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Galaxy Z Fold 3 review: A refined foldable in search of a purpose

Galaxy Z Fold 3 review: A refined foldable in search of a purpose

Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3  at the same time. But of the two, the $1,000 Z Flip 3 has a familiar design that's based on clamshell flip phones that have been around for decades. It folds in half from a 6.7-inch phone down to a square that's roughly the size and thickness of several coasters stacked. Meanwhile, the Z Fold 3 costs $1,800, with a futuristic design closer to something you'd see in a sci-fi movie or TV show like Westworld. The latter folds open from a regular phone, into a 7.6-inch square tablet and lacks the same "love at first sight" appeal as the Z Flip 3.

This is because Samsung's phone/tablet hybrid design is still inherently new compared to the tried-and-true flip phone motif the Flip 3 embraces. The Z Fold 3 is actually a wonderful tablet, but when it's folded up it has the same hefty appeal as an air conditioner remote control.

Like

• 120Hz cover screen
• Water resistance
• Wonderful tablet experience
• S Pen is a blast to use
• Software improvements for multitasking and Flex Mode

Don't Like

• Battery life lasts about a day
• Weird, heavy phone when closed
• $1,800 is still expensive

Despite its complicated allure, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a remarkable showcase of technology and innovation. Pretty much anytime I open the phone in public, there is someone with a dumbfounded look on their face. For the price, you get nearly every high-end feature one would expect in a flagship Android phone. And for $1,800, you better. The few compromises Samsung did make, like having B+ cameras instead of A+ ones, aren't deal breakers and stand as further reminders that the Z Fold 3's high price tag is because the phone folds in half.

Throughout my time with the Z Fold 3, I kept asking myself why the tablet even needs to fold in half? Or is there a better way to design a tablet that folds down to the size of a phone? As much as the Z Fold 3 has improved over its predecessors, it's still largely a concept in search of a purpose. And I couldn't escape that underlying conundrum. Yet if you want a tablet that can fold up and fit into your pocket, the Z Fold 3 certainly deserves your consideration. It's the second best foldable phone Samsung has made to date, with the best one being the more practical Galaxy Z Flip 3.

Galaxy Z Fold 3 storage and pricing

	US	UK	Australia
Galaxy Z Fold 3 256GB	$1,800	£1,599	AU$2,499
Galaxy Z Fold 3 512GB	$1,900	£1,699	AU$2,649

The Z Fold 3 has nearly all the refinements you could ask for, but it still feels like it's missing a purpose.

Patrick Holland/CNET

A stronger, lighter and thinner Fold

The Z Fold 3 takes on the same design and form as the Z Fold 2, albeit with a bunch of improvements. For some, the best improvement might be the $200 drop in price from the $2,000 the Z Fold 2 cost. Most of the phone's upgrades are more iterative, small touches that add up to a more refined package overall. 

For instance it's lighter than the previous Fold, which I noticed as soon as I picked it up. But it's still one of the heaviest phones I reviewed this year. It's thinner and more svelte than the Z Fold 2, but still one of the bulkiest phones I have ever tested.

It seems more durable. Obviously, I only had a couple of weeks with the Z Fold 3, so I can only be hopeful that the improvements I noticed span the life of the phone. The metal in the frame and hinge is reinforced and you can feel that extra tensile strength when you hold it, fold it and interact with it. The folding screen, hinge and body feel more like a single uniform whole instead of being separate features. The 7.6-inch main screen still has a crease but it doesn't bother me in the least. You could nitpick it if you want, but the iPhone's notch is far more of an eyesore.

The Gorilla Glass Victus-clad cover screen now has a smooth 120Hz refresh rate that matches the main display and looks lovely. The Z Fold 3 has water resistance and can be submerged up to 1.5 meters (about 5 feet), which is truly remarkable for a folding phone.

Using an S Pen on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a blast

One indication that Samsung is confident about the Z Fold 3's durability is that it sells a sharp pointy stylus for you to use on the screen. It's as if Samsung is saying, "We're no longer worried about your fingernails making indentations on the main screen. Go ahead and try out an S Pen."

In my time using the S Pen with the phone, the screen looks just like it did when I took it out of the box. And that's on top of all the times I folded and unfolded it, shoved it in the pockets of my jeans and threw it in my backpack along with whatever else was in there.

Samsung made two versions of the S Pen for the Z Fold 3: the S Pen Fold Edition, which lacks Bluetooth and costs $50; and the S Pen Pro, which has Bluetooth and costs $100. Both have a retractable tip that helps reduce wear and tear on the screen. I only got to try out the S Pen Fold Edition and I noticed that the tip rarely retracted all the way. Instead, it seems to relieve some of the pressure I put on the screen when I draw or write. There's a small arsenal of S Pen tricks such as hover to magnify, which activates when the S Pen is just millimeters away from the screen.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the first foldable phone that supports the S Pen.

Patrick Holland/CNET

The cover screen doesn't support either new S Pen which is a bummer because there's no way to jot a quick note or a doodle without opening up the Fold. And if you have an old S Pen, you can't use it with the Z Fold 3.

As much fun as it is to use an S Pen on that giant vibrant screen, the Fold in no way replaces the inherent convenience that a Galaxy Note provides. The Fold doesn't let you quickly make a note. And there isn't a place to store the S Pen. It would be nice if you could magnetically attach the S Pen to the Fold 3's hinge in the same way you can attach an Apple Pencil to an iPad Pro. I should note that Samsung sells a bundled S Pen Fold Edition and phone case that stores it along the hinge for $80.

Under-display camera selfies and Zoom calls on the Z Fold 3

There are two, technically three, selfie cameras -- let me explain. You can take a selfie with the hole-punch selfie camera in the cover screen. Or you can flip the cover screen down, use it as a live preview and take a selfie with the main rear camera. Or you can use Samsung's first ever under-display camera, which is mostly hidden behind the main screen.

