In compliance with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall, I returned my phone and am waiting for my $930 refund from T-Mobile. After a week with the new Moto G4 Play, I'm really starting to question whether or not I need to pay five times the price of one phone for such a high end flagship.
Last week Motorola sent along its new Moto G4 Play and without looking at any of the information in the reviewer guide or on the Motorola website I popped in my T-Mobile SIM and a Google Project Fi SIM. It wasn't until after a few days of testing that I went to the Motorola website where I saw the phone was only priced at $149.99.
SPECIFICATIONSNeedless to say, I was rather shocked to see the Moto G4 Play was priced at just half that of the new Moto G4 Plus. While there are a few compromises one has to make to use a Moto G4 Play as a primary smartphone, it should fill the needs of a majority of people who use their smartphones to communicate, capture photos, and interact on social networks.
Cameras: 8 megapixel rear with 5 megapixel front-facing camera
Water resistance: Water repellant nano coating
Connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS
Battery: 2800 mAh removable
Dimensions: 144.4 x 72 x 9.9 mm and 137 grams
Similar to the Moto G4 and G4 Plus, there is no NFC in the G4 Play. This means you won't be able to use Android Pay. I consider myself a smartphone enthusiast and have only used Android Pay a couple of times over the past couple of years and these were more for testing purposes than as a necessity.
One feature that I also enjoy is the FM radio. I am out and about a lot, but like to listen to local Mariners, Seahawks, and Sounders games on the FM radio so am glad some manufacturers are still enabling access to it.
HARDWARE
The Moto G4 Play is not a tiny phone like the iPhone 5 or SE, but it is one of the smallest Android smartphones with a five inch display. There are still sizable side, top, and bottom bezels, but it slips nicely into your pocket and is easy to hold in your hand.
Dell's 10.8-inch Latitude 11 5000 Series of small-format 2-in-1 hybrids has two sub-groups, with the 5179 models including some security features that don't appear in the 5175 variants. There are twelve configurations on Dell's UK website, ranging in price from £601 up to £1,019 (ex. VAT).
The 10.8-inch Dell Latitude 11 5000 Series, with the Latitude 11 Keyboard.
Image: Dell
The Latitude 11 5000 Series uses the classic detachable-screen laptop design comprising a tablet section, with all the ports and connectors in its casing, and an attachable keyboard to enable document creation and editing. The tablet and keyboard are sold separately, and there are two options for the latter: the Dell Latitude 11 Slim Keyboard costs £169.31 (inc. VAT, or £141 ex. VAT), while the Dell Latitude 11 Keyboard (sent for this review) costs £218.15 (inc. VAT, or £182 ex. VAT).
The Dell Latitude 11 Slim Keyboard (left) is a keyboard, protective cover and stand, while the Latitude 11 Keyboard (right) docks with the tablet to form a clamshell laptop.
Images: Dell
The tablet variations are plentiful: as well as the usual variants on processor (both Core M3 and Core M5 Skylake variants are available), and storage (128GB, 256GB or 512GB SSD), and RAM (4GB or 8GB), it is possible to select self-encrypted SSDs, a fingerprint scanner and a smartcard reader on the tablet. These latter options are what lead Dell to claim that the Latitude 11 5000 Series is "The world's most secure 2-in-1 for business".
The core specifications of my review sample -- a member of the 5179 sub-group -- were a 1.1-2.8GHz Intel Core M5-6Y57 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD running Windows 10 Professional, plus those security features.
The Latitude 11 5000's full HD touchscreen has a pixel density of 204ppi. It can go bright enough to be readable outdoors.
Image: Dell
For a 10.8-inch tablet this is a relatively weighty device, starting at 710g for the 5175 models and 760g for the 5179 models. The tablet is on the chunky side too, with a desktop footprint of 280mm by 175mm. My review unit, with its integrated smartcard reader and fingerprint sensor, was 14.3mm thick, while the 5175 models just sneak under 11mm.
I was able to bow the tablet slightly without applying a great deal of force. There's some airspace behind the screen back on the smartcard-equipped models that allows the back to flex inwards and creak a little. Pressing down hard on the back caused some feedback on the screen. A protective carrying case may be necessary, despite the use of magnesium alloy in the chassis.
