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Hot Take: Huawei unveils the new Mate 20 lineup and much more

Andrew Myrick
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Join us as we sit down and discuss some of the hot tech topics out there today. Huawei held an event where the company showed off a total of four new smartphones and an interesting smartwatch. Andrew and Donovan sit down and discuss all of these products and what they mean for the market as a whole.

What we talked about today

Huawei unveils its new lineup of smart devices including:

More News

If you believe your phone is distracting you too much, check out Forest (Review)

Gerson Noboa
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We’ve all been in this situation: we need to get things done today. That easy for history class. That last piece of code to finish a ticket. That budget planning for the next vacation. But our phone is constantly nagging us about a post you commented on Facebook, or the likes you received on your Instagram post. Our high school friends keep writing on Telegram about the latest meme. Amazon is asking us to check the latest deals.

It is very hard to do actual work with the amount of services, messaging, and social networking going on inside our phones. If you need a little push to stop your mind from using the phone and get back to business, then Forest might be a good addition to your list of apps.

Developer: Forestapp.cc
Price: Free

Forest Overview

If you are not familiar with the Pomodoro technique, then you can read more about it here. Although this app is not exactly a Pomodoro timer, you can see some elements of it crawling into the app.

The premise of Forest is the following: you define a period in which you want to get work done, and a virtual tree will blossom during that time. However, this will only happen if you don’t use any other app in your phone during that time. Failing to do so means that your tree dies. Immediately. No questions asked.

Setup

Forest will present you a small onboarding with some information about what it is and how does it work. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy about it. Upon completion of it, Forest will show you the main screen with a small tutorial about how to start the timer and change the type of tree you want to grow. You are probably smart enough to figure everything out by yourself, especially if you are familiar with these kind of applications. However, it is never a bad idea to have a small tutorial for newcomers, so kudos to the developer for that.

Planting Trees

Forest works best by giving it access permission. This means that Forest will be able to check if you have changed to another app while the timer is on. In case you do so, your phone will start vibrating and will send you a notification about coming back to the app immediately if you don’t want your tree to die. I can understand that this might be giving too much information to an app, but not granting this permission will mean that you will be able to cheat.

If your tree dies because you left the app, you will be left with a lifeless log in your forest. You can remove this if you don’t like the look of it, but you will need to either pay coins to do it, or watch a video ad.

However, if everything goes well and you manage to control the impulse of using your phone, you will be rewarded with a glorious tree. Its gloriousness depends on how much time you decided to stop using your phone, from 10 to 120 minutes.

This will start filling your forest, giving a meaning to the app’s name. Every period you complete will not only grant you a tree, but also coins. These can be used at the store to buy new kinds of trees to plant. Every purchase you make will make next purchases more expensive, and, combined with the fact that you get coins in a really slow way, getting everything that is available at the store will take a very, very long time.

If you want to keep things more organized, then you can also add tags to each of your periods. Stuff like “work,” “social,” or “study” are available by default, but you can also add your own custom tags (with the pro version). This will help you keezp a record of the time that you have concentrated doing different activities. All of the activities that you make will then be available in the timeline navigation item.

Pro Version

As many apps and games these days, Forest is provided for free, but offers a pro version for those interested. At $1.99, the pro version is really affordable and it brings benefits such as ad removal, sync between devices, custom tags, and whitelist.

This last option is particularly clever, since there’s people that actually use their phones for valuable stuff, such as working or studying with it. So, for some people, using Slack or Outlook would actually constitute a working activity. Forest lets you whitelist these kind of apps so that you can stay away from social networks and other useless activities while actually getting work done with your phone.

However, the most interesting option that you get with the pro version is the ability to plant actual trees. Through an alliance with Trees for the Future, you can plant trees in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Not only are you improving your concentration in activities that matter to you, but also improving the conditions in which other less fortunate people perform activities that matter to them. It’s a perfect example of a win-win situation, and the cause is a really commendable one.

Settings

There are several options at your disposal, primarily aimed at improving the core experience of the app. Some of the options available to you are notification mode, keeping the screen on while the app is on the foreground, turning on sound effects, configuration of planting reminders, and advanced detection. This last option provides some workarounds for common problems with the app, such as notifications being wrongly interpreted as leaving the app.

If you have the pro version, this is where you will be able to configure things like custom phrases and app whitelist.

