Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 and new Gear VR headset are available now
Samsung announced a host of new gear earlier this month, the most notable of which is its excellent new Galaxy Note 7 handset, and it’s all available now in the US. The phone is now on sale at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Sprint stores as well as at Best Buy, Target, Walmart and a handful of other retailers. If you loathe going to retail locations, you can pick it up on Samsung or straight from the carriers online.
The new Gear VR headset is on sale, as well. It’ll set you back $99.99 and is a notable upgrade over the earlier model — we found it to be one of the best introductions to VR content you can have, particularly at its reasonable price. If you’ve wanted to create your own VR content, Samsung’s Gear 360 camera is available, but that’ll set you back more. It costs $349.99, but it’s one of the few options consumers have for creating more immersive video. The little camera will only be available online, for now.
Lastly, a pair of Samsung accessories — the Gear IconX earbuds and Level Active headphones — are both available for $199.99 and $99.99, respectively. The Gear IconX buds are particularly intriguing; they’re totally free of cords and have built-in memory for storying music. And they can also track motion, making them an all-in-one fitness and music solution. The Level Active, a more traditional pair of Bluetooth enabled headphones, is a bit less exciting. They do integrate with Samsung apps through an “active” button you can press to hear workout data from the S Health app or to activate a timer for your run.
Robocall ‘strike force’ sets out to end unwanted calls
The Federal Communications Commission is just as fed up with robocalls as you are. After opening the door for telecoms to offer robocall blocking services last year, and urging those companies to make them available for free last month, members of the FCC convened a meeting of the Robocall Strike Force this morning to figure out what should happen next. (And yes, that’s really what it’s called.)
“As in any pressing challenge like this,” FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said, “perfect is the enemy of the good. The nature of software, as you all know, is to start and continually improve. Let’s have that philosophy here.”
That fast-moving mentality is good news for folks sick of getting fake calls from the IRS at dinnertime, but it’s too bad the part of the meeting the public got to see was a little light on the substance. Still, we got get a finer sense of the companies throwing their weight behind this cause. Beyond AT&T, Apple and Google (which were already known to be part of the strike force), AT&T CEO and strike force chief Randall Stephenson conformed that “technical experts” from Comcast, Level 2, Nokia, Samsung, Sprint and Verizon.
“We have carriers, device makers, OS developers, network designers, and as you heard the commissioner speak, regulators and lawmakers are going to have a role to play in this as well,” said he added. “So what we’re going to have to do is come out of this session with a comprehensive playbook and that we [will] all go out and begin to execute.” Beyond that, Commissioner Ajit Pai raised more specific questions about steps the working group could take, from encouraging Congress to pass an anti-spoofing act proposed in 2015 to pushing for enforcement actions against known, shady telemarketers.
Not long after, strike force members in attendance took sequestered themselves behind closed doors to get to work. Here’s hoping up they cook up a thorough plan of action soon — they’ll report their findings in 60 days.
Via: Reuters
Samsung Note 7 teardown reveals waterproof components
iFixit, famous destroyer of gadgets for the good of all humankind, has busted out its arsenal of teardown tools to take apart a Samsung Galaxy Note 7. In the team’s quest to see every single component inside the phone, they found several sealed components that make the device waterproof. If you’ll recall, the phone is rated IP68, which means it can withstand being submerged for up to 30 minutes or five feet underwater. The teardown reveals that the company achieved that rating by protecting the device’s headphone jack with a sealing gasket, the speaker with several layers of material and its S Pen chamber with copious amounts of glue, among other measures.
The teardown also confirms what people already know: the Note 7 has its cousins’ (the S7s’) main camera, flash memory and gyroscope. It even has a nearly identical chipset. The newer phone has a third camera, though, that it uses as its iris scanner. When it comes to battery, it’s not quite as good as the S7 Edge’s, but as we mentioned in our review, the difference is barely noticeable. Further, its batter is “significantly more powerful” than the one found in the iPhone 6s Plus. Besides examining the phone itself, iFixit has taken a closer look at the S Pen, as well. The phone’s stylus is apparently more sensitive than both Apple’s Pencil and the Surface Pen.
Overall, the device got a low repairability rating due to its modular components, but iFixit says it still “lives up to the hype.” You can see the whole teardown on the team’s website or watch the highlights below.
Source: iFixit
Intel to manufacture ARM chips in a bid for mobile domination
Intel is flexing its manufacturing muscle in an attempt to get inside your next phone. To do that, it has entered a licensing deal with ARM, according to a report from Bloomberg. Without this license, excess manufacturing space goes to waste. But with it, Intel can make processors for Apple, Qualcomm and Samsung — the biggest players in smartphones. This gives Intel a much-needed boost in the mobile space that it couldn’t achieve on its own.
