Techfr0st

Tim Cook says Apple Watch will be available outside U.S. in April

2015-03-02T09:14:00.000-08:00

Speaking at the Berlin flagship Apple Store last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees that the Apple Watch will not be exclusive to the United States in April, according to employees in attendance. Specifically, Cook said that the Apple Watch will launch in Germany during the month of April. It’s possible that the Apple Watch will launch first in the United States in early April, with Germany and other countries following later in the month, but it definitely appears that the Watch’s rollout will be more aggressive than the first iPhone and iPad launches…

The iPhone was notably exclusive to the United States and AT&T for the first several months of the product’s life, while the iPad launched exclusively in the U.S. in April 2010 and was followed by launches in Europe and Australia over a month later, in mid-May of that year. Besides Germany, sources indicate that an April launch in Australia is also likely as Apple has already been training select Apple Retail employees on Apple Watch sales procedures by way of secret briefings in Sydney. The United Kingdom and France have both seen Apple Watch marketing pushes, so those countries are likely also in the April mix.

The usual first wave countries for major Apple product launches also includes Canada, where Apple is soon planning to launch the Watch-compatible Apple Pay system. but we haven’t yet confirmed if those countries will be home to the new product in April. Apple has been heavily promoting the Apple Watch in China, so perhaps the wearable will launch to the Chinese market in or around April as well. However, launches in China could be trick due to government regulations. During his trip to Germany, Cook also stopped by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office to discuss consumer privacy and the offices ofBILD to discuss Apple rumors, Steve Jobs, and the NSA.

Asked if employees will get free Apple Watches (like when full time employees got original iPhones from Steve Jobs in 2007), Cook reportedly said “you’ve given me something to think about, I agree with your point, I think it’s great, and I think everyone should use our products. It’s a good point for me to think about, I’ve got some more plane rides to think about it on.” Cook also discussed the expansion of Apple Pay into Europe, reportedly saying:

Apple Pay will be global, it’s not a U.S. program. We want it everywhere. We are working to bring it out of the US. It is going to take a little bit of time to do so. We want to be in Germany. We want to be in Europe generally this year. I don’t know if we will make it, I think we will. It’s our intention to get here as fast as we can.

We previously reported that Apple Pay will arrive in Canada as soon as March.

Apple Watch tour of world’s fashion magazines reaches Hong Kong

2015-03-02T09:10:00.001-08:00

Apple may be able to scale back its advertising budget for the Apple Watch: so far the device appears to be doing just fine in getting multi-page editorial coverage in the world’s fashion magazines. The latest fashion title to run a major feature on the watch is Hong Kong’s East Touchmagazine, which is running a four-page spread.

The Apple Watch has so far been featured Vogue China, Vogue France, the USA’s Self and the UK’s Style, as well as fashion titles in France and Germany. Apple did, however, have to pay for advertising in the US edition of Vogue. A contributing editor to Vogue also described the Apple Watch as “terrific.”

Check out the other photos from East Touch below …

Apple is believed to be planning a presence inmajor department stores around the world, along with a pop-up store at SXSW.

Cook teases ‘ton’ of Apple Watch announcements, including Panera Bread, Salesforce enterprise & fitness apps

2015-03-02T09:07:00.000-08:00

In addition to discussing the international Apple Watch launch and accessibility efforts at a briefing in Germany, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased “a whole ton of announcements coming shortly about all of the apps coming” for the Apple Watch, according to employees in attendance. Cook first highlighted the use of the Apple Watch in hotels by saying that “some of the best hotels in the world” will allow Apple Watch users to use the wearable to unlock room doors.

Additionally, Cook said that the Apple Watch hotel applications will even be able to replace the check-in processes for some hotels. “So people are beginning to think about doing not only cool things with their apps, but how it changes their whole business,” Cook said. As highlighted at the first Apple Watch event in September 2014, Starwood Hotels has already announced that it is working with Apple on an app for the Apple Watch…

Cook also expressed pride in the health and fitness applications being developed by third-parties for the Apple Watch. These programs will come in addition to the bundled Workout and Activity apps on the Watch, which allow users to custom program exercise routines and measure fitness statistics. Cook called these apps from third-party developers “really, really fantastic.” The Apple Watch includes motion and heart rate sensors that should allow developers to make powerful apps.

On the other end of the spectrum, Cook said that Panera Bread is working on a WatchKit application that will allow Apple Watch users to pay for their carbs with their wrist. Panera Bread was an early Apple Pay partner with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus last fall, so it’s not a huge surprise that the company is working to jump on the Apple Watch bandwagon, too.

Finally, Cook hinted that Apple is working on getting the Apple Watch into the enterprise. He noted that Salesforce.com is developing software for the Apple Watch. Salesforce.com has been a longtime partner in the enterprise with Apple, developing early applications for both the iPhone and iPad. Apple recently partnered up with IBM for for enterprise efforts, but Cook did not comment on Apple Watch applications from IBM.

With the Apple Watch not having a single major feature, third-party applications and customizability will be critical to the product’s success. Realizing this, Apple has invited over 100 application developers to Cupertino to finish up, design, and test apps for the Apple Watch. It is likely that Apple will utilize a significant portion of its March 9th “Spring Forward” event to showcase applications for the Apple Watch, which will ship in April.

SanDisk announces first thumb drive w/ USB Type-C connector ahead of 12-inch MacBook

2015-03-02T02:04:00.000-08:00

SanDisk today announced a new thumb drive that is one of the first to include an integrated USB Type C connector, the next-generation USB plug that’s expected to arrive as one of the only connectors on an upcoming MacBook laptop.

SanDisk is releasing the device in anticipation of not only the upcoming 12-inch MacBook we’ve detailed extensively, but also a slew of smartphones and tablets that will adopt the new USB standard. The slimmer, reversible USB Type C design for the first time offers a solution slim and powerful enough to work for both mobile devices and PCs. A full-sized USB plug is on its other side.

For now, an Android companion app is available, but you can expect Mac support will likely arrive shortly after the new MacBook.

SanDisk’s Dual USB Drive with Type C Connector will be available with 32GB of storage when it becomes available sometime in Q2.

