The "fight of the century" between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. might have been a decidedly snoozy one, but there's another battle coming up worthy of your attention: Apple Watchversus Android Wear.
With the Apple Watch finally on consumer wrists, the wearable war between Apple and Google is finally heating up.
Each wearable platform has its own strengths and weaknesses. Obviously, if you're already deeply invested into the iPhone ecosystem, the Apple Watch is the way to go. And if you're an Android user, Android Wear makes sense. Neither is compatible with one another (although there's a rumor that Google is working on an Android Wear app for iOS).
With the new Android Wear 5.1.1 Wear update rolling out to smartwatches, it's clear the Apple Watch will have some catching up to do to reach feature parity with Android Wear's year head start.
From the very start, Google's allowed anyone to design and sell their own custom watch faces for Android Wear smartwatches. The Apple Watch, on the other hand, only has 11 watch faces, though they can be customized with "complications," little widget-like bits in each corner.
With Apple rejecting apps that display only the time, it's unlikely the company will allow third parties to design and sell digital watch faces without its official blessing. That's a real disappointment if you're really into customizations.
To see the time on a smartwatch, you often have to raise your arm up in an exaggerated motion. This is fine if you're walking down the street, but just plain irritating when you're sitting down or want to glance at the time while you're typing.
Many Android Wear watches, including the LG G Watch R, include a feature called "always-on," which switches the smartwatch into a low-power state. In always-on mode, the watch face is stripped of almost all color, and some details (like a second hand) are pared down, in effort to conserve battery life while remaining on.
Android Wear 5.1.1 extends "always-on" to apps. Maps, for example, will get the same black-and-white treatment when you're not actively looking at them. However, the apps require an update to support the feature, so there aren't many with always-on baked in yet, so if you don't see any, be patient; they're coming.
The biggest knock on smartwatches, besides battery life, is that they're smartphone companions and need to be tethered via Bluetooth in order to work. Leave your smartphone at your desk and walk away or go for a run without your glass slab and your smartwatch stops getting notifications.
The Apple Watch still works over Wi-Fi if your iPhone is out of Bluetooth range, but the two must be connected to thesame Wi-Fi network to work.
With the new Android Wear update, your smartwatch can still get alerts and notifications over Wi-Fi, even when your phone isn't within range. Unlike the Apple Watch, Android Wear watches running the latest version can connect toany Wi-Fi network (assuming you have access, of course), meaning your phone could be at home and your watch connected to Wi-Fi at work and you'll still get notifications. (You'll still need your smartphone to pair and activate an Android Wear smartwatch, so it's not quite phone-free... yet.)
The Apple Watch has 3D-animated emoji — something many users have called creepy — and a sketch messaging feature. The latter lets you send a quick doodle to another person with an Apple Watch. The recipient can then watch the doodle animate itself.
On Android 5.1.1, your chicken-scratch emoji are automatically converted into proper emoticons. Google's drawing-to-emoji conversion is pretty spot on, too. It recognized everything from my terrible bicycle to my cat-that-looks-nothing-like-a-cat doodles.
Operating a smartwatch is a two-handed affair. You typically need to flick the arm that it's on to turn on the display and then use your other hand to tap and swipe it. It's annoying when you can't use your other hand. For example, when you're cooking and have chicken fat lathered all over your fingers, the last thing you want to do is touch your precious wearable.
In Android Wear 5.1.1, you can browse through Google Now cards with wrist gestures; Flick your wrist up fast and then slow back down to scroll down through notifications, and flick your wrist up slowly and then back down fast to scroll up.
It's not the most intuitive gesture way to control your wearable, but it's useful once you know how to do it.
Android has always been one step ahead of iOS in terms of lock screen security. While you can set a simple number passcode on the Apple Watch, Android Wear 5.1.1 does it one better with Android's familiar pattern lock screen. To be fair though, both security options work similarly: The lock screen feature kicks in only when it detects you've taken it off your wrist.
The Apple Watch starts at $349 for the Sport edition. That's not throwaway money. Android Wear smartwatch prices vary by maker and design, but they generally cost $299.99 or less. Asus' ZenWatch costs $199.99, Motorola's classy Moto 360 starts at $249 and LG's round-faced G Watch R at $299.
And unlike the Apple Watch, which is sold exclusively (for now) through Apple's online store, you can easily find Android Wear smartwatches at different retailers, many of which often sell them at big discounts. The Google Store, for instance, is selling the Moto 360 for $179.99 at the time of this writing.
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Force Touch, Apple’s new pressure-sensing technology coming to the Apple Watch and its 2-pound, 0.52-inch-thinMacBook is, according to reports, also coming to the iPhone 6 update later this year.
