Hardware season is in full swing. Apple launched the iPhone 16, AirPods 4, and Apple Watch Series 10 on Monday this week. On the same day, at the same time, the Pixel Watch 3 review embargo was lifted, and we managed to get most of our article done by then. In addition, this week we also saw Sony announce the PlayStation 5 Pro, and the last two weeks have seen a ton of news from the IFA conference in Berlin. There were things like Huawei’s tri-fold phone, reMarkable’s Paper Pro tablet, DJI’s $200 Neo drone, a new GoPro, as well as more concept laptops from Lenovo.
As you can imagine, it’s been a hectic few weeks for those of us who cover consumer technology, and events are far from over. Also, reviews of all the major products announced recently will be coming soon if they haven’t already, and I’ll be back to help you catch up on all the reviews we’ve published over the past two weeks. I’ll also explain why there are some products we haven’t written about yet, like the OnePlus Pad 2.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Two testers, a detailed analysis
by Cherlynn Low and Sam Rutherford
Google’s second foldable has come of age, with sophisticated hardware, superior cameras, and a long-lasting battery. It just needs to iron out a few software quirks to complete its maturity.
- Chic design
- Better cameras than the competition
- Thinner and lighter than the previous model
- Runs cooler than before
- Still expensive
- Some software quirks
$1,799 at Google
Since our foldable device expert Sam Rutherford is on maternity leave, I was given the task of testing the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. But Sam, being the responsible and helpful tester that he is, took the time to share his thoughts and impressions with me. He even took the test photos for our article, and I especially appreciate that he used Mahjong tiles as an interesting background for his images. While I focused my testing on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold as a viable smartphone alternative and its use as a multimedia consumption device, Sam provided his insights by comparing Google’s foldable device to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Our review combines these two perspectives to produce what I might say is a pretty comprehensive analysis. We have camera comparisons between Google and Samsung’s offerings, and we evaluate software, battery performance, build, shape, and more.
I was also able to shoot a video that includes all of our reviews of the Pixel 9 family of phones, including the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The footage goes into even more detail about things like the “Add Me” and “Made You Look” camera updates, and shows what Emergency SOS via Satellite looks like on a Pixel phone. Check it out at the top of this article!
Pixel Watch 3 review: Battle against Apple
by Cherlynn Low
Google / Engadget
Thanks to solid battery life and a comprehensive and intuitive suite of health tracking features, the Pixel Watch 3 is a serious smartwatch that’s ready to compete.
- Fast automatic training recognition
- Battery lasts one and a half days
- Attractive design
- Wide range of screen brightness
- A bit bulky
- Some software quirks
$350 at Google
Google didn’t exactly make our lives easy with its Monday embargo on September 9, especially since Apple’s iPhone 16 launch event took place the same day. But the good news is that our review units arrived about two weeks earlier, so we had enough time with the Pixel Watch 3 to get a better feel for it in the real world. I spent my time with the smaller 41mm model, while Sam was able to provide some review insights into the new larger 45mm variant.
Within a few days, Sam and I were exchanging notes about how impressed we were with the Pixel Watch 3’s battery life. Since I hate wearing watches while sleeping, Sam kindly educated me on the watch’s sleep tracking and automatic bedtime features. Again, teamwork made the dream come true (literally for me, as I wouldn’t have been able to fall asleep otherwise).
Personally, I focused on workouts and activity tracking, wearing the Pixel Watch 3 with my Apple Watch Series 9 on my wrist everywhere I went for two weeks. I loved how Google’s smartwatch was better at automatically recognizing each of my walks, runs, and bike rides, but found it a little too bulky compared to the competition. I also liked the new customizable running workouts that allowed me to set sprint and rest periods during my treadmill sessions.
I know a day and a half sounds just about average in terms of battery life for modern smartwatches, but considering older models barely lasted 24 hours, the battery life improvements seem huge. Combined with some Google and Pixel integrations, the Pixel Watch 3 finally feels like it’s ready to take on Samsung and Apple’s flagship wearables.