Conclusion

Forest combines a gameified experience with cute graphics and solid performance in order to help you use your phone less and do more work. Its functionality is just as advertised (provided you give it the appropriate permissions) and its pro version actually helps you to do good deeds for other people. If you find yourself struggling to keep your phone down and work, then it doesn’t hurt to check this out.

Download and install Forest from the Google Play Store.

Gen 4 is live as Pokemon GO adds Sinnoh region

AndroidGuys
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Heads up, trainers. It’s time to get out there and start collecting new Pokemon. Indeed, the Pokemon first discovered in the Sinnoh region have arrived in Pokemon GO. That’s right, the fourth wave of pocket monsters is rolling out as of now.

Open the game up today and you’ll find new shadows of Pokemon that you’ve yet to catch. Among them are Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup, plus a handful of others.

Not all of the Sinnoh guys are here yet as it’s an ongoing wave that will spread over the coming weeks and months. But, not to worry, these creatures will be found in the wild, in eggs, and in raids, too.

More Storage

Looking down the road there will be a few other goodies coming to the Pokemon GO experience. According to the game developers we should be on the hunt for “new features, and expansions to existing features like Pokémon storage and more”.

If you’re new to Pokemon GO, or are just getting back into the swing of things, you might want a little bit of help. To that end, we’ve put together a list of the best Android apps to enhance your Pokemon GO experience.

Oh, and if you’ve got a newer phone, or something from the upper end over the last few years, you should totally check out the AR+ mode. Now available for Android, it brings about a new way of catching and interacting with your Pokemon.

Android apps to make your Pokemon Go experience even better

A look at Corning, the company behind Gorilla Glass

Andrew Allen
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There are many unsung heroes in the world of innovation. It’s full of companies helping bring us great technology on a daily basis, but many remain almost unnoticed. One such company is Corning.

The “glass company” is used in billions of smartphones, tablets, and even laptops but what do you really know about the 167-year-old institution? Allow me to help you get introduced and show you how they are used in current technology.

A Brief History Lesson

Corning was founded by Amory Houghton way back in 1851. Yes, Corning has been around for well over 150 years. The company was originally named Bay State Glass Company and was located in Somerville, Massachusetts. After a brief stop in Brooklyn under a new label of Brooklyn Glass Works, the Houghtons found their permanent home in Corning, New York in 1868.

You can probably guess where the current name of the company comes from now, right? It also found their want for creating fringe products past window panes.

Notable Innovations

Lightbulb

In 1879 a guy you may have heard of was looking for a partner to help harness his new toy electricity. Thomas Edison had designs for a new lantern that would be powered by his work with electrical currents, but it needed a housing. That’s when he turned to Corning. It became a household name by 1908 with the glass light bulb being one of the most popular household products in the world.

1908 was also a big year for the company’s future. Corning hired Dr. Eugene Sullivan. With this addition, it established one of the first industrial research and development departments in the United States. It would also cement the company as the world leader in glass.

Heat-resistant glass

This experiment is two-fold. The project started in 1912 to help the federal railroads solve the problem of signal lanterns shattering under extreme temperature changes. Corning was successful in creating a heat-resistant glass that was also a low expansion for climate spikes.

Coincidentally, it led to another consumer product for Corning. A year later, an internal physicist, Dr. Jesse Littleton, asked his wife to attempt to bake a cake with the same glass used in the railroad product. The home economics project was so successful that 2 years later they created an entirely new division for baked good under the PYREX brand.

Silicone

The last legacy innovation that I’m going to cover is silicone. Not to be confused with the element silicon, silicone is a chemical mixture of both glass and plastic that is mainly used as a sealant or molding product. It was developed by Dr. J. Franklin Hyde in 1934 using a process vapor deposition. How is it used today? Silicon is in a multitude of products from optical lenses, fiber optic wiring, industrial sealants, and even telescope mirrors.

Modern Era

The discovery of silicone seems to start a shift in the timeline for Corning that focuses more on what we’d consider modern day technology. There are many more findings after 1934, but let’s move the needle into the current century and hone in on the invention that all of us have in our pockets this very second.

Gorilla Glass

In the not so distant past of 2007, smartphones were just starting to become a household commodity. The iPhone was announced and was a blockbuster hit. One of the reasons was that it had a scratch resistant screen from Corning called Gorilla Glass. Steve Jobs had contacted the company with the idea of such a product and was pleasantly surprised that Corning already had it in development.

