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Saturday 11 June 2016

Moto Z vs Moto Z Force

Moto Z vs Moto Z Force: Is there much to set them apart?
z
Well, we weren’t quite expecting this. In one fell swoop, Motorola and Lenovo have made phones interesting again. First came the Google Tango equipped Lenovo Phab Pro and then Moto showed off the Moto Z and Moto Z Force.
But what makes them so exciting? And what’s the difference? Let’s have a closer look.
WATCH: Hands-on with Moto G4 and G4 Plus
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1) They’re both beautiful, powerful phones. But one is much tougher


Last year’s X series were durable, functional phones that worked well but lacked that hint of panache. The same can’t be said about the new Z series. The regular Z is ridiculously thin, one of the thinnest on the market, and made completely out of metal. The Z Force, like the Moto X Force, is much tougher and uses the brand’s ShatterShield tech to withstand drops.
They might be slim, but there’s plenty of substance inside. Both come packing Snapdragon’s 820 CPU, 4GB RAM and either 32 or 64GB of internal storage which can be expanded thanks to microSD. You’ll also get a fairly vanilla build of Android, and there’s a single (we’ll talk more on this later) USB-C port on the bottom.
image: http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/0000395d8/dc54_orh616w616/moto-z-1.jpg
Moto ZOn the front of each is a 5.5-inch quad-HD LCD display, making it slightly larger than the LG G5 and HTC 10, but on par with the Moto G4.

2) The Force has a bigger battery...

Two areas where the Force sets itself apart from its slimmer brother are the battery capacity and camera.
Let’s talk battery first. The Force comes packing a fairly huge 4,000 mAh cell that Motorola says should be good for 40-hours of use, while the svelte Moto Z has a more conventional 3,000 mAh cell. Both are compatible with Turbo Charging though, so you shouldn’t be attached to the mains for too long when you hit 0%.

3. ...And a ‘better’ camera

In the optics department it’s 13MP on the Z vs 21MP on the Force, but both are equipped with OIS, fast laser-detection autofocus and 4K video recording. The Force also benefits from phase-detection autofocus too, which should help it lock onto your target even quicker.
Things are a little similar on the front, where both come packing 5MP cameras with a wide-angle lens for cramming all those grins into selfies.
image: http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/0000395da/8017_orh616w616/moto-mod.jpg
Moto Mod

4. MotoMods are modules done right, sorry LG

Many were impressed with the modules LG announced alongside its G5 smartphone earlier in the year, but they were fiddly and limited. You had to power off the phone and yank out the battery to switch, and then do it all over again to take them off.
Motorola’s take on the modules is way cooler, and the add-ons themselves are also much more varied.
And what’s more, they’ll be compatible with both the Moto Z and Moto Z Force.
Instead of actually becoming part of the phone, the MotoMods slide onto the back and pair with a grouping of 16-pins. That’s it. No messing about. Once they’re connected you’ll hear and noise and you’re ready to go.
Initial mods cover everything from a quirky looking JBL speaker with a built-in kickstand to an actual projector and a battery case. They sound genuinely useful, and we’re eager to take a proper look.
image: http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/0000395d9/d3e1_orh616w616/jbl-motomod.jpg
JBL motomod

5. Both ditch the headphone jack, completely

Ah, the controversial point. Many were predicting the iPhone 7 would be the first mass-market phone to ditch the headphone jack, but it turns out it’s the Moto Z.
Both the Moto Z and Moto Z Force ditch the port, with users forced to pull all audio through the USB-C port. This should offer up better sound, but it’ll no doubt be an inconvenience.
Thankfully, Motorola is including a dongle in the box so you need not chuck away all your old fashioned, 3.5mm headphones just yet.
Swayed by the Moto Z or Moto Z Force? Let us know in the comments box below

Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/moto-z-vs-moto-z-force#Z2K38xxmBiGgEOC1.99

Huawei P8

Bon plan : Huawei P8 Lite à 171€ chez Amazon

Ce 9 juin, Amazon baisse le prix du Huawei P8 Lite qui passe à seulement 171€. Un tarif plus que correct pour un smartphone qui a tout pour plaire
Bon plan : Huawei P8 Lite à 171€ chez Amazon

Disponible à sa sortie à partir de 250 euros, le Huawei P8 Lite voit son prix passer à seulement 171€ ce 9 Juin. Il se distingue notamment de la concurrence par un design soigné avec une finition haut de gamme. Ses performances sont à la hauteur, tout comme ses capacités en photo / vidéo.

