Hardware season is in full swing. Apple announced the iPhone 16, AirPods 4, and Apple Watch Series 10 this Monday. On the same day, at the exact same time, the Pixel Watch 3 review embargo was lifted, and we were able to publish most of our coverage at that time. Not only that, but Sony announced the PlayStation 5 Pro this week, plus there’s been a ton of news coming out of the IFA conference in Berlin in the past two weeks. There was a Huawei tri-fold smartphone, reMarkable’s Paper Pro tablet, DJI’s $200 Neo drone, a new GoPro, and a Lenovo concept laptop, among other things.
As you can imagine, it’s been a busy few weeks for those of us covering consumer tech, and the events are far from over. Reviews of all the major recently announced products will be coming soon, if they haven’t already. I’m also back to bring you all the reviews I’ve published over the past two weeks, and to explain why there are some products, like the OnePlus Pad 2, that I haven’t covered yet.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Comprehensive analysis from two reviewers
Cheryl Law and Sam Rutherford
Google’s second foldable phone is a mature product with sleek hardware, a great camera, and a long battery life — it just needs to iron out a few software kinks to be fully mature.
Pros: Sleek design, better camera than the competition, thinner and lighter than its predecessor, runs cooler than before, Cons: Still pricey, some software glitches, $1,799 at Google
With foldable expert Sam Rutherford on paternity leave, I was tasked with reviewing the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. However, being the responsible and accommodating reviewer that he is, Sam took the time to share his thoughts and impressions with me. He even took photos for the review, and I especially appreciated the fun he did by using mahjong tiles as the background for the photos. While I tested the Pixel 9 Pro Fold with a focus on using it as a smartphone replacement and multimedia consumption device, Sam provided some insights comparing Google’s foldable smartphone to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Our review combines these two perspectives into a pretty comprehensive analysis (if I do say so myself), comparing the cameras between Google and Samsung’s products, evaluating their software, battery performance, build, form factor, and more.
We also had the opportunity to shoot a full video review of the Pixel 9 series of phones, including the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which goes into more detail about the Add Me and Made You Look camera updates, how Emergency SOS via satellite works on Pixel phones, and more. Check it out at the top of this article.
Pixel Watch 3 review: The battle against Apple
Sherlyn Law
Google/Engadget
Thanks to solid battery life and comprehensive, intuitive health tracking features, the Pixel Watch 3 is a serious smartwatch that can hold its own against the competition.
Pros: Fast automatic workout detection, 1.5-day battery life, attractive design, wide range of screen brightness adjustments, Cons: A bit bulky, some minor software glitches, $350 at Google
Google’s embargo on Monday, September 9th didn’t make our lives any easier, especially since Apple’s iPhone 16 launch event was taking place on the same day. But luckily, our review unit arrived about two weeks ago, giving us plenty of time to get hands-on with the Pixel Watch 3 and get a better feel for it. I’ve been using the smaller 41mm model, but Sam shared his insights on testing the new, larger 45mm model.
Within a few days, Sam and I were sharing how impressed we were with the battery life of the Pixel Watch 3. Since I hate wearing a watch to sleep, Sam kindly educated me on the watch’s sleep tracking and auto-bedtime features. Again, teamwork made the dream come true (literally for me, I would not have been able to sleep otherwise).
I focused on tracking my workouts and activities, and wore both the Pixel Watch 3 and the Apple Watch Series 9 everywhere I went for two weeks. I was impressed with how well Google’s smartwatch did at automatically detecting all of my walking, running, and cycling, but I found it a bit too thick compared to the competition. I also liked the new customizable running workouts, which let you set up sprint and rest segments during your treadmill sessions.
A day and a half may seem like average battery life for a modern smartwatch, but it’s a big improvement when you consider that the previous model didn’t even last 24 hours. Coupled with Google’s integration with Pixel, the Pixel Watch 3 finally feels like it’s ready to take on flagship wearables from Samsung and Apple.
Ultimate Ears Everboom: A floating speaker that prioritizes volume over sound quality
Billy Steele
Ultimate Years
Small enough to carry around and loud enough to get the party going, the Everboom ticks many boxes you’d want in a UE speaker.
Pros Rugged and waterproof 20-hour battery life Great features True 360-degree sound Cons Lack of midrange in audio profile Expensive for a speaker this size No AUX port Playlist functionality limited to two services $250 on Amazon
In this review, Billy once again shares what to look out for when buying equipment for outdoor parties. Judging by the beautiful photos that accompany his reviews, it’s clear that when he’s not testing headphones or grilling meat in the backyard, Grilly Steele spends plenty of time at the beach (work permitting) testing speakers. I stand by it.
As for the UE Everboom, Billy makes it clear that sound quality isn’t the best and music lacks midrange, but if you want volume, the Everboom delivers, as it radiates sound in 360 degrees. Plus, the speaker is sturdy, waterproof, and, like the company’s other speakers, floats, so it won’t break if you throw it in the pool.
However, Everboom only scored 75 points, which is not enough to earn it our recommendation. You may find better devices to suit your needs from competing brands like Marshall or Beats.
What we didn’t review: OnePlus Pad 2
Given everything that’s been going on in the industry and in our lives lately, we haven’t been able to review the OnePlus Pad 2 yet, nor will the Moto Razrs and Galaxy Watch Ultra be available in 2024. We’ll continue to test review units so we can evaluate other products based on that experience, but time is a resource that’s never enough, and with companies constantly launching new products, it’s hard to keep up.
Nathan Ingraham, our lead tablet reviewer (and deputy editor), has been hands-on with the OnePlus Pad 2 and shared his thoughts. He likes its build and display, finding it light and well-balanced despite its rather large 12.1-inch screen. He also likes the display, and praises its 301ppi pixel density. In fact, he calls it “one of the nicest tablet screens I’ve seen outside of an iPad.”
Before we make this official, we’ll have to get Neato to take a look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which has a nice AMOLED panel, but there’s more that sets the OnePlus Pad 2 apart. If you have a OnePlus smartphone, Neato points out that there are some “smart software features” that make the tablet a better choice than an iPad or a Galaxy Tab. But as Neato points out, “the Android software situation is, as always, a pretty unimpressive mess.” He cited multitasking and a lack of apps that take advantage of the larger screen as two areas that need improvement.
Still, for $550 (currently $499 direct from OnePlus), Nate thinks the Pad 2 is a good deal: “I wouldn’t recommend it more than the iPad, but at least it’s not going to hurt your wallet.”
Coming soon
As I mentioned at the beginning of this summary, we have a ton of gadgets in our house waiting to be tested. We have the new Copilot+ PC with AMD and Intel chips, cameras, earphones, and more on the way. If you’ve been following the news this week, you can probably make a pretty good guess as to what we’re getting ready to publish reviews for, especially given the timelines we’ve established over the past few years. That’s all for now.
I sincerely appreciate your patience as we get through this very busy time of the year. This month, you may see reviews updated with additional details after publication. This may be an effort to ensure that we publish articles in a timely manner while still providing comprehensive insight into our experiences over time. For example, my Pixel Watch 3 review was published on a Monday, but I was able to update it by Wednesday morning with an entire section about the Wear OS and Fitbit app experience.
This is nothing new and it didn’t affect my score, but it’s just an additional detail I didn’t have time to write about as I was running parallel preparations for the iPhone event. With a packed calendar of tech launches looming, I may end up adopting a similar approach in reviews with tight deadlines.
As always, we appreciate your time to read and view our work. Have a great weekend!
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