In June of 2007 Jobs went on stage with the 1st generation of iPhone and proudly showed off the 1st generation of Gorilla Glass as well.

Corning hasn’t stopped with just Apple products. After the buzz of the iPhone awoke a renaissance of today’s smartphones, almost every manufacturer that followed has adopted some version of Gorilla Glass for their devices.

Android, iOS, and even Windows phones all sport the hardened glass from Corning. The last official numbers from October 2017 estimated Corning’s Gorilla Glass is atop touchscreens on over five billion devices globally.

We literally see Gorilla Glass everywhere today in our gadgets. Smartphone, tablets, and laptops. Acer even made the lid of their Chromebook 14 business laptop out of Gorilla Glass. Oh, and it’s in car windshields as well.

The industry has also been trending towards fully glass encased phones in the past few years with the likes of the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, and the LG G-series all adopting both screen and back panels made of glass. What kind of glass? Corning Gorilla Glass of course.

Corning has continued to innovate almost on a yearly basis to push Gorilla Glass to new heights. In July of 2018, the company unveiled the 6th generation Gorilla Glass. It claims the new version brings a product 2x better than the 5th rendition as surviving drops of one meter up to 15 times before the glass actually breaks.

And that’s the key to Corning’s current legacy in mobile technology. We depend on them as the consumer to help protect us from our clumsy hands with our expensive pocket PCs. We invest heavily in having these smartphones in our presence at all times and Corning is there to make sure these phones can take a beating of day to day operations from most people.

Lightbulbs to Backlit Screens

From their humble beginnings with the light bulb to the latest smartphone screens, Corning has always been a company closely tied to technology. Did they always know they would be on billions of devices worldwide one day? Probably not, but they have become one of the most common companies in your home and you may not have known their name… until now.

Huawei’s Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro are here and they are truly beastly

Alexandra Arici
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During a press event hosted today in London, Huawei unveiled its latest flagship Mate 20 series. We’re looking at two models, the standard Mate 20 which arrives with a tiny teardrop-shaped notch (aka dewdrop), and the more premium Mate 20 Pro which feature a regular-style notch.

The Mate series is Huawei’s answer to the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and Google’s Pixel 3 XL. Both devices feature large screens and are packed with top tech.

The two models have a few things in common, like being based on the same Kirin 980 processor and running Android 9.0 Pie out of the box with EMUI 9 on top. But they differ in a lot of aspects.

Differences abound

The standard Mate 20 version lacks some of the headline features seen in its larger brother. The phone arrives with a 6.53-inch LCD display and a unique 18:7:9 aspect ratio, but does not have an in-display fingerprint sensor like the Mate 20 Pro. Instead, the phone features a circular authentication sensor on the back. The standard model also lacks the stereo speaker, and IP68 certification that are found in the Pro model.

Huawei Mate 20

Nevertheless, the LCD display on board the Mate 20 comes with an extra white pixel in the RGBW matrix, which translates into an increase in brightness levels. Huawei says the phone rocks an impressive 820 nits.

In contrast, the Mate 20 Pro features a smaller (?!) 6.3-inch OLED display with 1440p resolution, HDR support and 19:5:9 aspect ratio.

Huawei Mate 20 Pro

Design-wise, the Mate 20 series has glass bodies and offers the now-trademark gradient colors introduced by the company’s previous flagships. However, there’s a new addition to the recipe. Huawei calls this “hyperoptical pattern” which basically translates into the phones being less slippery in hand.

However, this texture will be available only on the Midnight Blue, Emerald Green and Twilight versions. For some reason, the Black and Pink Gold options didn’t get the same treatment.

A bit about the powerful Kirin 980

Introduced back at IFA 2018, the Kirin 980 is marketed as the world’s first 7nm smartphone SoC with a dual-core NPU (Neural Network Processing Unit).

According to Huawei, the new chip improves performance by 20% and energy efficiency by 40% over its predecessor. The dual NPU is one of the standout features of the Kirin 980, and its main purpose is to speed up AI applications such as face recognition, object detection, and object segmentation.

Huawei claims that the chip is 135% faster overall than the Snapdragon 845, and 88% more efficient.

Paired with the Kirin 980, there’s 4GB or 6GB of RAM + 128GB of storage on board of the Mate 20. While the Pro version has either 6GB or 8GB of RAM together with 128GB of storage. In both cases, there’s a nanoSD card slot on board for expansion to up to 256GB.

