Man Riding Donkey

Welcome to Donkey Week here at OPOD. We will be looking at pictures of this much underappreciated Beast of Burden this week. The picture above was taken in the late 1800's in the middle east. Most people are probably not aware of the great extent that donkeys are still used today in many places in the world. Here is West Texas they are very common. A donkey, or a few donkeys are put with a herd of sheep or goats. The donkey will become part of the sheep or goat herd, and will very effectively protect the herd against predators. Lamas are also popular in this area for that purpose.

Sony Xperia Z3 review - Sony Xperia sequel hits all the right notes

Good - The Sony Xperia Z3 packs great battery life, a brilliant display, beautiful design and waterproof features. If you own a PS4, you'll also be able to play PS4 games remotely on your phone.

Bad - The UI can use updating -- all the icons just look way too big. While it may have a 20.7-megapixel camera, autofocus can be a little off, but nothing a quick tap on the screen can't fix.

Bottom Line - The Sony Xperia Z3 is Sony's most formidable to date with a formidable display and promising features that easily give Android competition from HTC, LG and Samsung a run for their money.

Sony's newest Z-series flagship phone didn't take long to arrive -- the Xperia Z2 was only announced earlier this year -- but in a flash it took its place as Sony's ultimate smartphone. It brings a new, refined design and is one of the first smartphones along with the smaller Z3 Compact and the Z3 Tablet Compact, to promise a deep integration with Sony's PlayStation 4 games console.

With the Z3, Sony finally integrates its various platforms into an ecosystem that can rival Apple or Microsoft -- but on top of Google's Android. Indeed, the company's purchase of the mobile division from its joint partnership with Ericsson has finally take fruit, after two and a half years.

The Xperia Z3 is on sale now in the UK and set to hit stores Asia in early October. In the UK, it's available SIM-free from around £500 online, or free on monthly contracts from around the £35 mark. There's no word yet on how much the Z3 will sell for unlocked in the US but its Singapore price, S$998, converts to around $800.

In Australia, the Z3 is available for pre-order now at Au$849, but there's no actual onsale date yet. You can get a more detailed look at pricing and carrier plans here.

In the US it's slated for a fall launch with T-Mobile, making it the first time Sony is actually selling its flagship handset at roughly the same time right around the world.

Design

Sometimes there's really no need to deviate too much from a good thing, That's just what Sony has done here, only slightly refining the previous Xperia formula to good effect. It keeps the glass-covered front and rear and the aluminum band that holds it all together, but like Apple, Sony refined the Z3's profile for a new generation. The a result is slightly smaller, slimmer and lighter Z2. The rounded edges also make for a better grip -- the sharper edges of the Z2 can dig uncomfortably into your hand.

Like the recent iPhone 6 and HTC One M8, the Z3 has a premium feel that's hard to beat. The rear glass back can be prone to fingerprint smudges -- particularly the black model, but the white version hides this well.

Software features

Like the Z2, the Z3 comes running Android KitKat, but 4.4.4 instead of 4.4.2. The difference between the two versions are just some bug fixes, so software-wise, the features found on the Z3 are pretty much the same.

You have built-in themes, floating apps, Sony's own take on the image gallery called Albums, a music app called Walkman and a Movie app that lets you rent films (although this doesn't work from where I'm testing in Singapore).

There is new stuff, however, and this includes Lifelog, a health tracker; Sony Select, an app curator; and PlayStation, which lets you play PlayStation 4 games on your phone anywhere at home. You'll essentially be able to use your Xperia Z3 as a remote screen for your PS4, using the PS4's DualShock 4 controller to stay in the game.

PS4 integration

Of the new features, the new PS4 remote play stands out as one of the more important features. Sony has been talking about integration for years now, having acquired the other half of its mobile business from the partnership with Ericsson in early 2012, and the Z3 looks set to properly realise this. If you already own a PS4, there's more reason to get locked in to the Sony ecosystem to get the full experience.

Unfortunately, this isn't quite ready yet -- the rollout looks likely to happen sometime in October or November, and as such, we're unable to test out this feature just yet. Given that this is one of the major calling cards for the new Z3 range of devices, we'll properly evaluate this before we give our final verdict.

The Z3 is the first smartphone that lets you stream PlayStation 4 games to it: a very intriguing incentive, if you already have the console and are desperate to play while other people take their turn on the family TV.

Internal specs

Spec-wise, the Z3 packs a snappy Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor clocked at 2.5GHz, and like the Z2 has a 5.2-inch full HD display (1,920x1,080 pixels). Unlike other manufacturers, including Samsung, who have chosen to go with a "Quad HD" display (2,560x1,440 pixels), Sony is sticking with full HD on the Z3 and has come out fighting on this point, saying that the higher resolution isn't worth the tradeoff in reduced battery life. This does make some sense, especially since Sony has claimed two days of battery life for the Z3, but more on this later.

Other specs include 3GB RAM and either 16GB or 32GB of onboard storage. You'll also have dual band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC connectivity.

Are you curious about how the Xperia Z3 holds up against the current crop of Android flagships from the major brands? 

Camera

The Sony Xperia Z3 comes with the same 20.7-megapixel camera found on the Z1 and Z2, and like the Z2, but with a few improvements -- ISO sensitivity now hits 12,800 and it has a wider lens as well as better image stability. Like the Z2, it's also able of capturing 4K video.

Now, the Z3's camera seems pretty decent, but with a few caveats. Despite it having 20.7 megapixels, Sony uses pixel-binning for most of its modes, and produces a picture of around 8 megapixels.

Auto-focusing still seems a little slow compared with the iPhone 6 I have to hand, but I would imagine Sony is likely to take a page from Samsung and Apple in a future phone and add phase detection for better focusing.

Also, the camera doesn't always seem to get the focus right the first time, but a quick tap on the screen seems to solve this. Colors also seem a little drab, but you can tweak the settings to obtain warmer tones.

One last thing to note is that the physical camera shutter button is pretty handy to have, and the automatic mode seems capable of handling whatever shots you need.

Performance

With the Z3 packing a quad-core Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz processor, the phone was quick and snappy. While it's not the latest Snapdragon 805 processor found in newer devices, you'll have no performance issues with this phone, that's for sure.

On the Quadrant benchmark, the Z3 scored 20,425, which is similar to other phones that use the same processor. The result of the Linpack multi-threaded test is also similar, scoring 843.333 MFLOPs over 0.2 seconds, which is pretty good.

The results of the Z3 are comparable to other phones using the Snapdragon 801 processor, such as the Samsung Galaxy S5, which had a higher Quadrant score of 23,707, or the LG G3, which managed 23,103. Bear in mind though that benchmarks don't tell the full story -- some manufacturers have been to known to tweak their phones to get them to score higher in these tests.

Call quality

I found no issues with call quality, and I even used this phone to do a radio interview. The radio hosts had no problems with the quality, and that's always a good sign. The front-facing speaker volume was also pretty good, though not as loud or as clear as HTC's own front-facing BoomSound blasters.

Battery life

Here's where the Z3 shines. Sony claims that the phone is easily able to last two days, and while I didn't quite get there, I easily lasted one and half days of heavy usage. I spent at least a full morning browsing on the phone and checking emails while waiting for an appointment, followed by a lull period back at the office, and then Web surfing on my evening commute. I left it uncharged at night, and the phone survived till around noon-ish through my usual morning activities, which included taking pictures and tweeting at an event. If you're a moderate user (checking emails and Web browsing occasionally during the day), I think you'll be easily able to hit that claimed two-day mark.