You should consider this very good news.
During Monday’s Apple Watch Eventwhere Apple surprised the world with the ultra-slim (and gold!) MacBook, I had an opportunity to try out what Apple calls “Force Click” on the featherweight portable.
Force Click is more or less the same technology as you’ll find on the upcoming Apple Watch. In the laptop, there are a bunch of sensors under the large trackpad that detect pressure. The tricky part is that even though the trackpad only ever moves slightly down from the surface of the laptop that it shares with the full-sized keyboard, haptic response tricks you into thinking the trackpad is descending much further.
Haptics are not particularly esoteric or new. They’re tiny vibrations that can feel like buzzes, taps or clicks and are generated by super-tiny motors hidden, in this case, just under the trackpad surface.
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In the MacBook, Force Touch / Force Click let me open a video and then use the fast-forward button almost like an accelerator in a car: the harder I pressed on the trackpad, the faster the video playback went. I also used it to preview a browser link by just giving a harder press to a link in an email. Similarly, on a document, I pressed once to highlight and then pressed harder for an expanded preview. In each case, I swore the trackpad was moving down vertically. It wasn’t — at all. A light click under my fingers made me think I was gradually pushing through physical downward steps.
This technology has a dual benefit. First of all, it solves the problem of how you create “pressable buttons” in devices that either do not actually support button movement or where they’re so thin that the movement has to be significantly limited. It also means that developers can use this "faked" range of motion to activate additional features in their apps.
Now let’s imagine the iPhone 6 with its hundreds of thousands of apps.
Force Touch will add a new dimension of functionality to almost everything on the iPhone. It may also do away with some things. Perhaps the double-click necessary to see all running apps disappears in favor of a harder press. One-click for the app carousel and, if your press harder, two or three haptic clicks for accessibility mode (a feature you currently access with three rapid presses of the home button).
It might also improve fingerprint registering in Touch ID. Instead of picking up and placing your finger back on the button, you might press harder and even move your finger as you do. Underneath, the button would have to use the simulated layers to turn the sensor on and off to read all the different parts of your fingerprint. The clicks would be your indication to move your finger around on the button.
Force Touch’s haptic response could be used in gaming. So in addition to using your fingers and thumbs on the Retina HD display, you’ll keep a finger or thumb on the home/Touch ID button where Force Touch will add a physical dimension to game play. You could "feel" gunshots, steps and even running with a tiny "push."
You could use it to change drawing tool widths, so a harder press for a wider pen or, maybe, a “deeper” press for more spray paint.
I could see Force Touch being paired with the iPhone’s iSight camera. You could press lightly to zoom in a bit, or harder to zoom in faster.
Another motor in the iPhone would mean additional power consumption, but for now let's assume that that's an easily surmountable hurdle. These are tiny motors, after all.
The best way to think about this is that Force Touch should add layers of new functionality to almost everything the iPhone does and if it works as well as it did in my brief time with the MacBook, it will likely transform the way we interact with Apple’s best-selling mobile device.
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The new MacBook is impressive, but it was missing one thing: the Apple logo on the back no longer glows. We want more glowing logos, Apple! Not fewer!
At least, that's the opinion of the folks at German website Computer-Bild. Its video of an iPhone 7 concept features a glowing Apple logo on the back — a feature no iPhone has ever sported.
As far as concepts go, this one is quite realistic; it appears like a slightly more polished variant of the iPhone 6. The dual camera on the back is not protruding from the case, and the home button — which doubles as a fingerprint scanner — is a part of the phone's screen. Unlike the iPhone 6's screen, this imagined one extends to the edges of the device, which would be another welcome change in the next iPhone.
Having mixed feelings about your iPhone5, 5S or 5C? Maybe the screen doesn't seem to shine as brightly, or the hyper-responsive touch screen doesn't seem as fast as it once was. Whatever the reason, you're looking for a change.
If you're the type of person who alwaysneeds the newest iPhone as soon as it comes out, chances are you're looking to sell your current device — and quickly. We can help.
There are several options available, and you can explore each one to find the best value for your old device. Below, we've detailed a few of the best options and how to utilize them.
Apple offers its own in-house trade-in program. At any Apple retail store, you can provide your phone (all iPhone generations are currently accepted) and an Apple employee will determine its monetary value. If you choose to accept their quote, they'll credit you with your quote amount, take your iPhone and wipe it while you search the store for your next device.
Important note: The device for which you're trading your current model mustbe in stock at the time of your trade-in, and new phones must be under contract.
The Apple trade-in program method is safe and easy, but it isn't likely to get you the best price for your former phone.