The cameras

We all know Huawei’s relationship with Leica is a strong one, and the two companies are continuing their long-lasting partnership on the Mate 20 series.

The company introduced the world’s first tri-camera setup with the P20 Pro and on the Mate 20 Pro, it made a few tweaks. For starters, it replaced the monochrome sensor with an 20MP ultra-wide angle one.

The two phones continue to boast the huge 40MP sensor with f/1.8 aperture, which is joined by a 8MP 3x telephoto lens with f/2.4. The main sensor now benefits from a new technology called FusionMind which is capable to achieve 4-in-1 pixel binning in such a way as to bring low-light photographs to a new level. Users will also be able to combine info from all the sensors for ultra-macro shots.

As for the Mate 20, it comes equipped with a less impressive 12MP main + 16MP wide-angle + 8MP telephoto assembly with 2x zoom. Both handsets feature a 24MP front-facing camera which will allow owners to take some stellar selfies. In the case of the Mate Pro, the selfie shooter houses the 3D depth sensor needed for face-unlocking.

Battery

The standard Mate 20 comes equipped with a 4,000 mAh battery, while the Mate 20 Pro relies on a larger 4,200 mAh powerhouse. Huawei is also including a razor-fast 40W charging option on the Pro model, while the standard version gets the “typical” 22W charger.

Huawei says the fast charger on the Pro model can juice up the battery up to 70% in just 30 minutes. Additionally, the device also gets 15W wireless charging abilities and also doubles as a wireless power bank for other phones that support the Qi standard. Unfortunately, there’s no wireless charging available for the Mate 20.

Price

The Mate 20 will go on sale in select European markets on October 16. Pricing starts at €799 / $924. The Mate 20 Pro will land on retail shelves on the same day, for €1049 / $1214. As for the US, the Mate 20 Pro (but not the Mate 20) will probably become available through third-party retailers like Amazon at some point. Although we can’t tell exactly when it will land.

Izzbie review: a new kind of VPN

Matt Adams
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Data security is a hot topic. We’ve seen leaks from massive companies like Google and Facebook recently where people have had their data publically exposed. Many people are also concerned about third-party companies and the government snooping on their traffic. Because of these issues, Virtual Private Networks or VPNs have never been more popular.

The way most VPNs work is by creating a secure tunnel from your computer or phone to the VPN service’s servers. Your data travels along that tunnel and then once it gets to the servers, it heads to its intended location.

Read more: Should you use a VPN on your phone?

The reason for using a VPN numbers in the hundreds, if not thousands. First off is privacy. By using a secure connection and encrypting your data, it’s hard if not impossible for someone to snoop on what you’re doing. VPNs also allow you to get around region restrictions and ensure that your connection isn’t susceptible to a man-in-the-middle attack while connecting to a site where you use sensitive information, like your bank.

There are a number of VPN options out there. Many are paid like Private Internet Access. There are some free services out there, but as the saying goes, if you’re not the customer, you’re the product.

But, now there’s a new kid on the block. For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been testing out the new VPN service from Izzbie.

Izzbie is a different kind of VPN that leverages your home network to a create safe and convenient private network. There’s no third-party cloud or 2P2 software involved and it uses military-grade AES 256 encryption for your data.

Sounds amazing right? So, let’s take a look at how it works.

First up, you attach an Izzbie One box to your network. I have mine coming out of my switch. You don’t have to fiddle with putting it between your connection and modem or router, it just connects with an open ethernet port.

Then, you run through the setup process and log in. Walking through setup in the app can be a tad confusing, but Izzbie has informed us that the app will be getting a redesign to make it more functional and intuitive to use. The company includes setup instructions in the box and has a video walkthrough on its YouTube channel as well. We found that the setup, once properly executed, is done within minutes and pretty painless.

After your account is set up, its time to find the Izzbie box on your network. A simple tap of the “discover devices” button and you’re off. Once you are connected to the box, you’re done. Now, all of your data from your phone is flowing through your home internet connection.

At this point, you may be asking yourself why you’d even want to do this. I am by no means a networking guy and I had trouble wrapping my head around the advantages here. If I’m going to route all of my network data through my home internet, why wouldn’t I just stay connected to WiFi all the time?

The real magic of Izzbie is when you leave the house. Now, you’re not connected to your WiFi but your data is still running through your home network. And, you get the added benefit of encryption.

