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Both the Garmin Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 support the new beta.
Garmin has dropped a new beta for the Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 range
New features including Sail Race and Jumpmaster Activities
It also includes a slew of fixes and tweaks
Garminhas rolled out a brand new beta for its Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 smartwatch ranges, with a slew of bug fixes, tweaks, and a couple of new features for early adopters.
The new update, announced onGarmin’s website, is available for the Fenix 8 AMOLED 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm; Fenix 8 Solar 47mm and 51mm; Enduro 3; and Fenix E.
Users enrolled in the Public Beta program can download the update from the ‘Check for Updates’ section of their Garmin wearable.
Version 13.12 brings 40 different new features, tweaks, and bug fixes to Garmin’s top two rugged smartwatches, the Fenix 8 and the Enduro 3. A word of warning, however, Garmin says the new beta for the Fenix 8 will disable the ECG and Dive feature, but that they will be made available again “on versions of beta software that we anticipate becoming Live updates.” The company hasn’t said why the beta disables these features, although the Dive issue could be related to problems with the Fenix 8 crashing when dunked in cold water.
If you’re still interested, here’s a look at everything new in the latest beta.
The headline new features include Garmin’s new CIQ System 8 with support for new Connect IQ apps, watch faces, and data fields.
There are big upgrades for sailers, including a new Sail Race Activity and a new Trolling Motor app so you can sync up to your boat’s motor. The beta also adds the Jumpmaster skydiving Activity, and there are new Insight Hints coming to the Health and Fitness app.
Finally, Garmin is adding a Stress Card to the Gaming Activity, and a respiration graph to the Meditation Activity Summary.
In the last year, I’ve taken up a new, rewarding hobby with astrophotography. Today’sbest phonesmake it easier than ever before to get breathtaking shots of the night sky, which is why I want to share my favorite shots from each of the flagship phones I’ve tested throughout the year.
These include theiPhone 16 Pro Max,Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra,Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, andOnePlus 12— many of which top batterymap’sbest camera phonesguide. They’re there for many reasons, but I will agree that the quality of images for astrophotography requires more than just the physical hardware. Plus, there’s a certain level of patience needed to get just the right images.
Most people don’t even know that these flagship phones are capable of capturing stuff besides the moon, stars, and constellations. As you’ll see, I’ve been able to image other deep space objects with their telephoto cameras — like nebulas and even some galaxies. Here’s all of my favorite shots.
Before I dive into it, I captured all the astrophotography images with each phone on separate occasions. Since astrophotography requires the phones to be extremely still with their long exposure, often upwards of 30 seconds, it’s not feasible for me to capture the same targets with each device. That’s why the images are from different days.
Secondly, it’s worth investing in a tripod and phone holder to capture astrophotography with phones. I’d recommend keeping them as close to the ground as possible because sometimes a slight gust of wind can ruin a shot. And finally, you’ll want to use the timer function to eliminate any shake when you’re hitting the shutter button.
Once you master these techniques, you simply need to switch to their respective night modes and select the longest exposure time.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
If you’re going to shoot astrophotography with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, I’d recommend switching to its Pro Mode and manually setting the shutter speed and ISO. In the first shot of the gallery below, I do like how the overall image is brightened to see the details in the tree’s branches, but the sky itself is a bit overexposed given how dark it looks in real life. Still, I love all the twinkling stars it’s able to capture.
In the second astrophotography image with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, I used Pro Mode to try and capture M42: The Great Orion Nebula. This is one of my favorite shots because the night sky is properly exposed, with less of the banding effect of the night shot one. And since I used a longer exposure, it manages to keep the noise down by shooting at a lower ISO.
And finally, there’s the last closeup shot of the Great Orion Nebula with the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 50MP telephoto with 5x zoom. While I could’ve maxed it out 100x zoom, I chose not to in order to preserve the details. I think it does an excellent job of defining the gases that are coming from the nebula, which with the naked eye just looks like an ordinary twinkling star — but the S24 Ultra captures it in greater detail.
Apple’s flagship is a low light beast, and these astrophotography snapshots I captured with the iPhone 16 Pro Max proves that. Starting with its 48MP main camera, it’s the only flagship phone I’ve tested this year that can capture a galaxy. With it pointed straight up into the air, I was able to capture M31 Andromeda Galaxy — complete with its wispy trails. You’ll have to look very close in the first image below, but it’s there.
Next up, I want to point out how it captures The Great Orion Nebula with its 12MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. I surmise that the clearer skies above me that evening attributed to what’s arguably my favorite astrophotography shot with these flagships, mainly because the nebula is better defined.
For my last pick, it’s the shot of M45 The Pleiades — which on that night was right above my garage. There’s a lot I love about this photo because not only are the seven main stars of the cluster visible with the main camera, but the colors of the leaves on the tree remain true-to-life.