Ultimate Ears Everboom: A floating speaker that is more loud than good
by Billy Steele
Ultimate Ears
Small enough to be easily transported, but loud enough to power a party, the Everboom ticks many of the boxes for a UE speaker.
- Robust and waterproof
- 20 hours battery life
- Great features
- True 360-degree sound
- The audio profile lacks the midrange
- Expensive for a speaker of this size
- No AUX port
- Playlist function limited to two services
$250 at Amazon
In this review, Billy shows us once again what to look for when buying gear for an outdoor party. Judging by the beautiful pictures accompanying his review, it’s clear that when Mr. Grilly Steele isn’t testing headphones or grilling meat in his backyard, he spends a lot of time at the beach doing (employer-approved) speaker testing. I second that.
With the UE Everboom, Billy makes it clear that the sound quality isn’t great and the music lacks midrange. But if you want volume, the Everboom delivers and radiates sound 360 degrees. It also has a durable, waterproof casing that can survive being thrown into the pool, as it floats like the company’s other speakers!
However, with a score of just 75, the Everboom didn’t quite make it into the category of products we’d recommend. You’ll likely find a better device for your needs from rival brands like Marshall and Beats.
Not tested: OnePlus Pad 2
With everything that’s been happening in the industry and our own lives lately, we have yet to test the OnePlus Pad 2. Or the Moto Razrs 2024, or the Galaxy Watch Ultra. We continue to test our review units so our experiences can inform evaluations of other products we write about. But time is a resource we never have enough of, and with companies constantly releasing new products, it’s hard to keep up.
Our lead tablet tester (and deputy editor) Nathan Ingraham has been taking a look at the OnePlus Pad 2 and wants to share some thoughts on it. He’s a fan of the build and display, finding it light and balanced despite its relatively large 12.1-inch screen. Speaking of which, he also likes the display and appreciates its 301 ppi pixel density. In fact, he called it “one of the nicest tablet screens I’ve seen outside of the iPad.”
I’ll have to get Nate to look at a Samsung Galaxy Tab with a nice AMOLED panel before we make this official, but there are other things that set the OnePlus Pad 2 apart. If you own a OnePlus phone, Nate noted that “there are some smart software features” that could make this tablet a better option than an iPad or Galaxy Tab. But, as Nate points out, “the Android software situation is, as always, a pretty unspectacular hodgepodge.” He cited multitasking and a lack of apps that make good use of larger screens as two areas that need improvement.
Still, Nate thinks the Pad 2 offers fair value for $550 (it’s currently $499 direct from OnePlus). “I still can’t recommend it instead of an iPad, but at least it won’t break the bank.”
Coming soon/on the horizon
As I said at the start of this roundup, there are a lot of gadgets hiding in our homes waiting to be tested. There are plenty more to come, including new Copilot+ PCs with AMD and Intel chips, as well as cameras, earbuds, and more. If anyone following this week’s news was so inclined, they could probably make a very educated guess about what we’ll be publishing reviews on soon, especially given the established timelines from years past. That’s all I’m going to say for now.
I wanted to tell you how grateful we are for your patience as we get through this extremely hectic time of year. We may have reviews published this month and update them with more details after publication. This may be done to keep articles published in a timely manner while still being able to provide comprehensive insights into our experiences over time. For example, my review of the Pixel Watch 3 didn’t go up until Monday, but I was able to update it on Wednesday morning with an entire section on the experience with Wear OS and the Fitbit app.
It wasn’t anything new or influenced my review, it was just additional details that I didn’t have time to write down while simultaneously preparing for the iPhone event. Given the busy calendar of technology launches ahead, we may take a similar approach to reviews with tight deadlines.
As always, we appreciate you taking the time to read and view our work. We hope you have a great weekend.
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