Back in May, Bose announced its new $850 FDA-cleared SoundControl Hearing Aids, which are available directly from the company and don’t require a doctor’s visit, hearing test or prescription. They had a limited initial release but are now available nationwide. And that’s why Bose just sent me a sample to test out.
First, a disclaimer: Because my hearing is still relatively good I’m not the true target audience for this product. While it’s intended for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, as we get older, all of us tend to have some hearing loss — I can’t, for instance, hear high frequencies as well as I once did. But I do have some previous experience testing hearing aids, including a pair of custom-fit $6,000 Phonak buds that I wore around CES a couple of years ago. And I recently tried a pair of Signia Active Pro hearing aids that are designed to look and fit more typical ear buds but are still pricey.
See at Bose
These Bose SoundControl Hearing Aids are both similar and different from traditional hearing aids. If you’ve ever shopped for hearing aids, you probably know that they can cost a lot of money — well over $2,000 and sometimes much more for premium models. My stepmother just picked up a pair at Costco for around $1,500. These don’t look much different from the ones she bought, but the key here is that Bose says its new Bose Hear app for iOS and Android allow you to set up and customize SoundControl Hearing Aids from home in less than an hour with “audiologist-quality results.” Cutting out the audiologist helps cut the price.
Other companies like Zvox have created low-cost personal sound amplification products, or PSAPs — its VoiceBud VB20 amplifiers cost about $300 for a pair — but in order to call a product a “hearing aid,” you need FDA clearance, which is a notch below FDA approval. As hearing aid regulation has evolved during the pandemic, plenty of new products have been falling into the PSAP gray zone.
For instance, Vivtone says its $500 Pro20 model is FDA-cleared and “medical grade” but then refers to the product as both a “hearing aid” and “hearing amplifier” on its Amazon product page and its website. (A quick search of the FDA website did not turn up any search results for Vivtone Pro20 or Vivtone, but the Bose SoundControl Hearing Aids are there.) Previously, Bose dabbled in hearing amplification with its experimental $500 Hearphones, which were discontinued in 2020.
For your typical behind-the-ear, receiver-in-canal designed hearing aids (these come with three sizes of open and closed dome eartips) the SoundControl Hearing Aids are lightweight and well designed. I liked their protective carrying case. Bose says each hearing aid weighs 3 grams and contains two microphones, one tiny speaker and a standard 312 zinc-air battery. A battery lasts up to four days when used for 14 hours a day and eight batteries are included in total. They’re water-resistant “to survive light exposure to rain or water.”
The included cable that runs from the hearing to the tip should be a fit for most ears but Bose will send you a different size one if it doesn’t work and these come with a 90-day risk-free trial as well as dedicated support, including one-on-one video appointments with Bose Hear Product Experts to get personalized help and guidance. They are eligible for FSA and HSA reimbursement.
The hearing aids in their included case.
Bose
After I put the batteries in, I had no trouble pairing the hearing aids to the Hear app on my iPhone via Bluetooth. The buds turn on when you push the battery door closed and turn off when you pop it open (when not in use, you store the hearing aids in their case with the door open to save the batteries). The instructions are clear and the process is straightforward.
I’ve had hearing tests and worked with audiologists in the past to tweak the sound of the hearing aids I was testing. The audiologist will tune the hearing aids based on your hearing test and then she’ll make some tweaks based on your feedback after you use them. Typically, hearing aids take some getting used to because you hear more sound (including your own voice) than you’re used to and that can be a little jarring. With these Bose Hearing Aids, you put them on and start experimenting with the tuning in the app. You can start off on a lighter setting initially then dial more amplification in as you get used to the hearing aids.
Bose says the CustomTune technology that’s incorporated into the Bose Hear app offers hundreds of options for fine-tuning from just two simple controls: “World Volume can be turned up to amplify quiet sounds more than loud ones so listening is more comfortable, while Treble/Bass can adjust tone to accentuate or diminish certain vocal frequencies.”
A Focus feature allows you to focus on sound that’s directly in front of you (for restaurant conversations, for example) and presets for activities and places can be named and stored in Modes for easy retrieval. Directional audio features are pretty standard on medical-grade hearing aids, many of which now have companion apps for iOS and Android to customize your settings, although they still require an audiologist for initial tuning.
Like other behind-the-ear hearing aids, you can barely tell I have them on (only the clear tube is visible from the front).
David Carnoy/CNET
In my few days using them, the Bose Hearing Aids worked as advertised. I didn’t turn up the World Volume very high — I stayed between 12-15; it goes up to 100 — because you can hit a level where things just sound too amplified (read: unnatural) and if you cross a certain threshold you will experience some feedback (whistling) of the hearing aid. I didn’t do much to amplify the bass or treble because even though my hearing tests say I have some small hearing loss in the higher frequencies, accentuating the treble even a few clicks gave everything a little too much of an edge. So I left it at 0 or even added a little more bass to smoothen the sound out a touch.
One of the big use cases for hearing aids is TV watching. While I can watch TV at lower to moderate volume levels without a problem, we have a heating/air conditioning unit in our TV room that competes with the sound when it kicks on. My kids have no problem hearing everything when the unit kicks on but I always find myself raising the TV’s volume a bit (I do have a 7.1 surround system, so I’m bypassing the TV’s internal speakers). With the hearing aids on in TV mode, I didn’t have to raise the volume; I just raised it in the Hear app a bit.
They’re powered by standard hearing-aid batteries — they aren’t rechargeable.
David Carnoy/CNET
I should note that a lot of hearing aids these days allow you to use them for taking calls on your cell phone and listening to music over Bluetooth. Also, many hearing aids have rechargeable batteries. The Bose Hearing Aids don’t have any extra features — Bose reps told me they wanted to concentrate on getting the hearing experience right. Also, it’s very hard to do music well with hearing aids. Even those $6,000 Phonak hearing aids I used were mediocre for music listening. I can see why Bose would leave off music listening because people expect a lot from Bose when it comes to audio quality and it would certainly fall short with these hearing aids. However, including voice-calling capabilities would have been nice and I’d expect Bose’s next hearing aids to have that feature. But it’s not a deal breaker.
If you’re comparing these to those $1,500 hearing aids my stepmother got at Costco, I’d say these are a good value at $850. As I said, they’re lightweight, well designed and fit my ears comfortably. You can barely tell I’m wearing them. All that said, I’d like to see these get to $499. That’s probably not going to happen any time soon, but that would seem to be a magic price point that would entice even more people to get hearing aids earlier.
We are seeing a smattering of earbud-style “smart” hearing devices hit the market. Companies like Nuheara with its $499 IQbuds2 Max, Olive Union and others are marketing hearing-enhancement buds. Jabra just unveiled its Jabra Enhance Plus earbuds that are medical-grade hearing aids (and thus, have no fixed price). And Apple is rolling out a “Conversation Boost” feature for the AirPods Pro that will be available with iOS 15 next month. That upcoming software upgrade marks Apple’s entry into the hearing-enhancement arena and it only seems a matter of time before we see even more Apple hearing-enhancement features that will likely become more advanced and adaptive.
But for now this is Bose’s take on a traditional hearing aid — and it’s mostly quite good for a first-generation product. While the hardware may not be groundbreaking, the package as a whole — and that includes its user-friendliness — make it worth trying before spending more on an entry-level hearing aid that still may cost you $1,500.
Microsoft recently invited me to join mixed reality pioneer Alex Kipman, the company’s technical fellow for Windows mixed reality, in a one-on-one chat. The difference was it wasn’t on Zoom, or Teams: It was gathered around a virtual table that sprouted up in my home office.
A holographic cartoon version of Kipman hovered in my space, and I walked around him. The only thing I needed to connect was a self-contained visor I wore over my face: the Microsoft HoloLens 2. My test-drive of the HoloLens 2 at home, for the first time ever, showed me where AR glasses are likely to head. And, also, the challenges that have yet to be solved. Microsoft Mesh, a technology promising a way to beam people into the same shared virtual space, shows amazing promise. But the hardware that will make the most of it hasn’t quite arrived.
The HoloLens 2 has been around for over a year, but not to you or to me. It’s sold as an enterprise device, meaning it’s a $3,500 headset that’s intended for people in workplaces that can afford it. Unlike VR headsets, it’s not really designed to play games. And Microsoft never sent review units of the HoloLens 2 out before this: My demos were always in controlled spaces, for limited amounts of time. When Microsoft offered to send a loaner HoloLens 2 out as part of its mixed-reality software announcement, I was extremely intrigued. It’s still a really new device to me.
