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Digital Trends
13-05-2025
- Digital Trends
These are the Galaxy S25 Edge colors and this is the one to buy
Table of Contents Table of Contents Titanium is all the rage Titanium Jet Black Titanium Silver Titanium Icy Blue Which Galaxy S25 Edge color should you buy? Thin is officially IN, and Samsung has laid a marker with the new Galaxy S25 Edge. At just 5.8 mm thick, it's the thinnest modern smartphone, and at 163 grams, it's lighter than all the best phones you can buy right now. Andy Boxall went hands-on with the Galaxy S25 Edge and is smitten. If that's also you, you may wonder which colors it's available in and which one to buy. Fear not — I also went hands-on, and here's a more thorough look at all the different Galaxy S25 Edge colors and which one you should buy! Titanium is all the rage Since every smartphone maker started adopting a titanium build, the infamous song from David Guetta has never left my head. As it turns out, it will stay there as Titanium isn't going anywhere, and Samsung has also clad its new thin and lightweight phone with Titanium. Recommended Videos The Galaxy S25 Edge is available in three colors: Titanium Jet Black, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Icy Blue. Each of these is unique. In particular, the Jet Black is matte and gorgeous and photographs surprisingly well, unlike most black phones. All three feature color-matched frames, although the Icy Blue one appears to be far more subtle. Titanium Jet Black Unlike most black phones, this one appears lighter, almost as if some hues of blue were mixed into the dyeing process. It's beautiful to look at, reflects light extremely well, and doesn't seem to attract too many fingerprints. Of course, time will tell how durable this finish is, especially as some black phones can scratch easily, but it's my second-favorite color and likely the most popular of the Galaxy S25 Edge colors. Titanium Silver This finish appears to be a natural titanium color, so it's not the silver color you may associate with the word 'silver,' but rather a more natural hue. In some photos, it appears gold or rose gold in color, while in others, it seems to be silver. If you like the natural titanium finish on the iPhone 16 Pro series, you'll also almost certainly like this color. If you want a phone that doesn't stand out too much, this is probably the color to go for, although it does appear to be a fingerprint magnet. Titanium Icy Blue My favorite is the Titanium Icy Blue, although the Jet Black is a close second. It matches a light blue rear Gorilla Glass Victus panel with an even subtler blue/silver titanium frame for a subtle but gorgeous color. In particular, I love the blue finish on the rear, which helps it stand out, as there aren't too many phones that use the same color. However, I'm concerned about whether this will withstand scratching, especially as the lighter color is likely to show deep scratches. Which Galaxy S25 Edge color should you buy? It's disappointing that Samsung didn't choose to outfit the Galaxy S25 Edge with a range of bolder colors. The company also doesn't offer any additional custom colors via its website. This means you're stuck with one of these three colors, regardless of where or in which configuration you buy it. I like these three colors in this order: Titanium Icy Blue, Jet Black, and a distant third, Titanium Silver. The Icy Blue is striking, the Jet Black is beautiful, and the Silver will appeal to some, even if it's not my preferred choice. Which color do you prefer for the Galaxy S25 Edge, and which do you plan to buy? Don't miss some of the best Galaxy S25 Edge pre-order deals to save on your new phone, and if you're not sure about Samsung's new Galaxy S25 thin phone, check out our Galaxy S25 Edge hands-on for more information!
Digital Trends
13-05-2025
- Digital Trends
Miss the Galaxy S25 Edge unveil? Watch the full reveal here
Samsung has finally unveiled its thinnest-ever Galaxy S series smartphone, the Galaxy S25 Edge. The Korean tech giant introduced the new handset via an online video presentation that started at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, May 12. If you missed the 14-minute presentation, you can watch it via the video player embedded at the top of this page. Digital Trends' mobile specialist Andy Boxall has already had a chance to hold Samsung's newest flagship, commenting that it's really 'something special' and 'looks unlike any other smartphone available at the moment.' The new phone is available in Titanium Jetblack, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Icyblue and starts at $1,099. It's available from May 23, with preorders starting on May 13.