Apple takes over homepage to promote photos taken by iPhone 6 around the world

2015-03-02T01:58:00.000-08:00

Apple has taken over the front of its homepage to highlight a new section on its website rounding up photos taken around the world by the iPhone 6/6 Plus’s camera. The website highlights several photographs taken across the globe, from places like Halong Bay (Vietnam), Pamplona (Spain), and The Cairngorms (Scotland). Alongside each piece of media, Apple includes a brief blurb describing the photo as well as the name of the application in which the photo or video was taken. Most of the photos were taken in the iPhone’s bundled Camera application, but the website notes some edits made in Instagram, Snapped, and Adobe Photoshop Express. The entire gallery is well worth a visit. Apple has also published a new page in the App Store to highlight photography apps. Of course, this new iPhone 6 promotion has coincidentally launched on the same day as the Galaxy S6.

Microsoft announces the Lumia 640XL, a poor man's Lumia 1520 phablet

2015-03-02T01:43:00.000-08:00

Microsoft’s Lumia 640 and Lumia 640XL, announced on Monday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, add two new midrange phones to the Windows market. By name alone, the two should be nearly identical. But they’re not, with the larger Lumia 640XL boasting a slightly more sophisticated set of features. And as you might guess from its name, the Lumia 640XL is large—though Microsoft slimmed down the concept a bit compared to the gigantic Lumia 1520 phablet (which is arguably too big).

Microsoft didn’t immediately announce the price of either phone, so we won’t know what you should end up paying. But the safe guess is that both will be comfortably priced near the $300 range, with the Lumia 640XL commanding some premium on top of that. It’s all consistent with Microsoft’s strategy of launching mid-range phones to value-minded consumers.

Why this matters: So far, Microsoft’s been happy to let its Windows Phone OS ride as a distinguishing factor, while steadily beefing up its phones’ basic capabilities with upgrades like Lumia Denim (which both of these phones will include), as well as apps like Lumia Camera. But it’s not a successful strategy—both iOS and Android are pulling away from Windows Phone, whose market share slipped from 3.3 percent in 2013, to 2.7 percent in 2014, IDC said.

The Lumia 640XL: a phablet for the rest of us

Microsoft helped set the trend toward larger phablets, and the 640XL doesn’t disappoint in that regard. But it’s no Lumia 1520, either. While the Lumia 1520’s 6-inch, 1920x1080 display wowed the eye, the Lumia 640XL takes it down a notch. The Lumia 640XL’s screen measures a comfortable 5.7 inches on the diagonal—the same size as the Samsung Galaxy Note 4—but with only a 1280x720 display. Physically, the Lumia 640XL measures 6.2x3.2x0.36 inches (157.9 x 81.5 x 9.0 mm) and weighs a little over 6 ounces (171 grams)—smaller, lighter, and slightly thicker than the Lumia 1520.

The camera, always a selling point, has also been dialed back. The Lumia 1520 included a 20-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization, but the Lumia 640XL includes a 13-megapixel rear camera with no AIS. The Lumia 640XL’s selling points are the inclusion of Lumia Camera, as its continuous autofocus makes snappy shots a snap, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera that goes far beyond the original 1520.

Inside, the Lumia 640XL is no slouch. Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS and apps don’t demand high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, so there’s only a Snapdragon 400 (MSM8226) inside, along with 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of flash storage (with a microSD slot supporting up to 128GB cards). The 3,000 mAh battery is good for 37 days of standby time and 24 hours of 3G talk time, the only battery metrics Microsoft supplied. The phone also includes Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, Miracast, 802.11b/g/n, as well as the SensorCore technology that allows the phone to act as a pedometer.

The Lumia 640: decidedly average

The Lumia 640 is what you’ll buy if you want a modern Windows Phone—no more, no less. Nothing about the phone really stands out. The 5-inch, 1280x720 display seems perfectly serviceable, as does the Snapdragon 400, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, and microSD slot. About the only drawback is the 8-megapixel rear camera, sort of the minimum spec for rear cameras these days. (A 1-megapixel camera is on the front.)

The phone measures 5.56x2.84x0.34 inches (141.3 x 72.2 x 8.85 mm), and weighs 5.1 ounces (145 grams).

Microsoft’s tag line for the phone is “prepared for anything”. A better line might be “prepared for anywhere.” Like the 640XL, the 640 comes in either single (U.S.) or dual-SIM configurations for the rest of the world. The Lumia 640 supports an even greater range of frequency bands than the 640XL, however, indicative that Microsoft’s really going to push this phone worldwide.

Rumor has it that Microsoft plans to pop the champagne for Windows 10 with new flagship phones—which Microsoft confirmed, in part, in January. But both the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640XL will almost certainly be upgradeable to Windows 10 as well.

Sony-less Vaio is jumping into Android phones

2015-03-01T08:32:00.000-08:00

The crowded Android phone pool has yet another competitor jumping in, but the newcomer is one you've heard of before.

Japanese Industrial Partners, the new owner of the once-iconic Vaio brand, is releasing a smartphone March 12.

The announcement doesn't give any details, but GSM Arena has some rumored specs: a 5-inch 720p display, 64-bit Snapdragon 410 chip and a 13MP camera.

It's not anything that will dissuade someone who is eyeing the new HTC One or Galaxy S6, but it's interesting to see what was once considered a luxury PC brand taking a stab at the Android smartphone market.

We'll see how this turns out, and in what markets the phone goes on sale. The leaked images indicate a rather svelte look, and if that turns out to be the case it will be worth checking out to the Vaio expand its scope from the world of PCs to Android phones.

The story behind the story: Sony sold off the Vaio brand last year as part of its strategy to get a hold on its sinking profits. While they were generally good example of excellent hardware, they were too expensive to compete in the PC market. New owner Japanese Industrial Partners appears to be taking a different approach, as the phone has rather mid-range specs.

Hands-on with the HTC One M9, an evolutionary 'S model' update

2015-03-01T08:18:00.000-08:00

If you look at this year’s Porsche 911, it looks a lot like last year’s. It looks a lot like the one Porsche made 10, or even 40, years ago. Though the car continually undergoes major improvements, inside and out, it maintains a look that is easily distinguishable and iconic. This is what HTC is attempting to do with its One line of flagship smartphones.

Brace yourself, then, for a new One M9 phone that, for better or worse, looks a lot like the One M8. Yes, there are substantial improvements in hardware and software, but at a glance, you’d be forgiven for mistaking this year’s model for last year’s.

If this were an iPhone, it would be the every-other-year “S” model.

Subtle refinements outside

A quick look at the gunmetal grey M9, and I swore I was looking at the M8 (the M9 will also be available in a two-tone silver and gold color scheme). After holding it in my hands for a few moments, I started to notice some welcome refinements. The Duo Camera setup on back has been replaced by a single camera lens.

The power button has been moved from the top to the right edge, making it easier to press without holding the phone in an awkward position.

