Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus review: Best ‘buds in the galaxy https://ift.tt/2x0HtOm

Skeptical eyes roll at iterative tech updates, but the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus make marked improvements over the original and make it easier to justify the costlier price tag. Physically, the Buds Plus are identical to the first-generation version, but there’s more than meets the eye: Spotify integration is a lovely feature for any die-hard music fan and the extended battery life is great for commuters.

Read the in-depth review by SoundGuys

Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus?

Samsung Galaxy owners and Android users will benefit most from the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus.

Samsung Galaxy S20 and S10 users, you’re the target demographic for these whimsical earbuds as Wireless PowerShare is only available with compatible Samsung smartphones. Spotify integration is also included, but its availability is limited to Android devices; iPhone users will still have to open the app for music playback. However, iPhone users do get some perks like AAC support for high-quality, lag-free playback.

What are the Galaxy Buds Plus like?

SoundGuys The case’s glossy finish is one of very few physical changes to the Galaxy Buds Plus.

Anyone who’s used the original Galaxy Buds will feel at home with the Plus model; the design doesn’t deviate from the first-gen earphones, save for the carrying case that now has a glossy finish, rubberized “L R” indicator, and slightly larger earbud cutouts. All else remains the same, including the all-plastic construction and IPX2 water-resistant rating. This may read as boring to some, but it just means Samsung focused more on functional, rather than aesthetic, upgrades — something I appreciate.

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Identical touch panels adorn the outside of the earbuds and their functions may be remapped in the Galaxy Wearable app. This is an application you’ll actually want to download as it lets you assign either panel to direct Spotify access. By tapping and holding the assigned panel, you’re introduced to a random recommended playlist or radio based on the service’s algorithms. It’s a unique feature that I dearly miss after returning to standard ‘buds. Sure, I can enter the actual Spotify app but the Galaxy Buds Plus streamline this process.

Other functions are afforded by the application, like ambient sound mode. You’re given three intensity levels to choose from; I like the low or medium settings and found the highest level too loud. You can also choose between six equalizer presets; dynamic is selected by default, which slightly elevates low-end and upper-midrange frequencies to accommodate consumer audio preferences. There’s also a “Labs” tab within the app for experimental features such as Game Mode, which further reduces audio-visual latency.

Some of the best true wireless battery life around

SoundGuys Wireless PowerShare is a great trick to have up your sleeve when you’ve left the USB-C cable at home.

During SoundGuys’ Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus review, a standalone playtime of 11 hours, 44 minutes was recorded, which outperforms the beefy Beats Powerbeats Pro. Quick charging is supported, too: tossing the Buds Plus into the case for just three minutes provides an hour of listening.

Depletion is uneven, however, as the right earbud’s battery cell drained 24 minutes prior to the left. This shouldn’t pose much of an issue since most of us place the earbuds into the charging case when inactive, thereby ensuring consistently topped up battery life. Although doing so is convenient, it also contributes to true wireless earbuds’ short life cycles. The constant charge cycling takes a toll on the small battery cells, wearing them down much faster than those found in traditional; Bluetooth headphones.

The pill-shaped charging case provides just one full battery cycle. It may not seem like much, but you get almost a full day’s worth of listening before having to use the included USB-C cable. You can also charge it via Wireless PowerShare atop a compatible Samsung Galaxy smartphone such as the S10 or S20. Alternatively, the case is Qi-certified, so any Qi wireless charging mat will do as well. It takes less than two hours to fully charge the case, depending on the speed of your power source.

Connection and Bluetooth codecs

SoundGuys The Galaxy Wearable app lets user remap the touch panels for direct Spotify access.

Those with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone running Android 7.1.1 or later who also have the SmartThings app installed will see a pop-up window asking if you want to pair the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus to your device. Anyone using a different source device will have to go the old fashioned route of pairing the ‘buds by removing them from the case and selecting the Galaxy Buds Plus from the source’s Bluetooth menu.

Samsung’s earphones use Bluetooth 5.0 firmware and afford the standard 10-meter wireless tether. There’s no aptX support. Instead, we get the same high-quality Bluetooth codecs as before: AAC and the scalable Samsung codec. The latter operates similarly to aptX Adaptive by constantly optimizing connection strength and audio quality. It only works with Samsung devices, so other Android users (e.g. those with LG smartphones) are left streaming via the unstable AAC codec or default SBC codec. It’s disappointing but expected.