If you’re on a business trip in another country and want to watch your favorite Netflix shows during your downtime, this is perfect for getting around region restrictions. If you have a home NAS that can only be accessed from inside your network, boom, you’re good to go.

You can also expand your possibilities by adding another Izzbie box to your arsenal. During our testing, I had a friend set up a box at his house so I could test the functionality. It helped quite a bit as I was troubleshooting some Plex server issues I was experiencing. But, if your workplace requires a secure connection to remote in, this is also an excellent option.

Izzbie tells us that the real value of the system is hooking up multiple Izzbie One boxes. It allows users to connect multiple LAN networks into a virtual LAN. This allows users to get a LAN-like connection to all of the IT resources they need access to. It also allows user-to-network and network-to-network communications as if they’re all on the same network.

There are downsides here, but they minor. You are capped to the speed of the internet connection your box is connected to. Instead of pulling 80-100Mbps through my cellular connection, I was limited to 15 up and down because that’s my home internet speed’s upload limit. If you have fiber, you shouldn’t really run into this issue. Additionally, if you’ve ever used a standard VPN, you know how slow they can be.

Izzbie is generally much faster, especially when connecting to a NAS. You get a LAN-like connection, which is much much faster. This allows users to map the NAS as if they were inside the same LAN. The same benefits apply if you’re connecting to devices like IP cameras, printers, or servers.

And it is a little pricey. The almost $300 price tag does feel a little prosumer. But, you are getting all the hardware you need and a lifetime subscription. In a world where everything has a recurring cost to it, it’s nice to be able to buy something and just be done paying for it. And Izzbie is appropriate for a prosumer or small business environment, so those who are looking for a little bit more than your standard consumer-grade options will be getting your money’s worth.

Despite those minor annoyances, we really find a lot of value in just how simple the system can be to set up and use. You see a ton of value here when you compare Izzbie One to a VPN router. Izzbie doesn’t require router configuration, a static IP, or DDNS. Additionally, you never have to open any incoming ports to get Izzbie to work, a major plus for network security. All you need to is a single user login and you’re on your way.

If you’re maintaining a corporate network, there are a ton of advantages for you too. It’s super easy to add and remove users for the Izzbie network. The system also allows your users to connect to multiple locations with just one login, instead of juggling multiple logins. No more tickets to reset credentials!

We think this is a great start for Izzbie. There are some things that need addressed like the aesthetics of the app, but those changes are on the way.

We spoke to the CEO, Alan Hui, to get an idea of where the company and the service are going in the future.

He told us that Izzbie isn’t stopping here. It plans to bring IoT products to the market like smart door locks and cameras that all use the Izzbie platform. Since you’d be able to use these devices without requiring the cloud to relay the data transmission, it’ll be much faster and more secure to use. It will also allow you to connect to IoT products in multiple locations using the same login, something most cloud services can’t do at this time.

So, should you invest in Izzbie? If you’re looking for a different kind of VPN, we think so. There’s a lot of promise here and we’re really interested to see where the company goes. If you’d like to get in on the ground floor, you can pre-order by checking out Izzbie’s Indiegogo campaign.

Pokemon GO for Android gains AR+ mode

AndroidGuys
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Pokemon GO just keeps getting better. With the fourth generation of Pokemon having just arrived, we’re busy hunting down our friends from the Sinnoh region.

Things are fresh and fun and new all over again, regardless of which phone you’re using to play. But, there’s also a way to dial things up to another level, even with the older Pokemon creatures. That’s right, AR+ mode has finally arrived for Android

With the new mode Pokemon GO players can up close to their favorite monsters; the Pokemon scale in size and provide a more realistic encounter. Indeed, that Eevee can detect when you are getting to close and may hide.

Pokémon GO AR+ mode requires ARCore on your Android phone. While it can be downloaded from the Google Play Store, it’s only available for select phones. Nevertheless, many of the more popular Android handsets of the last two years offer support.

Noteworthy AR+ Android phones

  • Google Pixel, XL
  • Google Pixel 2, 2 XL
  • Google Pixel 3, 3 XL
  • Motorola Moto Z3, Moto Z3 Play
  • Motorola Moto G6. G6 Play
  • LG G6, G7 ThinQ, V30, V35 ThinQ, V40
  • Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, S8, S8+, S9, S9+
  • OnePlus 5, 5T, 6

You can check to see if your device is supported through Google’s website. If so, make sure to enable the feature inside of the settings menu in Pokemon GO.

