward, backward, left or right when you move the sticks in those directions, regardless of which way the front of the drone is pointed. It also has an auto return feature that basically shoots the drone directly back at you, so you’ll want to be careful when you use it. You can download the full manual to read more about its features.
Also read
- 7 things you should know before you buy your first drone
The lightweight plastic frame feels a bit flimsy, but it held up well to crashes (I’d be careful not to sit on it, though). All of the features worked well and it can hold altitude — unlike a lot of toy drones at this price — letting you concentrate on directional flying and not keeping it from getting too high or low. Battery life is about 6 to 8 minutes from its removable 3.7V 550mAh (25C) lithium polymer battery. That’s typical for a quad like this and extra batteries are inexpensive and readily available.
For quick stable flights indoors or outside, the Pocket Drone by Odyssey Toys is an excellent option for its features and cool, collapsible design.
AIVAnet 