OnePlus One

OnePlus is a turning point in the smartphone industry. It has launched a solid phone with an exceptional price.

OnePlus finally dropped all of the details on the OnePlus One. The company's mantra of "Never Settle" set high expectations for a phone that was also set to have an amazing price, and in the end it surprisingly met many of those lofty goals.

The OnePlus One has industry-leading specs across the board, with a huge high-resolution screen, top-of-the-line processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB or 64GB of storage, solid build quality, customization-friendly CyanogenMod OS and a genuinely low price. That all seems too good to be true, so what's the catch? Well, despite the company's philosophy, no phone is perfect — but the One still has a lot going for it.

About this review

OnePlus One video walkthrough

OnePlus One internals

A phone with these specs would usually cost twice as much

Unlocked phone sticker shock is a real thing, and it has made many of us willing to compromise for lower internal specs in order to buy a phone we can actually afford. We all want the high-end phones that would normally be palatable at $200 on-contract, but when they're $649 without any agreement, it can just be too much. That's just not the case with the OnePlus One, where you're getting all of the top components on the cheap.

We all want newest high-end phones, but without a contract they can just be too expensive. But that's not the case with the OnePlus One.

A Snapdragon 801 processor at 2.5GHz, 3GB of RAM, 16/64GB of storage, a 13MP Sony camera sensor, 5.5-inch IPS display at 1080 x 1920, 3100 mAh battery, stereo speakers, 802.11ac Wifi, Bluetooth 4.0, seven-band LTE radio and more, all crammed into a single phone for $299 or $349, depending on your storage capacity choice.

That's just out-of-this-world value for a phone at this point in 2014, and regardless of how OnePlus is capable of releasing a phone with these specs at this price point, it's the end user that benefits the most.

OnePlus One hardware

A simple delivery system for the specs and software

-------------------------- 75.9mm---------------------------

--8.9mm--

Height-152.9 mm

Weight- 5.71 oz (162 g)

5.5" HD (1920x1080)

401ppiLTPS IPS

3100 mAh

Lithium polymer

Talk: 14 hrs

Standby: 288 hrs

Rear: 13.0MP Sony Exmor IMX214 sensor, ƒ2.0 lens

4K video, 120fps 720p slow motion video

Front: 5MP, distortion-free

Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor

Quad-core 2.5Ghz

Adreno 330 GPU at 578MHz

3GB LP-DDR3 1866MHz RAM

16GB/64GB eMMC 5.0 internal storage

LTE

HSPA

Wi-Fi 802.11ac

Bluetooth 4.0

Android 4.4.2 KitKat

CyanogenMod 11S

Custom or Holo theme

What's more, OnePlus clearly didn't just spend money on the internal specs and leave the exterior design of the One out in the cold — this is an attractive and well-made phone all around.

I think that the words "simple" and "understated" best describe the One's design — in a good way. Nothing flashy here — it's a black slab when viewed from the front, with a chrome plastic rim around the sides that protrudes more on the top and bottom and a lightly curved plastic shell around the rest of the device. I have a special "Cyanogen" white back cover — which is similar to the "silk white" case the 16GB model ships with — but there will also be a "sandstone black" 64GB model and a variety of replacement backs with different colors and materials (I'm particularly interested in the wood and denim options) to choose from.

In any case, the standard plastic backs are solid — so solid in fact that you'll think they aren't meant to be removed at all. They certainly are, although your fingernails may hate you after you spend a good five minutes trying to pry it off. It requires removing the SIM card tray and pulling harder than you'd like to, but luckily there's no reason to remove the back unless you're swapping it for a different style — there's no removable battery or storage under there.

Even with all of the right decisions made here, this isn't revolutionary hardware.

That back cover is a solid piece that covers all sides, back, top and bottom of the device, meeting up snugly with the chrome rim around the screen and offering up simple holes for the necessary ports, buttons and microphones (there are three around the device). This isn't the thinnest phone ever at 8.9mm, but you don't want it to be considering its size. The subtle curve around the back is friendly to the hand, as are the power and volume button placements, limiting (but not eliminating) the awkwardness of reaching around a 5.5-inch phone.

Even with all of the right decisions made here, this isn't revolutionary hardware design. There's no two-tone camera flash, fingerprint scanner, ultra-high resolution display, waterproofing, dedicated two-stage camera key, massive camera sensor, front-facing speakers, heart rate sensor, back buttons or anything of the sort. The OnePlus One is just a phone, basically shaped like every other phone and with absolutely no design flair or features to set it apart from other devices. The biggest thing the OnePlus One has going for it from an external hardware perspective is screen size at 5.5-inches, though that can quickly become a downside depending on who you ask.

But there is something to be said for simplicity. Be it the cost constraints, time limitations or lack of available talent, OnePlus clearly didn't think it could put more interesting hardware features into the One and do them right. For this I can give it some credit — if you don't think you can do it 100 percent, just leave it out. You'll get far more negative comments from including half-assed features than for not having them at all.

The OnePlus One is a great-looking phone, and it's as easy to hold as it is to look at. There's just nothing special here that makes it lust-worthy hardware. The only reaction I ever got to showing this phone to someone was "that thing is huge!" — never a single mention of how nice it looks or how well it's made. I think that says something about what you're getting with the One — this hardware is just a delivery system for bonkers top-end internals and interesting software, and that's about it.