In the CNET Video Lab test, the Z3 measured 12.5 hours, which puts it ahead of the iPhone 6, HTC One M8, and LG G3 but behind the Galaxy S5.

Conclusion

Sony's Xperia Z3 doesn't have a brand new design, but it's an evolution of what the company has been working on the last few years. It's a great phone, but it's still early to say if the Z3 will make a Sony global force in smartphones. After all, HTC is a prime example of a company making great handsets, but struggling to stay afloat.

That said, if you haven't already upgraded from the Z1 to the Z2, skip it and jump straight to the Z3. It packs a brilliant display, waterproof features and a good camera into a slim and sleek design. While the UI could use a little tweaking to better suit the phone's sexy design, the Z3 definitely impresses.

While we await to test the PlayStation 4 remote play feature, I daresay the Z3 is one of the best Sony phones to date. It's as good as the LG G3, but with the promise of much better battery life -- plus, I'll be honest, the "Quad HD" screen of the G3 is cool, but it's not really required right now.

Sony researcher wants to put you in someone else's head

Jun Rekimoto, who studies augmented reality at Sony Computer Science Labs, is using cameras, drones and sensors to capture and share what others are seeing and feeling.

Jun Rekimoto envisions a future in which sports spectators will be able to watch games through the eyes of the players, experiencing the sights and feeling on the field, even while sitting at home on the couch.

This concept of "jacking in," popularized by William Gibson's seminal 1984 novel "Neuromancer," is something that's existed in the reaches of science fiction for decades, but one that Rekimoto is trying to bring closer to reality.

Rekimoto, deputy director of research at Sony Computer Science Laboratories in Tokyo, outlined some of his work in this area at the lab's first-ever research symposium in the US. The event was held this week in Manhattan's Museum of Modern Art, where researchers discussed their work in music, art and prosthetics, to name a few areas.

Rekimoto's focus has been on augmented reality, taking the ideas from Gibson's novel and trying to apply them to current technology. "I wanted to extend this concept, that we can immersively connect to other humans or drones," he said during an interview after the symposium.

Augmented reality technologies have existed for years, but there's a sudden acceleration in virtual reality technology, from Oculus' gaming-oriented virtual reality technology to Sony's own Project Morpheus. Even Samsung, working with Oculus, is set to sell a virtual headset powered by its Galaxy Note 4 smartphone. These products could spark huge changes in how people watch movies, play games and communicate with each other.

"When you combine that viewing experience, it really creates a new way of communicating," said Brian Blau, a consumer-technology analyst for research firm Gartner. "Seeing someone else's viewpoint, I think, is going to be a powerful paradigm."

Rekimoto sits further out on the developmental curve, with some of the ideas he's working on not expected to reach the market for years. In one project, he and a team are developing a headset called LiveSphere, which includes six cameras and can capture 360 degrees around someone wearing the device. Rekimoto said the headset, along with audio instructions from someone watching remotely, could help users get guidance on cooking or medical procedures. Athletes could wear a similar device to provide a fresh view for spectators.

"The resulting image is quite exciting," Rekimoto said when describing a test with a gymnast swinging around on a high bar while wearing LiveSphere.

He added that Sony researchers are also working on adding the sense of touch into LiveSphere by using a "tactile device," such as actuators mounted on fingers.

In another project, Rekimoto said the lab is developing something called Flying Head, in which a drone follows a person's movements. That technology could be used to help athletes gauge their form and style when practicing. In another case, jacking into a personalized drone could allow a user to inspect disaster areas too dangerous for people to visit.

"I think the more important, or more promising, practice is a human augmenting other humans," Rekimoto said, adding that he expects that such technology could birth "a huge industry" with human abilities transmitted from one person to another.

The bizarre bendable phone wears like a shirt sleeve

A California startup is crowdfunding a flexible phablet that you strap to your arm and it might not be totally ridiculous. 

For the past few years, the standing lazy punchline about wearables has been something about awkwardly strapping a computer or a phone to your body. Finally, a crowdfunding campaign has taken the joke to the next level and made that punchline a reality.

San Francisco Bay Area startup Arubixs has designed a flexible screen phablet dubbed "Portal" that slides into a dual-strap arm cradle that extends about halfway up the forearm from the wrist. It seems equal parts brilliant and ridiculous. We've seen flexible displays like this for years now -- mostly as demonstration models at CES that never make it to market -- but this is the first design I've seen that's built entirely around the flexibility of the screen.

"Current wearable offerings and even the new Apple Watch are just too small to text on or do anything really practical," Arubixs founder Brandon Mairs told CNET via email. "This (Portal) is not just a wearable. It's a smartphone you can wear. So when the phone is not in the cradle it's just a thin, 6-inch smartphone that's flexible, water resistant and shatterproof."

While the idea of essentially strapping a bendable phone the size of a Galaxy Note to your arm seems like it would be a tough sell even in a futuristic sci-fi universe, the Portal's specs are hard to ignore.

 Arubixs claims its 6-inch TFT display is also scratch-resistant and reinforced by a flexible Kevlar exterior. It has 2GB RAM, a total of four cameras, 64GB of storage, a full suite of sensors, NFC, Bluetooth, LTE, wireless charging and a proprietary 3,200mAh flexible battery. The processor is yet to be determined. Portal will run a skinned version of Android and respond to touch, gesture and motion-based commands.

Part of me really likes the basic concept here, which is a single device that can act as smartwatch, fitness tracker and phone all at once, but the whole thing reminds me a little too much of the guy at the office party who tries a little too hard. Right down to the Indiegogo pitch video below, which at first seems like a satire from an episode of HBO's "Silicon Valley."

 But if we can just throw away the absurd steel-banded "executive" model, and focus on the idea of a large, rugged wearable device for active uses like sports or even working in the field, Portal starts to seem like a pretty cool potential niche product.

If you're such a shameless phablet fan that you'd have no problem wearing one on your sleeve -- or as a sleeve -- you can claim a Portal via an Indiegogo campaign right now, starting at $349. If you prefer something a little more subtle, the company says it's working on a smaller, 4-inch model.

"We started with a 6-inch display first, then realized in testing (that) a smaller one could close the gap for everyone's needs," Mairs told CNET. "In early 2016 we will be introducing a more compact 4-inch. I personally prefer the 4-inch myself and wear that mock-up around town all the time."

Check out the pitch video below and let us know in the comments or by tweeting @crave if you'd ever consider wearing something similar.

Motorola Moto X (2014) review - Motorola's new Moto X far surpasses the original

The Good - The Motorola Moto X has a sharp 1080p screen, a swift quad-core processor, nifty software and gesture features, and customizable design options that'll fit anyone's style.

The Bad - A minimalist camera, combined with no expandable memory, are the handset's only drawbacks.

The Bottom Line - The Motorola Moto X hits all the right notes, delivering stock Android inside a powerful high-end handset that you can customize yourself.

Personally, it's been a long time since I've been excited about a phone. I'm not sure if it's because I'm a sucker for stock Android, or because I crave something aesthetically unique, but the last time I remember something really piqued my interest was the red-hot Google Nexus 5.