For more details on ARCore and Pokémon AR+ for Android users, check out the Niantic Help Center.

What is ARCore and which phones support it?

AndroidGuys
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If you’ve been keeping up with tech companies lately, you’ll realize they’ve been focusing much of their attention in a few areas. The first being AI, of course, with the rise of smart assistants. The next attention areas are Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR and VR).

Within the bigger broader companies (e.g., Google and Apple), AR is being focused on more than VR. What exactly is AR, what is this ARCore/ARKit, and how will it impact your life. We’ll dive into that now.

What is AR and ARCore?

For the sake of simplicity, AR and VR are very similar but have the main difference in location. Augmented Reality places a virtual object in the environment around you, viewable through a lens (whether glasses or phone cameras). Virtual Reality requires the user to be immersed in a separated virtual environment through the use of special goggles.

See Also: Google steps into the world of VR with Cardboard

Both are used for gaming, learning skills, or merely examining information. VR has had the stigma of being more for entertainment, while AR has been known to be for acquiring information. They both serve unique purposes well.

Now that we’ve got that settled let’s discuss ARCore. Google uses ARCore to help build the various AR experiences its phones create. ARCore consists of a new set of APIs, frameworks, and other software tools.

ARCore uses three key capabilities to achieve environment creation and interaction. These concepts are Motion Tracking, Environmental understanding, and Light Estimation.

How do they work?

Motion tracking occurs with not only objects that your phone sees, but also the movement of the phone itself. ARCore uses visual feature points to help map out the movement of the device.

READ: Customize your Android with one of these six highly flexible apps

ARCore also uses these feature points to detect flat surfaces to be used as planes in any specific app. This process is involved in Environmental understanding.

Lastly, ARCore detects the lighting of an environment to provide average light intensity and color at any given camera angle.

Those are the leading capabilities ARCore uses for creating environments, but some other concepts could include user interaction, oriented points, anchors, and augmented images.

While ARCore is impressive in its own right, it can be beneficial to developers and general consumers. ARCore is a public source, so any developer can call upon its APIs to use in their apps to enjoy benefits like motion tracking and environmental understanding. This way they don’t have to try and create APIs on their own.

AR, in general, can also be handy to the general public in their personal and business lives. The Curate app, for example, allows real estate agents the chance to show prospective homebuyers a fully furnished and built home, without actually having to stage a pre-built house.

The app saves everyone time and money. In a broader aspect, Ikea and Amazon have AR built into their apps, allowing the user to simulate what an object looks like in their home. There are also games, you know, for entertainment.

Availability

ARCore as a platform is available for any developers out there needing augmented reality assistance in Android apps. Apple has a virtually similar platform called ARKit.

As far as devices go, anything higher end in the past 2 years (Android 7.0+) is likely to support ARCore. The phones include Pixels, Galaxy S7 onwards, Oneplus 3T onwards, LG G6 onwards, and more. Google has a complete list of devices if you want to check to see if your phone is compatible.

Noteworthy ARCore-ready Android phones

  • Google Pixel, XL
  • Google Pixel 2, 2 XL
  • Google Pixel 3, 3 XL
  • Motorola Moto Z3, Moto Z3 Play
  • Motorola Moto G6. G6 Play
  • LG G6, G7 ThinQ, V30, V35 ThinQ, V40
  • Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, S8, S8+, S9, S9+
  • OnePlus 5, 5T, 6

All in all, ARCore is an excellent platform from Google for developers to include in their apps to help with AR content. Augmented reality, in its own right, has many uses including entertainment and learning.

Watching companies invest more into the AR space can only create a host of opportunities for us in the real world. Imagine if we could wear AR with us on a regular basis. I’m still waiting for an updated Google Glass to be available…

Jaybird X4 Review: Has the king of Bluetooth headphones returned?

Andrew Myrick
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Whenever you think about wireless Bluetooth headphones, chances are that Jaybird is one company that comes to mind. Jaybird has been in the game for quite some time and is back with one of its more popular products, the Jaybird X4.

Read More: Jaybird Run Review

These are the true successor to the Jaybird X3 that were launched back in 2016. Since then, we have seen the Jaybird Freedom and Jaybird Run headphones launched, but nothing beats the fan favorite, right?

What’s in the Box?

Before jumping into all of the fun stuff, let’s take a look at what you get for the $130 price tag. Jaybird sure knows how to take care of its consumers, as it includes an assortment of ear and wing tips.