OnePlus One software

CyanogenMod 11S, no flashing required

After making its foray into partnering with hardware vendors to release phones pre-loaded with CyanogenModwith the OPPO N1, Cyanogen Inc. is doing it again in a big way with the OnePlus One. The difference this time around is quite notable — every OnePlus One is shipping with CyanogenMod loaded on the phone out of the box. No special "CyanogenMod Edition" or flashing process required.

The OnePlus One is loaded up with CyanogenMod 11S — the letter suffix denoting that this is a brand new release of the CM software that's specific to the One, which will eventually make its way out to other devices over time. The flagship features of CM 11S are a newly-redesigned theme engine, camera and gallery, backed up by the tried-and-true CyanogenMod experience offering more tweaks and customization options than you can shake a stick at.

If you're a regular user of CM 11 on your current device, the jump to CM 11S on the One isn't going to be a dramatic change. But if you haven't used CyanogenMod in a while — I'm guilty of not keeping up with it as tightly as I used to — you'll be in for a treat with how much this modded version of Android is capable of.

The out-of-the-box experience on CM 11S isn't exactly what you may be expecting if you're used to a stock build of Android. With lots of now-standard CM customizations turned on by default and a customized system-wide theme applied, it's just as visually divergent from stock as you'll find on any phone from Samsung, HTC or LG.

OnePlus One Freedom UI home screen

CM is all about customization, both in terms of looks and features, and it's hard to think of an option anyone would want that isn't tucked away somewhere in the settings. You can change every bit of the way the status bar looks, how quick settings are displayed, what buttons go where, how your navigation bar looks, which gestures are enabled (both on the homescreen and when the screen is off), how your lockscreen acts and of course whether you prefer on-screen or capacitive keys.

For the true tinkerer, a quick switch into the developer settings reveals all of your standard options you'd find on a phone, plus a "Performance" section that lets you tinker with the processor, I/O scheduler and memory management, if that's your sort of thing. Naturally if you want to root the phone, it's only a quick USB cable plug into your computer and a few command line entries away.

The new theme engine, which was rebuilt from the ground up in this release, makes it easy to customize the look and feel of your device. You can mix and match different portions — such as icons, wallpapers and boot animations — from each theme you have loaded to get just the right look, and you can even create your own custom themes and load them on your phone if you're willing to get your hands dirty. The hard work that dozens of developers put into this theme engine rewrite will be apparent to end users and theme developers alike.

As a new user, CyanogenMod 11S wasn't the easiest system to get acquainted with.

Being used to a simpler version of Android on the Nexus 5, I actually had to spend a good bit of time turning features off that I wasn't interested in, just as I would on any other manufacturer-customized phone. It took some time for me to get comfortable with diving through the labyrinth of settings menus to accomplish it, too. If I was someone who'd been following the steady progression of adding these features one-by-one to CM over the last few years I'd feel right at home. But as a new user it wasn't the easiest system to get acquainted with.

OnePlus One display

There's still nothing wrong with 1080p

OnePlus is doing its best to "wow" everyone with lots of specs and acronyms with the One's display: 1080p, full HD, JDI, IPS, TOL ... the list goes on. Thankfully this isn't all just marketing speak and spec-hyping — the OnePlus One has a superb display.

The marketing speak and specs aren't just hype — the OnePlus One has a really superb display.

The screen is very large at 5.5-inches diagonally, but that's not too large to look great at 1080x1920 resolution at about 400 ppi. And being an IPS LCD panel, viewing angles, color reproduction and outdoor visibility are all top-notch. It's coated with Gorilla Glass 3, which should cut down on the dings and scratches over time as well.

The TOL (Touch On Lens) technology brings that glass closer together with the touch panel, apparently improving touch sensitivity and reducing the chances of shattered screens by 300 percent. I couldn't tell the difference in touch sensitivity, honestly — it worked just like it should.

The sole complaint I have with the display — and this is really nit-picking — is the overall brightness, which is just barely lower than other leading displays. It's only noticeable when you crank up the screen to full brightness and set it next to another phone, but it was never an issue in real-world use. The software can make up for this somewhat with manual adjustment of the automatic brightness controls, which is nice if you want to tweak it.

Though there are fewer acronyms involved, OnePlus is also making note that the One has "stereo" speakers. A pair of speaker grilles flank the USB port on the bottom of the phone, and unlike the Nexus 5 there is actually a speaker behind each one. I'm still hesitant to call two speakers a mere two inches apart "stereo," as there's nothing approaching a stereo sound coming out of there, but it's technically true.

The speakers are loud and clear for listening to calls on speakerphone, watching a quick YouTube video or the occasional bit of podcast listening when you don't have headphones or a speaker nearby. They aren't going to blow you away with in-your-face sound for listening to music or watching a full-length movie, but physics is a limiting factor there. These speakers are loud, but just average quality.

OnePlus One cameras

All of the right pieces, but the puzzle isn't complete

OnePlus was able to source some competent camera hardware for the One, grabbing a Sony Exmor 13MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, stacked behind six lenses and supported by a dual LED flash. There are just a couple of omissions, though. As I noted before, that dual LED flash isn't of the two-tone variety, so it's just blasting double the useless light at your subject. There's also a notable lack of OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), which means low-light situations have fewer options for slow shutter speeds, and it takes an extra-steady hand to get clear shots.