The ARM deal also gives Intel a foot in the door with VR hardware, which might help explain the company’s new Project Alloy all-in-one headset. And if you’re playing along at home, yep, these production lines will include those making 10-nanometer chips. So, more money for Intel and possibly faster and better processors for your mobile device. ARM itself was recently picked up by Japanese tech-giant Softbank for $32 billion. So yeah, this is a pretty big deal although specifics regarding the money involved aren’t known at this time.
With the PC market declining, this gives Intel a chance to get into mobile without technically getting into mobile itself. The company is already rumored to be making the modem chips for Apple and this deal could put Intel silicon elsewhere inside future iPhones. First in line to test out Intel’s tasty production lines? LG, which, according to Intel, will “produce a world-class mobile platform based on Intel Custom Foundry’s 10 nm design platform.”
Source: Bloomberg, Intel
The best electric and gas ranges
By Tyler Wells Lynch
This post was done in partnership with The Sweethome, a buyer’s guide to the best things for your home. Read the full article here.
After 35 hours of research, we think that the Samsung NE59J7630SS is the best electric freestanding cooking range for most people. It’s a sturdy, easy-to-clean machine with true, heated-fan convection to help baked goods cook more evenly. If you’re fortunate enough to have a gas line in your home, the Frigidaire Gallery Series FGGF3058RF is probably your best bet. It’s a classic-looking range with super-solid parts and an intuitive knob-and-control-panel interface. Both ranges are solidly built—without too many extra bells and whistles—and that simplicity should help them keep running reliably for 10 to 15 years.
How we picked
After comparing specs, reading reviews, and interviewing appliance experts, we learned that the best ranges stick to a simple set of features because they’re more reliable that way. A sturdy build, an uncluttered interface, and easy-to-clean surfaces will make a range more satisfying to live with for the 10 to 15 years that you’ll have it. The only super-important cooking features you’ll need are a strong power burner for boiling big pots of water, a sensitive warming element for simmering sauces, and a convection fan for better baking.
In terms of capacity, we think an oven should have at least 5 cubic feet of space, enough room to roast a large turkey. The best cooktops have a fifth, low-heat burner that makes it easier to simmer or warm food without accidentally scorching it. These features are standard in ranges that cost more than $600, and we considered only models with those specs.
Though all ranges essentially perform the same basic job—cooking food—certain baseline specs will make that job a little easier. The stovetop should have a power burner with at least 17,000 British thermal units (gas) or 3,000 watts (electric), and a simmer element (or “warm zone”) that dips down to 5,000 Btu or less (gas) or 100 watts (electric).
We were unable to test any range’s performance to gauge the real-world value of extra cooktop power. But we did consider performance data from review sites, including Reviewed.com, Consumer Reports, and CNET. Based on their findings and what we learned from experts, we don’t think performance discrepancies will make a huge difference for most cooks. That said, an extra 1,000 Btu or 300 watts will help your water boil faster, so we slightly favored models with stronger-on-paper power burners.
Our pick for an electric range
The Samsung NE59J7630SS is the best freestanding radiant electric range for most people because it has all of the important cooking and cleaning features, with relatively few bells and whistles that might cause reliability problems down the line. Its cooktop is more versatile than those of other ranges at this price, and includes a stronger power burner, a warm zone as sensitive as any other range’s, and a unique three-element burner. The oven cavity is larger than that of most other models and has a true-convection cooking mode. This range is also one of the few that offers two self-cleaning modes. This Samsung’s build is sturdy, its design looks sharp, and its control scheme is more intuitive than that of its closest competitors.
If you need a less expensive electric range, the Amana AER5630BAS is simple, effective, and affordable, with an elegant stainless steel design. The smooth cooktop includes one of the strongest power burners at a budget-friendly price (though it’s not as nuanced as that of our main electric pick).
Our pick for a gas range
If we were buying a freestanding gas range, our choice would be the Frigidaire Gallery Series FGGF3058RF. It looks great and feels sturdier than other gas ranges at this price, and it has a simpler interface and more durable components. All of the most important specs and features you should expect from a gas range are here. The 18,000-Btu power burner is as strong as any you’ll find without moving up to a pro range. The continuous, five-burner cooktop has cast iron grates that stay in place when you slide pots and pans around. And like any good range at this price, it has a convection fan.
If you need a more affordable gas range, we like the Whirlpool WFG505M0BS. It’s one of the few budget-friendly gas ranges with a five-burner cooktop and an oven larger than 5 cubic feet. The cast iron continuous grates are a nice touch, too. Unlike our main gas pick’s oven, this range’s oven doesn’t have convection or self-cleaning modes.