The Galaxy Buds Plus are the perfect AirPods alternative for Android users.

Qualcomm True Wireless Stereo Plus isn’t supported, something we’ve seen from competitors like Edifier and 1More, but connection strength is reliable and latency is nearly imperceptible. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus initially promised Bluetooth multipoint connectivity to two Bluetooth 5.0 devices, but the company covertly removed any mention of this from the official product page. When asked about future support, a Samsung representative simply iterated that it is not currently available.

Sound quality

AKG tuned the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus drivers and slightly amplified bass reproduction, creating a more consumer-friendly sound compared to the original Galaxy Buds. Listeners who prefer pop, hip-hop, rap, and dance music will enjoy this sound signature, as it adds a greater sense of impact to your music without detrimental auditory masking. Highs and mids don’t receive much emphasis, which is fine, but certain songs may seem to lack detail — especially those with prominent female vocals.

Isolation is good so long as you use the proper ear tips to achieve a proper fit. Doing so will effectively keep environmental noise out. Not only does this optimize sound reproduction, enhancing bass specifically, but it also aids in the prevention of noise-induced hearing loss. We’re less likely to crank up our tunes when ambient noise is passively blocked out.

Microphone quality is much better than before

A three-microphone array rests inside each earbud; two outer mics and one inner mic all work together for more accurate voice transmission. The external microphones focus on your voice while also reducing external noise, which is similar to how the Apple AirPods Pro system operates. During my time with the Galaxy Buds Plus, I used them for a handful of conference calls and my co-workers stated I sounded quite clear. Listen for yourself with the demo below.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus microphone demo:

Samsung Galaxy Buds microphone demo:

How do the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus compare to the Galaxy Buds?

SoundGuys The Galaxy Buds retail for $100 and are a great deal for anyone considering top-tier true wireless earphones.

SoundGuys conducted a detailed comparison between the true wireless earbuds, but here’s a basic breakdown of the differences: you get 4.5 hours more playtime from the Plus than from the original Galaxy Buds. What’s more, quick charging efficiency is improved, and microphone quality is notably better than before. Spotify integration is a Galaxy Buds Plus exclusive, which is expected since it’s a selling point of the new earphones.

I’m disappointed that Samsung ditched the matte case for a glossy one, as 2020’s glossy case is a fingerprint hoarder, but I suppose something had to change. The company also offers different color options with the Galaxy Buds Plus: black, white, and light blue compared to last year’s silver, white, black, and yellow schemes.

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Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus?

SoundGuys The Galaxy Buds can be charged via the Plus’ case and vice versa.

Anyone who wants the best that Samsung has to offer should save for the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus. Although one could argue most of the improvements, better battery life and cleaner mic quality, are unexciting, the fact remains that they’re all much-needed upgrades from the original Buds. If you’re constantly scouring your favorite streaming service’s discovery page for new jams, you’ll appreciate Spotify integration. However, if these features don’t pique your interest, then the Galaxy Buds (2019) are still a great pair of true wireless earbuds and can now be had for around $100.

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Google Pixel 4 international giveaway! https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

It’s time for the Sunday giveaway! Like every week, we’re giving away a brand new Android phone to one lucky Android Authority reader.

A big congratulations to the winner of last week’s Samsung Galaxy S20 and Defense Shield case giveaway, Cristiano S. from Italy.

This week we’re giving away a brand new Google Pixel 4, courtesy of the AA Deals Store!

One of the hottest offers available in the Deals Store is a 10-year subscription to Rethink Files 2TB Cloud Storage.

We all use our free allocations of cloud storage, but often you need more. In the case of the usual suspects like Google Drive, that can often mean a pricey monthly subscription. That’s not the case with this Rethink deal. While the offer lasts, you can get a 10-year plan of 2TB secure cloud storage for a one-off fee of just $49. 

Click the link below for more details.