Business Mayor
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- Business Mayor
I swapped my camera for a game controller, and became a better photographer
Table of Contents Table of Contents How does it help? What makes it useful? More than a game? I don't trust my photographic instincts, and my life doesn't always afford me the time to go out and hone them and experiment with my camera. If you have a similar problem, I may have found a way around all this. It requires nothing more than sitting in your living room holding a video game controller. It's a game called Lushfoil Photography Sim , and it's like a set of training wheels for your camera. Andy Boxall / Digital Trends My intention with the OuttaFocus column has always been to demonstrate how mobile device cameras of all types can inspire creativity, and my own journey to try and get better at taking photos. Not in a professional sense, but for personal satisfaction. I've always hoped it would also inspire you, the reader, to try new features, devices, or apps too. I know this is a game and not a camera or a phone, but you'll be as surprised as I was as to how well Lushfoil fulfills my aim. Over the years I've taken photos, the more I experimented and explored, the more I ran into certain problems I found extremely hard to overcome. I've written about this already, particularly when I was tasked with photographing a car for a series of articles. I find it really hard to 'see' the photographs I know are there, get stuck on taking the 'right' picture, and then not taking any of note at all. Eventually, I got past this (most of the time) and understood there is no right or wrong way to take a photo, but the revelation came only after talking to an experienced automotive photographer about it. Andy Boxall / Digital Trends But putting everything I've learned into practice isn't always easy, and if you don't practice very often, it takes a while for all the things you've learned to come back once you start again. Then there's the problem of where to take photos. If you're not visiting somewhere new and exciting, it can be difficult to spot new photo opportunities in familiar areas. Lushfoil Photography Sim is a brilliant way to avoid almost all this, and train your eye to see those elusive photo opportunities out in the real world. Manual control panel Andy Boxall / Digital Trends Lushfoil Photography Sim places you in some of the most picturesque and beautifully evocative places in the world, and leaves you free to walk around equipped only with a camera and your own keen photographic senses. There's no extensive in-game guidance on what to shoot or where, there are only the most basic of quests, and only a vague path to follow in each location. There's freedom to climb rocks, hike up the side of a mountain, deal with different weather conditions, and take absolutely any photo you want. It nails the excitement of being in a new place where a great photo lies around every corner, and this is where the game worked for me as a training tool. I knew a photo was 'there,' I just had to find it — which is exactly the problem I run into in the real world — and the more I spot them, the better I get at finding similar chances again. In Lushfoil Photography Sim , you are encouraged to take your time, and it does a great job of invoking the same emotions you get taking photos with a real camera in a real environment, but because it's not real, you can slow down, look around, and try new things, all without life's pressures. A photo taken in the game Andy Boxall / Digital Trends The accuracy of Lushfoil's environments and the way it feels like a real photography walk is only the start. It equips you with a DSLR camera (there are other camera types to find in the game too) complete with a manual Pro mode, where you can change the aperture, white balance, exposure, and focus to capture your perfect shot. The alterations you make are recreated on screen, which makes it ideal for newcomers to learn how these settings change your photos. Almost all high-end smartphone cameras have a Pro mode, and Lushfoil Photography Sim introduces you to it in an easy to learn way, where you can endlessly experiment at home. Andy Boxall / Digital Trends Is Lushfoil Photography Sim a game? A simulation? A training tool? A calming way to relax after a long day? It's all these things , and it cleverly blends enjoyable, relaxing gameplay with minimal pressure to 'complete' anything, while at the same time helping you hone your own photography skills ready to put them to use when you next go out with your real camera in your hand. It takes what can be impenetrable photo-speak and tools and turns them into more simple concepts controlled not with buttons and knobs on a piece of hardware, but with a familiar controller. It makes the intricacies of photography accessible to the newcomer, removing the hassle of learning not only a new skill, but new controls and hardware too. Pro modes on smartphones are often ignored because they're presented without any guidance. Lushfoil Photography Sim gives you the guidance that's missing from them, and gives you amazing locations to experiment, practice, and improve . The Pro mode and manual adjustments, along with the helpful tutorials, aren't what kept me playing the game. It has been the environments and the ability to experiment with angles, viewpoints, focus and depth of field in new places that kept me engaged. I got the same satisfaction from taking a photo I was pleased with in the game as I do in real life, and loved the way it made me look so closely at the location to find something new. It's the practice I need to become a better photographer, in locations filled with opportunity, available at any time. I played Lushfoil Photography Sim on the Sony PlayStation 5, and it's available now for $15. It's also available for Xbox and PC through the Steam store.