Moto X vs HTC One: 4.7-inch Android 4.2.2 showdown

Moto X vs HTC One: 4.7-inch Android 4.2.2 showdown

We can all go ahead and stop calling the Moto X a mid-range phone now.

Everyone is guilty of it, myself included. You look at that specs sheet and the first thing you think is “how could this possibly cost as much on a new contract as something like the Galaxy S4 or the HTC One?” because the tech community has been trained to care about specs. As far as we’ve been told, the quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor is a better processor than the previous generation Snapdragon S4 Pro. We see these names and they are supposed to mean something.

While we’re not quite ready to give a full review on the Moto X, we have taken some time to compare the camera and general performance side by side with the HTC One. The truth is there’s nothing mid-range about the Moto X, and it is a fierce competitor against the HTC One (as well as the Galaxy S4).

The HTC One and Moto X are both 4.7-inch Android phones running version 4.2.2 with curved backs to better fit in the hand. The curve on the Moto X is a little more noticeable than on the HTC One, and as a result is a little more difficult to use when its on flat surface.

The Moto X is noticeably smaller than the One due to the lack of HTC’s BoomSound speakers and IR sensor on the top of the phone. As a result, the Moto X fits much better in my hand, but has its speaker on the back of the phone near the camera instead of the front. Meanwhile, HTC’s volume rocker and power button sit nice and flush with the aluminum unibody casing, while the Moto X button stick out a bit against the seam that separates the glass front and polycarbonate back.

Moto X
Display

The most important part of any phone is the part that lets you actually use it. This is an area that HTC has excelled in for a while now, and is an area in which the Motorola is lacking. In a side-by-side comparison, you can absolutely see the screen superiority of the HTC One. The 1080p display is crisp and clear, while the same image on the Moto X can look slightly fuzzy… if you look hard. You won’t notice the difference when you are playing games, but you’ll absolutely notice it when reading text.

If you’re not terribly picky about 720p vs 1080p, you have to choose between color accuracy on these two screens. HTC’s display shows color significantly cooler than the Moto X. The warm display on the X is great for looking at color, but on a flat white background the screen can offer a yellow twinge that can be bothersome to some users. On the other hand, the overly blue tint on the HTC One can be irritating in low light situations, so what you’re really deciding is which end of the color correction scale you prefer to be on since neither phone really does a good enough job of hitting the middle.

Performance

It’s a no-brainer, right? There’s no way that S4 Pro can outshine the Snapdragon 600. Only, that’s not exactly true. Both phones are incredibly snappy, and it’s not easy to compare glide and scroll performance because HTC Sense and vanilla Android deploy different movement principles to scrolling and bouncing, but in no way do either phone have problems. The animations on the Moto X are noticeably faster when entering and exiting menus, but when you are using these two phones side by side you’ll be unable to tell which  Android 4.2.2 phone is faster.

Complex tasks are where it is at, and there’s no greater real world test of raw performance on a Qualcomm phone than their own made for Snapdragon game. Reign of Amira is great for testing Snapdragon systems against one another because Qualcomm made this game in house with the specific intention of showing off how great their systems are for gaming. When running these two phones side by side, the Moto X is noticeably faster than the HTC One. In our video demonstration, you can see that the Moto X is a full second faster in loading the game, despite being a technically lesser processor.

Games aren’t the only hardware intensive thing you can do on an Android phone, but it is by far the most common. The Moto X gets a slight performance bump here because it only has to draw against a 720p display instead of a 1080p display, which helps explain why the animations and navigation feels just slightly faster sometimes. If you were to do something like transcode a video and share it via HDMI to a television, it is likely that the quad core processor on the HTC One would handle that better.

Moto X vs Galaxy S4: Do you care about specs or experience?

Moto X vs Galaxy S4: Do you care about specs or experience?

The Moto X is finally official, and that means phone buyers will have to figure it into their calculations. The current king of Android by most measurements is the Samsung Galaxy S4, which just came out late in the spring. Let’s see how these two phones stack up, and if the first real Google phone is able to take on Samsung’s flagship.

Staring you right in the face on both phones are AMOLED panels. This technology is a favorite of Samsung and Motorola because they use no power on black pixels and are extremely thin. Motorola chose to go with a 4.7-inch 720p AMOLED screen, which is unusual for a headlining device these days. The Samsung has a 5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED.


GS4

Even at 720p the Moto X manages 317 pixels per inch. That’s respectable, but Samsung’s flagship clocks in at 441 pixels per inch. The Samsung device is going to be crisper, but it will also suck up more juice.

Inside, these devices have similar origins, but take different approaches to provide a smooth user experience. The Moto X uses the new X8 mobile computing platform, which is a combination of a dual-core Snapdragon S4 Pro and a pair of special processing cores elsewhere on the board. The natural language and contextual computing processors enable the always-on software features and save battery life.

Samsung went with a faster ARM chip — the quad-core Snapdragon 600 (in the US). This is a better option in terms of raw power, but it lacks the neat always-on features. Still, it makes the GS4 a powerful device. If the Moto X with its optimized software can keep up, it might have the edge here. Both phones are equipped with 2GB of RAM.

Motorola chose to go with a 10MP camera with an RGBC sensor for better low light performance. The Galaxy S4 does OK in low-light, but its 13MP camera takes incredibly detailed images. It might edge out the Moto X in daily use.

x green

As for software, Samsung relies on its enormous mountain of features, some of which work well and other not so much. You have to hand it to Samsung for being innovative with features like Smart Stay, Air Gesture, and all the other “Smart” stuff. This phone runs Android 4.2.2 with a fairly heavy skin designed by Samsung. Some users are okay with it, but other find it a bit garish.

The Moto X runs software that could easily be confused with stock Android, but it isn’t quite. Motorola made very few changes to the UI and fundamentals of Android. The magic comes from the custom silicon and the extra feature that enables. The Moto X can pull up voice search any time it hears you say the trigger phrase — even while it’s asleep. The AMOLED display is also used to display notifications while the phone is asleep.

Aesthetics are highly personal, but the Galaxy S4 has a reputation for feeling rather cheap and slippery. It’s made of slick white or black plastic, with a handful of other colors available in limited markets. The Moto X is well-put-together and can be purchased in a wide variety of custom colors.

X Colors

The Samsung Galaxy S4 and Moto X are going to cost $199 on-contract for the 16GB version. There are occasional sales on the GS4, so you might be able to get a deal there. It’s a close call, but the Moto X deserves some serious consideration, even though the GS4 has slightly better specs

Review: Moto X is the phone Android needs right now

Review: Moto X is the phone Android needs right now

Not too long ago, Google bought a smartphone manufacturer. Instead of making another Nexus, the first true Google-Motorola phone is a bundle of experiments that the the company hopes will turn out to be popular. Meet the Moto X, the first Android phone targeted at the average consumer

We’ve been hearing about The New Motorola ever since the Droid Razr HD launch last year, but this smartphone is the first one to be entirely designed by Google. “The first phone from the new Motorola” as they put it. This phone has been highly anticipated with more leaks than we typically see from even the most popular announcements these days. In the days before the unveiling, those who had been paying attention were left with the impression that this would be a mid-range phone. This didn’t turn out the way everyone expected.