Backing up that hardware is a newly-redesigned camera interface in CyanogenMod 11S, along with its latest gallery app exiting beta status. The camera app is a simple remix of the stock Android (that is, before the new Google Camera came about) that's overall easier to get around and manage. A grouping of settings buttons stands guard on the bottom (or side, in portrait) of the interface, showing off nested menus for deeper controls when touched. You can change white balance, exposure, location access and more from this quick settings menu.

The most-used feature of the camera will likely be the ability to quickly switch between different shooting modes, which is done by swiping up or down across the entire viewfinder. A quick swipe moves you from Auto to HDR to Night to a variety of live filters — and you can customize in the settings which ones you want available.

The camera app is a joy to use, especially for when you just want to take a picture rather than fiddle with settings.

The camera app is a real joy to use, especially considering how often many of us just want to pick up the phone and take a picture rather than fiddling with settings. Being able to switch between HDR, Auto and live filters with a simple flick just makes sense, and was something I used on a regular basis. The one thing this camera app was lacking is in the viewfinder — it's 2014 and the phone still shows a 16:9 live preview, but takes 4:3 photos. It makes composition a real hassle, and there's no option in the settings to change the viewfinder or picture aspect.

Photos

It's clear the OnePlus has the right hardware to take great photos, but for some reason the photo output just isn't living up to the full potential of the device. It's not that the phone doesn't take some amazing pictures — it's capable of taking pictures that could come from any leading phone today — but that it's just not a complete package. Let me explain.

The OnePlus One camera was not consistent, shot-to-shot. I would either get a great photo, or a so-so photo.

The first major shortcoming on the One is what I like to refer to as shot-to-shot consistency. When I grabbed the One out of my pocket and went to take a picture, I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to get. Whether I tweaked things and used tap-to-focus or just let it go full-on automatic, I would either get a great photo or a so-so photo.

In order to presumably cut down on dark and grainy pictures, the One often let in far too much light to the point where it completely washes out photos or gives inaccurate white balance. Under perfect conditions it nailed everything just as you'd expect, but deviating from that the camera was clearly just guessing. It's notable to say that I rarely got outright bad shots, but not having consistency in shooting is almost as bad as getting subpar shots all of the time.

Some of the inconsistency of the One's camera comes when deciding whether to take an HDR or Auto photo. On most of my phones I simply leave the camera in HDR (or better yet, Auto-HDR when available) full-time as it provides a nice, punchy and high-contrast look that can make up for some of the shortcomings of using a phone camera. With the One, HDR mode goes dramatically overboard with processing to the point where it makes photos look far too unnatural and unappealing to my eyes.

Understanding that the HDR "style" covers a wide range of looks, this camera software just goes too far to be used in even a majority of situations. HDR was a saving grace in less-than-ideal lighting situations, such as around sunsets or inside, often using that over-processing to add much-needed light to the frame. It should also be noted that HDR proved to keep noise down in photos as well. But using HDR mode was no way to get a natural-looking picture — every photo looked like an Instagram filter.

Most of the camera problems can really be ironed out in software over time if Cyanogen decides to make the investment.

The overall inconsistency added to the awkward HDR experience meant that I was stuck moving between Auto and HDR, taking multiple pictures to get the "right" one. HDR mode also annoyingly saves a non-HDR shot when you use it (a setting you can't turn off), but the single-exposure picture captured is completely different than what I'd normally get using Auto mode.

Stepping into night shots, the One again performed below the pack. The lack of OIS means the camera really can't take advantage of long shutter speeds, and instead the camera has to try and crunch the photo data and smooth things out manually. The end result is roughly average night shots, so long as you have a very steady hand and don't attempt to use HDR mode (which only made things worse). The One also misses focus from time to time at night, but that's hard to avoid.

It should be noted that aside from the lack of OIS, all of these problems can really be ironed out in software over time if Cyanogen decides to make the investment. Exposure, menu settings, viewfinder layout and low-light processing can all be fixed — they'll just have to devote the man hours to get it done. If Cyanogen were to release an update or two and improve the camera experience, it'd be enough to bring the OnePlus One from an average camera to a great one.

UHD and high frame rate video

The OnePlus One is capable of recording UHD (often referred to as "4K" or "2160p") video. It is also capable of 60 fps and 120 fps slow-motion video, but only at 720p resolution.

UHD video looks good, but I honestly didn't notice a difference in quality over 1080p. It looked a bit over-saturated to my eyes as well, but I think I'd prefer that to a dull picture. Audio capture during video (from the three microphones) was good, and didn't distort even on a loud street.

120 fps video is only available in 720p or lower resolution, but the settings don't tell you that until you're trying to shoot and get an error message. Just like high frame rate video on other phones, being limited to 720p doesn't look great but the frame rate is smooth and is a neat effect to throw in if you're taking short clips.

Living with the OnePlus One

Specs are great, but what's it like to use?

I've made it a point to mention the size of this device at a few points in the review, but here's where I get down to it — the OnePlus One is just too large of a phone for me. I already started to feel my hand stretch when I recently spent some time with the Galaxy S5, and the One has just pushed it too far with its 5.5-inch screen, less-than-stealthy bezels and blocky sides.