The wide “HTC” bar beneath the screen is still there, but it’s thankfully a little shorter. This makes the whole phone a couple millimeters shorter, but really, HTC needs to go further. It’s still almost as tall as an LG G3, a phone with a larger 5.5-inch display. It’s good that the HTC logo space beneath the screen is smaller, but it needs to be gone.

The brushed aluminum case is slightly less curved on the back, making the phone feel a little less slippery—your hand tends to naturally grip the sides a bit more. The power button has been moved to the right side, beneath the volume buttons, making it easier to turn the screen on and off without holding it in an awkward position.

These are welcome tweaks, but holding the phone side-by-side with an M8, I can’t help but feel disappointed. It looks and feels great, but there is plenty of room for improvement, and the competitive world of high-end Android phones moves way too quickly to settle for subtle refinements.

Big upgrades inside

Inside, the M9 gets a nice bump in specs. The Snapdragon 801 has been replaced with aSnapdragon 810, a considerably faster processor with greatly improved graphics and video performance and more robust connectivity. RAM has been bumped up from 2GB to 3GB, and the 16GB storage option has been dropped; the only model on offer has 32GB of storage, with a microSD card slot for more. The battery gets a slight bump from 2600 mAh to 2840 mAh, which might buy you another hour of use.

BoomSound is still around, and this time it's backed by Dolby Audio. HTC may have once again made the best-sounding phone of the year.

HTC continues to invest in premium audio, and the wonderful stereo BoomSound speakers of the M8 make a return appearance. This time they’re backed by Dolby Audio technology, including virtual surround sound with either speakers or headphones. High-resolution 24-bit audio is supported, and the HTC Connect app supports more wireless speaker technologies, making it easier to stream your sounds around the home. Speaker quality is next to impossible to test in a demo environment, but my brief initial impression was really positive. The other phone makers are going to have to pull a rabbit out of their hat to beat the One M9’s audio game.

If you were hoping the M9 would feature a Quad HD display, I have some bad news. It appears the 5-inch 1080p display is unchanged from the M8. Frankly, this resolution works well at this screen size—there’s really no need for more pixels until you move up to larger screen sizes. The tradeoff in battery life and brightness may not be worth it until you enter into phablet territory. The display on the M8 looked great, and it still looks great on the M9, but the competition in the premium phone market is clearly moving to Quad HD.

Duo camera is no more, but UltraPixel lives on

Last year, HTC tried to give us something new with its Duo Camera. It paired a 4 megapixel “UltraPixel” camera sensor with a secondary depth sensor to enable lots of neat photo tricks, like selectively de-focusing parts of the image after you take the shot. These gimmicks were cool, but not really the sort of thing you run out and buy a phone for.

The Duo Camera experiment is over, and HTC instead opted for a single 20-megapixel rear camera.

And that UltraPixel shooter...yeesh. A paltry four megapixels, all for the promise of excellent low-light performance? The M8 didn’t really perform that much better than other premium phones in low light, and that low megapixel count made it nearly impossible to crop a photo and wind up with something usable. On the M8, the front-facing camera, at 5 megapixels, was higher-res than the rear camera!

HTC has learned from its mistake and dumped the Duo Camera in favor of a reliable high-end 20 megapixel camera on the rear, with a sapphire glass lens cover to resist scratches. I snapped off a few shots in the demo room, and shutter lag seems much reduced, though there was still a bit of a focus delay. White balance and color seem accurate, though that sort of thing is best tested in a controlled environment.

The M9 shoots 4K video at 30fps, 1080p at 60fps, or 720p at up to 120fps for a nice slow-motion effect. It’s a big improvement over the M8’s video capabilities, but I can’t say I’m thrilled with the quality of the slow-motion mode. It wasn’t really bright where I was shooting, but it wasn’t exactly dark, and the 720p 120fps video was quite visibly full of noise. This is the sort of problem I’ll want to reassess when I have the shipping phone with final software in my hands.

The new camera app is still easy to use, but I would love to see a few more options for enthusiasts, like manual focus control, or the ability to save raw images. HTC is focusing on easy image editing, going beyond crops and filters to more advanced stuff like double exposure. It’s cool, but I don’t know how frequently it will be used by most consumers. I sometimes scratch my head when manufacturers dive into features like photo editing—which third-party apps handle so well—instead of focusing on a better picture-taking experience. Maybe someone will become a big Instagram star with their neat double exposure images, but I kind of doubt it.

UltraPixel isn’t quite dead yet, though. This year, HTC has moved the 4MP UltraPixel camera to the front. This makes a lot of sense: with no flash up front, you want the best possible low-light performance for your selfies. And the limited 4-megapixel resolution is actually quite good for a front-facing camera.

Sense 7 is more dynamic than ever

HTC is especially proud of its Sense 7 interface, built atop Android Lollipop. It looks a lot like Sense 6, but with a big emphasis on personalization.

BlinkFeed has been enhanced, and will optionally suggest locations to visit from Yelp and Foursquare, even putting them right on your lockscreen. Just glance at your phone to see if there’s a taco joint nearby that you just have to try.

The M9 comes in two colors: gunmetal grey, and a two-tone silver-and-gold finish.

The default home screen is dominated by a large widget that offers a couple rows of dynamically-changing app icons. Sense 7 uses your location to show a different set of apps for work, home, or on the go. It’s not a new idea—I’ve tried several Android launchers that do the same thing—but it can be a time-saver and if you don’t like it, you can just remove the widget.

The most exciting feature of Sense 7 is its support for themes. You can choose a background image and easily build a color palette from the dominant colors in the image. But the theme gallery is the real star of the show. Pick a theme from the gallery and it changes the colors, font, clock, even the back/home/multitasking buttons. I tried three or four themes at random, and they were all striking.

Unfortunately, it looks like Sense 7 doesn’t really dive head first into the Android Lollipop pool. The multitasking screen is a grid of screen images just as it is on Sense 6, ignoring the new Lollipop “rolodex cards” effect for running apps. The quick settings screen looks a lot like the old one, too. Custom themes aside, the colors, fonts, use of negative space, and core OS features (like settings menus) don’t feel like they mesh with Google’s new Material Design guidelines. As more apps take on the Material aesthetic, they’re going to clash with HTC’s interface.

The good news is, the interface is still as fast and fluid as ever. Everything instantly snapped open, scrolling was smooth, and switching between apps was lag-free.

