Fitbit activity trackers are a great way to monitor your daily steps and make you more aware of how active you are during the day. As well as encouraging you to do more, some models have extra features for more serious running and training.
If you’re interested in getting your child a Fitbit – great! If you have one too you can compare daily steps and movement to ensure your kids get the best possible exercise. The competitive Leaderboard and fun Challenges and Adventures are great motivators for the whole family.
But children don’t necessarily need a Fitbit with all the bells and whistles. Growing wrists and short attention spans may mean you are also hesitant to spend a lot of money on a Fitbit your kids might not use for long.
Then again if they are keen to monitor their activity then this should be encouraged, and there are particular Fitbits that are suitable. And if you also have a Fitbit you can compare your activity to encourage them to keep moving.
Only one, the Fitbit Ace 2, is built especially for children. Children under 13 are not allowed to have personal Fitbit accounts for – as far as we can ascertain – US federal privacy reasons. Now the minimum Fitbit age is 8 years old with the Ace. But plenty of parents register younger kids as 13 to beat this rule, so you can consider all the available Fitbits if you choose – older children (9+) will prefer the more ‘adult’ trackers.
While our four choices are indeed the four cheapest Fitbits, that is not the only reason we’ve picked them. A combination of price, design and features means they are the best Fitbits for kids from the current range. See all Fitbits compared in our comprehensive expert roundup.
Don’t forget to look for the best Fitbit deals, which we keep our eyes open for at all times. You’ll also see the cheapest prices in the roundup below.
Best Fitbit for kids 2020
1. Fitbit Ace 2
Designed specifically for kids
This £69.99 / $69.95 Fitbit is the successor to the first Fitbit to be specifically designed for kids, so is the most obvious choice. It has a simple, tough design and straps specifically for small wrists with a slim display for the time and basic readouts.
Fitbit recommends the Ace 2 or children over the age of eight and tracks steps, active minutes and basic sleep. And while they may not have their own smartphone or tablet yet, you can track their progress on your own device to make sure they’re keeping active. There are Reminders to Move that help you get moving at least once an hour (in the daytime) for 250 steps as a minimum, and even on-screen notifications such as Caller ID.
It also features Bedtime Reminders & Alarms, Timer and Stopwatch.
It’s showerproof and the battery should last for five days, meaning your kids can wear it all through the school week to keep an eye on their exercise (and making sure they go to bed when you turn the light off!).
Fitbit has created two “Views” – one for parents and another for the child. Just like adults, kids can win badges and trophies as they hit their activity goals. These family views are just for Ace.
Fitbit also ensures all the data collected is private and not shared with its servers, keeping info about your kids safely with you and you only.
We’d happily recommend the Fitbit Inspire to kids, since it’s affordable, smart-looking and easy to use. And of course it works with Fitbit’s fantastic mobile app.
(The Ace 2 is basically an Inspire, with some features taken out.)
It tracks basic steps, distance, active minutes and calories burned, and offers on-wrist notifications including Caller ID, texts and calendar alerts, plus Reminders to Move.
The Inspire can also be worn as a clip, costing an extra £19.99 or $19.95 for the clip accessory.
If you think your child might use the GPS function there’s the Inspire HR.
If you fancy the extra benefits of heart-rate monitoring (HR), then the cheapest option is the Inspire HR. It costs £89.99 or $99.95 – a £20/$30 premium on top of the less functional Fitbit Inspire, but still an affordable price tag.
The Inspire HR tracks steps, distance, active minutes and calories burned, plus the heart-rate monitor gives you more advanced sleep measurements than you get with the non-HR Inspire. It also offers on-wrist notifications including Caller ID, texts and calendar alerts, and Reminders to Move.
Like the Ace and Inspire it lacks an altimeter so doesn’t count the floors you climb – if this is important to you, you should turn your gaze on theFitbit Charge 3. We don’t think it’s the most important fitness metric, so you can save money by letting this stat go.
It also has a proper watch-buckle fastening that we think makes it less likely to fall off and get lost (kids, right?) than the Inspire with its pop-in clasp.