Out of the three options, the one that is the most curious is the under-display camera. The part of the display in front of the camera has fewer screen elements and translucent wiring. At certain angles or when brighter colors are on the display, you can see the part of the screen where the camera is. Think of this camera setup like looking through a window that has blinds on it.

The front-facing camera in the main display of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 (white screen) is housed in a hole-punch cut out. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 uses an under-display camera. Notice the tiny octagon shape in the green leaf wallpaper on the Fold 3's main display.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The under-display camera is only 4 megapixels, which isn't a lot, but that lower resolution helps it see through or around those screen elements. Samsung also uses AI processing to improve the image quality. I took selfies with all three options on the Fold and, no surprise, the photos from the under-display camera looked the worst. Indoor selfies look highly processed and outdoor snaps in good lighting do not look much better.

The under-display camera is intended for video calls and works fine for them. On the few video calls I made using it, people on the other end said that they didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

I took selfies with the different cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3. From left to right, here are selfies from: the main rear camera, cover screen camera and under-display camera.

Patrick Holland/CNET

But let's go back to why there is an under-display camera. The idea is to reduce visual distractions on and around the display. There isn't a notch. There isn't a hole punch. Instead, you either see nothing (yay!) or when bright colors are displayed, you see a tiny glittery octagon that I found to be more distracting than something like a hole-punch camera. At this point, the benefit of having a screen free of visual interruptions isn't worth the tradeoffs from this under-display camera.

Z Fold 3 has B+ cameras at an A+ price

Despite all of the improvements to the phone's hardware, the cameras are one area that largely remain the same. In terms of quality and performance, they are a step behind the camera systems found on phones like the iPhone 12 Pro Max and Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra. These are good cameras and for most people the photos and videos they capture with them will be fine. 

There are five cameras on the Z Fold 3: the aforementioned under-display camera, the cover-screen selfie camera and a triple camera array on the "back" with a main wide-angle camera, an ultrawide-angle camera and a 2x optical telephoto camera that now has optical image stabilization. In bright lighting, photos look good. Digital zoom up to 4x magnification has minimal image deterioration. If you go past 6x, photos look less stellar and have softer details. Night mode on the Z Fold 3 is solid, but compared to the S21 or S21 Ultra, images look soft. Take a look below at a few photos I took with the new Fold.

The camera hardware didn't change, but the Z Fold 3 gets a new image signal processor thanks to its Snapdragon 888 chip.

Patrick Holland/CNET

Under good lighting, the Fold can capture great photos.

Patrick Holland/CNET

Notice how it handles the highlights in the clouds and the details above the windows of the cream-colored building.

Patrick Holland/CNET

There is something about the perspective of Samsung's ultrawide cameras that always gets me.

Patrick Holland/CNET

This was taken with the 2x telephoto camera.

Patrick Holland/CNET

A beautiful day yields some perfect views. Look at the highlights and shadows in the clouds.

Patrick Holland/CNET

Night mode on the Fold 3 isn't quite to the level of the Galaxy S21, but it's still impressive.

Patrick Holland/CNET

Images look bright and are mostly free of image noise, even from the ultrawide camera.

Patrick Holland/CNET

Videos are decent, but suffer from image noise in all but the most ideal of situations. Take a look at some videos I recorded with the Z Fold 3 below.

There will inevitably be some people who expect the absolute best cameras on a phone that costs $1,800. I'd argue that Samsung made a smart tradeoff to keep that price under $2,000.

Like the Z Flip 3, the Z Fold 3 is essentially its own tripod. Because of its size and flexibility you can put it nearly anywhere to capture a unique angle or perspective.

Galaxy Z Fold 3 gets multitasking right

On the inside, the Z Fold 3 packs nearly every 2021 Android spec you could want. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip and 12GB of RAM. It runs Android 11 and Samsung's One UI 3. Split-screen apps are more customizable, taking advantage of the larger tablet screen. You can put them side by side, stacked vertically or even have three. You can move each app around and resize their windows. You can also save split-screen app groupings and setups for later.

Like the Z Flip 3, the phone's settings has a section called Labs, which lets you optimize nearly any app for the screen. For example, natively Instagram shows up in a thin vertical aspect ratio with screen space on either side of the app. I went into Labs, and forced it to be displayed across the full screen, which worked well.

Multitasking is fun and customizable on the Z Fold 3. You can save app window layouts to use the same setup again.

Patrick Holland/CNET

A useful trait that the Flip and Fold share is Flex Mode. You can position either phone half open like a mini laptop. Flex Mode gets more support in One UI 3 and there are more apps that can take advantage of it. Some apps just move to the top half of the screen with system navigation and brightness controls on the bottom. Other apps, like for videos and music, place the playback controls on the bottom half of the screen. Not every app is optimized for Flex Mode, but this is a huge step up from the Fold 2. I still would like to see apps go farther and even be designed around Flex Mode. Can you imagine a game designed for Flex Mode?

Galaxy Z Fold 3 has less than average battery life

The Z Fold 3's biggest drawback is its battery life. The dual 4,400-mAh batteries are actually a tad smaller than the ones in the Fold 2. As a result, the Z Fold 3 barely makes it through a day. I imagine that has a lot to do with the combination of 5G connectivity and the fact that there are two screens that run at 120Hz. Screen-on time during my review averaged about three and a half hours, which isn't great. I am still running CNET's battery test and will update this review with the results soon.

The Fold lacks dust resistance. In my use this wasn't an issue. But I recommend being careful if you take the Z Fold 3 to the beach or on a hike or anywhere there's potential for small particles to interact with the phone. This wouldn't be a good phone for Salt BAE.

The screens and finish on the body collect finger smudges easily. I find myself wiping it clean constantly.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 are quite the pairing. One is aimed more at the mainstream and the other at early adopters.

