Apple Watch Series 2 Review

Fitness takes over the Apple Watch

 The Apple Watch 2 is not different on the design front, though Apple has roped in some new variants like the ceramic version. It is still a stylish, good looking watch that you would want to wear without the whole world staring at your wrist. Also, the basic Apple Watch bands are the most comfortable to wear over a long period of time, especially if you are the type that likes to keep the wearable on during sleep.

 

What is good?

I have used the first Apple Watch on and off during the past year. It’s a great device for keeping track of your activities and being ahead of your notifications. However, I needed only a third of the watch’s functionality. But with the actionable complications and app dock in watchOS 3, I ended up using the apps more. Now I tap on the activity icons on the watch face to see my steps or heart rate, avoiding multiple swipes and taps like before. Also, I can easily switch to my favourite app, and not go the app screen which I still find very complicated.

 

Apple has launched a new set of watch faces which are very stylish. But they also utilise the abilities of a smartwatch better. There are screens now that show you a lot of information, each actionable on a single tap.  The new processor is faster than before and you can feel it. The slight wait that was customary for apps to open on the first version is now gone for good. Apps load instantly and switching between them is a breeze too.
The Watch 2 comes with GPS. So it can track your route even if you don’t have the phone with you. However, to save battery this feature is not on all the time, only when you have selected an outdoor run or walk. And when the phone is nearby, it will use the GPS on the phone as default.

I found the new breathe feature really handy in coping with stress at work. It helped me relax and refocus on work and get stressed out all over again.
The battery life has improved. There have been days when I have squeezed out close to 22 hours. This is the brightest display on pretty much any device at the moment. So no squinting to read under a bright sun.

What is not that great?

The Apple Watch still takes close to 90 minutes to reach full charge. So if you have forgotten to keep the watch on the dock overnight or at least early in the morning, you have an issue.
The app screen on watchOS is still something I fail to comprehend, at least in first glance. It is rarely that I go there or open an app from it. Apple needs to figure out a better way.

The Apple Watch is smart enough to understand what you are doing and log it likewise. However, it does not switch off the GPS when you are done with your outdoor activity, and I realised I am not smart enough to do it myself at the end of walks. This is something Apple could work on.

Verdict

Given the build quality and sheer usability, the Apple Watch 2 is now the best smartwatch out there. Buy this if you want to make a style statement and a lifestyle statement. For me, the Apple Watch, especially the satisfaction of seeing those full rings at the end of the day, has been a good motivating factor that helped me lose a couple of kilos after many years.

HTC 10

Review

Design

 It’s the beauty of light, crafted into a brand new all-metal unibody. Every element of HTC 10 has been designed, refined and perfected. From the bold new chamfered contour to its stunning dual-textured finish and quality construction. All the way down to getting the perfect click from the power button.

 

 

Camera

The camera department of the HTC 10 is upgraded with the so-called UltraPixel 2.0 camera. It's a 12MP sensor that has 1.55µm pixels but about 3 times as many pixels as the original 4MP sensor from the One M7 and One M8.
The UltraPixel 2.0 comes with Optical Stabilization System (OIS), which lacks on the Nexus phones. It also has an f/1.8 aperture, as opposed to f/2.0 on the Google-commissioned phones. The dual-tone LED flash is another special feature.
The HTC 10 performs well in many various settings of light. Some of these shots were in bright sunlight, and others, starting from the fountain, onward, were taking after the sun began setting.
In some situations, the HTC 10 fails to represent the dynamic ranges in lighting such as when there is light coming from behind the subject. The Galaxy S7 edge performs better in this regard.

Battery life

The HTC 10's battery has got a minor increase in capacity from 2,840mAh in the One M9 to 3,000mAh. Compared to the One M9, this modest bump of capacity in collaboration with Marshmallow's battery optimization were able to offset the increase in resolution (1440p up from 1080p) and screen size (5.2" up from 5.0").

 

 

  Audio

 

The BoomSound speakers on the HTC 10 scored the lowest in our loudness test between the LG G5 and the Galaxy S7. This is the case with phones nowadays as dual speakers are usually optimized for sound quality rather than loudness.
The flagship delivered an impressive output when used with an active external amplifier, getting top marks for clarity and garnishing them with nicely high volume levels. Degradation caused by headphones is minimal too with a minor hike in stereo crosstalk being the only change. Volume remained very high and clarity was still great.

Software

HTC's Sense UI has been simplified a lot. Today, HTC says they've trimmed all the fat from the Sense UI, meaning they've gotten rid of some of the redundant applications that co-existed with Google's editions of such apps like HTC Internet, Fun Fit, Scribble, and Polaris Office. These apps were replaced with Chrome, Google Fit, Google Keep, and Google Docs, respectively.

 

 Good quality.

• Brilliant design
• Gorgeous display
• Lean software
• Speedy performance
• Good cameras
• Very good audio

 Buy at.Amazon

 

 

Google Pixel phones launched

Review: First impressions of Google's new smartphones

 

The new Google Pixel phones have Google Assistant integration, are Daydream VR-ready, and Google claims the "best ever" smartphone camera ever.

 

 Picking up where the Nexus handsets left off, the Pixel and Pixel XL are the first phones to be made by Google "inside and out" - meaning that Google has masterminded the hardware as well as the software.

They are also the first phones to ship with Google's newest operating system, Android 7.1 Nougat, and offer the "cleanest" Android experience you are likely to get on a smartphone.

 

Design

 Google has opted for an industrial design, with an aerospace-grade aluminum body and Corning Gorilla Glass 4 screen.

The Pixel has a 5-inch display, while the Pixel XL's display is 5.5-inches. A thin bezel gives both phones a near edge-to-edge display.
Like the Nexus 5X and 6P that came before it, the Pixel has a fingerprint sensor on the back, putting it in easy reach when you're holding the phone in one hand.
The fingerprint reader is not only used to unlock the phone but also to access and scroll through notifications by swiping from top to bottom.