OnePlus 12
Even though its flagships have often underperformed against its main rivals in the low light department, I will admit that the OnePlus 12 can get some respectable looking astrophotography images. The first one I tried getting of Jupiter in the night sky is a perfect example, especially when I was contending against the strong moonlight from the Moon. The overall shot may look underexposed compared to the brighter captures of the other phones here, but enough to give it a realistic look.
The second image in the gallery below is of M45 The Pleiades, which initially I thought was captured by its 64MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. But for some reason it stuck with the 50MP main camera, which I suspect is simply due to the low light conditions. Given how effective OnePlus leverages pixel binning here, I think it still pulls off an excellent shot.
Going back to M42 The Great Orion Nebula, the OnePlus 12’s main camera again captures an image that’s more underexposed, but it doesn’t have the banding effect that I tend to see with the night modes on other phones.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
There’s a reason why I saved the Pixel 9 Pro XL for last. Out of all the phones I’ve tested, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is my favorite for astrophotography. Not only does it have an excellent 48MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, but there’s a dedicated astrophotography mode that pushes the exposure to 4 minutes — resulting in a neat timelapse video to complement the image it captures. The first shot of M45 The Pleiades below shows a few rolling clouds overhead, while still showing the movement of M45.
With an unobstructed view of Jupiter, I love how this shot from the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s main camera also manages to expose some of the nearby stars. If you look to the south-east, there’s the Great Orion Nebula — while the seven stars of The Pleiades are visible to the north-east.
In order to better show off its telephoto capabilities with astrophotography, I pointed the Pixel 9 Pro XL towards the Great Orion Nebula and used its 5x optical zoom for a closer look. Needless to say that I’m astounded by what it sees, unlike my own eyes that merely see the famous star cluster as a smudgy blob in the sky. Not only is Orion’s Belt clearly captured in the 5x zoom photo, but I really love how the nebula itself is exposed.
Sony stakes its claim in the ultra-competitive Bluetooth speaker arena Tested at NZ$349.95
Verdict The Sony LinkBuds Speaker is well made, simple to use and nice to listen to, even if it lacks the sonic punch to keep up with the class leaders
Pros
+Cohesive, balanced sound
+Plenty of textural insight
+Solid feature set and outstanding battery life
Cons
-Could sound more punchy and exciting
-Small size means compromises in bass delivery
-Faces extremely tough competition at this level
Sony’s LinkBuds line is made up of, as the name suggests, various pairs of wireless earbuds. Open ring designs, in-ear models, sporty types, there isn’t a set definition for what a LinkBud is exactly, but the single unifying constant has always been that they go into, or sometimes sit just outside of, the human ear.
There is, however, an exception. There’s one member of the LinkBuds family which, despite having the word ‘buds’ in its name, looks like it may have been adopted into the clan, as it isn’t a pair of wireless earbuds but a portable Bluetooth speaker. The Sony LinkBuds Speaker is the apparent anomaly in this expanding family, yet while it distinguishes itself by taking on a completely different form from the rest of its siblings, this is a product that’s clearly aimed at the same crowd that Sony was targeting with its Olivia Rodrigo-backed LinkBuds Fit: hip, trendy youngsters who want great sound on the go.
Sony has already attempted to break the JBL stranglehold at this level with its four-star ULT Field 1, a similarly-priced performer that couldn’t quite topple the might of the JBL Flip 6 or Charge 5. It’s a tough nut to crack, so maybe the Japanese audio titan has found the winning formula – or dare we say ‘missing Link’ – with this latest attempt.
Currently priced at NZ$349.95/ AU$199, the Sony LinkBuds Speaker (SRS-LS1) has jumped straight into the lion’s den. This is the realm occupied by some of the best Bluetooth speakers on the market, speakers that are only getting more affordable as their respective prices drop with time.
Build & design
Sony LinkBuds Speaker tech specs
Power 18 Watts
Bluetooth? Yes, 5.2 (SBC and AAC)
Mains-powered or battery-powered Battery-powered
Battery life 25 hours
Features Sony Auto Switch, hands-free calling, IPX4 rating, stereo pairing
Connections USB-C (charging cradle)
Dimensions (hwd) 11 x 8.4 x 9cm
Weight 520g
Finishes x 2 (black, white)
Around the same height as a standard deodorant can, albeit a little fatter, Sony’s compact speaker is built to sit conveniently on your desk, perch on a nearby shelf or be thrown inside an accommodating rucksack as you take it on your travels.
If you’re planning on bringing the LinkBuds Speaker out with you, we have little doubt that its chunky, robust build will keep it intact. AnIPX4 waterproof ratingis a little disappointing when compared with the IP67 ratings of its rugged JBL Charge 5 and Flip 6 rivals, but it’ll do the job of keeping your speaker protected against drizzle and the occasional splash of water, but it won’t necessarily protect against dust ingress or full liquid immersion. Maybe not one for pool parties, then.