Sarah Tew/CNET

A better foldable, but not the best

While I continue testing the Galaxy Z Fold 3, I still question who this phone is for exactly. A phone enthusiast might love all of the technology in the Fold, especially that folding screen. Foldable phones are still at a comparatively early stage, but the lower price offered by the Z Fold 3 and the Z Flip 3 compared to their predecessors shows an effort to make them more accessible. And I hope that's a trend that continues in the coming years. I still hold that most people who want a folding phone will likely want to consider the Z Flip 3 for its familiar flip-phone aesthetic, but if you want that larger tablet shape the Z Fold 3 fulfills that promise.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 specs vs. Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Fold

	Galaxy Z Fold 3	Galaxy Z Fold 2	Galaxy Fold
Display size, resolution, refresh rate	External: 6.2-inch AMOLED (2,268x832 pixels); internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,208x1,768 pixels)	External 6.2-inch AMOLED (2,260x816 pixels); internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,208x1,768 pixels)	External: 4.6-inch AMOLED (1,680x720 pixels); internal: 7.3-inch AMOLED (2,152x1,536 pixels)
Pixel density	387ppi (external) + 374ppi (internal)	386ppi (external) + 373ppi (internal)	362ppi (internal screen)
Dimensions	Folded: 67x158x16mm (hinge) ~14.4mm (sagging); unfolded: 128x158x6.4mm	Folded: 68x159x16.8mm (hinge) ~13.8mm (sagging); unfolded: 128x159x6.9mm (frame) ~6mm (screen)	Folded: 63x161x15.7mm ~17.1mm; unfolded: 118x161x6.9mm ~7.6mm
Weight	271 grams	282 grams	276grams
Software	Android 11	Android 10	Android 9
Camera	12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (telephoto)	12-megapixel (wide),12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12 megapixel (telephoto)	12-megapixel (wide), 16-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (telephoto)
Front camera	4-megapixel (under display), 10-megapixel (front cover)	10-megapixel (main display), 10-megapixel (front cover)	10-megapixel (main display), 10-megapixel (front cover), 8-megapixel (3D depth)
Video	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888	Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus	Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
Storage	256GB, 512GB	256GB	512GB
RAM	12GB	12GB	12GB
Fingerprint reader	Side	Side	No
Battery	4,400 mAh	4,500 mAh	4,380 mAh
Special features	Foldable display, 120Hz refresh rate (front cover and main display), water-resistance, S Pen support, 5G	Foldable display, 120Hz refresh rate (main display), wireless charging support, 5G	Foldable display, Power button, wireless charging, fast charging
Price (USD)	$1,800 (256GB)	$2,000	$1,980

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Apple Watch 7 makes me think bigger upgrades could be coming next year

Apple Watch 7 makes me think bigger upgrades could be coming next year

The Apple Watch Series 7 has some new features, a bigger screen and upped durability. It charges a bit faster, apps load quickly and is fitted with WatchOS 8. But as I flick through it and its watch faces, I have to ask myself: Has anything really changed? 

Of course things have changed, a bit. But the newest Apple Watch feels like a careful polish on the same ideas the Series 6 had. Or, the Series 5 before it. There isn't one big new thing that stands out. Now that the Apple Watch feels like it's cleared the experimental zone of wearable tech and become a mainstream product like the iPhone and iPad, maybe this is the watch's destiny. I still see some clear areas where the Apple Watch should evolve, and the larger-screened, quicker-charging Watch 7 makes it more obvious than ever. Maybe the rumored Apple Watch Series 8 will bring some larger upgrades. 

Read more: How the Apple Watch 7 compares to the Apple Watch 6  and why you might want the Apple Watch SE instead.

Better battery life

There are clear limits on batteries and small devices. Some fitness trackers last up to a week, but make sacrifices when it comes to performance and features. High-powered smartwatches tend to never make it past two days, max. Still, the Apple Watch has hovered at about a day and a half of battery life for years. When will better battery life finally happen? That 18-hour-plus range keeps getting bonuses in performance: an always-on display, a larger screen, faster processor. When will the scale tip and allow longer battery life, like what's been happening on recent iPhones and MacBooks?

Some people are fine with daily charging. It seriously hampers the Watch's use as a sleep tracker, though. Apple suggests a quick recharge in the morning or a top-off at night to make it through a night's sleep. But a lower-power sleep mode seems like a clear need, or some other way to get the battery through to a couple of days (or more). Turning off the always-on display or other features could help the watch extend its battery life, sure. I think about that Apple Watch battery more than ever as something that needs to evolve.

The Apple Watch has lots of watch faces. But they never feel like enough, and their customization has limits.

Scott Stein/CNET

A watch face store

Apple's watch face collection is extensive and customizable, and the watch faces look good. But it's also limited. With Apple investing so much in larger displays and high-performance processors, the lack of a watch face store is a wasted opportunity. I keep trying to find watch faces to show off the larger Watch 7 screen and use it in all sorts of new ways, and I hit limits. I want to show just how many bits of info I can layer (complications, they're called), for instance.

One of Apple's new Watch Series 7 faces, Modular Duo, shows two rows of rich information for apps that support it: a heart rate graph and a weather chart, for instance. There aren't that many apps that use larger complications like this. I'd prefer a way to show a bunch of smaller ones, but also lay it out the way I'd like. There's room on the screen now, so why not? I can't, though, not really.

I've said this a ton of times : Apple Watch is the only major smartwatch that doesn't have an open watch face store. There could be so many more interesting designs on tap, but right now Apple still hasn't made it happen.

Full watch independence

The Apple Watch is nearly a self-contained device, now: a fast wrist computer. It does a lot more than it did back in 2015. But you still need to pair it with an iPhone.