After some preliminary comparisons to the current Android heavyweights, the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One (Read: Moto X vs Galaxy S4 and Moto X vs HTC One), we were all reminded that what we read on a specs sheet and how a phone feels in the real world are two very different things.

Motorola promises that this phone will create a unique experience geared for everyone, and not just the hardcore Android power user. While the phone it not without flaws — some of them easily deal breakers for certain groups of users — the X is an impressive first step from The New Motorola.

Moto X rear
Hardware

Motorola is no stranger to the “flat black slab” design, having made more than a few of them over the past few years. The Moto X is quite different… or at least the back half of it is. The phone feels like two different concepts that have been awkwardly pressed together in order to create a single device. On the front half you’ll find nothing but glass, which bleeds over the edge and down the side. The glass around the edge of the phone is opaque, serving as both the trim and the bezel. As a result you’ll find very little on the front of the phone that is not the display, outside of the normal phone bits like microphone, speaker, and front-facing camera. For a phone with a 4.7-inch display, it feels smaller than any other high-end Android phone sold today.

Considering that is uses a 720p RGB AMOLED display, the Moto X looks great, as long as you are OK a warmer-than-average color temperature. When the brightness is way down on the X you can see the yellowing in areas that are supposed to be true white. This works well for images, but can be less than ideal for reading text. The 316ppi display doesn’t hold a candle to some of today’s 1080p IPS displays, especially in direct sunlight, but you won’t be able to see pixels or pentile line fragments. Overall, the Moto X has a decent display that won’t eat your battery just by existing, but it certainly isn’ going to win Motorola any awards.

Moto X

The other side of the Moto X is wildly different. The polycarbonate backing, which is currently only available in a black or white that closely resembles the kevlar designs Motorola has deployed in the past, curves in a dramatic fashion. The phone tapers from 10.4mm at the thickest point just above the center of the device to the 5.6mm at the base and just barely thicker than this at the top and sides of the device. It’s almost as though the Motorola symbol on the back of the phone is being pulled away from the phone, and the back has warped out as it happened.

Ergonomically speaking, your finger naturally rests on the concave spot on the back (where the Motorola logo is), and it doesn’t feel as though you are stretching your thumb to reach the other side of the phone when trying to use it with a single hand. The end result is a phone that feels very comfortable in your hand, but a little wobbly and clumsy when trying to use it as the phone rests on a flat surface.

These two sides don’t meet well in the middle. As a result of these two different materials there is a seam in the middle of the phone that is both awkward to look at and to feel. The glossy glass bezel and matte polycarbonate meet with a rough edge that is uncomfortable to run your fingers across and quite noticeable if you are looking for it. This was likely made worse by my decision to review the white version of the phone, as the seam also causes a black line around the two sides that makes it really clear when the edges don’t line up perfectly.

All in all the Moto X feels solid and looks nice when you’re looking at one side or the other, but it’s far from the most aesthetically pleasing smartphone available today.

Moto X camera compare
Clear Pixel camera

Motorola’s smartphone cameras have historically never been anything particularly special. They get the job done, and their apps have always kept up well enough with the pace of the rest of the industry, but over the last few years there’s clearly not been anything driving the Motorola team to deliver a one of a kind camera experience. The Moto X includes the world’s first RGBC sensor in a phone, with the hope that it will deliver a high end camera experience that also offers a great lowlight experience. Alongside of this the new camera app looks to strip as many buttons from the experience to allow the user to take a photo as quickly as possible, even going so far as to include a wrist flick gesture that launches the camera app from any point in the OS.

Motorola’s Clear Pixel camera does exactly what it advertises it will do. In low light situations the camera easily competes with the HTC One and Nokia Lumia 928 when it comes to the sensor being able to “see” in low light. When capturing images it does a great job demonstrating color accuracy, and the AutoHDR function does an acceptable job balancing the light if there’s ever an issue with the environment you are trying to take a picture in. Unfortunately, in our tests with the camera the truly great shots produced were few and far between. This isn’t because the camera isn’t capable, but because the software often misses the mark in focusing on the correct thing in the photo.

The camera app in the Moto X has autofocus on by default that really struggles to quickly focus on things that are within a couple of feet, typically preferring to focus much farther away. There’s a tap-to-focus feature that you can enable, but the camera takes the photo regardless of whether or not it focused correctly after you tap. There’s no pause in between focus and capture, and so the camera misfires frequently. This happens less frequently with the front-facing camera, though as a 2MP shooter you won’t be doing much other than face shots which are relatively easy to optimize for. When you do get that clear photo, it’s usually a pretty great shot.

HDR is set to Auto on this phone, which also contributes to a poor photography experience. HDR in general on this phone is great from the perspective of someone who plans to edit the photos later. There seems to be almost no post processing done when the photo is taken, so while the end result often looks more washed out than something like the HTC One which tends to over-processes photos. Turning HDR off seemed to generate the best all around photos, while HDR on served as a great tool for photos that will be edited later. With Auto HDR on, it takes much longer to get from capture to capture. The delay from taking one photo to another can often be two seconds, unless you’ve decided to hold your finger on the screen and capture a series of photos via the burst shot feature. (For more on the HTC One read our low-light camera shootout.)

Video seems largely unaffected by the focus and HDR issues found in the camera app, and the single button press required to capture video is a welcome change from the often overcomplicated third party Android camera apps. The camcorder function on the Moto X does a great job capturing 1080p video or 720p slow motion video. You can tap the screen anytime you are recording video and capture stills, which often end up looking better than just trying to take a normal photo.

Samsung caught rigging phones to boost benchmark results

Samsung caught rigging phones to boost benchmark results

It has always been my firm belief that benchmarks, specifically mobile benchmarks, were a waste of time and could never offer the same information as actually holding the device in your hands and trying it for yourself. Samsung has helped demonstrate just how true that is after being caught intentionally boosting performance on their hardware in order to deceive popular benchmarking tools.

It was only a matter of time before smartphone manufacturers started trying to optimize their hardware to suit benchmarks. There’s a lot of curious double talk about hardware amongst mobile OEMs right now, some going as far as giving their processors entirely new names to make them sound great to a casual observer. PC manufacturers have been doing it for years, and there’s never really been anything anyone can do to stop them from behaving this way.

With a smartphone, the CPU and GPU benchmarks do little more than complete numbers on a chart or add another line to a graph. You can’t use a CPU or GPU benchmark to tell you which of the smartphones will offer you a better experience in your day to day activities. In theory, you could use GPU benchmarks to tell you which device would give you a better gaming experience if you played a lot of high performance mobile games, but now it would appear that even this is no longer true.

After receiving a tip that some benchmark apps were behaving a little oddly on the octo-core variant of the Galaxy S4, the guys at Anandtech did what they do best and performed a thorough analysis on the phone. According to their research, this variant of the Galaxy S4 contains specific code that boosts the clock speed of the CPU and GPU when specific benchmarking apps are running on the phone.

The app responsible for this behavior, TwDVFSApp.apk, will push the GPU from 480MHz to 532MHz, and as far as anyone can tell that clock speed is only possible on the phone when the specific benchmarks being called out in the app are being run. This list includes AnTuTu, Benchmark Pi, Linpack, and all versions of the Quadrant apps. Each of these are popular, well known Android benchmark apps that can be installed in most cases for free from the Google Play Store.