That being said, the next-gen Motorola Moto X is my next handset. Why? Because it's fast. Because the screen is gorgeous. Because it can come in wood and leather and (some would say an "artless") pink. Because even though I've seen cameras with more features, its 13-megapixel shooter is still solid. Because I get a kick out of talking with it like it's a human who knows a lot of facts even though she's slow to respond. Because it's all this combined.

True, we were already fans of the original Moto, even though it wasn't designed to equally match up against other flagships at the time. The same is true here, except this new model closes the gap between it and its rivals. And though it only sits a mere half-step behind top-tier phones, the new Moto X makes up for it in spades with its price, build quality, and reliable performance.

Availability

In the US, the device starts at $100 on contract from AT&T and Verizon, or for $500 unlocked, plus $25 for optional wood or leather backs, and another $50 for 16GB of extra storage. UK users can nab it for £420 unlocked, plus £20 for the premium finishes, and £40 for the extra storage. Unfortunately, Australia just got its hands on the first Moto X six months ago in March 2014, so this updated variant isn't available there yet. It is however scheduled for a release by the end of October or early November. No additional pricing or availability details have been supplied by Motorola at this stage.

Design

Similar to its predecessor, the Moto X sports curved backing, which renders it incredibly comfortable to hold. It's more ergonomically accommodating than the straight-edge Samsung Galaxy S5 and its arc bends deeper at the center than the HTC One M8, making it fit cozier in the hand. Even with my petite grip, I didn't run into much trouble flicking through and maneuvering this device with my thumb.

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With its larger 5.2-inch display, the phone now measures 5.54 inches tall, 2.85 inches wide, and 0.39 inches thick at its deepest (140.8 by 72.4 by 9.9mm). And at 5.08 ounces (144 grams), it's a tad heavier than its predecessor. I don't consider these design flaws, however, since you gain more screen real estate.

Besides, the new Moto X looks a whole lot sexier than before. For one thing, its trimmings have been upgraded from plastic to metal, so the device has a more premium aesthetic. The fact that the display curves smoothly over the edges (which is reminiscent of the Google Nexus 4) instead of being hugged by the bezels adds to the sleek, luxurious feel. Motorola also tacked on another front-facing speaker grille at the bottom, and textured the power button with ridges to make it easier to discern by touch. The signature M-dimple on the rear is bigger too, and I found it useful as an anchor for my finger while holding the handset.

Of course, one of the phone's main draws is the fact that you can customize it through Motorola's Moto Maker website. (This is now available in the UK too, though sadly, once again, those living in Australia don't have a chance to partake in this -- Aussies will get a choice of the black resin or bamboo finish and that's it.)

There are only two color options for the front side (black or white), but for the back, you can choose between 17 colors, four types of wood grain, and four leather dyes. Wood and leather finishes add $25 or £20 to the final price, however. Your speaker grilles and the ring around the M-dimple are known as "trim" and that comes in 10 more colors. Other options include memory capacity (either 16GB or 32GB, with the latter being $50 or £40 more), cases, and personal engravings.

My review unit had a black leather backing, which looked sophisticated and austere. But while the material is unique and staves off fingerprints, it does accumulate small indentations here and there from daily use that you can see. This is a natural occurrence with leather, so it isn't a huge deal, but it's something to keep in mind.

Display

The Moto X's 5.2-inch OLED screen features Corning Gorilla Glass 3, a 1080p resolution, and 423 pixels per inch. It's much sharper than last year's 720p AMOLED screen, and is on par with the 5.1-inch Galaxy S5 and the 5.0-inch One M8 in terms of clarity and richness. (The LG G3 still edges out all these devices with its quad-HD technology, 538ppi, and bigger 5.5-inch size, however.)

In general, this handset's display looks vibrant and brilliant. Images, videos, and games are vivid, the screen has a wide viewing angle, and it's easily readable in sunlight given that the brightness is cranked to its maximum level. When I checked specific swatches of black and white, the former looked deep, while the latter appeared pure and bright. The display's also responsive to the touch, and the way it contours down to the edge as mentioned before keeps my swiping and flicking smooth.

Software features

Compared to Google-branded devices like the Nexus and special Play Edition handsets, the Moto X doesn't run the "purist" form of Android, but it comes pretty darn close. It has Android 4.4.4 KitKat, and Motorola noted that the phone will be able to update to Android L the moment the new version rolls out. As expected, the device also includes your usual bundle of Google apps like Drive, Gmail, the Chrome Browser, Maps, and Quickoffice.

Similar to its predecessor, the Moto X has a bevy of convenient software tricks. The digital and search assistant, Moto Voice, works similar to Google Now, and you can activate it without touching the device. Just set up a personal greeting (in my case, I went with the informal, "Hey yo, Moto X") to perk up its ears. Then, say a command -- you can look up the current weather forecast, ask when the next game is on, look up a song title if it's playing in real-time, and more. Moto Voice also launches other apps. If you ask it to take a selfie, the front-facing camera will open up and begin to countdown for a picture. You can also ask the handset to peck out a text, post to Facebook and Twitter, set an alarm, or navigate to a destination.

For the most part, the feature works well, but there are some caveats. You'll need to be in a relatively quiet room, and speak in clear, distinct manner that can sound a bit unnatural. You also need to give Moto Voice enough time to register you command, which can take several seconds to kickstart.

Moto Display shows any missed notifications you have, even while the phone's sleeping. Just wave your hand over the screen's front sensors, see what pops up, and if you want more information on a specific notification, tap the individual app icon. There's also Moto Assist, which adjusts your device's settings depending where you are (in a meeting, at home, driving, or trying to catch up on sleep, for example). Lastly, Moto Actions incorporates gesture control, such as waving your hand over your Moto X to silence it in case it receives an incoming call.

As an AT&T handset, you will get some preloaded apps from the carrier. In addition to its branded email and navigators apps, there's AT&T Live, a news service powered by Yahoo! There's a usage manager so you can look over your battery and data consumption, 5GB of free cloud storage through AT&T Locker, and MyAT&T, which lets you check your data and account info.

Camera and video

The Moto X's camera jumped from 10- to 13-megapixels, and can record video in slow motion and in 2,160p ultra HD 4K. The fact that the phone runs mostly pure Android means that users miss out on manufacturer-specific camera software. And similar to the Google Nexus, the Moto X's camera only has a handful of features, including geo-tagging, panoramic shooting, and HDR. The front-facing 2-megapixel camera can record in 1080p HD video, though panoramic shooting and control focus are disabled. Users can takes photos while shooting, as well as pause live recording.

Similar to its predecessor, users can flick their wrists with the device in hand, to launch the camera. Though this isn't the most natural motion, it's pretty effective and useful. To activate the 4x digital zoom, you'll need to swipe up and down on the left side of the viewfinder; and to call up the menu wheel, you can swipe inward from the edges of the screen.

There's also a feature called "control focus and exposure." This lets you lock in the lighting exposure or focus of certain areas and objects inside the picture. The tool is signified with an encircled bracket that appears directly on the viewfinder, and you can drag it around the screen to select your area of focus.

For me, this tool took some time to get used to. Before I got the hang of it, I took many disappointing, out-of-focus pictures that had randomly blurry objects in the middle or edges of my photos. The fact that directly tapping the viewfinder also activates the shutter didn't help either. But after a while, I was able to learn the difference between "hard tapping the screen to take a picture" and "gently pressing my finger against the screen to start operating the control focus." Other users may get the hang of this much quicker than me, but it's important to note that some learning is required nonetheless.