Il est doté d'un écran de 5 pouces LCD IPS affichant une définition de 1280 x 720 pixels soit 294 ppp protégé par un verre Gorilla Glass 3. Sous son capot se dissimule un processeur Kirin 620, 64 Bits cadencé à  1.2 GHz épaulé par 2 Go de RAM. Côté photo, il est équipé d'un capteur de 13 mégapixels à l'arrière et 5 mégapixels à l'avant. Enfin, il dispose d'une batterie de 2200 mAh le tout dans seulement 7.7 mm d'épaisseur.

Si vous êtes intéressé par le Huawei P8 Lite au prix de 171€ rendez-vous dès à présent sur Amazon.

Samsung Gear Fit2

Samsung Gear Fit2 et Gear IconX, notre prise en main

Entre deux sorties de smartphone, Samsung sortr une nouvelle version de son bracelet connecté, le Gear Fit2 ainsi qu'une surprenante paire d'écouteurs sans-fil indépendants, les IconX.
Samsung Gear Fit2 et Gear IconX, notre prise en main
Annoncé un peu plus tôt ce mois de juin, le Gear Fit2 arrive aujourd'hui sur le marché et nous avons eu l'occasion d'approcher hier cette nouvelle édition du bracelet connecté dédié aux sportifs et autres amateurs de fitness. Le design évolue pour être un peu plus fin, et surtout plus courbe pour mieux épouser la forme du poignet, ceux qui ont des attaches fines apprécieront. Le bracelet est également légèrement revu pour éviter qu'il ne se détache par accident.
Les deux produits restent évidemment très proches l'un de l'autre dans le design, mais évolue un peu techniquement, mais gagne tout de même quelques pixels avec désormais du 216 x 432 sur 1,5 pouce pour un peu moins de 400 ppi, contre 128 x 432 sur 1,8 auparavant. La densité de l'écran tactile AMOLED est donc en nette hausse, et cela se voit à l'œil. Il gagne également une résistance supérieure puisqu'il est désormais certifié IP68 et non 67 comme le 1er modèle.
 

Indépendant 

L'autre nouveauté réside également dans son indépendance. L'objet intègre 4 Go de mémoire, dont 2,5 sont au libre usage de l'utilisateur. Ils permettront principalement de stocker de la musique pour son jogging. Cela permettra de se dispenser de son smartphone, à condition d'avoir des écouteurs Bluetooth, tels que les nouveaux Gear IconX dont nous parlerons plus bas.
L'indépendance se matérialise également par la présence d'un GPS en plus de l'ensemble des suivis traditionnels, tels que le podomètre, le capteur cardiaque, un peu moins courant comme le suivi de la consommation d'eau ou de café ainsi que toute une série d'activités sportives. Samsung annonce une autonomie de 3 à 4 jours grâce à la batterie de 200 mAh.
Plus une évolution qu'une révolution, le Gear Fit2 fera son office, mais rien ne justifie franchement de changer de modèle si vous possédez déjà un tracker d'activité haut de gamme. L'objet est disponible dès aujourd'hui pour 199 euros dans trois coloris, avec deux tailles de bracelet. Notez qu'il fonctionne avec tous les terminaux Android, mais iOS n'est pas au programme, contrairement à la montre Gear S2 dont la compatibilité iOS est annoncée, mais toujours pas effective.
 

IconX : à la fois écouteurs et tracker d'activité

Plus intéressants, nous avons également approché les Icon X. Une paire d'écouteurs intra-auriculaire Bluetooth... sans-fil. Pléonasme ? Oui et non. En plus de ne pas disposer câble vers le téléphone, ils ne sont pas non plus reliés entre eux. Aucun fil ne viendra donc entraver les mouvements de l'utilisateur. Cela tombe bien, car ils sont également prévus à des fins sportives. 6 grammes dans chaque oreille dont le maintien est assuré par deux ailettes, même pendant des sessions sportives intenses. Nous n'avons pas testé assez longtemps pour confirmer.
Dans les écouteurs se cache un capteur cardiaque et de quoi assurer le suivi de votre jogging. À l'instar du Gear Fit 2, ils disposent de mémoire embarquée, à hauteur de 4 Go là aussi. Ils pourront fonctionner indépendamment d'un smartphone puisque les oreillettes cachent une surface tactile, permettant de changer de musique, de gérer le son. Si vous avez un téléphone appairé, on pourra également répondre à un appel, puisqu'ils disposent enfin d'un micro.
 