The competition is fierce

Last year, the HTC One M8 took home our overall phone of the year award. It wasn’t perfect (especially the camera), but it delivered what a lot of other premium phones didn’t. Everyone has great specs, but the M8 gave us quality craftsmanship. HTC pared back the overblown custom interface stuff in favor of a lag-free experience, and gave us software features we found genuinely useful. It wasn’t necessarily the best phone in any one category, but we use our phones for everything, and it was the best at doing it all.

One might expect, then, that a successor that focuses on refining that experience, with few monumental changes, would be first in line for winning phone of the year this year. But we expect other phone manufacturers to step up their design game, fix their software flaws, and come out swinging with lots of new features.

As much as I like the M9, I can’t help but feel that it’s missing something. A new-generation fingerprint sensor, brand new display technology, or perhaps new universal wireless charging support. Instead, it “only” has the latest Qualcomm SoC and improved camera together with a bevy of small-but-welcome hardware and software tweaks. That makes for a fine phone, but I’m skeptical about its ability to top this year’s best efforts from Samsung, LG, Sony, or Motorola.

Hands-on with the activity-tracking HTC Grip, the company's very first wearable

2015-03-01T08:12:00.000-08:00

BARCELONA—After more than a year since sending up a signal flair, HTC finally debuted its first wearable device, though it’s not exactly what we were expecting. All of its smartphone competitors are diving into Android Wear watches, but HTC has partnered with Under Amour to introduce the Grip, a rubbery, lime-green activity tracker targeted at fitness enthusiasts.

I went hands on with the HTC Grip at Mobile World Congress, and what I saw didn’t immediately scream innovation.

It’s super sporty-looking

Aesthetically, the Grip will speak mostly to sporty types, and that’s about it. I can see hardcore runners and hikers wearing this during workouts, but unlike the Fitbit Charge, for example, it’s not the least bit subtle looking, nor can you swap in a different style band to match an outfit.

FLORENCE ION

Lime green, anyone?

The Grip is chock full of features, but all of them will sound familiar to anyone who’s been following the wearables space. The Grip has a 1.8-inch PMOLED display that’s easy to see in bright sunlight. It tracks steps, monitors sleep, counts calories, and has built-in GPS functionality that can map out your morning run. It’s also got controls for your music and a weather ticker, though these particular features require phone-syncing to work.

All in all, it looks to be a very targeted play at the runners’ market. That’s great, but with step counting, GPS and onboard music playback already folded into Android Wear watches (we’re looking at you, Sony SmartWatch 3), the Grip might have a tough time proving its relevance.

FLORENCE ION

The Grip offers lots of different functions.

The Grip that I went hands-on with is still in development, but I tried it on anyway. It’s certainly “grippy,” and I wonder what it’s going to be like when I’m actually sweating. Will it stick to my skin? Will it be uncomfortable to wear over a period of time? Only real-world use will provide answers.

FLORENCE ION

The Grip’s push-button clasp.

At least HTC will offer small, medium, and large sizes, though you’ll want to go a size up if you like it loose. It also employs a push-button clasp, which caught my skin a few times as I was putting it on.

FLORENCE ION

One size does not fit all, so HTC is offering various sizes.

It’s easy to use

The Grip is fairly intuitive to use. It has a home button you can tap to turn the screen on and off. You can then flip through four main menus, including one to start a workout and one to view various stats throughout the day. The iconography is self-explanatory.

FLORENCE ION

The Grip sports iconography that’s easy to understand.

I’m still not entirely sold on the design of the band just yet, even if HTC is going after a niche subset of the already nichey wearables market. Since it’s partnered up with Under Armour, it’ll be mostly up to the fitness brand to drive sales of the device. But at least the app it uses is multi-platform, so it will work with both Android and iOS devices.

A different kind of product

FLORENCE ION

A fitness band? From a mobile company?

So who will buy the Grip? Granted, I only spent a brief time with the wristband, but I think it will only appeal to folks who want GPS, step-tracking, and music control for daily runs, and don’t care about all the other features loaded into smartwatches—or even the super-accurate heart-rate monitoring offered by the Basis Peak.

Consumers still know HTC as a company that makes Android phones and tablets, and even if it is piggybacking on extremely popular brands like Under Armour, its wearable devices will have to perform remarkably well to get noticed. The person who buys a wearable just for running isn’t necessarily an HTC fanboy, or general gadget enthusiast.

We won’t be able to see how HTC fares in this new realm for a while. The Grip isn’t due until later this spring, and should cost $199.

The Huawei Watch is real, looks awesome, and will hit the US in gold, silver and black

2015-03-01T08:05:00.000-08:00

The Android Wear smartwatch space is getting a serious injection of swank at this year's Mobile World Congress thanks to Huawei's Sunday reveal of the not-so-creatively-named Huawei Watch.

Wrought from cold-forged stainless steel and topped by a sapphire crystal lens, the Huawei Watch borrows a number of critical design cues from traditional luxury timepieces, and will inevitably go head-to-head with LG's upmarket Watch Urbane and Urbane LTE, which impressed us the hell out of us during a hands-on.

Pricing and the date of arrival of the Huawei Watch is unknown, but it will be coming to the United States.

Dig the functional crown placed at 2 o'clock.

First teased (leaked? intentionally leaked?) in two YouTube videos posted on Saturday, the Huawei Watch has a 1.4-inch round AMOLED display boasting 400x400 resolution good for 286 pixels per inch. It will come in gold, silver and black color schemes, along with a wide range of straps (I'm digging the Milanese loop in our lead photo), and 40 different Android Wear watchfaces (that's a lot of options relative to competing models).

We should get a hands on with the Huawei Watch shortly, so for now I can only comment on what we see in renders and in the YouTuve videos—but what I see looks impressive. There's a relatively thin bezel around the display. This helps Huawei more closely align with the look and feel of a traditional analog watch. The Huawei Watch also has strap lugs—another design cue that screams watch instead of gadget (see the Moto 360 for theother approach).

Yep, it has all the Android Wear features you've come to expect.

And here's a trick we haven't yet seen in an Android Wear watch: The functional crown button is placed at the 2 o'clock position. It's just a little bit of flourish that imbues the Huawei Watch with some extra identity. Inside, the Huawei Watch is standard Android Wear: 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor, 4GB of storage, 512MB of RAM. Ho-hum, sure. But in the Android Wear game, it's what's outside that counts.

Why this matters: Smartwatches have an image problem. Besides various technical roadblocks, such as poor battery life, most current-gen models just look too gadgety, which turns off analog watch traditionalists. But now with the Huawei Watch, LG Watch Urbane, and the imminent arrival of legitimate Swiss timepieces stuffed with activity-tracking functions, the smartwatch market is maturing, and nosing its way toward legitimacy.