 

  Camera

 The Pixel has a 12.3-megapixel camera, featuring an f/2.0 aperture and big 1.55 micron pixels to capture lots of light.

While those specs may not sound all that impressive on paper, the Pixel's camera has been given a score of 89 by DxOMark - the industry standard for camera and lens image quality - making it the highest-rated smartphone camera ever tested.

Google Assistant

Pixel comes with Google Assistant built in, so like with Apple's Siri, you can ask it a question by saying "OK Google" or holding down the Home button.

Google Assistant is more advanced than Siri in some ways, allowing you to have a natural two-way conversation.
For example, you can say, “OK Google, where is the nearest cafe? And then tap the mic icon and follow up with "Remind me to leave for coffee with Jamie at 7am".

 

 

Other features

The Pixel phones come with Google's newest apps Allo and Duo pre-installed so you can video call and text with all your friends, whether they're on Android or iOS.
They also come with quick charging technology, so you can get up to 7 hours of battery life with just 15 minutes of charging.

 

 

Price and release date

The Pixel costs £599 for the 32GB version and £699 for the 128GB version, and the Pixel XL costs £719 for the 32 GB and £819 for the 128GB version.
That puts Google's smartphones exactly on a par with Apple's equivalent iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models.
The Pixel and Pixel XL can be pre-ordered from today, and will start shipping on October 20.
They will be available to purchase from the Google Store, EE and Carphone Warehouse.

 

 

 

 

Moto Z Force----- Best Upcoming Smartphone

                                      Moto Z Force

 The new Moto Z Force is well constructed, has a unique approach to mods, contains a great camera, and is a phone I can recommend to smartphone buyers.
The Moto Z Force Droid incorporates the same specs found in other high end Android smartphones with the addition of a rugged display that should handle typical accidental drops. It's the first Android phone without a headphone jack, but Motorola did include a USB Type-C to 3.5mm dongle in the box. I use a pair of wired Bose noise-cancelling headphones when I travel so I am personally not ready to give up on the headphone jack.
It would be nice to see the Moto Z Force launch with Android Nougat, but hopefully we see it updated before the end of the year after Google rolls out the OS and new Nexus devices.

Display and Built

The Moto Z Force has a 5.5 inch quad-HD (2560x1440px) AMOLED display. This is a departure from the 2015 Moto X's LCD display in favor of an AMOLED panel. The AMOLED panel has the benefit of displaying darker blacks, more vivid colors, better outdoor legibility and it is also more power efficient in showing dark content. 

 The device comes in an incredibly slim body of just 5mm thickness and weighs merely 136grams. It comes in a strong metallic built that is splash resistant and is available in black and gold colour variants. 

 

Hardware

The Moto Z Force is a device with a 5.5 inch display and rather wide bezels. There is a tall bezel below the display where we find the word Moto and a fingerprint scanner. Just like the Moto G4 Plus, the fingerprint scanner only serves to unlock the phone or turn off the display. It does not serve as a home button or for any other function, which seems like a waste of space to me and is not what I prefer.
The display looks fantastic and the fact that it is shatterproof is a major benefit to owning the Moto Z Force. Field workers will appreciate having a phone they can drop without having to worry about breaking screens as they get work done.

Battery

A larger 3,500 mAh battery makes an appearance with the Moto Z Force, a battery that's about 35% larger than the one found in the Moto Z, a 2,600mAh battery.

Unlike the Moto Z, The Z Force comes with a 30W TurboPower Charger . This TurboPower charger takes the Moto Z Force from 0 to 62% in 30 minutes. That's quite impressive! The TurboPower 30 Charger is rated at 5V @ up to 5.7A which is technically 28.5W.

 

 

 

Software

The Moto Z Force Droid launches with Android Marshmallow and the May 2016 Android security patch. Motorola stated it will issue an update soon after the release of the Z Force, but it will not commit to timely monthly updates as we have seen from Samsung and Google.
Everything runs smoothly on the Moto Z Force Droid and all has been stable as well. I personally like some of the customizations and enhancements offered by phone makers, but purists will enjoy using the Moto Z Force.
Motorola has always offered some cool enhancements and gestures that I am pleased to see continue here on the Moto Z Force Droid. To view and change the default for these enhancements, launch the Moto app on the phone. Enhancements include the twist to launch the camera, chop motion to turn on the flashlight, reach to trigger Moto Display, flip to enable do not disturb, pick up to stop ringing, customized Google Now voice command support, and more.

Specifications

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 2.2 GHz quad-core
• Display: 5.5 inch 2560x1440 pixels resolution AMOLED ShatterShield display
• Operating system: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
• RAM: 4GB
• Storage: 32GB internal (64GB option available) with microSD expansion card slot
• Cameras: Rear 21 megapixel f/1.8 aperture with 1.12um pixel and front 5 megapixel f/2.2 aperture with 1.4um pixel
• Water resistance: Water repelleant nano-coating
• Battery: 3500 mAh non-removable with TurboPower fast charging technology
• Dimensions: 155.9 x 75.8 x 6.99 mm and 163 grams

Conclusion

I was pleasantly surprised by the rock solid design, camera performance, and interesting approach to modularity. It's a rather big and heavy phone, especially when a Moto Mod is slapped on the back.
The Moto Z Droid is thinner and lighter than the Z Force Droid, but it loses the shatterproof display and the camera drops down to a 13 megapixel shooter. The battery on the Moto Z is also quite a bit smaller at 2,600 mAh. If I was going to buy one of these new Verizon Droid phones, I would pay the extra $96 to get the improvemens in the display, camera, and battery