Bear in mind that this is an AR headset, not a VR headset: Its lenses are transparent. The HoloLens 2 overlays glowing virtual objects that seem to exist in the real world. The only other headset like it is the Magic Leap One, also a business device (which I once got to try in my office for a week or so). It’s not about entering a virtual space, but about being in my own space and putting stuff on top of it. All those Marvel and Kingsman and Star Wars dreams about holograms you can interact with, well, that’s Microsoft’s goal. As Qualcomm and Facebook and maybe Apple (and others) work on AR headsets, the HoloLens 2 looks like the prototype for what’s next.
The HoloLens 2 isn’t quite at that goal, but no one is. Still, it may come closer right now than anything else.
HoloLens 2, Oculus Quest 2: both standalone, both easy to start up. One’s AR, one’s VR.
Scott Stein/CNET
It reminds me, oddly, of the Oculus Quest 2
The headset is surprisingly compact and about the same size as (though it feels lighter than) the Oculus Quest 2, Facebook’s self-contained VR headset. While the Quest 2 is $300 and the HoloLens 2 is more than $3,000, there’s a spiritual similarity to both. They’re both standalone devices that don’t need PCs or phones to use. They both fit easily over my head and fit over my prescription glasses.
The self-contained and easy-to-use feel of both serves a similar purpose: get people into VR (or AR) fast and without cable tangles or weird interfaces.
That’s where the similarities end.
Look, no controllers
The Oculus Quest and HoloLens 2 both allow hand tracking, but Facebook uses it as an alternative to the Quest’s controllers. Hand tracking on the Oculus Quest works surprisingly well, but the HoloLens 2 has no controllers at all: Everything is done with your hands. That’s where the HoloLens 2 shines… and has awkward moments, too.
To touch virtual things, like buttons or keyboards, I reach my fingers out and tap them. To grab an object, I pinch the edge. I open the HoloLens menu by looking at my wrist and tapping a button that appears there, glowing. To control far-off things, I open my hand and cast a beam like I’m Vision. There’s a feeling of having supernatural powers that flows through the HoloLens interface.
On my own, I try playing a game called Roboraid on the HoloLens 2, where things pop out of my walls — I tried a variation of this game many years ago at an E3 demo, but at home, I use my hands to play. Pinching and pointing and tapping my fingers together is a lot of what HoloLens 2 requires. The arm gestures can get tiring. I’d like simple shortcuts. And also, a controller would be nice. I can’t get any feedback like vibration, which is where a wristband or ring or neural input tech down the road, like what Facebook has planned, comes in. Some sort of controller could help make gestures more minimal and even let me feel what I’m doing.
Even with the limits of the HoloLens’ smaller-than-desired display, I can draw in 3D in my room, scribbling lines from my bookshelf and annotating actual objects. I put virtual objects alongside real ones. The virtual, glowing ones stay in place, and when I come back later, HoloLens 2 on, they’re still there.
The HoloLens 2’s flip-down lenses. The headset can also track my eyes.
Scott Stein/CNET
Eye tracking: A technology waiting in the wings
The HoloLens 2 also has eye tracking, something that current non-business VR headsets don’t. Eye tracking is subtle, but it allows me to look at an object — like an open app window across the room — and say “close app,” and it knows which one to close. For moments where I talk to people in AR, they could potentially see my virtual avatar eyes moving because the eye tracking is noticing where I’m looking.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants eye tracking on future VR and AR headsets for that same purpose, to map facial expressions and eye movements to realistic avatars. Microsoft’s tech, however, being business-focused, contains the use of that eye-tracking data to specific, secure instances. In mainstream headsets and glasses, how will that data be used and shared? We don’t yet know.
A floating virtual desktop full of windows
I demoed Microsoft’s software and also tried a few other apps. I sat down and tried opening web browsers, then played a game or two (yes, there are a couple). What really struck me was how windows could pop up and float on my desk, or in whatever formation I wanted. I could get up and they’d stay pinned there. They’d even be there the next day.
Qualcomm’s AR smart glasses are designed to be connected displays for phones and PCs. What I’m seeing on the HoloLens 2 feels like a preview of those glasses and what they’ll eventually be able to do.
On the HoloLens 2, I’m limited to using my hands (although I guess I could pair a keyboard). I’d love to see what it’s like for my laptop to suddenly sprout extra windows and monitors hovering in the air when I put my future smart glasses on.
The cameras on the HoloLens 2, which can depth-scan my room much like the iPhone 12 Pro’s lidar.
Scott Stein/CNET
The displays aren’t perfect yet
The HoloLens 2’s limited field of view feels like a large window floating in front of me where glowing 3D things appear. But the window isn’t wide enough, which means I have to move my head to take in things around the room that I don’t know are there.
The display also has a slightly hazy rainbow-like quality. It’s not the perfect vivid display I’d expect on a monitor, or even recent VR headsets. If I want to use an AR headset to see movies, or play games, I’d want something more evolved. It’s not easy on a transparent lens, but maybe Micro LED tech could help improve things soon.
What will the killer apps be?
Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 uses communications and telepresence as its killer apps for business. It could also excel at giving heads-up instructions in the workplace. But what would the killer apps be for AR glasses sold to everyday people? Would it be fitness? Games? Virtual movie glasses? An extra monitor that can go anywhere?
No one’s figured this out yet. Companies like Niantic, makers of what’s arguably AR’s ultimate killer app, Pokemon Go, are exploring what it’s like to play on AR glasses using a HoloLens 2. Microsoft’s headset isn’t meant to go everywhere. It’s not great in bright daylight; it looks big and helmet-like; and the battery life isn’t long. But it’s probably the best prototype I’ve ever tried for what AR glasses will need to do next.
The Sims 4’s 10th expansion pack Snowy Escape is available to play now, and promises to whisk players away on a mountain vacation for PC, Mac, PS4 and Xbox One. The new pack introduces Mount Komorebi, a Japanese-inspired destination world for the life simulation game. It arrives on the heels of September’s new game pack, Star Wars: Journey to Batuu.
Snowy Escape lets you take your Sims on a wild winter adventure with skiing, rock climbing and snowboarding, or on a relaxing mountain retreat with Komorebi’s bathhouses, meditation centers and peaceful walks. Mount Komorebi is the first Sims 4 world where Sims can either visit on vacation or live permanently as residents.
CNET got an early look at the game with Graham Nardone, the new expansion pack’s producer from Maxis Studios at EA Games, who showed off the new pack’s features. We also got to play a bit of the game early.
A carefully constructed cultural world
The new expansion pack has a number of traditional and modern Japanese-inspired items.
EA
Snowy Escape adds two new aspirations — Extreme Sports Enthusiast and Mount Komorebi Sightseer. Players can take advantage of over 130 new Create-a-Sim items when making their Sim, like L.L. Bean-style winter wear and traditional Japanese kimonos and geta (wooden footwear resembling flip-flops).Build Mode will also have new options for players to build themed creations in or out of the new world. These will include shoji doors, windows and screens; tatami mats; paper lanterns; koi fish for fountains; rock gardens; and Japanese maple trees. Plus there’s a new building option to create split-level homes (hallelujah!). The new stackable platform feature opens up floor plan restrictions. Players will also notice homes in Mount Komorebi featuring the sunken genkan entryway, where Sims will remove their shoes.
While developing the concept of Snowy Escape, Nardone’s team worked with an EA internal group called Aspire (Asian and Pacific Islanders Represent) to have conversations about aspects of Japanese culture that would better represent Sims players and expand on gameplay. “One of my favorite things we collaborated on was coming up with a modified version of simlish — the unique language inherent to The Sims — to create simlish characters that are evocative of kanji, hiragana and katakana,” Nardone said in an email. “It’ll stand out in-game to anyone familiar with those characters, but, like basic simlish, there are no direct written translations.”
Snowy Escape introduces the sprawling world of Mount Komorebi with plenty of places to explore.
EA
Aspire was also part of the team that developed Sims 4 Island Living, which came out last year. Nardone said that diverse representation within the game is a prominent focus for its developers, and players can expect to see more of it going forward. The Sims 4 is also launching a free update in December to add at least 100 more base skin tones and a slider for further modifications.
