Before we jump into the review we wanted to say massive thanks to MobileFun for providing the cases for this review, which otherwise wouldn’t have been possible without their help. Make sure you go and vote for them in the WHAT Mobile Awards 2017 here.
The Galaxy Note 8 is one of the most impressive phones on the market – its design, inspired by the Galaxy S8, has spearheaded the market into a bezel-less design that is now being widely adopted as the standard amongst premium handsets. As nice as the design is, the all-glass makeup means it’s still fragile and slippery as heck so you’ll be wanting to slap a case on it to protect your $1000 investment. The market is saturated with cases – some good, some not so good – so we’ve got our hands on what we consider three of the best cases for the Note 8 on the market currently. This is obviously pre-tensed by being completely perceptual and your experience may vary, but we’re here to share our opinion. With that being said, let’s check out the first on offer.
Olixar Sentinel Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Case
The Olixar Sentinel is your typical TPU case by look but is designed for maximum durability. Its flexible carbon fibre design protects the Note 8 without adding any unnecessary bulk and also looks pretty good in the process. Olixar says that the inner patterns also help deflect shock force and aid heat dissipation.
The case provides a lot more grip for the Note 8, which is important given its such a physically big device that trying to operate it one hand is pretty much impossible without a case. While we didn’t drop test the case to confirm the protection factor, the feel of the case provides confidence that any impact or shock to the device will be absorbed by the case. The upper and lower edges are deeper than the screen to provide protection to the screen when placed face down on a surface or during a fall. All ports are accessible with the case on and the S-Pen is easily accessed.
While the case is visually very nice, some may not like the TPU feel of such a case. If you are used to the feel then you certainly won’t be disappointed. You can grab the Olixar Sentinel case here.
Another offering from Olixar is the X-Duo case that although TPU, doesn’t feel quite like the Sentinel thanks to its textured body and smooth metallic bumper. The inner flexible TPU case features shock-absorbing strength with a carbon fibre finish on the back. The inner patterns also help deflect shock force and aid heat dissipation. The X-Duo is also built to protect your device. I feel like the X-Duo would offer more protection than the Sentinel with the gold bumper.
While the added protection is welcomed, the X-Duo feels slightly more bulky than the Sentinel but this could be of preference to some. Again, all ports and S-Pen are easily accessible.
For maximum protection and added grip, the X-Duo is a great option but may not be the preference for those who like a minimal look. You can grab the Olixar X-Duo from here.
Official Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Alcantara Cover Case
The third case is by far my personal favorite. The Alcantara cover by Samsung offers relatively the same protection as the Olixar counterparts, and in some cases less protection when considering the cutout at the bottom of the case that exposes the entire underside of the device.
However, it’s not the protection that this case offers that stand out, it’s the feel. Made from Alcantara, the case offers an attractive solution for your Note 8. The case has a raised lip around the edges to provide protection when the display is face down on a surface. It is also extremely slim, adding next to no bulk to your device.
The buttons of the Note 8 are covered in Alcantara too so naturally feel better to the touch and the slippery design of the device is completely eliminated by the case.
While in my opinion the best case available currently for the Note 8, it is also quite expensive if the style is something that is important to you. Some may not like the feel of the material but the Alcantara design is something unique that is fantastic if you’re after something different. You can grab it here.
Again, big thanks to MobileFun that also has a number of other Note 8 cases that is sure to cater for what you’re looking for. Be sure to check out the full range here.
Looking to purchase an upper-to-middle ranger smartphone? Then you’re in luck. After partnering up to offer a deal on the Pixel 2, Verizon and Best Buy have teamed up again for a promotion on the Moto Z2 Play.
The Verizon-bound Moto Z2 Play was previously available for $17/month for 24 months or $408 in total. Well now, Best Buy has discounted it to $9.99/month if you’re willing to jump on board a 2-year contract at Verizon. This brings down the price of the phone to only $239.76. Which means you’ll be able to save approximately $170.
It’s also worth mentioning that you can take advantage of the same deal by purchasing the phone from Verizon directly. The carrier has listed the phone as being available for $10/month for the next 24 months.