This chunky specimen comes in several variants, and is also known as the TomTom Runner 3. Spark and Runner are basically the same device, with the Runner simply coming in brighter colours. If TomTom was looking for ways to confuse potential buyers, the company found it with this odd naming system. Still, there's much about the Spark 3 that pleases.
The Spark 3 is a chunky device with a D-pad for navigation rather than a touchscreen.
The entry-level Spark 3 costs £119 (inc. VAT) and includes GPS, multisport tracking, and 'route exploration'. At its most sophisticated, this lets you upload running maps in the widely-used GPX format. At its least complex, it lets you set up an 'out and back' route by tracking where you go and then guiding you back to the starting point.
The Spark 3 model with a heart-rate monitor costs £169, or £219 if you also want 3GB of storage for music tracks.
Pay £149 and TomTom adds in 3GB of storage for music tracks, which it will play through Bluetooth headphones. Go to £169 and the bundle includes a heart-rate monitor built into the back of the watch, while £219 buys you both the heart rate monitor and the storage. The full-price £249 includes Bluetooth headphones too.
There aren't too many design changes from the previous Spark model. In fact, this unit fits into the earlier model's strap, so anyone who has a range of straps can still use them. The whole thing is a bit large for my wrist, but it feels quite comfortable to wear.
The user interface is very nicely thought out, and I found it easy to switch between the multitude of options and settings. This is partly down to good menu design, partly to good graphics and use of screen space, and partly down to the D-pad sitting beneath the screen. Yes, this does make the whole thing slightly more chunky than side buttons would, but it's a far superior navigation system compared to multiple side buttons. Thank goodness TomTom shied away from a touchscreen.
Using an Apple Watch during the past 16 months was a mixed experience: one that saw Apple's first wearable launch amid high praise, confusion, and skepticism of just how much a tiny wrist-worn computer should be able to do.
Would the Apple Watch replace your iPhone? Some thought so, including yours truly -- initially at least.
Then after the honeymoon phase ended with my Apple Watch Sport Edition, I found myself reverting back to reaching for my phone to reply to incoming messages instead of handling the task on my watch, as I had for the first few months of wearing it.
My Apple Watch became a device I used primarily for quickly checking notifications and occasionally checking current weather conditions. Common tasks often took far too long, with apps frequently failing to load before the display timed out and went black.
For over a week now, I've put Apple's latest wearable, the Apple Watch Series 2 through its paces, and I'm skeptically optimistic about Apple's second attempt at a smart watch.
SPECIFICATIONS
Processor: Apple S2
Display: OLED Retina display. 312 x 390 pixels (42mm) or 272 x 340 pixels (38mm) Operating system: watchOS 3
Water resistance: ISO standard 22810:2010 (50 meters)
Connectivity: 802.11a/b/g/n 2.4GHz Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
WATCHOS 3, THE THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM
I knew Apple was making strides in improving the speed and reliability of using apps on the watch after it announced watchOS 3 -- the operating system for the Apple Watch -- in June. I, naturally, installed early beta builds of the new operating system and found the difference in app load times, without developers doing any sort of optimization, to be much faster.
Also in watchOS 3, Apple did away with app glances, replacing them with an app dock capable of holding 10 apps. When you place an app in the dock, the Apple Watch will periodically refresh it in the background, ensuring the next time you open the app it's waiting and ready for your interaction.
Scribble, a new text input method, means if you're in a meeting or crowded environment where you would feel like a total dork talking to your wrist, you can quickly write out a reply on the screen of the Apple Watch. A feature I initially pegged as a gimmick quickly turned into one of my favorite Apple Watch features.
In fact, I often use it in place of dictating a message. I've found it to be surprisingly accurate, and even when my handwriting isn't readable by the watch, I can tap on the incorrect word and scroll through alternatives. There's something fun about testing just how fast you can write on the watch's display and seeing if it can keep up.
With watchOS 3, Apple has now attempted to rethink and implement different ideas of how a user should interact with a wearable three different times. WatchOS 3 has matured, and it finally feels right.
App load times, the ability to quickly scribble a reply, and the new Control Center for critical device settings vastly improve the user experience for the better.
It's cliche to say this is what the Apple Watch should have had from day one, but it's an apt characterization of watchOS 3.
PERFORMANCE GAINS ALL AROUND
Alongside the Apple Watch Series 2, Apple announced it had developed its second S2 chip for the wearable line. According to the company, the new chip doubles performance speed.