Check out the Rethink Deal

The Google Pixel 4 is a firm fans’ favorite. While it’s far from perfect in our eyes, it’s still a fantastic phone, especially when it’s free!

The Pixel 4 has a 5.7-inch display with AMOLED panels and Full HD+ resolution, revealing a screen that’s color-rich, sharp, and accurate. It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, and since the Pixel 3, Google has upped the RAM to 6GB.

The camera unit is a departure too, moving from a single rear camera to a dual-camera setup. The main sensor is 12MP, while the second sensor is 16MP telephoto lens, but the flair is in the features, such as Live HDR+. This tool presents a more accurate representation of what the resulting image will look like as you compose your shot.

To find out more about the Pixel 4, check out our related coverage below:

• Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL: Price, release date, availability, and deals
• Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL vs the competition
• Toys and jewels, or why I love the Pixel 4’s design

Enter the giveaway here

Google Pixel 4 international giveaway!

Winners gallery Terms & conditions

• This is an international giveaway (except when we can not ship to your country).
• We can ship prizes to all regions in North America, Europe, and Australia. If you live in another region, depending on where you live, we may contact you to offer an alternative prize of equal or similar value to the smartphone offered in the giveaway.
• We are not responsible for lost shipments.
• We are not responsible if your giveaway prize malfunctions.
• You must be age of majority in your country of residence.
• We are not responsible for any duties or import fees that you may incur.
• Only one entry per person; please do not enter multiple email addresses. We will verify all winners and if we detect multiple email addresses by the same person you will not be eligible to win.
• We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
• This giveaway is operated by Android Authority.
• The prize will ship when it is available to purchase.

More: Android Authority international giveaway FAQs

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Deal: Learn to become an accounting ace for just $29.99 https://ift.tt/2PFhPoS

From different products to different cultures, no two businesses are exactly the same. However, there is one thing that every business needs to survive: astute accounting. With that comes a variety of jobs in finance. You can learn these skills online, and the 2020 Accounting Mastery Bootcamp Bundle is the ideal place to get started.

You can explore over 40 hours of content across five unique modules in this beginner-friendly learning kit. For example, you can jump into two modules all about bookkeeping — from fundamentals to more advanced concepts.

Build up a well-rounded skills base with five unique modules.

The world of accounting continues to become more and more integrated with other departments. That means you’ll likely balance your time between numerous financial focuses. You may spend a few hours on payroll and a few more on budgeting, so you’ll need a well-rounded education in all things money.

Even if you’re not finance-focused, a basic understanding is still extremely useful in many careers. That’s where the Finance for Non-Financial Professionals module comes in. You can learn the basic lingo and documents and how they help to inform business decisions.

The Accounting 2020 Bundle:

• Bookkeeping — $395 value
• Intermediate Bookkeeping — $395 value
• Finance for Non-Financial Professionals — $395 value
• Payroll: Intermediate to Advanced — $395 value
• Business Math 101 — $395 value

The five unique modules in the 2020 Accounting Mastery Bootcamp Bundle have a combined retail value of nearly $2,000. However, you can pick them up and start your financial future for just $29.99 right now.

This deal is due to expire in just a couple of days so learn more while you can via the widget below.

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Is this deal not quite right for you? To see all our hottest deals, head over to the DEALS HUB.

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Can someone please put the style back in smartphone design? https://ift.tt/2uNjPnO

Opinion post by

Robert Triggs

Maybe I’ve just been doing this far too long, but when did smartphone design become so boring? Internal hardware has never been better and we’re rocketing off into a new era of 5G, but the industry is stuck in a rut aesthetically.

Take the new Samsung Galaxy S20 range, for example. While some are rejoicing at the return of the flat display, the handset looks much more generic as a result. Part of Samsung’s signature design over the last decade is lost, possibly forever. The company also makes no attempt to beautify its camera enclosure. Opting instead for an ugly Google Pixel-esque square bulge on the back. The phone looks so unappealing, especially in that brutalist cement gray. What happened to creating beautiful things?

To be fair, Samsung certainly isn’t the worst offender for dull derivative designs. That title belongs to the horde of Chinese manufacturers. Vertical protruding rear camera housing? Check. Ceramic and partial glass body? Check. A notch or cutout display with minimal bezel? Check. It doesn’t help that many of China’s brands are subsidiaries of BBK Electronics. Oppo, Oneplus, and Realme share resources. Even so, glance at the various phones below and tell me they couldn’t also be from the same brand.