The Versa Lite is physically same as the fully fledged Fitbit Versa except for the lack of two buttons on the right edge. Inside, it loses a few features: Wi-Fi, altimeter, Fitbit Coach on-screen workouts and the ability to store music.
But wait! It’s still excellent, and we didn’t miss any of those features. It’s cheaper, lasts for four or five days on a single charge, looks great and has tons of compatible straps and accessories.
The Versa Lite measuresSteps, Distance, Calories burned, and Active Minutes, as well as automatic Sleep and Activity Tracking. Of course you get Reminders to Move and on-wrist notifications including Caller ID, texts and calendar alerts.
It uses Fitbit’s wrist-based PurePulseheart-rate monitor, which can be used to improve the efficiency of your exercise, workouts and sleep, as well as monitoring heart health.
This is great value as you get more than just fitness and health tracking with this entry-level smartwatch.
There’s never been a better time to get into Android apps, as the Google Play store has exploded in recent years, with a proliferation of titles that can cater to your every need.
The problem is: there are just too many of them, even with Editors’ Choice, Featured and Best Selling, Top Paid and Top Free categories there to help.
You can filter, see Google’s lists or read the reviews – but the easiest (and best) way to find top quality apps is to have someone else do the searching for you.
Jump to section
That’s where we come in. Like you, we want the best apps for our Android phones. The apps that are going to revolutionize functionality or, at the very least, offer something so great that it becomes one of the must-have apps that has to be downloaded whenever you get a new handset.
The following apps will be constantly updated and are a mixture of paid and free ones that have been chosen by our Android experts. So, even if you do dip into actual cash for one of these apps, you can be safe in the knowledge it’s a worthwhile purchase.
We’ve also sorted them into categories, so you can find what you’re looking for more easily. Click through to the following pages for those or check out the best Android app of the week below.
Best Android app of the week
This is the latest app we’ve chosen to highlight, refreshed every two weeks. Our choices are usually new apps or apps that have recently received a major update, but occasionally hidden gems and other essentials will also be highlighted.
(Image credit: Duet Inc)
Duet Display
$19.99/£19.49
Duet Display lets you use your phone or tablet as a second screen for your PC or Mac. Simply launch the Duet Display Android app as well as the free Duet desktop app, and the latter will detect your phone or tablet and turn it into an extra screen.
You can control your desktop from this second screen using taps and gestures, even if your PC or Mac isn’t touchscreen itself, so it potentially gives you a new way to interact with your computer, and at the very least it gives you more space.
It also works without any wires, though you can use a USB connection if you prefer. It’s not particularly cheap at $19.99/£19.49, but it does something no other app that we know of can.
The best Android camera apps and photo editors
Our favorite Android apps for shooting, sorting and editing photos and videos.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Glitch Lab
Free + $6.49/£5.99 IAP
Glitch Lab is a photo editor packed full of digital glitch effects. You’ve probably seen apps like this before, and the style of effects offered won’t appeal to everyone, but if you like making your pictures look a bit glitchy or retro, this is one of the most capable and versatile ways to do it.
There are over 100 effects here, and many of them are customizable, ensuring that your glitches won’t look like anyone else’s.
As if to demonstrate the power, it’s even possible to generate an image from scratch, building it up through a number of effects and tweaks.
There’s plenty here even for free, but to get the absolute most out of Glitch Lab you’ll need to grab the Pro IAP for $6.49/£5.99. This at the time of writing adds 42 extra effects, 37 new parameters for the free effects, increases the output quality, and more.
(Image credit: Aidan Wolf)
DoodleLens
$1.99/£1.89
DoodleLens is perhaps a bit of a gimmick, but it’s a fun one. Simply doodle something, then point your phone’s camera at the doodle from within the app, and you can copy it and paste it on top of the world around you in augmented reality.
You can also change the color of the doodle and even make very basic animations by copying multiple doodles and having the app cycle through them. You can then record and save the results.
DoodleLens probably isn’t an app you’ll use often, and we found it a bit hit and miss at recognizing our doodles, but when it works it raises a smile, which is all you can really ask for at $1.99/£1.89.