The frustrating thing about this isn’t that Samsung is rigging their own hardware to get better benchmarks, but that those clock speeds aren’t available to users when playing games. There’s no way to enjoy the Exynos 5 Octa at 532MHz, even though your benchmarking app tells you that’s what you should expect. It’s possible there’s a good reason that users aren’t allowed to use the higher clockspeed. This may be a heat management issue, as every version of the Galaxy S4 has some temperature issues after an extended gameplay session.

Whatever is going on here, though, it’s clear that benchmarks really aren’t to be trusted on mobile hardware any more than they are on traditional computers.

Is HTC Taking on the Galaxy Note With a Rumored 6-Inch One Max?

Is HTC Taking on the Galaxy Note With a Rumored 6-Inch One Max?

 

 Just in case you thought there weren't enough monstrous phones on offer, rumor has it that HTC may be planning to roll out a 6-inch, 1080p version of its acclaimed One.

Referred to as the One Max, Mobile Geeks reports that sources have revealed the phone could pack a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 chip, 2GB of RAM, up to 64GB of storage, and a 3200mAh battery-along with that whopping screen.

If-and that's a pretty weighty if-the rumors are correct, it's tough to know what to expect from a monster One. Stylus support? Handwriting recognition? Who knows. The report suggests that the phone could be unveiled as soon as September though, so if it's accurate then there's not too long to wait. Also, it's worth noting that date would marry up with the expected launch date of Samsung's Galaxy Note 3.

Elsewhere, Mobile Geeks repeats previous rumors about an HTC One Mini, with a dual-core 1.4GHz processor, 720p 4.3-inch display, and 16GB of storage. It goes to far as to suggest the smaller handset could land in the next two weeks, so... watch this space.

Apple iPhone 6 Specification, Price, Features, Release Date Leaked

Apple iPhone 6 Specs, Price, Features, Release Date Leaked

Apple fans are waiting to see the Apple’s new device, while according to rumors Apple will launch its next iPhone (iPhone 6) with 3D technology.



Specification or Features of iPhone 6 :
Screen:

The iPhone 6 will be launched with 4.8 Retina+ Sharp IGZO display with 1080 HD resolution, according to rumors.
Camera:

Apple bought camera sensor from Sony before suggesting that the new iPhone includes 3.2 megapixel face HD camera and 13 megapixel 3D rear camera.
Processor:

According to rumors, Apple will bring A7 quad-core processor instead of current processor, dual core A6, which is being run on iPhone 5 and in iPad 4.
iPhone 6 eye Tracking:

Apple will deliver some eye tracking motion technology in its next iPhone which allows the users to use the device without touch.
Wi-Fi connectivity:  

Apple iPhone 6 may have 802,11ac wi-fi connectivity.
Wireless Charging:

Apple will probably introduce the wireless charger which would is built to charge multiple devices simultaneously.
iPhone home button:

Apple has a giant Retina+ IGZO display and a “new form factor with no home button, according to Business Insider.
Operating System:

Apple’ next iPhone will run on iOS 7 while iPhone 5 and iPad 4 is still running on iOS 6.
Storage:

Apple has already launch 128 GB storage capacity version of iPad. So we could see a  iPhone with same storage capacity.
Release date:

As far as the release of Apple’s new iPhone 6 is concerned, it is expected to come in the autumn this year.

The features above show Apple is ready to take the challenge of Android devices like Samsung Galaxy S4. But the question is: are they enough to counter high-end Android Devices or not?

Best Comparison Between Android 4.3 and Android 4.2.2

Best Comparison Between Android 4.3 and Android 4.2.2

Well, virtually out of nowhere, Android 4.3 surfaced in the past week in the form of a ROM for the Google Edition Samsung Galaxy S4. But when we take a look at it, what’s really changed from Android 4.2? Here’s a little summary of what we’ve found so far.
 The version of the ROM that Android Police have had on their hands for the Galaxy S4 still has a few bugs (always on Wi-Fi? Ugh), but it’s given us some good insight into what we can look forward to when Android 4.3 does finally drop for other devices.  While it will still fall under the same nomenclature of Jelly Bean, 4.3 will have an API version of 18, compared to an API version of 17 for Android 4.2 This means that there will be most likely new interfaces and interactions available for developers to play around with.
Wi-Fi issues
While poking around in the source code, Android Police have discovered some changes to the wireless settings. Even if your slider for Wi-Fi is set to “Off”, the device will still scan the background. Google has indicated in the past that Wi-Fi is not only used for a determination of your devices location, but also for “other purposes. Android Police has therefor speculated that data is still being sent back to Google to expand its own Wi-Fi cards (a composite of Wi-Fi networks in your area).
There is a way to currently shut it off, but you need to do some searching in Advanced Settings.  Once this is done, the device will rely on GPS for location determination, however, it will consume more battery than just using the Wi-Fi option.
Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto
First introduced in Android 4.0, Roboto is the system font that Android uses and was designed specifically for ease of readability on smaller displays.  Some minor improvements to this font family have been added in Android 4.3, most notably making the letters slimmer and having more rounded edges.

android 43 robotoThe changes, while small, should be noticeable to users when reading on smaller screens. Roboto on 4.2 in black and Roboto on 4.3 in red.

While the changes are only visible when you do a direct comparison between the old and new Roboto fonts, the overall readability of text on your smartphone device or Android tablet should improve with this change.
Notifications, we meet again
I guess with the update to 4.3, Google has also planned some pretty major changes the Android notification service. It seems that it will be possible for third-party apps to access notifications and interact directly through them and also display a history of notifications that you have received. The former will allow apps a new range of interactions through the notification center, such as deleting e-mail messages without having to open your e-mail app. The latter will be handy should you ever drop out of Wi-Fi or cell reception areas and then come back to find yourself inundated with a plethora of notifications.


notification service android 43Some changes to the notification center is expected, allowing more access for apps.

While it might seem not too ground-breaking, these changes would allows devices (such as a Pebble Smartwatch) more controllability when it comes to notifications and what you can do with them, allowing a more seamless experience and reducing the amount of “double” notifications that you get across devices.
Other features
Some more changes in Android 4.3, as noted by Android Central, have been listed below:

    The camera app has been redesigned with a new UI
    Support for Bluetooth Low Energy
    New Developer Tools (Debugging for non-rectangular clipping, Experimental WebView repeal of USB debugging authorizations)
    In the phone app pauses and waits can be inserted in the dialing string (using the comma and semicolon)
    Also in the Phone App: autocomplete in variable length of tone dialing and DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency)
    For screenshots that are shared via email, the date and time of recordings are automatically packed into the subject

And so, that’s it. And while most of it relates to the version of Android found on the Galaxy, it’s most likely these features will also be available in versions across other devices. No date has been given for an official release (or even announcement) but with the release of more information about the Moto X on July 10th, we could be in for a big surprise.

LG Optimus G Pro Review

LG Optimus G Pro Review: The Fastest Big Phone Out There

Fun fact: In a sprint, the hippo is one of the fastest land mammals, despite also being one of the largest. Similarly, the LG Optimus G Pro is unquestionably one humungoid phone, but it runs about as fast as the top speedsters out there. Whether or not you should consider buying it, however, is up to the elasticity of your fingers.

What Is It?

It's a bigass phone made by LG to compete with Samsung's bigass phone, the Galaxy Note II. It has a 5.5-inch 1080p HD screen, it's running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), and it has Qualcomm's screaming fast quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor clocked at 1.7GHz.
Who's It For?