Aggressive competition grants every manufacturer access to the latest technologies and manufacturing processes. It’s a blessing and a curse. As a result, few manufacturers cultivate anything resembling a unique look. Sony, Motorola, and gaming phone brands perhaps make the cut, but they aren’t exactly top of the pecking order anymore. The Huawei Mate 30 Pro is perhaps one of the most unique phones to behold and handle in recent years, but few ever saw it.

The industry’s latest and greatest innovation is to offer phones in an array of funky colors. Don’t get me wrong, I’m partial to a striking splash of color myself, but smartphone design shouldn’t descend into winning consumers over with the most exciting paint job. These aren’t children’s toys we’re talking about. Great design is about both form and function, blending the two to create something that stands out from the crowd.

Is the form factor really that perfect?

Ah but a phone is a phone, I hear you say. There’s only so much that can be done with what’s essentially a big screen with a camera on the back. It’s true that there are limitations on the form factor, and we definitely don’t want to see more gimmicks no-one asked for. Remember modular phones? However, most manufacturers play it too safe, refusing to embrace features that some consumers would really warm to.

As an example, the push for ultra-thin bezels means that consumers miss out on front-facing speakers. Metal has made way for the still niche wireless charging trend. We even have the Mate 30 Pro clumsily incorporating button functions into the display, while LG’s excellent rear volume rocker idea is left to be forgotten. I don’t profess to have the answers, but it’s these seemingly small features that make a phone stand out.

I'd gladly exchange slow wireless charging for just a flash of gorgeous metal.

As another example, larger image sensors require more room. Most manufacturers build protruding camera housings instead of embracing slightly thicker phones with bigger batteries and no camera bump. But is that the best solution? See how nice the back of the LG G8 and Huawei Mate RS Porsche Design look with a flush camera housing compared to the Pixel 4, iPhone 11, and Galaxy S20.

Smartphone designers weigh up how technological choices affect aesthetic design. Over the past few years, most companies have favored a few select features, mainly cameras and thin bezels, over other excellent features and more interesting designs. Myself, and probably a few others, would be quite happy to see things mixed up a bit more.

Foldables offer hope, maybe

There’s an obvious exception to my criticism of boring designs in today’s smartphone market — foldables. The reason why there’s so much interest in these phones is because they’re so different, eye-catching, and perhaps even a better form factor than current designs. A little nostalgia for the clamshell is probably a factor too.

Of course, there’s a risk that foldables may too one day coalesce around a common design philosophy. At least for now, the space is wide open to experimentation. Hopefully we’ll continue to see some interesting ideas as developers figure out how to get the most out of devices that can function both open and closed.

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At the very least, foldable phones — as well as dual-screen flexibles like the upcoming Microsoft Surface Duo — break up the current design monotony. More choice and variety is reminiscent of the pre-smartphone era, which I can fully get behind.

Bland will never beat iconic

My overall gripe really centers on two current trends in the mobile industry. First, ugly flagship designs that seem to disregard aesthetics and design innovation. Secondly, more affordable handsets that are virtually carbon copies of one another and refuse to try something more interesting.

Great, iconic designs are a marriage of both form and function.

I think these are both symptoms of an industry playing it safe. Flagships feel the need to push the spec and camera envelopes, regardless of what the phone looks like. Meanwhile, more affordable handsets have very little profit margin to spend money on novel ideas or design innovations.

It needn’t be this way though. In a market increasingly saturated with identical hardware specs and visuals, creating something more unique will easily stand out. Manufacturers should aim to build the next iconic smartphone, not play it safe with a design that will ultimately be forgotten.

To that end, I’ll leave you all with a few pics of some of my favorite, stylish Android handsets. They certainly stand out compared to most recent smartphone launches. To prove my point, I bet you can name them.