Pixtica
Free + various subscriptions
Pixtica is one of many tools hoping to replace your phone’s default camera app. Camera apps vary a lot, and their success largely depends on your phone make and model, but Pixtica is a decent option if you’re looking for something new.
It’s packed full of features, including numerous filters, a GIF recorder, panorama, hyperlapse, manual controls, and oddities such as a ‘Planet’ mode, which warps images into a sphere-like shape using Pixtica’s “advanced stereographic projection algorithm”.
There are all sorts of other modes too, whether you’re taking photos or shooting video, and the app is laid out intuitively. However, while many of the functions are free, you have to pay to unlock higher resolutions and to remove watermarks when using filters.
The payment gets you other things too, but those are the main things that make the purchase close to essential if you plan to use Pixtica. And that would be fine, except the app opts for a subscription fee (of $1.25/£1.25 for one month with discounts for six months or a year) rather than being available as a one-off purchase. We’re not fans of paying a subscription for a camera app, but if any such app is worth it, it’s Pixtica.
Scribbl
Free + $5.49/£5.49
Scribbl is a photo editor that lets you add animations to your pictures. By ‘animations’ we mean basically light trails, but there are various different ways they can be animated, numerous colors you can choose, and you can pick exactly where they appear on images and how large they are.
Essentially, it’s an app that does one thing but does it quite well. Once you’ve added an animation you can save the result to your phone’s gallery, ready for sharing.
The basic app is free, but for either a one-off fee or a monthly subscription you can remove adverts and unlock additional customization options, as well as unlocking the ability to remove the Scribbl watermark from your creations. If you like the app this is worth paying for, but you can get a good taste of it without spending anything.
Photo Watermark
Free + $0.99/£0.89 monthly subscription
Photo Watermark does exactly what the name suggests – it lets you add watermarks to photos – but the types of watermarks you can add are quite varied.
Not only can you add custom text as a watermark (including changing the font, size and color), you can also use your signature (or any other hand-written text) as a watermark by writing on the screen.
You can also apply stickers, a timestamp, a location, a mosaic effect, or ‘graffiti’ (which basically just lets you go wild on your images with a digital paintbrush). Whether you want to protect your photo or just log when and where it was taken, there should be a tool here to suit.
Photo Watermark is free, but it’s quite heavy on adverts. For $0.99/£0.89 per month you can get rid of them, but unless you’re adding watermarks to a ton of images it’s probably not worth it.
StoryZ Photo Motion & Cinemagraph
Free + $1.99/£1.79 monthly subscription
StoryZ Photo Motion & Cinemagraph is a photo editing app in two parts. The first of these is ‘Ripple’, a mode which lets you add motion to a static image by drawing the area and direction that you want the motion to happen.
This can be an effective way to make it look like water or smoke is moving for example, or simply to add a slightly trippy effect to things that you might expect to be static.
The ‘Motion’ mode, which lets you blend a video with a photo, leaves you with an ‘image’ that’s partially static and partially in motion.
In both cases it can be hard to make the effect look convincing, but it’s doable, as evidenced by all the impressive public submissions shared on the app. StoryZ also holds contests with specific themes, such as ‘stairs’ or ‘sand’, which you can enter by submitting a relevant creation. The best ones will be featured on the home page and competition page of the app.
You can use StoryZ for free, but if you find that you have more of a talent for it than we do then there’s also StoryZ Premium, which for a monthly subscription removes adverts and watermarks, increases the allowable length of videos in Motion mode, improves the toolset in Ripple mode and lets you save and share in high resolution.
KineMaster
Free + £2.91 (roughly $3.70) monthly subscription
KineMaster is probably one of the most powerful video editors on Android, but it’s also intuitive enough that anyone could enjoy using it.
The app lets you add audio and visual filters to footage, add text, stickers and other overlays, alter and trim videos frame-by-frame, adjust the speed, add transition effects and a whole lot more. You can also record videos straight from the KineMaster app. It can feel a little cramped on a phone screen, but otherwise everything works well.
You can use KineMaster for free, but all your videos will have a KineMaster watermark and you can’t use them commercially. To remove the watermarks, allow commercial use and unlock additional assets (such as effects and overlays) you have to pay a subscription, but at £2.91 (roughly $3.70) per month it remains affordable.