IP rating aside, we’re otherwise confident that, given our time with the LinkBuds Speaker, its solid, robust build will be enough to handle the bumps and scrapes that inevitably come with being a portable Bluetooth companion. The built-in carry loop, meanwhile, also feels as though it can handle the speaker’s 520g weight without losing integrity where the loop meets the main body.
Not that you’llnecessarilywant to have the LinkBuds Speaker out and about with you all the time. The unit’s tightly woven exterior mesh does seem to harbour dirt if exposed to mud and grime, and we’d certainly recommend getting the Sony in black if you’re planning on using it as a frequent portable – we find that handsome off-white finish is fairly susceptible to stains and marks.
The LinkBuds Speaker keeps things relatively minimalist design-wise, opting for an all-over speaker mesh design with few embellishments or adornments. That said, you’ll find four main control buttons at the top: two plus and minus signs for volume adjustment alongside a play/pause control and a preset button for quickly accessing streaming services such asSpotifyorAmazon Music. At the bottom of the speaker’s rear side sits a small power control and a covered USB-C port, although the LinkBuds Speaker also comes with a supplied wireless charging pad for faster juicing.
Features
A key benefit of Sony’s latest Bluetooth portable is that it’s designed to work with the extended LinkBuds family of products. One of the speaker’s party pieces is its seamless interconnectivity with the extended LinkBuds earbuds line, letting you flit between buds and speaker automatically as your tunes play. Put your compatible LinkBuds into their charging case and the speaker takes over musical playback automatically, but once the buds are out of their shelter and in your ears, the audio switches to the buds and the speaker takes a well-earned break. It’s a neat trick that works smoothly every time we try it with our LinkBuds Fit test pair via Bluetooth.
There’s more to the LinkBuds Speaker than its eagerness to cooperate with its Sony stablemates. A healthy battery life is vital for portable units of this kind, and the small Bluetooth speaker duly furnishes us with 25 hours of playback time, a monster figure that overshadows the 12 hours granted by the JBL Flip 6 and 20 hours provided by the more substantial JBL Charge 5.
You can use the LinkBuds Speaker to handle incoming voice calls, a feature that’s noticeably absent from the rival Flip 6. Sony’s champion does an admirable job, with voices coming through clearly on the part of the recipient while being reproduced ably on the other end thanks to the speaker’s built-in microphone.
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony has clearly made efforts elsewhere to make sure that the LinkBuds Speaker is easy to use and capable of keeping up with its competitors. Stereo pairing allows for two speakers to be hooked up together simultaneously, whereas quick access is genuinely handy for getting music playing from your favourite app at the touch of a button. Wireless connectivity is handled byBluetooth 5.2, though the LinkBuds Speaker only supportsSBC and AAC codecs– there’s none of theLDACcompatibility you’ll find with most of Sony’s wireless earbuds.
Setting which music service you’d like to delve into is done via the newly revamped Sony SoundConnect app, the same platform you’ll use for handling most of the brand’s new wireless speakers and headphones. It’s still not the most intuitive service you’ll find, but access to a customisable five-band equaliser, plus control of features such as quick access (to help you jump straight into your streaming service of choice) and stereo pairing, help the SoundConnect app earn its stripes.
Sony’s wireless wonder uses a two-way speaker system consisting of a 16mm tweeter and a 48x56mm balanced mid/bass driver to produce what its maker describes as “impressive bass and clear vocals with less distortion”. Passive radiators work in unison with the mid/bass for more powerful bass reproduction, whereas Sony’s ‘Sound Diffusion Processor’ aims to ensure that the sound produced is spread out evenly rather than simply fired in a single direction.
While it’s not the most expansive listen, Sony makes good on its promise of omnidirectionality, and you’ll receive a consistent quality and timbre of sound no matter where you stand in relation to the speaker itself. Textural quality abounds, with perhaps the LinkBuds Speaker’s strongest card to play being its impressive levels of midrange detail. When going up against the JBL Flip 6, we discern a noticeably more authentic reproduction of the sombre guitar on The Killers’Christmas In LAthrough the Sony than we do with the JBL.
The LinkBuds Speaker also evidences a talent for vocal reproduction. It’s easy for a speaker of this size to make voices – be they Corey Taylor or Camilla Cabello – sound generic or drab, a trap the Sony does well to avoid. Michael Stipe’s charmingly reedy singing on REM’sNightswimmingis a heartfelt performance through the Sony, while Stephen Fry’s narration of PG Wodehouse’sRight Ho, Jeevesis packed with playful élan.
The Sony’s knack for detail is tempered nicely by a restrained, well-organised character that gives tracks a mature, even-handed flavour. There’s no flabby bass to be found at the bottom or screeching trebles ready to loosen a couple of your fillings, and while a tad more punch and rhythmic drive wouldn’t go amiss, the LinkBuds Speaker treads lightly to avoid spilling sounds into areas they don’t belong. Play Muse’sMadnessthrough the Sony and you’ll notice just how clean and fuss-free the composition is, an impressive feat for a relatively small speaker.