The best freestanding induction range
A great freestanding electric induction range for most people who want one is the Electrolux EI30IF40LS. We like its specs better than those of other models, and test labs and owners alike have given it great reviews. Ranges with induction cooktops cost more but offer performance, safety, and efficiency advantages over both gas and radiant electric models. Overall, we think the Electrolux EI30IF40LS is the best value for an induction range, thanks to its powerful and versatile cooktop, huge oven, and relatively reasonable price.
This guide may have been updated by The Sweethome. To see the current recommendation, please go here.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review: Sleeker, simpler, better than ever
Samsung has come a long way. When the very first Galaxy Note launched in 2011, it felt like a quirky anachronism — wasn’t the age of the stylus over? The answer, as evidenced by the Note line’s continued existence, is a resounding “no.” In fact, somewhere along the way, the Note transformed from a curiosity into a premium device that can (and does) outshine the Galaxy S line on which it was based. This year’s attempt — the $850+ Galaxy Note 7 — builds off what Samsung learned making the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, and you know what? The company wound up making its best phone yet in the process.
Hardware
Every year, Samsung tweaks its design language for its new Galaxy S phones and applies it to whatever Note device it releases later that year. It’s no surprise, then, that the Note 7 has more in common with the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge than last year’s Note 5. Since these smartphones share so much, it’s no surprise that the subtle differences are what make the Note 7 shine.
Consider its curves, for instance. Samsung built the Note 7 with a symmetrically curved front and back; that is, the metal-and-glass body is curved the same way on both sides. As a result, there’s more of an edge for your thumb to rest on so your hand is less likely to accidentally tap something on-screen. I couldn’t count the number of times that happened to me with the S7 Edge, and it eventually got so annoying that I gave up on the phone entirely. Here’s hoping Samsung applies this knowledge to next year’s Edge. The added benefit is that these curves make the Note 7 really, really nice to hold. This symmetry of design, coupled with the phone’s light weight and lack of bezels around its 5.7-inch screen mean this is easily the nicest Galaxy Note to actually carry around and use. It’s a big phone that doesn’t feel like one.
Samsung also opted for a USB Type-C port for power and data transfer instead of the micro-USB seen on the S7. It was only a matter of time before Samsung made the switch, but I’m just a little surprised the company didn’t wait until next year. And then there’s the storage situation: The Note 7 ships with 64GB of storage, up from 32GB on both US versions of the Galaxy S7. It’s a welcome move, but maybe not a surprising one since the Note series phones were always billed as more premium devices.
The Note 7’s partner, the S Pen, has also benefitted from some thoughtful little changes. It now has a smaller, 0.7mm nib — the same size as a typical ballpoint pen — for more natural writing. You can’t stick the S Pen into its slot backward either, because Samsung really didn’t need another year’s worth of embarrassment. On the flip side, though, this year’s S Pen is slightly slimmer than the last one, which makes it just a little less comfortable to grip. Samsung couldn’t please everyone.
Some changes, however, are hardly what you’d call subtle. There’s an iris scanner above the screen for hands-free unlocking, and it works better in some situations than others. If you don’t need corrective lenses, well, congratulations: Assuming you line your eyes up properly, the Note 7 will unlock itself in less than a second. Folks who wear contacts (like I do sometimes) fall into this category too. If you wear glasses, though, expect the phone to take much longer… if it works at all.
Now, about those similarities. There are, uh, a lot of them. Most notable is the silicon, running the show, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, 4GB of RAM and an Adreno 530 GPU. All three phones also share the same 12-megapixel, DualPixel camera setups — that’s just as well since that particular sensor is arguably at the front of the Android smartphone camera pack. (The 5-megapixel front-facing camera is the same too, but that’s way less interesting.)
Now, about those similarities. There are, uh, a lot of them. Most notable is the silicon, running the show, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, 4GB of RAM and an Adreno 530 GPU. All three phones also share the same 12-megapixel, DualPixel camera setups — that’s just as well since that particular sensor is arguably at the front of the Android smartphone camera pack. (The 5-megapixel front-facing camera is the same too, but that’s way less interesting.)
There’s also a spot for a microSD card in the SIM tray, just like with the S7 line, and the phone is also IP68-rated waterproof, a first for the Note line. Meanwhile, I wish Samsung could have transplanted the 3,600mAh battery from the S7 Edge into the Note 7, but it seems Samsung could only fit a 3,500mAh cell into the Note 7’s curved body. Thankfully, the difference in longevity is minimal (as you’ll see later on).
Display and sound
As mentioned, the Note 7 sports a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display running at 2,560 x 1,440 (or Quad HD, or 2K, or whatever you want to call it). And wouldn’t you know it, this screen is just fantastic, replete with great viewing angles and the vivid, sumptuous colors that Samsung’s AMOLED panels are known for. (If the default color temperature is a little lurid, you can always change display modes in the settings menu.)