3 heures ou 9 heures 

Samsung promet 3 heures d'autonomie en utilisation "tracker", mais 9h en audio seule. Ils se rechargent via l'étui fourni avec les oreillettes qui dispose lui-même d'une batterie intégrée avec de quoi recharger deux fois les écouteurs. A priori, on pourra tenir durant la plupart des trajets, attention toutefois à ne pas activer le tracking lors d'un long voyage en avion sous peine de se retrouver à devoir les recharger.
Samsung n'est pas très disert sur les capacités audio, la firme nous a confié qu'ils se basaient sur les écouteurs fournis avec les téléphones, autrement dit sans grandes ambitions. On comprend que la marque mette en avant les capacités de tracking et non audio. Les IconX arriveront à la mi-juillet pour 239 euros dans trois coloris et avec trois tailles d'embouts et d'ailettes fournis dans la boîte. Cela fonctionnera sur Android et sur iOS mais les fonctions de tracking ne seront pas disponibles chez Apple. 
 

iPhone 7

iPhone 7 : caractéristiques, prix, date de sortie, nouveautés, on récapitule les rumeurs

(màj le 10/06) Comme chaque année, les rumeurs s'empilent à propos du prochain iPhone et en 2016, ce sera l'iPhone 7. On fait le tri et on récapitule l'ensemble des bruit de couloir à propos du smartphone.
iPhone 7 : caractéristiques, prix, date de sortie, nouveautés, on récapitule les rumeurs
Cela fait déjà plusieurs mois que les rumeurs concernant l'iPhone 7 s'accumulent. Nous avons désormais suffisamment de matière, certes vaporeuse, mais suffisamment pour commencer à avoir une idée à peu près claire de ce que l'iPhone cuvée 2016.
Après l'iPhone 6S "de transition", c'est donc un "vrai" nouvel iPhone que nous aurions en septembre. Enfin... pas si sûr si l'on en croit certaines rumeurs, la révolution pourrait en fait avoir lieu en 2017. On récapitule pour y voir un peu plus clair, d'abord avec les points principaux, puis le détail de chaque rumeur. 

Les principaux points à retenir des rumeurs au 10 juin (dernière mise à jour de l'article) : 

  • Trois modèles : iPhone 7, 7 Plus et (7) Pro
  • L'iPhone 7 Pro aurait un double capteur photo et un "Smart Connector"
  • Le connecteur jack pourrait être supprimé pour affiner le terminal
  • Peu de changements dans le design
  • Intégration probable d'un écran "True Tone"
  • Logiquement, les iPhone 7 seront annoncés dans le courant du mois de septembre

Le résumé des rumeurs 

NB : comme d'habitude, les rumeurs sont classées dans l'ordre chronologique et cet article sera mis à jour au fur et à mesure que de nouvelles apparaissent.
Modem Intel (et plus si affinité)
Première rumeur de la saison, c'est paradoxalement d'Intel dont il est question. Il se murmure que le célèbre fondeur pourrait fournir au moins une partie des modems du téléphone. Le partenariat pourrait même aller plus loin, avec la gravure des processeurs, rien ne serait toutefois signé. La rumeur n'a pas refait surface depuis.
iPhOLED
Premiers bruits de couloir concernant l'utilisation d'une dalle OLED pour le prochain iPhone. Des pourparlers seraient en cours avec Samsung et des tests auraient déjà lieu.
Étanche
Demandée depuis bien longtemps, l'étanchéité pourrait finalement arriver sur l'iPhone 7. Alignement logique sur Samsung ou Sony qui la propose depuis plusieurs années. On apprend par la même occasion que le téléphone pourrait embarquer 3 Go de RAM, contre 2 sur l'iPhone 6S.
 
L'OLED pas pour tout de suite
Les pourparlers entre Apple et Samsung continuent autour de l'écran OLED, mais finalement, cela ne serait pas pour l'iPhone 7, mais pour 2018 soit l'iPhone 8.
No more jack
La rumeur va donner lieu à des débats enflammés : l'iPhone 7 pourrait ne pas avoir de prise jack. Le son passerait donc par la prise Lightning ou en Bluetooth. La raison invoquée est la volonté par la firme de réduire encore l'épaisseur de téléphone.
IP68 et sans antenne visible
La rumeur revient : l'iPhone serait étanche, mais aussi résistant à la poussière. On ajoute également qu'Apple aurait trouvé un moyen de rendre invisibles les antennes grâce à un nouveau matériau.
Définitivement, l'OLED, ce sera pour plus tard
L'écran OLED revient sur la table, LG serait maintenant dans les discussions et les contrats sur le point d'être signés. Malheureusement, l'iPhone 7 ratera le coche. Rendez-vous en 2017.
le code d'iOS 9.3 "confirme" l'absence de prise jack
Cela semble se confirmer pour la prise jack, en décortiquant le code d'iOS 9.3, on découvre une variable indiquant l'absence du connecteur audio. Reste à savoir si tout cela est authentique et les doutes sont de mise. 
 