People who want a lot of screen real-estate. People with big hands, or people with small hands who don't mind using two hands on their phones.
LG Optimus G Pro Review: The Fastest Big Phone Out There
Design

It is, frankly, so much like Samsung's Note II that the two could play a Freaky Friday-style prank on their owners.. It's got Samsung's classic rounded, glossy, plastic back. Up front there's a home button that you physically press down, which is flanked by a menu button and a back button. There is a very thin bezel up front, which is a nice look. The biggest difference between it and the Note II is the lack of a built-in stylus. (Above, from left to right: Galaxy Note II, Optimus G Pro, and the Galaxy S4.)
Using It

While the phone is decidedly quick, there's just no getting around how unwieldy it is. One-handing it is a difficult proposition. I have larger-than-average hands, and it's a real strain to get into a position where my thumb can reach both the top and bottom of the screen. It was possible for me, but just barely. It also feels extremely prominent in your pants pocket. Every time I bent down to tie my shoes I was wondering if the screen or my pocket would break.

To be fair to the the Optimus G Pro, these issues aren't unique to this phone. It's a big-phone problem, and one that hasn't stopped people from buying the Galaxy Note or Note II.

The Best Part

It is very, very fast. Right up there with the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4. It flies though home screens, app drawers, and opening applications. HD games (such as Dead Trigger) play like butter. It actually feels a little faster than the S4, and just slightly slower than the One.

Tragic Flaw

Good God, LG really needs to smarten up its software or (more preferably) just give up and let Android do its thing. LG's skin is exceptionally unintuitive and bad. Example: The app drawer is just a clutter mass of apps without any order by default. Luckily, you can choose to sort them alphabetically. Unluckily, any new apps you install still get stuck at the back, regardless of alphabetical order. This is dumb. The menu system's layout is perplexing, and the remote control app (it has an IR blaster) is about as good as the app on the HTC One or S4, which is to say, not good.

There's a whole quick menu in the notification panel (boosted from Samsung), quick apps which can hover over your other apps (boosted from Samsung), and even an option that can tell when you're looking at it so the screen stays on (again, boosted from Samsung). What it can't do is something simple like auto-adjust your screen's brightness to the ambient lighting. The option is there, it just doesn't work. At all. The Optimus G Pro's keyboard has the worst auto-correct on any mobile device I've ever used. The one positive is that LG's bad software somehow manages not to slow the phone down at all (can't say the same for Samsung's TouchWiz), but it's still awful. Replacing the homescreen with Nova Launcher and replacing the keyboard with SwiftKey 4 solves some, but not all, of these problems.
This Is Weird...

The phone has a physical button on the upper left side called the QuickButton. By default it's set to take a screen cap of whatever is on screen so you can then draw notes on it with your finger. Pretty much useless. Luckily, you can remap it in the settings so it opens up your camera application, and while it will work as a shutter button, technically, it doesn't have a two-stage press to it, so it doesn't work very well.
Test Notes

    We tested the Optimus G Pro on AT&T's LTE network in NYC and the SF Bay Area, and in both locations it got better than average reception, and solid data speeds when it was on the LTE network. We got 25Mbps downloads and 15Mbps uploads when we had a strong signal.
    The screen is very nice. Text looks great on it, as do videos. It's not as good as the screen on the One or the S4, but it's certainly better than the screen on the Note II, which isn't a surprise given that it's 1080p vs 720p, both at 5.5 inches.
    Despite the king-sized 3140mAh battery, the phone's battery life is fairly middle-of-the-road. That screen sucks up a lot of juice. On days of heavier use, I'd only make it to about 6pm. When I used it less, it'd go well past midnight. Your mileage may vary.
    Despite the 13MP camera in tow, photos are just okay. Shots are reasonably sharp, but colors tend to be washed out, and it really struggles with contrast. It does a better job in low light than the Galaxy S4, but it doesn't come anywhere near the HTC One or Nokia Lumia 900. (Some samples.)

Should I Buy It?
If you're absolutely sold on owning a phone this big, well, it's the best giant phone presently out there. That said, Samsung is bound to release a Galaxy Note III in the months to come, and HTC is rumored to be unveiling a big one, too, so if you can wait, do. Or just get an HTC One or a Galaxy S4. Their screens aren't that much smaller and both phones are infinitely more useable because of simple ergonomics. We'd definitely recommend either of those phones (and the Nexus 4, and the iPhone 5) over the Optimus G Pro. That said, if you want something with size and speed and you want it right now, have at it. [LG]

    LG Optimus G Pro Specs

    Network: AT&T
    OS: Android 4.1 with LG's skin
    CPU: 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600
    Screen: 5.5-inch 1920x1080 IPS LCD (401PPI)
    RAM: 2GB
    Storage: 32GB + micro SD up to 64GB
    Camera: 13MP rear / 2MP front
    Battery: 3149 mAh
    Dimensions: 5.91 x 3.00 x 0.37 inches
    Weight: 5.64 ounces
    Price: Starts at $200 with a two-year contract

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review: Better, But Not Best (Updated)

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review: Better, But Not Best (Updated)

Since it arrived last year, the Galaxy S III has been the world's best-selling smartphone that wasn't born in Cupertino. An impressive feat, but one that-along with Samsung's Megatron-sized hype-machine-has made for sky-high expectations for the sequel.

Our first impressions of the S4 left us a little cold, but we've now spent a full week getting to know it better. It's definitely one of the best phones you can buy. It's just shame it couldn't stay out of its own way.
What Is It?

Samsung's next great hope of a superphone. It's got a 5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED screen, a superfast quad-core 1.9GHz Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB RAM, LTE, NFC, and a 13MP camera. It also has a beefy 2600mAh battery, and an IR blaster for controlling your home entertainment system. It comes running Android 4.2.2 with Samsung's heavy TouchWiz skin on top of it. It should be available on every major U.S. wireless carrier in the next few weeks.
Design

If you're familiar with the Galaxy S III, the S4 will look strikingly familiar. It retains the same rounded-rectangle look, with metal edges and a slippery, finger-print-trapping plastic back that looks like it belongs on a far more downmarket phone. It's at least functional, though; the back is removable, so you can swap out the battery or expand your storage capabilities with a micro SD card. A lot of people prefer that added utility over the more solid-feeling, and more beautiful unibody design of, say, the HTC One.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review: Better, But Not Best (Updated)


One place Samsung does manage to score design points is growing the screen from 4.8 inches on the Galaxy S III to a full 5.0 inches on the S4, while still making the phone thinner, narrower, and easier to grip. The side bezels are shrunk down to nearly nothing, and the screen takes up almost the entire front of the device. Speaking of the screen, it is easily the nicest Samsung has ever made. The colors (especially blues and greens) really pop, and the 441 pixels per inch ensure that text is super-clear. It's also bright enough to be clearly readable on a bright, sunny day, and the Super AMOLED screen makes the blacks like staring into the abyss.

That being said, we still slightly prefer the screen on the HTC One. There's something about it that looks matte, like a magazine, and colors are more accurate.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review: Better, But Not Best (Updated)

While Nexus phones are moving away from physical buttons for navigation, Samsung has opted to include three of them here. The S4 has capacitive buttons for Menu and Back, and a physical, clickable button for Home. It's wasted space. But worse, the capacitive buttons don't light up until you actually touch them, so if you forget which side is Menu and which is Back you might end up closing out of something unintentionally. Annoying!