In case you don’t remember, the Moto Z2 Play arrives with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, a Snapdragon 626 processor under the hood and 3GB of RAM + 32GB of internal storage. But most Moto fans were disappointed this year as Motorola chose to drop battery capacity from 3,500 mAh on the Z Play to just 3,000 mAh in the Z2 Play.
In our review of the Moto Z2 Play, we found that the phone could go all day without dipping below 30% – which is well enough – but the Moto Z Play was able to make it into 2-day territory without a problem.
Anyway, the Moto Z2 Play is still a pretty decent phone and it can be used in combination with the Moto Mod Battery Pack (which costs extra) if you wish to prologue its life.
Despite concerns that Google had scraped off Android Wear, the wearable platform appears to be alive and kicking. And a recent post by Googler Hoi Lam brings some much needed good news to Wear fans, who were probably quite disappointed that Google did not share any Android Wear-related news during the Pixel 2 event.
According to Lam, upcoming Android Wear 2.0 features will be served up to users via the Play Store rather than via OTA updates. The aim is, of course, to offer users more timely updates. As Lam notes, the Android Wear team has already launched one such update last week which brings:
3rd party chat app support in Contacts
Reduce accidental entry into the watch face picker
Improve Play Store discoverability for new users
Other features and bug fixes
Now all you have to do to take advantage of the new improvements is update your Android Wear app on your smartwatch. There’s going to be no more waiting for that OTA update to hit your device.
Lam also says to expect more updates in the coming months, and hopefully, they will be more consistent. Unfortunately, Android Wear has failed to cultivate true interest since its 2.0 release in February. Certainly, its delayed roll-out didn’t help much either, but now Google hopes to make it up to Wear users by delivering faster and more frequent updates.
Do you think it’s going to be enough to revive Android Wear 2.0?
The OnePlus 3T followed quickly after the OnePlus 3, with only a 3 or 4-month time distance between them, and OnePlus said at the time that the OnePlus 3T was launched to keep its smartphone lineup competitive in specs and features. Flash forward to the OnePlus 5, which has now been released, and it seems as if the “T” smartphone updates could continue this year.
GizmoChina has leaked an exclusive render of the upcoming OnePlus 5T with a near bezel-less design, with a small top and bottom bezel for sensors. The volume rocker remains on the left side and the power/standby button to the right of the display. There are no front-facing speakers here either; the headphone jack can’t be seen, so there’s no word on whether OnePlus intends to continue the 3.5mm jack or break with tradition just yet.
The 18:9 aspect ratio comes to mind, as it has become the new aspect ratio for all bezel-less smartphones, and the OnePlus 5T will keep in step with a modern trend to include it here.
The OnePlus 5 featured dual rear cameras, in honor of the dual rear camera trend for high-end smartphones. There is a possibility that the OnePlus 5T will have the dual-edge curved display, a staple feature of Samsung’s 2017 lineup in the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy Note 8 and the LG V30 and LG V30+, but this can’t be confirmed by GizmoChina at this time.
The 18:9 aspect ratio and 6-inch screen, though, are two trends that other high-end smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S8+ and Google Pixel 2 XL, are boasting at the moment. Surely, OnePlus wants to join the upper echelon group. The screen resolution being touted for the OnePlus 5T is 2160p x 1080p, which comes out to a 2:1 (or 18:9) aspect ratio and is slightly better than the 1920 x 1080p (Full HD) resolution of the OnePlus 5, OnePlus 3T, and OnePlus 3.
The source has found the OnePlus 5T design identical to the OPPO F5, but this isn’t surprising: the OnePlus 5, announced this summer, shares an identical design factor with the OPPO R11 (in fact, an OPPO R11 case was a perfect fit for the OnePlus 5).
Other details about the device are scarce at this moment, but November has been offered as the OnePlus 5T announcement date. What we can know about the OnePlus 5T is that, apart from this shared information, interested buyers can expect the octa-core, high-end Snapdragon 835 SoC, 6GB/8GB RAM configurations, 64GB/128GB storage versions, and the company’s trademark DASH charging, among others.