Capteur lisse
Il se murmure qu'Apple aurait trouvé une solution pour supprimer la proéminence de capteur. On apprend par la même occasion que le design ne changerait pas beaucoup, mais les antennes seraient plus discrètes.
iPhone 7 x 3
Pas un, ni deux, mais trois nouveaux modèles d'iPhone 7. En plus des traditionnels iPhone 7 et 7 Plus, Apple proposerait un iPhone 7 "Pro", encore plus premium et surtout équipé d'un double capteur photo.
Serait-ce le châssis de l'iPhone 7
Une photo volée, visiblement, de l'écran d'un ordinateur dans une usine montre ce qui est censé être le châssis de l'iPhone 7, dont le design ne changerait finalement pas trop et avec un seul emplacement pour le capteur photo. On a également un cliché supposé du double capteur... réservé au modèle pro donc.
Un écran 5,8 pouces et incurvé
Rumeur un peu folle lancée par le peu fiable Digitimes, Apple plancherait sur un modèle d'iPhone 5,8 pouces, une taille atypique. Un analyste estime que cela pourrait correspondre à un écran incurvé. Nous sommes très sceptiques.
Une première photo de l'iPhone 7 Pro
L'iPhone 7 Pro se montrerait grâce à un cliché volé. On peut y voir un double capteur photo, ainsi que trois connecteurs au bas de l'appareil rappelant ceux de l'iPad Pro. Cela laisse penser qu'on pourrait lui adjoindre des accessoires.
Batterie de plus grande capacité
Nouveau cliché, cette fois de la batterie. Elle affiche une capacité de 7,04 Watts-heure, contre 6,61 sur l'iPhone 6S. Cela permettrait évidemment de gagner en autonomie.
Fitter happier
Pour affiner et alléger encore plus son smartphone Apple aurait réuni plusieurs composants sur une seule une puce, le modem aurait aussi été affiné. De quoi gagner quelques mm, sans pour autant toucher à l'aluminium garant de la solidité du smartphone.
Design identique
Mauvaise nouvelle pour ceux qui espéraient un nouveau design pour l'iPhone 7, Apple ne le reverrait pas en profondeur. Nouvelle confirmation au passage du double capteur photo, cette fois sur l'iPhone 7 Plus. Pas de version Pro donc ?
Design identique bis, et un écran True Tone
Nouvelles rumeurs concordantes pour un design assez similaire aux iPhone 6 et 6S, les disgracieuses antennes en moins. La nouveauté réside dans l'ajout supposé d'un écran "True Tone" à l'instar de ce que l'on trouve sur l'iPad Pro 9,7 pouces.
There's no home for you here
La rumeur revient chaque année ou presque. Pas d'exception non plus en 2016, l'iPhone pourrait perdre son bouton home physique. La suppression de ce dernier pourrait également permettre d'obtenir un iPhone étanche.
 
Schéma Technique 
MacFan publie un schéma technique de ce qui est présenté comme l'iPhone (7) Pro. Il "confirme" les principales rumeurs : pas de prise jack, un double capteur photo et un "Smart Connector".  
Jack Is back 
Une photo d'une pièce détachée, censée être issue de l'iPhone 7, apparaît sur la toile : elle dispose d'une prise jack, portant une estocade à la rumeurs voulait que le prochain téléphone n'en propose pas. 
Pas si Smart Connector
Finalement, le Smart Connector ne ferait pas son chemin jusqu'à l'iPhone 7 Plus / Pro. Les tests réalisés par Apple n'auraient pas été probant, il aurait donc été supprimé. 
Capteur géant
Un nouveau schéma est publié, sans "smart connector", et montre des dimensions strictement identiques à l'iPhone 6S, du moins en hauteur et en largeur. Le capteur photo semble démesuré par rapport aux modèles précédents.
La photo - douteuse - d'un prototype
Presque dans la foulée du schéma, voila qu'une photo présentée comme celle d'un prototype assemblé du smartphone (ci-dessus) fuite. Le capteur est bien plus gros qu'à l'accoutumé, mais le design ne fait pas franchement Apple. On a de sérieux doutes. 
 