Now let's get this straight: The Android Wear watches and Apple Watch won't be direct competitors because their ecosystem lines are so clearly drawn. But when the Apple Watch arrives with its rectangular display, it might already look outdated within the big scheme of smartwatch design—the more expensive gold Apple Watch model notwithstanding.

Apple Watch ‘pop up’ stores prognosticated for Paris, London and SXSW

2015-03-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

Over the past week, we’ve heard rumors that Apple planned “pop up” stores for displaying the new Apple Watch inside high end stores in both Paris Galeries Lafayette and London Selfridges (pictured above). Now the Austin Statesman notes that Apple has participated in SXSW in a number of ways over the past few years and it would almost be surprising if the Apple Watch wasn’t displayed in some capacity to the international SXSW Interactive audience there. Apple set up a pop-up shop for the iPad 2 during its spring launch in 2011 (pictured right)

image: https://9to5mac.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/inside-apple-pop-up-austin.jpg?w=250&h=199
Apple has used the festival in the past to showcase a new product (like the iPad 2) or to promote its services (like the iTunes Music Festival last year). SXSW Interactive is the perfect audience of early adopters for a product like the Apple Watch and it wouldn’t be surprising if the company offered a preview of the device there.

SXSW is an annual Music/Film/Interactive conference that runs March 13th-22nd this year, the week following the March 9th event and before the Apple Watch goes on sale in April. One SXSW event Apple Watch enthusiasts may want to check out: Wearables and the Happiness Quotient.

A possible counter-argument to an Apple Watch presence that Apple has focused on Fashion audiences and not Tech audiences for the Apple Watch launch.

Apple also plans another showcase of the Apple watch outside of the Yerba Buena Center where it will hold its Spring Forward event on March 9th.

Six ways to make your iOS or Android phone easier on the eyes

2015-03-01T07:54:00.000-08:00

Even as the displays on our iPhones and Android phones get bigger and bigger, the type on our screens remains stubbornly small—so small, indeed, that you may find yourself squinting whenever you glance at your handset.

Give your aching eyes a break. Read on for six settings that’ll make your iPhone or Android screen a bit easier to read, from boosting the size of text to zooming your display with your fingertips.

IMAGE: BEN PATTERSON

You can super-size the on-screen text on your iOS or Android (pictured) device.

1. Boost the size of on-screen text (Android and iOS)

Let’s jump right to the good stuff: a setting on both iOS and Android devices that’ll nudge on-screen text fonts a bit larger—or all the way to jumbo size, if you so choose.

Unfortunately, the iOS and Android text-boosting settings won’t work in every situation. Text on webpages may still be teeny-tiny (although there’s nothing stopping you from zooming a page with a pinch gesture), and third-party apps may not respond to your text-boosting settings.

Still, if you want an easy way to super-size the text in your text messages and email, the names and numbers in your contacts app, and other core features on your iPhone or Android phone, the text-size settings is a great place to start.

For Android: Tap Settings > Display >Font Size, then choose one of the four settings—Small, Normal, Large, or Huge.

For iOS: Tap Settings > Display & Brightness > Text Size, then drag the slider to the left (for smaller text sizes) or right (to go large). Want to try a really big font size? Go back to the main Settings screen, then tap Accessibility > Larger Text. Flip on the Larger Accessibility Sizes switch, then drag the slider.

IMAGE: BEN PATTERSON

In combination with a larger font, switching on the "Bold Text" setting can make your iPhone or iPad screen far easier to read.

2. Bold your on-screen text (iOS)

You can add some extra punch to your on-screen text by adding a bold effect. In combination with a larger font, switching on the bold-text setting can make your iPhone or iPad screen far easier to read.

Tap Settings > Display & Brightness, then flip the switch next to the “Bold Text” setting. You’ll need to restart your iPhone/iPad for the setting to take effect.

3. Try out high-contrast text (Android “Lollipop”)

Unfortunately, there’s no “bold” option for text on standard Android phones and tablets. That said, Android devices running on the new Android Lollipop update have an “experimental” setting called “high-contrast” text, which adds a distinctive outline around some (but not all) on-screen text.

High-contrast text is clearly still a work in progress, but if you’re having trouble reading the text on your Android handset, it’s worth a try.

Tap Settings, Accessibility, then tap the box next to “high-contrast text.”

IMAGE: BEN PATTERSON

High-contrast text on Android "Lollipop" devices is still a work in progress, but if you're having trouble reading the text on your Android handset, it's worth a try.

4. Zoom the screen with magnification gestures (Android and iOS)

Sure, jumbo and bold text can be a big help when it comes to reading your email and text messages, and you can always pinch-to-zoom when it comes to tiny text on a webpage.

In some cases, though, the large- and bold-text settings won’t do you much good. Many third-party apps, for example, ignore those settings completely.

That’s why it’s worth sinking a little time into magnification gestures—a specific set of swipes and taps that, once enabled, will let you zoom the entire screen, no matter which app you’re using.

IMAGE: BEN PATTERSON

Once enabled in iOS, magnification gestures will let you zoom the entire screen, no matter which app you're using.

For Android:

● Tap Settings > Accessibility > Magnification gestures, then flip the switch.

● Now, let’s give it a try. Go to your home screen and triple-tap the display; when you do, the screen will zoom in. Pinch the display to zoom in even more, or pan around the screen by swiping with two fingertips.

● Triple-tap the screen again to go back to normal viewing.

For iOS:

● Tap Settings > Accessibility > Zoom, then flip the Zoom switch to the “on” position.

● Head for the home screen, double-tap with three fingertips and keep your fingertips on the screen after that second tap. Now, drag your fingertips up to zoom in, down to zoom out. You can also drag around with three fingertips to pan around the zoomed-in screen.

● Ready to go back to normal zoom? Double-tap with three fingertips again.

Bonus tip: If you like, you can add an always-on controller to the screen that you can double-tap to zoom the display. Just go back to the Zoom settings and flip the switch next to “Show Controller.” Double-tap the little controller that pops up, then nudge the virtual joystick to pan around the page. Double-tap the controller once more to go back to normal view.

5. Try inverted colors (Android “Lollipop” and iOS)

Do you prefer to read white text on a black background? Some reader apps like Kindle for mobile and iBooks for iOS can do the trick in their appearance settings, but it isn’t so easy when it comes to, say, a webpage or a third-party app.

That’s where “inverted” colors come in handy. By reversing the entire color scheme of your iOS or Android display, you can get the white-text-on-black-background look anytime, anywhere, using any app.