In addition, when creating new content the studio tries to stay in communication with players, Nardone said. Because of this, he said, he doesn’t necessarily consider the 10th expansion pack to be a celebratory milestone, since there are still more wish-list items to deliver to players.
“An exciting milestone for me would be, what does it look like when we’ve entered uncharted territories for The Sims, and pushed past what any previous installment has achieved?” he said.
Snowy Escape also revamps aspects of Sims’ personalities and relationships with the Lifestyles and Sentiments feature, which should allow for more-realistic gameplay. Depending on your Sim’s actions and habits, up to 16 Lifestyles can manifest. Some examples of Lifestyles your Sim can embody include “energetic,” “health food nut,” “workaholic” and “frequent traveler.”
This changes their behaviors, going beyond the traits players would enter in Create-A-Sim, to reflect the Sim’s lived experiences. Lifestyles occur over long periods of time and enhance your Sim’s autonomy, Nardone said. And if your Sim doesn’t keep up with a certain lifestyle, it’ll fade away.
Lifestyles and Sentiments make gameplay a bit more realistic for players, without the use of mods.
EA
To see what Lifestyles your Sim has achieved, just open the Simology tab and scroll down to Lifestyles. Players can also opt out of Lifestyles in the options menu.
The Sentiments feature affects the relationships between Sims. Two Sims can now feel differently about the outcome of a shared experience, which can have a lasting impact on their relationship and social interactions — just like in real life.
“Everyone will have a chance to enjoy the increased depth in relationships between Sims, and those who own Snowy Escape will have even more group activities that can lead to new Sentiments forming between Sims,” Nardone said.
When a Sentiment populates, you can explore it by opening the Relationships tab. The Sim who you’ve developed a Sentiment for will have a yellow glow around them. You can then click on the Sim’s photo and click Open Sim Profile to dig deeper. When two Sims are talking, you can also keep an eye out for Sentiments by watching the interaction bar at the top of the screen. Sentiments are indicated by a little book icon with a heart on it.
A fun escape, but beware the wildlife
Similar to the community boards in Eco Lifestyle, Snowy Escape has information boards to inform your Sim of upcoming festivals (where you can get collectables and unlock new outfits), the daily wildlife report (there are a few unfavorable creatures you might stumble across on a hike), the weather and how to learn more about the world’s activities.
Sims can also interact with vending machines throughout Mount Komorebi. You can stock up on sprays to keep creatures away in the woods, medicine and special skis. Special vending machines, like the little toy machines kids can get trinkets out of at grocery stores, sell Simmi Capsules. Each capsule contains a little doll, or Simmi, to add to your collection. You might even find a rare one or two.
Snowy Escape has a slew of new Japanese-themed building items.
EA
“For many people, I expect, Snowy Escape will be the right experience, at just the right time,” Nardone said. “Your Sims can escape to the world of Mount Komorebi on vacation, or make it the place that they call home. It’s delivering things you’ve never seen in The Sims before.”
The new expansion pack for the Sims 4 will be available now for $40 (£35, AU$60).
If you’re craving even more Sims in your life, the life simulation game was recently turned into a reality game show called Spark’d, which you can find on Buzzfeed Multiplayer’s YouTube channel.
It’s new mice season for Logitech. Having recently released its MX Anywhere 3 and MX Master for Mac, the peripheral-maker is adding the Ergo M575 Wireless Trackball to its Ergo Series lineup. The M575 is a little smaller and little less swanky feeling than its MX Ergo wireless trackball, but at $50, it costs half the price and replaces the M570 wireless trackball.
I’m a fan of trackballs — they’re good for people who have limited desk space within which to move around a standard mouse, or need to keep arm movements to a minimum to avoid repetitive strain. With a trackball, the device remains stationary and you use your thumb to maneuver the ball.
See it at Amazon
The M575 doesn’t feel as sturdily built as the MX Ergo (yes, it’s lighter) and the trackball doesn’t feel quite as precise as the MX Ergo’s. Also, the MX Ergo allows you to pair with a second device — and switch between them — while this model doesn’t. All that said, while I prefer the MX Ergo, I didn’t feel I lost that much with the Ergo M575 and its upgraded design (from the M570) fit my medium-sized hand well.
Its design has been upgraded in small but significant ways from the M570 wireless trackball.
David Carnoy/CNET
Indeed, Logitech seems to be targeting people with more diverse hand sizes with its latest mice. It says the Ergo M575’s “ergonomic design allows for a wide range of hand sizes to rest on the sculpted shape” and the “angled scroll wheel keeps your fingers in a more natural and comfortable position.”
Available in graphite and off-white colors for right-handed people, the trackball runs on a single AA battery and includes Logitech’s USB Unifying Receiver (which requires USB-A) for Windows and Mac PCs, which can be stored in the battery compartment. Thankfully, you can also connect via Bluetooth and not use the USB dongle, which I ended up doing with an Apple MacBook Pro. Logitech’s Options software allows you to customize the buttons to your preferences.
The older M570 is down to $30 on Amazon, so maybe we’ll see the M575 come down in a bit in due time. But if you like trackballs but found the MX Ergo a little out of your price range, the M575 is a good alternative for less.
The Xbox Series X is here. Sort of. While we have a final hardware unit of the coming-soon new game console from Microsoft, our hands-on experience to date is with a handful of backwards-looking features and technical improvements to how games load.
See it at Amazon
That means no impressions — yet — of next-gen games running at 4K on the Xbox Series X. Instead we got to try a selection of previously released games running in backwards compatibility mode and got to play with the improved loading times and a new feature called Quick Resume, which is frankly one of the most impressive things we’ve seen in game hardware in some time.
Read more: GameSpot’s full Xbox Series X coverage
CNET’s Jeff Bakalar and GameSpot’s Michael Higham both got to test out these new features on Xbox Series X hardware and spoke about their experiences in the accompanying video.
Now playing: Watch this:
Xbox Series X hands-on shows off impressive Quick Resume
12:05
“I kinda slept on that a little bit,” Jeff says about the Quick Resume feature. “Now, having played a bunch of games with Quick Resume, right now, for me, this is the sort of game-changing feature of Series X.”
Michael was impressed with the load times from the new NVMe SSD. “Now [Xbox Series X] has caught up to something gaming PCs have had for a while,” he says. “So no more doom-scrolling on the Twitter timeline while you’re waiting for a game to load.”
The console has run nearly silently so far, although these older games aren’t exactly taxing the hardware
Loading times are much faster than the Xbox One X (Microsoft’s high-end version of the Xbox One). That includes both initial boot-up, loading saves and transitioning between sections of a game.
In an unscientific test, loading a Red Dead Redemption 2 save took around two minutes on an Xbox One X and about 30 seconds on the Xbox Series X.
Quick Resume feels like a game-changer. You can jump between games in about 10 seconds and Mike had four different games running at once. Games resume in the exact state you left them in, no reloading saves or returning to menu screens required.
The new controller is very similar, but benefits from a better grip surface on the back, an 8-way d-pad, and is a tiny bit smaller. And, it’s got a USB-C port.
Additional details of the Xbox Series X are coming, including our impressions of new Series X games and much more about the hardware itself, the operating system and the multimedia features.
SteelSeries has dropped the “X” from its Xbox-intended Arctis 9X wireless gaming headset, simply calling its PC and PlayStation-compatible model the Arctis 9. Like the 9X, the 9 supports simultaneous Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connections, though they have to be with separate devices, like talking on the phone while gaming on a computer. You can also use it wired through USB. Its pucklike dongle has an analog 3.5mm input for game audio and a line out to the headset. It costs $200, which converts to about £160 or AU$280.
In all other respects it’s the same, with a suspension and steel-reinforced headband, Discord-certified noise-cancelling retractable microphone and support for DTS Headphone:X v2.0 and Windows Spatial audio. SteelSeries also claims this new model has the same 20 hours of battery life (which is a good thing, as it seems to charge slowly).
I never had an issue with the audio or microphone quality on the Arctis 9X. When I tested the 9, the noise-cancelling function worked well enough, blocking out the hum of my ancient air conditioner and desktop PC fans without degrading the sound too much. I do have some nitpicks with the design, though.
A lot of people find the Arctis headsets comfortable and well designed. The cushioning is great and the Airweave fabric breathes well enough to prevent the ear sweats. But I find the Arctis 9 a little too tight. The elastic headband is easy to adjust for vertical length, but (as with many headsets) there’s no way to loosen it, at least without suffering while you break it in.