That love of order and refinement does leave the Sony feeling just a tad restrained, however, with most of the sonic sacrifices coming at the lower end. There’s not a great deal of punch from a speaker that prefers to keep things relatively clean and lightweight, and bassheads especially may become frustrated by a lack of lower-end oomph from heavier hip-hop and rock tracks. This is where the five-star Flip 6 and Charge 5 rivals pull ahead, offering the punch and power that the slightly lean Sony lacks. The JBLs certainly go further dynamically – the crashes and bashes amid the pandemonium ofHans Zimmer’sThe Battlearrive with more weight and gusto than they do via the Sony. If you like punch and verve to your tracks, the LinkBuds Speaker may not be to your taste.
Verdict
The Sony LinkBuds Speaker has its charms. It’s a portable, feature-rich and nicely-made Bluetooth speaker which digs out plenty of detail, even if the class leaders grant you a good deal more sonic punch and lower-end clout. Those rivals are perhaps better suited to getting the party started, but the Sony’s refinement and knack for organisation means that it shouldn’t be dismissed as a mere stick in the mud.
The last few iPhone updates have brought a lot of changes with them. Just take a look atiOS 18.2: It introduced a ton of AI-powered features that had never before been available. If you have an older phone, it’s easy to worry that its hardware won’t be up to snuff for the next round of updates. For now, you can breathe easy: If your iPhone can handle iOS 18, then it should also work with iOS 19, according to a new leak.
The news comes from theFrench site iPhoneSoft. Although Apple guarantees five years of support for its devices, some devices get supported for longer periods of time, but this tip suggests that any phone currently capable of downloading and installing iOS 18 will also work with iOS 19, although some features could be limited.
Restricting features to expand update compatibility is nothing new. It’s already a part of the iPhone update cycle; this last update introduced Apple Intelligence features that only the most recent iPhones can use. Even an iPhone 14 is too outdated to handle it.
The leak says that any device from the iPhone XR or newer will be compatible. This includes the iPhone XS, XS Max, and the 2020 iPhone SE. It also includes the iPhone 11 and forward. However, some iPads will be left behind with the launch of iPadOS 19.
The iPad Mini 5th gen, iPad 8th gen, iPad Air 3rd gen, and iPad Pro 2018 or later will all be compatible with the next update. Any devices that predate these will lack the power needed to run iOS 19.
The continued compatibility, even with phones as far back as 2018, suggests that iOS 19 might not be a major shift from what the current version can do. It’s likely that Apple will steer more toward Apple Intelligence features, utilizing the existing platform.
Google drops Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking, an AI model that thinks on its feet.
What you need to know
Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking lets you see how it tackles tough problems, giving you a peek into its thought process.
Unlike OpenAI’s o1 model, which keeps things hidden, Gemini spells out its reasoning, making it easier to follow and avoid AI mistakes.
This approach helps Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking handle tougher challenges better than the standard version.
The model is free to try on Google’s AI Studio, though it has a 32,767-token limit.
Google has introduced Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking, an experimental AI model that lays out how it tackles tough problems in order to let you peek into its thought process and make it easier to see how it works.
Gemini 2.0Flash Thinking blends Flash tech’s speed with the reasoning chops of OpenAI’s o1 model. The difference is thatGeminispells out its thought process, while o1 keeps things behind the curtain. That clear breakdown makes it a win for anyone needing to follow complex reasoning and dodge surprise AI slip-ups.
This unique approach helps it outshine the standardGemini 2.0 Flashon tougher challenges.
Logan Kilpatrick, head of product for AI Studio, calls this model a big first step in Google’s push for smarter AI reasoning. Unlike most AI systems, these reasoning models can self-check their work, reducing common errors. The trade-off is that it takes a bit longer to get answers—sometimes seconds or even minutes.
Google DeepMind’s chief scientist, Jeff Dean, showed off on X some capabilities of Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking.
Want to see Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking in action? Check out this demo where the model solves a physics problem and explains its reasoning. pic.twitter.com/Nl0hYj7ZFS
The demo featured the AI solving tough physics problems by breaking them into smaller steps, showcasing its knack for methodical problem-solving and delivering solid, reliable results.
In another demo from Kilpatrick, the model shows off its impressive reasoning skills by combining visual and text data to solve a problem. It highlights how well the model can process and blend info from different sources.
While early demos have shown some missteps or missed details, it’s important to remember that this model is still in its early stages. Even so, these first impressions highlight the impressive potential of the DeepMind AI architecture.
The new model is free for everyone to try on Google’s AI Studio platform. That said, it has a 32,767-token limit, so it’s a bit capped compared to other versions. Still, it’s impressive how quickly it handles tricky problems that usually leave regular AI models scratching their heads.
This isn’t the first time a China-based phonemaker became embroiled in an international patent dispute.