Of course, switching to inverted colors can make for some pretty funky images on your phone’s display. For starters, just wait until you see what your groovy new home screen looks like.

For Android (Lollipop users only): Tap Settings > Accessibility, then flip the switch labeled Color inversion. You can also toggle the effect on and off from the flick-down Quick Settings panel.

For iOS: Tap Settings > General > Accessibility, then flip the “Invert Colors” switch.

6. Lose the “motion” effects (iOS)

The sleeker, flatter look of iOS owes much of its pizazz to something called a “parallax” effect: a clever combination of motion-controlled visuals that gives iPhone and iPad displays the illusion of depth. And let’s not forget the home-screen icons that rapidly zoom in and out as you open folders and launch apps.

Pretty neat, but for some, iOS’s new, eye-popping screen effects are a bit too dizzying.

Luckily, you can regain your equilibrium by turning “motion effects” off.

Tap Settings > General > Accessibility > Reduce Motion, then flip the switch.

For comprehensive coverage of the Android ecosystem, visit Greenbot.com.

Apple shares new Campus 2 aerial shot of construction progress

2015-02-28T10:07:00.000-08:00

Apple today released an updated aerial shot of the construction progress of its Campus 2 project in Cupertino, California. The new shot was made available on the City of Cupertino’s official website and continues to show the steady progress including more groundwork made on the future headquarters.

The latest image shows a different angle of the scene and some signs of progress on the ground, and the general project schedule remains unchanged. Building construction is expected to run through the end of next year while earthwork on the site is expected to wrap up in the next few months.

Earlier this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook shared that 2,400 glass panels for the future headquarters were being produced at Augsburg during his visit. Apple also provided an authorized ‘sneak peak’ of the construction site earlier this month.

You can follow the Apple Campus 2 project timeline with our comprehensive overview of the progress here including lots of aerial videos filmed by flying drones.

iOS 8 How-to: Set up and Use Find My iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

2015-02-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

Find My iPhone was first released in June 2010 initially for the iPhone. Now, Find My iPhone allows you to track the location of your device, be it an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, in case it gets lost or stolen. This is a great benefit because when you locate your device using Find My iPhone, the device makes noise until it is found and will show you were it is located using Apple Maps. Recently, the police used Find My iPhone to track and save a woman’s life. However, Find My iPhone did require the device to be turned on and connected to the internet in order for it to work completely. New with iOS 8, you have the option to automatically send the location of the device to Apple when the battery is critically low. In this how-to I will discuss how to set up Find My iPhone, and how to use Find My iPhone.

Before we start discussing Find My iPhone, let’s have a brief discussion on the importance of having and knowing your Apple ID. Your Apple ID is used for your iCloud account. You will need to know what account you are using in order to use Find My iPhone. There are times when the Apple ID that is used for iCloud is being shared with your family members and some people will turn off everything to avoid getting family members data. You are able to change the iCloud account on the device so you each have your own account, and then you can properly set up Family Sharing, which would allow your family to have individual accounts with Apple and still share all of your purchases together. Also with the Apple ID that is being used for iCloud, you want it to be a valid, active email address because Apple will send you an email notifying you about the status of your device; be it was found, or put in lost mode. If the email address being used for iCloud, is not a valid, active email address you are able to change the email address associated with your Apple ID.

iOS 8 notification email about device

Now we are ready to discuss how to set up Find My iPhone.

To set up Find My iPhone first open up the Settings app and scroll down until you see iCloud. Tap on it and scroll down until you see Find My iPhone.

Then you are going to tap on Find My iPhone and make sure that Send Last Location is turned on, because by default it is turned off. When Send Last Location is turned on, the device will automatically send the location of it to Apple when the battery is critically low. This location will be available for 24 hours for you to see.

Now that we have Find My iPhone set up, let’s discuss how to use it in case the device gets lost or stolen. There are two different methods to go about doing this. The first method involves using the computer, and the second method involves using the Find My iPhone app on a different iOS device.

On the computer, open up your web browser and go to icloud.com and login with your Apple ID.

Then click on the Find My iPhone icon. It will then prompt you to reenter your Apple ID password.

Up at the top in center in green click on All Devices. It will list all of the devices you have associated with Find My iPhone.

From the list, select on the device name that you are looking for. This will then zoom in on the map and show you were the device is located. This will then give you three different options: Play Sound, Lost Mode, Erase Device. These options will also appear when using the Find My iPhoneapp and I will discuss what they mean after discussing how to use the Find My iPhone app.

On the iOS device, open up the Find My iPhone app and sign in with your Apple ID and password.

Tap on the device you want to find. You can do so by tapping on the icon of the device on the map, or by pressing on the green arrow in the upper left hand corner to see a list of all of the devices.

Down at the the bottom you have a couple of different options. Tapping on the green car in the lower left hand corner will open up the Maps app and give you driving or walking directions to your device. If you prefer to use a different GPS app, you have the option to do so.

Pressing on Actions in green down at the bottom in center gives you options to Play Sound, Lost Mode or Erase Device.

Pressing on the green i in the circle in the lower right hand corner, will allow you to change the style of the map: Standard, Hybrid and Satellite.

Play Sound will play an audible sound, even if the device is on vibrate or silent. This sound will keep going until the device is found. This is a great option if you loose your device in your house. Lost Mode allows you to track where the device has been over the last 24 hours. It allows you to lock your device and set up a message to display a contact number. This would prevent the person who finds your device to access any of the data on your device as well as allowing the person who finds it to call you. Erase will allow you to remotely delete everything on the device. This is a good idea in case you think you will never be able to access that device again and highly doubt it will get back to you, or you don’t want someone else accessing your data.

Now that you have Find My iPhone set up, I hope you find it useful to be able to track the location of your devices in case it gets lost or stolen. Let us know if you have used Find My iPhone and were successful in finding your devices.

VLC for iOS Returns to the App Store With Support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

2015-02-27T11:14:00.003-08:00

VLC, a popular media player app, has returned to the App Store with support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

VLC for iOS is a port of the free VLC media player to iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.
It can play all your movies and shows in most formats directly without conversion.
It allows file synchronization with Dropbox, GDrive, iTunes, direct download and through an embedded upload web server as well as streaming from UPnP media servers.

What's New In This Version:
∙ UI improvements
∙ Reliability improvements for UPnP and WiFi Sharing
∙ Updated decoders

Changes in 2.4.0:
∙ Support for iPhone 6 and 6+
∙ Native support for plex media servers
∙ Streaming and folder support for GDrive
∙ Search within the media library
∙ Table view mode for library on iPad
∙ Support for on-the-fly synchronization of subtitles and audio with video
∙ Custom URL scheme based on x-callback-url
∙ Various improvements and bugfixes
∙ New translation to Traditional Chinese

You can download VLC for iOS from the App Store for free.