I already started to feel my hand stretch with the Galaxy S5, and the One has just pushed it too far with its 5.5-inch screen, less-than-stealthy bezels and blocky sides.

The subtle curvature of its back plate and acceptable thickness both help you manage things, but in the end when a phone's too large for me to hold in one hand and type a message, it's likely going to be too much for many people to handle (literally). One of the biggest things I found to help usability is moving to on-screen buttons, effectively shifting the entire screen upward and making your thumb reach less to navigate the interface. This still isn't enough to keep me from wishing that the OnePlus One had a smaller display in the realm of 5-inches instead.

Putting my feelings on extremely large phones aside, the OnePlus One is actually quite a joy to use on a daily basis. The hyped-up internal specs do their job pushing around the interface and apps at break-neck speed that you expect from a 2014 high-end device, and once you dial in CyanogenMod just the way you like it you'll feel right at home.

Mobile data and call quality

One of the big plusses (yes, I went there) is the ability to use the One on pretty much any carrier throughout the U.S. and Europe and get both calls and LTE data without issue. The One has all of the right radio bands available, and I tested it on both AT&T and T-Mobile in the States without a single problem.

Under more scientific testing I found the One to hold a weaker LTE signal than other devices on a consistent basis on both carriers, causing drops off to HSPA+ earlier in poor coverage areas. In normal testing there was no notable difference in data speeds or hand-off times, but if you're constantly in low signal areas it may be something to consider.

Following the latest software update to fix a speaker issue, call quality was loud and clear on both carriers.

Battery life

The OnePlus One consistently offered me a full day's use and ended up with about one-third the battery left.

The One's massive 3100mAh battery isn't user-removable, but that isn't a problem as battery life is more than adequate no matter your usage patterns. This seems to be a situation more of brute-forcing battery life by having a huge cell (a bonus of having a large device) rather than intelligently designing the software for longevity, but whatever the case, the One consistently offered me a full day's use and ended up with about one-third the battery left.

Even on my hardest days, including lots of streaming music, hotspotting and camera usage, I wouldn't ever worry about the battery life on the One. After a few weeks carrying the phone as my only device, I can't recall a situation when I picked it up and was worried enough about the battery life to consider charging it before I left the house, or change my usage to make sure I made it through the day.

It's an extremely liberating feeling that I don't get from every single phone I use, and I wish more devices had this kind of endurance no matter the apps installed or use-case of the owner. This phone doesn't Extreme Power Savingor Ultra Power Saving mode — it just lets you use it how you want, and still doesn't die before you expect it to.

At the end of the day it needs to be charged, and sadly there's no Qi wireless charging included on the OnePlus One. Having made the investment in a couple of wireless chargers for my house and going the last few months without ever plugging in my phone, going back to a wired charger feels like the stone age — and there's no option to add third-party wireless charging capabilities, either.

OnePlus One: The Bottom Line

In the end, do you have to settle?

Spending a few weeks with the OnePlus One and getting used to all of its small quirks and issues, I had to keep reminding myself to put things into perspective of the phone's price. Sure it's a bit large, has a few issues with the camera and doesn't pack an awe-inspiring design or features — but it also costs just $299 unlocked and has some of the highest hardware specs available today.

In the $299 unlocked price bracket, The OnePlus One is crushing pretty much everything around it.

Now of course that doesn't really fit into the Never Settle philosophy behind OnePlus, but no phone is going to be everything to everyone, no matter what the advertising claims. If the One was $499 instead, would it have all of these problems fixed? Maybe, but then the value proposition starts to be a little less clear. OnePlus may have dug itself into a hole with its marketing here, trying to make the One seem like the next great thing when really it's just another phone.

And that's okay, because the One is competing at a price point with a bunch of other phones that are just phones, too, and in this arena it's crushing pretty much everything around it. It offers industry-topping specs, solid hardware, a robust and customizable software experience and above-average camera in a land of cheap phones that really can't match it.

Sony Smart Watch 2

Time and again we’ve heard the same story: wearables are the next big thing in personal technology. Everyone will have wearables attached to their bodies in the next few years. And so on and so forth. But despite all of these predictions and the intense interest in wearable technology, we still don’t have a great smartwatch. The Pebble is too nerdy and toylike for most people; the Galaxy Gear is far too expensive and limited; and the litany of crowdfunded no-name manufacturers have yet to actually produce a compelling option.

Despite its flaws, I’m a big fan of my Pebble. It’s far from perfect, but it manages to keep me notified of incoming messages, emails, Twitter alerts, and more without forcing me to dig my phone out of my pocket. So when Sony announced the SmartWatch 2, an update to last year’s SmartWatch that brings a refined design and the promise of advanced capabilities, I was quite excited.

Last year’s SmartWatch was a disappointment. Clumsy, unintuitive, and just plain not good-looking, you had to be a real dyed-in-the-wool wearable connoisseur to even consider dropping the $149.99 Sony charged. This year’s SmartWatch 2 is even more expensive — it starts at $199.99 with a rubber band ($50 more than the Pebble) — but Sony claims that it’s learned a lot in the 18 months or so since the first iteration launched. The SmartWatch 2 has a larger display, improved design, updated interface, and other enhancements that Sony claims make it the smartwatch to beat.

The Pebble is nerdy because it’s the Pebble. But Sony is the mainstream, everyone knows the Sony brand. Can Sony make a smartwatch for the mainstream?