Again, the camera isn't as feature-rich like the GS5, and with HDR turned off, light sources can be blown out easily. But I was impressed by how true-to-life colors were (especially with indoor lighting and white hues) and how fast it operated. For more on handset's photo quality, check out the images below. And be sure to click on them to see them at their full resolution.

Performance

I tested the Moto X in our San Francisco offices and call quality on AT&T was great. Although I could hear a slight amount of static every now and then when my calling partner spoke, it was very subtle and wasn't overly distracting or irritating. Other than that, none of my calls dropped, volume range was appropriate, audio remained continuous, and there weren't any other buzzing or extraneous noise going on in the background. In addition, speaker quality was particularly notable. Although audio didn't quite have the same depth as it does on the One M8, the dual front-facing speakers rendered conversations louder and clearer than most devices.

Likewise, my partner said my voice sounded clear as well. Although she could tell I was speaking from a mobile handset, she said that audio on her line sounded clean with no distortion or static.

Data speeds on the carrier's 4G LTE network was fast, and I was most impressed with the phone's average download and upload rate, which according to Ookla's speed test app was 33.92Mbps down and 12.29Mbps up. As usual when I browsed the web on AT&T, I experienced some load time hiccups, with some sites stalling to display after several seconds passed by. On this device, however, it occurred quite rarely, happening only two or three times total.

On average, sites loaded very fast. For example, both of CNET's mobile and desktop pages loaded in 6 seconds. The New York Times mobile and desktop sites took 10 and 8 seconds, respectively. The mobile for ESPN clocked in at 4 seconds and its full page loaded in 6. Downloading and installing the 45.80MB game Temple Run 2 was also quick, taking only 25 seconds.

The Moto X's processor is incredibly zippy -- apps launch and close with ease; graphics intensive games like Riptide GP 2 show high frame rates and play smoothly; and the camera is nimble, readying itself instantaneously for the next shot. Benchmark tests also mirrored my real-world findings. Its best multithread Linpack score was 591.813 MFLOPs in 0.28 seconds, and though its highest 21,936 Quadrant result falls just below its competitors, the score is still fast.

Save for the One M8 (which has a 2.3GHz clock speed) all the devices including the Moto X, Galaxy S5, and LG G3 have a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor. The One M8 scored the highest with 24,593, with the GS5 and G3 coming right after with their scores of 23,707 and 23,103, respectively. On average, it took Motorola's handset to power off and restart in 35 seconds and it took 1.76 seconds for the camera to launch.

Powered by a 2,300mAh battery, the phone has a reported talk time of 17 hours and a standby time of 10.4 days. Anecdotal observation shows that the battery is decent, but not significantly impressive. With mild usage, it can survive a work day without a charge, but expect to plug in if you're a high-powered user. During our battery drain test for continuous video playback, the phone lasted 10 hours and 38 minutes. According to FCC radiation measurements, the device has a SAR rating of 1.08W/kg.

Conclusion

The Motorola Moto X is not without its faults. Compared to other flagship competitors, its camera has few editing features, and storage hogs will find its lack of external memory disappointing.

But all its benefits mean it's easy to look past these drawbacks. Its US starting price, both on- and off-contract ($100 and $500, respectively) is lower than the Galaxy S5 and LG G3. It delivers the same high-speed processor as the other two, and has a brilliant screen. In addition, with software features like the Moto Voice and Display, the user experience feels personal and seamless.

And most importantly, in a sea of black slabs and few color options, the device achieves what no other handset has yet to do: it can look and feel like it truly belongs to you. With Moto Maker, you can design a phone that's unique and personal. Even if that's not a high priority for you, the fact is that you're already starting off with a premium device in your hands. But add the ability to customize it to reflect your personal style? Well, that's just a gigantic cherry on the top.

Amazon's iPad Air competitor, the $379 Kindle Fire HDX 8.9, gets faster processor, better Wi-Fi

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Amazon's new Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 tablet may look the same on the outside as last year's model, but look under the hood and it's got a new engine, an overhauled Wi-Fi transmission system, some audio tweaks, and an updated operating system.

That's right, there's a new quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor running at 2.5 GHz, which according to Amazon delivers 70 percent faster graphics performance, along with 802.11ac MIMO Wi-Fi, said by company reps to amp up to four times the peak bandwidth.

Prices start at $379 (for the 16GB model), with the product available for pre-order now and shipping in the US in October. A 4G version is $479 and also ships in October. UK and Australian prices and availability weren't immediately available, but that converts to about £230 or AU$420 for the 16GB model, and £300 or AU$530 for the 4G.

Amazon isn't bashful about comparing the Fire HDX 8.9 to Apple's iPad Air, which is due for a processor bump of its own this fall. The impressively slim 13.2-ounce HDX 8.9 is 20 percent lighter than the iPad Air and according to Amazon, its 2,560x1,600 (339 pixels per inch) display has 30 percent more pixels than the iPad Air's Retina display.

Later this year, a new feature, Dynamic Light Control, which "changes the the white point of the display based on the ambient light of the surroundings in order to make the page of a Kindle book more closely resemble a piece of paper," will be enabled. At the launch event in New York, we got a brief demo of the feature, which showed the background of the a digital page compared to an actual printed book page in a couple of lighting conditions. 

Amazon also says the HDX 8.9's speakers are twice as loud as those on the iPad Air and it's now the first tablet with Dolby Atmos, which typically requires dozens of "surround" speakers in a theater. To claim the Atmos experience can be replicated with a $379 tablet and a standard headphone is a bit of stretch (I saw a screening of "Guardians of the Galaxy" in Dolby's Atmos-enabled theater in New York City and it was pretty awesome). We got a demo and frankly I wasn't all that impressed -- it basically sounded like some faux surround. But hey, it sounds good to be the first Atmos-enabled tablet.

Like the new Kindle Fire HD models, including the entry-level $99 Kindle Fire HD 6, the Fire HDX 8.9 runs Amazon's freshly minted Fire OS 4.0 "Sangria," a customized version of Android KitKat (Android 4.4) that includes Family Library, Firefly, and Amazon free cloud storage of photos feature (for shots taken with Fire devices). 

Amazon's step-down 2013 Fire HDX 7 won't get an upgrade at this time, but in the US Amazon has dropped the tablet's price from $229 to $199 for the 16GB model. All of Amazon's 2013 Kindle Fire tablets can be upgraded with Fire OS 4.0 and gain access to its new features.

If you're wondering whether Amazon upgraded the front- and rear-facing cameras (rear is 8MP and captures 1080p video), it didn't, but Amazon reps said some software improvements have been made to the camera. Also, battery life is still rated at "up to 12 hours of reading, surfing the Web on Wi-Fi, watching videos, and listening to music."

Same Fire HDX 8.9, just that much better

Last year's slick HDX 8.9 was a great performer and an excellent value (Editor Eric Franklin gave it high marks). Really, it was the star of Amazon's Fire lineup and in my limited time with the new version, it seemed as zippy as any tablet out there.

We'll find out just how much of a performance boost that new processor delivers and review Fire OS 4.o's new features as soon as we get our hands on a shipping unit and run it through our testing regime. But at first touch, the Fire HDX 8.9 remains an appealing choice for heavy Amazon users, particularly Prime Members, with the only big strike against it being the lack of access to the Google Play app store and no expandable memory option.