Motorola’s comeback tour in the U.S. might be quickly coming to an abrupt halt. The brand, still a minor player in the overall market for thebest Android phones, found recent success with theMotorola Razr lineof budget and flagship foldables. However, a patent dispute between Sony Ericsson and Motorola Mobility (owned by Lenovo) could eliminate the availability of Motorola handsets in the U.S., according toReuters.
In an initial ruling Tuesday, Dec. 17, a judge for the U.S. International Trade Commission decided that Motorola’s phones infringe on key 5G patents held by Sony Ericsson. The smartphones in question include those in the Moto G, Edge, and Razr lineups. If the initial ruling by the ITC stands, imports of Motorola phones in the U.S. could be banned, all but eliminating their availability.
The ITC will issue a final ruling in April 2025, and if its initial decision is upheld, a ban on Motorola phones in the U.S. is likely to happen. That would have ripple effects throughout the U.S. market, because Lenovo made up 14% of the country’s mobile market share as of Q3 2024, according toCounterpoint Research. Crucially, some of the brand’s most successful smartphones are involved in the dispute.
Motorola’s absence would leave a hole in the market, notably where clamshell foldables are concerned. There simply isn’t another player making affordable foldables in the U.S. like Motorola did with the Razr 2023 and Razr 2024. It’s possible that instead of elevating a growing brand like OnePlus, a ban on Motorola phones would just make the big three of Apple, Samsung, and Google even more dominant.
In November 2024, one industry report indicated thata major competitor in the foldable market was considering an exit. Entering 2025, we could be down at least one foldable manufacturer if that report turns out to be accurate. Motorola could represent another, and it’s possible that no one steps up to replace it. We could be back where we started, with Samsung as the only major clamshell foldable manufacturer and no need to innovate due to a lack of competition.
It seems like patent disputes in the mobile sector are becoming increasingly common.OPPO and Vivo recently ended a dispute with Nokiaabout 5G patents, andOnePlus is now in hot water again in Germanyover a similar issue. While it’s great that brands are being held accountable for their use of patents, it’s a shame that these decisions only decrease the number of phones that are available for consumers.
If that sounds familiar, it should. In recent years, multiple Chinese brands have become involved in patent disputes surrounding their uses of 5G technology in smartphones. Notably, Motorola itself is fighting the same battle with Sony Ericsson in multiple markets. Initial court decisions in Brazil and Columbia already ruled in favor of Sony Ericsson, and more legal battles are taking place in South America and the United Kingdom, per Reuters.
How did we get here? The tide started to turn in Sony Ericsson’s favor earlier this month when an ITC judge rejected Motorola’s best defense against the patent infringement claims. Motorola said that a 2011 license agreement between it and Sony Ericsson covered use of Ericsson technology inMoto G,Edge, and Razr phones. In other words, the company isn’t denying it used the technology — it’s arguing that it was allowed to.
The problem with Motorola’s claim is that the 2011 agreement was penned ages ago, before the company was sold to Google and then soldagainto Lenovo. More importantly, a clause in the licensing agreement explained that Motorola would be able to use the licensed technology in “commercially reasonable updates or extensions of such Licensed products.” The ITC judge ruled in favor of Ericsson, tossing aside Motorola’s argument on the basis that none of the three phone lineups in question even existed at the time the 2011 agreement was reached (viaIP Fray).
Motorola could explore other legal avenues to block the move — lawyers for Lenovo previously argued that the licensing agreement was covered by U.K. law, and suggested that the ITC should wait for U.K. courts to rule before issuing its own ruling. Of course, in light of the ITC’s preliminary decision, that didn’t happen. And if the ITC’s ruling is upheld, Motorola phones could be off the shelves for the foreseeable future.
Which of the biggest names in ereaders works best for you?
(Image credit: Amazon / Kobo)
Digital reading has gained popularity so much that ereaders are now one of the most popular tablets people are buying. It’s not uncommon to see someone on public transport staring at aKindleor someone scribbling away on an e-paper tablet at the airport lounge while waiting to catch a flight.
And while the name ‘Kindle’ is still synonymous with ‘ereader’, there’s a lot of competition coming from one other brand – Kobo. There are currently five Kobo ereader models to choose from, compared to seven Kindles, but how exactly do the two differ and does it really matter which one you choose?
Well, both brands have ereaders that are quite similar to each other, but they offer something a little different in terms of features. To help you make the best buying choice possible, we’ve put together this little guide to help you answer the ereader conundrum of Kindle vs Kobo – which is best.
Kindle, of course, is owned by Amazon, while Japanese company Rakuten owns Kobo. Both make exquisite e-paper tablets to suit all types of readers and budgets, but they are cut from different cloth. There are other players in the ereader market, of course, with the likes of Onyx Boox, Barnes & Noble’s Nook ereaders and even PocketBook offering alternatives, but their availability around the world is limited and, even though they can be imported, they could cost you a pretty penny to do so.