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Android 11 Developer Preview: Everything developers need to know https://ift.tt/2VzJoDR

It seems like hardly any time has passed since we got the final build of Android 10, but that hasn’t stopped Google from dropping the new Android 11 developer preview out of nowhere! Make no mistake though: this is a very early build and we will likely see many new features and UI tweaks before the final version, just as Android 10 changed a lot between beta 1 and the final release. We can expect more announcements at Google I/O.

We also have no idea when Android 11 will exit beta, though Google has given us a target for “Platform Stability” (more on this in a moment). This is planned for next June and Google has even provided a development timeline this time around! So that gives us some clue, at least.

This is a very early build and we will likely see many new features and UI tweaks before the final version.

Overview of Android 11 Developer Preview

Google stresses that this beta is not aimed at consumers, and even developers might find the changes here a little barebones. You’ll find a detailed breakdown of what you can find below, but much of this will pertain only to select developers (there are a few features that will be useful for call screening apps, for example).

The key takeaways that should be on every developer’s radar are:

• Bubbles are still coming
• Dedicated conversations section in the notification shade
• Copy and paste images between inline replies
• Dynamic meteredness API and bandwidth estimator API offer more information about 5G connections
• Scoped storage mandatory for apps targeting Android 11
• BiometricPrompt now supports authenticator types and levels of granularity
• “Breaking” changes in Android 11 have been made toggleable for easier testing and debugging
• ImageDecoder API now supports HEIF files
• Apps can send camera capture requests enabling bokeh mode
• Low-latency video-decoding

Even these features are somewhat niche and only likely to apply to a select few developers, for now at least.

Still, the sooner we can start playing around with new APIs and preparing for new rules and restrictions, the less of a headache we’ll have in the long run. So thanks Google!

With that in mind, you’ll find a more detailed breakdown of Android 11 beta for developers below.

Note: This post will be updated regularly as Google rolls out new betas.

Note: Check out the official post from Google here. You can also check out our list of features for users, here.

Detailed changes

Android 11’s focus (at the moment) appears to be preparing for forthcoming infrastructure, software innovations, and hardware trends. That means preparing for 5G, foldable devices, and machine learning. And like Android 10, there will also be an increased focus on privacy and security.

Also read: Android 11 hands on and first impressions

That latter point means there are more new features designed to help users control app behavior and restrict access to sensitive data. It’s all good stuff, but for devs it can mean reworking file systems and permissions.

5G

Android 11 brings updates to the current connectivity APIs. The bandwidth estimator API for example can now check downstream/upstream bandwidth without polling the network, which could be useful for managing downloads and updating progress bars. The dynamic meteredness API meanwhile will let developers check whether a connection is unmetered. This of course means that we can offer higher resolution streaming where appropriate, while also being mindful of user bank accounts.

Screen Types

One of the most useful updates from a UI perspective is the inclusion of new API to be used in conjunction with the current display cutout APIs. This is designed to support waterfall screen edges (so Samsung devices), to include insets and thereby to handle interactions (and prevent accidental swipes and taps). Seeing as the new S20 devices largely do away with the waterfall effect, this feature may be a case of too little too late, though it’s worth noting that devices like the Huawei Mate X include a curved edge by necessity.

Also read: Android 11 will help prevent curved screens from breaking your apps

Notifications

Bubbles never quite made the leap to Android 10. They’re available in this developer preview however, and will allow users to interact with messaging apps via floating chat heads (ala Facebook Messenger). Devs can play around with this by using the Bubbles API.

The notification shade now has a dedicated “conversations section,” and inline replies now support copy and pasting from the clipboard. In this developer preview, image copy support is only available in Chrome, while image paste is only available in Gboard clipboard.

Also read: Exploring Android Q: Adding bubble notifications to your apps

Neural Networks API 1.3

The Neural Networks API allows computationally intensive ML operations to be run directly on Android devices. The latest update will add several new operations and controls: expanded quantization support, a memory domain API, and a quality of service API. For those that want to find out more, Google handily supplied some NDK sample code.

Privacy

Privacy is the big one, and Google is once again placing a lot of focus on this area.

One big update for developers is the one-time permission, which will allow users to accept a permission a single time only. This will require a few changes to the way you currently handle permissions, and more information is offered here.

Scoped storage will be mandatory for apps targeting Android 11.