Amazon debuts new $99 Kindle Fire HD 6, updated $139 Fire HD 7 tablets

Amazon says it challenged its designers and engineers to deliver a sub-$100 tablet that was better than all the other budget tablets that it was selling in its online store. Now here's the result: the new $99 Kindle Fire HD 6, which comes in multiple color options and ships in October, with pre-orders starting now. (Release dates and availability for the UK and Australia weren't immediately known, but that converts to about £60 and AU$110.)

As the 6 in its name indicates, this is a 6-inch tablet (measured diagonally), one of the smallest tablets you can buy. It has a 1,280x800 full-HD resolution screen (252 pixels per inch) and comes with a rather meager 8GB of memory. A 16GB version is available for $119 (converts to about £75 or AU$130). No Amazon tablets feature expandable memory like Samsung's tablets.

The larger 7-inch model, the Kindle Fire HD 7, starts at $139 with 8GB of memory and also comes in a 16GB version for $20 more or $159. Resolution on the 7-inch Fire HD is same as that of its little brother, but the pixels per inch drops to 216. Both models have brighter screens than that of their 2013 Fire HD predecessor, have Dolby Digital Plus Audio, and run Amazon's freshly minted Fire OS 4.0 "Sangria," a customized version of Android KitKat (Android 4.4) that includes Family Library, Firefly, and Amazon free cloud storage of photos feature (for shots taken with Fire devices). (It's worth noting that all of 2013's third-generation Fire tablets will be upgradeable to the new Fire OS 4.0 for free.)

For those keeping track of Amazon's tablet history, this is the company's third-generation Fire HD, which shouldn't be confused with the step-up 2013 Fire HDX 7, which remains on the market.

A better cheap tablet?

At the closed-door briefing for its new tablets and e-ink readers in New York, Amazon reps made it a point to compare the $99 Fire HD to other inexpensive tablets, including Samsung's Tab 3 Lite and Galaxy Tab 4, which cost well north of $100 (Barnes & Noble's US-only Tab 4 Nook Edition costs $179).

Amazon says the Fire HD's processor -- a quad-core MediaTek running at 1.5 GHz -- offers better performance than the processors that run competing budget tablets (Amazon says it has three times the graphics performance of the Samsung Tab 4's processor).

The new Fire HDs feature front and back facing cameras (the front camera is 2 megapixels while the back is VGA) and 8 hours of "reading, listening to music, watching video, and browsing the Web." That's the same battery rating as the previous Fire HD.

In my limited time with the product, it seemed fairly zippy and felt sturdy in hand (its display is made of Gorilla Glass). It didn't feel like a premium tablet and isn't ultrathin like the HDX 8.9 (the 7-inch Fire HD weighs the same as the previous 7-inch Fire). But for a $99 entry-level tablet, its fit and finish did seem like a cut above the rest of the generic tablet pack.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a tablet that has less than 16GB of memory, but Amazon reps said its customers tend not to fill their devices up with a lot of content, and Amazon's cloud-centric media and app infrastructure means you can always delete and redownload content as needed.

On the other hand, Amazon's continued use of its Fire OS means you're stuck with its quasi-Android apps, but without access to the real Google Play app store. That's one big issue that sank the ill-fated Fire Phone.

With the new the Fire HD products, it's clearly targeting folks on tighter budgets who are looking for a name-brand tablet at a modest price point. It also seems to be a good choice for parents who don't want to spend much money on a tablet for their kids, but want a quality product that ties into their existing Amazon accounts.

Fire HD Kids Editions

To that end, Amazon has also launched Kids Editions of the Fire HD 6 and 7, which cost $149 and $189 respectively (no 16GB versions are available). Like with the regular versions, international pricing and availability is unknown. Converted pricing would be about £90 for the 6 Kids Editions and about £115 for the larger Kids Edition; in Australia, respective pricing would be about AU$170 or AU$210.

The Kids Editions include a case (available in various colors) and a year free of Amazon's Kindle FreeTime Unlimited subscription service that gives you access to over 5,000 kid-friendly movies, TV shows, educational apps, e-books, and games in an all-you-can-eat package.

On top of that, the product is fully guaranteed for two years. If your kid drops it and breaks it (or you do), you simply send it back to Amazon and they send you a new one.

If you're interested in using FreeTime Unlimited, which is a good service, the Kids Editions are potentially appealing. But otherwise it's probably not worth spending the extra dough.

Spreading out the Kindle Fire line

With the addition of the $99 Fire HD 6 has brought down the entry price point for its tablet line and breaking the $100 price barrier is a big deal.

With its tablets, Amazon has always had good, better, best options, but the entry-level product -- last year's Fire was more of an OK deal. By breaking the $100 barrier, Amazon now seems better positioned at the low-end, though we'll reserve final judgment until we're able to fully test the new units.

iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Pay, and the Apple Watch: Here's everything Apple just announced

It happens but once a year: Apple debuts its newest phone in a grand, press- and-analyst-filled event. This year, as the iPhone gets bigger, it's joined by its long-awaited, smaller, wearable cousin. If you didn't feel like sitting through the two-hour erratic live stream or missed our live blog, here's the lowdown on what you missed.

iPhone

It wouldn't be a mobile launch without at least one new iPhone, and this year we've got two. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens, respectively, as well as new generation Retina Displays -- Retina HD. And the Plus' is full HD resolution.. They're thinner, have redesigned keyboards, faster graphics processing and a new motion coprocessor (for tracking motion and distance data), and bettery battery life than the iPhone 5S. they also promise faster Wi-Fi and LTE, plus there's support for VoLTE.

The camera's been updated with phase-detection autofocus, and optical image stabilization debuts in the 6 Plus, and the phone now supports 1080/60p and 30p, with slow-motion 120fps or 240fps, continuous autofocus and image stabilization. The FaceTime camera has a new sensor and f2.2 aperture, plus burst mode, better face detection, and single-shot HDR for still or video.

For US residents craving the iPhone 6, the 16GB version is just $199, while $299 gets you 64GB (instead of the 32GB that the 5S carried at that price), and $399 bumps you up to 128GB. If you're in the UK, it'll run you £539, £619, and £699, respectively, and in Australia the line of iPhone 6s will set you back AU$869, AU$999, and AU$1,129.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 6 Plus starts at $299 for 16GB, $399 for 64GB, and $499 for 128GB in the US and £619, £699, and £789, respectively, in the UK. Australian pricing is AU$999 for 16GB, AU$1,129 for 64GB, and AU$1,249 for the top-of-the-line 128GB model. Available: September 19.

Apple Watch

With a return of its trademark "One More Thing," Apple finally makes its official jump into the wearables market with the Apple Watch -- sorry, no iWatch, folks. It uses a "Digital Crown" -- you know, that thing on the side of an analog watch you use to set the time -- for navigation, as well as addition to touchscreen swiping and Siri, and provides haptic feedback.

There's a second button on the watch for Digital Touch: it brings up a list of your favorite contacts, and supports tap-based shortcuts. A sensor on the watch activates the display when you raise your wrist, and it bears a completely different interface than iOS, optimized for a small screen. It sports a flexible Retina display with a sapphire screen, a variety of sensors for motion and health tracking, and it supports inductive charging. Apple demoed some interesting applications, like the ability to unlock a hotel-room door, as well as Fitness and Workout.

