Let me first preface this by saying I have plenty of patience and time (pun intended) for Wear OS. The issue is that it often leaves you wanting more. Tizen on most Samsung smartwatches though is arguably miles better. Which is why when I had the opportunity to for a quick Samsung Galaxy Watch Active hands-on — emphasis on the quick — I jumped at the chance.
Yes, Android tablets still exist. The problem is that they exist in a sort of purgatory between zero support and somewhat waning demand. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e likely won’t change that, but in all honesty, it seems a nice tablet that might have a market after all.
Expand
Expanding
Close
During the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2019 keynote, at least at the UK launch, there was not a great deal of fanfare for the brand new Samsung Galaxy S10e. The device is set to be a slightly cheaper S10 model that includes much of the same internal specs, but with a few exclusions to help lower that entry price.
There really isn’t a lot that we didn’t already know about before going hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+. A solid month of leaks and a steady stream of information hasn’t left much to the imagination, but that doesn’t mean the devices have no surprises.
The Google Home ecosystem grows and grows, as does the usefulness of the Google Assistant itself. The announcement at CES means that you can tap into the power of Google Translate and use it for live conversations with those speaking another language.
Expand
Expanding
Close
We thought the Pixel 3 might have been the most leaked device in the history of smartphones, but the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10 might be running it close. Now an early hands-on video from Tech Radar’s Matt Swider has found its way onto YouTube ahead of the device’s launch.
We’re merely days away from the ‘official’ unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S10 and all its brethren at Unpacked 2019. We’re expecting more than just a few phones to be announced, so here is everything we’ve seen leaked, learned, and expect to happen come February 20th.
It’s amazing to think that gaming smartphones are now a ‘thing’, and that more and more brands are adopting this new, near dedicated device trend. The Red Magic Mars is most definitely a trend-follower rather than a trendsetter, but in all honesty, it really is quite a good phone that’s merely held back by its very gamer-heavy design.
Expand
Expanding
Close
At its release, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 was almost totally unrivaled. The problem is that since August 2018, we’ve seen a ton of flagships release which tackle the Note 9.
Quite a few have even come close to beating the best phone of 2018, however, how does the Note 9 hold up in early 2019? Let’s dive in.
Often when reviewing a smartphone it’s easy — though perhaps lazy — to compare one phone to another in the “X is a Y killer” format. The problem is that this makes it much easier to give you a frame for the performance of a device if you were unaware of the product at all. With that damning verdict in mind, the Honor View 20 is not a OnePlus killer no matter how hard it’s pushed as one.
Expand
Expanding
Close
The Ticwatch E2 is the sequel to one of my favorite (and first proper) Wear OS watches — the Ticwatch E. Unlike its predecessor though, the Ticwatch E2 improves upon a vast swathe of issues that plagued the original to make it a great purchase for anyone wanting a cheap, yet decent quality Wear OS option.
The Moshi Mythro C USB-C headphones are great headphones, but they are most definitely not the solution to the loss of the headphone port. That said, they are probably the best USB-C earbuds available right now.
Affordable home security cameras are often few and far between, even less so if you want Google Home or Google Assistant connected Wi-Fi security cameras.
There are a few home streaming options for anyone looking to cut the cord and move into the world of online content streaming. The problem is that not everyone initially knows what to look out for.
Expand
Expanding
Close
One of the very best ways to introduce smart tech into your Google Home ecosystem is in the form of smart plugs. Fortunately, the TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug is a superb addition to your Google Home ecosystem.
The Moshi Porto Q is not a cheap power bank. At over $80, it does throw up the question: how much are you willing to pay for a battery bank? That’s for you to decide. Besides that, it makes for a genuinely great travel companion and is one of the best multi-use power banks I’ve personally had the pleasure of using for a number of reasons.
The Honor View 20 is arguably — still open to interpretation — the first true flagship smartphone of the year and it comes with a few core selling points, one of those being the massive 48-megapixel camera found around back. The Pixel 3, in contrast, has a 12-megapixel camera but it’s backed up by some of the best post-processing in the game by far.
Our question: does four times the megapixel count equal four times as good?
While it still seems as if tech brands caring about our ‘digital health’ is a little contradictory, it’s still neat to be able to get data on just how long we’re using our handsets.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Wear OS is a platform that’s gone from a pioneer in the industry to a stagnant, boring offering. Now, it’s finally back on the uptick with a fresh new design and a brand new chipset. The Fossil Sport is one of the first new watches with the Snapdragon Wear 3100 under the hood and it’s also the best Wear OS smartwatch for most people.
There are a number of Google Home Essentials that we want to uncover and build as we delve into the power of the Google Assistant and its services over time. And that includes the growing library of Assistant apps.
Expand
Expanding
Close
We can’t blame Apple for the notch trend, especially when the fantastic-yet-ultimately flawed Essential PH-1 had the display nodule before the Cupertino tech giant tampered with its own displays. The Honor View 20, though, is one of a coming wave of devices that are hopefully ridding us of one evil for a slightly lesser one by opting for a punch hole notch or display cutout rather than the previously seen nodule.
In any smart home, there are a few key components which are critical to its function. For those of us deeply invested in the Google Assistant ecosystem, the Google Chromecast is arguably at the core of any Google Home-powered entertainment system. It most definitely is one of your Google Home Essentials.
After years having no official presence at the world’s biggest tech show, CES 2018 ushered in a booth from Google. This past week at CES 2019, Google’s much larger booth housed the new “Assistant Playground” and the Google Assistant Ride too. Here’s what it was like to stop by.
Smart home tech began for me with Wi-Fi controlled lighting, and there are a few companies that really shifted my own expectations of what I could do within my home with just a little bit of IoT tech. When the Google Home Mini entered my home over 18 months ago, I didn’t ever anticipate that I’d be spending upwards of $45 on a smart bulb but here we are with a thorough LIFX Mini review and it makes it a key addition to our Google Home Essentials series.