Nouvelle image, avec des antennes discrètes
C'est certes très simple à réaliser avec n'importe quel outil de retouche un tant soit peu avancé, mais MacRumors publie un cliché supposé de l'iPhone 7 aux antennes déportées sur le haut et le bas de l'appareil. Image d'autant plus douteuse qu'elle provient d'un anonyme. Elle est visible juste au-dessus. 
Double capteur photo, encore
Le double capteur revient par la voix de l'analyste Ming Chi-Kuo, il ne serait présent que sur la version Plus, elle aurait également droit à 3 Go de RAM contre 2 sur la version 4,7 pouces. 
Quatre haut-parleurs
La sonorisation serait héritée de l'iPad Pro puisque l'iPhone 7 aurait quatre haut-parleurs,à l'instar des dernières tablettes 13 et 9,7 pouces d'Apple. On remarque également sur l'image publiée que les antennes ne traversent plus la face arrière, mais sont seulement présentes sur les tranches haute et basse. 
Un fabricant d'accessoire confirme la suppression de la prise jack
Le fabricant chinois Tama Electric annonce plusieurs adaptateurs lightening vers jack ce qui vient évidemment corroborer les rumeurs de la suppression du connecteur audio analogique. 
Coup de bleu
L'iPhone 7 aurait droit à un nouveau coloris : bleu foncé. Apple supprimerait en revanche le gris sidéral. On apprend par la même occasion que c'est LG qui serait chargé de fournir les capteurs photo et non Sony qui ne pourrait pas fournir les quantité nécessaires.  

Friday 10 June 2016

Sony SBH50 Bluetooth

Sony SBH50 Bluetooth

Riding on the previous SBH20's success, Sony has decided to innovate and release a new bluetooth headset for consumers. The new SBH50 is not your usual type of device as it boasts features that could possibly change the way you use your mobile device. Sony SBH50 is supersized with a fresh OLED display and even a built in radio receiver. What possibilities does the new SBH50 brings with a OLED display? Does it really make sense to have a little display on a bluetooth headset? Read on to find out more.

Introduction

It is an understatement to call the new Sony SBH50 just a bluetooth receiver. It is probably the first of Sony's steps into future innovation on smart wearable technology with the release of SBH50. Think of this new device as a Pebble smart watch but in a different form factor. The Bluetooth device connects to your smartphone, instantly becoming a smartphone companion. You can wirelessly receive audio directly from the smartphone via bluetooth and thanks to the small OLED display, you can even see your latest phone notifications and read SMS directly from the device. We will take a look at each individual technology incorporated in the SBH50.

Features and Technologies

NFC Technology

Just like the SBH20, the newer Sony SBH50 has incorporated NFC technology within. This means that the SBH50 bluetooth headset can be easily paired with your NFC enabled smartphone just by simply putting both devices together. Forget about keying in passcodes to pair bluetooth devices as NFC authentication replaces that step, allowing seamless pairing to get you started with your new gadget quickly.

OLED Display allowing Notifications and SMS Reading with Smartphone App

The main difference between the SBH20 and SBH50 is that the latter has a built in OLED Display. We found it to be extremely useful as this clip on accessory also enables quick SMS notification and Caller information display.

SMS Notification from Android phone

SMS/Text Message can be read directly from SBH50

Caller Info/ Calltime details shown on SBH50

Easy playlist navigation

Navigational and playback keys
Upon pairing the SBH50 with the smartphone, details of the current playlist and songs will be instantly streamed on the SBH50. I've tested the device on an Android, iOS and BlackBerry 10 smartphone and all these smartphone platforms will support this feature. This also means that I can now browse through all the different songs on my smartphone by using the navigational buttons found on the SBH50 even before without taking the smartphone out from my pocket. It also works with non-standard characters like Japanese, Korean and Chinese.
 
 
Chinese song title when playback

Japanese song titles supported as well


Built-in FM Radio

Radio frequency for FM radio function on SBH50
SBH50 has also got built in FM Radio functionality which could be what many people are looking for. The independent FM Receiver within SBH50 essentially makes the device a portable radio player as well.

Multipoint voice/audio

Unlike many other bluetooth headsets out in the market which only allows a single bluetooth device to be connected at a time, SBH50 can connect to two smartphones or other devices at the same time. The device intelligently switches between audio sources and devices. It is extremely useful in some user scenarios. For example:
  • If you have to carry around a work phone and a personal phone but don’t want the hassle of having two separate headsets.
  • If you use Skype at home, but don’t want to be tied down to sitting in front of your PC.
  • If you like listening to music, but don’t want to miss incoming calls because you’ve got a headset on.