In addition to watch faces, there are six different straps, each of which uses a standard means to change them. There are three collections; Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport (most durable), and Apple Watch Edition (18K gold). It also requires an iPhone, though it will work with the 5 series as well as the iPhone 6 versions. How much? It starts at $349. Apple has not revealed pricing for the UK or Australia, but $349 converts to around £220 or AU$380. Regardless, you won't be able to get one until early 2015.

Apple Pay

Catching up with the rest of the pack, for its latest mobile devices Apple incorporates NFC (near-field communications) technology and an infrastructure called Apple Pay. It's limited to the new phones because it requires a new Secure element chip, and it sounds pretty ambitious. Credit card info is integrated through PassBook, and it uses the TouchID sensor to authenticate a payment; the retailer gets just a single-use number verified by the bank instead of your name and credit card number, whether brick-and-mortar or online. And Apple claims it doesn't monitor your purchases. It will launch with support from 83 percent of all banks and 220,000 US merchants. Apple Pay will launch in the US in October, with other countries to come in the future.

iOS 8

Announced in June and subsequently seeded to developers, this is when we finally get to see the final apps and their implementations, including new games that take advantage of the Metal gaming engine. Apple's apps have some built-in optimizations for single-handed use on the bigger screens. iOS 8 will be available to update your current devices September 17, at which point you'll get these apps on your old phone.

Google's Android Wear team: We'll update early and often

The tech titan has "several" updates to the Android Wear OS coming by year's end, with the first due this week. Here's a hint of what to expect.

David Singleton, Google's engineering director for Android Wear, the company's platform tailor-made for wearable devices, is sitting in Google's headquarters here playing air guitar.

As he strums his right hand in front of his Moto 360, the Motorola smartwatch set to hit the market this week, Singleton praises the third-party software developers using Wear. The company debuted the software in March, modified from Android, the most popular operating system in the world for smartphones and tablets.

"There are a lot of apps out there," he says after he stops strumming, during an interview here. As for the guitar-playing program: "We would have never thought of that."

He won't say exactly how many apps there are, but offers that "thousands" of the more than 1 million programs in the Google Play store where consumers download apps for their Android devices have been updated to support Wear.

Google showed off the platform at its I/O developer conference in June, with demos on using the software to order food or hail a ride from a smartwatch. But the company has until now been mostly quiet about what's next.

Google is readying "several" updates to Android Wear before the end of the year, with the first coming this week. Some features on the horizon include the ability to pair a smartwatch with a Bluetooth headset, Singleton says. Watches with hardware that supports GPS capabilities will also be able to use geolocation data to track their fitness sessions. So, if someone taking a run wanted to listen to music but leave her phone at home, she'd be able to store some songs on her watch, and listen to them through a set of Bluetooth headphones.

Android Wear will also let third-party developers design their own watch faces -- which is what a wearer sees first when glancing at the watch -- and let owners download them from the Play store. Customized watch faces -- like ones that display current scores for a favorite sports team, or ones that show a certain company's stock price -- can be easily swapped out.

"We've been thinking about how you deliver services on a device like this that has such a small screen, that you can't necessarily spend a lot of time interacting with."

Some developers have already figured out how to design smartwatch faces, Singleton said, but there's been no straightforward way to do it.

The wearables market -- specifically the smartwatch part of it -- is about to get a lot of attention. Three Android Wear devices have already been announced: The Moto 360, which has a round watch face and will reportedly sell for $250, LG's $230 G Watch, and Samsung's $200 Gear Live. Samsung also last week introduced the Gear S, the first smartwatch in its portfolio that will work independently from a smartphone (watches so far must typically be paired with another device, like a smartphone).

A handful of companies are expected to make wearables announcements at the IFA conference, Europe's biggest tech show, in Berlin later this week. And Apple, Google's archrival in smartphones, may also show off a wearable device of its own during a Sept. 9 press event where it's expected to introduce a new version of the iPhone.

The category is still in its infancy, though the market has grown in the past year. In 2013, 9.7 million wearables were shipped, according to CCS Insight, a research firm. By the end of 2014, that figure is projected to jump to 22 million.

Android Wear everywhere

Google has ambitious plans for Android as a whole. At Google's I/O conference in June, Android chief Sundar Pichai laid out plans to inject the platform into several facets of everyday life, powering everything from car dashboards to televisions to wearables.

Google's OS has more than 1 billion active users, Pichai said, and runs on almost 80 percent of the world's smartphones. In comparison, Apple's iOS, which drives the iPhone and iPad, has around 17 percent share of the market.

But because Google's software is an open platform -- meaning anyone can adapt and use it -- other brands, like Samsung, have modified the operating system to fit their needs. That's left users to navigate the multiple iterations of Android running on hardware from Google's many partners. And it's a point that rival Apple, with its closed system around iOS, likes to drive home, calling Android fragmented.

"The overriding theme of the I/O keynote was Google reasserting control over Android," Jan Dawson, founder of Jackdaw Research, said at the time. Because watches have limited space on their screens with simpler functions, Android Wear can be one realm where Google makes the software more uniform.

"We've been thinking about how you deliver services on a device like this that has such a small screen, that you can't necessarily spend a lot of time interacting with," says Singleton.

But another difference that could serve Google well is the way most smartwatches (aside from Samsung's newly announced Gear S watch) need to be paired with a phone to operate. So, Google will push out Android Wear updates without having to wait for carriers to test the software, like they generally do with phones and tablets. That should give Google more control over the software. The company says it is working closely with hardware partners to make sure the software works well with their devices.

Hiroshi Lockheimer, vice president of engineering for Android, says the goal is to be able to improve the software as fast as possible.

"It's a lot simpler on watches," says Lockheimer. With phones, lots of companies' schedules have to align to make updates available. "There are different things on that pipeline that just don't exist [with smartwatches]. And it makes it possible for us as an industry to push these updates out a lot quicker."

Google has a definite stake in making sure the Android experience is consistent across the board. "It becomes much more important with wearables," said Sameet Sinha, an analyst with the investment bank B. Riley and Co. "They are not individual devices; they need to talk to each other. It's an ecosystem Google wants to develop."

But wearables' designs continue to evolve, and they may not be so co-dependent on other devices for long. Time will tell if Samsung's Gear S watch is a harbinger or a rarity -- and whether more watches will come out that have their own separate cellular connections.

Matthew Goldman, CEO of the personal finance app Wallaby, thinks Samsung's new watch sets the trend. "It's clear that you're not going to need your phone," said Goldman, who is unveiling the Android Wear version of his app on Thursday. Wallaby also runs on Google's connected headset device Glass, the Pebble Smartwatch, and Samsung's Gear 2, which is powered by the company's homegrown operating system, Tizen.

Google, for its part, is waiting for more devices to take that route before building out support for cellular connections in Android Wear. "We'll see other mechanisms for connecting, other than Bluetooth," says Singleton. "We'll start to enable those as we see partners wanting to build devices using them."

Is it a tablet? Is it a clutch bag? It's the new Asus Memo Pad 7

It's a tricky business, designing a gadget that appeals as much for its sense of style as its technical chops. The latest Asus Memo Pad 7 is one of those gadgets, looking to give style mavens a device that co-ordinates with their outfit a little better than one of the many glossy black rectangles on the market.