Recent Apple Watch updates allow you to pair a watch for someone else and have them wear it on their own, but you still need an iPhone for it to link to at the start. 

Opening up the Watch to Android would be great, but there's an ever simpler path: It should just work on its own without a phone. You should be able to set it up and fully operate it as its own device. And then, optionally, pair it with whatever phone you have.

The Apple Watch Series 7's display is so large, it wraps around the side a bit. But the sensors on the back are the same.

Scott Stein/CNET

More sensors, or a more complete sleep-to-wake awareness

The Apple Watch's fitness and health features keep expanding, but it still doesn't have a feature that I've started appreciating on a few other watches and rings: a daily health score.

Fitbit and Oura wearables both have a morning score that can be interpreted as a sort of barometer of wellness or stress levels. The scores can seem arbitrary, sure. They're dependent on multiple readings ranging from sleep quality to resting heart rate to even heart rate variability and daily activity the day before. And yet, over weeks and months, I came to love the idea. I find that these scores help remind me of some things I haven't been tending to (not getting enough sleep, not getting up or being active enough), but in ways that are more proactive than the end-of-day activity ring goals the Apple Watch has. 

Sometimes these scores remind me to take it easy, too. They can feel, at times, like a form of subtle alert system that can sometimes (not always) correspond with not feeling well.

The Apple Watch doesn't have onboard temperature sensors, and it still doesn't break down nightly sleep in as detailed a way as other trackers do. Sleep tracking is an imperfect science on smartwatches right now, but I still find sleep scores to be helpful reminders (and motivators).

The more I might wear an Apple Watch all the time, the more I'd expect a little more awareness of my health than the three-ring fitness metric I've started to ignore since being at home a lot.

Series 7 is the perfected Watch as we know it, but what's next?

I can see the Apple Watch as a fast, large-screen wrist successor to the iPod, and going a lot more places next. I love the bigger screen, but it also feels like an opportunity that's not being taken advantage of enough. And that makes me more frustrated than ever that I still have to take it off every day for a charge-up.

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GoPro HD Hero2 review: GoPro HD Hero2

GoPro HD Hero2 review: GoPro HD Hero2

I've had a bit of a love-hate relationship with the GoPro HD Hero that we've used during the recording of the Car Tech Live podcast for the last year or so. On the one hand, the Hero takes phenomenal wide-angle video, is ridiculously durable thanks to its polycarbonate shell, and (when you get the settings right) relatively easy to use. However, that last bit is also my biggest point of contention with the first few generations of the GoPro Hero cameras; I'm a self-proclaimed techie who's recorded hours of footage using the HD Hero and I still have to break out the poorly written instruction sheet to change any of the settings. More often than not, I just leave the settings where I left them and just point and shoot.

So, when the new generation GoPro HD Hero2 landed on my desk boasting an improved interface, I decided to challenge myself to full-test the device without cracking the spine on its (also improved) 90-page user manual.

Old design with a twist
Looking at the GoPro HD Hero2 side by side with the original HD Hero (hereafter referred to as the HD Hero1), reveals remarkably little change in the unit's form factor. Both units are dimensionally identical and feature the same lens, power button, shutter button, and LCD screen placement. This means that any waterproof cases or lens covers purchased for the HD Hero1 will still work with the HD Hero2, which is a good thing for GoPro devotees. Likewise, both units feature the same rear hook and connection port for GoPro's line of removable BacPacs, which we'll discuss later.

Closer inspection reveals that there's more than the addition of the number 2 to distinguish the new model from the old. For starters, the Hero2 features a new glass lens that should be sharper and more durable than the old lens. Where the Hero1 featured only one red recording indicator LED, the Hero2 features four (one enlarged indicator on the front of the unit and smaller lights on its top, back, and bottom edges). On the right edge (when viewed from the front) are the connections for the proprietary video output, the Mini-USB port for charging, and a 2.5mm microphone input. Thankfully, these three connections are actually labeled this go-round. On the left edge are the full-size SD card slot and a new HDMI video output. Onboard microphones are now located on the top and bottom edges of the unit. Finally, the rear panel is where you'll find the battery door that covers the user-replaceable 1,100mAh lithium ion battery.

I mentioned that the HD Hero2 ships with the same waterproof housing as the Hero1. For those unfamiliar with this housing, it's a clear, polycarbonate shell that holds the Hero camera to whatever mounting option you chose to use. Spring-loaded waterproof buttons give users access to the selection and shutter buttons and a clear lens bubble protects the HD Hero2's lens from scratches. In the event that this bubble is damaged, a replacement can be ordered and affixed with a small screwdriver. At the back of the shell is door that locks shut with a plastic latching clamp. (The plastic latch on our HD Hero1 busted after only a few weeks of use, so this bit worries me. Fortunately, it's a relatively simple fix.) Users are given the choice between two easily swappable doors that ship with the HD Hero2. The first is a sealed waterproof door that keeps the camera dry, even when submerged to a depth of 197 feet. The second door is a "skeleton door" with openings that sacrifice waterproofing f or increased sound quality.

The mounting options included in the box will depend on which HD Hero2 kit you pick up. The Motorsports Edition, for example, ships with a suction cup mount on an articulated arm and five adhesive mounts. The Surf Edition packs a pair of surfboard mounts and a special "Floaty" back door that will keep your camera from sinking to the bottom of the ocean in the event of a detachment. Finally, the Outdoor Edition includes a helmet strap, a head strap, and a selection of adhesive mounts. Additionally, additional mounts for handlebars, roll bars, chest straps, etc. are available from the manufacturer for additional cost.