Moment – Pro Camera
$1.99/£1.79
A truly great camera app arguably needs to both avoid clutter and be packed full of manual controls, so you can capture an image exactly as you want it, but that’s a tough balance to strike, and few manage. Moment – Pro Cameraarguably does though.
It gives you full manual control, including RAW shooting, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, exposure compensation and focus. There’s also tap to focus, a timer, a grid and several different lenses. It’s an impressive toolkit, with the app focusing more on powerful utilities than gimmicky filters, but it all has a very clean, minimalist look.
And it’s designed with ease of use in mind. You can double tap any setting to return it to auto or double tap the viewfinder to turn everything back to auto and all the controls are within easy reach.
The main downside of Moment is that it can’t currently shoot videos, but for photos there’s a good chance you’ll want to replace your current camera app with this, and video is apparently in the works.
PhotoDirector
Free + optional subscription
Your phone might have a powerful camera, but chances are it doesn’t come with much in the way of photo editing tools. Fortunately, PhotoDirector can fill in the gaps.
This app lets you adjust the tone, saturation, white balance and colors of photos you’ve previously taken, as well as adding filters and effects, which you can adjust the strength of and apply to all or just part of an image.
You can also add text, stickers, frames, change the perspective, mirror the image, cut sections and a whole lot more.
There are lots of tools, but PhotoDirector is easy to navigate and you can always undo your changes, so you’re safe to experiment.
And that’s just the editing part of the app. There’s also a built-in camera, which lets you shoot new photos with various effects and see live through the viewfinder how they will affect the image.
PhotoDirector is largely free, but if you want to direct to your best there’s a premium version that costs £2.59 (around US$3.70) per month, with discounts if you commit for three months or a year. This unlocks additional tools, boosts the output quality and removes adverts.
LightX Photo Editor
Free + $3.69/£3.49 IAP
If you want an all-in-one photo editor for Android then LightX Photo Editor is a good choice, not least because most of the features are free.
You can merge photos, add effects and filters, selectively apply colors to regions of an image, adjust the color balance, smooth and sharpen images, crop them, rotate them, draw on them, add frames and stickers, add text, create collages and a whole lot more.
That’s all handled through an intuitive interface; bring up the main menu with a tap, select the category of edits you want to make (filters or frames, for example) and you’ll be taken to a menu with all the relevant options.
Most of it is fairly self-explanatory, but there are also tutorial videos for if you get stuck, and for a one-off $3.69/£3.49 IAP you can get rid of adverts, unlock additional stickers and frames, and add the ability to save images in PNG format.
SKRWT
$1.49/£1.39
There are plenty of photo editing apps, but while most offer filters and effects few allow you to alter the perspective of a photo in the way SKRWT does.
There are no stickers here, no makeup modes and no real effects. Instead there are tools to shift the perspective, change the ratio and correct lens distortion.
You can also flip, rotate, mirror and crop images, but SKRWT isn’t interested so much in modifying photos in unnatural ways, as in making them look exactly as you envisioned when you took them.
It’s a professional tool, but it’s easy to use and you can always undo your changes if you don’t like them.
While it’s looking increasingly likely that the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite is a real thing, we’ve always found the name bizarre, given both the high-end rumored specs and the timing of its release, and the latest leak just makes the name seem even stranger, as it could include an “unprecedented” technology.
Specifically, @UniverseIce (a reputable leaker) has claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite will have optical image stabilization (OIS) technology that’s better than on any current flagship phone.
While they only mention it in relation to the Galaxy S10 Lite, if the technology is that good it seems very likely that it would also be offered on the Samsung Galaxy S11 (or Galaxy S20 as it might be called).
The Galaxy S10 Lite will use an unprecedented OIS stabilization technology on a phone, even better than any current flagship phone.January 2, 2020
OIS helps you keep photos and video in focus, counteracting shaky hands, and proving especially beneficial for longer exposures, where you’d have to hold the phone steady for longer.
Exactly what would be different about its implementation in the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite is unclear, but presumably it would do an even better job of preventing blurry shots.
