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Hands on review UPDATED Moto Z Force

Update: Expect Moto Z Force release date and price information this week at Motorolas launch event. It happens Thursday, and well be able to update this to a definitive full review soon after. Heres what we think so far of the Android phone with modular accessories.

Raise your hand if you dropped a phone before. Did you drop a phone just now in an effort to raise your hand? Good news, you can upgrade to the Moto Z Force soon.

Its Motorolas more practical modular phone that adds a bit of thickness compared to the Moto Z in exchange for a shatterproof screen and bigger battery, though still no headphone jack.

The Moto Z Force camera also comes ready to take higher resolution photos that I can wait to test out further now that I got my hands on the nearly final phone.

Theres just one catch: the Moto Z Force release date. It may not come out at all, unless youre on Verizon and live in the US. Its limited to the carrier and States at this point.

Well find out the exact release date and Moto Z Force price at this weeks Motorola launch event in New York City. The first (almost) modular phone is finally coming together.

Design

The Moto Z Force isnt the worlds thinnest phone, but its a still-reasonable 155.9 x 75.8 x 6.99mm and 163g. It just feels thick after handling the Moto X, which does happen to be the worlds thinnest phone.

Like its slimmer Z sibling, the Force is an all-metal smartphone and uses modular accessories that latch onto the back.

Yes, this makes the Moto Z comparable to the LG G5, but its better in keys ways. It doesnt require restarting the phone and it magnetically fastens into place.

There are also more Moto Z and Moto Z Force modules at the ready (and more promised), from an obvious battery case to the standout mini projector.

There is already more potential behind the Moto Z modular future than anything weve seen except for Project Ara, and thats a little more experimental and further out compared to whats here.

Youll also find a fingerprint sensor on the front, with a large chin dedicated to it - large when you consider this phone still uses on-screen buttons, too (the fingerprint button is not a home button, no matter how many times my brain told me to press it).

What you wont find is a normal headphone jack - you options are USB C headphones or Bluetooth here. Apple is rumored to be axing the same 3.5mm jack in the name of thinness in the iPhone 7.

Motorola beat Apple to the punch and its a dubious prize for consumers who prefer wired, but effortless and battery-free audio solutions to listen to music from their phones.

There are three Moto Z Force colors: black, gold and rose gold, the last of which is exclusive to the Force. The regular Moto Z has just gold and black.

Dont worry too much about the two colors when it comes to the backs, because I found the "style shells" (what Moto calls the magnetically snapped-on cases) to add to the color options in post. Theres wood, leather and plastic to choose from at the moment.

Moto Z Force modules

The Moto Z Force uses all of the same modules as the Moto Z, meaning you youre getting to add cases and at least three creative accessories

I found the Moto Z projector, dubbed Moto Instant Share, to be a the most novel, even if it ends up being a niche product that a majority of eventual owners will never use.

It was easy enough to snap and demo the projector that made the frame much thicker, but shined a 70-inch version of the phone screen into a nearby wall.

The speaker system add-on slaps an entire JBL speaker to the back of the phone and even sets the music up to blast the right direction with a cool kickstand. Its metal and feels sturdy to prop up.

The Moto Z battery case modules arent anything too out the ordinary in design, so Motorola made sure to partner with big brands like fashion designer Kate Spade and luggage company Tumi to delivery both style and power

I felt like each module was securely locked into place thanks to four unseen magnets hidden on the phone side and the accessory side. Its easy to snap things on, yet painless to peel them off with a fingernail; no tools or reboots required.

Specs and software

This is where Moto Z Force is a little more ordinary. It uses a lot of the same internal specs we see in todays best phones For 2016.

Theres a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM and an embedded Adreno 530 GPU. Like most of todays phone, it switches over to a USB-C connection on the bottom.

Internal storage consists of 32GB and 64GB options, and while there is no 128GB version, it does come with a microSD card slot (which can turn into a second card slot) and I can just imagine a future add-on that combines battery power with laptop-like extra storage space.

Its nice to see the Moto Z Force specs dont fall behind the competition even with its modular focus. Its able to pull off the exact same internals as the LG G5, HTC 10, ZTE Azon 7 and the US versions of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. Basically every phone is becoming the same on the inside. Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe is the only one upgrading to a Snapdragon 821 chip so far.

This is another Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow phone too and while thats the mobile operating system of the box, this is a Motorola phone. It shouldnt have any trouble upgrading to Android Nougat when it arrives in the summer.

The former Google-owned company also runs a near stock version of Android and its policy wont change now that its under the Lenovo umbrella.

It also limits its own apps in the app drawer to useful things, though as a Verizon phone it does come with some carrier related bloat ware and repeat apps Google already makes (and makes more efficiently - I dont need VZW Navigator, thanks).