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Yahoo
This affordable case fixed the worst woe of iPhone's Camera Control
Camera Control was the standout hardware innovation on the iPhone 16 Pro. Adding a two-stage shutter button that lets users control everything from exposure and depth to switching lenses and photographic styles was a fantastic convenience. 'I consider it a clever extra feature on the iPhone 16 that I'll enjoy using when the time is right,' Digital Trends veteran Andy Boxall wrote in a fantastic explainer for the Camera Control. It does a lot more than just mimic the two-stage shutter on a DSLR, eclipsing them with a clever amalgamation of smartphone software. However, a protective case quickly buries a chunk of its appeal. And trust me. You don't want to carry your iPhone 16 Pro without a protective case. I used to live the no-case life, but the phone is not as resilient as you think, and I can say that after scuffing and roughing up my iPhone 15 Pro into a pretty bad shape despite never dropping it. Thankfully, ESR makes a fantastic case that not only protects the iPhone 16 Pro, but also offers a clever solution to Camera Control concerns and adds a dash of kickstand versatility, as well. The best part? It costs only $25. You see, the Camera Control is a tap and swipe-sensitive surface with a force sensor underneath and a capacitive layer, as well. The overall system responds to tap, press, hold, and swipe gestures. To get the best out of that, your shutter-happy index finger ideally needs to rest comfortably on the button's sapphire crystal surface for it to comfortably register the user input. The moment you put on a case, three problems raise their head. The ergonomics of comfortably using the Camera Control button take a cumbersome dip. The button is left exposed to the forces of nature. The cutout left for the button makes the cases look ugly. The thicker the case, the more difficult it becomes to operate the Camera Control. I recently bought myself one of those hulking, metallic cases to protect a phone that cost me roughly $1,700 from my legendarily clumsy hands and forgetful manners. Well, the deep cutout on the metallic sides turned using the Camera Control into a frustrating chore. You can tap on the button, but swipe gestures are impossible to execute across the capacitive surface. I have smaller-than-average hands and thin fingers, so I could at least get my fingertip to rest fully on the button's surface. For folks with thicker fingers, it's not easy. And as the thickness of a case increases, it becomes even more difficult to interact. Some cases offer a sloping cutout on either end of the Camera Control button, which makes it a tad easier to execute swipe gestures. However, on protective cases with a straight cutout, or those that surround the button fully, you are in for some functional irritations. Still think you can go commando? Here's one unfortunate user's account on Reddit, whose iPhone 16 Pro took a single drop and ended up with a shattered Camera Control button — despite using a case with a button guard. There are two kinds of smartphone buyers out there. The first class intends to hold on to their phone for at least a few years and spends well on a rough case without thinking twice about how it looks. The other category seeks a solution that doesn't condemn their phone's sleek looks to hell. And if it doesn't cost a bomb, even better. If you are looking for a case that doesn't leave the Camera Control button unprotected, the price you pay is going to be high. Apple will have you spend a minimum of $50 for that convenience, and so will partner brands such as Otterbox and Beats hawking their ware on the Apple Store. Options from the likes of Spigen cost even more. Enter ESR with its HaloLock Classic Hybrid case. This case offers it all, at half the asking price of what Apple asks, even lower compared to a few other brands out there. What you get with this clear case is a design that is… ahem… similar… to Apple's own, but with a crucial distinction. Now, if you haven't come across ESR's gear before, well, they balance quality and affordability pretty well. I've been using their iPad keyboard cases and multi-device wireless chargers for a while now, and really love their solid build as well as longevity. This iPhone 16 series case is no different. The real gem, however, is the dedicated Camera Control button that sits almost flush