Scoped storage has received a few updates, including opt-in raw file path access for media, batch edits for MediaStore, and updates to DocumentsUI. A more complete list can be found here. Scoped storage will be mandatory for apps targeting Android 11. Remember: users will be able to control access to shared files in the Photos, Videos, and Audio folders using new runtime permissions, and access to the Downloads folder will only be available via the systems file picker.

Security

The BiometricPrompt API will now support three authenticator types with different ratings: strong, weak, and device credential.

Google has increase the use of compiler-based sanitizers in security-critical components. This should result in a more secure Android 11, but it may produce repeatable bugs and crashes in apps that should be tested for. Google now offers a system image with HWASan to help devs find and fix memory leaks. A BlobstoreManager will make it easier for apps to safely share data blobs.

Android 11 will also offer support for the secure storage and retrieval of verifiable ID documents such as driving licenses. Google says it will provide more details on this feature soon, but it could mean we’re really able to leave our wallets at home soon!

Google has also added 12 more updateable modules for Android, especially relating to privacy controls. The hope is that more OEMs will push these important updates out to users, resulting in greater security and consistency across the Android ecosystem. So don’t ignore the changes!

Testing, debugging, and compatibility

Reportedly, developers told Google last year that it was hard preparing for Android 10 without a concrete deadline for final changes. No duh! To minimize this frustration with Android 11, Google has committed to “platform stability” by early next June. This update will include the final SDK and NDK APIs, along with any changes to internal APIs and system behavior.

Google has committed to “platform stability” by early next June.

To help smooth the transition from Android 10 to 11, Google has ensured most potentially app-breaking updates are toggleable. Devs can this way identify which new updates are causing compatibility issues, then turn those features off while they work on a fix. This will hopefully make it quicker to get your apps onto new devices, as you won’t need to constantly toy around with targetSdkVersion or recompiling.

Google has also updated the lists of restricted non-SDK interfaces, and provided a public API for loading resources and assets dynamically at runtime.

Connectivity in Android 11 Developer Preview

If you own a call-screening app, you will now be able to retrieve the STIR/SHAKEN verification status of incoming calls, and customize system-provided post call screens that allow users to easily mark calls as spam and take other actions.

The Wi-Fi suggestions API has new features for WiFi management apps and other tools. For instance, devs can now force disconnections by removing network suggestions, and gain more detailed information about connection quality.

Passpoint enhancements will enforce and notify the expiration of Passport profiles. The Wi-Fi suggestions API now includes the option to manage Passpoint networks.

Camera

ImageDecoder API now supports decoding and rendering image sequence animations from HEIF files, thus allowing the use of high quality assets with minimal impact on network data/APK sizes. Using decodeDrawable on a HEIF source will let devs show the highly efficient HEIF image sequences in apps, just like GIFs. Where the source contains an image sequence, an AnimatedImageDrawable will be returned.

The Native Image Decoder API for NDK will support encoding and decoding image files from native code for graphics and post-processing. This removes the need for external libraries, keeping APK sizes down.

ImageDecoder API now supports decoding and rendering image sequence animations from HEIF files.

New APIs also allow developers to mute vibrations and notifications during active recording sessions. Metadata tags will now allow bokeh modes for camera capture requests on compatible devices.

Media Streaming

Low-latency video decoding in MediaCodec returns the first frame of a stream as soon as it is ready; a critical feature for services like Google’s own Stadia. New API features allow apps to check and configure low-latency playback for specific codecs.

HDMI low-latency mode

Time to get testing!

Some additional features and upgrades will prove useful for users, but may not have a huge impact on developers. For example, dark theme can now be set to change automatically based on time of day. And baked-in screen recording is once again meant to be making its way into our pockets, which could be useful for bug testing and marketing.

As usual, developers can try this preview by flashing the device system image (get it here) onto a compatible device, or by installing it through the Android Emulator in Android Studio (Canary channel). The latter option also includes experimental support for ARM 32-bit and 64-bit binary app code running on 64-bit x86 Android Emulator system images.

Read also: Android 11 release date: when can you expect it to launch?

So what do you make of all this? Do any of these features benefit your apps? What else would you like to see in future betas?

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