Read More

Download These Beautiful Apple 'Spring Forward' Event Wallpapers for iPhone, iPad, Desktop

2015-02-27T11:13:00.000-08:00

Reddit user astulz has created some beautiful high resolution Apple 'Spring Forward' event wallpapers for download.

Yesterday, Apple announced a special event on March 9th at which it's expected to unveil more details about the Apple Watch and perhaps unveil a new Retina display 12-inch MacBook Air.

The company's invite featured an abstracted flower pattern which was used to make the wallpapers linked below.

You can say thanks to astulz here.

Desktop (1920x1080)
● Logo and Caption
● Logo Only
● Blank

iPhone 6 Plus (2208x2208)
● Logo and Caption
● Logo Only
● Blank

iPhone 6 (852x1608)
● Logo and Caption
● Logo Only
● Blank

iPhone 5 (640x1136)
● Logo and Caption
● Logo Only
● Blank

iPhone 4 (640x960)
● Logo and Caption
● Logo Only
● Blank
iPad Retina (2524x2524)
● Logo and Caption
● Logo Only
● Blank

iPad Non-Retina (1262x1262)
● Logo and Caption
● Logo Only
● Blank

Original Graphic (2560x812)
● Blank

Google Maps for iOS Gets Points of Interest Quick Facts, Transit Directions in Calendar, More

2015-02-27T11:10:00.000-08:00

Google Maps for iOS has been updated to bring quick facts on popular points of interest, transit direction to your calendar, and the ability to see businesses near a certain address. Additionally, with some venues you can see a list of performances and upcoming events.

The Google Maps app for iPhone and iPad makes navigating your world faster and easier. Find the best spots in town and the information you need to get there.

• Comprehensive, accurate maps in 220 countries and territories
• Voice-guided GPS navigation for driving, biking, and walking
• Transit directions and maps for over 15,000 cities and towns
• Live traffic conditions, incident reports, and automatic rerouting to find the best route
• Detailed information on more than 100 million places
• Street View and indoor imagery for restaurants, museums, and more

What's New In This Version:
• See businesses nearby when looking up an address
• Get quick facts on popular points of interest
• See a list of upcoming events and performances at participating venues
• Earn your Local Guides badge by sharing reviews
• Add transit directions to your calendar
• Bug Fixes

You can download Google Maps from the App Store for free.

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Brikk Announces Customized Apple Watches Ranging From $7,500 to $75,000

2015-02-27T11:08:00.000-08:00

Brikk has announced the launch of a Lux Watch product line that includes 30 luxury models of the upcoming Apple Watch.

The Lux Watch is built in both 38mm and 42mm sizes and is available in 24-carat yellow gold, 18-carat pink gold, and 950 platinum. Customers have the ability to select from three different versions: The Standard, The Deluxe, and The Omni. The Lux Watch Standard offers a single row of diamonds totaling .50 carats around the face, and comes with a leather strap. The Lux Watch Deluxe has 2.3 carats of diamonds in multiple rows around the face, diamond encrusted buttons, and a leather strap with diamond studded clasp. For the ultimate in exclusivity, the Lux Watch Omni has a fully diamond-wrapped case and band of over 12 carats of diamonds.

The Apple Watches will be disassembled inside Brikk’s lab in Los Angeles by a team of skilled engineers. They are hand polished, then plated with five layers of diverse metals before their final plating in either two layers of gold or platinum. High quality diamonds (color D, clarity VVS1) are set with a microscope in a custom-machined bezel. Each piece is then reassembled and tested before shipping to clients

Prices range from $7,495 for the Lux Watch Standard, to $11,995 for the Lux Watch Deluxe, to $69,995+ for the Lux Watch Omni. All models are packaged in a Zero Halliburton aluminum case with carbon fiber interior. Each Lux Watch also comes with all standard accessories, a user manual, a diamond-embedded certificate of authenticity, and an exclusive 1-year warranty.

Brikk is taking pre-orders for the first batch of watches before the expected official launch of the Apple Watch in April. A deposit is required for each pre-order. The pre-order Lux Watches are expected to ship out 4-6 weeks after the official release of the Apple Watch.

Hit the link below to browse through the available models...

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Facebook Messenger Gets Updated With iOS 8 Share Extension

2015-02-25T02:04:00.001-08:00

Facebook Messenger has been updated with an iOS 8 Share Extension that makes it easy to share photos, videos, and links directly with Messenger from within other iOS apps.

Instantly reach the people in your life—for free. Messenger is just like texting, but you don't have to pay for every message (it works with your data plan).

Features:
● Not just for Facebook friends: Message people in your phone book and just enter a phone number to add a new contact.
● Group chats: Create groups for the people you message most. Name them, set group photos and keep them all in one place.
● Photos and videos: Shoot videos and snap selfies or other photos right from the app and send them with one tap.
● Free calls: Talk as long as you want, even with people in other countries. (Calls are free over Wi-Fi. Otherwise, standard data charges apply.)

What's New In This Version:
While using other apps on iOS 8, you can now tap the share button to easily share photos, videos and links directly with Messenger.

You can download Facebook Messenger from the App Store for free.

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What an iPhone 6c Would Look Like

2015-02-25T02:03:00.000-08:00

Check out this impressive iPhone 6c concept that imagines what the iPhone 6 would look like if Apple gave it a colorful plastic enclosure.

The concept was created by 3DFuture.

Apple is expected to unveil its next-generation iPhone in the fall of 2015, but for all who can not wait at the moment 3DFuture prepared a few concept renders. We don’t have much rumors about new Apple iPhone 6S or Apple iPhone 6C at the moment neither on software or hardware. So all images are based on the iPhone 6 design combined with the previous version iPhone 5C. Based on previous years Apple likes to keep their design usually for two seasons and that is what we expect for this year as well.

Take a look at the images below and let us know what you think in the comments. Do you think Apple should discontinue the iPhone 6 this fall in favor of an iPhone 6s and iPhone 6c?

Read More [via Sean]

Axial Tweak Adds Quick Launch App Shortcuts to Control Center

2015-02-22T10:12:00.000-08:00

Axial is a new tweak from Jacob Caraballo that adds quick launch app shortcuts to Control Center.