Wristware

The most striking thing about the SmartWatch 2 is just how nice it looks compared to the herd of ugly, inelegant smartwatches we’ve become accustomed to. The SmartWatch 2 looks like a smaller version of Sony’s Xperia Z smartphone, with square corners, jewel-like finishes, and a prominent, round silver power button on the side. That power button is the only physical button on the watch, and it’s right where you would typically find the crown on an analog watch.

Along with the power button, the SmartWatch 2 has a new 1.6-inch transflective LCD touchscreen and soft keys that mimic Android’s back, home, and menu functions. Like many of Sony’s mobile devices, the new screen has poor viewing angles (though it is visible outdoors or in bright light), and its 220 x 176 resolution reveals jagged edges and visible pixels on every screen. It’s always on, making it easy to quickly check the time, and the new feature addresses one of the biggest complaints we had with the first SmartWatch (and still have with Samsung’s Galaxy Gear). In dim light, you’ll want to turn the backlight on to read it, and the only way to do that is by pressing the power button on the side. I longed for a flick gesture to wake the backlight when I wanted to just check the time and didn’t want to use two hands; it’s also not yet possible to adjust how long the backlight stays on, and the three-second default is painstakingly short.

The SmartWatch 2 is larger than its predecessor, but it’s significantly smaller and lighter than the Galaxy Gear. It’s about 1.6 inches square and weighs 1.63 ounces, compared to the Gear’s 2.6 ounces and the Pebble’s featherweight 1.34 ounces. It’s not much larger than the average men’s watch, and wasn’t uncomfortable for me to wear, but if you have smaller wrists you might find it to be bulky.

It’s IP57 rated for water resistance, so you can submerge it in water or wear it in the shower without worrying about it — just make sure the port cover is closed before you get the watch wet.

I tested the SmartWatch 2 with the included rubber watchband, but Sony is also offering it with a metal band, which looks nice though it has limited adjustability. The rubber band is pretty comfortable as rubber watch-bands go, but since the SmartWatch 2 supports standard 24mm watch bands, you can swap it out pretty easily (Sony is offering a variety of colors and leather options, but third-party bands work as well).

SONY GOT A LOT OF THINGS RIGHT WITH THE SMARTWATCH 2'S DESIGN

Sony managed to solve a lot of things with the SmartWatch 2’s design: it’s actually an attractive watch that you can wear without looking like a complete geek. The display, which is arguably the most important facet of the device, is a bit of a disappointment and Sony needs to improve upon it. But Sony seems to be moving quickly in the right direction. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the software.

Diversions and distractions

Last year’s SmartWatch had a basic but unintuitive interface. This time around, Sony has revamped the UI to mimic Android, right on down to the capacitive buttons below the screen. It’s not Android, but you wouldn’t be faulted for thinking it was, and that’s exactly what Sony is going for.

Once you have paired the SmartWatch 2 with your Android phone (any Android 4.0 device will do the trick, but iOS is not supported at all) you need to download Sony’s Smart Connect app from the Play Store. Smart Connect handles all of your SmartWatch settings and notifications and lets you install third-party apps on the device. Sony says there are over 300 apps for the SmartWatch available, with over half of them optimized specifically for the SmartWatch 2’s larger display. There are official apps for Twitter, Facebook, and Gmail notifications, as well as controlling your smartphone’s camera right from your wrist. Then there are many third-party apps for a variety of functions, including device authentication (using the presence of the SmartWatch 2 to unlock your phone), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles, battery meters, and timers.

Setting up all of your apps from your smartphone can be a bit of a chore — the Smart Connect app isn’t very intuitive and it looks like it was designed back in the days of Android 2.3 and forgotten about — but once setup is done you can more or less forget about it. I didn’t notice any connection issues with the SmartWatch on a few different devices. If you walk too far away from your phone, the Bluetooth range will be exhausted and the watch will disconnect, but that’s entirely normal, and the SmartWatch 2 reconnects without issue when you're back in range.

The real value of any smartwatch is the ability for it to notify you without requiring you to look at your smartphone. The SmartWatch 2 can receive email, social network, text message, and calendar notifications via its default apps, and third-party apps can send many more types of notifications. The only problem is that these notifications aren’t very good — Twitter notifications are severely delayed, for instance, and I can’t do anything to the emails that buzz my wrist all day long. I can’t delete them, I can’t archive them, I can’t even mark them as read from the Smartwatch. I can see the sender, subject, and a few lines of the message, so it’s better than the Gear, which simply says "look at your smartphone for an email." Additionally, the notifications don’t sync between my phone and the watch — if I clear it from one, it will still be on the other the next time I look at it, forcing me to deal with the notification twice. The whole notification system is still incomplete and there is a lot more that Sony can do here.

THE NOTIFICATION SYSTEM IS STILL INCOMPLETE AND MORE ANNOYING THAN USEFUL

The Android familiarity of the SmartWatch 2’s interface extends through to the pull-down notification shade and swipeable home screens, which house six app icons a piece, sorted either alphabetically or by how often you use them. Every app icon mimics the corresponding app on Android, so Facebook looks like Facebook, Gmail looks like Gmail, and Twitter looks like Twitter. I get why Sony chose to do this — everyone that would be interested in this device already knows how to use a smartphone, right?