What I really like about the Moto Z Force software is hay it uses the IR sensors for Active Display to wake the display without touching it, just like past Moto X phones, and custom voice commands return to the ecosystem. Despite the Z Force name, its really the Moto X 2016.

Camera and battery life

The Moto Z Force camera is 21MP in the back, which makes its a higher resolution than what I found on the 13MP Moto Z. But that doesnt mean everything in todays phones.

It really all about their post-processing software, as we have seen with the stellar Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and S7 Edge, which have 12MP, but are stunning in lowlight.

The Z Force still promises the same grandiose results with a F/1.8 aperture, optical Image Stabilization (OIS), laser autofocus and phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF).

The Moto Z camera is 13MP with larger-sized 1.12um pixels, and includes a f/1.8 aperture with optical image stabilization and laser autofocus. The front-facing camera is 5MP and with an f/2.2 aperture and 1.4um big pixels for better low light.

Theres supposed to be zero shutter lag, but I have to take this one out of the demo room to get a better idea of how this performs in normal conditions. Ill update this hands on review when that happens this summer.

However, I can tell right now that I like the default Moto Z camera app better. Previous Moto Z cameras included a clutter-free design that hid options and made it for casual users.

I can now adjust the camera easier on this new phone and even found a Professional mode to fine-tune my snapshots manually.

Battery life is the other aspect thats going to need more time for me to check out, but I can tell you right now that this phone contains only a 2,600mAh battery,

The thinner design also comes at the expensive of a serious camera bump. All of a sudden the battery case mods make convincing arguments.

Here the good news: Motorola says that Moto Z battery life is rated for 30 hours of mixed use, with the ability to TurboPower with a USB-C cable and last 8 hours after just 15 minutes of charging.

Early verdict

Moto Z Force is technically the better of the two new Android phones from Motorola. It better a bigger battery and a shatterproof screen in exchange for a little more heft.

Thats okay, because its compatible with all of the same awesome accessories that I played with minutes prior with the Moto Z Force. Its already better than what used with the LG G5.

It has a much better snap-on design that doesnt and the ideas are more creative: a loud JBL speaker, mini projector and fashionable battery backs.

Its not as thin as its all-metal counterpart and still contains that very noticeable camera bump. But its just as powerful as todays smartphones with a Snapdragon 820 processor. Its only big issues, and these will be a deal breaker for a lot of people, is that its a US only phone that is glued to Verizon and theres no normal 3.5mm headphone jack.

Well have more on the Moto Z Force when we get more hands on time with the phone. Until then, please, see what the more global-friendly Moto Z can do.

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Hands on review HP PageWide 352dw

Its hard to believe that HPs PageWide technology is four-years-old already. The new print head – which as its name implies covers the whole width of a page – helped HP grab the world record for the fastest desktop printer.

The Officejet Pro X576dw (and its predecessor, the X551dw) managed to print a whopping 70 colour pages per minute when clocked by Guinness World Records, which is faster than most, if not all competing laser printers on the market, including HPs own.

Fast forward to 2016 and the technology is mature enough for HP to introduce it to a mainstream audience. Enter the PageWide 352dw which loses the Officejet Pro moniker and prints just 30 pages per minute, but also costs less than half the price of its 70ppm bigger brothers.

(Note that our review sample of this printer was provided by online retailer eBuyer where it costs £169 – around $220, AU$295 – a price including delivery.)

It has some tough competition in the 30ppm space arena: Ricohs Aficio SG-2100N does 25 pages per minute and costs only £30 (around $40, AU$53) while the Epson WorkForce WF-2510WF is rated at 34ppm for black and costs under £50 (around $65, AU$88) – although truth be told, they wont come near these figures under normal circumstances.

Compared to the Aficio printer, this one is an altogether different beast with a rated colour/black print speed of 30 pages per minute. HP claims that the first page can be out in as little as seven seconds.

What makes this printer faster than most colour laser printers in this price range is a combination of a vast amount of memory (512MB) and HPs PageWide tech, the aforementioned fixed print bar that improves reliability and has fewer moving parts.

The PageWide 352dw boasts a monthly duty cycle of 40,000 pages (recommended is 3,000, though) and a resolution of 600 x 600 dpi (the printer settings states a maximum of 1200 x 1200 optimised dpi for black and 2400 x 1200 dpi for colour).

It is massive, heavy, and is more of a workgroup printer than a desktop one (unless you have a massive desk). At more than 16kg, it is transportable but definitely not mobile and occupies a footprint slightly smaller than two A3 sheets stuck together.

Note that there are no USB cables bundled. You will have to use an existing cable or buy a new one if you decide to avoid using wireless connectivity.

The printer is backed by a one-year onsite warranty which removes the hassle of having to deal with packing and sending back the device should you hit a snag (or if you no longer have the original box).