Additionally, the Series 2 boasts a very bright 1000 nit display for easier viewing in direct sunlight, built-in GPS capabilities, and water resistance up to 50 meters for those who like to swim with the watch on. There's even this neat trick to expel water from the speakers after going for a swim using various sounds and vibrations created by the speaker.
I'm not a big swimmer nor will you find me often going for a jog or bike ride where GPS tracking is warranted. Nonetheless, I found the brighter display and water resistance appealing enough to sway my purchase decision to the Series 2.
In the spirit of fully testing the Series 2, I have used the GPS feature a couple of times. Previously, the Apple Watch would track GPS activities, but only if your iPhone was nearby and connected to the watch. With the Series 2, you can leave your iPhone in your gym locker or at home and let the watch handle the heavy lifting.
For the past week, when going for a walk, I would either leave my phone at home or turn Bluetooth off to ensure there was no connection between my watch and phone.
In my testing, I found the GPS on the Series 2 to remain connected and accurately report my route every time I used it.
GPS and water resistance aside, this speed gains of the S2 chip in the Series 2 are noticeable from the moment you power on the watch. Siri processes and responds to requests quicker; Scribble's transcription of my writing is almost immediate; and on the rare occasion an app has to refresh, the amount of time I spend waiting is no longer an issue. Combine the speed gains of watchOS 3 with a processor that doubles speed at which the watch handles tasks, and there's little room to call the Series 2 slow.
Apple also announced a Series 1 version of the updated watch, which features the same processor gains, but it lacks a brighter display, water resistance, and GPS tracking. It starts at $269, instead of the $369 the Series 2 is priced at.
BATTERY LIFE
On the outside, the Apple Watch Series 2 and the first-generation models are identical, save for a extra microphone hole and slightly increased thickness of the Series 2. The added height is to accommodate a bigger battery for the built-in GPS functionality.
As someone who doesn't go on four-hour hikes, and maybe uses GPS for around 30 minutes a day, this added battery life has prolonged the time in between charges for me.
I went from having a single day's worth of use on the original Apple Watch to charging my Series 2 every other night. That is, I can get through two days of use with about an hour's worth of GPS-use before having to charge my watch.
Granted, at the end of the second day, I'm usually dealing with low-battery prompts, but it gets there.
While the extra battery life is a pleasant surprise, I would love to go longer in between charges. Pebble has built a strong following based on battery life that pushes a week, depending on the model of watch. I want to wear my Apple Watch day and night -- tracking steps, activity, and logging sleep -- and not have to worry about a dead battery in the middle of the night.
A PERFECT COMBINATION
The faster S2 processor and watchOS 3 are a dream to use, which in turn makes the Apple Watch a device I'm more likely to recommend, instead of telling people to wait for the next generation.
Those who are in the market for an Apple Watch are tasked with deciding between the Series 1 or the Series 2. For most, I suspect the Series 1 is more than enough watch.
It's going to have the same performance gains, save for battery life since it lacks GPS, and it costs you $100 less at the end of the day.
The Series 2 is designed for someone who is frequently around water and loves to run, hike, or bike. For avid iPhone users, you can't really go wrong with either model.
The Apple Watch Sport edition has been strapped on my wrist for a month and for the most part it has exceeded all of my expectations. It's even better now that I realized I was wearing it wrong.
In June, Samsung announced a pair of completely wireless earbuds as part of the company's push into fitness and activity trackers. The Gear IconX earbuds are truly wireless, save for the cord you need to charge the carrying case.
The Gear IconX earbuds rely solely on Bluetooth connection between your smartphone and each other to stream music, monitor your heart rate, and track your workouts.
For the past few weeks, I've used the Gear IconX earbuds with a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, my iMac, and an iPhone.
Inside the Gear IconX box is a pill-shaped carrying case that doubles as a charging cradle for the earbuds. Also included are various sizes of ear and wing tips to ensure a proper fit.
The moment you put an earbud in your ear, it powers on. The Samsung Gear app on an Android device walks you through the setup process of pairing, updating software, and setting the main earbud.
When you assign the left or right earbud as the "main" earbud, it will connect to your phone via Bluetooth, handle incoming calls, and initiate exercise recording.