But while it may feel like the SmartWatch has its own version of Android, it still relies very much on your smartphone and Sony’s Smart Connect app. On its own, the SmartWatch 2 isn’t very smart: it can tell the time, be used as a stopwatch, and be used as an alarm. But that’s about it. You can reject incoming calls from the SmartWatch (if you have a Sony smartphone, you can answer them, though the SmartWatch does not have a microphone or speaker) and you can send pre-defined replies to text messages without having to touch your phone.

Unlike on the Pebble, Sony doesn’t even let third-party apps change the default clock face. If you don’t like the five analog or digital watch faces Sony provides, tough luck. Sony tells me that more watch faces will be added in the future, but there aren’t any plans to open them up to third-party developers.

Days at a time

The SmartWatch 2’s interface isn’t very responsive —swiping through the screens is often laggy and choppy and opening the various apps can be frustratingly slow. Often I would get frustrated with the SmartWatch’s slow response and just dig my phone out of my pocket to read the notification, thus defeating the purpose of wearing the SmartWatch. Changing tracks with the built-in music controls is also a chore, to the point where I would just skip to the next track on my phone, bypassing the SmartWatch altogether.

MICRO USB CHARGING IS A WONDERFUL THING

One of the hallmarks of a good smartwatch is long battery life — between charging my smartphone, tablet, and laptop every day or two, the last thing I want to have to charge often is my watch. The Pebble does a good job at this — it can last up to five days or so on a charge — while the Galaxy Gear requires you to charge it daily, a non-starter. The SmartWatch 2 lands somewhere in the middle: Sony claims about three to four days between charges and my experience lines up with that. It could certainly be better, but it wasn’t a deal breaker for me. Sony also makes it easy to charge the SmartWatch over Micro USB — the same cable that I use to charge my smartphone can now charge my smartwatch. That’s a major convenience for the SmartWatch 2 that the Pebble and the Galaxy Gear don’t match.

Logitech Powershell

Game SupportLike all iOS controllers—at least those that aren't just joysticks and buttons you stick on the screen—the PowerShell has limited game support. The supported iOS 7 games list has some excellent titles like The Walking Dead, Bastion, Limbo, and King of Fighters-I 2012, but beyond the 40-something titles explicitly compatible with the PowerShell, you'll have to deal with spotty and inconsistent controls. This is a problem with all iOS controllers that connect to the device through either the Lightning connector or Bluetooth, but the list of supported games for iCade controllers like the iCade and 8-Bitty is nearly three times longer. The iCade in particular supports many more classic arcade titles, but lacks big, compelling names like Bastion and The Walking Dead. Apple iOS 7 gamepad support will hopefully result in broader and more consistent physical control integration for the PowerShell and other controllers in the future, compared with the haphazard gamepad support of previous iOS versions. This depends on game programmers now; with iOS 7 out the tools are there but the games still have to be written to use controllers through them.

DesignThe PowerShell is longer than the iPhone or iPod Touch it's designed to hold, but not much wider or thicker. It measures 7.9 by 2.6 by 0.7 inches (HWD); it's rectangular and slightly curved, with an iPhone-shaped hole in the middle complete with Lightning connector. The PowerShell weighs just 4.2 ounces without an iOS device in it, accounting for both its physical controls and built-in battery. The back holds a G-shaped logo that glows blue when active or red when low on power, along with a large cut-out for the iPhone's camera (and for easily pushing the iOS device out of the PowerShell when you're not using it). Another cutout on the bottom gives access to volume controls, while a tab to the left of the device slot triggers the iPhone or iPod Touch's power button. Finally, the lower right-hand corner of the PowerShell holds a micro USB port for charging, a power switch, and a lanyard hole.

The PowerShell's controls are sadly minimalist. It has no dual analog controls, and even its analog direction pad feels more like a digital direction pad that something that can be used for precise movements. The front has four small face buttons arranged in an Xbox-style A/B/X/Y configuration, with a Pause/Start button recessed below them. Two shoulder buttons round out the PowerShell for a disappointing total of one directional control and six buttons (not counting the Pause/Start button). The motion controls on iOS devices are ostensibly supposed to alleviate the need for analog sticks or pads, but my frustrating time with StormRaiders proved that there just aren't enough controls to play most 3D games well.

STOP SNACKING. START DEVOURING.

The iPhone® game controller you always wanted.

IOS 7 GAME SUPPORT

CONSOLE-STYLE CONTROLS

Advanced games, advanced control

INTEGRATED 1500 MAH BATTERY

Game on and on

SLIM PROFILE

Streamlined for quick-draw gaming

COMFORTABLE DESIGN

Form-fitted gaming grip

EASILY ACCESS PHONE FEATURES

Surf, snap, chat, watch, listen, and play

HEADPHONE ADAPTER

Sound completes the picture

Playing GamesThe first-person shooter Dead Trigger plays better, but still underscores the need for dual analog controls. You use the direction pad to move in the game, and then swipe over the screen with your thumb to aim. Like all touch screen controls, this means your thumb will be blocking part of the screen most of the time. Physical controls for both moving and aiming separate from the screen would have made the PowerShell much more useful.

