Hardware season is in full swing. Apple launched iPhone 16, AirPods 4 and Apple Watch Series 10 on Monday of this week. That same day, at the same time, the review embargo on the Pixel Watch 3 was lifted, and we were able to get most of our work done then. Along with that, we also saw Sony announce the PlayStation 5 Pro this week, plus a lot of news came out of the IFA conference in Berlin in the last two weeks. there were things like Huawei’s triple-layer phone, reMarkable’s Paper Pro tablet DJI’s $200 Neo dronea the new GoPro as well as more concept Lenovo laptops.
As you can imagine, it’s been a very busy few weeks for those of us covering consumer technology, and things aren’t about to end. Reviews of all great products The recently announced ones are coming soon if they haven’t already and I’m back to help you out once again Check out all the reviews we’ve published in the last two weeks. I’ll also explain why there are some products we haven’t written about, e.g OnePlus Pad 2.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Two reviewers, one comprehensive review
By Cherlynn Low and Sam Rutherford
Google’s second foldable device has grown up with sleek hardware, superior cameras and a long-lasting battery. You just need to remove a few software features to complete the upgrade.
- Neat design
- Better cameras than competitors
- Slimmer and lighter than the previous model
- It runs cooler than before
- It’s still expensive
- Some software features
Since Sam Rutherford, our folding expert, is on parental leave, his duty Pixel 9 Pro Fold review became mine. But Sam, being the responsible and helpful reviewer that he is, took the time to share his thoughts and impressions with me. He even took overview photos for our piece, and I especially appreciate his use of mahjong tiles as an interesting background for his images. While I focused my testing on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold as a viable smartphone alternative and its use as a multimedia consumer device, Sam provided his insights by comparing Google’s foldable to Samsung’s. Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Our review brings these two perspectives together and makes for a fairly comprehensive analysis, if I do say so myself. We’ve got camera comparisons between Google and Samsung’s offerings, evaluating their software, battery performance, build, form factor and more.
I was also able to make a video covering all of our reviews of the Pixel 9 family, which includes the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL, as well as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The footage includes “Add Me” and “Watched You” camera updates, as well as some additional details like how Emergency SOS via Satellite will look on a Pixel phone. Check it out at the top of this article!
Pixel Watch 3 review: Taking on Apple
By Cherlynn Low
Google / Engadget
With solid battery life and a comprehensive and intuitive suite of health-tracking features, the Pixel Watch 3 is a seriously competitive smartwatch.
- Fast automatic exercise detection
- The battery lasts a day and a half
- Attractive design
- Wide range of screen brightness
- A little bulky
- Some software features
Google didn’t make our lives any easier with its embargo on Monday, September 9, especially since Apple’s iPhone 16 launch event happened on the same day. But the good news is that our review units arrived about two weeks ago, so we’ve had plenty of time with them Pixel Watch 3 to better understand it in the real world. I spent my time with the smaller 41mm model, while Sam was able to share some test thoughts of the new larger 45mm variant.
Over the course of a few days, Sam and I received notes about how impressed we were with the Pixel Watch 3’s battery life. Since I hate wearing a watch to sleep, Sam graciously filled me in on the watch’s sleep tracking and automatic bedtime features. Once again, teamwork made the dream come true here (for me, I literally couldn’t fall asleep any other way).
In the end, I focused on workouts and activity tracking, double-scoring the Pixel Watch 3 with the Apple Watch Series 9 everywhere I went for two weeks. I was pleased that the Google smartwatch was better at automatically detecting my every walk, run, and bike ride, but found it a bit too thick compared to the competition. I also enjoyed the new customizable running workouts that let me set sprint and rest segments during my treadmill sessions.
I know a day and a half sounds about average for battery life for modern smartwatches, but considering older models could barely last 24 hours, the improvements in runtime seem huge. With some Google and Pixel integrations, the Pixel Watch 3 finally feels ready to take on flagship wearables from Samsung and Apple.
Ultimate Ears Everboom: A floating speaker with better-than-good volume
By Billy Steele
Ultimate Ears
Small enough to carry easily, but loud enough to rock the party, the Everboom UE speaker checks a lot of boxes.
- Sturdy and waterproof
- 20 hours of battery life
- Excellent features
- True 360 degree sound
- The audio profile lacks midrange
- Expensive for a speaker of this size
- No aux port
- Playlist functionality is limited to two services
In this review, Billy once again shows us what to look for when buying gear for an outdoor party. Based on the beautiful pictures accompanying his review, it’s clear that when he’s not testing headphones in his backyard or grilling meat, Mr. Grilly Steele (with a work permit) spends a lot of time at the beach for speaker testing. I support it.
with UE EverboomBilly reveals that the sound quality is not perfect and the music is not in the midrange. But if it’s volume you’re after, the Everboom delivers 360-degree sound. What’s more, it does so in a rugged, waterproof body that can survive being thrown into the pool because, like the company’s other speakers, it floats!
However, with a score of just 75, Everboom did not achieve enough success to be one of the products we awarded the Recommended title. You’ll likely find a better device for your needs from competing brands like Marshall and Beats.
We didn’t review: OnePlus Pad 2
With everything that’s been going on in the industry and in our own lives lately, we haven’t reviewed the OnePlus Pad 2 yet. 2024 Moto Razrs or Galaxy Watch Ultraor for that matter. We continue to test our review sections so that experience can inform the evaluation of other products we write about. But time is a resource we never have enough of, and it’s hard to come by when companies are constantly releasing new products.
Our lead tablet reviewer (and deputy editor) Nathan Ingraham has been spending time with the OnePlus Pad 2, and he has some insights to share. He’s a fan of its build and display, though it’s quite large with a 12.1-inch screen, finding it light and balanced. Speaking of which, he also likes the screen, appreciating the 301ppi pixel density. In fact, he called it “one of the nicest tablet screens I’ve seen outside of the iPad.”
Before I make this official, I’ll have to get Nate to look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which has a nice AMOLED panel, but there are other things that set the OnePlus Pad 2 apart. If you have a OnePlus phone, Nate noted that “there are some clever software features” that make this tablet a better choice than an iPad or Galaxy Tab. But, as Nate notes, “The state of Android software is, as usual, a pretty unimpressive mixed bag.” He cited multitasking and a lack of apps that make good use of larger screens as two areas that need improvement.
Again, for $550 (and currently ongoing $499 direct from OnePlus), Nate thinks the Pad 2 is a fair value. “I still can’t recommend it over the iPad, but at least it doesn’t break the bank.”
Upcoming/on the horizon
As I said at the beginning of this recap, there are many gadgets lurking in our homes ready to be tested. New Copilot+ computers with AMD and Intel chips, as well as cameras, headsets and more. including more to come. If anyone following this week’s news was so inclined, they could probably make a very educated guess that we’re about to release reviews, given the established timelines from previous years. That’s all I have to say for now.
Just wanted to say how much we appreciate your patience as we go through this busy time of year, and you may see an increase in updated reviews as more details are posted this month. This can be done to get the articles out in time so that we can comprehensively report on our experiences over time. For example, my Pixel Watch 3 review went up on Monday, but I was able to update it on Wednesday morning with an entire section on the Wear OS and Fitbit app experience.
It’s not something that’s new or affects my score, it’s just an extra detail that I didn’t have time to write while also preparing for the iPhone event. With a packed tech launch calendar coming up, you may find that we take a similar approach to reviews that may have deadlines.
As always, thank you for reading and following our work. Have a nice weekend.
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