We’d love to see OnePlus declare an IP68 water and dust resistance protection rating for the OnePlus 5T (no experiments needed), but one can only hope at this point.
More leaks and info will emerge in the coming days, so keep your seat belts buckled.
Hulu is trying to attract more subscribers to its streaming service ahead of debuting its new fall TV season.
The company’s entry-level plan can now be grabbed for just $5.99 a month for the first year, after which customers will be bumped up to the regular $7.99 a month fee. Note that the first 30 days come free of charge, so if you realize the service is not for you, you can just ditch it after the first month ends.
The offer is available for new subscribers signing up before January 9, 2018. However, you need to take into consideration that this basic package includes ads. In case you don’t want to deal with them, the ad-free option will cost you $11.99 a month. Hulu doesn’t currently offer a discount on this plan.
Hulu’s offer is worthy to be taken into consideration, especially after Netflix announced last week it will be bumping up the price of its standard plan from $9.99 to $10.99 a month and premium plan from $11.99 to $13.99 a month. However, Netflix left the basic plan untouched, so you can still subscribe for it for $7.99 a month.
Hulu is hoping to make a big splash this fall, as the company has budgeted around $2.5 billion for original programming this year, following the resounding success of the Handmaid’s Tale which was an Emmy favorite.
Google has been going after Facetime and WhatsApp with its own solution called Duo – an app that is free to use and enables one-on-one video and voice calls.
Duo relies on your phone number, allows you to reach people in your phone’s contact list, boasts end-to-end encryption and has a unique feature called Knock Knock, that lets you see live video of your caller before you even answer. Google has been constant about improving the service since it launched it back in 2016 and now it appears the tech giant wants to make it even better by integrating Duo into more apps.
The Android Police discovered that in the latest versions of Google Pixel’s Phone app, Contacts app, and Android Messages app (13.02, 2.1 and 2.6 respectively), as well as on the Google Pixel 2, users will now be able to see a new video icon next to the contact’s name (if they are signed up and using Duo). There’s one thing we should note – if your carrier offers its own video calling service and both you and the other person use the service, the dialer will favor it over Duo.
Google also added the ability to see Duo calls in the dialer’s history right alongside standard phone calls. This option is currently available, as well as search integration. Furthermore, in the upcoming Android Messages 2.6 version which has yet to be rolled out, a Duo video call icon will be added to any conversation with someone also using the app.
Google is detailing these changes on one of its support pages, so if you want to read more about them you can do so by following the link.
A new report out of KGI Securities, specifically from renown analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, says that Samsung is working on an under-display optical fingerprint sensor for the Galaxy Note 9. The under-display optical fingerprint sensor has been one of the industry’s most anticipated features of 2017 smartphones, though the most exciting high-end smartphones (Samsung’s Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy Note 8, and Apple’s iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus) were unable to offer the feature on their smartphones this year. Samsung had brightness imbalance issues with the display as a result of the optical sensor and decided against it in the Galaxy Note 8.
The under-display sensor would allow users to no longer express frustration over the back-mounted fingerprint sensor, what some devoted Samsung faithful consider to be one of the worst features of the new Galaxy lineup.
Some buyers have said that the relocation of the fingerprint sensor to the middle back of the phone instead of at the very top near the camera (or dual rear cameras, in the case of the Galaxy Note 8) would provide some ergonomic relief.
Samsung’s upcoming under-display sensor would put an end to the controversial sensor on current Samsung Galaxy smartphones. This matches what we’ve heard about the back-mounted fingerprint sensor returning to the upcoming Galaxy S9 lineup, so the Galaxy Note 9 would be the first “Galaxy” to feature the new tech.
As for companies behind the production of the optical fingerprint sensor, Ming-Chi Kuo says that Samsung’s own subsidiary Samsung LSI, as well as Korean company BeyondEyes and Egis (the manufacturer of standard Samsung fingerprint sensors) are the most likely candidates to be charged with the new sensor creation.
Synaptics is likely out of the running due to its affiliation with Samsung’s truest rival. Samsung LSI is known for its ISOCELL cameras on the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note Edge in 2014, and on some Galaxy smartphones over the last 3 years. Samsung LSI and BeyondEyes have already shipped optical fingerprint sensor samples to the Korean giant.