Doing so ensures that you will be able to use the Jaybird X4 regardless of how big or small your ears are. Already installer is a set of medium, plastic, ear-tips, but you’ll want to change these out for the included Comply Foam tips.

Additionally, Jaybird included a carrying pouch, so that your brand new headphones won’t get tangled up with anything else in your pocket or bag. Finally, there is a proprietary charging cable that can be used with any USB wall-plug in your home. You can even use your computer in a pinch.

The problem with this charger is that Jaybird continues to opt for its own proprietary charging method. Why we can’t get USB-C or even micro-USB is still a mystery that has yet to be solved.

Design

When you look at the Jaybird X3’s and the Jaybird X4’s there’s really not much difference here. You have the two earbuds with a cable connecting them, and in-line controls on the right side of the cable.

This hub also provides the housing for the included battery and is what you use to connect the charger too. There are three buttons for Volume Up, Volume Down, and Play/Pause.

Moving back to the cable for a bit, there is a new clip that helps you control how much spare cable you have. Obviously, this is a great addition for those who don’t want a cable flopping around and getting caught on something while you’re working out.

If you’re someone who frequents the gym, then you’ll be happy to learn about the sweat rating. The Jaybird X4 includes an IPX7 rating which means that they can be submerged in up to 3-feet of water for 30 minutes.

Obviously, you won’t really want to go swimming with these. However, the IPX7 rating ensures that the X4’s will continue pumping out the music even if you’re caught in a rainstorm.

Usability

As is the case with just about every set of Jaybird headphones, there is an accompanying app for iOS and Android that helps get things set up. Simply install the app, turn on your new Jaybird X4 headphones, and follow the prompts on your device.

In order to put your device in pairing mode, you’ll need to press the middle button on the in-line controls. The charging light will begin blinking between Red and Green, and a voice will say “Ready to Pair”.

From there, just follow the instructions in the Jaybird app and you will be on your way. After the pairing process has been completed, then you can begin listening to your favorite content.

Sound

Now that we got the pairing process out of the way, you’re likely wondering just how well the X4’s sound. Well, if you are a fan of Jaybird then you will feel right at home.

As expected, these won’t really replace your favorite over-the-ear cans, but they are perfect for when you’re on the go. The bass is heavy enough that it won’t blow your eardrums out, while the high’s are just good enough.

The best part about the entire Jaybird experience is the aforementioned MySound application. This allows you to fine-tune the EQ to your taste and updates in real-time to help you decide what is the best fit for your music.

Jaybird has really figured out how to create a set of great-sounding headphones. And that trend continues with the X4’s.

Battery Life

Other than sound and sweat-resistance, the next biggest question behind Bluetooth headphones is battery life. Jaybird claims that the X4’s will provide up to 8 hours before needing a recharge.

In our testing, we never really hit that 8-hour mark. Instead, we consistently saw between 6 to 7 hours of usage before needing to recharge.

What makes this even better is that Jaybird has finally hopped on the quick-charge train. The X4’s are capable of getting about an hour of listening time with just a 10 to 15-minute charge. If you are charging them after being drained to 0%, you can recharge back to 100% in just about an hour.

For this reason alone, the Jaybird X4’s are a must have for anyone looking for a solid set of Bluetooth headphones.

Conclusion

Jaybird has become one of the most reliable brands in Bluetooth headphones. The Jaybird X series is extremely popular and for good reason.

While we have some quirks about the X4 headphones, primarily around the proprietary charging, these are still great. The Jaybird MySound app makes it extremely easy to tune these to your personal listening habits.

All-in-all, the Jaybird X4 is a great buy for anyone looking for a solid set of Bluetooth headphones. Even the $129.99 price tag won’t scare anyone away from at least considering these.

Be sure to sound off in the comments below to let us know what you think about the Jaybird X4. Are you going to pick a set up for yourself? Or is there another set of headphones that has your attention.

Should you upgrade? Google Pixel 3 vs Pixel 2

Alexandra Arici
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Google has finally pulled the wraps off its latest flagship effort, the Pixel 3 series during an event in New York. But just how different are the new models compared to the old ones?

At a glance, it doesn’t appear that many things have changed, but there’s plenty more going on beneath the surface. So in this article, we take a look at what sets the new Pixel 3 family apart from the Pixel 2 and try to answer the question: should you upgrade?