Axial is an awesome quicklaunch tweak for iOS 8. It tucks itself nicely right above the system's Control Center. You can quickly tap and go to any app straight from control center. Anywhere you can summon the Control Center, you are able to summon Axial as well. Axial also supports temporary auto unlock from the lockscreen, for those who are too lazy (me) to unlock their devices fully.

The options for Axial can be configured from the Settings app.

You can purchase Axial for $1.50 from the Cydia Store.

Samsung Teases New Metal Galaxy S6 With Curved Anti-Reflection Display

2015-02-22T00:28:00.001-08:00

Samsung has posted a teaser for its upcoming Galaxy S6 smartphone that hints it has a metal design and a curved anti-reflection display.

Tomorrow, metals will flow, beauty will be powerful, borders will disappear, reflections will be free, colors will live, the future will be the present.

Watching the video below, you can spot what appears to be the front of the device with screen curving around both the left and right side of the device, similar to the Galaxy Note Edge.

It's rumored that Samsung will release two versions of the Galaxy S6, one without the edge displays and one with a two-edge display.

Amazing New Apple Store Features Free-Floating Second Floor

2015-02-22T00:26:00.000-08:00

Apple's new retail store in Hangzhou, China features amazing glass panels nearly 50 feet tall and a free-floating second floor.

The retail store was designed by Foster + Partners. The same firm that Steve Jobs chose to design Apple's new headquarters, Apple Campus 2. As noted by Wired, the company is pushing the limits of what can be done with modern structural engineering.

Take a closer look: The Hangzhou store’s ceilings are almost 50 feet high, with no columns to be found. The façade of glass panels reaches from floor to ceiling without interruption, meaning Foster + Partners had to push well beyond their previous feats in glass manufacturing to get 11 seamless panes. (By contrast, the glass cube that leads to Apple’s heavily trafficked subterranean Fifth Avenue store in New York is 32 feet tall, and the curved glass entrance to the store’s Shanghai store is 40 feet in height. The Cupertino campus itself will use enormous glass panels that are curved.)

The cantilevered second floor is just 10 centimeters at its thinnest. It floats over the main floor without a structural support in sight. At the floor's anchor points, tuned-mass dampers keep footsteps from causing it to sway. This technology is more common in skyscrapers and bridges to prevent swaying due to earthquakes.

With each new Apple Store, it appears as though Apple is looking to bring a new level of minimalism to the design. “Every aspect of the store has been optimized, minimized, and de-cluttered,” said the architects.

Check out a few images of the store below...

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Apple Maps Connect Expands to Canada, France, Germany

2015-02-22T00:24:00.000-08:00

Apple Maps Connect has been expanded to include support for businesses in Canada, France, and Germany.

The Apple Maps Connect service lets users manually add their business for inclusion in Apple Maps.

Do you own or manage a small business? Add or correct your business information to help your customers find you in Apple Maps.

You can add your business information at the link below...

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iBattz’ Refuel Invictus battery case lets you swap 3200mAh cells for 127% iPhone 6 charges

2015-02-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

Like most things, the title of “best iPhone 6 battery case” is subject to change whenever something new and great shows up to challenge existing options, and as the iPhone 6 is still young, we’re expecting a lot of jockeying for position over the next few months. The latest real contender comes from iBattz, maker of some of the best iPhone battery cases I’ve tested. Refuel Invictus for iPhone 6 ($100, aka Mojo Refuel Invictus) is the first iPhone 6 case to include a great feature from some earlier iPhone 4/4S and 5/5s cases: removable, replaceable batteries.

Using solely the items in its own box, Refuel Invictus delivered the largest recharge I’ve seen yet for the iPhone 6: 127%, or a full recharge plus an additional 27%. That might be enough to justify the asking price for some people. But you can also add a second battery and external USB charger for $25-$30 more. If you’ve been hunting for a slim battery case that can keep your iPhone running endlessly, this might be the most cost-effective way to do it.

Key Details:

Wraps a 3200mAh battery in a hard plastic case that feels like a thin, long iPhone 3G/3GS.
Fully recharges the iPhone 6 from dead, plus an extra 27%.
Spare batteries are sold separately for $25-$30.
Batteries come with a standalone USB charger.

Superficially, Refuel Invictus doesn’t look much different from the scores of other matte black plastic iPhone 6 cases out there. Like almost everyone else, iBattz includes both a headphone port extender and a micro-USB to USB recharging cable, both of which are necessary to use its ports. It’s only when you disassemble the case down to the components — particularly the removable rear panel and the bright orange removable battery — that it starts to look unique. The entire top of the case around the rear camera hole also detaches to aid with iPhone 6 insertion.

When Refuel Invictus is reassembled, the iPhone 6 looks a lot like a thinner, taller iPhone 3G/3GS, gaining soft tapered curves on its edges. There’s nothing particularly beautiful about the case: the plastic feels a bit thin, seams are evident, and there’s an inconveniently small power button hidden on the bottom. Similarly, the side ringer switch hole is tiny, and though iBattz’ modestly-elevated button covers work mostly as expected, the buttons barely move when pressed. On the other hand, only half of the current iPhone 6 battery cases include any type of button coverage, and no other option can swap batteries on the fly. So despite ergonomic and aesthetic considerations, this is one of the more protective and versatile battery cases around.

If Refuel Invictus has any really strong suit, it’s battery performance. The 3200mAh cell has 1A input and 1A output, enabling it to recharge itself and an iPhone 6 with acceptable speed: it took around 2 hours and 15 minutes to bring a dead iPhone up to 100% power, with an additional 34 minutes to add an extra 27%. This trumps iBattz’ own promise of a 120% recharge, as well as the 121% performance we saw from Incipio’s earlier offGRID Express. While offGRID Express has a$20 lower MSRP and even better street price, it doesn’t have the ability to swap batteries. iBattz sells a spare battery pack and recharger for $30, with a $5 savings if you buy it with Refuel Invictus. This is somewhat steep, and extra batteries should really be offered without the charger, but it’s a less expensive option than buying a second iPhone battery case.

Refuel Invictus isn’t the fanciest or least expensive iPhone 6 battery case out there, but what it offers instead is pretty compelling: the strongest iPhone 6 recharging power I’ve yet seen in any battery case, combined with the ability to swap batteries on an as-needed basis. It’s also thin and light — some might say to a fault — with familiar, iPhone 3G/3GS-style contours that will feel comfortable in a pocket or hand. My advice would be to consider it if the swappable battery option really appeals to you, particularly if the street pricing comes down a little. Otherwise, you’ll get nearly equivalent performance at a lower price from the offGRID Express.