Qualcomm is a possible choice for optical sensor production, as Samsung already manufactures Qualcomm SoCs with its own 10-nm FinFET architecture.
While the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are the next big thing on the horizon for Samsung’s “Galaxy,” the Galaxy Note 9 has been rumored to feature a 6.3-inch display (matching the Galaxy Note 8 display size), along with the same 12MP dual rear camera setup Samsung debuted in its lineup on the Galaxy Note 8 and a 1000fps camera sensor that is expected to first debut on the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+.
IP68 water and dust resistance, along with the 256GB microSD card slot and water-resistant “intelligent” S Pen are also expected to return on the most anticipated “Galaxy” of 2018.
Post updated to reflect an update to the EdgeSense feature and to fix a few factual errors in the post – thanks to HTC for clarifying!
Display
Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of a modern smartphone is the display – in a world of shrinking bezels and 6″ phablets, phone real estate is dominated by the display. As such, OEM’s are striving to find ways to use the display to separate their phones from the competition, often in the form of “innovations” in display technology. These gimmicks are legion: Infinity Screen. Super Retina. Second Screen. Dual Edge. And while these concepts are interesting and certainly striking in their own right, mostly they’re just design quirks and flashy terminology used to justify jacking up the price of a flagship phone.
What is important, however, is that you enjoy looking at – and interacting with – your device’s screen. And in that area, at least the HTC U11 excels. With a 5.5″, 1440×2560 Gorilla Glass 5 LCD display, the U11 offers a no-frills screen that nonetheless delivers crisp, vibrant picture quality. While the brightness leaves something to be desired (when your softkeys put out more light than your primary screen, you know there’s a problem), the resolution and color depth are really great. There are a couple quality-of-life tweaks included in the Display Settings, including both Nightmode (which can be configured manually or automatically at sundown) and Color Temperature (to manually tune the screen to your preference).
Of the U11’s set of features, its display is likely it’s strongest. Â If only the rest of the phone was as impressive.
Build
I’ve always been a fan of HTC’s hardware. My first two Android phones (MyTouch 3G, T-Mobile G2) were both HTC-made, and I have fonder memories of those devices than any since. HTC always seemed to have a cleaner, more utilitarian design to its phones, where Samsung and LG always tended toward the more flashy.
And while the U11 has its flaws and gimmicks, that approach remains consistent. It feels solid in-hand, with buttons that are within easy reach that press with a satisfying click. The front-mounted fingerprint scanner is responsive and error-tolerant, allowing you to unlock it from a variety of angles. The phone is rated at IP67, making it dustproof and waterproof up to 3′ – personally, I feel in today’s market this should be the industry standard.
Where the U11 falters, though, is the chassis. The aluminum frame is nice, and the phone feels durable enough, but the chromed, electric blue backplate is an true eyesore in my opinion. Other blogs have commented on the design, calling it a “stunning effect.” This is what the back is supposed to be, according to HTC:
The liquid glass surface is crafted to impress using Optical Spectrum Hybrid Deposition. By layering highly-refractive precious minerals across the phone’s back cover, we’ve created stunningly vivid new colors that transform light with every movement you make.
But all I see is a hideous, fingerprint attracting, plastic-feeling back that reminds me of the early ’00s, when chrome spinners on pickups were all the rage. It’s certainly distinctive, but then again, so are hot pink legwarmers. It’s striking, but it’s more akin to being punched in the face. Phones lately have been trending toward laser-cut, aluminum unibody exteriors, but HTC appears content to rock a glass back, slap a coat of chrome on it, and call it unique. I suppose, despite the criticism, it should be noted that in addition to the blue, it also comes in red, black, and what can only be described as “powder.”
The U11 also features EdgeSense, the ability to squeeze the sides of the frame and have it be detected as an input. At launch, this could be configured to open an application and perform a variety of functions like take a screenshot, toggle the flashlight, activate a voice assistant, and to take pictures. A September update expanded the feature tremendously, adding the ability to perform essentially any tap function within any app, on a per-app basis.