Design and display

The Pixel 3 and 3XL share most of their DNA with the Pixel 2 lineup, but there are a handful of meaningful differences when it comes to design. Even so, from the back, these distinctions aren’t all that visible. Both the Pixel 2s and Pixel 3s have two-tone rears, but while the Pixel 2s are made mostly out of metal with a glass panel at the top, the Pixel 3s are all glass.

On the front, Google has given each of the new phones a larger screen without making the devices noticeably larger. The Pixel 3 now sports a 5.5-inch screen, up from the 5-inch on the Pixel 2. It also makes a transition from the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio to the modern 18:9 one.

At the same time, the Pixel 3 XL now sports a 6.3-inch display, compared to the Pixel 2 XL’s 6-inch one. Last year, the OLED display on the Pixel 2 XL was plagued by numerous issues, so hopefully this year Google has managed to improve the situation.

The Pixel 3 XL stands out the most out of the two because it comes equipped with a notch on top, while the standard Pixel 3 doesn’t. But even as it retains the classic look, the standard Pixel 3 has shed the notoriously chunky bezels.

Both phones include front-facing speakers still, but Google says the Pixel 3s are now 40% louder than before. We should also mention that the two new handsets are water resistant thanks to the improved IPX8 rating. The previous models were only IP67 rated.

Specifications

Obviously, the Pixel 3 series makes use of a newer Snapdragon 845 processor. Google has provided an upgrade over last year’s Snapdragon 835, but it didn’t do the same when it comes to RAM.

So the Pixel 3s come with the same 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage configuration as their predecessors. In 2018, when most flagships offer at least 6GB of RAM on board, it would have been nice to see Google do the same. Fortunately, Google’s software does an excellent job with RAM management, so you won’t have to worry about your Pixel 3 not working smoothly.

Like the Pixel 2s, the Pixel 3s don’t come with a microSD card slot for memory expansion, so you’ll be stuck with the amount you select when you purchase the device. So choose wisely!

Photography

One of the biggest differences when comparing the Pixel 3s with the Pixel 2s is the cameras. On the front, Google this year has added an extra camera. It’s an additional 8-megapixel wide-angle lens with 97-degree field-of-view. So uses will be able to fit more people into their selfies.

As for the main (singular) camera, it stays pretty much the same, at least on paper. We have a 12.2-megapixel sensor which in the case of the Pixel 3s supports new features.

For example, you get Nightshift, a tool designed to take extra-nice low-light photos by employing an algorithm that readjusts the light settings. There’s also Top Shot, which takes a burst of HDR shots before and after you press the shutter button and picks the best one. Another interesting tool is Motion Autofocus which allows users to tap a subject once to track its movements.

Battery and charging

Google increased the battery size on the Pixel 3 to 2,917 mAh, compared to the 2,700 mAh of the Pixel 2. But in the case of the Pixel 3 XL, things are the other way around for some reason. The device relies on a 3,430 mAh battery, which smaller than the Pixel 2 XL’s 3,520 mAh one.

But why did Google choose to do that? Perhaps the Snapdragon 845’s battery optimizations might provide a clue, although it would have been nice to see a larger battery instead of a smaller one.

The good news is that Google this year included wireless charging with the Pixel 3s. Both support the Qi wireless charging standard, so they are compatible with a large number of existing chargers. Note that Google is also selling its own charging stand, although it’s a bit expensive.

Software

The Pixel 3s run Android 9 Pie out of the box and offer some new features. For example, the two will be the first phones to support Gmail’s Smart Compose feature. They also include Call Screen, which basically allows the phones AI to answer a call for you in real time.

The older Pixel 2s also run Android 9 Pie, though their firmware upgrade support ends in 2020, while the Pixel 3’s expires in 2021. What’s more, all four Pixels come with Active Edge, which allows users to squeeze the side of the device to bring up the Google Assistant or open other apps.

Should you upgrade?

The Pixel 3s do bring a few upgrades to the table including a new processor, an extra front-facing camera, wireless charging, and hopefully better displays, but if you are coming from the Pixel 2, an upgrade really doesn’t seem necessary. Unless you really really want to have the latest phone.

The Pixel 2, especially the XL model still remains a worthy phone, even with the Snapdragon 835 processor on board. What’s more, with the Pixel 3 out, it’s more affordable than ever. So if you’re not looking to spend a ton of money on a new smartphone, the Pixel 2 might be a better option for you than spending $799 and up on a new Pixel 3.

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