Take it out of the box, plug the power cable in and youre ready to go. Well, almost. After plugging in the cartridges (which look like no other inkjet consumables you have seen before – check out the above image), you will have to go through the initial setup process which altogether took more than 20 minutes.

That includes spewing out a few test pages, entering the SSID and password for your network and setting the time. Nothing mind-boggling, but try doing that on a tiny screen (50mm diagonal) with only two control buttons (left and right) and it quickly becomes a pain.

A full set of four replacement cartridges (HP 913A) actually cost more than the printer itself (more than £220 – thats around $290, AU$385) with the colour ones having a page yield of 3,000 pages, and the black being good for 3,500 pages.

We suspect that the printer comes with a starter kit as the update sheet showed that it had around 1,200 pages remaining, around a third of what was expected.

Other than USB and wireless connectivity (including Wi-Fi Direct), the 352dw also offers Ethernet, USB host compatibility and a number of printing options (ePrint, AirPrint, Cloud Print and NFC touch-to-print).

One of the reasons why HP engineers chose to make this printer so imposing is because of its paper handling capabilities. It uses the same chassis as its faster siblings which forced some design decisions especially when it came to opting for a generous output tray.

The 352dw has a 500-sheet input tray (which can be doubled), and a maximum output capacity of up to 300 sheets, plus automatic duplex printing.

HP also quotes superior power consumption as being one of the reasons why its offerings are better than their laser counterparts. HP quotes an average printing power consumption of 70W, dropping down to just under 10W when in ready mode and half that in sleep mode.

When it comes to printing, it is a solid performer. We printed an 18-page document (single side, colour text and graphics, PDF format) in 70 seconds which translates to a speed of nearly 17 pages per minute.

That included a 23-second spooling time with the first page out 10 seconds later. Excluding the processing time, the 352dw printed 18 pages in 40 seconds or 27 pages per minute. Thats closer to what we expected from it.

We printed out copies on 80gsm paper to reflect the business focus of the device which produced respectable results. The ink dried quickly despite the rapid churn and it performed well on the dreaded solid background test. Even size 5 text was clearly readable on a solid blue background (see the image below).

Early verdict

The 352dw is a decent all-rounder with excellent print speeds and features along with above average printing capabilities. Clearly, this is no photo-printer but it is more than adequate for most business printing jobs.

At £169 (around $220, AU$295), it is keenly priced for a non-MFP device that offers colour capabilities and functionalities usually found on more expensive printers. But is it the best printer of its category?

Its probably one of the better ones out there but then its bigger brother, the PageWide Pro 452dw is an even better option as it costs £165 (around $216, AU$290) at the time of writing (including a time-limited cashback of £80) and offers almost twice the printing speed, better management options, but a lower resolution.

Others may also consider a multifunction version of the 352dw (which is the 377dw) or the 477dw. The latter, despite being the more enticing alternative, is actually cheaper at £227 (around $300, AU$400) after an £80 cashback, and even better suited for workgroups.

• Check out our 15 top inkjet and laser printers

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Hands on review ZTE Z Max Pro

ZTE Z Max Pro is the latest sign that Chinese phone manufacturers are continuing to close the specs gap between mid-range and high-end smartphones in 2016.

Its a $99 (after an instant rebate that will always be available) Android Marshmallow phone with surprising specs, including a rear fingerprint sensor and a 6-inch Full HD display.

The phone is also outfitted with a 13MP rear camera, a 5MP front-facing camera, a Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor. The CPU runs at speed of 1.5GHz and has 2GB of RAM.

It has 32GB of internal storage and, in case thats not enough, a microSD card slot. Its also been upgraded to the USB Type-C, ditching micro USB port in a mid-range phone.

ZTE Z Max Pro goes on sale in August and is currently exclusive to MetroPCS in the US. But as a GSM phone, theres a chance itll launch on other US carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile in the future.

Of course, ZTE wants everyone to know the time is now to get the phone: the first 5,000 pre-orders get a free leather case. Stay tuned for more performance updates on the ZTE Z Max Pro.

• ZTEs best yet: ZTE Axon 7 review

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Hands on review Updated Microsoft HoloLens

Design, comfort, software and our early verdict

Update: Weve overhauled the "Latest developments" section with all of the major HoloLens announcements since Build 2016.

HoloLens, Microsofts augmented reality (AR) viewer, feels like the future of computing.

Being upfront, the headgear that I tried at Build 2015 was "early development hardware," and it definitely felt that way. But the potential, and how close HoloLens is to achieving it, is simply remarkable.

[Editors Note: Microsoft didnt allow cameras inside the Build 2015 HoloLens demo room. These images are of a HoloLens inside a glass case that was just outside.]