The final touch: on top of the device is a super tiny IR blaster for controlling your TV. You'd never even notice it if you weren't looking for it, and you won't look for it.


Using It

As we noted in our original hands-on, the S4 comes packed full of ""features."" There's Air View, which allows you to hover your finger over the screen to see some information without actually clicking. There's Air Gestures, which allows you to wave your hand over the phone to change between tabs or photos. There's Smart Scroll, with which you tilt your device to scroll, instead of using your finger. There's Smart Pause, which will pause a video when you look away from the screen. And there's Group Play, which lets you play a handful of selected video games with friends on the same Wi-Fi network, or use several S4 phones as Sonos-like speakers.

The most important thing you need to know about these features is that you will never use any of them. Ever. Never ever. The end.

Why not? Oh, lots of reasons. Air View only works with Samsung's customized apps-not Gmail, not Chrome-and even then it doesn't work very well. Air Gestures are less accurate and less convenient than just touching the screen. Smart Scroll is totally unreliable, and Smart Pause is totally useless. The only, only justification for any of these features is that you can wave your hand over the phone to answer a call while driving, or, again, maybe if you're addicted to buffalo wings and have an aversion to moist towelettes.

Make no mistake. These ""features"" are nothing more than gimmicks, case studies in why different doesn't always mean better, and can often be worse.

The good news is that you can turn off and/or totally ignore most of these extraneous ""features,"" and when you do, there's a very good phone underneath. It's generally very fast, and HD games like Temple Run: Oz, Inertia HD, and Naught all ran smoothly. The pre-installed sliding keyboard is better than most manufacturer keyboards (looking at you, HTC), with plenty of space between keys and a dedicated number row, but auto-correct has a lot of issues, and we still prefer the keyboard on stock Jelly Bean or SwiftKey 4. The unit we tested was on T-Mobile's HSPA+ 42 network (no T-Mobile LTE in NYC, yet, though this phone will work with it when it rolls out); data speeds were good, and it connected reliably.

There will be a cadre of S4 accessories available (TV adapters and such) at some point, but the only one available at launch is the S View Flip Cover. It's a good-looking cover that adds almost no thickness to your phone by completely replacing the back. The phone can sense when the cover is closed, and it will only light up one little (plastic) window on the front, which should save you a little battery power (when an AMOLED pixel is black it doesn't use any power). You can swipe to accept or dismiss calls even when the cover is closed.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review: Better, But Not Best (Updated)

All of which sounds handy, but it makes the phone more cumbersome to use. It means you have to use two hands when you first pull your phone out, and when it's folded back, there's an extra piece of plastic your camera has to shoot through. It also makes the volume rocker way harder to access. In general, not worth it. Especially for the $60 price tag.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review: Better, But Not Best (Updated)

Camera

In decent lighting, the camera is among the best shooters out there. Images are very sharp and there's a surprising amount of depth of field. Colors are rich, though they border on over-saturation, and video quality is excellent. You can check out plenty of our sample shots here.

We've also included a few comparison images below to give you a sense of how the S4's shooter performs relative to the competition:

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review: Better, But Not Best (Updated)

With Flash

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review: Better, But Not Best (Updated)

No Flash

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review: Better, But Not Best (Updated)

Outside

The camera app's mode selection wheel, which was lifted from Samsung's own Galaxy Camera, is the most intuitive method for switching between shooting modes on any smartphone we've tested. It has photos showing you exactly what you're getting, underneath clear text, which eliminates any guesswork.
Like

Battery performance on the S4 is among the best we've seen from smartphones this year, though it's still not anywhere near as everlasting as the RAZR MAXX HD. It's important to note, though, that our testing took place on T-Mobile's HSPA+ network, and not the more power-hungry LTE of Verizon and AT&T (Update: See below for test notes with LTE). With that advantage, it slightly edged out the HTC One by an hour or so on average (which itself does pretty decently).

The S4 did, though, make it to the end of the night without additional charging fairly often, thanks to both the larger battery (2600mAh vs. 2300mAh on the One) and the more economical AMOLED screen, though the processor's higher clock speed taxed it somewhat.

Speaking of which: that screen really is leaps and bounds better than the one on last year's S III. It's very sharp, pretty, and easy to read. The camera app is laid out very nicely, and the included OCR (optical character recognition) software, which can translate written words on the fly, are both examples of app actually done right. Overall, the S4 is definitely a sizable upgrade over the S III. But it's still got its issues.

 Samsung Galaxy S4 Specs

Network: All major U.S. carriers
OS: Android 4.2.2 with TouchWiz UI
CPU: 1.9 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600
Screen: 5-inch 1920x1080 Super AMOLED (441PPI)
RAM: 2GB
Storage: 16 or 32GB + micro SD up to 64GB
Camera: 13MP rear / 2MP front
Battery: 2600 mAh Li-Ion
Dimensions: 5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 inches
Weight: 4.59 ounces
Price: Starts at $200 with a two-year contract

Leaked Images of BlackBerry's New A10

Leaked Images of BlackBerry's New A10

 BlackBerry's rumored big shiny new A10 has cropped up in a series of leaked high-res images and it looks... actually kinda nice.

The new phone is rumored to be a bigger and faster flagship smartphone for the company, and these images show the device in more detail than before. It's not dissimilar in style to Samsung's Galaxy S4, though the bottom of the phone also resembles the HTC One with it chrome chin.

The Vietnamese site Tinhte-which often manages to get its paws on phones ahead of launch-has also released a video of the same handset, too. Watch it below.

The A10 is rumored to pack a 5-inch AMOLED display, a dual-core processor, and 2GB of RAM, and there's been suggestion that it could arrive some time before the end of 2013. The accuracy of all this is clearly up for debate-as is whether it can actually help BlackBerry out if its hole. Let's wait and see. [hightechmate]

Nexus 7 Leaks Spills Almost All the Details

New Nexus 7 Leaks Spills Almost All the Details

 We didn't get any new hardware back at Google I/O, but we've heard plenty about a new Nexus 7 on course to be announced sometime this month. Time is running out, but now Engadget has gotten some leaked details that confirm almost everything we've heard so far.

According to the leaked spec sheet screenshot, the new 7's will come with (obviously) a 7-inch screen, a quad-core 1.5GHz CPU, front-facing and external cameras, Android 4.3, wireless charging, and a Slim Port for throwing 1080p content up on your TV.

That mostly lines up with the other rumors we've seen, including the actual updated model that made its way out into the wild the other day. Apparently the new versions will be a little more expensive, at $230 (16GB) and $270 (32GB) a pop, and the only missing peice is whether or not there's a resolution bump to help ease that little hike. Google's got an event coming on the 24th though. You can bet we'll find out soon. [Engadget]

The Moto X Might Have a 4.5-inch Screen and a Back Made from Kevlar

The Moto X Might Have a 4.5-inch Screen and a Back Made from Kevlar

Motorola and Google both don't even care about keeping the Moto X a secret, plastering it on its August 1st announcement invitation and letting Eric Schmidt bandy around with the thing, so hey, don't be surprised if a few details of the phone leaks. The Verge and @evleaks are reporting that the Moto X will have a 4.5-inch display, dual-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM and a 10-megapixel camera. Oh, and a back shell made from Kevlar.