The screen’s bigger size means its pixel density (518 pixels per inch) is lower than that of the S7 and S7’s displays, but really, the difference is nigh-impossible to pick out; text and photos are rendered with excellent crispness. It’s a summertime champ too: With the brightness cranked to max, I had no trouble sifting through tweets and agonizing over potential Instagram filters under the sweltering August sun. If all of this sounds familiar, well, sorry. Samsung’s screens are typically first-rate, but the Note 7’s is especially pleasant (particularly since the weird, pulsating effect I noticed on last year’s Note 5 is nowhere in sight).
As you might expect, the Note 7 inherited the S7’s always-on display mode, and it’s as handy as eve. Samsung updated it with new designs, though: There are three more designs for the persistent clock and one new image (of constellations) that should wind up on the company’s earlier flagships before long. And while we’re on the subject of minor additions, there’s also a blue light filter mode that’s meant to reduce eye-strain and preserve the sanctity of your sleep cycle. These display modes are popping up all over the place, and whether they actually help is up for debate, but it’s a welcome touch as I write this review in the middle of the night.
As usual, though, the quality of the Note’s speaker setup lags behind that of the display. There’s a single grille etched into the phone’s bottom between the Type-C port and the S Pen’s hiding place, and it’s capable of churning out loud (if somewhat lifeless) audio. Things get better when you plug in a pair of headphones, at least: Samsung’s high-quality audio upscaler adds just a little more oomph to your tracks, with options for simulated surround sound, tube amp effects and concert hall reverb. I didn’t really love these effects when they first showed up on the S7s, but they grew on me — spacey, vocal-centric songs can benefit a lot from that faux surround sound, for example. Still, if you hated these effects the first time around, don’t expect to change your mind.
Software
Like all the other flagships that launched this year, the Note 7 ships with Android 6.0.1 onboard — that means you’ve got those new permissions controls, Now on Tap’s handy info cards and all the other core Marshmallow features we’ve been enjoying for nearly a year now. More interesting is how Samsung’s approach to TouchWiz continues to evolve: What used to be a bloated, obnoxious punchline of an interface gradually became bearable, and then eventually pretty nice. Lots of us (including yours truly) will always prefer stock Android, but Samsung has spent the past few years cleaning up its act and that’s worthy of some praise.
At first glance, not much has changed since the days of the S7/Edge — Flipboard’s Briefing lives to the left of your homescreens, and Samsung’s Edge UX is back. Quick recap if you haven’t used an S7 Edge: Swiping the tab on the right side (by default) of the screen brings up panes with shortcuts to your chosen apps, contacts and “tasks” like composing messages and taking selfies. You can flesh out your list with third-party “edges” for Yahoo Sports and Finance, but we still can’t craft macro-like tasks the way we could on a full-blown computer. Once it’s set up, the Samsung Pay tab lives at the bottom of the screen too — a flick upward loads your payment method and preps it for either an NFC or a magnetic “swipe” transaction.
The differences will become more apparent as you start digging a little deeper, and you’ll wonder why some of these changes haven’t been in TouchWiz from the start. Pulling down the notification shade, for instance, reveals a search bar, brightness slider and a distinct lack of circular icons — Samsung ditched them for a cleaner grid of quick settings icons. The app launcher has a search bar sitting up top too, making it easier for find the app you’re looking for. That sure beats the clumsy search button on the S7 and S7 Edge. This streamlined approach carries over into the Note 7’s settings page, where Samsung excised the circular icons and trademark teal in favor of a much simpler list of options. (Don’t worry, the interface is still punctuated with blue here and there, in case you’re not great with change.) And if you hate those rounded white frames encasing your app icons, you can turn them off. One word: hallelujah.
Naturally, there’s more going here beyond the Note 7’s clean new look. Let’s say you’re trying to keep your Tinder habits on the down low — you have the option to download the app directly into Samsung’s new secure folder, keeping it perpetually hidden from prying eyes. But what if it’s already installed? Easy. You can add the app to the secure folder and then uninstall the original instance, leaving an independent, fully functional copy hidden from the rest of the world. You can lock down this digital storehouse with a PIN, password, a fingerprint or an iris scan, but the latter two require you to set up a password just in case your biometric signature doesn’t pass muster. What you use the secure folder for is your business, but regardless, Samsung’s implementation is both clever and useful.