The moment I tried on HoloLens during a "Holographic Academy" session with fellow journalists, I thought, "This is like having a PC on my face." Its not quite that functional yet, but thats how the headgear, and what you see and can do with it, makes me feel.

There was no gaming in the session I attended, like weve seen since (more on that later). Instead, I was a developer for 90 minutes, crafting an app in Unity and adding HoloLens functions as I went.

With every new function added, like gesture controls and spatial sound, I witnessed how it translates into the HoloLens experience. The session aimed to show how easy it is to develop for HoloLens, but it also demonstrated what you and I will experience once its out.

But, before we get into the nitty gritty, lets hit the latest news around HoloLens.

Latest developments

Since its reveal in January 2015, HoloLens released to ardent developers for the hardy cost of $3,000 (£2,160, AU$4,202) just this March. The "mixed reality" headset has undergone few notable changes with that soft release, but its Microsofts vision for the device that has become clearer than ever.

In March, Redmond revealed holoportation, which allows users to communicate with people remotely as if theyre standing in the same room. Though it fails to emulate any olfactory senses or touch, Microsoft Researchs Interactive 3D Technologies team is developing the proof-of-concept for a Star Wars-inspired reality.

Moreover, with HoloLens criticized for its limited field of view, Microsoft told us in June that it has no plans to address this criticism. Instead, the company will see what its partners – e.g. HTC, Dell, MSI and Lenovo (along with more than 12 others) – can achieve with its Windows Holographic platform. Like its computing and mobile sectors, Microsofts foray into augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) will not rely on a single piece of kit, instead focusing on the software while third-parties devise their own hardware.

Speaking of which, the Windows Holographic operating system was recently updated with AR-specific versions of Microsofts own Outlook Mail and Calendar clients, allowing you to pin emails or calendar events to a wall for later. This could serve as a less chaotic alternative to administering multiple windows at a time on a single monitor, helping you prioritize more important tasks.

And, following the recent release of AR game Pokémon Go on iOS and Android, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella noted to CNBC that the "the game physics of that app are built for Hololens," elaborating that the popularity of Pokémon Go could spur interest in other augmented reality applications, namely those featured in HoloLens.

Build quality and comfort

HoloLens is essentially two rings: a thicker, plastic outer one that contains the guts, and a slimmer, cushioned inner one that wraps your head. The inner rings fit adjusts with a roller in the back, sliding forward and backward.

That cushioning is a small touch, but one I appreciate for making it easier to forget youre wearing the viewer and focus on the AR imagery in front of you.

The device isnt supposed to sit on your nose, but I found its rubber nose guard to inevitably fall down my nose no matter how often I pried the HoloLens forward. Thankfully, its optional and comes off easily. HoloLens feels a lot better for me with it off.

I also struggled to get HoloLens to fit every time I put it on. I had to regularly re-tighten, re-situate and realign the headgear. When everything fit nicely, the AR imagery was in full view and it felt right. But if it was too tight, too high up or too far forward, it hindered the experience.

Standing still made for the best overall viewing experience. The adjustment issues cropped up especially when I would move around, which is part of the point in HoloLens.

If you have short hair or its pulled back, you might not have as much trouble as someone with long, loose hair, like myself. It may have been my ability to adjust, but I had a slight headache after I took HoloLens off, like I had been wearing a baseball cap that was two sizes too small.

The headgear I used was untethered, and I didnt need my hands for anything other than selecting my "hologram" to move it. It wasnt wired up for battery life, like the first early prototypes shown to press.

Fitting issues aside, when HoloLens fits right, its comfortable. But, like all virtual reality (VR) and AR headgear, its weight is front loaded. You cant help but feel a noticeable weight hanging off your forehead.

The weight isnt uncomfortable, but it is significant. If Microsoft can somehow counterbalance the weight on the sides or back, it would likely alleviate the front-heavy sensation.

I wear glasses, and I used HoloLens with them on. They dont press into my face or feel tight around my head, unlike with most VR headsets. I also didnt get nauseous, a frequent occurrence when I wear Oculus Rift.

It helps that I can still see my surroundings with HoloLens, so I dont feel disoriented or claustrophobic. If only the HoloLens see-through screen werent so dark (but the room was dimly lit, so it may be just right for a brighter room).

Walking backward makes me feel most uneasy, as I cant quickly turn to see whether something is behind me. The headgear also obstructs my upper peripheral view, so some of my vision is obscured.

HoloLens looks and feels like a premium device. Nothing about it screams "cheap", and that has already been reflected in the developer editions price.

The gadget looks like it belongs in the office but would also blend well in any living room. As is, HoloLens feels too delicate to stay clean and unscathed in, say, a construction site.

I find myself handling HoloLens gently, so unless Microsoft does some ruggedizing, youll probably want to keep HoloLens out of the reach of youngsters.