The Verge also adds that the Moto X will only have 1500mAh of battery oomph and that the 'always listening' feature must be enabled to work. The camera will apparently open upon a flick of the wrist (we'll have to see how well that works in real life before casting judgement).

Are these rumored specs enough to get you excited? [hightechmate]

Sony Xperia i1 "Honami" Specification Leaked

Sony's Xperia i1 "Honami" Specs Leaked

 New leakages have emerged from battleship Xperia, with specs beefing out what we previously knew about the forthcoming Xperia i1 phone, also known under the development name Honami. And also known as a 20-Megapixel whopper.

According to Taiwanese site ePrice, the Xperia i1 features a high-end 20.7-Megapixel ExmorRS camera sensor powered by Sony's Bionz image processing tech, which will be combined with a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series chipset and a 5? 1080p display. That'll make it the most impressive smartphone out there by quite a margin, on paper at least.

There's also something called a "Sony G Lens" mentioned on the spec sheet, which may be some sort of optical zoom or image stabilisation system. Or just a pretty new lens. We should see this latest Sony flagship shown off at the beginning of September, when Sony will be demonstrating its new things at the IFA tech show. [ePrice via Engadget]

HTC One Review: The Beauty Is a Beast (Updated)

HTC One Review: The Beauty Is a Beast (Updated)

Design

The first time you see the One, there's a "Whoa..." moment. And after you hold it, and use it, that astonishment bleeds into awe. The One commands respect. From a hardware design perspective, this phone is unparalleled. It was machined from a solid block on aluminum, each piece taking 200 minutes to carve out. It's pretty light (5.04 ounces) and thin (0.36 inches) but it feels rock solid. The curved back sinks into your palm, while the slightly angled edges help you grip it.

On the front side of the device you find the Super LCD 3 screen nestled under Gorilla Glass 2. It's 1080p (1920x1080 pixels) spread over 4.7-inches, which gives it a heretofore unheard of (in a smartphone, anyway), 468 pixels per inch (PPI), which is excessive bordering on silly. Safe to say, pixels are invisible to the naked eye.

The bezels on the sides of the screen are very thin. Above and below the screen are speaker grates to give you actual stereo sound (more on that in a minute). At the top of the phone sits an 88-degree wide angle front-facing camera, so you don't fill up the frame with your gigantic face when video-chatting. HTC opted to include just two capacitive buttons—Home and Back—though we would have preferred none. The micro USB port on the bottom doubles as an HDMI port (special cable required) for connecting your phone directly to a TV, though you'll also be able to do this wirelessly via Miracast. Speaking of TV, the power button on top the the device doubles as a IR blaster for using your phone as a remote control. All of the hardware buttons are flush (almost too flush) with the phone.

There are a lot of goodies under the hood, too. There's what you'd expect in a contemporary high-end phone: 2GB RAM, 32GB or 64GB storage (unfortunately not expandable), NFC, LTE (on the U.S. versions), Bluetooth, etc. The real star of the show, though, is Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 600. It's a quad-core chip clocked at 1.7GHz, and it's an absolute beast.

There's also HTC's proprietary ImageChip 2 attached to the 4MP rear camera. Yes, just 4MP, that's not a typo. HTC claims it's a totally redesigned imaging system that uses "UltraPixels"—bigger megapixels, basically—which lets in more light. The camera has an f2.0 aperture and optical image stabilization, both of which are impressive for a phone. The battery is a 2300mAh, which is good, but we wish it had something closer to the 3300mAh battery on the RAZR MAXX HD. Then again, that would leave you with a bulkier phone.

HTC One Specs

• Network: All major U.S. carriers (except Verizon)

• OS: Android 4.1 with Sense

• CPU: 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600

• Screen: 4.7-inch 1920x1080 Super LCD 3 (468PPI)

• RAM: 2GB

• Storage: 32GB or 64GB

• Camera: 4MP rear ("UltraPixel")/ 2.1MP front

• Battery: 2300 mAh Li-Ion

• Price: $200/32GB, $300/64GB with a two-year contract

Sony Xperia Tablet Z Review : one of the best tablet of Sony

Sony Xperia Tablet Z Review: Sony Finally Gets One (Mostly) Right

In a time when tablets are becoming increasing similar, it's rare that you pick up a device and have one of those, ""Whoa!"" moments. You relish them when they come, because it means that creativity and innovation still exist in a world of look-alikes. After years of trying and failing with Android tablets, Sony has finally delivered one of those moments.

What Is It?

It's Sony's latest (and definitely greatest) attempt at making a tablet. The company has had some near-hits, like the Xperia Tablet S, and some colossal, bone-breaking failures, like the Sony Tablet P. But finally, at long last, Sony got it together and built itself one excellent piece of hardware. It's of the 10-inch, Android Jelly Bean (4.1, not 4.2) variety. It's got a 1080p screen, Qualcomm's quad-core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, two 2GB of RAM, a micro SD card slot, an IR blaster, and oh yeah, it's freaking waterproof! It can stay in up to three feet of water for up to half an hour. Movie time and bath time, together at last.

Sony Xperia Tablet Z Review: Sony Finally Gets One (Mostly) Right
Design

Oh, hello, gorgeous. Simply put, when you first pick up Xperia Tablet Z, you'll think, ""There's no way this thing actually turns on or does anything."" It just feels impossibly thin and light. At 0.27 inches (6.9 millimeters), it is the thinnest tablet in the world (the iPad Mini is 7.2 millimeters, for comparison). At 17.46 ounces (495 grams), it's the lightest full-sized tablet we've seen (the current generation iPad is 23.35 ounces). Not only that, it's perfectly balanced. You can comfortably hold it one-handed in landscape mode. It's even thinner than the Samsung Galaxy S4 (see above), which is one of the thinnest phones out there.

Sony Xperia Tablet Z Review: Sony Finally Gets One (Mostly) Right

The tablet is almost a perfect rectangle, with just barely rounded corners. The back is a matte, brushed plastic, that has an excellent grip to it. It's not going to accidentally slide off your lap on the subway. Sony also did something pretty ingenius with the speakers, too. A lot of tablets stick the speaker holes on the bottom-edge of the tablet, where your lap will muffle them if it's resting on your legs, or they stick the holes on the sides, where your hands will muffle them if you're holding it. Sony put the speakers on the two bottom corners (when holding it landscape), but it put the holes for the speakers on the bottom and the sides, so even if you're covering two of the holes the sound can come out through the other two. Smart, though we still definitely prefer the front-facing speakers on Google's Nexus 10.

Sony Xperia Tablet Z Review: Sony Finally Gets One (Mostly) Right

On the side, it shares the same nubby buttons as the Xperia ZL phone, but while they were kind of ugly on the phone, they're perfectly pleasant on the tablet. They're easy to find, and easy to press. Down on the bottom there are two panels behind sealed doors. One is for the micro SD card slot, and the other is for the micro USB / micro HDMI port, which you can use to change your tablet and/or stream HD video to your TV. There's also an 8MP rear facing camera, which we would encourage you to ignore.