That leaves Kindles and Kobos as the main choice, so here’s what you need to know before you buy.
When it comes to screen technology, both Kobo and Kindle ereaders arealmostthe same for the black-and-white models. The entry-level 2024 Kindle still uses the old hardware, so retains the E Ink Carta 1200 display, but the Kobo Clara BW and the two 2024 Paperwhites now use the E Ink Carta 1300 screen tech.
The next-gen in e-paper technology has a slight edge over the previous 1200 generation as it offers even better contrast than before. That means text on the page appears darker, so easier to read, and also sharper. It’s also a marginally more responsive screen, which makes page turns on the new Kindles remarkably quick.
All the current ereaders available from both Amazon and Kobo have a 300ppi screen resolution for grayscale displays, with the sole exception of the 10.3-inch Kobo Elipsa 2E, which gets a slightly lower 227ppi resolution. That, however, doesn’t diminish how well text and writing appears on the display. However, in terms of design, every Kobo screen is covered in plastic, while Kindle has a couple of models that’s topped with glass, giving them a premium look.
When it comes to screen size, though, Kobo has Kindle beat – covering 6 inches all the way to 10.3 inches, there’s even options for 7 and 8 inches. With Amazon, you get 6 inches, 7 inches and 10.2 inches.
IPX8 water resistance is available from both, (except on the entry-level Kindle and the 10-inch models from both brands), as are adjustable illuminated displays for reading in the dark. Most of the higher-end models also allow you to change the hue (or temperature) of the light from cold to warmer yellow for nighttime reading. However, only the 2024 Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition and the 2024 Kindle Scribe have a front light with an ambient light sensor that auto-adjusts its brightness. The former is also capable of wireless charging, which Kobo doesn’t offer at all.
An increasingly popular feature available from both Kobo and Kindle is Bluetooth, great for pairing wireless earphones, primarily for listening to audiobooks, although Amazon has disabled Audible support for Australia.
Amazon has also discontinued its one and only asymmetric ereader (the Oasis), which means Kobo is the only one to still offer physical page-turn buttons on select devices for better ergonomics when holding a device single-handed.
Current ereaders from both Kobo and Kindle go from 16GB through to 64GB (the high-end Kindle Scribe) of onboard storage, with all Kobo models from the Libra Colour and bigger offer 32GB as default. We’re not convinced that internal storage is hugely important unless you intend to cram an insane number of audiobooks onto your ereader as, otherwise, the base 16GB can hold hundreds of ebooks, if not thousands.
Kobo devices offer basic Wi-Fi across the entire range, which will suffice for most users, and that’s true on most Kindles, too, although dual-band Wi-Fi is now available on the newer Paperwhite models.
Amazon used to give Kindle users cellular connectivity for downloading ebooks too (and checking email) while away from Wi-Fi, though that no longer seems to be case in any market.
Kindle vs Kobo software, side-loading and storefronts
The most important differences between the Kindle and Kobo are in their software. Both devices are slick enough, especially since Kindle revamped its OS in 2021. Since then, it’s become very Kobo-like.
Depending on which ereader model you buy from either brand, your home screen setup will appear differently, with the number of tabs at the bottom changing if you have a note-taking ereader. Kobo’s OS is a bit more comprehensive here, with multiple tabs for ebooks, notes and Kobo’s own store. We found that the Kindle’s home screen can look comparatively more cluttered than on a Kobo, but it’s still easy to navigate.
Both brands offer direct access to their own online stores hosting many millions of ebooks. The major difference between Kindle and Kobo is that the former is locked to the Amazon store and the latter offers a more widely accessible experience. Kindles are best for those happy to download ebooks (and Audible audiobooks where support is available) to their device only from Amazon, whether via one-time downloads or while usingKindle Unlimitedand/orAmazon PrimeReading.
File format support is quite good from both brands, and that includes the Kindles now playing nice with EPUBs, which are natively supported. That said, you cannot plug in a Kindle directly to your PC to transfer files via a wired connection – you need to use the Send To Kindle platform.
On the other hand, Kobo offers unlimited reading viaKobo Plusin some markets, while its ereaders natively support all kinds of file formats from EPUB and MOBI to PDF and CBZ and CBR Comic Book formats, all of which can be side-loaded either via a wired connection or via cloud sync on the more premium models. Kobo will also allow you to side-load custom fonts too, including Amazon’s own (and rather popular) Bookerly.
In short, Amazon Kindles suit anyone willing to get tied up in a closed ecosystem, while Kobo is a little more open. The only exception that Kobo makes is audiobooks, which will play on it Bluetooth-enabled models when only purchased from the Kobo Store – no side-loaded audiobooks will work on a Kobo.
Kindle vs Kobo note-taking
It’s not much talked about, but ereaders from Kindle and Kobo allow users to highlight passages of text and type notes by pressing, holding and dragging a finger across text. On a Kindle those notes are fully searchable within an online notebook and accessible via the Kindle app on a smartphone.