Lori Grunin/CNET
That’s because gaming headsets are frequently designed with larger heads in mind. The assumption is that the earcups will be extended more, which means less tension on the headband. My ears seem to be too high for that, though. It also makes it uncomfortable when I have it around my neck with the earcups folded. It’s also on the heavy side, adding to my discomfort.
A retractable mic is a great feature — less likely to get lost than a removable one — but it’s not easy to retract the Arctis 9’s single-handedly, because the stem has too much flex in it.
Now playing: Watch this:
Microsoft’s TikTok bid rejected, PS5 digital showcase…
2:13
On the upside, the power and Bluetooth buttons are easily differentiated by feel and the headset seems well-constructed. The big mute button is easy to find and depress, and there’s a bright red light when it’s muted.
I wish there was more control over the mic in the SteelSeries Engine software. There are a few equalizer presets, a volume slider and a choice of off, low, medium and high sidetone levels for hearing yourself speak. I’d at least like something between “off” and “low,” and more equalizer presets. You can set how long to wait before it drops the connection to save power, and choose whether or not to automatically connect the Bluetooth when you power on.
For the right size head, the Arctis 9 has a great, if expensive, combination of features, quality and design. Sadly, my head is just not the right size.
This story is part of WWDC 2022, CNET’s complete coverage from and about Apple’s annual developers conference.
Apple has launched the public beta version of iOS 14. The latest iPhone operating system includes new customizations for the home screen, picture-in-picture video, better widgets, a new Siri interface and App Library, a new way to organize your apps. We had been using the developer beta since it came out earlier this summer and are now trying out the similar public beta of iOS 14 with features such as the Translation app, Back Tap, new group Messaging options and new Memoji customizations, which include the option to add a face mask. (The MacOS Big Sur public beta was released last week as well.)
The final version of iOS 14 will be released in the fall alongside the heavily rumored iPhone 12. Over the coming weeks and months we’ll continue updating this article with previews of new features and changes as subsequent updates to iOS 14 are released. This isn’t a review of the public beta software; rather it’s a hands-on preview of some of the significant features in iOS 14 and how they work.
The iOS 14 home screen is the same, but also different
It would be easy to compare the App Library to the Android app drawer. But Apple has put its own twist on things by grouping apps into categories. Twitter, Instagram and similar apps are grouped together under the Social category, for example.
The App Library organizes all your iPhone apps into one space.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The groups look like large app folders but there’s no need to open one up to get to an app. You simply tap the app and go. Groups with more than four apps have mini app clusters. You can tap them to expand the cluster and then tap the app you want.
When you open the App Library search bar, an alphabetical list of all your apps appears. So between Siri, search, your home page and the options on the App Library page there’s now a bunch of ways to find and open your apps in iOS 14.
Widgets can be pinned to your home screen
With the announcement of iOS 14, Apple now has three forms of apps: There are apps, widgets based on those apps and App Clips. That last one I’ll talk about momentarily. In iOS 13, widgets showed up in the Today View page to the left of the home screen. But now you can pin widgets directly on your home screen. You simply long press on the screen, tap the plus button and the Widget Gallery pops up.
The Widget Gallery is a mix of suggested widgets as well as a list of apps that have a widget you can install. Since this is the beta version the only widgets are currently for Apple apps.
Each widget comes in three sizes: small, medium and large. Widgets have a fixed width that lines up with app columns on the home screen. So you can’t put one in the middle of your screen. Having widgets that are different sizes integrated among my apps makes the iPhone home screen look contemporary and compelling. And let’s acknowledge there is definitely a Windows Phone tile vibe going on, which isn’t a bad thing.
Widget stacks and the Smart Stack
Perhaps one of the coolest customizations on the home screen is a widget stack. You create one simply by dragging one widget on top of another that’s the same size. To view the widgets in a stack, you swipe up or down, which brings a different one to the top.
Who would have thought widgets could be so exciting in 2020? And before you comment, I know Android did widgets a long time ago. But it’s lazy to dismiss iOS 14 widgets simply as a copied feature, especially since Apple’s put its own spin on widgets with what’s called a Smart Stack.
You can find the Smart Stack in the Widget Gallery and then pin it to your home screen like a widget.
Patrick Holland/CNET
iOS 14 creates a Smart Stack of widgets based on the apps you use the most and the time of day you use them. So if you use the Maps app regularly after work, that’s when that widget will be at the top of your Smart Stack. If you always check the weather in the morning, then that’s one the top when you wake up. Your iPhone curates your Smart Stack for you. I’m excited to see how this will work after I’ve spent more time with iOS 14.
I’m sure many people will never touch a widget or Smart Stack in their lives and will never be the wiser, which is why Apple’s implementation is savvy. In one sense, nothing’s changed on your home screen. But in another, so much is different.
App Clips are basically mini apps for your iPhone
iOS 14 brings an entirely new way for you to interact with an app. It’s called App Clips and is aimed at apps that aren’t on your iPhone. Essentially, an App Clip is a mini app with limited functionality as determined by the app’s developer. The idea is you don’t have to take time or phone space to download an entire app and instead you can have a fast experience.
During the WWDC keynote, Apple showed off a customer signing up for a rewards club at a coffee shop via an App Clip. QR codes and NFC can trigger an App Clip. But you can also send them via a friend for ordering food, or find one for a business in Maps.
If developers widely adopt App Clips, it could help keep your iPhone decluttered and change your relationship with apps.
Now playing: Watch this:
First take: iOS 14 and all its new features
8:10
iOS 14 lets you hide app pages
If you have apps that you use infrequently but don’t want to delete, you can put them all onto a page and hide it. You still have access to the apps via search, Siri or the App Library, but they’re out of view.
In theory you could hide all your apps, fill your home screen with widget stacks and still be able to use your iPhone. I think I’m going to have to try that at some point.
You can collapse videos into a tiny player window and watch it while having access to everything on your iPhone.
Patrick Holland/CNET
I love being able to turn my FaceTime chat into a tiny window so I can access something else on my iPhone. It allows me to keep the conversation going without that blank screen showing up to people on the other end of the call. And you can pretty much move the mini FaceTime window anywhere you want.
Videos work similarly: If I’m watching a video in fullscreen via an app like Safari, I can swipe up to enter the app switcher view and then tap the home screen to minimize it. You can resize the video window and move it around accordingly. If you push it off to the side, the audio will keep playing without the picture.
Set a third-party browser or mail app as default
It wasn’t mentioned in the keynote, but at the bottom of the iOS 14 preview page on the Apple website is a small announcement for a feature many of us have yearned for: You can now choose system default apps from third parties.
iOS 14 will let you set a third-party app as your default internet browser or mail app. The catch here is that developers need to flag their app as a browser or mail app for it to work. In theory, this means you could use Chrome or Firefox as your default mobile browser or Gmail as your default email app. I’m excited to see this in action once developers have enabled their apps.
iOS 14 adds the Translate app to your iPhone
The new Translate app has a couple of modes. In the vertical position you can have it translate words and phrases as well as showing the definition of those words. When you rotate it into landscape, it enters conversation mode, allowing each speaker to have half the screen with their translation showing. You can even have the app show the translation in full screen or speak it for you.
The translate app works between 11 different languages.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Apple Maps gets cycling directions
Google Maps has had directions for bike routes for a while. But with iOS 14, Maps is adding cycling directions of its own. And there are some well-thought out options: You get elevations and warnings about streets or where you’ll need to walk your bike. You can also toggle options to avoid like stairs, hills and busy roads. Bike routes in Maps show locations such as bike repair shops and coffee shops along the way. At launch, cycling directions will only be available in a handful of cities.
Maps now supports directions for cycling.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Green light means your camera is on
A useful feature in iOS 14 is an indicator light that lets you know if an app is using your camera or mic in the background. When your phone’s mic is on, an orange dot appears on the top right side of the screen. The dot shows up green when an app is using your camera, leaving zero doubt about what’s going on.
Trigger a shortcut by tapping on the back of your iPhone
There are a ton of new accessibility features, but one that stands out to me is Back Tap. In the Touch section of the Accessibility settings you can enable Back Tap, which lets you trigger an action or shortcut by double-tapping or triple-tapping the back of your iPhone. For example, I can double tap to bring up the Control Panel. And if I double tap again, the Control Panel goes away.