Internals
By and large, the internal are about what you’d expect from a higher-end these days. At its core is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, an octa-core processor that’s pretty common among flagships recently. The base model sports 4/64GB RAM/ROM – fairly standard – while the upgraded model has 6/128 – much less common. Both models have a MicroSD slot for expandable storage, so you should never run short.
Its connectivity standards are all top-of-the-line, or close to it: NFC, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, and a USB-C 3.1 port. Sound-wise, the U11 sports something called USonic, which, er…well, I’ll just let HTC tell you:
Immerse yourself in purer audio. HTC U11 introduces the latest version of HTC USonic, which now combines active noise cancellation with the ability to tune audio to your unique hearing. Other headsets focus more on obtaining great sound quality while overlooking the fundamentals – each of our hearing structures are different. Our USonic earbuds map your inner ear with an advanced sonar-like technology and then adapt the sound profile to your unique biology. This creates an incredibly personal and optimized listening experience with vibrant audio shaped specifically for you.
In practice, I didn’t notice all that much difference from other quality wired headsets, though it does seem to be quite an upgrade over the crap that’s usually thrown into phone boxes. While all of this combines to be a very solid set of features, there’s also nothing that truly stands out and sets it apart from other flagships, or even second-tier phones.
In memorium
Since it doesn’t quite fit into any other category in this review, I’ll slip a rant on EdgeSense in right here. The ability to squeeze your phone and have it perform a function is no different or unique than placing a dedicated shutter button on the side of the phone, or adding a fourth button on the on-screen Nav Bar. It’s just another button, concealed in the frame of the phone.
That being said, it is a rather sensitive button, with some truly innovative software backing it. The newest update of EdgeSense allows you to configure a near-infinite number of commands for the function, replacing a tap on the screen with a squeeze (or long squeeze) of the sides of the phone. What started as a simple function became something rather impressively customizable with the September update.
I prefer that dedicated, two-stage shutter button, personally – but if you spend the time to configure some custom actions with EdgeSense, I think you’ll love it.
Battery
Call me picky, but I won’t even consider a phone that has less than a 3000mAh battery these days. As hungry and powerful as phones are getting, anything less is not worth buying. Luckily for the U11, it just made the cut. I won’t tell you the battery life is great, because it isn’t. It’s adequate, and it might get you through a day if you’re judicious with your usage, but what fun is that? Life is stressful enough without having anxiety over the battery life of an inanimate object that is, nonetheless, our gateway to socialization in the modern world. With smaller companies like Blu and Oukitel bringing phones to market with 5000 and 10000 mAh batteries, it’s time bigger OEMs got the hint.
Camera
I’ll be frank – for as much as I’ve criticized the U11 thus far, it takes beautiful, beautiful photos. It doesn’t feature the dual-sensor rear camera setup that’s currently en vogue, but the single sensor it does have is really impressive. I took a few casual, real-world style shots on my way into the airport, and I was really satisfied with the level of detail and the color quality in each shot – even on the move. Even in the extreme-zoom photo of the (super creepy) bird art pieces outside the parking structure, the pictures are in focus and at passable resolution. Even in low-light conditions the camera performs admirably – I have to say, it’s probably the best camera I’ve personally tested.
That praise out of the way, I’m a little concerned with the way the camera performance is being marketed. HTC has used the phrase “The #1 smartphone camera on the market” in reference to the HTC U11, but with a DXOMark of 90 (certainly no slouch!), it ranks as the fifth-best camera (tied with the original Pixel) on the market. It was #1 for the first four months of its existence, but is falling down the charts. Unfortunately, HTC’s U11 page still lists it as the best smartphone camera on the market. It’s a small thing, perhaps, but lends credence to the growing idea that the concept of Truth is kind of….flexible, these days.