Samsung’s browser is also more useful thanks to its support for extensions, including a QR code reader and an “Amazon assistant” that’s meant to “get instant product matches while you shop across the web.” I’d love to tell you more about how Amazon is removing barriers between you and your darkest buying impulses, but this extension wasn’t live as of this writing. Then there are the updated power saving modes. In addition to dialing down the screen’s brightness and throttling performance, they’ll also reduce the Note 7’s screen resolution (down to as low as 720p) to conserve even more juice. Huawei adopted this trick first, but it’s remarkably handy for keeping your Note 7 alive when its battery level gets grim.
Thankfully, there aren’t a ton of pointlessly pre-loaded apps. We have the usual slew of Google apps, plus Samsung’s email client, browser, file manager and S Health app, along with all the Note-specific stuff, which I’ll get to in a second. My review unit is a T-Mobile model, and Legere’s crew thankfully didn’t go too crazy with the bloatware. All told, this version of the Note 7 comes with eight carrier apps pre-installed, ranging from the pretty useful (SlingTV was handy for following the Olympics on the move) to the irritating (I can manage my security fine, Lookout, but thanks).
Another year, another S Pen
Weird as it sounds, the Note 7 is so well put together and pleasant to use that it’s sometimes easy to forget there’s a stylus hidden inside. This year’s S Pen doesn’t look dramatically different from the Note 5’s but the changes are there if you look closely enough. As mentioned earlier, the nib is smaller for more fluid writing and sketching, and the S Pen’s body is ever so slightly narrower and lighter. You wouldn’t think a change this minute would be apparent, but it sort of is — despite near-identical dimensions, this S Pen feels a little flimsier than the one we got last year. Funny how big a difference this stuff makes.
Still, the Note 7’s S Pen still has few clear advantages. For one, it’s water resistant just like the phone itself. Since the entire package is IP68-rated, you can actually write things on the Note 7’s screen while underwater, though I’m not sure when anyone would ever actually need to. (Getting phone numbers at the beach? Who knows.) Speaking of the screen, the Note 7’s can now recognize up to 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, or double what the Note 5 was capable of. It’s one of those differences that’s only really noticeable when you have the two devices side by side: light strokes that didn’t register on the Note 5’s display showed up just fine on the Note 7, making it a better choice for artsy types who value precision. If all you’re going to do is dash off notes and reminders, though, you probably won’t notice the change much.
While we’re talking about the screen, I’m pleased that one of the Note 5’s best features has made it over to the Note 7. Removing the S Pen while the display is off brings up a dark interface for (appropriately enough) screen-off memos. Here, you can draw or leave yourself a note, and then pin it to the always-on display for easy reference throughout the day. The inherent lack of friction in this process means anyone who picks up your phone can pin doodles to your display, which in my case led to lots of juvenile drawings all over my sleeping screen. Thanks, guys.
Samsung is all too aware that the S Pen isn’t for everyone, so it cooked up a few new Air Command features to make its stylus more versatile. My eyes are pretty terrible, so it was neat being able to magnify anything on the screen up to 300 percent when pinching-to-zoom wasn’t an option. Cool? Sure. Consistently useful? Eh.
You can now translate words on-screen from one language to another too, though the translations aren’t as elegant as I’d wanted. Here’s the thing: The feature only lets you translate one word at a time, rather than sentences or paragraphs. As such, it’s handy for picking up bits of a language you don’t know, and lousy for interpreting lots of information.
And then there are the GIFs. The “smart select” feature has been updated to let you choose parts of the screen with the pen, record them and turn them into GIFs. I didn’t have high hopes for this process since making GIFs on a regular computer is sort of a pain, but it turned out to be surprisingly elegant. Once the recording is done (you can capture up to 15 seconds), it’s simple enough to doodle on top of them, change how they loop and share them everywhere. Meanwhile, Samsung’s software cleaning spree continues with S Pen stuff: Four(!) separate S Pen-specific applications have been combined into a single one called Samsung Notes. This is where you’ll do most of your note taking and doodling, and it’s perfectly serviceable; it’s good enough that I didn’t miss any of the old standalone S Pen apps.
All of these tweaks are steps in the right direction, but I wonder whether they’ll actually change anyone’s mind about the S Pen. The fact that Samsung keeps churning these devices out must mean a lot of people out there dig using a stylus, but if you weren’t sold before, you probably won’t be now.
Camera
We can keep this part brief: Both of the Note 7’s cameras are identical to the ones in the S7 and S7 Edge, and are therefore really damned good. The photos I shot over the course of a week were almost uniformly well exposed, with lots of detail (they really pop on this AMOLED screen) and vibrant, accurate colors. It’s damned fast at focusing too, thanks to the camera’s DualPixel setup. If you’ll pardon the extremely unscientific explanation, every 1.4 µm pixel on that 12-megapixel sensor is split into two photodiodes that are used to gauge the distance between the camera and the subject. Since every single pixel is used to for these focus calculations, the Note 7 is super fast at locking onto whatever’s in front of it, even when the subject is a finicky, adorable toddler celebrating her second birthday.