What we felt about the device

Sony SBH50 bluetooth headset is indeed an innovative product that tries to change the way we interact with our smart devices. It tries to do more than what usual bluetooth headset does by having a nice OLED display, cool smartphone partner. However, I personally felt that this device has a huge usability flaw.
 
Usually, we will clip the device onto our shirt or jacket. At this point, the OLED screen will be facing in a direction where the user cannot directly see. It will require us to take the whole device out from where it was clipped from and look at the screen. In my opinion, I would have preferred to take my whole smartphone out instead. Wearable gadgets are cool to have, but it's sad to say that Sony has probably done it wrongly this time. It made sense for their smartwatches as we can take a glimpse at the watch quickly, but as for SBH50 it did not allow us to have quick access to the notifications and information which we need quickly and it was a hassle to unclip the device just to take a look at limited information on the small screen.
 
On the other hand, I felt that the screen will be useful the choosing of songs remotely from the smartphone. I also loved that SBH50 has got built in FM Radio feature. Sony has not neglected the huge number radio junkies in the local consumer space. SBH50 can also transform any speakers into a radio player easily, bringing itself great value as a entertainment device.
 

Conclusion

SBH50 is probably the best bluetooth headset out there in the market right now in terms of features. Putting its user experience issues aside, features which were not seen on any other bluetooth headsets has come to life with this new device from Sony. The addition of a small OLED screen gave users a clearer sense of what they were doing with the bluetooth device and it was a nifty little "notification hub" for a smartphone. Its independent FM Radio feature also sets itself apart from competitors and opens itself to a wider target userbase. We feel that for a smartphone companion which comes with so many added functionalities and features, it will be worth the price as it retails at only $109SGD.

Sony Bluetooth headset SBH50 comes in White and Black colours and retails in Singapore at RRP S$108 in selected Sony stores, Tech@Vogue, Challenger, Gadget World, Newstead Technologies and other authorised resellers.

Smart Bluetooth® Speaker BSP60

              Along with its Xperia Z4 Tablet announcement at MWC, Sony unveiled a set of accessories including this adorable little thing. Officially dubbed the "Smart Bluetooth® Speaker BSP60," this round black ball that slightly looks like Mickey Mouse's head if his ears were squashed (or the 8 ball in pool, or the pendulum's head in Beauty And The Beast, or maybe a black version of Eve's head in Wall-E) is an alarm, a 2.5W Bluetooth speaker, and a voice assistant.
sony-smart-speaker-bsp60-2
Used in conjunction with Sony's Voice Control Extension app, it can perform daily tasks such as setting alarms and timers, making phone calls, checking the weather, and more. It doesn't seem like it will have access to more thorough searches a la Amazon Echo or Google Now, but like them, it can be activated from afar with an "OK Speaker," command thanks to its built-in microphone.
sony-smart-speaker-bsp60-1
The BSP60 comes with NFC to facilitate pairing and conference calls, but its selling point isn't its functionality as much as the design. First, as shown in the images, the actual speakers are revealed when the ear-shaped sections pop up and light diffuses in the middle. Second, it sits on small wheels that allow it to roll around flat surfaces. Did I hear you say adorable?
Expect to pay a not-so-sweet €299 for this little thing when it comes out in the second quarter of this year. Yup, being cute isn't cheap.

Fitbit Blaze

What is the Fitbit Blaze?

The Fitbit Blaze is being marketed as the ultimate “smart fitness watch”. What that means in layman's terms is that this is Fitbit’s attempt to create an all-in-one wearable that can offer robust fitness tracking, as well as basic smartwatch functionality.
At first glance, the Blaze looks like a not-so-attractive cross between the Apple Watch and Fitbit Surge. However, following a few weeks of having it wrapped around my wrist, I found plenty to like about the Blaze, and I can see that it could be a solid – albeit pricey – option for casual runners and those just getting into exercising.
Related: Best smartwatch 2016