You can select from over two dozen actions and shortcuts to be triggered with Back Tap like taking screenshots, or bringing up the magnifier.
Sound Recognition can alert you to alarms and animals
Another compelling Accessibility feature is called Sound Recognition. It can alert you if your iPhone detects specific sounds, such as a fire or smoke alarm, or an animal. You select which sound you want to be notified about and when your iPhone detects one of those sounds, it will notify you with an on-screen alert.
Sound Recognition helps people with impaired hearing know what’s going on around them.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Messages get Memoji face masks and new group thread mentions
If you’re big on group threads, iOS 14 makes them even more manageable. You can mention a specific person in a thread and only alert that person. You can also pin conversations to the top of the app.
In a sign of the times, you can now add a face mask to your Memoji.
Patrick Holland/CNET
There are a bunch of customizations, including new hair and headwear styles for Memoji, as well as the ability to add a face mask.
Phone calls and Siri get small
Instead of an incoming call taking up your entire screen before you answer it, it will now show up as a banner notification across the top. You tap to answer or swipe it away.
Chinese phone-maker Vivo recently unveiled its X50 series, marking the launch of its first global flagship this year. Vivo, which is one of the top 10 phone manufacturers by market share despite being relatively unknown in the West, advertises its latest phone as a “professional photography flagship.” It introduces an internal gimbal camera system to the series, which it’s selling outside China for the first time.
There are three phones in this range, the X50, X50 Pro and X50 Pro Plus. The X50 Pro Plus has a cutting-edge Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor (as seen in the Galaxy S20, among others), while the X50 and the Pro both have Snapdragon 765G CPUs. But although the X50 Pro has a slower processor, it also has a gimbal. Vivo said it chose to add the gimbal to the Pro, rather than the more costly Pro Plus, to make the feature more widely accessible.
The company says the X50 Pro’s system has a 300% increase in performance over more traditional stabilization technology. That’s thanks in part to that gimbal, which uses a “double-ball structure to achieve triple axis rotation,” effectively letting the camera float inside the phone.
Vivo
While only the X50 has the hyped-up gimbal, all three devices support 5G. All three phones have the same 6.56-inch displays, too. But there’s one other key difference: the processors these phones run on. The X50 Pro Plus gets the best CPU, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, while the Pro and the X50 both run on a Snapdragon 765G.
Vivo says it doesn’t currently have plans to release the phone in the US. But X50 phones will be released in parts of Asia, Africa and Europe over the next three months, so they’ll be reasonably easy to import.
Pricing details haven’t been shared yet, but the cost will vary based on country. In China the X50 Pro starts at 4,298 yuan, which converts to roughly $610 (about £490 or AU$880), while in India it starts for 49,990 rupees or approximately $660. As usual, you can expect higher price tags in Western countries. If you want more details on specs, scroll down to the chart below, which compares all three phones.
The X50 Pro cameras in depth
The X50 Pro’s rear camera system is headlined by a 48-megapixel main camera, which relies on a gimbal-like camera system along with optical image stabilization and electronic image stabilization technology for video stabilization. When I first tested it, I compared it with the one-generation-old iPhone XS Max while walking in daylight, but I didn’t see much of a difference between the two phones, even while panning the cameras. Both phones captured stable footage without any obvious jerkiness. The differences were noticeable, however, when I was capturing video while running and in darker conditions The X50 Pro captured more stable video compared to the iPhone, but the video did blur occasionally, especially when I was running.
When I used ultra-stable or anti-shake mode, the Vivo X50 Pro’s video stabilization tech was kicked up a notch. This is where the difference between the iPhone XS Max was more evident. Footage I captured was buttery-smooth and glided seamlessly. Even when I shot with my nondominant hand, which usually produces shakier videos, the footage was unusually smooth. There is a tradeoff though: It couldn’t capture much detail in subjects that were further away. From what I gather so far, ultra-stable mode seems like a fantastic tool for shooting steady close-up shots.
The Vivo X50 Pro (picture) has a 6.56-inch AMOLED screen.
Vivo
The X50 Pro has 4 rear cameras
In general, the X50 Pro made it easy to take crisp, color-accurate and vibrant photos that captured my surroundings wonderfully. I’ll have to spend more time with the phone, but so far I’ve noticed that in certain lighting conditions — during sunset for example — photos were more saturated and punched up. iPhone XS Max captured photos that were more true-to-life, by comparison. Whichever photo you prefer is likely a matter of personal preference, but you can see the difference for yourself in the photos below.
The Vivo X50 Pro captured a fiery yellow-orange sunset (left), while the photograph taken by the iPhone XS Max (right) was more true-to-life.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
There are four cameras on the rear of the X50 Pro. In addition to the main 48-megapixel shooter, you’ll find a periscope zoom lens and an 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens. There’s also a 13-megapixel portrait telephoto snapper. I look forward to trying out the X50 Pro’s camera system in more depth.
The X50 Pro has 60x zoom
An 8-megapixel periscope lens is one of the (three) sidekicks to the main 48-megapixel shooter on the Vivo X50 Pro. I was blown away by the power of the Vivo X50’s 60x Hyper Zoom. Although the photos were blurry — 60x is a long way away, after all — it still managed to capture detail that I couldn’t see with my own eyes, including the sign on this hotel across the harbor in Hong Kong. I’d love to compare it to the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra’s 100x Space Zoom.
Vivo’s X50 Pro has range. Using its 60x hyper zoom, I was able to zoom into the sign on the hotel on the opposite side of the harbor. I couldn’t see the sign with my naked eye and did not know it existed until I zoomed in with the phone.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
This photo was taken on default settings (1x).
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
Zooming in 5x.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
Zooming in 10x.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
Zooming in 60x.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
The four zoom modes side by side.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
A 4,315-mAh battery with fast charge
In the few days that I used the phone, the Vivo X50 Pro’s 4,315-mah battery life was strong on default settings. My daily activity typically involves making a few short calls, regularly using WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, checking emails, reading news apps and playing music on Spotify. I also used social media, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I don’t use my phone for heavy-duty gaming. The X50 Pro’s battery easily lasted a whole day.
Using Vivo’s 33-watt “flash charge,” I was able to fill up the battery in 52 minutes. That’s great, but not as fast as Oppo’s pricier Find X2 Pro flagship, which charges its battery in 38 minutes. What was incredible, though, was when it revitalized a dead battery by nearly 60% in just 15 minutes.
I’d love nothing more than to say the iPad is truly a laptop. It’s so close now, I can taste it. The latest version of iPadOS supports trackpads and mice now, and that means you just need a killer trackpad/keyboard case to add on. The problem is, there aren’t a lot of options. Apple’s version for the newest iPad Pro is expected in May. Third-party keyboard/trackpad cases will also start to arrive, and Brydge’s new Pro Plus is the first I’ve gotten to try. Mostly, however, it’s proven to me that if you’re interested in a trackpad-enabled iPad keyboard case, you may want to wait just a bit longer.
I tested it on the iPad Pro 2020, but the Brydge cases will work on 2018 iPad Pros, too. Brydge made previous iPad keyboard covers, and the Pro Plus looks basically the same, but adds a trackpad. It totally seems like a MacBook bottom half, and with the iPad attached, you’d never really know I wasn’t on a MacBook at first or second — or even third glance.
See it at Brydge
I used Brydge’s trackpad-enabled keyboard case with the Google Pixel Slate years ago, which was an excellent laptop-like accessory (to a not-great tablet). This iPad Pro keyboard is very similar to that, but made to work with iOS, and with an improved keyboard, according to Brydge.
There’s good and bad news about Brydge’s case, so far. The best may be that it arrives a month ahead of Apple’s Magic Keyboard case, which is coming in May. I’ll tell you what I’ve been noticing so far, and some of it is surprising.
The Brydge Pro Plus (left) compared to the 13-inch MacBook Pro (right).
Scott Stein/CNET
The good news
It’s less expensive. At $200 or $230 for the 11-inch or 12.9-inch version, respectively, the Brydge Pro Plus is hardly cheap — but it’s a lot less than what Apple will charge for its Magic Keyboard ($300 and $350).
The keyboard is fantastic. So far, the raised keys have great travel, are backlit, and feel excellent and responsive at high speeds. I’m typing on this as well as on my 2015 MacBook Pro. I love typing on it.