with the case surface. I think they have used virtually the same stack — and the looks — of every other third-party brand that is making cases with a white camera control button. Competitive 'inspiration' aside, what matters here is the experience. And on this crucial parameter, ESR doesn't disappoint. Single and double-tap gestures work just fine, and so do the long presses. I was a tad skeptical about the swipe gestures, but they worked flawlessly, as well. In roughly a week's worth of testing, I had no issues launching the camera from the Lock Screen and digging into the Camera Control shenanigans. It doesn't feel flimsy, and there's no undue sideways movement to it. Everything feels well put together, and so does the rest of the package. ESR says the Camera Control cover has a triple-layer design. There's an impact-resistant 9H tempered glass layer on the top, which is claimed to handle up to 66 lb point pressure and 256 lb surface pressure. Underneath is a polycarbonate frame that blocks dust. Then we have a PCB core that binds a six-element capacitive layer block to register the finger gestures. The sum total is a smooth experience of interacting with the Camera Control button without having to worry about functional reliability or protecting the real thing underneath. There are a few additional niceties that the ESR HaloLock Classic Hybrid case offers, which are an absolute necessity for any iPhone user. First, there is MagSafe support. The magnetic ring underneath is said to offer 1,500 g of holding force. In my experience, I didn't run into any troubles with perching my iPhone 16 Pro atop wireless charging stands or Apple's MagSafe puck. Power transfer is unobstructed, and I didn't run into any undue heating. But a case is nothing without its resilience charms. This one doesn't disappoint. There are reinforced shock-absorbing Air Guard corners that can withstand drops from up to a height of 11 feet, while the overall fit is also reassuringly snug. ESR is claiming MIL-STD-810 military-grade protection for this case. I couldn't independently verify the height testing, but an unexpected drop from my jeans pocket a few days ago didn't leave any scars on my pricey as heck phone. A close call with a marble floor, but, phew! I have used ESR's protective cases on a variety of devices, and it has been a mainstay for my tenth-gen iPad. So far, I haven't had any long-term complaints about their durability, and I expect the iPhone 16 Pro case to deliver a similar output. I have also grown quite fond of the ingenious camera island protection ring, which also doubles as. nifty kickstand. Made out of zinc alloy material, this stand can prop the iPhone 16 Pro in portrait as well as landscape orientation. While that is convenient in itself, it also keeps the camera lenses from surface contact, avoiding scratches as well as impact-related damage. However, the metallic surface gets scuffed, so there's that aesthetic caveat. I would, however, take damage to a $25 case rather than spending hundreds of dollars to fix a cracked lens. Overall, the ESR HaloLock Classic Hybrid Case for the iPhone 16 Pro (and its Max sibling) is an easy recommendation. It delivers practical benefits with a standout functional perk, all tied to a $25 sticker price. Go, get it! The ESR HaloLock Classic Hybrid Case is now available, with a 10% discount for Digital Trends readers using the code ESRIP16NEW on Amazon.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Yahoo
I've found a perfect use for the Galaxy Ring, but I can't recommend it
People seem to have polar reactions to smart rings. Some love them, like Digital Trends' Andy Boxall. Others, like former Digital Trends contributor Joe Maring, found that they simply couldn't abide wearing one all the time. So when I decided to buy the Samsung Galaxy Ring for a number of reasons, I alays knew it would really be an experiment with whether I would take to wearing a ring or not. The results are in, and I am firmly in the camp of those who don't really get smart rings. For the last few months, my Galaxy Ring has largely found itself relegated to its charging box. I say 'largely' because it's actually been in there less than I had assumed when I gave up wearing it full time. And that's because I've found a whole new use for it, which fits my life perfectly. Only, it's not a use I really recommend for anyone. Here's why. I should have known from the start that wearing a smart ring wouldn't really be my jam. I don't wear rings, I've never worn rings, and even if I get married, I don't plan on wearing a ring. So why would a smart ring be any different? Well, dear reader, it's because I'm an enormous stooge for technology. Want me to do an unpleasant task? Strap a piece of smart tech to it and tell me it'll track my stats. It's how I was tricked into taking up running, and it'll doubtless work again in the future. My early days with the Galaxy Ring were good. I loved the convenience, the battery life was great, and I loved the gold finish. Despte the color, it was subtle, and often people wouldn't even realise I was wearing it. I took to wearing a normal watch again. Life was good. Only, it