Sony Xperia Tablet Z Review: Sony Finally Gets One (Mostly) Right
Using It

The Xperia Tablet Z is running Sony's custom skin on top of Android. On the plus side, the tablet version of this skin is extremely intuitive to use. Dedicated buttons for Google Now, Voice Search, adding apps/widgets, and the remote control are all very easy to understand. Sony also put in some power management tools that gives you standby times to the tune of many days. Essentially, it turns off your data connection when the screen is off, but you can whitelist apps (like Gmail, for example) so you get important notifications. It's very nicely done.

Sony did, however, put more than a dozen of its own apps on the tablet, many of which are either inferior replacements of the standard Android apps (Sony's Album < Android's Gallery), or services you really don't need (Wi-Fi Checker? Consumers were clamoring for that?). It managed to build a remote control app that works better than any we've used, but it failed to integrate a guide to what's on, like HTC and Samsung did. Sony has an app for that, but it's only compatible with networked devices. Not very helpful.

In terms of day to day usage, we generally threw it in a backpack (usually with no protection) and it was light and thin enough that we literally forgot it was there multiple times and tossed our bag around more roughly than we would have. After a week of such abuse the tablet doesn't have a scratch on it, though we'd definitely still recommend getting a case. We also verified the waterproof claims, taking it into the shower with us and then leaving it submerged in a bath while a video played. One of the Tablet Z's slick tricks is that the touchscreen will actually work reasonably well when wet. You couldn't game with it like that, but it was good enough for controlling basic functions.

Sony Xperia Tablet Z Review: Sony Finally Gets One (Mostly) Right
Like

On the hardware side of things, it's really almost all like. The lightness and thinness really are killer features, and the thing just feels amazing to hold. The 1080p screen with Sony's Mobile Bravia Engine 2 produces some of the most vibrant, and yet most accurate colors we've ever seen on a tablet, especially for things like flowers and landscapes. Battery life was fantastic with Stamina Mode enabled. HD games (such as Dead Trigger) played extremely well, without so much as a hitch.

We absolutely love the waterproof element. It's not a gimmick. It actually makes us feel safe using it pretty much anywhere, in virtually any condition. Because it's dust-proof, too, this is the only tablet we'd want to take with us to the beach, a construction site, or, y'know, Burning Man. A micro HDMI port and an IR blaster are features all tablets should have, and what's not to like about a micro SD card slot?
No Like

While Sony's skin looks very good, it really slows things down. There is noticeable jutter when swiping through home screens, and apps are simply slower to launch than they should be. This is clearly bad optimization, because when we installed Nova Launcher everything got silky smooth. The Snapdragon S4 Pro is an excellent processor (though not as good as the more recent Snapdragon 600 and the upcoming 800), and it should tear through your homescreens with no problems at all, especially since the introduction of Project Butter in stock Jelly Bean (Android 4.1). Speaking of Android 4.1, why is this tablet launching with a version of Android that's a year old? 4.2 has been out since November. Totally unacceptable, and Sony doesn't have the best track record with speedy updates, either.

While we liked the colors on the screen, the blacks are more like grays, and the whites can skew a bit orange. It's also not as bright as other high-end Android tablets (though it was good enough for a bright day), and it's not as high-resolution as the Nexus 10 or the latest iPad, though it's by no means bad. While we praised the implementation of the speakers, the sound is really tinny and just generally crappy. Sony should just buy speaker components from a company that knows how to make good speakers. Y'know, like Sony. Oh... that's weird.

Sony Xperia Tablet Z Review: Sony Finally Gets One (Mostly) Right
Should I Buy It?

Gripes aside, this is our favorite tablet we've used in a long time. The $500 price point, gives us a bit of pause, though. It's more expensive than the Nexus 10, but it has better guts and performs better (once you get away from the home screen). It's cheaper than the latest iPad, though, and while it doesn't have quite as many tablet optimized apps, that gap is a lot smaller now, and the Xperia Tablet Z's form factor is more impressive than any other tablet out there. Hands down.

While we've really come to value smaller tablets like the Nexus 7 for their portability, watching movies and reading websites is certainly a more pleasurable experience on a 10-inch tablet, and the waterproof/dustproof specs are very tempting. We wish the guts and the software were a little more current, but for the majority of consumers, this is an excellent tablet, and if you've got 500 bucks to spend, there are certainly worse ways to spend it. [Sony]
Sony Xperia Tablet Z Specs

Network: Wi-Fi
OS: Android 4.1 with Sony's UI
CPU: 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro
Screen: 10.1-inch 1920x1200 TFT LCD (224PPI)
RAM: 2GB
Storage: 16GB or 32GB + micro SD up to 64GB
Camera: 8MP rear / 2MP front
Battery: 6000 mAh
Dimensions: 10.47 x 6.77 x 0.27 inches
Weight: 17.46 ounces
Price: $500 for 16GB version / $600 for 32GB

USB Power Meter Tells You Which Devices Will Kill Your Laptop's Battery

USB Power Meter Tells You Which Devices Will Kill Your Laptop's Battery

 When you're traveling and away from a reliable power source, conserving your laptop's battery is of the utmost importance. And knowing which of your USB accessories draws the most juice thanks to this simple $31 power meter-whether it's a wireless adapter, an external drive, or even your phone-will help you max out whatever battery life you've got left.

Working with USB 1, 2, or 3 devices, the power meter has four different modes letting you see a device's power draw in real time, the average amount of power it's using every second, or its maximum and minimum draw during the duration it's been plugged into your computer. There's no stat tracking or uploads to an online database, it's just a quick and dirty way to determine if that USB reading light, or recharging your compact shaver, is sucking more power than you realize.

Key To Never Forgetting Your iPhone's Charging Cable

The Key To Never Forgetting Your iPhone's Charging Cable

Key-shaped USB flash drives have guaranteed we never forget to bring our important files ever again. And taking the same approach, Bluelounge's Kii guarantees you always have an emergency iPhone or iPad charger on hand-as long as you remembered to lock your home and bring your keys.

A 30-pin dock connector version of the Kii, available in black only, is the cheaper of the two at just $20. But if you've got the latest generation iPhone or iPad, you'll need to cough up twice that amount-$40-for the black or white Lightning version.

We're assuming you're helping to cover Apple licensing fees for the new connector, but even at $40 it's still worth every penny if it means you're not scrambling to borrow someone else's Lightning cable, or dimming your device's display to near unusable levels just to max out its dwindling battery. Besides, it's also just another way to confuse the heck out of any dumb robbers. [Bluelounge via iLounge]

Sony Xperia Z Review: The Manic Pixie Dream Girl of Phones

Sony Xperia Z Review: The Manic Pixie Dream Girl of Phones

At long last, the Xperia Z is coming to the states. It was the most appealing phone at CES back in January, with its good looks and waterproofiness. But that was half a year ago, and since then the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 have made quite an impression. The Z is still pretty and quirky, but it ultimately breaks your heart.
What Is It?

The Xperia Z is one of Sony's two flagship smartphones (the other being the unfortunate Xperia ZL, which we reviewed last month). It has a 5-inch 1080p screen, a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, two gigs of ram, expandable storage, a 13MP camera, NFC, and LTE. It runs Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) with Sony's ""Experience Flow UI"" (coughskincough) on top. The biggest selling-point? It's waterproof to three feet for up to half an hour.

 Who's It For?