It goes without saying that smartphone cameras tend to suck in the dark, but the Note 7 fares well thanks to the size of the pixels on its sensor. There’s surprisingly little noise, even in shots taken outside at night, and the always-there exposure controls help reduce the influence of extra light that could otherwise soften a shot’s sharpness. In short, the Note 7 is a very impressive all-around shooter, ranking alongside the S7 and S7 Edge as one of Android-powered cameras to beat. Meanwhile, the 5-megapixel camera up front takes respectable selfies with enough verve to please all the but the most terminally vain. I just wish Samsung had bumped up the resolution a bit this time around.
The camera sensors might not have changed, but the camera interface sure has. Remember all the different mode and settings icons that used to pepper the main view of the camera app? Many of them have been moved out of sight to give you a cleaner interface. All of the photo modes from the S7 — Pro, panorama, selective focus, slow motion, hyperlapse and more — are back and still available by swiping to the right. Instead of tapping a separate button to switch cameras, though, you’ll have to swipe up.
Camera resolution options and the timer has been moved into a separate settings menu, while live filter effects can be applied by swiping to the left. Trust me: It’s all much more intuitive than it sounds, and the “out of sight, out of mind” ethos here is fine by me. After all, just about every photo I took on full auto looked great. Shooting video was similarly painless and yielded accurate, handsome footage no matter what resolution I picked. (Fair warning: Tracking autofocus doesn’t work when shooting 4K video, so be prepared to handle it yourself).
Performance and battery life
Because of those shared internals, the Note 7 performs almost exactly like the S7 and S7 Edge, which in turn behave much like the rest of this year’s flagship smartphone heap. That means this year’s Note is a smooth operator thanks to the quad-core Snapdragon 820 and 4GB of RAM. I spent my week multitasking lots, playing games like Hearthstone, Asphalt 8, Republique and generally doing my best to make the 7 stutter or slow down. I succeeded, but only rarely and never for long. If you’re concerned about whether the Note 7 can stand up to your hellacious routines, don’t be: This thing brings the heat (sometimes literally, but never to the point of discomfort).
Then again, were you expecting anything else? Qualcomm’s near-monopoly on the mobile chip business has led to a détente where one high-end device more or less performs the same as any other. That makes it hard to write about these things over and over, but it’s still a win for everyone reading this — there’s almost no such thing as a bad choice, at least as far as performance is concerned.
HTC 10
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
AndEBench Pro
13,601
16,673
13,030
14,152
Vellamo 3.0
4,589
4,876
4,152
4,104
3DMark IS Unlimited
29,697
26,747
26,666
26,981
GFXBench 3.0 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (fps)
47
48
47
47
CF-Bench
49,256
49,891
46,290
36,488
Because their internals are the same, differentiating factors like battery life are more important than ever. Now, the Note 7 might not have the biggest battery in Samsung’s lineup — that distinction goes to the S7 Edge — but it’s still one of the best day-to-day performers I’ve used in some time. When it came to our standard rundown test (looping a high-def video at 50 brightness), the Note 7 lasted just over 14 hours. That’s about a half hour less than the S7 Edge, just a few minutes more than last year’s Note 5, and on par with the Moto Z Force. Not the type to watch the video until your eyes bleed? That’s fine: I routinely got two full days of consistent, mixed use out of the Note 7. With the help of Android Marshmallow’s Doze feature, my runtime stretched closer to three days with more sporadic use, though your mileage may vary.
The competition
It goes without saying that if you’re looking for a phone you can use with a stylus, you can’t do better the Galaxy Note 7. That said, if you’re looking for a great phone-and-stylus combo, I’ve found that the Galaxy Note 5 still holds up really well. It’s been updated to run Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and put up benchmark figures that were surprisingly close to this year’s model — a testament to the power of the octa-core Exynos chipset lurking inside. Alas, it’s not waterproof and lacks any expandable storage options, though you could easily find a good deal online.
The Note 7 also faces some stiff competition from its cousins, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. They have the same brains, after all, not to mention the same waterproofing, the same punchy AMOLED screen technology and the same overarching design language. I still think the S7 Edge is too prone to accidental touches, though, a problem that frankly drives me up the freakin’ wall — I’d definitely take the Note 7 over the Edge (especially since they share those edge-centric features), but the GS7 remains an excellent choice for those who want Samsung’s best in a more compact form factor.
Meanwhile, fans of first-rate build quality should consider the HTC 10, a phenomenal smartphone that offers power and style in spades. It, too, makes use of the Snapdragon 820 chipset, but the company’s attention to detail is what really makes the HTC 10 shine — the build quality is impeccable, the phone packs a low-latency touchscreen, and it’s the first Android phone that natively supports Apple’s AirPlay streaming standard. The 10’s battery and camera aren’t quite as good as the Note 7’s, though, so you’ll have to love HTC’s design and its approach to software.
