The Cat S48c is the phone for construction workers, or the clumsy
The Cat S48c is a rugged phone designed for construction workers, people who live or work outdoors, and anyone who feels the need for a tough phone. It's incredibly durable, has long battery life, a midrange price tag and specs, and can be picked up at Sprint or Verizon. We took it for a test spin.
5G phones make a lot of promises. Here’s what to really expect
There has been a lot of marketing copy expounding the potential benefits of 5G networks, but a lot less on the practical implications of 5G smartphones. There's a reason for that. When 5G smartphones start becoming available this year, there's good reason to pause and consider waiting before buying.
Want more power, but faster? This new charging tech claims it can deliver
If you’re sick of lugging around a power brick and you want faster charging for your devices, then GaNFast technology from Navitas Semiconductors should be on your radar. You’ll find this efficient new tech in slim chargers from Anker, Aukey, Mu, RavPower, and others.
The Honor 10 Lite is proof a cheap phone isn’t the compromise it once was
The Honor 10 Lite, the sequel to the already great Honor 9 Lite, advances the concept of cheap phones competing with more expensive devices even further. It has a notched screen, small bezels, a capable camera, and plenty more. We've spent some time with the phone to see what it's like.
New Boox Note Pro is all the ebook reading device you’ll ever need
The Boox Note Pro is an impressive ebook reader that combines so many features and services, that you're unlikely to need any other reading or note-taking device. It's all wrapped up in a modern-looking tablet that's easy to hold and carry. We took a closer look at CES 2019.
Sony reshuffles its mobile division, gears up for comeback at MWC
After a tough year, Sony Mobile is looking to change strategy and we'll see a new smartphone from the firm next month at MWC in Barcelona. We sat down with VP or Marketing, Don Mesa, to find out more about what the company is planning in the year ahead and what we can expect.
Nubia’s two-screen wonder is a new solution to our all-screen selfie problems
Notches, holes, and motorized cameras are all solutions to where to put the camera on smartphones with bezel-less screens. Nubia's solution is to ignore those, and add a second screen to the phone. It's on the back, and the selfies are taken with the rear camera. We tried it at CES 2019.
Think this smartwatch doesn’t have a screen? Think again
The Oskron looks like a regular chronograph watch, but it holds a secret: It's really a smartwatch and even has a hidden screen, which is revealed only when you need it. It's a great way of maintaining the look of a traditional watch, while not dismissing helpful smartwatch features.
For 2019 pricing, the Cosmo Communicator lets you type like it’s 1997
The Cosmo Communciator from Planet Computers is a PDA (yes, that device from the 1990s) brought almost up to date, and follows the Gemini Communicator from last year. This model has more tech, sensible improvements, and a design not seen anywhere else. We looked at prototypes during CES 2019 to see what's new.
Alexa who? Google Assistant came to Vegas to dominate voice A.I.
Google has announced numerous upgrades to Google Assistant coming to your smartphone. You're now able to check into your next flight with just your voice, you can also access Google Assistant on Google Maps, and there's finally support for adding items to notes and lists for third-party apps.
TCL is set to innovate with new mobile display technology
While few smartphone manufacturers have been innovating in the hardware space, TCL has made some interesting moves with the BlackBerry, Alcatel, and Palm brands. After a huge investment in display technology, TCL showed off some new edge-to-edge and dot displays at CES 2019, and there are more innovations in the works.
Nreal’s mixed-reality sunglasses are more compact than the Magic Leap One
The Nreal Light are mixed reality glasses from a former Magic Leap employee. They allow you to see virtual objects in the real world, but they require a wired connection to a small, portable processing unit. The screen is excellent, but would you want to wear them? We try them on at CES 2019.
mmWave vs. Sub-6: The different types of 5G and how they work
You may have come across the terms “low-band,” “mid-band,” and “millimeter wave” in your reading about 5G. But what do those terms actually mean? In this explainer, we look at 5G on different spectrum ranges and identify what is arguably the largest single innovation behind the fifth generation of wireless technology.
Honor Magic 2’s notch-less slide-down screen is tech sorcery at its best
Honor is determined to try all the alternatives to the screen notch it can find, and for the Honor Magic 2, it has introduced a slide-down screen. This means the phone has a full-screen display, and the selfie cameras are hidden away until they're needed. We've been trying the phone out.
Ditch the notch. Why Honor thinks the ‘punch hole’ is the better solution
Honor will release a smartphone with an in-screen camera in the new year, a trend which is growing momentum. Honor said it has cracked the formula for the technology, and explains what's special about its All-View Display, and how it will improve on the controversial notch we're used to seeing today.
Leave the laptop at home, the iPad Pro is the travel buddy to take on vacay
The iPad Pro is a powerful tablet that's perfect for creatives and professionals. How does it fare when traveling with it as a laptop replacement? From Face ID and photo editing with the Apple Pencil to binge-watching Netflix shows, we took it on a two week trek in Japan to find out.
McLaren puts the pedal to the metal in special-edition OnePlus 6T
The OnePlus 6T is yet another flagship killer smartphone, bringing powerful specifications to a much lower price than the competition. Now, OnePlus has teamed up with McLaren for the super charged OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition. Here's what's different, and why it's worth considering.