People who want a thin, good-looking smartphone. People who like Sony. People who are constantly dropping their phones into toilets.
Design

When it's off it essentially looks like a thin, black rectangle. It's actually very slick-looking. The back is glass as well, so the front and back look pretty similar. They are both, as you might suspect, fingerprint magnets. Sony has eschewed capacitive navigation buttons for on-screen buttons, which we generally prefer. On the edge of the device there are four separate panels that open up and seal closed (so water can't get in). At 0.31 inches thick, it's just as thin as the Galaxy S4.

 It will take micro SD cards for expanding your storage. Like the Xperia ZL, the battery isn't user-replaceable. Unlike the Xperia ZL, there is no dedicated physical camera button or IR blaster for controlling your TV. Bummer on both counts.
Using It

The way the Xperia Z functions is actually pretty similar to stock Android in most ways-you get into Google Now by swiping up from the home button, for instance. However, the software's similarities to stock are obscured somewhat by animations and little flourishes (e.g. when you remove an item from your desktop the trashcan's lid opens and closes) that only serve to slow things down. Other additions are genuinely useful, for example shortcuts to mini-apps (notepad, timer, calculator) in the task switcher, and Sony's robust power management solution.

The auto-correct in Sony's built-in keyboard is truly atrocious, replace it with SwiftKey or the stock Android Keyboard for a much, much better experience. If you're on a Wi-Fi network you can make calls over Wi-Fi, however we found that unless you were pretty close to the router, call quality would be really bad. We like the interface on Sony's camera app a lot.
The Best Part

It's waterproof. All gadgets (especially phones) should be waterproof. The phone rings while you're in the shower? Just answer it. Want to watch a video while you take a bath or enjoy a hot tub? Knock yourself out. You could even shoot a little shallow underwater video in a pool if you wanted. It's definitely the phone's standout feature.
Tragic Flaw

The overall user experience just isn't very good. While it certainly isn't ""slow,"" there is definitely more stutter and lag than on the HTC One or Galaxy S4. This is partially due to the slightly older processor in it, and partially due to Sony's skin. There are also tons of bugs. One day I was unable to mute alerts on the phone until I rebooted the whole thing. Another day, the screen would only display at full brightness. Plus, the touchscreen seems to be less accurate than it is on other high-end phones, and pressing the wrong button/key/menu option as a result is a common occurrence. And, really, it's the worst auto-correct of any keyboard we've used in recent years. All of these things add up.

 This Is Weird...

The phone is waterproof because of these little plastic doors that press in over all of the ports (four in total). The micro USB port is especially tricky to A) locate, and B) pry open with your fingernail. Now, add darkness to the equation, and fumbling around with your phone to plug it in at night (every night) without waking up your significant other is kind of a pain in the ass. You can buy a dock cradle that will charge it more easily (for about $30, which is probably worth it if you buy the phone), but if ever a phone begged for built-in wireless charging, this is it.
Test Notes

    Sony's Stamina Mode does a terrific job of boosting standby time. It does this by disabling wireless data for all apps you haven't white-listed (like Gmail, for example). That said, it only helps when the screen is off and when you're not using it. When I was only lightly using the phone I got two full days on a single charge, which is incredible. With heavier usage (lots of reading, web browsing, emailing, and some gaming) I still made it past 10pm almost every day. Very impressive.
    T-Mobile's LTE network has at last begun rolling out in NYC. We averaged around 10Mbps downloads and 8Mbps uploads. That's plenty fast, though it's by no means revolutionary.
    The camera is a bit of a disappointment. We expected the Exmor RS sensor to really shine in low-light, but it produces incredibly noisey images. In daylight reds very much bleed together and images just aren't quite as sharp as you'd want them to be (though they're not bad). HDR mode tends to just make everything gray, and while HDR video is a cool concept, it doesn't do much in practice. To be clear, the camera is by no means bad (except in low light), it's just not what we'd hoped. You can see photo and video samples here.
    The Z's slick back means it'll slide off surfaces more easily if you're not careful.
    Audio quality from the phone's external speaker is tinny and unappealing. This is probably because there's a rubber barrier over it to keep it from flooding when submerged. Up to you if it's worth the trade-off.




 Should I Buy I?

While we certainly like it more than the Xperia ZL, we'd definitely never recommend it over the HTC One or Galaxy S4. Maybe if you constantly find yourself the victim of dunk tanks, but if that's the case, Which phone should I buy? is hardly your biggest problem. It looks great, but it underperforms, and unlike with the Xperia Tablet Z (which we really liked) that under-performance is likely to become a more serious nuisance.

You'll be able to walk into a Sony store as of today and buy the Xperia Z for $0 down and $25 a month for 24 months, or you can just pay $580 for it up front. T-Mobile customers will have to wait another week. They will be able to pre-order the phone on July 16th for $100 upfront followed by $20 a month for 24 months. It'll hit T-Mobile retail stores and begin shipping the next day.

The Xperia Z definitely isn't bad, it just isn't awesome, either. And these days, awesome is what it takes.

    Sony Xperia Z Specs

    Network: T-Mobile
    OS: Android 4.1 with Experience Flow UI
    CPU: 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro
    Screen: 5-inch 1920x1080 Bravia Mobile Engine 2 (441PPI)
    RAM: 2GB
    Storage: 16 micro SD up to 32GB
    Camera: 13MP rear / 2MP front
    Battery: 2330mAh Li-Ion
    Dimensions: 5.47 x 2.80 x 0.31 inches
    Weight: 5.15 ounces
    Price: $100 down + 24 payments of $20, or $580

First Look at a Colorful Budget iPhones

This Could Be Our First Look at a Colorful Budget iPhones

 Just the other day we saw a beautiful budget iPhone backing that we're hoping is real, and now we're catching a glimpse of its colorful twin. Same sweet design, same heap of skepticism, but we just love imagining an incoming family of these colored bad boys.

Just like last time, the photos come from one Sonny Dickson, and we don't know much about him or where these supposed cases supposedly came from, so take these shots with as many grains of salt as you can stomach. We've reached out to Sonny to get his story.

We've had some fun imagining what the rumored budget iPhone would look like with a splash of color on it, and these shots are more food for iPhone daydreams. Consider it a thought experiment.

Dickson's questionably real case boasts a shade of lime green that's a bit less pastel than other imaginings, but one that still looks mighty fine. With a whole rainbow, we could be in for a nice break from that sleek but predictable black and white dichotomy.

It's still anybody's guess what the next iPhone announcement will really bring, and these unvetted shots don't do much to tip the scales one way or the other. But man, they are fun to think about. What do you think? Is this a peek into September's bounty? [Sonny Dickson via BGR]

LG Made a Retro Wood-Panelled LED TV with Knobs and Everything

LG Made a Retro Wood-Panelled LED TV with Knobs and Everything

As companies like Apple and Samsung are heralding the end of the button, LG is taking its design in a different direction. This new "Classic TV" features a wood-panelled front complete with tuning knobs and buttons to create what LG describes as a "classic Scandanavian-style design that emphasizes simplicity, modernity."

The 32-inch LED TV is only retro on the outside. It comes with full HD, plenty of peripheral ports and a free "coffee machine with cute design." Okay, when the TV costs 840,000 won ($754) the coffee machine isn't exactly free, but it's a nice gesture. Unfortunately, the classic TV is currently only available in South Korea, though with style like that it's probably worth the price of shipping. [LG via Engadget]