Comparing Brydge’s keyboard, and its extra function keys (right) to Apple’s existing Smart Keyboard (left).
Scott Stein/CNET
There’s a whole row of extra function keys, which Apple’s Smart Keyboard case completely lacks. There’s volume, play/pause, a keyboard switcher for emoji access, brightness and a totally useful home button that brings up the home screen grid of apps, or that can be double-pressed to bring up currently open apps. It works like an Escape key. There’s a Siri button on the bottom left, too. This keyboard is aces.
It feels sturdy. The metal construction is great, and it feels like a laptop.
It can open up like a normal laptop, and even stay anchored in my lap (imagine!).
Scott Stein/CNET
It’s totally lap-friendly. Apple’s flexy Smart Keyboard Case (the one that’s already available, not the Magic Keyboard case coming in May) is hard to balance on my lap, and the keyboard base wobbles. The Brydge case is solid and weighted well, and the 12.9-inch version opens and stays on my lap normally. Microsoft could take a lesson from this for its Surface Pro line.
The bad news
The trackpad support works… but it’s not as smooth as when I tried Apple’s Magic Trackpad. The Brydge Pro Plus pairs via Bluetooth, and it seems that right now iOS 13.4 doesn’t play as nicely with all trackpads, as I expected. Apple’s own standalone Magic Trackpad (previously used largely with iMacs and Mac Mini desktops) scrolls through apps buttery-smooth and has two- and three-finger gesture support for accessing and switching apps.
I.. .wish this trackpad worked better. (Apple’s Magic Trackpad is a lot more refined right now on iPadOS 13.4.)
Scott Stein/CNET
The Brydge trackpad works for single-finger things, and also does some two-finger scrolling, but the scrolling ends up looking juddery. It lacks three-finger gestures, too, which are something the case can technically do, but iOS 13.4 doesn’t allow for in the case yet. Whether that’s Apple working with accessory makers to enable better support for peripherals, we’ll see — I hope Apple and Brydge end up working that part out. I’m using an early version of the case, and Apple just released iOS 13.4 recently, but it’s a disappointment for now.
These clamp-like feet make me nervous.
Scott Stein/CNET
I’m not wild about how the Brydge case connects to the iPad. Unlike Apple’s magnet-based cases that snap into place, the Brydge Pro Plus has rubberized clamplike grips on either side of the keyboard that the iPad has to be gently pushed into. The grips hold the iPad, but it’s not easy to pull out again, and I’m worried about possibilities of damage. The Brydge case has a back cover that magnetically attaches for a bit of protection, but the preproduction version I tried didn’t have the right camera cut-out for the new iPad Pro’s camera array. (Brydge promises that anyone who orders one now won’t have a problem and will get the right back cover.)
The keyboard comes with a back cover for the iPad, too, but I just wanted to show you this without because it looks cool.
Scott Stein/CNET
If the trackpad worked as well as Apple’s Magic Trackpad works with iOS 13.4, this would be my easy go-to. But right now, you might consider waiting things out to see how options like Logitech’s trackpad cases and Apple’s expensive Magic Keyboard pan out.
I’ve settled for using the Brydge case with Apple’s Magic Trackpad sitting by the side as a solution for now — which isn’t ideal, but it’s more than I had a month ago. But again, considering how early out of the gate Brydge’s iPad keyboard solution is, odds are that future trackpad/keyboard solutions (including Brydge’s) will be more polished.
The LG V60 ThinQ 5G (pronounced “thin-queue”) is a premium phone that’s poised to compete with the Samsung Galaxy S20. Similar to the LG V50 ThinQ and the G8X ThinQ from last year, the V60 works with a Dual Screen case that essentially adds a second display to the phone.
LG hasn’t announced availability dates and prices yet, but the company said that the V60 will be cheaper than the Galaxy S20, which currently starts at $999 (£899, AU$1,499 for the 5G versions). Whether that means the V60 ends up being $998 or $100, I don’t know. But since last year’s G8X cost about $780, I anticipate the V60 would start around that price or likely higher. LG’s first 5G phone, the V50, launched with an initial price of $1,152, so the fact that its successor will be cheaper already signals that more affordable 5G phones are indeed in the making.
Now playing: Watch this:
LG V60 hands-on: A Galaxy S20 alternative with a dual…
3:24
Though 5G deployment kicked off in 2019, more will take place throughout this year and next. As such, though you may not have 5G in your area now, the next generation of high-speed mobile data could be coming to your market later. In the US, the V60 will be available from AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon. It’s LG’s second 5G phone for the US, and more 5G devices are expected to come down the pipeline not only from LG, but from other phone-makers as well.
Design: Big screen, big phone
Compared to last year’s V50, which had a 6.4-inch display, the V60 has an even larger 6.8-inch OLED display. That extra real estate does make viewing YouTube videos and browsing the internet more comfortable, and colors are indeed rich and vibrant. But the phone is also very large. If you have a small grip like mine, maneuvering with one hand will be tricky. And once I added the accessory case, I could forget about fitting it at all in my pants pocket. The case’s grooved back, which has ridges running vertically down its back, doesn’t help with the bulk either. Last year’s V50 was just smooth plastic and I’m not sure why LG didn’t go with the same look.
LG’s V60 ThinQ phone sees double in blue and white
Taking advantage of the Dual Screen does require some time to learn. When I first got my hands on a preproduction unit, I found myself tapping around the screen several times to find specific actions, even though I already had a chance to use this accessory last year. But after a while, I did get the hang of it. With the Dual Screen you can use one display as a virtual game controller that you can customize, or multitask on both screens, or expand certain apps across the whole thing like a tablet. Keep in mind though that there’s still a big hinge that cuts right down the middle. It will obstruct videos and apps in expanded view, so it’s definitely not the same kind of seamless folding experience as, say, the new Motorola Razr or Galaxy Z Flip. That being said, there are other advantages — you can use the case as a kickstand, for example, and it’s entirely removable.
Exactly how the case will be bundled with the purchase of the phone will vary from carrier to carrier, so keep an eye out for any restrictions. Last year, a few US carriers included the case for free. But after a limited time, users had to pay extra for it, and carriers like AT&T ended its two-for-one deal.
Google Maps and the Chrome web browser on both of the V60’s displays.
Angela Lang/CNET
Camera: Doing more with less
Unlike some premium phones today that have three, four or even more cameras, the LG V60 has two rear cameras. This isn’t a deal-breaker for me though; having more cameras does give me more photo options, but two is more than enough for most people. The setup includes a 13-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 64-megapixel standard camera. You can take photos with the latter at full resolution, but there is also an option to shoot images in a 16-megapixel resolution that yields the same kind of closeup, crop job as a telephoto lens. This is due to a technique called “pixel binning,” which at its most basic, combines a sensors’ pixels. While this method decreases resolution (by a factor of four), it improves the camera’s performance in low-light conditions.
On the back there’s also a third time-of-flight camera for AR and depth-sensing applications, like selfie stickers and LG’s native 3D photo effect, which is new to the V60. This lets you take portrait pictures with a moving sense of depth — you may have seen similar photos posted on Facebook. The feature is a bit rough around the edges, though. When I took a photo holding up a peace sign, the depth effect ended up being grayed out and wonky around my fingers and flyaway hair.
You can capture 8K video too, and digitally zoom up to 10x. Keep in mind that Samsung‘s latest Galaxy S20 phones can also record footage in 8K, and the S20 and S20 Plus has a digital zoom up to 30x. (The S20 Ultra can zoom up to 100x using both digital and optical zoom combined.) On the front is a hole-punch, 10-megapixel camera for all your selfies.
I only had the chance to take a few shots with the camera during my time with it, but so far the images looked great. I particularly liked how the phone handled low light and white balance in these two shots. Even though the lighting was dim and warmly orange in this room, the photos still have a lot of detail, and colors look accurate.
The V60’s camera did a good job at handling this tricky lighting situation.
Lynn La/CNET
Other LG V60 features and specs
One standout feature of the V60 is that it has a headphone jack. Unlike most high-end phones available today, the phone still has that beloved audio port so you can plug in your wired headphones. The phone also runs Android 10, has wireless charging, an in-screen fingerprint reader and it’s water resistant. For more specs, check out our chart below.