Same screen, new interface
Of all of the changes to the HD Hero, the most drastic is the overhauled interface present on the tiny monochromatic LCD. For starters the HD Hero2 uses larger, bolder icons for identifying the current recording mode. So tapping the selection button on the front of the unit fills the screen momentarily with a large icon for the newly selected mode that is easier to read with goggles on or at an arm's length. When the moment is passed, the screen returns to its default state with a smaller icon indicating the mode and a new text-based setting identifier. So rather than memorizing that "R7" is 1080p video at 30 fps, the unit simply displays "1080-30," which is much easier to decode. Likewise, photo modes are clearly identified with, for example, "5 MP 0.5 sec" which can easily be identified as "take a 5 megapixel shot every half second."

Likewise, the menu system has also been made clearer, with more easily identified icons for each setting that leads to a drop-down menu where the different options can be viewed clearly. Navigating the GoPro's many options with just the select and shutter buttons is still an exercise in patience. For example, setting the date to 11:11am on 11/11/11 can take as many as 60 or more button presses. (Fortunately, the date is something you should only really have to set once.) That's an extreme example, but even simpler tasks (such as changing the video or still-photo resolution) can take as many as 10 button presses.

On the bright side, the fact that the GoPro HD Hero2 even offers granular access to all of its settings right on the camera is an advantage that it holds over simpler camera systems, such as Contour's.

There are still a few icons that don't make much sense. (I doubt many can tell me what this icon means without first checking the manual.) However, the important bits--changing the resolution of photos and video, setting time-lapse intervals--and the options that you're likely to find yourself wanting to fiddle with before bombing down that double-black-diamond slope are extremely easy to understand.

I started the review with the intention of never cracking open the GoPro HD Hero2's instruction manual and I'm pleased to state that I didn't need to use it. (Although, I did flip through the manual and found that it is both more thoroughly written and better organized than the old sheet. So if you do find yourself needing help, it's a great resource.)

Recording modes
So, we've discussed the chassis and we've explained that it's easy to use, but what sort of video and photos can you expect to get out of this camera?

Like the Hero1, the HD Hero2 features a wide range of video and photo modes to chose from. Where moving images are concerned, the HD Hero2's highest recording resolution is 1,920x1,080 pixels (1080p for short) Full HD video at 30 frames per second (fps) with a wide-screen 16:9 aspect ratio. Users can also select a 1,280x720-pixel (720p) wide-screen mode with options to capture at 30 or 60 fps. There's also 1,280x960-pixel Tall HD mode that records at a 4:3 aspect ratio with options to capture at either 30 or 48 fps. Finally, there are the 800×480-pixel (480p or WVGA) modes that capture relatively low-resolution video but at high 60 or 120 fps speeds, which can be slowed down using software to create slow-motion video.

Most video modes capture at the lens' full 170-degree wide-angle field of view (FOV), but users can choose to step down to medium 128-degree or narrow 90-degree FOVs. To my eye, 1080p video captured at these narrower FOVs appears to be grainier with visible pixelation, which leads me to believe that GoPro is using some sort of digital zoom technology to compensate for the lens' fixed focal length. This likely won't bother many, particularly at the medium FOV, but I couldn't unsee the image degradations once I'd noticed them and stuck with the full wide FOV for most videos captured after the official testing had concluded.

Still photos are captured at a maximum of 11MP with space-saving 8MP and 5 MP modes also available. Like the video mode, still photos take advantage of the full 170-degree FOV, but can be set to capture at a medium 128-degree FOV. (The narrow FOV is unavailable for still photos, presumably because the digital zoom artifacts would be too visible in a still shot, but that's just speculation.) Photos taken outdoors at the full resolution with full FOV are sharp and pleasing. The wide angle makes framing shots easy, but without the aid of the optional LCD BacPac, shot composition is a bit of a guess-and-check affair.

When shooting still photos, there are a few trigger modes to choose from. The first is a single shot. Press the button, capture a photo. It's the simplest of the available modes. Next is a self-time mode that captures a single shot after a 10-second delay. The next mode is one of my favorites: Time-lapse mode continuously captures a still photo at timed 60s, 30s, 10s, 5s, 2s, 1s, and 0.5s intervals. (Note: The fastest interval of 0.5s requires a high-speed Class 10 SD card to keep up.) Users can then stitch those photos together into a cool time-lapse video that compresses hours of actions into minutes of video.

Finally, the HD Hero2 gains a new trick made possible by its new faster digital image processor called Photo Burst Mode. In this mode, the camera can capture 10 full-resolution 11MP photos within the span of a single second. Personally, I found timing the Burst to be tricky, particularly because there's a few seconds of lag after a burst is captured while the HD Hero2 writes the contents of its buffer to the SD card. However, with practice this could be another cool tool in your GoPro toolbox.

In sum
About the only think that I didn't like about the previous-generation GoPro HD Hero was that maddeningly difficult interface. And while in my opinion GoPro still hasn't perfected its menu structure and usability, it's gotten pretty damn close within its self-imposed constraints (two-button interface, maintaining compatibility with older hardware). GoPro also states that its low-light image quality has been improved between the two generations, which you can see yourself by comparing the indoor photos below. There's no question in my mind that this is the best GoPro camera yet.

But is it the best HD sports camera? To figure that out, we have to compare it to its most fierce competitors from Contour's lineup, particularly the ContourGPS. (Contour's top tier Contour+ is significantly more expensive, so we're leaving it out of the running for now, but many of the same points I'm about to make will still apply.)

Ease of use is a tie. Both camera systems excel here in different ways. The Contour camera's supersimple slide-and-record interface and laser-pointer aiming makes it easier for first-time users to pick up and shoot with. However, the GoPro HD Hero2 excels where on-device flexibility is concerned. If you're, for example, trackside with the Hero2 and you want to switch capture modes, every still and video setting is available right there on the device itself. The ContourGPS features two user presets that can be selected with the flip of a switch, but if neither of those is what you need at the moment, then you'll need to fire up the Contour smartphone app or bust out your laptop to pick a new preset. Additionally, the Contour cameras give no visual indication of what mode they're in, where the GoPro always displays its capture mode on a display. Trust me, there's nothing worse than getting back from a full day of recording with an SD card full of photos when you wanted videos. To the p oint, users who enjoy constantly fiddling with settings on the fly will prefer the GoPro, but if you're the kind of person who sets up the camera once and never changes modes, perhaps the Contour cameras are a better fit.