 Value
In a vacuum, HTC’s U11 is a perfectly adequate phone. But context matters, and the price of that adequacy needs to be considered. A $650 (or if you’re lucky, $549 on sale) phone with this set of specifications is tough to justify in a world where OnePlus’ 5 – or even 3T (from a year ago) – can be had for less with comparable specs. For all the praise it got around the web, frankly, I expected better. In the end, the HTC U11 is another adequate “flagship” with gimmicky (if, admittedly, intriguing) features and the steep price tag we’ve come to expect from the big name OEMs. If you’re a big camera buff, you might be able to justify the price in your own head – it’s a ridiculously well-performing device in that regard – but for people that don’t put a premium on camera performance, there’s better devices out there for cheaper.
The HTC U11 is now available on all major US carriers (or unlocked), starting at $649 – if you just really, really dig that chrome back and gotta have it, I suppose. It should be noted that as of this publishing, the 64GB unlocked version is on sale for $549, and the 128GB unlocked version is $629 – much better values.
I’m sure we’ve all needed to use our mobile devices while simultaneously keeping both hands available for use – while cooking from a recipe, perhaps, playing music, or drawing from a picture. Personally, I often need to use a tablet while painting miniatures – to be able to glance at inspiration pieces while holding both the miniature and a paintbrush, you see. This poses a problem – a stand leaves the tablet pretty far away from me, while using nothing obviously means I’d have to put down either of my implements to look at the tablet.
You get the point, anyway – we need a third arm. ZenMount aims to provide that tool. It’s a lot easier to show you, Dear Android Guys, how ZenMount works, rather than tell you:
As you can see, ZenMount offers an extendable arm, two 360-degree swivels, and a single point of adjustment to mount anything you can imagine. Traditional mounts require adjustment at two or more locations on the arm, making them a bit more versatile in their movements but also much more of a pain to get positioned. ZenMount does an admirable job of making this process as convenient as possible.
But – and there’s always a but – that convenience comes at a small price. The overall dimensions of the ZenMount are a little smaller than you’d expect – it’s only 12″, and only extends out to a maximum of 16″ – but the design is sturdy, easy to use, and performs its function well.
ZenMount is on Kickstarter right now – with only 3 days to go! – and while it’s already met its goal, I’ve enjoyed my time with the unit and think you might as well. Get the base model for $99, or the deluxe model with a number of adapters, mounts, and a padded carrying case.
Online trading has become a popular way for people to make a secondary income using their spare capital, and trading apps like the one by IG have made this a possibility.
Most people focus on one side of trading, whether it is shares, CFDs or forex, and so having an app that is devoted to the type of trading you want to do is key. In this case, we are looking at IG’s trading app, which is centered around trading CFDs. If you are not sure what those are and are still trying to decide what type of trading you want to do, it is worth looking at their information around “what is contract for difference” before comparing apps.
What Does the IG CFD Android App Do?
To use IG’s Android app you’ll need a trading account with IG. This is pretty easy to apply for and will give you the protection of their security, which is something you definitely want when you are dealing with real money and real trades. Once you are set up, the app allows you to make CFD trades in real time based on dozens of things, including share indices, foreign currencies and commodities. You can add money to your account to use for your trades extremely easily, and also withdraw your money simply back into your chosen bank account if you want to. The app effectively allows you to make these kinds of financial trades and profit from them with no proper hurdles.
Is It a Good App?
Of course, IG’s CFD app isn’t the only one of its kind, so even if you have decided you want to go ahead and become a CFD trader, you probably want to know if it is a good product. In fact, it is a very good app in terms of interface design and user friendliness. It gives easy access to the things you care about most like your account information and notifications about your trades. It is also very feature rich in terms of the analysis stuff you can see from within the app. If you tend to trade based on data, this is definitely an app you will find enjoyable to use.
A Good Community
Another great thing about the IG app is the strong user community and great customer help. Becoming a hobbyist trader isn’t easy and there is a lot to learn, but knowing you are in a community with a lot of other members who have been through the same learning curve and are happy to chat to you can really help – not just in terms of using the software but also in terms of the trades you may want to make. The analysis side of the app and the user community are some of the things that set it apart from its rivals.
While the IG app may have started life as an extension from its website equivalent, it is probably the best trading app around if you want a clean interface, reliable, real time information, good analysis and great account management. If the world of trading is something that has always appealed to you, then this is the perfect app to get you started, though it also has everything more experienced traders will want, too.