However, full-featured note-takers are now gaining popularity and Amazon now has two Kindle Scribe models available for purchase. Kobo gives you a bit more variety, with stylus support on the Libra Colour, the Sage and the Elipsa 2E, so it covers different screen sizes. The last model is the only one that ships with the Kobo Stylus 2, but it can be purchased separately for use with the others.
Notes are accessible via the Kindle or Kobo apps, but you can email them to yourself on the Kindle Scribe, or sync toGoogleDrive or Dropbox on one of the Kobos.
While you can scribble in the margins of ebooks on a Kobo Libra Colour, Sage or Elipsa 2E, it works a little differently on the new Kindle Scribe. The latter uses afeature called Active Canvas(which the older Kindle Scribe will get in 2025), that automatically adds a box around your squiggles and indents the adjoining lines to reformat the page, wrapping text around your annotation.
You can create notes/notebooks of various kinds on note-taking ereaders from both brands, although the pen types and ink shades are far better on a Kobo. Moreover,Kobo’s Advanced Notebooksoffer a staggering number of tools that include handwriting recognition for converting your notes to text, plus the capability of inserting drawings, diagrams and formulae into your notes.
There are someAI features on the new Kindle Scribe, but currently available only to US customers. These include a summary option and handwritten conversion.
Borrowing library books
If you live in the US, your options to borrow ebooks from your local public library are much more. Both Kindle and Kobo ereaders will work, with the latter using OverDrive support to do so.
However, if you live outside the US and you wish to borrow library books, then Kobo should be your port of call. Every single Kobo ereader has OverDrive baked in, so you can check with your local library if support is available. After that, you just need a library card to get set up. Kobo is available in select countries, so you will need to check on library support in your local area before deciding to purchase – in Australia, for example, most public libraries now offer OverDrive support.
There was a time when a Kindle was the better-value device but given Amazon’s penchant for price increases with each new release, it’s getting harder to justify a Kindle. That’s more so because in some markets, Amazon isn’t even offering Audible support on the Kindles anymore.
Kobo, on the other hand, has managed to balance price and features much better and, despite some models costing more, offers better value for money now. From waterproofing for its entry-level model (Kobo Clara BW) to adopting the latest screen tech, Kobo has stayed ahead of the curve.
Moreover, all the 2024 Kobo ereaders are repairable, which is a gold star in our books.
Moreover, if you really want to tinker with the parameters of the text, bring in ebooks and documents in several different formats and arrange them in custom collections, then you should be looking at a Kobo ereader. That goes double if you live outside the US and are keen on borrowing library books.
However, if you’re a bit less demanding and you’re fine with just downloading books from Amazon, a Kindle is probably going to be the most convenient option for you. Or if you live in the US, where there’s wider library support for Kindles.
It’ll be a major boost to the availability of Gemini features for iPhone users.
(Image credit: Google)
What you need to know
The public build of the Gemini app for iOS is getting Gemini 2.0 Experimental models before the Android version.
Gemini 2.0 Flash Experimental hit the Gemini app in the Android beta channel earlier this week.
Additionally, the iOS app supports more languages and extensions.
Google is continuing to roll out experimental features based on its Gemini 2.0 models, and now, the Gemini app for iOS is starting to get feature parity with its Android counterpart. According to the release notes, the latest Gemini app update landed on the App Store on December 18. Among them, Google included support for the experimental Gemini 2.0 model and support for two additional Gemini extensions.
Currently, updating toversion1.2024.4970016of the Gemini app for iOS adds the option for Gemini Advanced subscribers to use Gemini 2.0 Flash Experimental. This is an early version of Google’s smaller, lightweight AI model. Although the app’s release notes describe the update as adding support for “our latest experimental Gemini 2.0 models,” only 2.0 Flash Experimental appears to be live at the moment. The higher-end model,Gemini 2.0 Experimental, hit the Gemini web client Dec. 17 but isn’t available in the mobile app.
Notably, the Gemini app for iOS is receiving the Gemini 2.0 Flash Experimental model before the Android app. The functionalityreached beta testers this week, while it went straight to public release on the iOS version. It still requires Gemini Advanced, which costs $20 per month.
(Image credit: Google)
The iPhone app got a few other upgrades, too. It’s available in the following 11 new languages: Bulgarian, Estonian, Gujarati, Kannada, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malayalam, Serbian, Slovenian, Swahili, and Urdu. Additionally, Gemini Live support was added for the following 21 languages: Bengali, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Gujarati, Hungarian, Kannada, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malayalam, Marathi, Norwegian Bokmål, Romanian, Slovenian, Swahili, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Ukrainian, and Urdu.
Gemini Advanced users can also agree to store their personal information to get better responses from Gemini. Plus, “conversation starters” are coming to the Gemini app for iOS for non-subscribers.