It could be even more useful in the Samsung Galaxy S11 (if it makes it to this phone), as that handset is rumored to have modes and features designed for shooting the night sky, which is exactly the sort of situation where a longer exposure could be desirable – and where good OIS is therefore all the more important.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves – while the S11 is a likely candidate for the technology, there’s currently no mention of it in relation to that phone, and there’s no guarantee it will even make it to the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite, as right now it’s just a rumor.
AMD is preparing a 48-core processor for its range of 3rd-gen Ryzen Threadripper CPUs, according to the latest chatter from the grapevine, which backs up some previous speculation.
The 48-core (96-thread) offering was highlighted in a post on a Chinese tech site (as spotted by Tech Powerup), with the processor allegedly referenced in the code for CPU-Z version 1.91 (CPU-Z is a profiling and monitoring app which details what hardware your PC is running).
And assuming it does exist as per the rumor, the 48-core chip will sit between the previously confirmed 64-core Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, which is due to go on sale at some point this year (likely early on rather than later), and the already launched 3970X which has 32-cores.
High-end options
It would seem to make sense to give high-end buyers another option between these two processors, which would logically be the 3980X (although note that there never was a 2980X – so the gap in the model names of the range doesn’t necessarily mean anything).
And while the cited source isn’t one we are particularly confident about (so treat this rumor with a bit of caution), a previously reputable source had indicated there will be a 48-core model. This other source correctly revealed the existence of the 3990X, and got the TDP right at 280W – one of the few spec details AMD has revealed about the new incoming flagship.
Ultimately, then, we’re left making educated guesses about the possible existence of a 48-core option, and further in that vein, the 3990X is expected to be eye-wateringly pricey – possibly to the tune of four grand, we’ve previously theorized – so again it might make sense for AMD to slot something else in between this and the already available 32-core Threadripper 3970X.
At any rate, it’s likely we’ll hear more about the incoming 3990X pretty soon – quite possibly at CES 2019 – and so who knows, there might be info in the pipeline about this potential 3980X to follow…
Your buying guide to the best fitness trackers in 2020
Fitness trackers help you measure and log a myriad of activities each day; from a simple step count to weights sessions, swimming and more.
The biggest challenge when choosing one that suits your needs is that there are just so many to choose from and not all of them offer the same functionality or track fitness to the same degree or quality.
Brands like Fitbit dominate the conversation and while the company’s wares are undoubtedly competent, there are lots of other trackers out there that excel in areas your average Fitbit doesn’t.
There are also different types of fitness tracker to consider, influenced by factors that affect their designs and prices – two things that are no doubt high on your list when searching for the right wearable.
Some will want something that counts steps and doesn’t require frequent charging, others might be in the market for a new marathon companion.
Do you want to be able to log your routes using integrated GPS or is tethered GPS (pulling location data from your phone) enough? Do you need heart-rate monitoring? Does your tracker need to be water-resistant? Is integration with other fitness services, like Strava, essential? These are all additional aspects to consider before buying.
If you are looking for a full-featured smartwatch that doesn’t explicitly place fitness at the top of its list of priorities, you’ll find entries like the Fitbit Ionic and Apple Watch in our best smartwatches chart here.
We’ve reviewed a whole host of fitness trackers but here are ten of the best, collectively covering the needs all manner of athletes. With different trackers placing their focus on different things, bear in mind that this list is in no particular order.
Fitbit has successfully redesigned its most popular product with the Charge 3. For first-time buyers, you won’t find a better-featured activity tracker on the market at such a fair price. It tracks steps, distance, calories burned, active minutes, floors climbed, heart rate, and sleep stages, and can connect to your phone’s GPS if you want to map your runs.
You also get a full set of on-screen notifications such as Caller ID, texts, Calendar, WhatsApp, and others. It even has its own Weather app.
Given that it comes two years after the Charge 2 we think it’s a warranted upgrade, particularly if you desire the longer battery life (7 days) and full waterproofing. It is a worthy upgrade to Fitbit’s most popular-ever fitness tracker.
The Versa Lite is physically the same as the original Versa except for the lack of two buttons on the right edge. Inside, it loses a few features: Wi-Fi, altimeter, Fitbit Coach on-screen workouts and the ability to store music.