Holographic viewing

The "hologram" – which these are not by the strictest definition – in my HoloLens experience consisted of two floating spheres, two yellow slides and some blocks stacked on a pad of paper.

It was called "Project Origami," and so was meant to look and sound like folded paper.

To give the holograms (which turned into a game) functions, I added controls (gaze, gesture and voice), spatial sound, spatial mapping and the ability to pick up, move and place the holograms around the room.

Finally, an underworld was added to the hologram so that, when the spheres fell, an explosion created a gaping hole in the floor that the they descended into. Looking down the hole revealed a new world, complete with rolling hills and cranes soaring underneath my feet.

The HoloLens images projected onto the real world around me are vibrant, sharp and realistic – though, a little jittery. When I move around them, the holographic shapes behave like real objects, so I can see their backsides – or not at all, if theyre obstructed by other holograms.

When the paper spheres roll onto the floor, they roll around just like real balls would, bouncing around objects and looking real enough to pick up. When I peer into the underworld that opened up on the floor, its like Im looking into, as my HoloLens "mentor" put it, a world I didnt know was there the whole time.

But, looking at holograms slapped on top of the real world is just one half of the HoloLens equation. Controlling the holograms is the other.

Controlling and touching holograms

The HoloLens gaze controls are responsive and should be easy for any user to get the hang of almost immediately. Its the other kinds of input where HoloLens has slightly more trouble.

While voice controls work, there is a lag between giving them and the hologram executing your commands. I had to say, "Let it roll!" to send the spheres down the slides, and there was a second-long pause before they took a tumble. It isnt major, but enough to make me feel like I should repeat myself.

Gesture control is the hardest to get right, even though my experience was but a one-fingered, downward swipe. It took time to figure out the best distance to swipe away from HoloLens and where to put my finger for it to register.

Just imagine someone repeatedly swiping their finger downward in mid-air – that was me.

Once I finally found the sweet spot, though, the control worked better than expected. Instead of reaching out to touch the hologram, the swipe worked best when I held my hand comfortably in front of me.

Using gestures, I could select the Project Origami diagram, use my gaze to move it around the room, and then use another pinch to lock the hologram into a new spot (I moved it from in front of me to a couch to a coffee tablet to a desk.). This wasnt Minority Report-level selecting and swiping, but impressive nonetheless.

The HoloLens uses spatial audio, which takes the experience to a whole new level. Ambient music played during the demo, and the spheres rolled to the the sound of crumpling paper.

The sound got louder as I approached the hologram and faded as I moved away. It added another dimension to the HoloLens experience, making it that much more immersive.

Of course, as I viewed the holograms, I was still able to see my surroundings. The holograms werent disrupted if someone happened to walk through my projection.

My favorite part of this HoloLens demo was a wire frame mesh that appeared on real-world objects to show how HoloLens perceives them. The mesh changed as HoloLens registered the objects and I moved my head to look at a new spot.

It also wrapped the people around me, though I could still make out their features from behind the digital framework. It was an awesome AR moment: the people themselves became part of the hologram.

As cool as it all was, it would have been less distracting if the images disappeared when I was talking to someone. From speaking with Microsoft representatives, it sounds like this will be possible with other apps, but not Project Origami.

It feels weird to talk to someone with HoloLens on – a little rude, as if I were wearing sunglasses indoors (or at night – zing).

The biggest issue with HoloLenss holographic viewing is that the field of view is limited to what amounts to the size of a monitor in front of you – equivalent to 15 inches, we know now. You can see the edges of the virtual space where the hologram lives (which are basically the edges of the inner HoloLens frames).

Looking outside that space, or moving too close into it, cuts the the hologram off or makes it disappear completely. These edges werent visible during the wire mesh portion of the demo and therefore was more immersive, but the origami demo seemed as if it existed on a limited plane.

The holograms look best when Im standing about four or five feet away and when there is more going on, like the wire frame mesh. There were glitches in my demo, and it didnt work perfectly every time. Regardless, none of its takes away from my enjoyment of HoloLens – demos are always incomplete.

Its important to note that, while Microsofts on-stage HoloLens demos have featured polished and seemingly advanced holograms, what I saw was not in the same league in terms of quality, complexity or functionality.

Maybe Microsoft is saving all the wow factor for its keynotes, but my demo was a less refined and less capable version of what weve seen in on-stage demos. My experience, while impressive, felt like childs play AR compared to whats been in Microsofts keynotes.

Thats not to say that HoloLens cant project these advanced images down the road. And, as Microsoft said, I was wearing "early development hardware." But Redmond has work to do to before the reality its projecting onstage aligns with what you and me actually see.