Fitbit Blaze – Design

The Blaze looks more like a smartwatch than a fitness tracker. It has a 1.2-inch, detachable 240 x 180-pixel colour screen, metal frame and rubber textured strap. The strap in particular will be familiar to owners of previous Fitbit devices.
As watches go, the Blaze isn’t the prettiest on the market. It doesn’t have the top-end feel of the Huawei Watch or the Moto 360 2, nor can it keep up with the likes of the round-screened Moto 360 Sport or the beautiful Withings Activité Steel.
Fitbit Blaze
However, it isn't the ugliest and easily looks nicer than some other sports watches – the Razer Nabu Watch, for example.
Like the Apple Watch and Pebble Time Steel, the 1.2-inch size of the Blaze means that it’s small enough to sit unassumingly on its user's wrist, while being large enough to use without having to squint at on-screen text.
Those who wish doll up the device can do so by taking advantage of the Blaze’s numerous customisation options. For starters, you can choose from classic "Luxe leather" and "Luxe metal" strap types. You can also choose from a variety of digital watch faces and metal cases for the central tracker unit.
For convenience, and the fact that I’m too lazy to switch straps, I spent the majority of my time using the classic band. However, on the rare occasion I switched this for the Luxe metal strap, I had numerous folk stop and comment on the watch’s looks. On one occasion, a non-tech-savvy friend even mistook it for an Apple Watch.
Fitbit Blaze
The colour screen, too, is a feature that differentiates the Blaze from Fitbit’s previous trackers. Past Fitbit wearables, such as the Surge, have had basic monochrome displays that have at best proven functional.
The move to colour makes a big difference. Although the Blaze doesn’t feature the stellar AMOLED screen tech seen on competing fitness-focused smartwatches – the Microsoft Band 2, for example – colours are suitably rich and make it easier to read information on the watch.
This is helped further by the fact that Blaze’s custom UI displays data in colour-coded segments, differentiating key bits of data such as your step count and heart rate. The 240 x 180-pixel resolution also ensures that icons and text are generally sharp enough to read comfortably.

Fitbit Blaze – Tracking and Software

My only serious criticism about the Blaze’s design is that it steps too far into smartwatch territory, and as a result makes a few too many compromises on the sports side.
The Fitbit Blaze feels far more like a hybrid device than a dedicated sports tracker. Testing it took me back to my time with the Motorola Moto 360 Sport, which generally suffered the same issues.
For starters, the Blaze isn’t waterproof. It can survive a run in the rain, the odd accidental splash and sweat without issue, but Fitbit recommends that you don't wear the Blaze in the shower, nor whilst swimming.
Fitbit Blaze
This is a pain considering its focus on being a device that you wear 24/7. After a few runs with the classic band attached, I found myself having to wipe down the unit and give it a sprucing with Febreze to avoid drawing any unwanted attention whilst wearing it on my commute to work.
It also doesn’t have a dedicated GPS built into it, so if you want accurate location and distance data, you’ll have to pair the Blaze to your smartphone and carry it with you when out running or cycling. This will be an annoyance for fitness fans – myself included – who prefer to keep what they’re carrying to a minimum when exercising.
For more casual joggers, or those just getting started on a fitness regime, the Blaze is one of the easiest-to-use trackers/smartwatches I’ve tested.
Except for the lack of GPS, the Blaze ticks many boxes and comes loaded with a 3-axis accelerometer, optical heart-rate monitor, altimeter and ambient light sensor. It's also cross-platform, working with both Android and iOS devices.
I’m an Android user and tested it with the Nexus 5X and Huawei P9. The setup process on both was a doddle: I simply had to charge the Blaze using the provided proprietary connector and download the Fitbit app onto the smartphone I was using. From there I had to turn on Bluetooth and follow a series of on-screen prompts to get the phone and Blaze on speaking terms, after which I was good to go.
Fitbit Blaze
The process is one of the simplest and smoothest I’ve encountered, and is in stark contrast to my experience with the Jaybird Reign I reviewed before it.
The Blaze runs its own proprietary software, which is completely different to most smart – and sport – watches. Apps are accessed by swiping left from the watch homescreen. Services on offer are limited to those provided by Fitbit; there’s no third-party store ecosystem, as there is on most full-on smartwatches. This means you’re limited to Exercise, Settings and Smart Alarm and FitStar services.
The Exercise section includes tracking for all the usual exercises you’d expect, including running, cycling and weights. Fitbit claims the Blaze can auto-detect changes in activity and track multiple exercise workouts – a session where you switch from cycling to running mid-exercise, for example. But I found I achieved the best results when I manually told the device to start tracking specific activities.
With the Fitbit paired to my smartphone, tracking is fairly accurate. Running it head-to-head against the Microsoft Band 2 and Basic Peak, the difference in my final step count day to day was never more than 10-20 out.
The same remained true when I compared heart-rate readings. Running whilst wearing all three devices returned a heart-rate reading that remained consistent between the three.
I also didn’t notice any odd anomalies, similar to those I've seen when using the Basis Peak for sleep tracking. On occasion, the Basis Peak showed that I'd suffered massive coronary episodes during the night, which, considering my continued presence in the world, very clearly didn’t happen.
Paired with my phone, the Blaze also tracked distance reasonably well. Running around a track that I know is roughly 5km long, the Blaze never threw up any serious inconsistencies and generally matched the numbers recorded by the Basis Peak and Band 2.
Fitbit Blaze
Data is presented on the Blaze's screen via the Today app. For a more detailed look at you data, you'll have to use the Fitbit smartphone app.
The Fitbit app remains a key selling point for the Blaze. At a basic level, the app offers all the key information most people need, such as the number of steps taken, calories burned, and time slept. It also offers the usual breakdowns of specific workouts, such as your average heart rate, distance travelled and speed per mile. What makes it great, however, are the Social and Challenge functions.
The Fitbit app has a Friends session, which allows you to view how those in your contacts also using Fitbit are getting on. This may sound insignificant, but I found the feature a huge motivator that encouraged me to go running more regularly. Admittedly, this is mainly down to my pride, and a refusal to let a 50+ relative achieve a better run time than me, but it’s cool nonetheless.
The challenges adds a further element of competition for those who want to push themselves and their friends. The setting lets you send specific challenges to friends via the Fitbit app. Most of them aren’t too taxing, and centre around simple activities such as meeting daily steps goals, but I can definitely see this feature appealing to folk just starting out in getting fit.
FitStar is another selling point for those just getting into exercising. It’s a custom feature that aims to help Blaze owners start and stick to work out regimes.
The app comes with a number of preconfigured workouts that run you through a series of different exercises over a set period of time. Exercises on offer include everything from squats and pushups to more esoteric challenges, such as cat and cows – which are as weird and awkward to do in public as they sound.
The cool part is that the app provides instructions on how to do each exercise via a series of on-screen graphics, which makes it easy for anyone – not just fitness fanatics – to start building up their core strength and stamina.
Fitbit Blaze