Side-scrolling and fixed-camera games benefit much more from the PowerShell than first- or third-person games. LEGO Lord of the Rings played pretty well with the PowerShell, though the wiggly direction pad didn't quite offer the precision of a conventional analog pad or stick or the responsiveness of a digital direction pad. Muffin Knight also benefitted from the PowerStick, and both games felt more satisfying to navigate and attack with the direction pad and face buttons than any on-screen controls would offer.

BatteryThe built-in 1,500mAh battery can keep your phone charged for about as long as its own built-in battery, which is a nice touch even if the PowerShell is bulkier and has less capacity than non-gaming battery cases. Even with the battery drained and not charging the phone, the PowerShell works as a controller.

The Logitech PowerShell is a good idea done haphazardly. With just one wiggly direction pad that's allegedly analog but really just feels unresponsive and six control buttons, it's underequipped for the sort of games it wants to control. At $100, unless you love retro games and don't mind dealing with awkwardness with 3D games, the PowerShell is a pricey novelty that fails to live up to its potential.

Whether in the air, on the road, or between classes, PowerShell opens a new world of mobile gaming with powerful console-style controls. Plus, an integrated 1500 mAh battery increases the available power capacity of your iPhone 5®, iPhone® 5s or iPod touch® (5th gen).

Both groundbreaking new games and timeless classics can take advantage of iOS 7 and PowerShell's analog console-style controls. *With controller-compatible games, there's no extra software to install. Just download a favorite and go. A list of currently compatible iOS7 games is available here. Check the App Store frequently for the latest controller-compatible game releases.

Use powerful, precise console-style analog controls to dominate your favorite iOS games - and your opponents - more easily than using on-screen controls. Plus, the analog d-pad, shoulder triggers and button cluster move your hands away from the screen for the clearest view of the action.

Intense gaming can strain your device's battery. PowerShell backs you up with a 1500 mAh battery, increasing the available power capacity of the iPhone 5, iPhone 5s or 5th generation iPod touch. When the external battery indicator shows power is low, use the included micro-USB cable to top up both your device and PowerShell.

Whether you're in the air, on the road, or just between classes, the lightweight, slim PowerShell goes with you anywhere. The streamlined shape means PowerShell fits easily into your pocket, bag, or backpack. Games are always within easy reach.

PowerShell is designed for more than casual gaming-on-the-go. Its comfortable curves and subtly textured, soft rubber surface offer a sure – but comfortable – grip for hours of gaming.

Gaming isn't the only thing you do when you're on the go. PowerShell adds great gaming features without stopping you from snapping pictures, making calls, or listening to music. And volume up/down buttons, ring/silent switch, and power/sleep button all remain fully accessible.

Stay plugged-in for great game sound, or for making a call. PowerShell includes a 3.5mm headphone adapter with an angled design to keeps cords safely away from the action.

3-year Limited hardware warranty

iPhone 5, iPhone 5s or iPod touch (5th generation)

iOS 7

Controller

Philips Norelco QT4070 Vacuum Beard, Stubble and Mustache Trimmer Pro

The Philips Norelco QT4070 Vacuum Beard, Stubble and Mustache Trimmer Pro is a fairly good beard trimmer with multiple extra functions and the ability to trim a wide range of beard lengths.

In terms of features (or as some might think of them, gimmicks), the QT4070 is fully-loaded and jam-packed. There are a ton of things on this trimmer aside from the actual beard trimming capabilities. Some help make the experience better, and some aren’t necessary, but if you like gadgets, this is definitely cool from that perspective. Of course, you want it to cut your hair, too, so we’ll dive right in and have a look at the product.

Starting from the top, you’ll notice that when the comb guide is attached, you use a zoom wheel located on the front of the unit to change between settings. This particular Philips Norelco has a very wide range of length settings, so we’re pleased about that. At least with all of the accessories, they still made room for a very important part of the trimmer, which of course is making sure that it is usable and accessible to as many people as possible. With more lengths comes the ability for more people to use it, and it also allows you to get the absolute perfect length, not to mention is helpful if you fade your beard at all or have different lengths (goatee vs. stubble on the rest of your face).

You can get a .5mm shave for very close stubble if you remove the comb guide, but when the guide is attached, you get 1mm increments from 1mm all the way to 18mm, for a total of 19 lengths if you include the bare blades. One of the features of this trimmer is the display, part of which shows you the length setting you have selected, so there’s no guess work or straining your eyes to see the tiny numbers when you’re setting the guide.

The blades are maintenance free stay-sharp blades that seem to do the job they were meant to do. There are no glaring errors or major pulling when trimming, so as a beard trimmer, this would do the job alright if we just stopped here. You’d probably find it as a middle of the pack bargain buy if it just cut your hair and didn’t try anything else.

On the subject of the blade, you’ll notice that Philips Norelco includes two guide combs to use with the blade. One is the normal comb and the other is the ‘contour comb’. More than a few people have reported that the normal comb is a bad choice for them, particularly because it bends slightly and does not give you an even beard length. Additionally, it has sharp ends. If you can, try it out with the contour comb first, as you may find that is the more comfortable and consistent guide.

NOTE: Philips used to only include one guide comb that contributed to many negative reviews. This has since been changed, so keep that in mind as you are doing your research!