Early verdict

Neither the HoloLens software nor the hardware is perfect. But, if Microsoft can work out the kinks, HoloLens will be an immersive entertainment device that could easily fit in an office.

Despite its faults, using HoloLens was delightful. With more robust apps, more reliable functionality and an improved viewing experience, HoloLens could become the AR viewer to end them all.

Frankly, HoloLens could transform how we interact with the world. These are lofty ideas, and the device as-is wont accomplish any of them yet, but the potential is there – and strong.

HoloLens is the most fascinating tech Ive tested in a long time. We still dont know how much it will cost at retail, but HoloLens seems to have unlimited potential – that which it seems like it can actually live up to. And that alone is incredibly exciting.

Head to Page 2 for our brief impressions of a few more recent experiences with HoloLens.

Joe Osborne and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this review.

Further impressions of HoloLens

What follows are our impressions of HoloLens following demonstrations provided through a more recent visit by Volvo to techradar headquarters, penned by Duncan Bell, and during E3 2015, penned by Nick Pino, respectively.

Volvo puts HoloLens to work

The $3,000 HoloLens has another new demonstration: a virtual car showroom for Volvo. Yes, that sounds boring, but its actually an impressive showcase for what Microsofts "mixed reality" headset can do – and what it cant do.

First up, while the hardware didnt appear to have been updated since Build 2015, I found it comfortable to wear, at least for the 15 minutes that the demo lasted. This may very well be because, with a fairly prominent – but not huge – nose and shaved head, I have the optimal cranium for HoloLens.

I also wear glasses, and these fitted easily enough under the headset.

The virtual cars that appeared before my eyes were genuinely impressive, both at miniature, tabletop size and real-to-life car size. They looked like CGI and werent photo realistic, but they were "real" enough to impress.

One thing that hadnt changed, and by all accounts never will, is that the visuals were in a "box" hanging in front of my eyes rather than filling my whole field of vision. According to HoloLens senior director Scott Erickson, increasing the field of view would make it VR rather than mixed reality, and therefore too difficult to walk around in. Of course, there could also be technical reasons why they cant do this.

The box is problematic in that, as you move closer to holograms, the edges of them literally sheer off until you step back, which is quite jarring. On the other hand, because the "unreal" space is so clearly defined and limited meant I could walk around Microsofts space, which included chairs, tables and a stage, without ever fearing I might face plant.

HoloLens and Halo make a fine pairing

Weve had a glimpse at the potential for HoloLens in gaming with an immersive – though impractical – briefing for Halo 5: Guardians for Xbox One. From the voice of Jennifer Hale to a model of a UNSC Leviathan Supercarrier and Spartan Captain Sarah Palmer, the demo helped prepare me for a 12-on-12 battle that, it should be noted, my team won by a landslide.

One negative to come out of the showing was to learn that the viewers limited field of view isnt likely to get much better anytime soon. While the hardware isnt final, said HoloLens lead Kudo Tsunoda, the field of view, which feels like looking through a mobile computer monitor, wont be "hugely, noticeably different either."

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Lenovo K4 Note review

Lenovo is slowly but surely making an impact in the Android smartphone market, particularly here in India. Lenovo has some fantastic devices on offer, with a smartphone portfolio that is continuously expanding, and one of the most popular of their devices is the Lenovo K4 Note.

Its predecessor was very popular, and the latest offering takes things one step further, with the K4 Note bringing some of the best features of the higher-end Vibe X3 to this affordable series. What does this device bring to the table? We find out, in this comprehensive Lenovo K4 Note review!

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Unboxing

The phone comes in pretty standard packaging, with an image of the phone and the large VIBE branding splashed across the box. Opening the box reveals the phone in all its glory, and its nice to see the device already in a protective case. The hard plastic case isnt the most impressive though, and if you are particularly clumsy, you may be better off picking something sturdier.

Diving in deeper, you will find the standard documentation, an AC wall adapter, and a USB charging cable, and Lenovo also includes a screen guard with the device, which is another nice touch. There are no headphones included, but that does make sense, given the affordable nature of this phone. Setting up the device only takes a few minutes, and follows the standard steps that any Android smartphone user will be familiar with. Once the phone is setup, you will find the official update for Android 6.0 Marshmallow waiting for you.

Design

The K4 Note sees a significant upgrade in terms of design and build quality, when compared to its predecessor. The device now features a metal frame and a polycarbonate plastic backing, which makes the phone feel sturdy and solid in the hand. The combination of dual-front facing speakers and a fingerprint scanner just below the camera makes the K4 Note aesthetically similar to the Lenovo Vibe X3, which isnt really surprising, given that this device has been released in some markets as the Vibe X3 Lite.