wasn't. A few small things kept bugging me. One of them was the design. The Galaxy Ring has a slight concave design that dips in the center, and flares out towards the edge. Except the flared edges tend to catch on things, which isn't a huge concern — except when it catches on the back of my newborn daughter's head. Feeling a ring scrape along the back of a beloved child's head is not an experience I wish on any of you. It didn't really seem to bother her, but the feeling haunts me to this day. But even worse than baby-scratching was what it did to my love of stats and data. It killed it stone dead. The Galaxy Ring is a very smart little doohickey. It collects a lot of data — and not the scary data that Google collects. No, it's the nice data that tells me how well my ticker is ticking, how slothily I slumbered, and how fast I run when I really want donuts before the stores close for the day. I like those stats, and the Galaxy Ring collects a lot of those. So it collects a lot of data and stats — but it doesn't feel like it does. I never glanced at my ring and thought 'hm, I should see how many steps I've walked today' or 'when was the last time I exercised, because that brisk walk almost killed me'. Smartwatches give me that compulsion, and while it might not be an entirely healthy compulsion, it's one that justifies the data collection. I'm not sure why the Galaxy Ring doesn't trigger it, but it may be the lack of a screen meant I didn't feel the need to go digging. The need to find the Samsung Health app was enough of a barrier to stop me from looking at my activity stats. And really, if I wasn't looking at that, what was the point of wearing the ring? I took it off the day I came to that realization, and went back to a smartwatch. But I did look back, and that's because of the shortcomings of the device I wore instead. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is a fabulous smartwatch. It's easily still one of the best smartwatches you can buy, despite having been superseded by the Galaxy Watch 7. It looks great, feels even better to use, and serves as a perfect complement to my Galaxy Z Fold 5. But it doesn't suit my nighttime adventures. If you're sleeping through the entire night, then the Galaxy Watch's sleep mode works fine. It closes down the display, preventing accidental touches and stopping it from lighting up like a Christmas tree at 3am. But when you're awake feeding a baby at midnight, and you flick your wrist up to see what time it is — sorry, you need to press a button, or whirl the rotating bezel. And even then, it just asks you if you want to turn off sleep mode. Do I want to turn off sleep mode? Quite frankly, no. I'd much rather I was in sleep mode myself. It's patently obvious I'm not asleep, I just want to know what the time is — just let me see the time. I came to the conclusion that it was better to not have the watch on, rather than have something that would actively infuriate me. But on the flip side, I want to continue tracking my sleep, because lord knows, I'm not getting enough of it. The Galaxy Ring was the obvious solution. It's small, convenient, lacks the temptation of a display, and tracks everything I want tracked. Not being reminded to view my data isn't an issue because I'm, well, asleep, and in the morning, I strap my watch back on and slip the Ring back into its case. It's also solved a few other problems I had with the Galaxy Watch. I no longer need to find time to charge it, for instance. My wrist gets chance to breathe. Heck, it just gives me a rest from constantly wearing it. It's a win-win. Wearing a smartwatch during the day and a smart ring at night has balanced the issues I've had with the both of them, and it's become the perfect way to add the Galaxy Ring back into my life. But really, I can't recommend this method to anyone. There's a fly in this ointment, and it's a big one; money. The Samsung Galaxy Ring costs a princely $400 before any trade-ins. That puts it on the more expensive side for a wearable, even if you're using it all the time. A comparable smartwatch can set you back much less, and offer more on top, since there's room fro a display, and more advanced features. A dedicated sleep tracker, like the Withings Sleep, costs only $130. Sure, the Galaxy Ring is a lot more flexible, but is it $270 more flexible? I'm not so sure. Ultimately, the Galaxy Ring is a lot of money to spend on a sleep tracker. Instead, this is very much a recommendation for people like me; anyone who took the plunge on a smart ring and discovered, to their accountant's horror, that it simply doesn't work for them. I've been in that exact position, and honestly, it doesn't feel good, even if you've bought the device in question for work. But all is not lost, as my discovery has proven. The Samsung Galaxy Ring makes an excellent sleep tracker. I feel like Mr. Moneybags saying this, because I've effectively spent $400 to track my sleep in a more convenient fashion, and it's for that reason I can't recommend you buy one for that reason. However, if you have found you simply don't gel with a smart ring, try wearing it at night. You may find it works better.