LG V60 vs. Galaxy S20 and Pixel 4 XL
LG V60 ThinQ 5G
Samsung Galaxy S20
Google Pixel 4 XL
Display size, resolution
6.8-inch OLED; 2,460×1,080 pixels
6.2-inch AMOLED
6.3-inch OLED; 1,440×3,040 pixels
Pixel density
395ppi
563ppi
537ppi
Dimensions (inches)
6.67 x 3.06 x 0.35 in.
2.72 x 5.97 x 0.311 in.
2.9 x 6.3 x 0.3 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)
169.3 x 77.6 x 8.79 mm
69.1 x 151.7 x 7.9 mm
75.1 x 160.4 x 8.2 mm
Weight (ounces, grams)
7.72 oz.; 218g
5.75 oz.; 163g
6.8 oz.; 193g
Mobile software
Android 10
Android 10
Android 10
Camera
64-megapixel (standard), 13-megapixel (wide-angle), time-of-flight camera
This story is part of CES, where CNET covers the latest news on the most incredible tech coming soon.
The first things I noticed about the new Galaxy Note 10 Lite and S10 Lite when I saw them at a small press preview here at CES are their giant 6.7-inch screens. The second is the rectangular camera array on the back, a bold new look that seems to confirm rumors that the Galaxy S11 will have a similar shape to house its cameras. It looks a lot better on the Note 10 Lite than on the S10 Lite, where the module protrudes from the back and takes up more space than it really needs to.
Otherwise, these new Lite Samsungphones bring a good heap of specs that make them appealing — especially the bright red Note 10 Lite, because I’m a sucker for that color on a phone. We don’t know how much they cost or where they’ll go on sale, but it’s a sure bet that Samsung’s new Lite phones will be cheaper than their Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy S10 counterparts.
.shortcode.newsletter h2 {width:100%!important;}
Now playing: Watch this:
Galaxy Note 10 Lite and S10 Lite: All about Samsung’s…
3:23
From the massive screen size to the three rear cameras and a big 4,500-mAh battery, the Note 10 Lite and S10 Lite have a lot in common. Compared to the Galaxy S10 and Note 10, their screens aren’t curved or as brilliant, and the materials are more modest. But they have the advantage of running Android 10 right out of the box. They also support dual SIM cards.
The Galaxy S10 Lite’s camera awkwardly pops out from the surface. There’s a lot of empty space here, too.
Juan Garzon/CNET
There are important differences between the two Lite phones. The most obvious is the Note 10 Lite’s S Pen stylus, which was just as responsive on the Note 10 Lite as it is on the Note 10 Plus. The 10 Lite also uses Samsung’s Exynos chipset, while the S10 Lite has a Snapdragon chip inside. Importantly, the Note 10 Lite has one feature many fans have been clamoring for — a headphone jack. The S10 Lite does not.
There are separate camera sensors, too, with the Note 10 Lite having main, telephoto and ultrawide-angle lenses at 12 megapixels each. Meanwhile, the S10 Lite has a 48-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel ultrawide-angle and 5-megapixel macro lens.
Of the two phones, I prefer the Note 10 Lite, which has the more advanced camera specs (at least on paper) and the more attractive design. Scroll below for the full specs.
Note 10 Lite and Galaxy S10 Lite: Samsung’s flagship phones done cheap
Why did Samsung make the Note 10 Lite and S10 Lite?
What’s even more interesting than the square camera array is that these phones exist at all. For the Note 10 Lite in particular, the fact that Samsung made this phone in the first place signals a shift in how it perceives its Note line. The Note has traditionally been the all-singing, all-dancing device for power users, the one to showcase every top-shelf spec and feature that Samsung has.
By bringing out a Lite version, which is undoubtedly more downmarket — in a good way — Samsung is taking its most different phone (the one with a stylus) and making it available in more places for more pricing options. With the Note 10 Lite, you now have a family of three Note 10s, ranging from it to the Note 10 Plus.
The Galaxy S10 Lite is a slightly confusing addition to an already jam-packed lineup that ranges from the more affordable Galaxy S10E to the Galaxy S10 5G. With the Lite, Samsung is pushing prices and features south.
For Samsung, that provides a golden opportunity to sell more of its most popular phones.
This story is part of CES, where CNET covers the latest news on the most incredible tech coming soon.
There’s no escaping the fact that foldable phones in 2019 cost double what they “should” for the specs they carry. Developing new technology is expensive, from the research to creating the hinge and flexible screen. There’s also the premium you pay for owning a futuristic device. But phone brand TCL is working on a foldable phone that will cost less than the $1,500 foldable Motorola Razr flip phone. (And also less than this concept phone that folds into three parts.)
I first saw the concept for this phone last February at Mobile World Congress, but here at CES, I got a chance to play around with a working prototype. The phone is fairly square and opens in the center to reveal a 7.2-inch plastic display bordered by thick black plastic bezels. There’s no selfie camera on the inside, but it does have a strip of four cameras along the back, and a deep emerald color with a slight diamond pattern on the back. It’s definitely eye-catching.
TCL’s new foldable, a $500 5G phone and this gorgeous Galaxy S10 clone
Unlike other foldable phones I’ve seen, this one has enough tension to stand up on its own and any stage of the fold. Others tend to snap fully open or closed at a certain point. Because of the relatively square shape, it felt natural to hold it in both orientations. I could even see sitting it up and using one half of the screen to type on.
The experience itself was a bit clunky. The software was slow to respond when I rotated the device, and frequently got stuck on a screen. I could actually hear the phone squeak when I opened and closed it — I’m not sure if this is the hinge or the screen itself.
I’ll forgive most prototype foibles like that since the company is making the effort to be transparent about what it’s working on. TCL, a brand best known for affordable, high-quality TVs, said that it has a dozen foldable designs in the mix, from conception to working prototype phase, and not just phones, either — wearables and smart home products could bend, too.
Now playing: Watch this:
This foldable phone will cost less than the Razr
4:42
The brand sees foldable devices as a way to establish the TCL name at a time when phone-makers are scrambling to shake up the slowing industry through new design and the race to adopting 5G speeds.
There’s no pricing, release date information or even a name for this TCL foldable phone, but we do know that if it comes out this year, it’ll be a relatively more affordable option for people who want to try life with a foldable screen.
The Pixel 4 starts at $799 (£669) for a 64GB version and $899 (£829) for the Pixel 4 XL. Both are available in black, white or orange, which Google calls “Oh So Orange.” In the US, you can upgrade either phone to 128GB for $100 more. Preorders are live and the phones ship starting Oct. 24. And for the first time, you can buy the Pixel 4 directly from all major US carriers.
While it’s Google’s turn to take the phone spotlight, the 2019 stage is already full of new competitors, including Apple‘s iPhone 11 and 11 Pro and Samsung‘s Galaxy Note 10 and relaunched Galaxy Fold. The iPhone 11 and Galaxy S10E are two of the better-matched rivals to the Pixel 4 and both are $100 cheaper. Then there’s the OnePlus 7 Pro, which packs a 90Hz screen like the Pixel 4 but costs $130 less. And of course there are last year’s Pixel 3 phones, which Google has chopped $300 off.
Pixel 4 vs. Pixel 4 XL
Not a whole lot is different between Google’s two newest phones: They both come in the same three colors, with the same “Smooth Display” (more below) and, most importantly, the same cameras. The Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL do differ on a handful of specs, namely the size and price. (Plus, here’s how the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL compare to last year’s Pixel 3 phones.)
Price: The Pixel 4 XL is going to set you back $100 more than the Pixel 4. The phones start at $799 (£669, AU$1,049) and $899 (£829, AU$1,279), respectively, for the 64GB base model, up to $899 for the Pixel 4 and $999 for the Pixel 4 XL if you upgrade to the 128GB version.
Dimensions: The Pixel 4 XL is slightly bigger and heavier than the Pixel 4, measuring 6.3 by 2.9 inches to the Pixel 4’s 5.7 by 2.7-inch body. (The two phones have the same 0.3-inch (8.2mm) depth.)
Weight: The Pixel 4 XL’s larger size makes it a bit heavier at 6.81 ounces (193 grams), while the Pixel 4 weighs only 5.71 ounces (162 grams).
Display: The Pixel 4 features an FHD display with 444 pixels-per-inch density, and the Pixel 4 XL is higher definition, with a QHD display and a pixel density of 537 ppi. But again, both phones feature a 90Hz OLED Smooth Display.