The plastic backing is removable, giving you access to the microSD card and SIM card slots, but the battery cannot be replaced. Removing the plastic back cover is when you notice how thin and flimsy it is, but despite appearances, it certainly holds up very well, and is something you wont even notice when snapped in place. For those still worried, the device does come with a plastic protective case in the box, and there is also a version of the phone now available with a wood backing. The wooden back doesnt seem to be sold separately yet, but is something that we can expect to see soon.

Taking a look around the phone, the headphone jack and microUSB port are at the top and bottom respectively, and the power button is below the volume rocker on the right side. On the back is the camera that is centrally located along the top, and below it is the fingerprint scanner. Up front, below the display are the three capacitive navigation keys, but these buttons arent illuminated, which can make them quite difficult to see in the dark.

The power button doesnt come with something like a ridged pattern to help differentiate it from the volume rocker, but the buttons are placed far enough away from each other for this to be a minor concern. The buttons also protrude quite a bit, so you can actually easily see which button you are pressing. The buttons dont offer as much tactile feedback as might be expected, and the power button in particular feels quite mushy. However, with you being able to unlock the device and directly go to the homescreen using the fingerprint scanner, you wont need to use the power button all that much anyway.

As far as the handling experience is concerned, a slight curve on the back allows for the phone to nestle nicely in the palm of your hand, and unlike metal smartphones, the device isnt slippery either, courtesy of the polycarbonate backing. Overall, the Lenovo K4 Note is a very well-designed smartphone, and as is also the case with some of its competitors, the design and build quality of the phone certainly goes beyond what you would expect from a sub-$200 device.

Display

The K4 Note comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, with a Full HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 401 ppi. Many affordable smartphones are starting to boast Quad HD screens now, but 1080p gets the job done here, with text appearing sharp, and watching videos and playing games is a lot of fun as well. The viewing angles arent great however, and while the brightness at the highest setting is good enough to allow for easy outdoor viewing, the screen can be quite dull and dark when the brightness is set to less than 40% even when indoors.

The default color balance is good enough, but the color temperature is on the cooler side. You do have some options available to set the color balance and temperature to your liking, including a manual mode that gives you granular control over these aspects. One preset setting is called Comfort Mode, that helps protect your eyes when browsing the phone for long periods of time. There is also Smart Brightness, which judges when the phone is in harsh lighting conditions and enhances the visibility. It works well enough, but as mentioned, the display brightness is cranked up anyway.

Performance

Under the hood, the K4 Note comes with an octa-core MediaTek MT6753 processor, clocked at 1.3 GHz, and backed by the Mali-T720MP3 GPU and 3 GB of RAM. There is also a version with 2 GB of RAM, but this iteration hasnt been released in India. The performance has been pretty good, helped along by a clean software package, and there have been no glaring issues. The device handles day to day tasks very well, and opening, closing, and switching between apps has been smooth.

Of course, the K4 Note isnt a performance powerhouse, and the benchmark scores reflect that, but with average usage, this phone certainly impresses. The gaming experience has been enjoyable as well, and playing games like Stick Cricket 2, UFC, and NBA Live Mobile have been a lot of fun. Games do take a bit to load, and there are some instances of stutter when navigating through the menus and settings, but when it comes to the actual gameplay, things have been smooth and lag free for the most part.

Hardware

16 GB is the only on-board storage option available here in India, but in other markets, there are 8 GB and 32 GB iterations to be found. However, something to keep in mind is that the latter two come with 2 GB of RAM, while this Indian edition features 3 GB of RAM. If storage is a concern, the device features a dedicated microSD card slot, allowing for up to an additional 256 GB of space.

You get two microSIM card slots here, and you can pre-select which SIM can be used to for calling, texts, and data. The option you select for data will allow for access to 3G/4G LTE, while the other sticks to EDGE. Its also a nice touch that you can choose different ringtones and message tones for the two SIM cards, making it easy for you to distinguish between them. There have been no issues with voice calling, with both parties able to hear the other loud and clear.

The K4 Note comes with dual front-facing speakers – which is always the best placement for speakers – with Dolby ATMOS features. While these speakers dont get as loud as I would have liked, you get a rich stereo sound which further enhances the video-viewing and gaming experiences.

The Dolby ATMOS settings allow you to choose between preset options like Movie, Music, Game, or Voice, and you can also set up custom settings depending on your liking. You also get additional features, including Surround Virtualizer, Dialogue Enhances, and Volume Leveler. This is buried in the Settings menu however, and is found under the "Ringtones and Volumes" section.

With headphones on, the audio is absolutely fantastic, with impressive bass that I havent found with other, more expensive, smartphones. Something to remember is that it can get really loud with headphones on, so much so that the default volume setting is set to 50%, and you wont find yourself needing to go any higher than that. If good audio is one of your requirements, the K4 Note is definitely a great option.