Midrange phones can’t do A.I., but MediaTek’s P90 chip aims to change that
MediaTek has announced the Helio P90 mobile processor, which it says will bring the best AI features we see on high-end smartphones, to the mid-range. It's part of its long-term plan to produce feature-packed, high value devices for the next billion smartphone users around the world.
5G is a battery killer, but one company has a secret weapon
MediaTek has spoken to Digital Trends about its plans for 5G, after admitting it was too slow in adopting 4G LTE, confirming it has no intention of missing out on its replacement. The company's strategy is daring, and differs from its competitors; but is in-line with industry bodies examining 5G.
Open wide: LG G7 ThinQ vs. Huawei Mate 20 Pro vs. Asus ROG Phone
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro has swapped the monochrome sensor on its camera for a wide-angle lens, so how does it compare to the LG G7 ThinQ, and the surprisingly strong challenge from the Asus ROG Phone? We took the three phones to Taiwan to see how well they captured some of the epic scenery on our trip.
Microsoft’s friendly Xiaoice A.I can figure out what you want — before you ask
Move over Siri and Alexa! Microsoft has built a new type of A.I. assistant that wants to be your friend. Called Xiaoice, it is already making a big name for itself in places like China -- and its latest skill set will soon be landing in the U.S.
Taking shots in the dark with Night Sight, the Pixel’s newest photo feature
The Google Pixel range has always been the home of some of the mobile world's best phone cameras. That performance is now getting even better with the introduction of the low-light Night Sight mode. It's now available via an update to the Google Camera app for Pixel phones.
Google strips the color from its redesigned apps, but a little goes a long way
Google has been redesigning most of its apps this year, throwing in a ton of white space while removing a lot of color first introduced with Material Design in 2014. Why is Google abandoning color? It's actually limiting it to highlight the product more, and to spotlight key Google actions.
The rise and fall of the Android tablet
In 2018, Android tablets are effectively dead. Google itself shows little interest in stoking app optimization for the form factor. But how did we get here? And is Chrome OS the natural successor to this once-promising market segment? We take a look at the history of the Android tablet thus far.
The Looking Glass brings us closer than ever to Star Wars-like holograms
We're inching closer to recreating the iconic, holographic scene in Star Wars of Princess Leia calling out to Obi-Wan Kenobi for help. A company in Brooklyn, New York, has created a holographic display that lets you see sharp, high-contrast 3D content. It's called the Looking Glass.
Who’s Bugdroid? Meet the cute mascot of Android
If you’ve ever wondered about the origin of the Android platform’s cute, green robot logo, then we have some answers for you. Find out what it’s called, who designed it, and how it took off and rapidly grew in popularity. This is the story of Bugdroid and how it spread virally.
From the road to your wrist, see how Android has evolved over the past 10 years
Android started out as just a mobile operating system, but 10 years in it's pretty much everywhere. Check out our round-up of all the different Android variations that have cropped up so far, and what might be coming in the future.
What is Android fragmentation, and can Google ever fix it?
The thorny problem of Android fragmentation has been haunting Google for years now, but attempts to combat it have only met with mixed success. Why don't manufacturers update their devices more quickly, what has Google done to tackle the issue, and what else can it do? We take a look at the options here.
A look back at the first Android phone, 10 years later
The T-Mobile G1 was a chunky little slider phone that had poor battery life, but even so, it showed potential thanks to an operating system Google acquired called Android. Ten years later, we look back at the mobile phone that started Android's steady march to dominate the mobile market.
What’s the point of a blockchain phone? We asked an expert
We cut through the hype and look at the reasons behind the current wave of blockchain phones, what they can do, and what they might be do in the future. You’ll find out what exactly what a blockchain phone is, how it can handle crypto assets, and who might want to buy one.
Want the best low-light portraits? The iPhone XR bests the XS, but Pixel 3 reigns
Which phone has the best Portrait Mode? It's the feature that adds a blurred effect behind a subject. We took a look between the new iPhone XR, the Google Pixel 3, and the iPhone XS. Two of these phones have single-lens cameras, so lets see how they fare against a dual-camera setup.
The fastest-charging phone we’ve ever tested has a Lamborghini badge
Lamborghini rarely puts its name on anything that isn't very fast, and the Oppo Find X Lamborghini Edition smartphone is no exception. It's the fastest charging phone we've ever tested, accelerating from zero to 100-percent capacity in just 35 minutes. True, or just marketing? We've test driven the phone to find out.
Huawei can make superb phones, but the Y7 Prime isn’t one of them
We've adored some of the recent Huawei smartphones, including the excellent P20 Pro; but the firm also makes some cheaper hardware. Are they as tempting, and similarly good? We've been using the $220 Huawei Y7 Prime to find out, and at that price, it faces some very stiff competition. Here's what it was like.
Samsung says the Galaxy A9 won’t be its ‘best kept secret’ for much longer
The new Samsung Galaxy A9 2018 is quite different from those that have come before it, and there's a good reason: Samsung's strategy is changing, and it wants to provide better features, more value, and a greater premium experience on its phones that cost less than the flagship S series. This is its plan.