An Android tablet with the option of 4G LTE, this new model, numbered ME572C/CL, is the latest in a line of tablets sharing the Memo Pad 7 name, including the Asus Memo Pad 7 and, er, the Asus Memo Pad HD 7. The new Memo Pad 7 goes on sale "in the next few weeks" in the UK, and will cost £179 for the 16GB model at department store John Lewis. Price and release details for other countries are yet to be confirmed, but that converts to $295 or AU$320.

Style council

The Memo Pad 7's black frame with rounded edges reminds me of a polycarbonate Nokia Lumia phone like the Lumia 1520 phablet, with a coloured back added. This back plate is offset slightly to the side, a subtle visual cue that made me instantly feel I wanted to open it, like a purse or wallet but it doesn't open. Rather, the design is simply inspired by the look of a clutch bag. Subtle it may be, but in a world of identikit shiny rectangles, it's surprisingly evocative.

The back plate comes draped in champagne gold, black, or burgundy, and each colour has a slightly different finish. At 8.3mm thick and weighing 269g, it should be able to find a home in all but the daintiest of clutches.

It's probably clear from this talk of clutches that the Memo Pad 7 is aimed at, shall we say, the female market. While it's a little patronising to suggest any electronic device is more suitable for women, this is one of the less heavy-handed attempts to woo the ladies: avoiding the "shrink it and pink it" trap, the Memo Pad's colours and metallic finishes are relatively understated and classic.

Specs and Features

The 7-inch screen has a full HD resolution of 1,920x1,200 pixels. That gives you 323 pixels per inch, which is pretty decent for a tablet this size -- that's identical to the iPad Mini and the Google Nexus 7, give or take a pixel.

The tablet boasts a speaker at each end for stereo sound when watching a movie or playing a game sans headphones.

Under the elegantly folded frame is a 1.83GHz Intel Atom Z3560 quad-core processor, backed up by a respectable 2GB of RAM. You can choose from models with 16GB or 32GB of storage for your selfies, videos and music, with a microSD card slot giving you extra space if required.

The software is Android 4.4 KitKat, which is the latest version of Google's software for smartphones and tablets. Android is based around a series of home screens that you can fill with shortcuts to apps downloaded from the Google Play app store, and widgets that show you snippets of information such as the weather or latest news without having to open the app. Android is great for customising your phone or tablet, by downloading the apps of your choice and by adjusting details like changing the way the keyboard works to suit you. Android is more open to tinkering than Apple's iPhone and iPad, for example, and has an equally varied range of apps available.

On top of the Android software familiar to many from a range of phones and tablets, Asus adds its own whistles and bells with the ZenUI interface.

Xiaomi sells 40,000 Redmi 1S phones in 4 seconds in India

The Chinese company appears to be unable to keep up with demand for its phones in India - leading to complains on Facebook about the "limited" quantity of its stocks.

By any other measure, Xiaomi's latest flash sale in India would have been a roaring success. The up and coming Chinese smartphone maker just announced that it sold out all 40,000 units of its new Redmi 1S Android phone. But the sale was over in just seconds, and that appears to have left some of its Indian fans upset.

Some fans have taken to the company's Facebook page to complain about the limited stock, having been unable to get their hands on the 5,999 Indian Rupee ($99, £60, AU$106) smartphone.

The company itself claimed the phone sold out in 4.2 seconds. Registrations for its next flash sale will open at 6pm India time today.

Unlike other smartphone makers, Xiaomi relies on a flash-sale model to get its products out to its customers, and holds these sales on a regular basis for the countries where it operates, building buzz on social media.

While the company recently got in trouble with Taiwanese authorities over the accuracy of its sales numbers, the situation in India is a different matter altogether.

In India, Xiaomi has partnered with e-commerce retail site Flipkart to sell its devices. The site uses registrations of interest to provide a virtual queue for users to make purchases and so far, the demand for the Redmi 1S far exceeds supply with over 250,000 users wanting to buy the new phone.

The Redmi 1S is the follow up to the Redmi, an Android phone that offered exceptional value for its low price. The Redmi 1S just as tempting -- it comes with a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.6GHz and twice the storage space at 8GB. The smartphone still has an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 4.7-inch display with an HD resolution of 1,280x720 pixels.

Besides India, the Redmi 1S is currently sold in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and will be launching in the Philippines and Indonesia on September 4.

HTC Butterfly 2 review - Gives even the One M8 a run for its money

Good - The HTC Butterfly 2 has almost everything from HTC's One M8, but boots the camera to 13 megapixels. The skin is waterproof, it delivers excellent audio, and it runs on a powerful quad-core processor.

Bad - The glossy rear face is a fingerprint magnet. The auto brightness doesn't always correctly adjust to surrounding light, resulting in a too-dim display at times.

Bottom Line - It can't compete with the One M8's premium metal skin, but the HTC Butterfly 2's powerful camera and processor make it one of the company's best flagship phones.

As it's sold only in Asia, the HTC Butterfly series is not as well known as the company's flagship One M8 or midrange Desire family. The Butterfly S did hit US shores as the Verizon Droid DNA, but it was the sole exception.

And that's a shame. While it still sports a very similar design to the previous Butterfly variants, the Butterfly 2 comes with specs as good as the flagship One M8, but bumps up the main camera to 13-megapixels and still featuring the dual-camera system.

The handset is expected to launch in some Asian countries at the end of August. HTC has yet to confirm whether it will make its debut in western markets, but given that it supports most LTE bands around the world, perhaps the Butterfly 2 will flutter its way to the UK or the US very soon. If it stays in Asia, though, the Butterfly 2 could break many hearts elsewhere. Pricing has not yet been disclosed.

Design, display and specs

The HTC Butterfly 2 draws inspiration from both the older Butterfly S and the newer M8. In fact, the Butterfly 2 resembles the M8 in both size and design, while retaining the shiny colors and polycarbonate plastic of the Butterfly S.

Like the M8, the Butterfly S comes with front-facing BoomSound speakers, though HTC has has designed things differently here. Because the Butterfly 2's face is mostly glass, the designers have cut out small ports on both ends to make way for the speakers. However, they blend in nicely, as the speaker grilles are flush against the glass.

The 5-inch screen packs in Full HD resolution (1,920x1,080 pixels) and is sharp and bright. Depending on where the device is sold, the Butterfly 2 may also come with a bundled pair of JBL headphones.

The review unit Butterfly 2 came in a glossy, lustrous red. It's also available in blue version and matte white, with a comfy textured surface. But the bright, vibrant red really chimes with the Butterfly branding (it was used in both previous models) and makes the phone stand out.

Internally, the phone comes packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor, and has 2GB of RAM and either 16GB or 32GB of onboard storage. The J Butterfly (for Japan only) comes with 32GB storage as standard. There's also a microSD card slot, and for both this and the nano-SIM card slot, you only need a finger to pry the trays out. This is a pretty nice touch, since you don't need to search for a paperclip or ejector tool.

The Butterfly 2 comes packing 4G support for both TD and FDD LTE bands. This means you can use it almost anywhere in the world, including in China and in India, making it a perfect device for world travellers. It also has the standard array of NFC, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 options.