One place where Contour has the GoPro system beaten is where applications are concerned. Contour's included desktop editing and uploading software makes it easy to cut the good part out of a long video. Conversely, GoPro's experience is a B.Y.O.-software affair. Contour's top-tier models also capture GPS position, speed, and elevation data that can then be displayed alongside an uploaded video. GoPro does not, but if you don't mind spending a few extra bucks, the GoPro system can be upgraded with longer battery life, an LCD display, or the ability to capture 3D video thanks to its BacPac system.

The GoPro has the Contour cameras flatly beat on ruggedness. The Contour+ and ContourGPS require an additional purchase of a waterproof housing to match the GoPro in the wet. The entry-level ContourRoam is waterproof out of the box, but not nearly to the same depth as the GoPro. And if the HD Hero2 and the ContourGPS fell off of the same car at speed, the GoPro camera would definitely fare better. When you're talking about action cameras, durability is a top-tier attribute.

Deciding which camera system is best is truly a tough decision, and depending on your particular needs, you may disagree with me. At $299, the GoPro HD Hero2 is a slightly better buy than the ContourGPS, which is the same price--provided that the collection of GPS metadata isn't one of your top priorities. The learning curve is slightly steeper (and only just barely thanks to the upgraded interface), but once you're over it, the GoPro HD Hero2 is a much more flexible and durable device.

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I've tried a lot of fitness trackers, and this under-$50 one is truly great

I've tried a lot of fitness trackers, and this under-$50 one is truly great

The best cheap fitness tracker you can buy is the $47 Mi Band 6. It's hard to pass up if you're on a budget but still want features like automatic workout detection, a blood oxygen sensor, sleep tracking and 24/7 heart rate monitoring. Bonus: it's compatible with Android and iOS. 

There's no shortage of fitness bands and smartwatches under $100. The $70 Amazfit Bip S and newer Bip U are some of our favorite budget watches, but if you're looking for something smaller, with very similar health and fitness tracking and a nicer screen, the Mi Band 6 is a great choice. I'm a big advocate for finding cheaper alternatives to big-name products, even making an entire YouTube series dedicated to the cause. Here's why I think the Mi Band 6 is a viable competitor to similar products from big-name brands like Fitbit and the new Amazon Halo View.

A bright screen makes the Mi Band a pleasure to use 

This thing is so light, I often forget it's on my wrist. Which is a good thing in the middle of a workout when I'm trying to concentrate on my next rep, or at night when I don't want to feel a chunky smartwatch rubbing against my pillow.

A 1.56-inch AMOLED display might sound small, but thanks to its pixel density of 326ppi, the Mi Band 6's text and graphics look incredibly crisp. I never feel like I need to pull out a magnifying glass or squint to make out what a text message says. Most importantly, it's easy to see the display in bright sunlight.

The screen and interface are also responsive and I haven't experienced any performance issues or lag. One thing I'd add to the wish list for the next generation is an auto brightness sensor so it can detect the ambient light and adjust the intensity of the screen on its own.

The screen is easy to see.

Lexy Savvides/CNET

Here's the laundry list of smart features you get on the Mi Band 6:

• Music playback control
• App notifications from your phone, plus call and message alerts
• Find my phone
• Phone muting option (Android only)
• Calendar and event reminders
• Remote camera shutter

As you can see, there's no shortage of tools onboard and it even goes one better than Fitbit's $180 Charge 5 by having a find-my-phone app and camera remote. While I'd like a speaker and mic so I could take quick calls from my wrist, for the price, I can't expect that much. 

The Mi Fit app is the weakest part of the whole experience. Compared with the slick experience and icons you see when navigating the band itself, the app feels like an afterthought. Even weeks later, I still take a beat to work out exactly where each feature lives, like my sleep metrics and workout stats. 

On the plus side, plenty of third-party apps can tap into the Mi Band 6 to customize almost every aspect, from watch faces to remapping actions for the music control app. My favorite is AmazTools because it lets me export my workout data with GPS and map details to services like Strava.

Workout tracking on the Mi Band 6 is fine for the price

Just some of the stats the Mi Band gives you post-workout.

Screenshot by Lexy Savvides/CNET

One of my main criticisms of earlier Mi Bands was the limited range of workout tracking options. If you wanted to record a Pilates or yoga session for instance, there was only a generic "exercise" type that wasn't particularly precise in calculating overall effort. Now, the Mi Band 6 gives you 30 fitness modes from the usual running and cycling all the way to Zumba, HIIT and indoor ice skating. It can also autodetect activities like running, walking and cycling if you forget to manually start recording the workout.

You also get sleep tracking and a blood oxygen sensor that can take a spot reading, or check it during the day and night in the background.

For the price, I'm happy with how the Mi Band records workouts. You get detailed breakdowns of your pace, splits and heart rate zones post-workout in the app. The band also tracks a physiological activity indicator or PAI score for you. It measures the amount of moderate to intense physical activity you do each day, similar to Fitbit's Active Zone Minutes metric. The PAI score is a bit vague and trickier to understand than the Fitbit score, but I do like how it recommends what intensity workout I should do if I'm lagging behind on my score that day.