The major draw and appeal of this trimmer is the fact that it’s one of the few units that actually has a vacuum built in to suck up the freshly cut hairs, leaving no mess behind (on you or in the sink). When turned on, this product has a vacuum by the blade that sucks in cut hairs and traps them in a small compartment. When you are finished using it, you simply snap the front flap open and empty the hair into the trash.

In use, the vacuum is just OK. It doesn’t suck up 100% of the cut hairs, so you may find a few loose ones in your beard and in the sink, although it will be far fewer than you would have without the vacuum. Additionally, some users claim that it gets less efficient over time. That might be expected, as any wear and tear is normal, but for a key feature, one might expect it to continue to perform well, even after extended use. However, the vacuum feature is more of a fun feature than a perfect tool, so you must go into this purchase with the right expectations. It’s nice, but it’s not a catch all (pun intended, I think).

Without a doubt, the vacuum cuts down on the amount of beard trimmings you’ll have to clean up, so it’s basically good, just not great.

Yet another fun feature is the Turbo Power Button that boosts the cutting and fan speed to get through thicker hairs with ease. It’s a decent feature, but you may find that it’s unnecessary. Even with moderately coarse facial hair in the form of a goatee, we’ve found that you can get a pretty decent trim without using it. If you’re cleaning up after a month in the bush, however, it might be useful to get through the really rough patches and will help to increase the amount of hair the vacuum picks up. Just be aware that this may also limit battery life if used extensively.

The previously mentioned display will also show you battery life left in 1/4 chunks (i.e., a full battery is 4 bars). This is nice to see, because at least you’ll know to charge it when it’s getting low so you don’t get the nasty surprise of no juice when you’re about to shave.

However, with the Philips Norelco QT4070 Vacuum Beard, Stubble and Mustache Trimmer Pro, you really won’t get a nasty surprise, even if the battery is drained. That’s because you can actually use this while it’s plugged in. The plug in is quite small and non-intrusive and being able to use it while charging is a great feature that allows you to charge in a situation like this where the charge ran out, or if you prefer the constant and consistent power of using the power from the wall socket rather than the battery.

The trimmer comes with a 2 year warranty, which is handy, particularly for something like this that has a number of extra features not normally found in a beard trimmer.

While this Philips Norelco model has many features, most of which you can live without, they all function moderately well, and none of them really take away from the beard trimming experience. This is a good choice for most people, particularly if you want to avoid trimmings decorating your shirt and sink.

Withing Pulse

Pulse O₂

Track. Improve.

A "wear it your way" tracker to monitor your activity and sleep, read vital signs and improve your overall health.

Advanced tracking, every step of the way

Whatever your fitness level or style, the Withings Pulse O2can help you be more active and improve your health. During the day it captures steps, distance walked, elevation climbed and calories burned. At night, it monitors your sleeping cycles. And when asked, it measures your heart rate and blood oxygen level. The Pulse O2 offers an empowering experience, as you are able to better yourself by making informed choices. Every step counts! Start tracking them to know where you stand and to see how fast you are progressing.

The most versatile tracker

Wear it your way

Sport it or hide it! The Pulse O2 adapts to your style. During the daytime the Pulse O2 can be worn 3 different ways:

• Slap it on your wrist using the adjustable watchband.
• Attach it to your belt or apparel using the clip.
• Drop it in your pocket or bag.

At night, use the wristband to monitor your sleep. As the watchband's spring bars are standard (18 mm) you can even create your own customized wristband.

Running the good race

Analyze your running in real time with the Withings Pulse O2. When you are jogging, pressing the button once will bring forward the feedback you need: duration and distance.

Listen to your heart

With its 4 LEDs the Pulse O2 measures 2 vital signs - your heart rate and blood oxygen level - giving you a quick view of your health status.

Your heart rate in a heart beat

The Pulse O2 is the smallest device to measure heart rate. It lets you check your heartbeat rate on any occasion: before a date to assess your stress or after exercising to monitor your recovery heart rate.

Start considering your blood oxygen level

Also known as "The Fifth Vital Sign", the blood oxygen level is an estimation of your blood's oxygen saturation (SpO2). It is a way of assessing the overall efficiency of your respiratory function.

Faithfully following your nights

Time to go to bed? Place the Withings Pulse O2 in the wristband and launch the sleep cycle analysis. The next morning you will have the opportunity to precisely assess your sleep in order to have more restorative nights. The in-app graph shows the different sleep cycles and lists key sleep quality indicators - something more reliable than "impressions".

Swipe for motivation

Did you beat your previous record?

Slide your finger across the touch screen and go back into time! The Withings Pulse O2 features History Browsing which allows you to display 10 days worth of data, giving you instant insight on your progress.

Learn about yourself

Sync seamlessly

The Pulse O2 automatically syncs to your smartphone all throughout the day thanks to its embedded Buetooth Low Energy technology. Each time the data is wirelessly transmitted to your free secured Withings account, it is put into perspective and made available in the dedicated Web and mobile apps (iOS and Android).

See the data come to life

Watch as the Health Mate app breathes life into those raw numbers! The app instantly turns them into easy to read graphs showing trends and showcasing your day-to-day progress. Soon you will have a better understanding of how your body works and how your habits impact your health.

Balance physical activity and nutrition

Master your body's weight. Simply log your meals in the MyFitnessPal app - the world's largest food, nutrition and calorie database. Our Health Mate app brings home their caloric equivalents and measures them against the number of calories burned.