But wait! It’s still excellent, and we didn’t miss any of those features. It’s cheaper, lasts for four or five days on a single charge, looks great and has tons of compatible straps and accessories.
The newer Versa 2 has a better screen, plus altimeter, on-screen workouts and music, but costs £50/$40 more.
While it lacks the built-in GPS of the Ionic, the Fitbit Versa is otherwise identical in features, and is smaller and lighter on the wrist. And, of course, it can still connect with the GPS on your phone. As a smartwatch it can use a growing number of apps (Weather, Starbucks, Runkeeper, Strava and more) as well as on-wrist Fitbit Pay and music storage and control, plus notifications such as Caller ID and texts.
Fitbit Coach offers animated on-screen workouts. It also boasts more designer accessories than the Ionic. While aimed at women (who might find the Ionic too large) the Versa is most definitely a unisex design – although it would take a confident man to wear the Peach/Rose-Gold version.
Coming in at half the price of the cheapest Fitbit, Xiaomi’s latest Mi Smart Band 4 offers activity-, health- and sleep-tracking at an incredible £34.99. The enhanced colour AMOLED panel alone makes it worth the upgrade, though it won’t entirely replace a smartwatch or smartphone for notifications, and we’re pleased to see Xiaomi taking advantage of the device’s waterproofing with swim-tracking. We’d love to see Xiaomi come up with a charging solution that doesn’t involve removing the tracker from the band, but Mi Band 4 is otherwise difficult to fault.
The Move is a slick fitness tracker from Withings that’s ideal for anyone who wants to keep things simple. It only does the basics – activity and sleep tracking, but not heartrate – but it does them well, and the analogue form factor keeps things clean and easy to read.
18-month battery life is obviously a major selling point, and the customisable designs are a big appeal too – you can tweak everything from the strap to the watch face and even the colour of the tracker dial. A heartrate sensor would really seal the deal, but it’s an understandable omission at just , and with waterproofing, sleep tracking, and great app support, everything else about the Move is easy to love.
The Huawei Band 4 is excellent value for money with a colour screen, week-long battery life and clever built-in USB charge stick. It’ll track steps, distance, calories, sleep and heart rate in a 26g package.
It’s even 50m water resistant, so it’s maddening that it doesn’t have swim tracking, which the same-priced Honor Band 5 and Xiaomi Mi Band 4 have.
Still, it works with Android and iPhone and is a more fully featured tracker than the equivalent Fitbit at nearly a third of the price.
The Fitbit Inspire HR’s fitness feature set covers the basics very well – steps, calories burned, active minutes, distance travelled, heart rate, advanced Sleep Stages measurement, swim tracking, guided relaxation breathing, the ability to auto-detect workouts with reasonable accuracy, and notifications.
It will connect to your phone’s GPS just like the top-end Fitbits. Sure, it lacks an altimeter (so won’t count the floors you climb), but otherwise is just as capable as the more expensive Charge 3.
The heart-rate monitor deepens the device’s exercise analysis and makes its sleep tracking far more sophisticated. It’s a major step up from the plain entry-level Fitbit Inspire and well worth the extra £20 / $30.
This is a great price for a light, smart-looking device with a solid feature set. Fitness fanatics will want something more advanced, such as the Ionic or Versa, but for most of us the Inspire HR will be all we need.
Honor’s latest budget tracker packs a punch, despite representing a minor upgrade over 2018’s Band 4. Currently retailing for just £25.38, it represents one of the most affordable fitness trackers on the market.
The in-depth workout options, smart sleep tracking and blood oxygen monitoring mean it has a feature set to rival more expensive devices. While a number of minor inconveniences can make it frustrating to use at times, it remains a compelling package that deserves your attention.
The Gear Fit2 Pro is a solid choice if you want a slim GPS fitness tracker that works well on Android or iOS. It has more features and a vastly better screen than the similarly built Fitbit Charge 2, but costs £90 more.
Samsung has made a fitness tracker that costs more than rival products, but over £100 less than its smartwatches but packs in most of the same features.