Battery: The last big difference between the two phones is the battery. The Pixel 4 uses a 2,800-mAh battery (which is actually even lower capacity than its predecessor, the Pixel 3), while the Pixel 4 XL has a 3,700-mAh battery.
A new industrial design
The Pixel 4 comes with a new design and square camera element all belted in neatly around the sides by a slick-looking aluminum band. Good news: The Pixel 4 XL loses the Pixel 3 XL‘s ugly notch and instead has a forehead bezel that houses the selfie camera and face unlock sensors.
On the left, the Pixel 4; on the right, the Pixel 4 XL.
Angela Lang/CNET
The new Pixels are just a millimeter or so bigger and a tad heavier than last year’s Pixel 3 and 3 XL, giving the 4 and 4 XL a more robust feel than previous Google phones. There’s Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back, and the phones are rated IP68 for dust and water resistance. Both phones have a Snapdragon 855 processor, 6GB of RAM and wireless charging. On the bottom you’ll find stereo speakers and a USB-C port.
Curiously, the batteries on the Pixel 4 and 4 XL are lower-capacity than the ones on the 3 and 3XL. Android 10 should help maximize the battery’s efficiency, but I look forward to seeing how the phones handle in real life, especially with that high-refresh-rate screen.
Some of the biggest changes are on the front, with the Pixel 4’s new 90Hz OLED Smooth Display. Like the OnePlus 7 Pro and last year’s Asus ROG Phone, this screen refreshes 90 times a second, making graphics and animations look smooth and text appear sharp. For reference, the majority of phones sold today have a 60Hz display, including the latest phones from Apple and Samsung. I should note that Asus recently released the ROG Phone 2, which has an OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, the first on any phone.
Depending on what content is onscreen, the Pixel 4 will automatically switch between refresh rates to best optimize performance and reduce battery drain. So if you’re reading an email message, the display might drop down to a refresh rate of 60 times a second, but if you’re scrolling through Instagram it might bump up to 90 times a second. You can keep the Pixel 4’s display at a constant 90Hz if you choose.
The Pixel 4 has a 5.7-inch screen, which is larger than the 5.5-inch one found on the Pixel 3, while the Pixel 4 XL has a 6.3-inch display, the same size as last year’s Pixel 3 XL.
The new displays also have a feature called Ambient EQ that adapts the screen’s color temperature to make colors look more natural under different lighting situations. It’s similar to Apple’s True Tone displays on the iPhone and iPad. By the way, you can turn Ambient EQ on or off.
Pixel 4 and 4 XL: Industrially chic in glowing orange
But it’s the feature located above the screen that’s really impressive. It’s called Motion Sense and it uses a mix of sensors, infrared and a tiny radar to let you unlock the Pixel 4 with your face. The Pixel 4 and 4L are the first Android phones with face unlock that’s secure enough to be used for payments with Google Pay as well as with password apps. That’s a good thing, because Google nixed the fingerprint scanner on the Pixel 4 and 4 XL.
When I demoed face unlock it was quite fast. Part of that speed comes from the fact that the phone’s radar detects your hand as you reach for it and preps the infrared cameras to unlock. Motion Sense can also be used in other instances. If you’re listening to Spotify, for example, you can swipe through the air above the Pixel to skip to the next track. Google also has live wallpapers that react to your hand motions. You can even swipe your hand through the air to dismiss a call or an alarm. In the demos I was shown, it worked consistently well.
The Pixel 4 has two rear cameras and can photograph stars
Perhaps the most obvious design change is to the rear cameras. (Here’s what photos from the Pixel 4 camera look like.) And yes, that’s cameras plural. All previous generations of the Pixel only had a single rear camera, but the Pixel 4 has two cameras nestled into its square camera array. The main camera is the same 12-megapixel one found on the Pixel 3 and has the same f/1.7 wide angle lens. The new f/2.4 “telephoto” camera has a 16-megapixel sensor and provides 2x optical zoom.
When I asked Google why it opted for a telephoto camera instead of the more trendy ultrawide-angle camera like ones found in the Galaxy S10 family and the new iPhones, a spokesperson said they thought that zooming in on a subject would be more important to Pixel owners.
The dual camera system brings a bunch of improvements and new features. Night Sight, which launched on the Pixel 3 and captures a series of images to make low-light photos brighter, is now capable of taking photos of stars. Yes, that’s right. You can now be an astrophotographer using nothing more than your phone.
The square camera array on the back of the Pixel 4.
Angela Lang/CNET
When taking HDR Plus pictures, the Pixel 4 now shows a live preview of what the photo will look like before you take it. On the Pixel 3, you had to wait a second or so for the phone to process the data before seeing how your final image turned out. Google also added dual sliders that let you adjust highlights and shadows independently in the viewfinder preview instead of just the overall exposure.
Portrait mode photos are now created using both rear cameras. Google claims that this improves the cut and edge blur of subjects over previous Pixel phones. You now also have the option to take wide-angle portrait mode pics. All these improvements are powered by a new Neural Core chip that processes everything locally on the Pixel 4.
The dual selfie cameras of the Pixel 3 are gone, with Google opting for a single 8-megapixel camera with a wider default field of view. Video largely remains the same but now is capable of live real-time audio transcription that adds captions to your videos as you record them. In fact, Google launched its first audio recorder app built upon the same technology for instant audio transcription. Sorry. Otter.ai.
Google Assistant is better integrated throughout
There’s a new version of Google Assistant that’s better integrated throughout the phone. You can still trigger it by squeezing the sides of the phone or by saying, “Hey, Google,” but you can also activate it by swiping up diagonally from one of the bottom corners of the phone. Google says that voice commands are improved and that the phones have better app control, contextual commands and sharing options.
Car crash detection with the Safety app
The Neural Core that powers the cameras is also used by the Pixel 4 to detect car crashes. The feature is part of the Safety app, which is currently only available in the US. If you’ve been in a serious car accident, car crash detection will automatically call 911. Google said that fender benders shouldn’t trigger it.
Check back with CNET as we test the Pixel 4 and 4 XL for our upcoming in-depth review.
Pixel 4 specs vs. Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, OnePlus 7 Pro
Update, Nov. 13, 2019: Apple has introduced a new 16-inch MacBook Pro with a larger screen and improved keyboard. It completely replaces the previous 15-inch model.
Getting an update are the MacBook Air and the lowest-end version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. For the Air, that’s a significant point, as the system received its largest overhaul in a decade just last year.
Both new MacBooks have arrived in the CNET Labs for review. Our testing is ongoing, but here’s an early look at some of the initial results and our first hands-on impressions.
The entry-level MacBook Pro now includes Apple’s Touch Bar.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The new MacBook Air doesn’t look any different, but it adds Apple’s True Tone display, which can adjust the screen’s color temperature based on the ambient lighting. It’s already found on iPad Pro, recent iPhones and some MacBook Pros.
But more important than that, the starting price has been cut by $100, from $1,199 to $1,099 (£1,099, AU$1,699). That’s still not the classic MacBook Air price of $999, but it’s getting closer and students can get it for $999.
Now playing: Watch this:
Back-to-school MacBooks get faster, cheaper
5:15
More consequential are the changes to the 13-inch MacBook Pro. That $1,299 model was a favorite for some, as it excluded the Touch Bar found in more-expensive MacBook Pros. Now you can no longer avoid the Touch Bar, but it’s included for the same $1,299 price, along with the TouchID fingerprint reader and T2 security chip.
It also jumps from an older dual-core Intel CPU to a newer quad-core version, so the least expensive Pro feels more like, well, a Pro. Case in point, we ran the new quad-core 13-inch MacBook Pro against an older dual-core version. Yes, the eighth-gen chips have an advantage over the seventh-gen ones, but the difference between the two base models is huge.
MacOS Sierra 10.12.6; 3.1GHz Intel Core i5-7267; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 2,133MHz, 1536MB Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650; 256GB SSD
We’re currently testing both the new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, and will report full benchmark results, including battery life, in upcoming reviews. While the Pro is getting a big speed boost, I wouldn’t expect any real change in the MacBook Air performance — the biggest move there is the price.
Last week Bose unveiled the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, the long-awaited successor to its popular Bose QuietComfort 35 II noise-cancelling headphones. They aren’t available until June 30, but I got some early hands-on time with the headphones at a Bose media event in New York, where I played around with a final production unit that was running beta software.