IMAGE: SCREENSHOT, AMAZON
Amazon's trade-in program offers, on average, a higher price than Apple. Users who want to get rid of their current iPhones simply need to fill out a form about the quality of their devices.
Amazon then sends you packing and shipping materials free of charge. When the company receives your shipment, your account will be credited with a gift card of equal value.
IMAGE: SCREENSHOT, WALMART
Major retailer Walmart also has a trade-in program. For working phones, Walmart offers as much as $180.50 credit for an iPhone 5, $325 credit for an iPhone 5S, and $133 for an iPhone 5C.
IMAGE: SCREENSHOT, GLYDE
In terms of sites dedicated to helping you sell your iPhone directly, you have quite a few options.
Glyde.com is probably your best bet in terms of sheer price. You set a price on your device and wait for someone to make the purchase. Once sold, you receive the payment in your Glyde account, which you can easily transfer to a bank account. The site even has aniPhone Upgrade Tool to help you figure out how much of a profit you can expect after upgrading.
For a charitable and environmentally friendly approach, RebootCharity.orgpays you for your iPhone, which it will then recycle. According to the website, profits are used to "fund the work of volunteers."
Surprisingly, GameStop offers a pretty good deal in terms of store credit value.Gamers can receive store credit up to $229 for a like-new iPhone 5, $319 for an iPhone 5S and $199 for an iPhone 5C. You can also trade in your device for cash, but it isn't as much as in-store credit.
When it comes to selling your iPhone directly, we recommend that you research different sites independently and think about what you'd like to get in return. Your iPhone's value is dependent on many factors, including your carrier and the device's physical condition.
If you're constantly looking to get the newest phone on the market, we recommend looking into your carrier's upgrade programs. Many programs, such as T-Mobile's JUMP, Verizon'sEdge and AT&T's Next, allow you to upgrade more frequently.
Editor's note: This post has been updated Sept. 8, 2014, to reflect current information.
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 iPhone 6, 6 Plus |  Galaxy S5 |  HTC One M8 |  Lumia 930 |  Moto X | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size
|
4.7, 5.5 inches
|
5.1 inches
|
5 inches
|
5 inches
|
5.2 inches
|
Resolution
|
1334 x 750 (6), 1920 x 1080 (6 Plus)
|
1920 x 1080
|
1920 x 1080
|
1920 x 1080
|
1920 x 1080
|
Screen Type/ppi (pixels per inch)
|
Retina HD display, 326 ppi (6), 401 ppi (6 Plus)
|
Super AMOLED, 432 ppi
|
Super LCD3, 441 ppi
|
ClearBlack, OLED, 441 ppi
|
OLED, 423 ppi
|
Weight
|
4.55 oz (6), 6.07 oz (6 Plus)
|
5.1 oz
|
5.6 oz
|
5.89 oz
|
5 oz
|
Chipset
|
A8 64-bit chip w/ M8 motion coprocessor
|
2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 with quad-core CPU
|
2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 with quad-core CPU
|
2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 with quad-core CPU
|
2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 with quad-core CPU
|
Storage
|
16GB, 64GB, 128GB (both models)
|
16GB, expandable via microSD up to 128 GB
|
16GB, 32 GB, expandable via microSD up to 128 GB
|
32GB, no card slot
|
16 GB (32GB available through MotoMaker)
|
Connectors
|
Apple Lightning
|
microUSB
|
microUSB
|
microUSB
|
microUSB
|
Operating System
|
iOS 8
|
Android 4.4.2 (KitKat)
|
Android 4.4.2 (KitKat)
|
Windows Phone 8.1
|
Android 4.4.2 (KitKat)
|
Battery
|
TBD
|
2800 mAh
|
2600 mAh
|
2,300mAh
|
2,000 mAh
|
Camera
|
8MP iSight w/ TrueTone flash, FaceTime camera 1.2MP
|
rear camera 16MP with LED flash, front camera 2MP
|
rear camera Dual 4MP, front camera 5MP
|
rear camera 20MP Dual LED flash, front camera 1.2MP
|
rear camera 13MP, front camera 2MP , LED flash
|
Networking
|
Wi-Fi 802.11c, Voice over LTE, supports 20 LTE bands
|
Wi-Fi 802.11ac, 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
|
Wi-Fi 802.11ac, 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
|
Wi-Fi 802.11ac, 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
|
Wi-Fi 802.11ac, 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
|
U.S. Price (with 2-year contract)
| iPhone 6 $199, $299, $399, 6 Plus $299, $399, $499 |
$149 (price may vary depending on carrier)
|
$49.99 (price may vary depending on carrier)
|
$599 (unlocked)
|
$99 (price may vary depending on carrier)
|