Wrap-up
When I reviewed the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge earlier this year, I was already convinced Samsung was operating at the top of its game. After using phones as well crafted as those, I didn’t think it would be possible to love the inevitable follow-up as much. I was wrong. The Note 7 isn’t a perfect phone: It’s expensive and there still isn’t a hugely compelling reason to buy into the S Pen lifestyle if you haven’t already. Even so, by combining the updates that went into the S7 siblings with a number of subtle improvements to the Note’s design and software, Samsung has built its finest phone yet. The Galaxy Note 7 isn’t just the best Galaxy Note ever — it’s a strong contender as the best Android phone you can find right now.
Samsung’s new Gear VR is its most comfortable and immersive yet
Samsung’s Gear VR has always been an anomaly among the company’s dizzyingly diverse product lineup. Ever since the first “innovator edition” of the headset debuted alongside the Galaxy Note 4 in 2014, it stood out as something potentially more useful than the company’s various wearables, experimental phones and other gadgets. And, thanks to Samsung’s partnership with Oculus, the Gear VR’s usefulness has only grown over time — in fact, we named last year’s model a “no-brainer” purchase for Samsung owners. Now we have yet another Gear VR model, coinciding with the launch of the Galaxy Note 7, and it’s an even better introduction to virtual reality than ever before.
From afar, the new Gear VR just looks like a color-swapped version of what came before. But the new dark blue shell actually has a legitimate use: It helps to keep images from your phone’s screen from reflecting off of the headset. That was an issue some users had in the past with the white Gear VR models, according to Samsung. And given that the last few models looked fairly similar, it’s about time the company made a big design shift to differentiate its latest and greatest headset.
There are also a handful of small, but genuinely useful, ergonomic tweaks. There’s a new material that rests against your skin that feels as soft as a fleece blanket meant for babies. And Samsung also made the strap that goes over your head significantly longer, which could be useful for some. Those upgrades, coupled with the Gear VR’s light design, make it something you could easily wear for hours on end. After testing both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, I noticed that small comfort differences go a long way towards making VR feel more immersive, so I appreciate Samsung’s efforts in this regard.
As for other changes, Samsung increased the field of view in this latest headset to 101 degrees from 96 degrees in previous models. That might not sound like a major difference, but it’s yet another tweak that puts you deeper into virtual experiences. And it brings the Gear VR even closer to the wider 110-degree field of view from dedicated headsets like the Oculus Rift and Vive. Other headsets, like the Star VR, claim to offer even more expansive coverage, but they’re not actually on the market yet.
If you look closely, you’ll also notice some upgrades around the new Gear VR’s inputs. The biggest difference? There’s a dedicated “Home” button that takes you right back to the Oculus home screen. Previously, you had to hold down the “Back” button to return home. Doing that now brings up a screen that gives you quick access to your settings and friends list. Samsung also cleared out the directional pad from the last headset, so that it’s now a free-flowing touchpad area which you can swipe at without worrying about exact accuracy.
In a nice move for the Samsung faithful, the new Gear VR is compatible with a handful of the company’s older handsets, in addition to the Note 7. Its support stretches back to the Galaxy Note 5, and also includes the S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, S7 and S7 Edge. Basically, if you’ve bought a Samsung phone recently, you’re covered. While the headset supports USB-C by default (for the Note 7), you can easily swap out that connector with an included micro-USB adapter. You can also adjust the position of the arms holding your phone in place to fit phablets like the Note, or the more sensibly sized Samsung phones.
Since our senior mobile editor Chris Velazco is still hogging the Note 7, I tested out the new Gear VR with the Galaxy S7. Setting up the headset was simple: I removed the faceplate, swapped in the micro-USB adapter, plugged the phone in, and made sure the Gear VR’s arms were positioned for smaller devices. The phone felt securely attached to the headset, even while I shook it vigorously (far more than you would with your head, at least).
When I first plugged in the S7, I was prompted to remove it from the Gear VR and install a bundle of Oculus software. If you don’t have an Oculus account yet, you’ll be asked to create one. Once all that was set, I shoved the S7 (along with a pair of headphones) into the headset and prepared to get my VR on. Within a few seconds, I reached the Oculus Home screen and started shopping around for some apps.