Two new extensions are arriving on the platform for the first time, too. TheGoogle Home extension launched on Android last month, and it’s now available for iOS. The same goes for the Google Photos extension.
As it tries to build up Gemini to compete with ChatGPT, it has done a decent job of bringing its best features to both versions of the Gemini mobile app — iOS and Android. This time around, the public build of the Gemini app for iOS is getting a hit feature before the Android version.
You can check your Oura Year in Review report now, while Oura has highlighted global trends for Oura users’ sleep, stress, and more.
What you need to know
Oura released its 2024 Year in Review report highlighting Oura Ring users’ Global Community Data.
New Zealand retained its 2023 crown for the country with the best sleep scores, followed by Australia and Sweden.
The United States is the “most stressed country,” with North Dakota topping the states.
You can check your personal 2024 trends in the Oura app’s Today tab, with monthly stats for steps, resilience, stress, and so on.
Oura Ring users looking for some insights into what went right (and wrong) in 2024 should open up their apps: Oura just released its 2024 Year in Review reports, with “personalized insights” based on your sleep, stress, and activity data this year.
The report will highlight your average sleep and wake times, and how those changed every month, noting if you weren’t consistent or formed bad habits over time, based on data from yourOura Ring 4orOura Ring 3.
The Oura Year in Review report will also indicate the times of day when you were most active (or stressed), your total steps and naps for the year, and whether your Cardiovascular age (relative to your real age) trended upwards or downwards in 2024.
(Image credit: Oura)
Outside of your personalized data, Oura is also releasing some curatedGlobal Community dataabout its users, showing international trends and average stats.
According to Oura, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Finland, and Austria had the five best sleep score averages worldwide. Compared to the2023 report, the Kiwis improved their sleep average by 1.8 points to 79.8 to keep their top spot, while Australia rose from #5 to #2 and Austria kicked off Switzerland. The worldwide sleep score average is 77, or Fair.
Ireland led the daily step-count average at 10,079, the only country to hit the10,000-step mark— though there’s reason to questionhow many of those steps are false positives. Estonia, the UK and Northern Ireland, Sweden, and Czechia took the next four spots.
Sweden seems to be the all-around champion of this Oura 2024 report, as its users have the lowest cardiovascular age gap of -2.63 years, followed by Norway, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Denmark. Generally speaking, these Scandanavian and middle-European countries seem to have a healthier lifestyle worth emulating.
If you’ve noticed America’s conspicuous absence from this list, the U.S. did show up #1 in one category: most stressed. Oura attributed it to our “fast-paced cultrue, sedentary lifestyles, and pervasive sleep deprivation,” as well as a “high-stakes election” pushing up stress in recent months.
Oura didn’t share specific U.S. state data in this summary, but it did share some interesting tidbits with us directly: Montana had the highest sleep scores, New Yorkers were the most active, Hawaii had the lowest Cardiovascular age, and North Dakota was the most stressed.
We love this trend of fitness companies sharing general trends, as a baseline for people to compare against. For example, theStrava annual reportshowed the median averages for runners, cyclists, and hikers across age groups, along with their favorite devices for activities. And theGarmin annual reportdiscussed people’s average Body Battery, Daily Readiness, sleep, and stress scores; Garmin users seem to sleep worse and be less “ready” than Oura users, though this may be because of a more active lifestyle.
The service would reportedly have customers rent devices instead of buying them.
Apple has apparently shelved its plans for aniPhone hardware subscription service. It’s just as well — the last thing anyone needs in this economy is yet another ongoing expense.
Bloombergreports that Apple is no longer working on its iPhone subscription service, according to sources close to the matter.First rumoured in 2022, the tech giant’s hardware subscription would have given customers the option to pay a regular monthly fee to essentially rent their iPhone. They’d also be able to upgrade to the latest iPhone as new models were released.
This iPhone subscription service had reportedly been planned for launch the same year it was leaked, but was delayed by issues such as software problems and legal concerns. Now it seems the service won’t arrive at all.
Judging from the scant details that have emerged, Apple’s proposed subscription service seemed to have borne some similarities to its iPhone Upgrade Program. Introduced in 2015, this program allows customers to enter a two-year monthly payment plan for their iPhone, with current plans starting at $39.50 per month for the 128GB iPhone 16. Once they’ve made 12 payments, they’re eligible to upgrade their phone when the next model arrives, entering a new loan.
However, the iPhone Upgrade Program enables customers to ultimately own their device outright if they complete the payment plan. In contrast, Apple’s previously planned service sounded more akin to renting a device, with customers presumably required to return their iPhone if they cancelled their subscription.
Apple also discontinued its Apple Pay Later service earlier this year, a possible indication that the company is reassessing its financial products. Initially announced in 2022, Apple Pay Later was a Buy Now Pay Later service that allowed customers to split payments into multiple smaller installments spread out over several weeks.