The phone comes with a fingerprint scanner on the back, and this is another feature that was very impressive. The setup is quick and easy, and the scanner is very accurate, but while its definitely fast enough, it may not be as fast as other sensors out there. Using the scanner unlocks the phone and takes you directly into the homescreen, which means that you will rarely have to reach for the power button.

The scanner comes with a few extra uses when the phone is as well. You can set it up so that a single tap can have it function as a back button or take you back to the homescreen, and a long press can open the Recent Apps screen, or again, take you back to the homescreen. Finally, you can have the scanner function as a shutter button as well, which is very useful when taking selfies. These are similar to the gesture support offered by rival Chinese OEM Huawei in some of its recent flagships.

The K4 Note comes with a 3,300 mAh non-removable battery, that allows for really good battery life. I was able to consistently get up to 5 hours of screen-on time with the device, and an impressive stand-by times means that the device easily lasted through a full day of use, and sometimes even two, depending on my usage. With heavy usage however, while the screen-on time was still pretty good, it was easy to drain the battery rather quickly.

You get the standard Battery Saver mode that automatically kicks in at the 15% mark, and there is also an Ultimate Battery Saver feature, that minimalizes the UI, and allows for only calls and texts. An interesting battery feature is "Scheduled Power On and Off," that lets you preset a time period where the device automatically switches off and turns back on again.

Camera

The Lenovo K4 Note features a 13 MP rear camera with a f/2.2 aperture, and a dual LED flash, along with a 5 MP front-facing unit, also with the same aperture.

The default camera app is very simplistic, and everything you may need can be found easily on the viewfinder. At the top left are the buttons to switch between the cameras and toggle HDR, and at the bottom is the button to toggle the flash. Only two modes are available in the menu, including Panorama and another that adds color filters to your images. Further in the settings is where you fill find the option to choose the settings for aspect ratio, photo resolution, snap mode, triaxial leveling, and guidelines.

Using the front-facing camera adds the Beauty mode, and you also have an option called "fill light," that adds two, pink or chrome, bars at the top and bottom of the screen to light up your face in dark environments, but it doesnt really help much, and results in a pink or bronze hue in the shot.

As far as the image quality is concerned, the 13 MP rear camera is capable of taking some nice shots, especially in well-lit situations, and the images can be crisp and clear sometimes. Not surprisingly, some noise and grain starts to creep in as lighting conditions deteriorate though. The camera doesnt handle shadows particularly well either, with very little detail to be seen, and while HDR tends to help here, it creates an oversharpened, unnatural looking shot. The camera also tends to underexpose shots in a few situations, and when you use the tap to focus feature, it also adjusts the exposure, leading to either overblown highlights or super dark shadows.

As far as video is concerned, the camera is capable of recording at a Full HD resolution at 30 fps. Video quality isnt particularly impressive, and with no OIS, you can get some noisy and shaky videos. The phone comes with a 3 microphone system intended to help with background noise reduction, and while it does a good job when outdoors, the sound is somewhat muted when recording audio in quieter locations.

Overall, the K4 Note camera is serviceable and will certainly get the job done in a pinch, but its in the little details that the camera lets you down. Its certainly not the worst camera weve seen on an affordable smartphone, but it isnt close to the best either and if the camera is important to you, this is certainly something to keep in mind.

Software

On the software side of things, the K4 Note is running Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box, but – following the updates release in India last month – there is now an official update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow immediately available after you first set up the phone.

The software experience is very clean and minimalistic, at least on the surface, and while it does have significant differences, quite a lot of stock and Material Design elements are to be seen here. The Settings menu and Recent Apps screen are the same as stock, Chrome is the default web browser, and Google Keyboard is the preset keyboard of choice. The notification dropdown and Quick Settings menu are also similar in the look, but it is packed with a lot more options, with even more available when you dive deeper, allowing you to pick and choose which settings are more useful to you.

The app drawer retains the Material Design look, but is side swiping, instead of a top to bottom scroll. A nice addition here is that the app search menu up to also comes with a section that houses the most recent apps opened. There is a lot of bloatware to be seen however, with a slew of unnecessary, often redundant, apps pre-installed on the device.

Luckily you can uninstall most of these third-party applications, and the only ones that cant be removed are Lenovo staples like ShareIT, SyncIT, and the Lenovo Companion app. There is also a Theme Center, but it isnt particularly robust, and all you can really do is change the look of the lockscreen, icons, and wallpapers.

The Lenovo Companion app is a very useful tool to have, and provides a quick and easy way to set up service requests, or browse through the forums to find solutions to everyday problems you might come across. There are also video guides available, and also a robust diagnostics tool that lets you check whether all the device hardware is working the way it should be.

Finally, another feature that can be useful to some is Secure Zone; it can be toggled in the Quick Settings menu, and allows you to set up two virtual zones, tha

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