I settled on NBC’s Sports app (featuring the Rio Olympics), Jaunt’s collection of 360-degree videos, Eve Gunjack and Adventure Time: Magic Man’s Head Games. When it came to 360-degree video playback, I definitely noticed the Gear VR’s larger field of view. It still feels like you’re looking through a pair of binoculars, rather than being completely transported somewhere else, but it’s far better than previous models. Unfortunately, the low resolution of most 360-degree video is an an even bigger detractor (it’s hard to follow the Olympics when you can’t determine which fuzzy blob is which).
When it came to games, though, the new Gear VR shined. Both Eve Gunjack and Adventure Time were easier to control with the less restrictive touchpad, and they were also more immersive than on previous Gear VRs. I also loved being able to quickly readjust the volume and brightness setting by holding down the “back” button, as I couldn’t reach my phone’s volume controls when it was plugged into the headset.
Mostly, I appreciated the fact that I could wear this Gear VR for a long time without getting fatigued. Even though it’s powered by mere phones, Samsung’s headset actually has an advantage over desktop VR platforms since it’s completely wireless (well, if you don’t count headphones). This latest model is simply the most comfortable VR headset on the market. It never felt like the headstraps were crushing my skull, or that the headset was resting too heavily on my nose (looking at you, HTC Vive).
As great as the Gear VR is, though, it could have some serious competition from upcoming headsets supporting Google’s Android Daydream VR platform. That’s basically attempting to do what the Gear VR did, but for handsets from multiple manufacturers. If Samsung were smart, it would work together with Google’s platform, but it’s unclear if the company’s deal with Oculus would prevent that.
Even with Daydream headsets on the horizon, though, I don’t have any problem recommending the new Gear VR to Samsung owners. In fact, it’s solid enough that it’s worth considering moving to a Samsung device just for the privilege of using the Gear VR. But the arguments against the Gear VR, and waiting for Daydream, are strong as well.
The best tech for honor students
Look, not everyone is cut out for late nights of drinking and playing DJ for groups of frat kids. Some would prefer to campout in the library until the wee hours of the morning studying and pouring over notes and lectures. Of course, the days of pen, paper and microfiche are pretty much over at this point. You need powerful, digital tools like an Evernote subscription to help organize all your notes from class. And there’s nothing like a solid voice recorder to document all those early morning classes before you’re fully caffeinated. Of course you’ll also need the basics, like a backpack and a laptop. But, you might also want to invest in a portable energy light to help keep you awake and fight off bouts of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) when you’re spending 90 percent of your day indoors. Check out the gallery below for all our best bookworm picks and make sure to check out our full Back-to-School Guide right here.
Source: Engadget’s 2016 Back-to-School Guide
Samsung plugs IBM’s brain-imitating chip into an advanced sensor
IBM’s TrueNorth, a so-called “cognitive chip,” remarkably resembles the human brain: its 4,096 cores combine to create about a million digital neurons and 256 million synapse connections. In short, like everyone’s favorite complex organ, it operates extremely quickly and consumes far less energy than typical processors. Samsung has taken the chip and plugged it into its Dynamic Vision Sensor (DVS) to process digital imagery at a blindingly fast rate.
Typical digital cameras max out 120 frames per second, but a DVS-equipped gadget can capture an incredible 2,000 fps. Unlike a conventional sensor, each pixel on Samsung’s only reacts if it needs to report a change in what it’s seeing, according to CNET. That high speed could be useful for creating 3D maps or gesture controls. At a press event on Thursday in San Jose, the company demonstrated its ability to control a TV as it recognized hand waves and finger pinches from ten feet away.
DVS is efficient like its TrueNorth chip base, and only consumes about 300 megawatts of power. That’s about a hundredth the drain of a laptop’s processor and a tenth of a phone’s, a Samsung VP said at the event. But we still have a ways to go before we approach the minimal power requirements of the human brain, he said, which can process some tasks at 100 million times less power than a computer.
Source: CNET
Samsung press invite hints at IFA debut for Gear S3 smartwatch
Samsung typically has a strong presence at the IFA trade show every September and we’re starting to get more news about certain gadgets. After weeks of rumors that the company will reveal its latest Gear S3 smartwatch at the German event, the Korean tech giant sent a press invitation that all but confirms it.
Given that the company announced the previous Gear smartwatch, the S2, at IFA 2015, it’s pretty likely that the press invite above spotted by AndroidCentral refers to the next model. That and the rumors swirling around the new gadget the past few weeks. SamMobile was the first to release details about the awaited product, noting that it will likely have a circular face with a rotary bezel like the last one. Further reports from the site report that the upcoming S3 will come in standard and “Classic” variants along with a new “Explorer” model.
Note that Samsung hasn’t directly confirmed any details nor have they released any images of the upcoming smartwatch. But if you’re curious for any peek at possible designs, sketchy photos and renders have been online for a few months. For the rest of us, we’ll have to wait til IFA begins on September 7th.
Source: 9to5Google
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