But if you're looking for the most accurate heart rate tracker for cardio-based exercise like runs and walks, this will not be the best fit for you. During a leisurely outdoor walk with a few small hills, the Mi Band said my heart rate peaked at 180bpm -- way higher than the number my chest strap said. There's also no onboard GPS, which is not a surprise given this costs $45, so you will need to take your phone with you on workouts to record distance and route information. But that phone-assisted tracking is still a step up from the new $80 Amazon Halo View, which lacks any kind of distance tracking. I also needed to manually sync the band in the Mi Fit app every time I started a workout to get the GPS tracking to kick in, which was a bit annoying.

The Mi Band 6's battery life takes it to the next level

I'm used to wearing smartwatches and trackers that barely last two days between charges. That's why when I read about the Mi Band's 14 days of battery life, I had to do a double take. Surely, that can't be right? Turns out there's a bit of a catch. If you're doing a lot of workouts, using the blood oxygen and heart rate sensors frequently, plus keeping the screen brightness on high you're more likely to reach need to charge after five days. That's still pretty good compared with some alternatives and I can regularly get to a week and change before needing to juice it up again. I'm sure I could push it to 14 days if I was only using this to get notifications from my phone and to track steps.

The Mi Band 6 is my favorite budget fitness tracker of the year, especially if you're just looking to dip your toes into the world of fitness wearables and want something you won't need to charge very often.

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Can you use a chromebook for work is chromebook easy to use will a chromebook work for me should you get a chromebook who should use a chromebook is chromebook easy to use should i get a chromebook how to use your chromebook what chromebook can do how to use chromebook is a chromebook good for me is a chromebook good

Living with Chromebook: Can you use it to actually get work done?

Living with Chromebook: Can you use it to actually get work done?

In the first part of our Living with Chromebook series, I outlined the initial hardware and account setup required to use a laptop running Google's Chrome OS. In this second installment, the focus is on productivity.

For my long-form Chromebook test-drive, I'm spending most of my computing time with the HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook. Like the smaller 11- and 12-inch Chromebooks we've reviewed, it operates almost entirely within the Chrome Web browser, which looks and feels the same as the Chrome Web browser you may be using right now on your Windows or Mac OS computer.

That makes for a familiar experience in some ways, as many of us have already moved large swaths of our lives online, into Web-based tools such as Gmail, Facebook, and Netflix. More than most, I've embraced cloud services for as many things as possible, primarily because reviewing laptops means moving into a brand-new, fresh-from-the-box PC at least once or twice a week.

Working in the cloud
If you're anywhere near as invested in cloud services as I am, then the transition to a Chromebook should hypothetically be fairly painless. Most of the things you want to do -- send e-mail, share via social-networking services, stream online video -- are available on a Chrome OS device, and largely work the same way as on a traditional OS.

That said, there's still a natural resistance to this type of Web-only setup. Maybe the idea that in a traditional PC there's a desktop lying underneath it all is a comforting one. Perhaps traditional folders-and-file systems are a security blanket, because despite having used Chromebooks before this, I found being locked into a browser-only world still felt confining, especially for office work -- documents, spreadsheets, and folders of files nestled within each other.

Most of the things you want to do -- send e-mail, share via social-networking services, stream online video -- are available on a Chrome OS device.

That's no doubt why the Chrome OS now has a more pronounced (if still rudimentary) file system than the very first Chromebooks did, making it possible to save and easily access files. This Hewlett-Packard model only includes 16GB of solid-state drive (SSD) storage, but Acer's C7 Chromebook includes a standard 320GB platter hard drive. In either case, photo, music, and video files can all be stored and sorted there, by downloading online or sideloading from a USB drive or SD card. Consider it all to be backups for the versions "in the cloud," for those times when you can't get online.

Image and video files on the Chrome OS hard drive.

Do you need always-on Internet?
While the original pitch for the Chromebook was that this would be an always-on device, connected to either Wi-Fi or mobile broadband, that idea seems to have fallen by the wayside. The HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook, for example, does not include a 3G antenna, something found in the original Google Chromebook, as well as the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550. Google's high-end Pixel model even offers a 4G LTE version. But the bundled wireless service always comes with an asterisk; in the case of the 4G Pixel -- which is $250 more than the Wi-Fi-only version -- it's this: 100MB per month for two years of mobile broadband from Verizon Wireless. In other words, it's way too paltry to do anything substantive.

Perhaps sensing that always-on broadband isn't going to always work for sub-$400 laptops, Google now emphasizes the offline capabilities of Chrome, which are largely tied in to the offline modes that have been built into Google's various tools, such as Google Docs, over the years.

The offline-ready apps in the Chrome Web Store.

A few other Chrome-compatible Web tools also work offline, and Google has set aside a section of its Chrome Web Store (really just a dressed-up set of links to Chrome OS versions of web sites) to make them easier to find.

Google Drive as office suite
I'll let you in on a little secret. I've been using Google Drive (nee "Google Docs") as my main word processor for a few years now, and it's such a useful, well-maintained online tool that the benefits far outweigh a few significant shortcomings. For that reason, using Google Drive on a Chromebook was a natural transition for me, and one of the elements of Chromebook use that felt the most comparable to using a non-Chrome OS laptop.

Like nearly all writers, I spent years using Microsoft Word on both Windows and OS X systems. It's still the default for word processing, and DOC and DOCX are still universal file formats (fortunately, Google Drive allows you to open and export these formats).

But, reviewing new laptops all the time, I was setting up a new system once or twice a week at least, which often made using these new laptops for writing a pain. Microsoft now has an ad-supported "free" version of Word that comes preinstalled on some (but not all) laptops, but previously, if you were lucky you had a trial version, or else nothing at all. Very often, I ended up either installing OpenOffice (a free, if clunky, office suite), or digging up an old install disc for Office 2003. Even under the best of circumstances, I had to remember to e-mail myself the latest version of my Word doc, or sneakernet it around on a USB stick. (Nowadays, I'd store the documents on Dropbox, Amazon Cloud Drive, Microsoft SkyDrive, or the like, but I'd still be stuck installing the word processing software itself.)