Software and other features

The Butterfly 2 runs HTC's Sense 6 UI on top of Android 4.4 KitKat and comes with the usual BlinkFeed and Motion Launch features found on the M8. This means you can double-tap to turn on the phone, swipe downward to activate voice dialing, or hold the phone sideways and press the volume button to quickly turn on the camera.

Instead of rehashing the specifics of Sense 6 UI again here, however, feel free to hop over to our review of the One M8 if you're unfamiliar with the HTC Android skin. There Brian Bennett goes into detail on the cool features of Sense 6 UI. The Butterfly 2 uses the same skin, so you'll get exactly the same software experience of the One M8 (and One E8) on the Butterfly 2.

The one cool thing about the phone that isn't obvious from its appearance, and something that other HTC phones lack, is the IP57-rated water and dust resistance. This means it will survive underwater to a depth of 1 meter (3.3 feet).

Advancing on other splash-happy phones, the Butterfly 2 doesn't need a protective flaps covering its ports. HTC calls this "Natural Underwater," and the phone has short-circuit protection built-in as well. Obviously, you shouldn't charge the phone underwater, but the Butterfly 2 will easily survive a quick wash in the sink to get rid of unwanted dirt.

Camera

Like the One M8, the Butterfly 2 has two cameras on the back. The Butterfly 2's main camera has a 13-megapixel sensor, however, which is much more than the 4-megapixel "Ultrapixel" shooter of the M8. This means, in theory, that you'll get more detail in your pictures, with the tradeoff being that low-light performance won't be as hot.

The dual-camera system lets you do all the things you can do in the M8 -- namely the UFocus refocusing app, which, a little like a Lytro camera, lets you change the focus point in the picture after shooting. This is because the second camera acts as a depth sensor, recording the distance from the lens of everything in shot. It allows to you to do other tricks too, such as copying and pasting a whole person to another picture without having to manually crop them out yourself.

Quality-wise, having 13 megapixels means a lot more detail, and while I'm currently not in possession of a One M8 for a full comparison, I can honestly say I appreciate having a larger megapixel count, especially for shots where I have bright lighting.

Zooming into a picture lets me admire intricate details I wouldn't normally be able to see using a lower-resolution "Ultrapixel" camera -- there's more detail when the image is cropped, too.

Performance

Given that the Butterfly 2 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor, I expected the phone to do well in our benchmark tests. On Quadrant, the Butterfly 2 scored 25,838, one of the highest scores I've seen so far from a phone. On the LinPack multithread test, a score of 814.815 MFLOPs over 0.21 seconds was obtained.

Everyday use reflected these scores, apps ran fine, the UI was smooth as butter, and the camera started and snapped pictures super fast.

Call quality

Voice calls were crisp and clear, and no hisses or pops were heard. Speaker volume was loud, as you might expect from HTC's front-facing BoomSound speakers.

Battery life

The Butterfly 2 packs a 3,200mAh battery, and it's good enough to easily last for a day and a half of moderate use. We're putting the phone through our CNET Video Labs test, so check back later for the final result.

Conclusion

Make no mistake, while it lacks the premium metal feel of the M8, the Butterfly 2 is as much of a flagship phone as you'll find, and the phone's appearance in the second half of the year makes it HTC's highest-end device right now.

It comes with all the right ingredients, including a 13-megapixel shooter paired with a depth sensor for higher resolution pictures that still lets you select the focal point. This, in my opinion, makes it even better than the M8, especially if you don't mind the plastic skin or spend a lot of time taking low-light shots.

How to improve battery life on any mobile device

Poor battery life is a problem that affects all mobile users. This guide could help you better understand what is draining your battery.

We have written numerous articles with tips and tricks for improving battery life on iOS and Android, some of which you can find here, here, and here, but not everyone owns an iPhone or Android device. Despite which kind of mobile device you prefer, battery life tends to be an issue that we all face. Understanding what is draining your smartphone or tablet will help you squeeze the best possible battery life out of your device.
Display brightness

The screens on our mobile devices seem to be getting bigger and more vibrant with each passing year. We now have smartphones, like the LG G3 for example, with incredible 2,560 x 1,440-pixel resolution displays. While these screens are pretty to look at, they are killing our batteries. Unfortunately battery technology hasn't progressed nearly as fast as other sectors of the mobile industry.

Reducing the brightness of your display will help to improve battery life. You should also avoid using automatic brightness settings. This mode utilizes the phone's sensors, which, because they're in use all the time, actually drains your battery more rapidly than adjusting your brightness manually. Auto mode will also sometimes leave your display at a level that is far too bright for your environment.
No service

For cellular-connect devices, having no service can be a real pain. Unless a Wi-Fi network is available, your device becomes fairly useless if it doesn't have the ability to connect to the Internet. You may have also noticed that your battery drains more rapidly when you have an inconsistent signal. This happens because the device is continuously searching for a signal and attempting to communicate with a cell tower.

To conserve your battery, I recommend enabling Airplane mode or connecting to a Wi-Fi network (if available) if you will be in area with no service for an extended period of time.
Streaming video and playing games

As mentioned above, the display draws an incredibly large amount of power. Even more power is required when you are playing a game or streaming a movie. A few minutes of Angry Birds won't kill your device, but streaming an HD movie or playing a high-end video game can cut your battery life (and increase your data usage unless you are connected to a Wi-Fi network) by more than 50 percent.

If you will be away from your charger for a long time and don't have a portable juice pack, understand that battling your friends in the latest Clash of Clans war will see your battery life quickly reach zero.
GPS and location services

Have you ever noticed that your phone always seems to be on the verge of dying when you are lost? This is because of the GPS and navigation app you are using to try and get back home . Location services, which allow location-based apps and websites like Foursquare, Google Maps, and the camera to determine your location, can quickly drain your battery.

Using GPS and geotagging features, such as recording the location of your photos, sparingly will help keep your mobile device alive for longer. You can also disable location features for select apps and services in the settings menu of your device.

On an iPhone or iPad, head to Settings, select Privacy, and click on Location Services. Then, scroll down and choose System Services.
On a stock Android device, enter the settings menu, and click on Location.
For Windows Phone, click the Start button, select Settings, and tap Location
BlackBerry 10 users will find the option by entering Settings and selecting Location Services.

In addition to the GPS, having Bluetooth, NFC (if applicable), and Wi-Fi enabled will also cause some battery drain. If you don't use a pair of Bluetooth headphones or if your car doesn't have it, I recommend disabling it. The same goes for NFC, which many people don't actively use to begin with. As for Wi-Fi, I would toggle it on only when it's needed.
Background data

To ensure you never miss an email, headline, or an appointment, the apps on your mobile device are constantly pinging a server, satellite, or cell tower. This can sometimes lead to battery drain and even data overages. I recommend setting certain apps to only update and refresh over Wi-Fi, or not at all.

To disable background data on iOS, go into Settings, select General, followed by Background App Refresh. From here you can select certain apps you wish to prevent from running in the background or disable all of them.

On stock Android, enter Settings, select Data usage, click on an app, scroll to the bottom, and check the box that reads "Restrict background data." If you would like to restrict all background data, click the three-dot icon at the top-right corner of the Data usage menu and check the "Restrict background data" box.

Windows Phone 8.1 owners will find options to restrict background app data in the Data Sense app. As for BlackBerry 10 users, enter Settings, select Security and Privacy, followed by Application Permission, and change the Permissions bar to Run in Background. Once here, simply select an app from list that you would like to prevent from running in the background.