Fitbit Blaze – Smartphone features

While the fitness tracking features are fine for casual exercisers, I was a little less impressed by the Blaze’s supposed "smart" features.
On paper, the Blaze will push alerts for incoming calls and messages and upcoming events in your calendar when paired to a smartphone. You can also set it to control your phone’s music player. Initially, I found that the alerts worked pretty well, but over time I experienced a few annoying bugs.
The notifications don't always appear at the correct time, if at all. Calls came through successfully, but calendar alerts in particular were hit and miss. Alerts from my calendar would regularly appear either after I’d already addressed them on my main phone, or several hours later.
The fact that the Blaze looks and behaves so much like a smartwatch also left me wishing that the notifications were a little more advanced. After a week with the Blaze I found myself hankering after ways for it to push alerts from key third-party apps, such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, as you can on any Android Wear smartwatch, or the Apple Watch.

Fitbit Blaze – Battery life

Battery life is one area in which the Blaze excels. Other colour screen smartwatches and fitness trackers I’ve tested, such as the Moto 360 Sport and Microsoft Band 2, struggle to offer more than two days use on a single charge.
The Fitbit Blaze is an absolute trooper by comparison. Fitbit quotes the Blaze as offering five days of battery life from a single charge. In my fortnight-plus of testing the Blaze, it's has matched Fitbit’s quoted life with moderate use. Moderate use entailed tracking my daily morning run and checking the time and incoming alerts throughout the day – with screen brightness in its middle setting.
That puts it on a par, if not above, a number of screenless fitness trackers I’ve tested – the Jaybird Reign, for example. My only issue with the Blaze's battery is that it can only be charged using a proprietary dock.

Related: Best smartwatch 2016
Fitbit Blaze

Should I buy a Fitbit Blaze

If you’re a casual runner, or someone just getting into exercising, the Fitbit Blaze is a reasonable choice. The FitStar service and social element of the Fitbit app are nice touches that will help newbies start and stick to an exercise regime.
The Blaze’s colour screen and wealth of customisation options also make it also one of a select few trackers that I’m happy to wear all day. The added notifications will also likely appeal to some casual buyers looking for basic smartwatch functionality.
However, the Blaze isn't for fitness fanatics. The lack of built-in GPS will annoy runners and the fact that it isn't waterproof will be an issue for those who swim regularly, and those who like to wear their tracker in the shower after a workout.
At £159.99, it’s also seriously expensive. So for those who simply want a tracker, I'd recommend investing in a Moov Now or Basis Peak.

Verdict

The Fitbit Blaze is competent fitness tracker for casual users, with a few smartwatch functions bolted on.
 

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