So many of the work tools we use now are online and collaborative that it's hard to remember when that wasn't the norm, but when I started using Google Drive in earnest in 2009 it was a major change to my workflow. Even now, on the HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook, I can open any document I've been working on from another laptop, add some text, and then seamlessly switch back to the first laptop at any point. It's also easy to share docs with anyone else via a few button clicks -- and multiple authorized users can access and edit a document in real time (which is something you may or may not want).

Working on a document in Google Docs.

Google Drive works best for simple text-based documents with minimal formatting. You can add images, tables, and other design elements, but these are not as full-featured as in Microsoft Office, and don't always translate as one might expect when exporting to a DOC file.

Another thing that drives me crazy about Google Drive is the lack of a "show hidden characters" command in its word processor. That's not something everyone uses, but for writers, especially those who got their start in print publishing, being able to see every tab, paragraph break, and even the spaces between characters is important. I've learned to live without it, but it's still my least favorite part of the Google Drive experience.

The presentation and spreadsheet apps included with Google Drive are somewhat less successful. My needs for XLS files are limited, but even then I've run out of available columns and been forced to start a new tab in a spreadsheet. In fact, all the Google Drive apps have size and complexity limitations, and you can find more details about that here. Those are limitations to the actual Google Drive platform, not something specific to Chrome OS or the Chromebook.

Another option for Microsoft Office purists is Office 365, the cloud-based version of Office. It's a paid service, not all features work in Chrome OS, and it doesn't facilitate the easy sharing that Google Docs does with anyone who has a free Gmail account.

It may be something you'll need to use every day, but I've had good luck exporting Google Docs files into the PDF format (it's a setting built right in to Google Docs under File > Download as), and the file browser in Chrome OS can open PDF files for easy reading.

One handy thing to keep in mind is that most Google Drive files can be accessed even when your Chromebook (or other PC) is offline. But, you have to set up the offline mode for your account first by following the instructions here. Gmail also has an offline mode, and you can find more apps and features that work on an offline Chromebook in this special section of the Chrome Web Store (of course, you'll have to be online to see this list).

Using a mouse, printer, and other peripherals
One of the big problems I had with the less-expensive Chromebooks from Samsung and Acer has been the terrible touch pads built into those systems. I don't care if your laptop cost less than $200, if the touch pad is unusable, you're just not going to be productive on it.

The touch pad on the $329 HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook is a bit better, but still not even as good as the touch pads found on budget Windows laptops. It was passable for basic Web surfing, but if you plan on using your Chromebook for more than a couple of hours at a time, an external mouse is recommended.

Fortunately, despite not having any way to install drivers or dive into the deeper functions of pointing devices, I had good luck getting external devices to work. Both the wireless Microsoft mouse and the external Logitech touch pad I tried worked instantly, both via USB dongle (a second wireless mouse, from Targus, did not work).

Setting up Cloud Print is about as far from the simple, stripped-down appeal of Chromebooks and the Chrome OS as one could imagine.

Printing is a little more complicated. You'll need to use a service Google calls Cloud Print. That works one of two ways. The less likely scenario is that you already own one of a handful of Cloud-Print-ready printers, in which case you should be able to connect easily if you're on the same network. More likely, you have what Google generously refers to as a "classic printer," in which case, you have to run a Cloud Print app on a separate Windows or OS X machine, and from there, connect to your Chromebook.

This is about as far from the simple, stripped-down appeal of Chromebooks and the Chrome OS as one could imagine.

That said, when I followed the steps outlined in this support doc from Google, the Cloud Print feature worked the first time I tried it.

Workaround apps
If your job involves only e-mail, text documents, and simple spreadsheets, moving to a Chromebook may well be a very simple transition for you, especially if you already make use of Google's online tools.

If, however, you have occasional need for programs such as Photoshop, you're going to have to find a workaround. There actually are a few basic image-editing features built into Chrome OS, but if you need to do more than adjust the rotation or brightness and contrast of an image, you'll hit a wall very quickly.

I've always used a Web-based tool named Pixlr for emergency photo edits. It's a cloud-based image editor that looks and feels a lot like Photoshop. You upload an image, edit it, then download the resulting file. It works well enough in a pinch, although if you're a heavy Photoshop user, a Chromebook just isn't for you.

I found Pixlr listed in the Chrome Web Store, but "installing" the app really just takes you to the Pixlr Web site. Similar online tools, including some basic video editors, can be found in the Creative Tools section of the Chrome Web Store. One caveat, especially if you're working with big images: remember that you'll have to both upload and redownload the image file, so make sure you have the time and bandwidth to work that way before you count on an online app such as Pixlr.

You can be productive on a Chromebook, sometimes
As an on-the-go system for catching up on e-mail (especially if you use Gmail or Google's corporate e-mail services), and creating or editing basic office documents, a Chromebook works, and works well considering the less-than-$250 investment (for the Samsung Chromebook Series 3, the most affordable Chromebook CNET can recommend).

That said, it does not excel in any particular area, and even a budget Windows laptop offers more flexibility and the ability to run more software. Even if you only need a particular app once in a great while, unless there's an online version that works in the Chrome browser, you're out of luck.

Here's what worked:

• Google Drive/Google Docs works the same as it does on non-Chrome PCs
• Having cloud-based documents makes it easy to share and access documents on multiple PCs
• Many mice and other accessories are plug-and-play
• Offline access to some features helps the Chromebook be more universally useful

Here's what didn't:

• You're stuck with second-rate online alternatives to programs such as Photoshop
• Setting up a printer is a hassle
• Google Docs lacks many of the bells and whistles of Microsoft Office

In the next Living with Chromebook installment, we'll look at entertainment options in Chrome OS, from streaming video to games.

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