It does try to do too many smartwatch things with a screen that doesn’t suit though. Buy it if you like the design, but if it’s not a deal breaker you can opt for something cheaper with the same basic GPS functionality.
After an extensive review of price, features, design and performance, the Huawei Band 2 Pro is definitely a recommended purchase for anyone looking to stay healthy.
It’s packed with loads of features such as GPS fitness tracking, heart and oxygen data, messaging and calls, a relaxation aid and sleep tracking – with data stored, outlined and explained on the Huawei app.
The Huawei Band 2 Pro takes a holistic approach to health by targeting both mental and physical wellbeing.
For the reasonable price of £79.99 ($69.99 USD), users can monitor health, maintain or improve fitness goals, sleep better, relax and set personalized goals.
According to Engadget, the new Klipsch Over-Ear Active Noise Cancelling headphones will go on sale sometime between September and November, and will cost $399 (which works out at around £300 / AU$570 based on current conversion rates).
That’s the same price as the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, and $50 more expensive than Sony’s wireless cans, which cost $349 / £300 / AU$499 upon their launch in August 2018.
Impressive specs
Based on the specs, the new Klipsch headphones compare favorably to their biggest competitors, boasting a 30-hour battery life, which matches the Sony WH-1000XM3, and beats the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 by about ten hours.
If you frequently forget to charge your wireless headphones, you’ll be pleased to know that a USB-C quick charge feature provides five hours of battery life from just ten minutes of charging time. Klipsch’s nifty FlightCase means you can even charge these cans without taking them out of their case.
The new Over-Ear Active Noise Cancelling headphones look very striking indeed, with a chunky, retro-looking finish and rose gold accents. They certainly don’t look as sleek as the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, but that robust design could appeal to those who like their headphones on the sturdier side.
Klipsch claims that its new over-ear headphones are capable of providing 40 decibels of noise cancelation, and will include a transparency mode so you can hear your surroundings when needed.
The Sony WH-1000XM3 are the headphones to beat. (Image credit: Sony)
The company hasn’t revealed very much about the audio quality offered by its latest headphones, simply stating that they’ll deliver the company’s “signature sound” – we’ll be on the ground at CES 2020 to test this out for ourselves, but Klipsch does have a good reputation in this regard. In fact, we awarded the brand’s true wireless earbuds 4.5 out of 5 stars in our Klipsch T5 True Wireless Earphones review.
Should you find the sound profile of these headphones isn’t to your liking, you’ll be able to tweak the EQ settings using the Klipsch Connect App; however, it was supposed to be released last year, and a quick check of the Google Play Store shows that the app still isn’t available to download. Upon its release, the Connect App should allow you to contact customer support and check your the battery level of
You’ll get support for codecs like SBC, aptX HD and AAC, but there’s no word on whether these noise-cancelling headphones will support Hi-Res Audio files for lossless listening.
A dedicated Google Assistant button provides access to the super smart voice assistant – whether Klipsch will eventually include support for Alexa remains to be seen.
Based on their specs, price, and design, these cans could definitely give Sony a run for its money – as long as the brand doesn’t launch the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones at CES 2020.
At this stage, we only have the FCC filing, which doesn’t give a firm indication of release date – however, clearing an FCC filing usually suggests that a launch is imminent, and CES 2020 would be a great place for Sony to launch its new cans.
Google Pixel owners have noticed something strange happening recently: app icons are disappearing from their homescreens for no apparent reason.
The problem is caused by a bug in Google’s December security update, which involves the Pixel Launcher. The apps themselves are unaffected, and can still be launched as usual if you can work out where to tap, but it’s proving to be a real annoyance.
As 9to5Google explains, the app names are still visible in the Pixel Launcher, so you should be able to see where the icon would normally be. Unfortunately, the Favorites bar doesn’t show app names to save space, and may be unusable until Google releases a fix.
Update mistakes
There doesn’t seem to be any particular pattern to the app icons disappearing. Some Google Pixel 4 and Google Pixel 3a users are experiencing the problem despite restarting their phones multiple times, while others are seemingly unaffected.
Google has confirmed that it will release a joint December/January update for devices that missed out – hopefully without the icon-erasing bug. We’ll keep you updated once we know more.
